Official Premier League 2010/11 thread

[HailtotheYo]

Is there a website, or listing anywhere that has a good breakdown of who came from the different club academies/youth systems ?

I've found a couple but they only list the "A" players (like for Arsenal they have Cole, Bendtner, Fabregas .... but I know that guys like Larrson, Stokes, Gibbs are also from the system).

I started the search with Arsenal (obviously) but even their website doesn't have a listing (at least that I could find).

[Lineker]

The Blackburn owners are saying that they ideally want a British manager to take over, but their search could take a couple of months. So either they're terrible under Steve Kean and they risk slipping into the relegration zone, or Kean does brilliantly yet at the end of those couple of months he probably unfairly won't get the job full time? Ugh.

If they're desperate for a British manager why not go for someone like Curbishley?

[Pesci]

Yeah, or Sam Allardyce?

[brenchill]

Shearer?

[britneyspearsisgod]

They'll push for Hughton. You'll see.

Quite frankly, I find it absolutely ridiculous to get rid of Allardyce in the first place. He's not the "flamboyant" manager people seem to want these days, but he gets the job done. Now you can't even do that to keep a job in football these days. What does a guy have to do?

I wouldn't be surprised to see Big Sam actually go overseas for his next job. Bundesliga could be a great place for him to flex his managerial muscles.

[brenchill]

It sounds like a good idea but British managers tend to stay in Britain. It's sad though because any British coach that goes abroad tends to do well. Except Chris Coleman.

[-A-]

Quite frankly, I find it absolutely ridiculous to get rid of Allardyce in the first place. He's not the "flamboyant" manager people seem to want these days, but he gets the job done. Now you can't even do that to keep a job in football these days. What does a guy have to do?

They sacked him because they don't want to spend any money on Allardyce players in January. He's not in their long-term plans, so if they give him another transfer window the club will become even more moulded in his image with his style of players. The fact that they've said the decision on a new manager might take months is an interesting one. Maybe they're pretty happy with having a managerless club over the transfer window so they can just sign their own players without worrying about over-ruling a manager?

[The Future]

They have confirmed holding talks with Maradona but insist the assistant manager will have control till the end of the season, I wonder what they'll do in the transfer market...Allardyce was talking about Bentley and Robbie Keane don't know how those would be bad signings for Blackburn.

[Crybaby Bunting]

Keane and Bentley are the sort of signings that can plunge a team into absolute mediocrity for years to come.

On paper they sound pretty good, but they'll destroy the wage bill and will demand starting places despite offering nothing to the team for vast stretches of the season.

Maybe I'm being biased, but after supporting Newcastle all these years and witnessing them signing players like Duff, Butt, Emre, Owen (and some players with more than four characters in their surname) I know what to expect when hearing the old "he's been mistreated, he'll come good" excuse.

They should really have been trying to sign Petrov before he moved to Bolton, THAT's the sort of player they should be targeting.

[Lineker]

West Ham must win at least one of the relegation-threatened club's next three games or manager Avram Grant will be sacked, BBC Sport understands.

Time is running out for Grant, 55, who has one win in 11 Premier League matches, leaving the club three points adrift at the bottom of the table.

It is understood Sam Allardyce, sacked by Blackburn this week, is being considered as a replacement.

West Ham play Blackburn away on Saturday and Fulham away on Boxing Day.

A source said replacing the Israeli if he fails to meet the terms of the ultimatum would allow the club to make best use of the transfer window, giving the new manager "a chance to make the changes he wanted".

After narrowly avoiding relegation last season West Ham sacked former manager Gianfranco Zola and signed former Portsmouth boss Grant on a four-year contract.

Despite sweeping aside Manchester United in the Carling Cup, defeats to Sunderland and Manchester City mean that the club have collected only 12 points from 17 league matches.

Grant has faced an injury crisis at Upton Park, deprived of the services of Jack Collison, Thomas Hitzlsperger, Valon Behrami, Kieron Dyer, Carlton Cole and Mark Noble for significant periods of the season. In addition, several of his players are out of contract at the end of the season.

The club's owners David Gold and David Sullivan are sympathetic to Grant, but are aware only once in 18 years of the Premier League has a team bottom at Christmas survived the drop.

"Dismissing Avram is not something the board wants to do" said the source.

"The club are aware that we were lucky to avoid relegation last season, and that Avram inherited a 'Championship-rate' squad.

"He's also had a dreadful run of injuries, but we can't get to the beginning of the window and not do something if things don't improve."

Survival specialist Allardyce has an unparalleled track record in digging clubs out of trouble. He took over Rovers when they were 19th in the table and kept them in the Premier League.

Bit of an odd ultimatum?

[stokeriño]

"We want to sack you, and are banking on these three results to make us look less harsh when doing so."

("P.S. If you do win one of these matches, we'll just give you another ultimatum in January.")

[therockbox]

So if they beat Blackburn, but lose the next two, he won't be sacked? Bollocks.

[Szumi]

How about you just fucking sack him already? My goodness, the man has had months now to show whether or not he has the tiniest ability to keep West Ham in the Premier League, and I think he's made it pretty clear that he cannot. Grant does not motivate the players at all, and his tactics are dire. He continues to use Luis Boa Morte, sometimes in the center of the midfield no less, despite him continuing to play awful. He has no consistency, and likes to play 4 center backs across the back line, allowing teams to use pace to create goals (see the Sunderland match). Gianfranco Zola actually inspired his players, and it was evident the squad loved him as a manager. Zola would be doing a better job than Grant, IMO, and both of them have had to deal with an "injury crisis." No excuses: Grant should go.

[-A-]

So if they beat Blackburn, but lose the next two, he won't be sacked? Bollocks.

He won't be sacked after the third game. Which isn't to say he won't be sacked after the fourth. Perfect sense!

[stokeriño]

Birmingham v Newcastle, Liverpool v Fulham and Wigan v Aston Villa are confirmed to be postponed.

Will be interesting to see a) if Chelsea v United goes ahead tomorrow, and b) if I'm even capable of getting to Stamford Bridge...

Edit: Arsenal v Stoke is also off.

[Gazz]

I'm kind of glad Birmingham - Newcastle is off, I can't afford a ticket at the minute but by the time the rearranged fixture is played, it shouldn't be a problem. We've got about 4-5 inches of snow in Birmingham and the M6 is crawling along at about 10mph.

[9 to 5]

I am surprised Blackburn is still on.

[stokeriño]

Chelsea v United is now OFF.

Oh well, that opens up my Sunday afternoon.

[Lineker]

Match of the Day is going to be a must-not-miss show tonight!!

[stokeriño]

Hell I'm going to tune in just to see how they try and fill the time.