2010/2011 Season Thread

[Adam Easy Wishes]

I've said it before, will say it again...

16 team league:

Aberdeen

Celtic

Dundee Utd

Hamilton

Hearts

Hibs

Inverness

Kilmarnock

Motherwell

Rangers

St Johnstone

St Mirren

+ four from Dundee, Dunfermline, Raith Rovers, Falkirk, Partick Thistle (all clubs with suitable stadia)

Play each other twice (once at home, once away), with no defined winter break, but the extra weeks will allow any re-arranged fixtures to be played without much disruption to the schedule and without teams having to play four games in seven days.

Probably bottom automatically down with 15th in the SPL playing 2nd in Division One in a relegation/promotion play-off.

[Chris]

Probably bottom automatically down with 15th in the SPL playing 2nd in Division One in a relegation/promotion play-off.

I agree with everything except this. Bottom two should go down with 2nd and 3rd placed teams in the 2nd tier playing off against each other or 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th have a knockout competition for it.

Top tier teams should not be playing off against the lower tier teams with a chance of survival, they should just be fucked and take their medicine.

[Adam Easy Wishes]

I agree with everything except this. Bottom two should go down with 2nd and 3rd placed teams in the 2nd tier playing off against each other or 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th have a knockout competition for it.

Top tier teams should not be playing off against the lower tier teams with a chance of survival, they should just be fucked and take their medicine.

Agreed.

[Adam Easy Wishes]

I should also say that in my overhaul of Scottish football all leagues below Division One will be regionalised.

[Adam Easy Wishes]

LOL @ Rob Smyth, 2006

Shredding his legacy at every turn | Football | guardian.co.uk

It was John Cleese, in Clockwise, who said: "I can take the despair. It's the hope I can't stand." Manchester United fans would beg to differ. Usually, the best thing about pre-season is the hope: reality's incisors have yet to pierce the gums of optimism, and fans can live off the balmy, often barmy belief that this is their year. For supporters of most of the other 91 English clubs, that's the mood right now. For United fans? Forget it. After three seasons of papering over the cracks, it seems most United fans are awaiting the moment that the fault lines tracing a veiny path across Old Trafford are exposed.

Almost everything about the club reeks of disarray. Owned by the Glazers, who push buttons from a remote hideaway like Dr Evil; run by a manager who shreds his legacy at every turn; almost exclusively represented by the inadequate (Darren Fletcher and Kieran Richardson) and the odious (Rio Ferdinand); unable to close a deal for West Brom's reserve keeper, never mind the new Roy Keane. The signing of Michael Carrick, a Pirlo when a Gattuso was needed, is a band aid for a bullet wound, and a ludicrously expensive one at that.

If anything, it's a surprise that United have bought anyone at all. This summer, they have been like a pathetic drunk lumbering across a dancefloor at 1.45am, trying to get off with everything that moves. No matter how many people they move in for - and if reports are to be believed, United have made offers for dozens of players - nobody wants to go near them. And the one person who surely would, Damien Duff, was allowed to slip into the arms of Newcastle for less than United paid for Patrice Evra. You couldn't make it up. You don't have to.

United finished second last season, but that as much about the deficiency of the Premiership as their own quality. Arsenal will surely not have a four-month blind spot this season, while all evidence suggests that Liverpool's gradient will continue on its upward trajectory. With Tottenham getting stronger, even with the loss of Carrick, it is conceivable that, if they start slowly and get significant injuries, United could finish fifth; in today's environment, that would be disastrous.

The problems are so obvious, so fundamental, as to be beggar belief that they have not been addressed. Just as the glory years of 1992 to 2001 will only fully be appreciated in 20 years' time, so will Ferguson's subsequent failure. It is particularly bewildering that a man who once exerted such an unyielding grip on every single aspect of the club that he had to be virtually coerced into delegating has let things slip to this extent. Take the Cristiano Ronaldo situation: Ferguson said recently that he had not even spoken to Ronaldo since the World Cup, a dereliction of duty that is in total contrast to the us-against-the-world protection that he gave to David Beckham - and for which, for a time, he was so thrillingly rewarded - in 1998.

