Rapping with Big Eck and Reflecting on life after Big Sam

Alex McLeish is on board this week and the Birmingham boss takes us through his plan for City (which he describes as a "very English" club).

Newcastle though is the big story and to figure things out what will happen in the A.B.S. (After Big Sam) Era, who better than Toon native son George Caulkin, the Times' man in the Northeast, to walk us through the different scenarios?

Alyson Rudd is on board as well, but - alas - Bill Edgar fans will have to wait another week to get their fix (he's still stuck in the Matrix with Neo, after ill-advisedly swallowing the Red Pill). And, with the help of Colin Udoh, Nigeria's finest, we take a look at the Africa Cup of Nations.

McLeish says he's looking to add some quality in the January transfer market, though he concedes it's tough out there, with half a dozen teams chasing the same guys. He says he's thankful that Steve Bruce left him a core of gifted young players (Larsson, Muamba and Jerome to name but three) which is a nice touch, though he concedes that youth can be a double-edged sword. And, of course, I don't miss the opportunity to remind him of what all my mad Aberdeen-supporting fans have long maintained: that if he had been in there alongside Willie Miller in 1982, Scotland would have DEFINITELY, 100 PERCENT WON THE WORLD CUP. (Which means Italy would have won one fewer, so I guess I'm thankful that McLeish's buttocks remained firmly planted on the bench).

Curiously, in the Newcastle discussion, Alyson and George seem to come down on the side of those who would have wanted Big Sam (bemoaning the instability at the club). Guillem appoints himself as Mike Ashley's Number One defender, I just think that those who say that Allardyce should have been kept on even when everyone was unhappy (fans, owners and Big Sam himself) sound suspiciously like those stuck in unhealthy relationships and are incapable of breaking things off (we've all been there).

As a not-so-closet SuperEagles fan, I'm worried by Colin's assertion that the lack of controversy and in-fighting under Berti Vogts might be a bad sign for Nigeria, becasue, as Colin puts it "we thrive on chaos". Guillem, wisely, makes the point that we in Europe probably should be a bit more respectful towards a competition that has been around longer than our very own European championship.

Click here to listen to the podcast.

Comments

[Chris]

that little sharp soundbite between pieces on quickhits is really annoying. otherwise the segment is great.

[Matthias C]

Great show as always. I’d like to second the request to change the Quick Hits noise. I’m sure your producers can come up with something that is further removed from a rusty nail scratching a blackboard. For some reason in my head I see the brilliant Quick Hits as a replacement for the vapid, vapid News With Sound Effects from the first series, so we’ve definitely traded up. But you see, I could skip the News With Sound Effects with little trouble while missing none of your great show. Not so with the Quick Hits. This is not a major gripe, and I’ll keep listening regardless, but if it’s all the same to you...

Keep up the great show!

[Gabriele Marcotti]

1. Jonny - I'm with you, Hughes is doing a sterling job. I just wonder when the United job will become available and if, maybe, he wouldn't have been better off moving to a club that could serve as a better stepping-stone (i.e. a club with more money to spend). It's a moot point now anyway, and I'm sure he'll continue to do well at Blackburn.
2. Bharath - You can't blame Pardew for not signing Mascherano. Remember, the club's financial position when he arrived wasn't what it was after the Icelandic takeover.
3.Ken - Could not agree with you more. In fact, people treat sackings as some kind of tragedy, ignoring the fact that a.) managers are all too happy to walk out if they think they have a better deal elsewhere and b.) it's a chance for another manager to show what he can do
4. Craig - I think the point you're missing is that by the time Rooney scored the hat-trick in the Champions' League, the world had already been introduced to him. It was his third Premier League season and, more importantly, he had a tremendous impact on Euro 2004, scoring four goals. Sure he was hyped, but it was justified hype. With Pato, the hype was all based on mystery -- very few had seen him play (unlike Rooney).

[A from Bombay]

Hi Guillem & Gab

You guys have a fabulous show.I dont think anyone can solve the Newcastle Crisis ! keegan has to be someone who will buy the Chaiman time so that he can assess his options if a suitable candidate is available.

