The 2011/12 Gary Speed Memorial Thread

[GoN_]

I think Chelsea paid too much for him and took too much of a risk. He is undoubtedly good, he took an awful team, mid-season, in Academica and made them play well for those 6 months, and then did an absolutely amazing season in Porto (), but I still don't think he has proven himself, even more to the point of costing 15M€. I don't find his way of playing the most fun to watch, but then again I don't like to watch Barcelona do 500 passes for 10 minutes. If he takes at least Falcao with him (even through Chelsea has Drogba and Torres) and Moutinho, it will be a good improvement for the team and may allow him to keep his playing style there.

Oh and thank you, Mr. Abramovich for taking him away from here. We Benfica fans should made you a statue dear sir.

[stokeriño]

Lord knows he's spent enough on your players to fund one.

[britneyspearsisgod]

The thing is, Villas Boas has proven coaching credentials as well as prior knowledge of Chelsea and the majority of their team there. Really, he was the best option they had. And fair play to them, because he is an outstanding candidate and I feel confident they will do good things with him in charge.

More to the point, I believe the players will respect him too and that will be crucial.

[stokeriño]

The Sun: Intentionally Misinterpreting Quotes To Suit Their Own Agenda Since The Dawn of Time

Villas-Boas "needs to win the quadruple" to keep Roman happy

[Baddar]

Ugh, I saw that and was gonna post about it.

What's worse, are the people who honestly believe it as truth, and that he will be sacked unless he wins all four. A guy came up to me this morning saying it before I had chance to see the headline. If AVB did say that, it's clear it was said tongue in cheek - Roman obviously wants the best, and will want to win everything, but it doesn't mean he's going to sack the manager if they don't achieve every one of their goals.

[stokeriño]

I think it was clear that he meant "try to win", which is no different from the normal line of Chelsea managers when they say that they want to try and win every game, i.e. the old "challenge on all fronts" adage. Obviously they can't and obviously they play a weaker team in the Carling Cup and so on. Really, it's more a philosophy than a target.

Hell, it's not like heads are going to roll if we don't make the Carling Cup final.

[The Quasi Juice]

Appointing a young guy like Villas Boas should only be done with an eye on long term success really. If Chelsea wanted instant success they should have appointed Hiddink.

[Lineker]

Tottenham have had their bid for a judicial review of the Olympic Stadium decision rejected, the BBC has learned.

Spurs and Leyton Orient were contesting the decision, taken by the Olympic Park Legacy Company in February, to choose West Ham and Newham Council.

But Judge Mr Justice Davis told them there are no grounds for a review.

"We are pleased with the ruling and continue to make good progress with the Preferred Bidder to agree final terms," the Olympic Park Legacy Company said.

This pleases me. Lets all move on now with our lives.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Agreed. I like the potential car crash of West Ham moving in.

[MDK]

I don't, this will affect Orient in a bad way. So much for the rule that a club can't move to a new stadium that is within a mile. Bah.

[Lineker]

Former Arsenal director Lady Bracewell-Smith has called for the club's entire board to be sacked.

Lady Bracewell-Smith, who was axed as a director in 2009, is not happy with the way the club is being run.

On her Twitter account, she wrote: "I agree that current board should all go.

"They are passe. Have nothing more to give to the club at all. In time we will need a more dynamic pro-active, younger board, and a good directional leadership."

Lady Bracewell-Smith made £123m selling her 15.9% stake in Arsenal to Stan Kroenke in April, allowing the American billionaire to take control of the club.

Her stake had come from her husband, Sir Charles Bracewell-Smith, grandson of the club's former chairman Sir Bracewell Smith.

Asked why she was sacked by the board, Lady Bracewell-Smith wrote: "[They] couldn't handle a woman with power on the board. Felt insecure. Male chauvinism."

Arsenal's current board consists of Kroenke, chief executive Ivan Gazidis, chairman Peter Hill-Wood, Ken Friar, Sir Chips Keswick and Lord Harris of Peckham.

Lady Bracewell-Smith also initially rejected calls from some fans for the return of former vice-chairman David Dein, who was sacked in 2007.

She claimed Dein was "the root cause of all the troubles at AFC" before backtracking.

"I stand corrected," she tweeted on Tuesday. "Dein loves the club and although sometimes personalities fall out his contribution at Arsenal has been immense."

Dein left the club after he sold his shares to Uzbek billionaire Alisher Usmanov, who has refused to sell to Kroenke.

On Monday, BBC Sport revealed that Arsenal's board were now willing to sell Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona if the Spanish giants improved on their initial bid for the midfielder, submitted to Gazidis last week.

Lady Bracewell-Smith said: "It is obvious he wants to go. You cannot keep a player when his heart is not in it."

Both Lady Bracewell-Smith and Dein, who enjoyed a close working relationship with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, declined to comment when contacted by BBC Sport.

Trouble in paradise you say? What a shame.

[Lineker]

Apologies for the double post.

Di Matteo returns to Chelsea as AVB's #2.

[stokeriño]

AVB's got his first press conference at 9:30am today, so if true they'll presumably confirm it then. And if it is true...

There's only one Di Matteo!

[Starvinho]

Sammy Lee has left Liverpool according to BBC Sport.

[stokeriño]

Di Matteo confirmed, by the way.

AVB + RDM = awesome

[Lineker]

Just watching his presser now. I hate to say it but I like him! Just keep your mitts off of Modric, AVB!

[stokeriño]

'Twas a good press conference for the club - gave little if anything away with regards to his intentions, transfer prospects, etc.

Which of course means it will have frustrated the press hugely.

[DavidMarrio]

Sammy Lee has left Liverpool according to BBC Sport.

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

[Hobo]

Sammy Lee has left Liverpool according to BBC Sport.

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

I will miss Sammy's excited celebrations.

[Lineker]

From tottenhamhotspur.com:

The Club has today (Wednesday) applied to the High Court to renew its application for permission to bring a claim against the London Borough of Newham and the Olympic Park Legacy Company, the Mayor of London and Government Ministers for judicial review of their decisions underlying the bid process for the conversion of the Olympic Stadium after the 2012 Games. Under this process the Club now has the opportunity to present its case at an oral hearing at the High Court.

OH MY GOOD FUCKING LORD WILL YOU DIE A DEATH ALREADY.