Once upon a time Ferguson could play 'who blinks first' with fate and win every time, his iron will shaping his destiny exactly as he wanted. Now he is reduced to uttering garbage like "it's like having a new signing" of Paul Scholes, Ole Solskjaer, Gabriel Heinze and Alan Smith, the irrational if-I-say-it-enough-it-might-happen gibberish you'd associate with a serial loser like Kevin Keegan. These days, the man they call The Hairdryer is full of nothing but hot air.

Ferguson's squad, once so taut, is a baggy mess of has-beens, never-will-bes and Liam Miller. The simple repetition of 4-4-2, of Giggs, Scholes, Keane, Beckham, Cole and Yorke, has given way to myriad tactical and personnel changes, to a ruinous obsession with utility players and tinkering. It's a truly appalling fact that, with Ruud van Nistelrooy gone, none of United's outfield players have played in only one position at the club. A nadir was reached in the FA Cup game at Wolves last season, when nearly 60m of defensive and attacking talent (Ferdinand and Wayne Rooney) was used in the centre of midfield.

It is an increasingly inescapable conclusion that, unwittingly or otherwise, Ferguson is winding down, a prizefighter who no longer has the stomach or the wit for an admittedly enormous challenge which, once upon a time, he would have fervently inhaled. Like he did with Liverpool. Ferguson's almost maniacal yearning to "knock Liverpool off their fucking perch" was arguably the single most important factor in United's 1990s renaissance. It makes it all the more vicious an irony that, 10 years later, he should knock United off the perch he had made for them through increasingly rank mismanagement.

Indeed, it must irk him beyond belief that United are making exactly the same mistakes that Liverpool did: lack of pheromones in the transfer market; laughable, fall-back signings at suspicious and ridiculous prices; deluded ramblings ("we are as good as Chelsea, no question") - and, worst of all, a dressing-room where playing the field seems as important as playing the game. Liverpool's Spice Boys were bad, but they have nothing on Merk Berks like Ferdinand, Richardson and Wes Brown.

Ferguson has taken this end-of-an-empire template and, incredibly, managed to develop it: he's added a sprawling, outsized squad chock-full of obscenely well-paid deadwood; insultingly obvious spin that a two-year-old could see through (the Van Nistelrooy saga); economy with the truth (Ferguson ridiculed a journalist for saying that Paul Scholes had been scouting for United; a few days later Scholes confirmed the story); a coaching set-up that had Wayne Rooney playing wide for a season and turned Ronaldo from the world's most thrilling off-the-wall talent into a run-of-the-mill winger when he plays for United, as was confirmed by his liberated displays for Portugal at the World Cup.

Ferguson, an essentially honourable man, is partly suffering because of the impossibly high standards he set, and he carries the fatigued incomprehension of a man who is out of time. When he cites his favourite United team it is not the Treble-winners of 1999, but the Double-winners of 1994: Schmeichel, Bruce, Pallister, Ince, Keane, Hughes, Cantona, Robson - a team that dripped masculinity, who bonded over blockbusting Saturday-night sessions, who embodied the old-school values to which Ferguson can relate. Real men. The gentrification generation - sarong-wearing, pink champagne-swigging metrosexuals - are entirely beyond his comprehension. He could handle one, David Beckham, for a time before eventually giving up on him. Now he has a pack of them, for whom the hairdryer means only one thing - a trip to Toni & Guy. It is a different world. Ferguson probably doesn't even know what 'merk' means.

