*Official* English Football Season 2015-16

[Tom Halsey]

It's a fair point. I recall some sort of analysis that basically suggested that, with the exception of teams managed by Ferguson and Wenger, league finishing positions were exactly correlated with wage bill. So I suppose, in the English game at least, those two are the only answer (and Arsenal in most of Wenger's time probably don't fit the bill of "incredibly rich" anyway). The only other example that immediately springs to mind is Guardiola at Barcelona. Competed with a rival even more rich than them, starting from a lower level (Real had won the previous two titles, Barcelona had just come 4th or something) and was utterly dominant in a way that hadn't been seen in a while.

Not sure there are many other recent examples off the top of my head.

 

[Pothas]

Yeah it is kind of hard to overperform when you are the richest club. You have to look a level down, so Simeone at Atletico is the most obvious example, without that Ramos goal he would have achieved something quite ridiculous.

 

[Eds]

Looking more and more like Klopp is a done deal.

This is all going suspiciously well.

 

[GIMH]

Yeah some journos on twitter saying three year deal with option of another two

 

[Pothas]

It could all go horribly wrong but it will be great watching from a neutral point of view, might actually start liking Liverpool a bit.

 

[Cabinet96]

Be great if they finish above Chelsea.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

So if it doesn't work out it will be a newspaper headline writers dream.

Klopp flops at Kop.

 

[Uppercut]

Not disagreeing with you, but on a somewhat related note, are there really any examples of managers showing up at one of the incredible rich sides and outperforming expectations? Not sure I can think of any. Underperforming certainly, but outperforming? Not so sure.

Yeah definitely a fair point, I would say Mourinho at Chelsea the first time, and obviously Guardiola. I guess you'd have to say Enrique too.

But it's a really long list of super-rich-club managers that have roughly matched Ancelotti in charge. He's basically around the middle of anyone who's ever got one of those gigs, which isn't bad at all- they obviously tend to be very good managers- but I think his reputation exceeds that.

 

[GIMH]

Did Mourinho really outperform expectations first time round? Not that he didn't do well but...

 

[GIMH]

Derby daaaaaaaaaay

GOATS

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Hope you stuff them.

Bit of a harsh fixture list for them having Chester and you within 4 days

 

[Uppercut]

Did Mourinho really outperform expectations first time round? Not that he didn't do well but...

They were 3rd favourites for the title when he took over. You could maybe argue he was lucky to arrive at the moment the money made an impact but he still did far better than most people expected.

 

[Furball]

They were 3rd favourites for the title when he took over. You could maybe argue he was lucky to arrive at the moment the money made an impact but he still did far better than most people expected.

They'd finished 2nd the year before and had their first Abramovich inspired shopping spree in 2003.

I wouldn't say Mourinho outperformed expectations, if anything he underachieved as continental silverware was definitely one of his targets. If Mourinho over-achieved anywhere then it was by winning the Champions League with Inter Milan.

 

[sledger]

I wouldn't say he necessarily over-performed by winning the Premiership that season, but I think the decisiveness of the victory might have surprised a few people.

 

[Ikki]

It could all go horribly wrong but it will be great watching from a neutral point of view, might actually start liking Liverpool a bit.

No thanks.

Looking more and more like Klopp is a done deal.

This is all going suspiciously well.

We might be getting Zorc too apparently.

 

[cpr]

So Klopp, a manager I quite liked, is someone I now can't wait to see crash as his hype train derails

God I love football tribalism!

 

[Pothas]

No thanks.

What?

 

[sledger]

What?

Don't worry, he's just being himself. The best thing you can do is ignore him.

 

[GIMH]

seven hours to go

oh what a night
January two thousand and five
wrexham one tranmere rovers five
what a feeling what a night

SMASH THESE GOATS YOU WHITE BOYS

 

[Cabinet96]

We might be getting Zorc too apparently.

Doubt it tbh.