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Fulham nerves crumble over Cookie

Posted by Andy Rose on April 11, 2007 4:03 PM

It's no good, I've tried all day but I still cannot understand why Fulham sacked manager Chris Coleman last night.

Cookie deserves a medal for the job he has done at Craven Cottage over the past four years not a P45.

His boss may have been Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed, but he was never once given the kind of transfer kitty his predecessor Jean Tigana once enjoyed.

Added to that Coleman lost star players virtually every season such as Louis Saha, Luis Boa Morte and Steed Malbranque and had to replace them on a fraction of what they were sold for.

And yet he repeatedly kept Fulham in the Premiership against the odds.

The side are currently four points clear of the relegation zone with five games to go and too close for Al Fayed's liking to missing out on upwards of £50m through the new television rights deal next season.

So why has he opted to appoint a manager with no Premiership experience in Northern Ireland boss Lawrie Sanchez?

Sanchez may have worked miracles with Northern Ireland but then wasn't Cookie already doing that every day he turned up for work at The Cottage?

End of season predictions

Posted by Andy Rose on March 16, 2007 4:49 PM

Sometimes in this job you have to put your head on the block, say what you think and then wait for the inevitable moment when you are proved wrong.

So here goes.

I predict the following:

1. Cardiff City will fail to reach the Championship play-offs.
2. Swansea City will sneak into the League One play-offs on the final day of the season.
3. Wrexham will survive and avoid relegation with games to spare.
4. Wales will lose at Croke Park against Ireland next week.

Touching the nerve

Posted by Andy Rose on March 7, 2007 11:48 AM

Not many Cardiff City fans were too pleased with the comments of Birmingham City co-owner David Sullivan in last weekend's edition of Wales on Sunday.

Here are a few alternative and unedited views from the unofficial Cardiff City messageboard.

Continue reading "Touching the nerve" »

Stay-away Cardiff

Posted by Andy Rose on March 3, 2007 11:52 AM

DAVID SULLIVAN has warned Cardiff City that the Premiership does not want them to win promotion.

The flamboyant Birmingham City co-owner insists the Premiership’s top brass are quaking in their boots at the thought of his hometown club reaching the top flight for the first time in 45 years.

Continue reading "Stay-away Cardiff" »

Forgiven but not forgotten?

Posted by Andy Rose on March 1, 2007 3:36 PM

It may have taken a few years but there could be a thaw developing in the Cold War between Leeds United fans and former chairman Peter Ridsdale.

Ridsdale may be seen as the saviour of Cardiff City right now but he remains the chief culprit in many people's eyes for the financial collapse of Leeds a few years ago and everything that has gone wrong at Elland Road ever since.

But that could be changing even though Leeds are on the verge of being relegated to League One level for the first time in their history.

"We got to the play-off final (last season), seemed settled and were looking forward to a couple of additions but it hasn't developed and you can't blame Ridsdale for that," said Ray Fell, the chairman of the Leeds United supporters' club.

"We have got over that stage. The finances, whether they are right or wrong, is not what's keeping us at the bottom."

That is not to say that Ken Bates is about to let him back into the Leeds boardroom though.


Monkeys go home

Posted by Andy Rose on February 23, 2007 5:12 PM

I've heard all sorts of drivel spewing from the mouths of football chairman over the years but nothing quite like this from Hearts supremo Vladimir Romanov

Make of this what you will.

PS the monkeys are the media.......apparently.

Who killed Kenny?

Posted by Andy Rose on February 18, 2007 12:13 PM

Who, why, when and where are the key questions in any investigation when a crime has been committed.

But while the last two are the easy pieces to fit into the jigsaw of Kenny Jackett's surprise demise at Swansea City, the who and the why parts are far more difficult to explain.

Continue reading "Who killed Kenny?" »

Honesty not always the best policy

Posted by Andy Rose on February 13, 2007 1:29 PM

It didn't take Cardiff City very long to get Michael Chopra back on message following a radio interview on Monday night.

Speaking on Radio Five Live the Bluebirds striker said: "My main aim this season is to get promoted with Cardiff.

"And hopefully I can."

So far so good.

But then he added: "If I don't get promoted with Cardiff, hopefully I can be in the Premiership next season with someone else."

D'oh.


Continue reading "Honesty not always the best policy" »

Lessons learnt

Posted by Andy Rose on February 7, 2007 2:29 PM

So what did we learn from Wales' 0-0 draw against Northern Ireland on Tuesday night?

Not a lot is the honest answer, but here goes anyway.

1. Craig Bellamy is not a lone striker, especially when the balls are pumped aimlessly into the opposition penalty area.

2. Jason Koumas will be missed when he is suspended for the Euro 2008 qualifier against the Republic of Ireland next month although he was nowhere near as good in the game as the BBC would have you believe.

3. Without Ryan Giggs and Gareth Bale, Wales are a far less attractive and attacking proposition.

4. Wales struggle in defence without Danny Gabbidon, James Collins and Bale in the side.

5. The BBC's Matt Jones should copy from colleague Rob Phillips if he ever wants to conduct a meaningful touchline interview.

6. Oli Hides still gets over excited whenever Wales play.

7. Oli Hides wants to form, if he hasn't already, the Jason Koumas fan club with the motto "he really is special you know".

8. Oli Hides cannot help but exaggerate (see above, “he really is special you know!”)

9. Leighton James should at least remember what he said in the first half about Koumas when he changed his tune in the second.

10. Duffel coats are back in fashion.

Actually that's quite a lot isn't it.

Road to nowhere

Posted by Andy Rose on January 31, 2007 11:52 AM

A new study has found that football fans travel nine BILLION miles supporting their teams each season.

Any Swansea supporter making the roadwork interrupted nine-hour round trip to Ipswich last weekend in the FA Cup must have felt like they were doing it all in one go!