Brainy

I did see the "did sort of alright" comment which is still a disservice hence the rant about Gerrard/Beale underneath Where does this mythical managerial ladder begin then, what level? Arteta started at Arsenal no? Pep managed Barca reserves for a year albeit I guess in the 2nd tier? Carrick straight in at Boro probably the fairest comparison? Sure some float some sink. It shouldn't really affect their day job, but Rooney/Gerrard/Lampard were a level above Carrick as a player, and there is definitely more demand to succeed and clamour from the media on those names to the extent where their clubs are renamed "Wayne Rooney's Birmingham City" etc. Carrick goes well under the radar, you wouldn't know Boro had a shocking start to this season unless you're a fan of a side in this league because the media aren't arsed. Not only was Rooney a poor choice for Birmingham but also Birmingham was a poor choice for Rooney because they've been a dirty stain to this league for a number of years. They need a Nigel Pearson character. Arteta and Pep are obviously good managers but at the same time it's hard to fail at clubs with their finances and infrastructure.

You know you're firmly on the bandwagon of believing what social media tells you to believe when you say the job he did at Derby was piss poor. Have absolutely no idea about how he did in the MLS but it's always struck me as a league which swings a lot of the time anyway, that no team has a real place in the table whereas here the top half usually writes itself. I go back to Gerrard's achievements at Rangers being totally disregarded because the real brains of the operation was supposedly his assistant. Same guy that got sacked within a year when he finally got into the hotseat. Swear I've had this conversation on here before but it seems to be that this newer breed of English managers (recently retired "top top players") are held to higher standards, and any achievement of theirs is said to be down to somebody else.

I don't disagree with your first and last paragraph. They were 6th after 11 games when he took over, a whole 3pts above 15th. Bit of an exaggerated comparison sure, but if someone pinched Rob Edwards from Luton after 6 games and they were top half, does it mean their new manager is doing a bad job when they inevitably slip towards the drop zone by Christmas? Not saying Birmingham made the right call, not saying he hasn't done a poor job so far, but right now they sit where they have done for years because they're one of these sides that are due a relegation to come back stronger, like ourselves in 2008 and a few others (Southampton, Ipswich). And generally when I see his name mentioned in the news/social media, the rhetoric is that he has destroyed a well run club with play off potential which is just false.

Find me a few then It's tiring because if it was most other managers doing this, it wouldn't be as big a deal. Nothing about their squad screams top six potential. I've pretty much said in my other post he's doing a poor job there, my issue is with the rhetoric that he's taken a side bound for the play offs to the brink of the drop zone. They've been top of the queue for a visit to League One for as long as I can remember, one of those "one step back to go two steps forwards" kind of situations.

The Rooney is a fraud bandwagon is a bit tiring. While his record with the club so far is obviously poor, this whole "they were 5th when the took over" is so wide of the mark. They have been near-relegation fodder but atleast a handful of years now. They have slipped to where they should be. Eustace started the season well but more than likely wouldn't have maintained it. Not arguing their decision to get rid was madness though.

The blades in their fans

The toilet seat

The video of the young lad in the blue jumper insisting he's not on Santa's naughty list isn't worthy of going viral every single year. If any

If people don't like this then I dread to think what they're gonna be like when we're winning considerably less than 80% of our matches next season

Leeds could score a goal to go 8-0 up in the 95th minute and Gary Weaver would still find the energy to scream his script at the top of his voice

A bit soft, no?

I wish both of them well but I wonder how bad a game these two refs need to have today for the media to call them out on it, particularly Rebecca Welch? Interesting to see how the losing managers comment as well if there is a particularly bad/costly decision that goes against them?

1-4 Rotherham

Expertly managed injury time tbf

When they gonna start booking players for walking back on to the pitch to collapse injured

1 goal in 29 games is just what I wanted to hear

This is sensational stuff

Some of the best stuff I've seen from us for a while without actually looking like scoring a great deal

What's our beef with the fans in that end

Want to turn off purely because this Wayne Rooney love in makes me feel physically sick

As good as it is to see that sort of thing punished according to the rules, that would never be two yellows in the first half. In fact it literally wasn't when Nunez got a yellow for kicking the ball away and the nothing for the sarcastic clapping

Villa could easily be top at Christmas...

Think we're in for 15mins of fanzone commentary based off that high pitched squeal

Bottled a 2nd yellow for the sarcastic clapping

At the same time though the more Ipswich (and ourselves) win, it adds pressure on Leeds/Soton to keep up and any dropped points, which they do far more than the two of us do, builds pressure even more