Lord Duckhunter

I said a Sporting Director or DoF, not the Academy head, which again is a completely seperate job.This is what I wrote "I would be quite happy with a senior football man running the whole show" It works abroad, both Hodgson and Mourinho will have worked under a Sporting director, in fact so will have Bobby Robson.The English failure to this postion is down to Chairman, which was Lowe's problem with it, interfering or the "Sporting Director" wanting to run the whole show.Abroad The Manager runs the first team and the Sporting Director runs the rest of the football side of things.Andoni Zubizarreta won 125 caps for Spain, he is now DoF ar Barcelona, his position is no threat to Pep Guardiola and was not appointed by him.Yet you claim no decent Manager will work under this system.

I dont believe it, sacked Manager not mentioned in programme, bet that's a first.

I thought the Skates were a shoe in for the "deluded supporters of the year award", but I think we're mounting a late challange.

Lets hope he does better than Cloughie at Brighton.

I dont really want him to get the job anyway, cause my Mrs fancys him. She'll start wanting to come to games and it'll mess up my pre game drinking regime.

The next premier League job that comes up ONeil will be linked with it, even if it's Man Utd . If Capello goes, O Neil will be linked with it. If Lennon fails at Celtic, O neil will be linked with it.Are people seriously trying to say that he'll drop down and manage in League 1, I doubt if he'd even manage in the Championship, let alone League 1. I hope I'm wrong, I really do, but I just dont buy it.He left Villa becasue the owner wouldn't push the boat out to break into the top four, it looks like we're not pushing the boat out to get an auto place in League 1, yet he's "interested".

As a manager, perhaps he'd be interested in an upstairs job, he's certainly bright enough. John Rudge has quietly gone about it at Stoke. At least we'd know he wasn't interested in the First team job himself, which I believe has been the downfall of most DoF's.

I'm going to go out on a limb here, but I feel this approach is the right one to take. I'm not saying Reed is the right man for the role, or Brown (or whoever) the right coach, but I feel this approach is the right way forward for the 21st century.I would be quite happy with a senior football man running the whole show, with a coach running the first team. The problem in the past is young players devolopment was hindered by constant changes to the structure of the Club. Managers brought their mates in to run the youth teams and differant Managers had differant tactics. A Sporting Director of DoF, will ensure that the change in first team coach, does not mean a complete and utter upheaval. The hardest part is getting the top man right and making sure that he makes the football decisions, not Lowe or NC. One of the main reasons the DoF hasn't worked here is that the DoF's have always been Managers who secretly want the top job, whether it be Redknapp at Skates or even Woodward for us.Abroad the Sporting Directors role is a completely seperate one from the Manager and specialists in that role generally stick to that role. Perhaps someone like Steve Coppell or Dario Gradi could fullfil the role.

If we approach a Manager who already has a job, we will have sounded him out before any "offical" approach.That's the way these things work, otherwise we could be making offical approachs to Boscombe, Scunny, Doncaster and be turned down by all 3 managers. Do you really think NC will let himself look that stupid?

Clubs dont make approach's out of thin air. The Manager approached would have made the Club aware he was interested, either via his agent or a third party, if he's not interested then an approach wont be made. Most of the time the offical approach is the last thing, with money and length of contract pretty much sorted. The only thing that scuppers the deal is compo for the existing Club.He wont have been interviewed without Boscombe knowing, but if Saints did want him, he'd have been sounded out by now. If that's the case he's hardly likely to let Solant know.

I thought he was asked if there had been an "offical" approach, but my lad was making a noise in the back of the car, so didn't hear 100%. The way these things work is he's sounded out and then an approach is made to boscombe. If he's been sounded out, he's hardly likely to confirm it on radio.

Sorry but I dont buy all this secret stuff. Is this Manager who "knows the game" sitting by the phone in ****shire going to turn down the job on the basis that someone posted his name on a fans forum. Is NC going to withdraw a job offer or not make that call, because his name was leaked on a forum? I can just see it now. "Sorry Nicola, but I saw my name mentioned on a fans forum, so I dont want the job any more".. If people know something, then post it. If you dont want to post it, then keep it to yourself.That should be a new rule on this forum.

Come on!!!!! "One of the greatest Managers of all time", Bobby Robson, do me a favour.

Choosing a new manager is always a tough one, who'd have thought Holloway would have taken Blackpool up after his spell at Leicester. Same with Phil Brown, failure at Derby yet took Hull up, and kept them there.Personally I'm always weary of people like Curbs who have been out of the game a while, they seem to lose their hunger. George Graham was another one who just seemed to drift into a media career, without exactly retiring. I cant think of an example of a guy whose done well after this happens. Who is advising NC on his appointment, that's really important in my opinion. Fergie advised Preston to take Moyes and has championed good up and coming young Managers over the years. I also read that Don Revie advised the Saints board to take Lawrie Mac, who was hardly a big name.I just feel most supporters and Chairman become a bit star struck and have to have a big name nowadays. Harry Redknapp was a big name who looked perfect for a relegation battle and look what happened.I would like us to find our own David Moyes, our own Eddie Howe or Nigel Adkins.The most important thing in taking a step up is being able to deal with bigger players and bigger expectations and this is where people in the game play a big part. Can Eddie Howe step up and handle that, nobody on a forum will know, people in the game will. Because of our crazy last 15 years, we've no old heads around the club, no football people to advise and help NC, and what contacts has he got in the game.The past 10 years John Rudge has been behind the scenes at Stoke,we have no such figure, we just seem to have a constant stream of advisors and Les Read type people who come and go (Dave Merrington would have been ideal).If Merrington was in this role, he'd know from various contacts whether Howe was ready for an upward step or whether he's now at his level, he'd know whether Adkins could do a Jose, from Physio to top flight Manager or whether he just suits Scunny and would be lost elsewhere.Don Revie must have seen something in Lawrie, and the more high profile players he managed the better he got, the more expectations went up the better he got. I would love to see an Adkins, Howe or O'Driscoll take over, but they could be a complete disaster.If we want promotion this season NC should get on the phone and tap Billy Davis up,Forset aren't going anywhere this year, and there's stuff going on behind the scenes (although there always is with Davis). Let's get out of this poxy league and I've no doubt he'd manage it. Had he taken over instead of Pardew, I've no doubt we'd have made the play offs last season, and would do a Leicester this. It will end up in tears(it always does with Davis), but they'll be tears in the Championship.