Everywhere, principles are being sacrificed. In years gone by Ferdinand - who for all his irrefutable ability is the type of character whose presence in a United shirt symbolises much of what has gone wrong with the club - would've been out the door faster than Paul Ince could say 'big-time Charlie', but now Ferguson can't afford to lose his only world-class defender. In years gone by he wouldn't have considered signing someone like Patrick Vieira, on grounds of age or character, but now he is left looking for someone, anyone, to appease the fans. In years gone by he would never have given a game to someone like John O'Shea, whose sole use is to put the podge in a hodgepodge midfield, or someone as meek as Darren Fletcher. In years gone by, he would never have sanctioned the mediocre football that, except for a few giddy weeks in the spring of 2003, United have played ever since Carlos Queiroz arrived in 2002 spouting gobbledygook disguised as continental sophistication.

And the thing is, it is only going to get worse: Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham have all made shrewd, cheap signings and are going in one direction. United are going the other way: they are hugely dependent on Ferdinand and Rooney, but no number of Carling Cup medals is going to sate their ambition. Then there is the Glazer factor, the full, inevitable horror of which is only just beginning to emerge. United fans think this season is going to be bad. It hasn't even started.

United fans think this season is going to be bad. It hasn't even started.

That will be a season they won the league, then?

[Scorge]

Nail on head, near enough:

The SPL Plot A Power-Grab Twohundredpercent

[Woodsinho]

Best line of that - "Ferguson probably doesn't even know what 'merk' means."

Looks like 'boro are going to be saying goodbye to a few players in January. Boyd, Wheater and O' Neill are the fellas we'll get some money for. Any takers?

[Adam Easy Wishes]

Mystic Me(g) says: No takers for Boyd in January, however another serious injury to Nikica 'Daniel Prodan' Jelavic forces Rangers to make a deadline-day SWOOP for Boyd on loan for the remainder of the season.

[Lemonade]

Best line of that - "Ferguson probably doesn't even know what 'merk' means."

Looks like 'boro are going to be saying goodbye to a few players in January. Boyd, Wheater and O' Neill are the fellas we'll get some money for. Any takers?

Has Boyd been shite? I haven't been following the Championship this season. Or the Premiership for that matter. Match Of The Day clashes with TNA Impact.

[Soda Jerk]

Hasn't Boyd always been shite? Just less shite sometimes.

[Adam Easy Wishes]

Hasn't Boyd always been shite? Just less shite sometimes.

His scoring record in the SPL is phenomenal.

164 in 296 games total (unsure about how many of those are sub appearances), including 101 goals in 143 appearances for Rangers.

[Woodsinho]

He's got 5 in 19 for us so far which isn't too bad considering how awful we've been in getting the ball to him. It's more a matter of balancing the accounts, he'll be on relatively high wages and since there's little hope of us getting promotion from here we need to get rid of some of the big earners as we won't be getting any more Premier League parachute payments.

[Guest idol_wild]

Has Boyd been shite? I haven't been following the Championship this season. Or the Premiership for that matter. Match Of The Day clashes with TNA Impact.

I'm a bit of a Championship geek, and in my opinion, Boyd is a little out of his depth at a club like Middlesborough. He is unquestionably a player who can play well, but only for two types of team:

a) The type of team who tend to dominate the vast majority of the games they play, creating several open-play opportunities for him per match.

b) A mid-level club who focus their attacking play entirely on Boyd's strengths.

I remember a debate at the start of the season discussing how everyone felt Boyd would cope in an English Premier League side. Strangely, a lot of people felt he'd do really well at that level. Despite playing in the SPL, where the standard relates approximately to that of mid-table League One in England. With the general argument being "if he can score all those goals in the SPL, he can definitely do it in the EPL".

Personally, I think the guy is utter mince and possesses limited outstanding qualities - with his only real "quality" being the ability to put the ball into the net against really shit opposition.

[Guest Gladstone]

Kris Boyd has always been a poor man's Willem Van Der Ark.

[Paranoid Android]

16 team league with summer football. With a break in the middle that can be adjusted / extended when there are big championships. Something like March to June and August to November. Go back to the days of the league cup being over and done with quickly so the final can be a nice show piece before the mid season break and then have the scottish cup through the second half. One other national league below that with regionalised leagues lower down. 3 teams from 16 get relegated automatically.

