Today, I will be discussing sports. Specifically, I will be discussing soccer (or football). Let's begin:
Yesterday, Manchester United, Newcastle United, and West Ham United had Premier League fixtures. The first two United clubs, Manchester and Newcastle, faced each other at St. James' Park while West Ham traveled to Bournemouth. I mention this because of a humorous tweet I read that said:
For starters, Manchester was ahead of Newcastle on two different occasions. First, Manchester went ahead by two goals (Wayne Rooney and Jesse Lingard) before conceding two goals to Newcastle. Then, Manchester went ahead with eleven minutes remaining in regular time courtesy of a beautiful strike from Rooney before conceding the equalizer in extra time. To pile on the misery, Manchester had more than their fair share of chances to seal the match and earn the full three points, but Lingard soared an open shot over the crossbar from within the goalkeeper's box and Marouane Fellaini drove a free header directly into the arms of Newcastle's goalkeeper. Also, did I mention that Newcastle is currently in next to last place (nineteenth) in the Premier League?
Yesterday's result is only the tip of an ever-growing iceberg that threatens to sink Manchester United's chances for a Premier League title or a Champions League position. In Manchester United's last six league matches, Manchester has won one match while drawing two and losing three! During this stretch, there has been ongoing speculation about the job security of manager Louis Van Gaal. Initially, I was in the "Keep LVG" camp unless Manchester United could secure Pep Guardiola as their new manager, but I am having second thoughts about my position and it is because I see little, if any, improvement.
I will say this about the position of Manchester United manager (because I have not really said much of anything so far); Manchester United should not hire Jose Mourinho. I do not care about his desire to manage Manchester United, I do not care about his overall track record of success, and I am saying this as an admirer of the man. Jose Mourinho is notorious for wrecking team chemistry, employing boring tactics, and neglecting youth development (i.e. the "Special One" comes with serious baggage).
Now, having made this statement, I am aware of the reports strongly linking Guardiola to rivals Manchester City. So, what happens if Manchester United are unable to get Pep? First, you terminate LVG's contract at the end of the campaign because Manchester United cannot sit idle while their city rivals continue to make progress. Then, Manchester United need to make a decision concerning Ryan Giggs. Will Manchester United's board throw Giggs straight into the fire with incredibly limited managerial experience? Personally, I would prefer Giggs to take a position at a lower-tier club, but I will admit that it would be strange to see a Giggs-less sideline at Old Trafford. If not Pep or Giggs, then who? Frankly, only one name comes to mind: Diego Simeone of Atletico Madrid. Simeone has the proven himself a more than capable manager--challenging the two pillars of Spanish football on a consistent basis, winning La Liga, winning the Copa del Rey, winning the Euro League, and reaching the finals of the Champions League. While I would still prefer Pep, I would have no qualms with Simeone receiving the nod.
Anyways, I have "discussed" Manchester United for longer than I had planned and I actually had some other topics I wanted to discuss (e.g. the end of the Atlanta Silverbacks), but I think I will hold off on any further discussion because this post has gone on for too long. SEE YA AND DFTBA!
Yesterday, Manchester United, Newcastle United, and West Ham United had Premier League fixtures. The first two United clubs, Manchester and Newcastle, faced each other at St. James' Park while West Ham traveled to Bournemouth. I mention this because of a humorous tweet I read that said:
Well, the Manchester United match against Newcastle United did not end in a scoreless draw rather it was 3:3 draw, but West Ham did defeat their opponents, Bournemouth, 1:3. So, Jimmy Conrad was (sort of) correct, at least, on this day. But, the Manchester United draw at St. James' Park is part of what I wanted to discuss because while a six-goal draw away from home is nothing to feel entirely bad about; it is the manner in which the draw occurred that is disappointing.What we're going to learn from the upcoming scoreless draw between @NUFC & @ManUtd is that West Ham is the best United in the @premierleague— Jimmy Conrad (@JimmyConrad) January 12, 2016
For starters, Manchester was ahead of Newcastle on two different occasions. First, Manchester went ahead by two goals (Wayne Rooney and Jesse Lingard) before conceding two goals to Newcastle. Then, Manchester went ahead with eleven minutes remaining in regular time courtesy of a beautiful strike from Rooney before conceding the equalizer in extra time. To pile on the misery, Manchester had more than their fair share of chances to seal the match and earn the full three points, but Lingard soared an open shot over the crossbar from within the goalkeeper's box and Marouane Fellaini drove a free header directly into the arms of Newcastle's goalkeeper. Also, did I mention that Newcastle is currently in next to last place (nineteenth) in the Premier League?
Yesterday's result is only the tip of an ever-growing iceberg that threatens to sink Manchester United's chances for a Premier League title or a Champions League position. In Manchester United's last six league matches, Manchester has won one match while drawing two and losing three! During this stretch, there has been ongoing speculation about the job security of manager Louis Van Gaal. Initially, I was in the "Keep LVG" camp unless Manchester United could secure Pep Guardiola as their new manager, but I am having second thoughts about my position and it is because I see little, if any, improvement.
I will say this about the position of Manchester United manager (because I have not really said much of anything so far); Manchester United should not hire Jose Mourinho. I do not care about his desire to manage Manchester United, I do not care about his overall track record of success, and I am saying this as an admirer of the man. Jose Mourinho is notorious for wrecking team chemistry, employing boring tactics, and neglecting youth development (i.e. the "Special One" comes with serious baggage).
Now, having made this statement, I am aware of the reports strongly linking Guardiola to rivals Manchester City. So, what happens if Manchester United are unable to get Pep? First, you terminate LVG's contract at the end of the campaign because Manchester United cannot sit idle while their city rivals continue to make progress. Then, Manchester United need to make a decision concerning Ryan Giggs. Will Manchester United's board throw Giggs straight into the fire with incredibly limited managerial experience? Personally, I would prefer Giggs to take a position at a lower-tier club, but I will admit that it would be strange to see a Giggs-less sideline at Old Trafford. If not Pep or Giggs, then who? Frankly, only one name comes to mind: Diego Simeone of Atletico Madrid. Simeone has the proven himself a more than capable manager--challenging the two pillars of Spanish football on a consistent basis, winning La Liga, winning the Copa del Rey, winning the Euro League, and reaching the finals of the Champions League. While I would still prefer Pep, I would have no qualms with Simeone receiving the nod.
Anyways, I have "discussed" Manchester United for longer than I had planned and I actually had some other topics I wanted to discuss (e.g. the end of the Atlanta Silverbacks), but I think I will hold off on any further discussion because this post has gone on for too long. SEE YA AND DFTBA!
