FOOTBALL.

[Sly Boots]

We're playing the best football I've ever seen Liverpool play (1987 variant, Barnes et al was a bit before my time), definitely a good time to give us a watch. Cue bore draw in the next game...

How are you finding Rafa up at the Toon, mate (vague memories of you supporting NUFC katarn, apologies if wires have been crossed)? He's a bit good, isn't he?

[katarn]

Yeah, I keep an eye on how they're doing. Still a bit surprised they managed to convince him to stay, but it seems he'll get us back up with no problems.

Apparently he succeeded in getting a lot of control over transfers and stuff, so there might even be a chance of the club operating in not-retarded fashion next season in the PL. I just want them to be a well-run, normal club. It's been a bit embarrassing in recent years.

[Rossell]

Ranieri is gone.

Sometimes sport really does suck.

[Jez]

Little surprised at this despite the poor form.

[Sly Boots]

The timing of it is a little hard to comprehend. Though they lost their last champion's league game, the score was a creditable 2-1 that gives them a chance (however slight) of getting through to the next round. Certainly didn't deserve to be the camel's back breaking straw.

[Jez]

I haven't been following the form on football intensely for a few years now but I got the impression ranieri was making a lot of odd changes match to match, maybe in some effort to make them difficult to predict for our euro friends matches. That's always a risky move and it doesn't seem to have paid off at all. Regardless how they do in Europe the bread and butter for any club is a halfway cr3ditable performance in the league.

[Sly Boots]

At least they'll get someone good to replace him.

Nigel Pearson is the favourite for a surprise return to the King Power Stadium, with Skybet offering odds of 5/1.

Alan Pardew follows at 6/1, with ex-Rangers chief Mark Warburton (10/1) and former Foxes boss Martin O'Neil (12/1) also in the frame.

Or... not.

Bloody hell, Leicester.

[DjchunKfunK]

I mean he got them out of the relegation, he's not a terrible manager.

I find it quite funny that pundits are falling over themselves in the rush to criticism the owners for sacking Ranieri, these would be the same pundits who criticised his appointment in the first place.

The timing of it is a little hard to comprehend. Though they lost their last champion's league game, the score was a creditable 2-1 that gives them a chance (however slight) of getting through to the next round. Certainly didn't deserve to be the camel's back breaking straw.

Their form in Europe has been good all season, but they just aren't turning up in the PL and that is what is important. Since the start of the year they have won one game in all competitions and that was against Derby in a replay. I think the owners just looked at the results and then the fixtures coming up in the League and felt a change was needed.

If Leicester hadn't won the League last season I don't think anyone would be questioning the decision. As the owners said, at some point you have to pit your sympathies aside and make the pragmatic decision.

[Sly Boots]

Half expected to wake up and see that Wenger had gone. Surely his final season now?

[DjchunKfunK]

I wouldn't bet on it. It's still down to him if he wants to sign the contract in front of him or not, the board isn't going to sack him. He's myopic enough to think he can still take the club forward and without any pressure from the board there is nothing stopping him re-signing. He might have even already done so if certain rumours are to be believed.

When it comes to the manager there is often a lot of talk about how much he cares about the club and that the defeats hurt that much more because he cares so much. If this really is the case then he should issue a statement asap saying this is his last season and allow the club to find a replacement. If he doesn't and leaves it until the end of the season before saying he is leaving or resigns then I question how much he really cares about the club as right now he, along with the board and the owner, are doing serious damage to the club.

[Sly Boots]

You can't help but feel that the ongoing uncertainty over his future is having an effect on the players. And what is going on with Sanchez can't be helping either. He's a player I like a lot and am certainly jealous that we weren't able to sign as he's that good, but seeing him smiling and laughing on the bench while they've been losing during the last couple of games is not a great sight.

I think replacing Wenger will be a struggle, for a couple of reasons. The first is that he runs every aspect of the footballing side, so will leave a huge vacuum when he does go. I think the owners need to think long and hard over what sort of manager they want next, and therefore what the structure of the club will look like. Do they go for another autocrat like Wenger (though that's a pretty old-school approach these days, and not sure how many of the current top names are used to overseeing every aspect), or do they go down a more modern route of a DoF/Sporting Director to oversee recruitment, big-picture stuff etc and bring in a first-team head coach style of manager? If it's the latter, they need to make sure they bring in the right guys. Even FSG, with a background in sports team ownership, made numerous poor decisions on that side of things for the first few years after arriving. Arguably Klopp is the first senior appointment they've gotten right, and it took about six years to get to that point.

Secondly, I'm not sure Kroenke has the knowledge or enthusiasm for making decisions like that. My impression is that he's been quite happy to hand all the reins over to Wenger and just let him get on with things.

I actually wonder whether something like moving Wenger upstairs into more strategic DoF kind of role while appointing a head coach to manage the first-team squad might be a neat solution... though it's possible the bad feeling towards him from a large section of supporters means that a clean break would be best for all parties.

[katarn]

The fact that Arsenal is a well run business, with good profit and cash reserves, points towards Kroenke happily agreeing to the status quo. I reckon if Wenger goes it will be a personal choice on his part.

Kroenke has no need to empty the reserves and try harder for titles, plus he's probably noticed what Leicester of all teams did last season and thinks a squad like Arsenal's could get into a good run at some point and sneak a PL title. Which to be fair is possible.

Perhaps the club could do with finishing 5th. Might stir them up a little bit.

[DjchunKfunK]

In no way is Wenger going upstairs a good idea, he needs to just leave as we need a clean break. Yes the board will need to hire a manager and someone else to do some of the football stuff that Wenger currently does and yes they might get that wrong, but it has to be done eventually. Wenger is not immortal and will not stay at the club forever. With the Ozil and Sanchez contract situations, they look unlikely to sign up with Wenger at the helm, it would be good to get someone in now who can perhaps persuade them to stay even if that means some upheaval in the short term.

If it's Sanchez or Wenger I know which one I would choose.

[Sly Boots]

Didn't say that I didn't think change was necessary or likely, I think Wenger will go and it will probably be the right time for him to do so.

But I do think there's a lot of scope for error, and if it was me I'd be a bit worried about Kroenke making the right calls. I do also think Sanchez will go as well, though. I guess it might depend on who follows Wenger and their ability to make a good pitch, but I think he's decided he wants to go. Rumour is PSG have made him a £300k p/w offer.

[Jez]

Some real classy scenes from the Liverpool supporters there after a great win. Really unnecessary stuff.