Having said that the Newcastle situation is practically impossible to save unless there is a complete overhaul starting with one of their most consistent performers Given,who if your remember was said to be the weak link in Mourinhos' report on Newcastle.

A new Goalkeeper, New Defense, New Midfield, Better utilisation of their forwards. At Least they have a new manager, but for how long ?

[Faithy]

Guillem/Gab - Given that there is nothing to stop an investor buying a club and saddling a load of debt onto the club (like Man Utd and potentially Liverpool), can supporters groups afford to use the Barcelona/Real Madrid model of members owning their clubs? Do any teams in Italy do this or do they employee a different model?

Daniel - Go easy on the Pato superlatives. Let's just enjoy what he is doing now before trying to project what he could achieve in the future (Although - I might buy a ticket to see Brazil vs Sweden just in case he gets a call up for the selecao!)

[Gwil]

Aargh, that noise between the 'quick hits' is unbearable. Please cease and desist.

'Eck seems a decent bloke.

[Razorman]

Guillem: You and I are both Liverpool fans. But can you PLEASE tell me why when Liverpool had both Hyypia & Agger out injured, Rafa chose to play inexperienced Arbeloa in central defence when in the wings young Jack Hobbs was waiting for his moment to shine? What happened to blooding English talent? I thought the buzz words were “having an English spine” and I thought Rafa did not have money to burn, but now he has bought a ₤6 million foreign defender.

In Rafa we trust???? Seriously?!

[Craig]

Gab,

Rooney scored a stunning hattrick on his debut for United, in the Champions League, after two months out with an injury. How does that not compare?! And I think he was being hyped quite a lot too - "the best young player England has produced for 30 years" (Sir Alex), "the white me" (Pele, paraphrasing slightly) etc etc. This was after generating a wave that probably would have taken England to their first majory trophy in 38 years, at the age of 17 had he not got injured.

[Daniel Street]

Zulfy/Murray/everyone. Cheers for calling me on the whole Liverpool/Arsenal V's Milan debacle. I feel suitably embarrassed, particularly since I am a trainee journo.

I will now retire from the message boards with a bright-red face, having learnt the vital lesson of always reading back my comments before posting...

[Daniel Street]

OK, I am officially a fool. Just realised that I wrote that it's Liverpool not Arsenal who should be worried about Pato. Serves me right I suppose for failing to read my comments back before clicking post. Permission to hang my head in a fit of sloppy-memory induced shame...

So, my post should read...

Pato to win the Ballon d'Or within five years?

Okay, so it's a bold, outlandish claim and he still has a long way to go, but after one of the most prodigious debuts ever witnessed, Pato looks every inch a player deserved of the sickening hype which has enveloped him for the last eight months.

After just one performance, 'the duck' looks set to drag the Rossoneri kicking and screaming from mid-table mediocrity. Who knows, could another stunning Champions League resurgence be on the cards? I certainly wouldn't want to be ARSENE WENGER in February, when ARSENAL meet the Rossoneri.

Having confined Pato to the gym for 6 months, Milan now have a player who boasts the intelligence of Fabregas, the guile of Ronaldo, the prowess of his infamous Milan colleague but most importantly the power and strength of Tevez.

Pato did not slot into the Milan side which destroyed Napoli, he ascended into it from the footballing heavens. Has there ever a player who was instantly able to demonstrate outrageous confidence, mythical subterfuge and a wonderfully understated elegance to his play?

Could he be Milan's 21st century Di Stefano? Maybe. Will he succeed Kaka as the heir to the European Football Throne. Definitely.

*In response to the above post Re:Rooney. True, Rooney had an explosive debut, but have you seen Pato's performance against Napoli. Utterly astounding poise, balance, composure, not to mention the fact that his stunning aerial ability was called upon in that match.*

[Bharath Janardhan]

