smokescreen

What is it with the Times and the Chinese?

If the new owners didn't get rid, I'd seriously question their sanity. They will have just invested £300m and want to get the maximum possible performance from their first season as owners. My guess is they are keeping their powder dry until they actually have the club, and then they will bring their own man in asap. Broughton has started talking about Hodgsons clause for a reason, surely PR work on behalf of the owners. There is no way the NESV will be deaf to the boos and the anti-Hodgson feelings doing the rounds - let alone the results. They'll know that their first act being to get rid of Hodgson will further endear them to the fans, after getting rid of Hicks and Gillett. I hope.

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Found this on a Celtic forum, hope this fella's right: It has been a bad season for the Red Sox but much of it is down to injuries. No Pedroia, Ellsbury and Martinez for big chunks of the season, and Beckett well off form. Other factors too, but they have been unlucky this season. Still posted (almost) 90 wins but came third in a strong division. When the Yankees and the Rays are posting 95 wins each, I don't think there is any disgrace in third. It would have been good enough in many other divisions. Tendency here is for Liverpool fans to think "More Yanks" and they will no doubt be egged on by an ever willing media over here. If anyone wants proof of this, just look at the picture the Guardian (the Guardian of all people, supposedly a more responsible bunch) chooses to run with of John Henry on its website. Big cigar, smug look - they could have chosen ANY of a million pictures of Henry but they choose the won where he looks like a smug Hicks clone - incidentially taken after he had just delivered Boston's first World Series win in 86 years. Well you are gonna be a little smug aren't ya? The truth is Henry is a clever cookie, very humble, extremely clever and methodical and with a track record. He took the Marlins, nobodies in baseball terms, and won the World Series there. Then he won in Boston for the first time in 86 years, then 3 years later. The absolute perfect fit for a sports team. I am rather surprised because I didn't think his pockets were deep enough to buy Liverpool, so I guess the proof of the pudding is in how the deal is financed. If it is another leveraged deal then not only will he have to face the ire of the fans already pissed at more American owners, but it'll hamper them financially as they try to "do a Boston" in Liverpool. Basically, this guy is not Hicks. Boston are as well run a team as you'll find in North America. In football terms the model is closest probably to Arsenal - clever people at the top, won't overpay for talent, always looking to get value for money, always looking to be competitive. I think a guy like John Henry "gets it" a bit more than people like Tom Hicks. It will need an enormous PR exercise and is probably almost impossible to get the Liverpool fans onside with this one, but if anyone in this situation can pull this off, its the Boston ownership. I would have been very happy for them to invest in Celtic and as a Red Sox fan I am kind of gutted that they may be turning their attentions away from that.

He has to go. Sack him. Resign. Lynching. I hope ALL fans wake up to this now. Bottom of the league after 8 games next week?

http://goalshd.com/

Sure.

Just been talking to the Chairman of the company I work for who I havent't seen for a while. We talk footy whenever we see each other (he is a massive Forest fan) and he was telling me he is good mates with Martin Broughton. He didn't give anything other than say he is definately trying to sell the club, and he is a good fella. I asked him to call him and let me speak to him, but he just laughed it off. I made sure he knew exactly how I felt about the whole charade though, and told him to pass my 'regards' on the Mr Broughton. He said he saw him the other Sunday when we were playing Utd, and he asked him why he wasn't at the game. The reason was because Chelsea were playing. So he dodged Man Utd - Liverpool for Chelsea - Blackpool. As he left, I shouted to him "Make sure you let him know we all want the Americans out!", and he turned around and said "You need to get the manager out too mate." I said "Don't tell me that, tell your mate!"

What is it with this [bodylanguage]hands on hips, bent over looking done in all the time[/bodylanguage]... Is he just naturally not that fit, or is at a ploy? Whatever it is, I don't like it.

I want Hodgson gone more than anyone, but I think that is a crazy shout. Kenny all day for me.

The thing is though Mike he appears to have set his stall out. Accepting of mediocre results and performances. He appears to have a small club mentality and expectation level. Thats never going to cut the mustard with us - even if he does have a run of form.

"There was an awful lot of positives for me to take from the game. Not least of all that we came away from here unbeaten, which was by no means a given." Shows a complete lack of ambition. This fella needs to get out of our club. This isn't just one or two comments now, the guy is just clueless. He didn't even sound stressed saying that tonight - he geniuinely believes what he is saying. We have the incompetent yes man the owners wanted.

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Done.

Sent

Give it to Kenny. Now.

Sent.

Done

Great idea! www.youllnevertalkalone.tv I think it will catch on

Imnorravintha. Kelly is clearly a massive prospect, and one that should barring injury make it at the top. Welsh and Mellor to quote your examples were never heralded by anyone on here as the next big thing out of the academy.

Get Toivonen in, got to be worth an extra £3m on top of Cole.

You've certainly been targetted for a lynchin' here DH. I think the mentalists may have taken over the asylum...

It also shows the Bamba deffo is right on the money, as he called this press release first, and well in advance... Might want to try having a look at the other stuff he has posted NYR.

They used to have this too... Hicks Sports Marketing :|