*Official* English Football Season 2005-06

[Tom Halsey]

I actually meant specifically with Chelsea. There is no doubt he did well at his other clubs, and perhaps he works better with a smaller budget.

But to be fair, what has he actually acheived at Chelsea outside of the Premiership? He has got no further than Ranieri did in the Champions League, and look to be going out early this season too. He was out fought and out thought by Benitez and a comparitvely weak Liverpool side last year and have been outclassed by an admittedly better side this.

He won the Carling Cup last year, yes, but Middlesbrough and Blackburn have won that trophy in recent years and it is hardly a prestigious trophy. This season they were knocked out by a poor Charlton side.

In the FA Cup last year they were outplayed by a very poor Newcastle side who were missing players and had a tactically inept manager. This season they may very well win it, but that is far from clear.

With UNLIMITED funds, he has bought badly and bought often.

At CHELSEA, I still believe he has done well, but not well enough for a manager with such a proven track record and so much money available to him.

Agreed 100%. Still a good manager, though, but over-rated.

 

[TheEpic]

I'm pretty sure Cech and Robben were Mourinho's signings.

EDIT: I'm right.

I don't mean to be rude, but both you and a poster below are incorrect. Whilst there are doubts about whether Ranieri was personally responsible for the deals, and to be fair to the man, he claims that he was and met Arjen Robben in Eindhoven personally, Mourinho had NOTHING to do with the transfers whatsoever.

Here is some proof.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/low/football/teams/c/chelsea/4354288.stm
http://www.sportinglife.com/football/premiership/chelsea/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=soccer/05/08/20/SOCCER_Arsenal_Nightlead.html&TEAMHD=chelsea
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=%2Fsport%2F2004%2F06%2F01%2Fsfnche01.xml

 

[Neil Pickup]

As evidenced by our points tally for this season so far comparing favourably with when we won the title...

Anyone who expects us to compete with Chelsea needs their head sorting.

You've won one European knockout tie in seven years.

 

[Tom Halsey]

I'm pretty sure Cech and Robben were Mourinho's signings.

EDIT: I'm right.

No, they weren't.

Robben was signed in January 2004 from memory (Ranieri in charge then) and I seem to remember that Cech was signed just before he got sacked? Whatever I remember noting that he wasn't Mourinho's signing.

 

[Tom Halsey]

You've won one European knockout tie in seven years.

What does that have to do with the Premiership?!

 

[Neil Pickup]

What does that have to do with the Premiership?!

Nothing at all. Premiership isn't the be-all and end-all of the club's status, though, is it?

I don't care if I'm being irrelevant, btw

 

[Tom Halsey]

Nothing at all. Premiership isn't the be-all and end-all of the club's status, though, is it?

I don't care if I'm being irrelevant, btw

No, it's not, but the fact that our points at this stage are actually better than several seasons where we won the title is telling.

I'm not disputing that we're not as good as we once were, but our downfall is being majorly overplayed IMO.

 

[Neil Pickup]

No, it's not, but the fact that our points at this stage are actually better than several seasons where we won the title is telling.

I'm not disputing that we're not as good as we once were, but our downfall is being majorly overplayed IMO.

So long as you're convinced, nothing changes, and the slump continues, I'm happy.

 

[Tom Halsey]

So long as you're convinced, nothing changes, and the slump continues, I'm happy.

What slump? We're doing better than we did in several title-winning seasons.

Yes, Europe was pretty majorly ****ed-up, but that didn't stop everyone thinking Arsenal were brilliant when they always used to **** it up did it?

 

[marc71178]

mhmm...he took an obscure Portugese team (beira something...although that may be wrong) and effectively did a Wigan with them...

No, he did a lot better than that.

Wigan are only where they are because of money.

 

[marc71178]

Nothing at all. Premiership isn't the be-all and end-all of the club's status, though, is it?

No, the Carling Cup is the new big one!

 

[marc71178]

Yes, Europe was pretty majorly ****ed-up, but that didn't stop everyone thinking Arsenal were brilliant when they always used to **** it up did it?

They've won more than one knockout tie in 7 years.

 

[roseboy64]

No, the Carling Cup is the new big one!

Yeah definitely Marc. The hype about the Carling Cup is that it's the club's first trophy in two years and there's hope that the (relatively)new players(Rooney, Ronaldo) having experienced success will want to get more.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Yeah definitely Marc. The hype about the Carling Cup is that it's the club's first trophy in two years and there's hope that the (relatively)new players(Rooney, Ronaldo) having experienced success will want to get more.

I refuse to accept that winning the Carling Cup will make Wayne Rooney want to win the league more than he did before.

 

[Tom Halsey]

They've won more than one knockout tie in 7 years.

Not a couple of years ago they hadn't (which was when you said they were great) - they hadn't even been in a knock-out tie in 7 years, I bet (though I haven't searched it).

 

[Tom Halsey]

No, he did a lot better than that.

Wigan are only where they are because of money.

So are Chelsea...

 

[simmy]

I refuse to accept that winning the Carling Cup will make Wayne Rooney want to win the league more than he did before.

Well to even think that United have a chance is fairly stupid... even for Rooney

 

[Loony BoB]

Well to even think that United have a chance is fairly stupid... even for Rooney

He didn't say "this season".

Anyone who has written off Man United from being Premiership champions in near future seasons is an idiot, as far as I'm concerned. Much the same for Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea. Predicting the future is a generally unwise thing to do.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Arsenal in Europe since 99-00
Man United over the same period

It's one win each in the CL (Celta/Depor) - but Arsenal reached the 2000 UEFA Cup final.

 

[TheEpic]

To be honest, last season aside, the record of English clubs in the CL since Man Utd won it in 99 is not good. Only Chelsea (was it the semi's under Ranieri?) and Leeds (YEY!) in 2001 made any real impression until Liverpool last season.