Hi Gab,

After looking through the disaster that is Newcastle, the one thing I can't figure out is why people even think that Shearer is going to do well if he gets appointed as the manager. Does the guy have a scouting network? Roy Keane recently came out and said that his own system could use improvement (as seen by some of the rubbish that he's signed), and if ever there was an indicator of the fact that greatness as a player need not tranfer into managerial ability, just look at Bryan Robson.
I've become really big on scouting networks of potential managers after Pardew and his massive muffup with regards to Mascherano. This guy was considered one of the best young English managers in the country, and he goes and decides to poop on the golden egg. And people wonder why there aren't more English managers at the top clubs.
I would back Mark Hughes 100%, as long as you give him atleast two years. I say this because it took him a while to really get his own team into Blackburn, and while he made them hard to beat, it took them a while to get to where they are today (in terms of offensive football).
I think that's the kind of forward planning that Ashley has to show. Right now, in my eyes, he's just a moron sitting in his replica shirt. Someone ought to tell him to stop embarrasing Newcastle, get a suit and tie on, and get in the director's box to represent Newcastle in the corridors of power.
And Guillem: Isn't DIC owned by the royal family? So basically, Dubai the state would own Liverpool...

[Gabriele Marcotti]

1. George - I don't see how you can compare the two debuts. Rooney didn't score in his debut for Everton. Nor did he score on his debut for Manchester United. Nor, more importantly, has he had the kind of build-up that Pato has, with the club and the media incessantly hyping him. As for the Juve comment... tee hee.
2. Daniel - I agree he looks scary. In fact, they all did - Kaka and Ronaldo too. But he's only given us 90 minutes so far. Let's not get carried away.

[ken]

Oh god, another discussion blaming modern society, immigration or celebrity come dancing for peremptive managerial sackings.

One of fat sam's predecessors lasted the same amount of time - 50 years ago. Doubtless mods and rockers were at fault then. And Brian Clough's 66 days at Leeds - I blamed Harold Wilson. Modern society was just as modern last year when they were few sackings.

There was a rubbish, factually incorrect article in El Pais about the Premier becoming the loony league of Europe, with Benitez bleating away as per. But if you look at the sackings case by case they can be explained.

Firstly Bruce wasn't sacked, he left and doubled his money. Others are a case of loony owners (Sanchez), long running feuds (Jose) long standing managers voluntarily leaving and the cheap option No. 2s not being up to it, or a new regime's dislike of being lumbered with the previous regime’s man. Jol was a strange one but he'd had three years and probably proved himself not to be top rank. The likes of Ferg and Weng have always been the exception. It’ll probably settle down again when and if ownerships stabilise.

If the managerial mafia and their legion of cronies don't like it, they should shut up moaning and go get a job in a real world (one that doesn't pay you millions for failing). The establishment patronises fans as impatient fools, yet the majority have far more concern for their clubs than players, owners or journos will ever have, and are right as often as not (about Allardyce, Souness, Mourinho, Benitez, Eriksson, McClaren just for recent example). The wisdom of crowds if you like.

[Zulfy Ali]

Daniel Street: Amid your hyperboles there was one glaring error. Milan are in fact due to play Arsenal and NOT Liverpool in the CL.

I also saw Pato and I too was immensely impressed, but hey its early days. He took his goal well but also missed two glaring chances in the lead up to Seedorf's goal.
The other young Brasillian who has impressed me no end is Anderson at Man Utd; what a talent.
I think people look at the massive fee they paid for him and kind of expect this type of quality.
But money aside, there were so many reasons for one to expect him not to have done as well as he has; here are 5.

1) He's only 18 and still developing his game.
2) He's a young Brasillian in England...name me one that fits into that bracket who has played at a big club in the Prem right from the off.
3) He had a terrible injury last season, there were doubts about him regaining his performance level.
4) He's being played out of position. In his past life he is an attacking player who beats players etc etc.
5) He's had to make an impact at the Champions of England.

And yet despite all of this he has managed to look like the best teenager in English football barring Cesc.

