So the question is; who will be the first top flight manager to get sacked this year?

Even though its quite ridiculously early to even consider the season as barely under way, you can’t help but wonder.

In the red corner is Dick Advocaat. The ‘manager’ (if you call that ‘managing’) of poor, hapless Sunderland. They ended last year pretty shitty and seem to have elevated ‘shit’ to new levels for the new term.

In the black corner is Steve McLaren, everyone’s favourite umbrella-wielding tart. Faced with the seemingly impossible challenge of keeping both Mike Ashley and the Toon fans happy at the same time AND simultaneously, Moaning Mac looks to be on something of a hiding.

And I’m going to introduce a blue corner. Just for Chelsea. Because although Morinho is on about 55 million quid a year and has a 54 year contract; its only money. If Chelsea don’t improve soon he’ll just have to go. And they’ll get in a proper manager. A good one. One who respects doctors and doesn’t conjure up conspiracy theories. On Sunday, after the Blues’ 3-0 drubbing at Manchester City, Jose stated that his team ‘were the best team for 45 minutes’. Chelsea were the best team in the second half. Manchester City only beat them for one half. Surely its about quantity then, rather than quality. Because whilst City were the better team they managed to put 3 past Chelsea and when (in their manager’s oddly distorting eyes) Chelsea were better, they scored none. For the poor fans its awful. If they wanted to support a team who ‘play brilliantly for 45 minutes’ yet fail to score, they’d go to Arsenal.

Whilst it gives me great displeasure to do so, I also have to make mention of Mauricio Pottechino at Spurs. Not because we don’t love him (jury’s out), not because he isn’t great (jury’s out) and not for any other reason than ‘its what Spurs do’. They sack managers who aren’t producing. I don’t like it, I’m not happy about the rotating door on the manager’s office at the Lane, but its what happens.

Bournemouth last night received a bit of a reality check at Anfield. Not about how tough football is in the Premiership, they probably knew about that. But about how referees ‘see’ things differently at intimidating, partisan stadia. So Bournemouth have a perfectly good goal disallowed early on for a foul that wasn’t and lose to a Liverpool goal that was perfectly offside. So had the game been played in a neutral park somewhere in Wolverhampton, Bournemouth would have won the same match 1-0. But at Anfield, they lost by that very score.

Welcome aboard, Cherries.

Happy Tuesday

A xxxx