[Lemonade]

I agree with everything except this. Bottom two should go down with 2nd and 3rd placed teams in the 2nd tier playing off against each other or 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th have a knockout competition for it.

Top tier teams should not be playing off against the lower tier teams with a chance of survival, they should just be fucked and take their medicine.

I don't agree with play-offs. Admittedly it makes the league more exciting, but I don't think it's right that a team that finishes the season in 6th can leap-frog the teams that have performed consistently better than them all season.

Anyone know off the top of their head what the records are for the Championship's play-off winners actually staying up the following season?

[Scorge]

Best thing to do with a winter break is bring back an Anglo Scottish Cup of sorts, a midweek glorified friendly against the likes of Wycombe or Coventry at Firhill would certainly make a nice break from the usual drudge. I fear I may be a lone voice on that one.

If SPL2 gets voted through, then it's really bad news for the lower league clubs. Really bad.

[Shaki]

It seems obvious that a bigger league would make it more entertaining from a supporter's point of view but I understand the negative financial implications of this. I haven't read the full review but I can't find any mention in news articles as to how a ten team league would benefit either the quality of football or attractiveness of the SPL as a product. Why two less teams in the top flight? This can only add to the monotony. (two less shite teams I suppose though!)

Im sure there are valid reasons for all the suggestions, trimming down the bureaucracy speaks for itself, and I should maybe spend some time reading closer but currently I just dont get it.

[Christy]

A 16 team SPL would be a disaster. The OF would race away with the top two spots, three of Hibs, Hearts, Dundee Utd and Dons would challenge for third, with one surprisingly tailing off early. Two or maybe three teams would be in a relegation fight, leaving 8 or 9 playing meaningless games for almost the whole season.

The other reason is that every non-OF team needs several matches vs the OF to stay afloat. Playing them only twice a season would never gain the approval of the chairmen of smaller teams.

[Alphas]

It's a sorry state of affairs when finances in the game dictate we can't provide what the paying customers (and the managers) would like in expanded the league. Our teams are so hand to mouth now it seems they can't survive without playing the Old Firm and squeezing TV deals for all they're worth. Setanta, that was a great idea. Owners of the clubs are successful business people aren't they? They certainly don't act like it.

Quite a damning verdict on the SFA, just confirms what we all thought rather than revealing anything though. I just hope those in charge of our game sit up and take notice rather than protect their own positions.

[Sam 45]

Anyone know off the top of their head what the records are for the Championship's play-off winners actually staying up the following season?

Not off the top of my head but Blackpool sure are making a good go at it.

[Nev]

Rushden keeper dies at 24 - Yahoo! Eurosport

Jesus fuck, min.

Best mates with Adam Johnson apparently. AJ looked and sounded proper gutted when asked about him after our game tonight

[Paranoid Android]

A 16 team SPL would be a disaster. The OF would race away with the top two spots, three of Hibs, Hearts, Dundee Utd and Dons would challenge for third, with one surprisingly tailing off early.

Unlike now....

Although surerly a strong third team would be closer if they play half as many games against the old firm.

Two or maybe three teams would be in a relegation fight, leaving 8 or 9 playing meaningless games for almost the whole season.

Not if three teams get relegated automatically, that would definitely involve at least 5 or 6 teams if not more.

The other reason is that every non-OF team needs several matches vs the OF to stay afloat. Playing them only twice a season would never gain the approval of the chairmen of smaller teams.

A very negative view imo. A revamped league could spark more than enough interest to create a general increase in attendance that would cover any loss from less old firm games. The smaller teams would only be losing one game from 3 to 2. The financial benefits of playing the old firm is not that big.

[soundian]

Anyone know off the top of their head what the records are for the Championship's play-off winners actually staying up the following season?

11 out of 17 play-off winners have went back down straight away. 6 out of 17 winners have gone straight back down. Second place teams come somewhere in the middle, unsurprisingly.

[Hugh_Jazz]

have went back down

Who the hell are you, Charlie Nicholas?