Long time, no blog. Either I haven't found anything to make my blood boil or I have been to busy....you decide (a little reference to BB there...).
So, ToMo has finally left and headed North. I can't say it is a huge surprise. Over the past couple of weeks it has become more and more obvious that he wanted to go. It's a shame, but that's football.
I have read varying takes on the whole affair, from fans spouting utter bile through to good wishes for Tony and his team.
At the end of the day, it's a game of two halves. One day you are over the moon, the next, sick as a parrot. Mowbray did a good job at the Hawthorns. He introduced a brand of football that got the whole country talking about our 'little' club. OK, it was a slightly flawed plan. Playing an entire season without a striker and only half a defence is never going to be productive, but it looked good at times. Remember, we even had one of England's best defenders (Jamie Carragher) fighting with his own players towards the end of the season.
What do I think of it all? (as if anyone cares).
Well, Celtic have got themselves a manager who is passionate about how the game is played. There will be no neck strain at Parkhead this season. Personally, I think it could be a great season for them (within the confines of their own little world). The SPL is not full of world-class strikers who are going to punish every mistake at the back, so having a slightly leaky defence is not going to be a massive problem. Celtic also, probably, have enough fire power to out score the likes of Falkirk and St Johnstone.
Once again their season will hang on 4 matches against Rangers.
This is where I think Mr Mowbray has made a mistake. I'm sure (if anyone ever read this blog) I would get thousands of Hoops jumping down my neck, but I think this is a step backwards for him.
Yes, they have a guaranteed 60,000 at every home game. Yes, they are in the Chumps League (qualifiers). However, the SPL top 2 will be Cetic & Rangers (not necessarily in that order). The bottom 4 will be Falkirk, St Mirren, Hamilton and St Johnstone (again not necessarily in order). The other 6 will scrap it out for a couple of UEFA cup places. It makes the EPL look competitive.
Celtic already have a pretty-much guaranteed second place in the league, but that is failure for them, because if they finish second their great rivals will win it. I don't see where the excitement or challenge is coming from. Champions League maybe?? Will they really get any further than the group stages (even if the qualify)? No, of course not.
I think that the majority of West Brom supporters would have wanted Mowbray to stay at the Hawthorns. However, I also think that the feeling for him has changed dramatically in the last week or so. This is not due, particularly, to him leaving but is down to the hypocrisy that he has shown. It is only a couple of weeks since he gave a rousing speech about how the players needed to show loyalty to the club. How they, as a team, got the club relegated and how they should stick together and get them promoted again.
Loyalty eh??? Obviously, this only applies to the players then Tony??
This is not sour grapes. I honestly wish Tony and his team the best of luck, which is more than can be said of a friend of mine who, ever since I have known him, has had a total hatred of all things green & white hooped. As a long-standing West Brom season ticket holder, I can't imagine this episode has done anything to change his views...........
My choice for the new boss would be Derek McInnes. Second choice Darren Ferguson.
Certainly not Paul Ince.
Finally, on a lighter note. I heard this morning that Carlo Ancelotti was heading to Amsterdam to learn English. A spokesman from Chelsea couldn’t understand why he needed to go abroad for his tutorage "We ‘ave no ide wot ‘e is finkin’. He mast be ‘avin’ a girarf".
Maybe Shteve McLaren will enlighten him?
