Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Bored and Only Tangentially Related
Interesting post about the talking heads on Fox Soccer Channel. The concern about Sam focusing on the UEFA Cup instead of the FA Cup is possibly the dumbest criticism that I have seen in a while. Its not like its Man U or Arsenal who can afford to change focus easily enough. This is a team that needs as much money as they can get, especially with the age of the club.
HOWEVER, I would love for him to focus on the UEFA cup instead of the league or the FA Cup (especially with West Ham playing twice during that stretch.
The other criticisms that I have seen are that he plays ugly football with the only focus being to win. Well if the England's coach's job is to entertain and not to win, okay don't choose him. I mean Sven has been entertaining hasn't he? Heck he's even won games, 34-15-10 which is a point percentage (pp%) of 63.3. But Sven has done this, this, and some more of this, and then there was this. I mean he sure was entertaining, and hell his comments weren't any worse than the last England coach, Hoddle who said:
I think that Sam will do fine. His focus is on winning. And when you don't have the cash you can't go out and get Rooney or Reyes or a Drogba. Instead you go out and get the flair players who are coming to the end of their career. They buy into your system and you slowly develop younger players. Plus if the nationalistic (or racist as the British call it) interests get their way he's English. Martin O'Neill is the only other person who has the same kind of profile. O'Neill for Leicester had a pp% of 48.3 for Leicester City and Sam has a pp% of 51.4. Both got their respective teams promoted. Both have made it to the League Cup Final (of course O'Neill went one better by winning it). If they are going to go English then Sam is probably a better choice than O'Neill. However if they go beyond the Isles, then I would try to hire Guus or Capello. But hey what do I know, I'm American.
Link
For a really good list of Eriksson's life as England coach take a look at this timeline.
HOWEVER, I would love for him to focus on the UEFA cup instead of the league or the FA Cup (especially with West Ham playing twice during that stretch.
The other criticisms that I have seen are that he plays ugly football with the only focus being to win. Well if the England's coach's job is to entertain and not to win, okay don't choose him. I mean Sven has been entertaining hasn't he? Heck he's even won games, 34-15-10 which is a point percentage (pp%) of 63.3. But Sven has done this, this, and some more of this, and then there was this. I mean he sure was entertaining, and hell his comments weren't any worse than the last England coach, Hoddle who said:
You and I have been physically given two hands and two legs and half-decent brains," he was quoted as saying. "Some people have not been born like that for a reason. The karma is working from another lifetime. "I have nothing to hide about that. It is not only people with disabilities. What you sow, you have to reap."
I think that Sam will do fine. His focus is on winning. And when you don't have the cash you can't go out and get Rooney or Reyes or a Drogba. Instead you go out and get the flair players who are coming to the end of their career. They buy into your system and you slowly develop younger players. Plus if the nationalistic (or racist as the British call it) interests get their way he's English. Martin O'Neill is the only other person who has the same kind of profile. O'Neill for Leicester had a pp% of 48.3 for Leicester City and Sam has a pp% of 51.4. Both got their respective teams promoted. Both have made it to the League Cup Final (of course O'Neill went one better by winning it). If they are going to go English then Sam is probably a better choice than O'Neill. However if they go beyond the Isles, then I would try to hire Guus or Capello. But hey what do I know, I'm American.
Link
For a really good list of Eriksson's life as England coach take a look at this timeline.
# posted by Pinski @ 5:56 PM 