There's a wider issue here that has bugging me for a few months now. This tendency to pair young players as if they are from the same gene pool. So I'd like to seperate three such COUPLES right here, based on what I've seen of them:

Anderson Yes, Nani Maybe
Benzema Yes, Ben Arfa Maybe
Bojan Yes, Dos Santos Maybe

[Jonny P]

Hi Guys,

As a Blackburn fan in a Man Utd mad school, I often come in for a fair amount of stick. Yet recently, under Mark Hughes, we have been developing a team which plays both attractive and often effective football. Which is all the more cause for my devastation at reports linking him to the Newcastle post! Contrary to many of the suggestions on the podcast, Blackburn can provide the stepping stone to the United job he so craves - compare the performance of Rovers to teams with greater hype and far greater transfer budgets. We find ourselves 3 points off fourth spot with players such as Benni McCarthy far from deadly and Morten Gamst Pedersen virtually anonymous for much of this campaign - strengh in depth? I'm only 17, so too young to remember our Premier League title triumph of 1995, (and i'm not foolish enough to suggest that we could ever reach such heights again!) but something special is happening under Mark Hughes. A little credit for the team would be nice instead merely dismissing Blackburn as a club where the 'football doesn't seem to really matter' (quote of Alyson Rudd).

I also thought i'd join in the whole Liverpool debate which seems to be raging at the moment. It appears to me that the influence of Gillet and Hicks is having far more of a detrimental affect on the performances than the Rafa's rotation. However, for a supposed footballing genius, the line-up of his teams does bemuse me. There is little room for momentum to be built up and, whilst it's all very well peaking in March (in time for Europe), you can't win the league from 15 points adrift!

These points haven't been very original so maybe I should suggest something radical to close -

How about the short sighted Premiership managers respecting the culture of the African Nations Cup and joining the rest of us in appreciating a remarkable spectacle?!

Wow! That WILL be the day....

:)

Really enjoy the podcasts.

Jonny

[Will H]

I have not seen the young man, but obviously he is going to win seven Serie A titles, the Champions league at least three times, and take home four world cups while wearing Pele's 1970 kit...set alight.

Good for AC, a little youth in the knick of time. I hope to catch him against Arsenal.

[Murray]

Daniel 5.19PM: Liverpool play Inter in the CL not Milan.

[Daniel Street]

Pato to win the Ballon d'Or within five years?

Okay, so it's a bold, outlandish claim and he still has a long way to go, but after one of the most prodigious debuts ever witnessed, Pato looks every inch a player deserved of the sickening hype which has enveloped him for the last eight months.

After just one performance, 'the duck' looks set to drag the Rossoneri kicking and screaming from mid-table mediocrity. Who knows, could another stunning Champions League resurgence be on the cards? I certainly wouldn't want to be Rafa Benitez in February, when Liverpool meet the Rossoneri. It is not beyond the realms of possibility that the duck will send the beleaguered Spaniard packing (on his way to Madrid).

Having confined Pato to the gym for 6 months, Milan now have a player who boasts the intelligence of Fabregas, the guile of Ronaldo, the prowess of his infamous Milan colleague but most importantly the power and strength of Tevez.

Pato did not slot into the Milan side which destroyed Napoli, he ascended into it from the footballing heavens. Has there ever a player who was instantly able to demonstrate outrageous confidence, mythical subterfuge and a wonderfully understated elegance to his play?

Could he be Milan's 21st century Di Stefano? Maybe. Will he succeed Kaka as the heir to the European Football Throne. Definitely.

[george]

You haven't seen a teenager make a debut of such confidence as Pato - Wayne Rooney? Let's hope he makes more progress. And this gym he's been using, would that be the same gym Juventus used to use?

Plus, does Gerard Houllier have an Avram Grant-like talent for brown-nosing all the right people (Alyson and Stevie G's shirt)? That's the only reason I can understand his constant linkage with every top job. You want a successful, charismatic manager who'll bring attractive football and your choice is... Houllier?

[Pork Romeo]

I have heard almost every theory for Big Sam's untimely departure except one: I think he was losing his mind.

His formations were those of a madman. No doubt about that.

His entourage of coaches and sports gurus was very suspicious.

He lived a bunkered existence refusing to talk to the BBC and when he talked to press he berated his players and denied having bought any of them.

Insane tactics and surrounded by yes-men, Big Sam was in a fantasy world so strong, it took 50,000 Geordies screaming "you don’t know what you're doing" to bring him back to reality, which is place he clearly he does not like.

He didn’t look particularly cut up by his sacking. In fact, I think he looked relieved. A couple of mil in the pocket and he can crawl back to his happy place.

It was a mercy sacking, in my opinion.