With just a few days to go before we open up the FTS memberships, yesterday, it was time to conduct the draw for the prize winners of free memberships for those of you that filled in the end of season survey. The survey has been a great resource for us to help you guys further as we progress FTS.
So drumroll please…..
The winner of the 1st prize is; Brian Welsh who wins a place on FTS Ultimate membership for 2016/17 and I will personally have a bank of £500 for Brian’s bets which he can place as he wishes.
Second place goes to Gary Tomlinson who wins a place on FTS Ultimate membership.
Commiserations to those who took part but were not lucky enough to come out of the hat.
Of course I cannot let the events of this week pass. I don’t mean the fact that Will has had a few big price winners. I don’t mean the fact the Golf Guru has yet again struck the pot with Stenson winning the Open tipped at 33/1 following a line of big priced winners this year. I don’t mean that Profit Only Racing accelerated further towards their second 2k profit with a hatful of winners this week or the fact that even David found a few winners the last two days.
I am of course referring to the appointment yesterday of Sam Allardyce as England manager. In a year where Leicester win the title, Wales got to the semis and Pogba is valued at £100 million, I didn’t think the world could get any crazier.
A bit like Brexit, the decision has been made and we have to get on with it, but I am absolutely steaming about it. I may be proved wrong but I doubt it.
During the diabolical interview with Hodgson the day after our exit from the Euros (“I don’t know why I am here for really”); I feel like that most days Roy, you should have my inbox. Martin Glenn was clearly asked “will we have an English manager?” His answer was “we will have an extensive process and we will appoint the best man for the job”.
I ask simply – in the world, is Sam Allardyce the really the best man for the job? Is he the man to turn the degrading state of the English national team? I personally believe not a chance
We now have one of the youngest squads in the world. At West Ham, Allardyce promoted one player from the youths and gave him about 30 minutes of football, an academy that is renowned for producing young talent was completely ignored in place of foreign imports. At Sunderland, again one player promoted from youth and made one appearance in the Premier league.
I will argue that rather than big Sam, ineptitude of other teams and a non Allardyce signing kept Sunderland up last season – in Defoe, and that he will in no way have the tactical nouse to manage international football at the highest level.
I believe the likes of Hoddle, Hiddink, Blanc, Klinsmann all would have been far better appointments in my opinion. Yes, Big Sam is likable and everyone loves his “straight talking”, but this is not 38 weeks of scrapping at the bottom of the table repeatedly, this is managing England and trying to fulfill the dream of winning a trophy. Nothing in his CV looks to me like he is anywhere near qualified.
The main reason seems to be, he has waited long enough and this is his time. Has Allardyce won anything at all? The League of Ireland with Limerick and the 3rd division with Notts County. I know with the clubs he has managed; opportunities are limited but my argument is employ a winner or someone who at least has competed at the highest level.
From what I read I am in the minority and we have to wait and watch but the style of football, lack of progressions of youth, no experience of winning, says more to me than employ a guy because he is big and burly and speaks his mind. Tactics are everything in International football and I think he has one. Time will tell. How Cloughie never got the job bemuses me even more now! Mark you can smile more now as it seems English football is destined to not improve over the next two years, when I expect we will go through this whole charade again and end up with Southgate!
Brighter note we open FTS Enhanced and FTS Ultimate on Tuesday, congrats to the winners, if you both drop me an email I will sort out your memberships
9 Responses
Worse again – Sam only won the first division in Ireland with Limerick (not the premier division).
Crazy appointment.
Ian I keep hearing about horses winning and golf guru, are those part of the ultimate subscription?
No Geoff if you look at the menu you can join the Golf guru or Will Lattimore etc
Come on Ian thats a bit harsh, as a lifelong Spurs supporter 60/61 and all that, I adore Hoddle and Klinsman but what have they ever won?
Hoddle won trophies with Chelsea and his England team played the best football last 20 odd years , he was technically capable and Klinsmann set up the Germany of now
I think the only person who was pleased to hear Allardyce got the job was Andy Carroll.
Sure Big Sam will organise us defensively but that’s the easy part. Other than nothing, what has he got tactically in his locker to worry any international side going forward? Truly shocking appointment by the F.A. numpties.
Only credible option for me was Hoddle, but that would have been far too controversial so was probably never going to happen.
Really can’t wait for the 2018 World Cup now. Hopefully the Russian hooligans smash up all the stadiums before the tournament starts and it gets cancelled. Will be less painful to watch than England under Allardyce!
As a proud Scot, my knowledge of football is obviously limited (ha,ha!), but even I am bemused by the appointment of Allardyce. It reminds me of when the FA appointed Steve McLaren and said at the press conference, “We’ve got our man!” as if they’d set out to get him before anyone else. It’s a sorry state if they think Allardyce is the best out there – good luck guys!
Big Sam, then Southgate, then Gary Neville….and then finally a radical approach…FA will see the light….and appoint Ivan Lendle 🙂
Watching England before always left me with disappointment…but during this Euro….it didn’t even upset me to lose to Iceland….with that kind of poor football…don’t even deserve or want to win.
Anyway, I have far more to feel depressed about as a Gooner. We’ll be in the running and then get out of the running post Christmas time as usual 🙁
I totally disagree with Ian!
I have to say honestly that when I read that Sam Allardyce had been given the job as the new England manager I thought it was a fantastic choice! What a great decision!
100% Sam Allardyce! Yes! To me that is 3 steps forward for England and english football. Here is a guy who is not only a very likable guy, but has got one of the best tactical skills in the world and based on that criteria he has been so righteously appointed as the new England manager.
The football Sunderland was playing the last season was absolutely fantastic and not destructive at all and I was actually thinking that he doesn´t need to thank his lucky star that Sunderland with a couple of world class strikes and so much motivation from some of the teams they played in the end of the season, managed to stay in the premiere league. And very often he was extremely active not just sitting at his place with no movement at all in the end of the games just chewing a whole package of gums, on the contrary if you saw the Sunderland games live or on TV. And based on all his movement I saw from him in several games I remember thinking to myself: “What a great England manager he would be if the job ever becomes available again.”
In the end I do think that the responsible persons behind this appointment should all be saluted for doing an astonishing job! And of course a big raise!
I also think the bookies odds for England now winning the next world cup with Sam as the England manager will drop to around 1.60-1.85. And I am thinking of going all in! There is just no way they will not win it!
Remember where you read this first!
And a big thanks to Ian for bringing this subject up in the first place!