lcfc_forever

It's wild, he was their 5th or 6th choice. They really bungled their management search.

Exactly! 😀

Atalanta have been heavily linked with him. Given their success, you'd expect him to go there if they follow up on their interest.

Gasperini is having a big influence as well. Motta was one of his proteges, who's now getting the Juventus job off the back of his success at Bologna. https://onefootball.com/en/news/gasperini-and-atalanta-inspiring-the-future-of-italian-football-39470132 I think Ferguson was more about motivation/leadership rather than tactics and coaching, so you're saw fewer of his players being successful.

Kompany getting the Bayern job. The success of Guardiola and his understudy Arteta are making his other acolytes high in demand. Even Xabi Alonso was coached by Guardiola.

Romano said £7/8 million

Give it a rest mate.

Feels like Chelsea have looked at the job Arteta has done at Arsenal and decided they want another Guardiola influenced manager who was his former assistant. Remember Arteta didn't have proper managerial experience before Arsenal either.

He was right about us wanting Gonzalez, he didn't say the deal was sorted. We agreed terms with the player, Fiorentina didn't want to sell. Re. Sensi, he got that wrong but the deal very nearly did happen. He's far more right than wrong.

Spot on. Appreciate the media support around Maresca might rub certain people up the wrong way (looking at you @Chocolate Teapot) but you can't argue against the facts and what the players have said about him.

You'd think that they might start realising how good he is given how well he is regarded by the players, winning the league and how he's getting interest from clubs like Sevilla, Porto and potentially Chelsea.

The reported fee is ridiculous!

Thomas Frank mentioned here:

It will be interesting to see how he gets on. He was there before on a season-long loan and it didn't work out. Is he better being a big fish in a small pond/a club where there's less pressure? Clear he's got the talent, the consistency has been the issue.

That’s not what I took from it at all. I think the points on them not challenging Guillem enough (they joke at the start about being scared of him), especially about that bad run, and not picking up on Burnley’s spending are fair. But the general view I took is the players love working with Enzo, he has high standards, he felt let down by the comms over finances and wants changes in the office roles to help make sure we’re not a yo-yo club but an established PL club. What’s wrong with that?

Tell me the bit about talking the club down? The time where they discuss the office roles at Leicester? Have you not read that we’re in FFP trouble? Do you not also want changes to the back room team that didn’t do enough to stop us from getting relegated? Correct me if I’m wrong but doesn’t Balague say Leicester should be a PL club given the fan base, history and training ground? That doesn’t sound to me like talking the club down?

De Zerbi and Enzo are reported to know each other well. So would be surprised Enzo going there given De Zerbi has left seemingly because he’s not happy with the club’s ambitions/regime.

Yeah, don’t think there is anything in this. He’s really come on with Enzo’s management, loves the club and sure the club will renew.

Didn’t realise McAteer has only one year left on his contract: https://www.footballinsider247.com/newcastle-everton-and-crystal-palace-race-to-sign-kasey-mcateer-sources/

Know if cliched but it’s not the technology, it’s the referees. It’s been successful in other countries, with the likes of Serie A embracing more tech and transparency. The incentives are not right for VAR in the PL currently - pay the refs more to attract higher quality, separate the VAR team from match referees so it’s less looking after each other, and reward better performers with bigger matches and bonuses. The PL is the richest major league in the world, so surely they can pay better money for refs/VAR staff? If they don’t get that right, it’s not going to live up to its potential. Before getting rid of it all, they could just use it for offsides (the semi automated system will help), ball crossing the line or whether an infringement took place inside the penalty area or not. And then give both sides one appeal each per half for things that VAR covers now that they retain if the appeal is upheld - means less interruptions and sides will only appeal if they think the ref’s made a serious error which is what it’s there for anyway.

No way we go for an almost 29-year old for that price. His value will likely fall, expect if there is interest to at least be less than £10m.