You couldn't make it up. According to the Pakistani's it was all a set up They've now sent in some replacements, a bloke banned for drug taking and another convicted ball tamperer.

The fact that we both heard from press people confirms that there have been rumours for years. Therefore, it seems really surprising that he shared a room with another male, as he must have been aware of this rumours. It's not like he's short of a bob or two, so I don't buy this saving money defence. I think this will be a case of the denial and cover up causing more damage than the original rumours.

I dont think it was started as a dirty tricks campaign. I was told years ago when he was Tory leader that he was gay, so it's been doing the rounds for years.Surely it would have come out then if it was about dirty tricks. In this day and age being gay would not have a negitive impact on his career. To deny ever having had relations with a man, if it was untrue, would.If he had done so, the Portillo route would have been the way to go. I cant believe a gay politican would make a staement like that, if it was untrue. However, the person who told me didn't do it in a gossipy way, it just came up in conversation as a matter of fact and common knowledge in press circles. Perhaps the statement has been made to protect his marriage (as in his wife doesn't know, but is starting to pressure him on the rumours)

Scorsese for Raging Bull, Goodfellas and The Last Waltz. The best Sports , gangster and music movies ever made (in my opinion).

O Neil is not stupid, Capello is "dead man walking". Redknapp isn't going to get it, so that leaves Hodgson or O neil, and not much else. Even if RH gets it, O Neilo will be a prime candidate for Liverpool. Personally, I'd like O Neil to manage England, he'd do a great job in my opinion.

My Press mates response when I made the same point was "Lets hope Seb Coe keeps his mouth shut then". I think he's starting to wind me up now

I posted back on the Election forum that my mate in the press had told me he was ,so I was celebrating my first ever ITK, until he went and made a satement. It's a pretty stright forward statement that leaves him no wiggle room.Personaly I cant see him making this statement if he was, all it needs is an exboyfriend to come out and admitt it and his career's over.

If this bust up was a couple of weeks ago, why didn't your mate text you about it then? If he got a warning last season, why didn't your player text you about that until after Pardew's gone? Apart from FF, I haven't seen one post on this or any other site that suggested Pardew would be gone. There was a lot of "if we're not in the top 2 by X or Y" he'll be gone. But none (FF apart) who basically said he was dead man walking. Everyone assumed he had dodged a bullet in the summer and would be given to Xmas at least. Why therefore should we believe any of the ITK people, who knew nothing about his sacking until it happened, but now know, why he was sacked, whose replacing him and who he had a bust up with?

My mate the Skate reckons that Kitson was happy to sign but that Lawerence didn't want to. Pulis told him, he would not be in the 25 and would have to move to get first team action. Lawernce wanted to go to Skates on loan, but that would have meant Pulis missing out on Wilson as there were other Clubs interested in him. In the end Lawerence insisted on a get out clause,my mate claims this was the hold up. The get out clause is so one sided that he reckons Lawernece will be off next summer. His source is his Dad who used to play for the Skates and still knows a few up there.However he did also say that Brown was going to Celtic, and that turned out to be wrong.

Paddy Power was on Talksport last night, he said of all the UK markets you can bet on, the next manager is the hardest to win money on. He was talking about the Villa job, but he said people are basically clueless but just lump on rumours. The bookies then have to shorten the odds just in case, meaning more money is lumped on. Most of the time the favourite never gets the job. Nobody posted that Pardew was getting the boot, nobody was ITK before it happened, and yet there seems to be plenty of people who know why he went and who is taking over.

If the news broke without naming the Country involved 99.9% of cricket fans would have guessed Pakistan. They're the Harry Redknapp of world cricket, everyone knows they're corrupt, but it's sort of swept under the carpet. The differance to this than MLT's unwise action is huge. Firstly once the bookies are into you, they're into you. First bowling no balls, next it'll be throwing wickets away. I believe Hansie Cronje started by passing pitch information, and team selection, this then grew to giving info about what he'd do after winning the toss, and then became match fixing. Once they paid him for the small stuff, they ramped up the pressure. Matt's although misguided was him and his mates, not a major ring where a middleman was paid £150,000. This will be swept under the carpet, with a couple of players sacrificed, but the ICC will not act as they should. The Asia bloc are too powerful and whether it's this, ball tampering, chucking from MM or any other event that tars the game, they will not act against it.If they will do this in a test match at Lords, god knows what happens at meaningless ODI's.