Capello Set to Carry Can for England Failings

As the dust settles on the burnt ashes of England’s world cup disaster and the inquest into its mind boggling failures begin, one man that may truly feel the sword of Damocles towering over his head is England manager Fabio Capello. The Italian manager, who had seemed so confident and self assured in England’s pre world cup press conferences following what was undeniably a highly successful qualifying campaign has seemingly subsequently been reduced to a stuttering buffoon in recent interviews, struggling with his English, using an interpreter and clutching to the same excuses that previous England managerial failures had clung to over the past few years in accounting for their team’s ongoing incompetence. Capello looks a frustrated and broken man – and who can blame him after such a wretched World Cup campaign for the English team.

The FA announced upon the arrival of England’s world cup squad’s return to the green fields of home that they would wait 2 weeks to decide on the future of the Italian. However, the question it seems may not to be whether they want Fabio to continue as England boss - but more a case of whether they can afford to get rid of him. If English football’s governing body had genuinely intended Capello to stay on as a spearhead of England’s Euro 2010 qualifying campaign, they would have immediately backed him publically and unashamedly following the national team’s defeat to Germany. Instead they have chosen a 2 week period of discussion thus illustrating their clear unrest at the Italian’s performance at the World Cup. A reported £12 million is needed just to get shut of Fabio Capello, and the FA’s wisdom of extending the mangers contract days before a major tournament now look very questionable indeed.

Barnes and Taylor Out At Tranmere

Manager John Barnes and his assistant Jason McAteer have been sacked by Tranmere. Former England legend Barnes and ex Liverpool star McAteer have been told that they were to have their contracts terminated by the club earlier this morning. Tranmere are currently sat in the League One relegation zone - and after a string of poor results in the league and their recent defeat in the Johnstone's paint Trophy earlier in the week, it seems that the Tranmere board have finally lost patience with Barnes and his regime. The decision brings to an end another turbulent period in the short but eventful managerial career of John Barnes - after an equally brief and difficult spell with Scottish giants Celtic resulting in his dismissal in February 2000. The club have taken the decision to put Physio Les Parry in as a caretaker manager to take temporary charge of Tranmere as they welcome Stockport this Monday night.

Portsmouth Appoint McAllister as Harts Assistant Manager

The latest news from the Premier League this evening suggests that Portsmouth have appointed former Leeds United legend Gary McAllister as Paul Harts Assistant Manager. The Premier League strugglers surely need all the help they can get after a disastrous start to their season in which they have so far lost every league game and are already staring down the loaded barrel of top flight relegation. The former Scotland international midfielder is sure to provide some valuable experience as the back up to Hart as his Pompey side seek to rally before Saturday's relegation six pointer against wolves at Molineaux. Portsmouth have faced a turbulent time this season on and off the field after a takeover and string of poor performances in the Premiership leave them without a point after 7 games.

Davey Out At Barnsley After Fan Protest

Barnsley manager Simon Davey has left the club by mutual consent - thereby becoming the first managerial casualty of the English Championship season. A string of poor and abject performances by the Tykes has seen the pressure mount on Davey - and there were angry scenes as fans protested outside Oakwell stadium following the club's defeat to fellow Championship strugglers Reading on Saturday. Davey has managed to keep the South Yorkshire team in the Championship for consecutive seasons on a very limited budget and has built a multinational team that claimed the scalps of Liverpool at Anfield then Chelsea at Oakwell to reach the FA cup semi final. But a string of poor performances has seen the Reds grab only a solitary point against local rivals Sheffield Wednesday so far in this season's league campaign - scoring only once at home in the process. It was all too much for many supporters who left the ground early and continued aggressive and vocal demonstrations outside the ground following the game.

Liverpool Legend Barnes set for Tranmere Managers Job

Former Liverpool and England midfield sensation John Barnes is set for a return to professional football in the capacity of manager at another North West based club in Tranmere Rovers. The football League One side have been seeking a replacement after sacking Ronnie Moore at the end of last season, and see former Liverpool wing superstar Barnes as the ideal candidate.

Barnes will now leave his previous post as manager of the Jamaican national team - which he has held for around 8 months - to take over at Prenton Park with immediate effect. He will hope for greater success than during his last disastrous efforts at club management when North of the border at Glaswegian giants Celtic, where he was unceremoniously sacked after a string of poor results. His task will be to assemble a squad capable of fighting for a play off position in League one next season - and he will be under immediate pressure following his predessor's sacking for failing to complete the same aim by such a narrow margin last season.

Pressures of Management Prove too much for Keane

It is clear that only subject has dominated the headlines across the English footballing press this week: Roy Keane's abrupt departure from Sunderland. Last night, the Irishman walked out on his 2 year tenure at The Stadium of Light under a cloud of uncertainty on his future in football management. Keane was unquestionably an unwavering, defiant and bullish character as a player. Both on and off the field his aggressive and often controversial leadership qualities have never been in doubt and these have to the outside world at least, been personality traits that he has transferred directly into his management style. However, it is clear that all is not right with the great Irishman's mental state at this moment in time. Keane is and always has been a winner and is therefore used to winning, but the current run of successive defeats suffered by the Black Cats has clearly put Keane in an unfamiliar and discomforting mental position. Even his former mentor Sir Alex Ferguson has come forward this week to question whether his former captain at Manchester United will ever return to the day-to-day pressures associated with top flight football management. However, if anyone can recover from such a setback and come back stronger than ever - it is surely Roy Keane.

Boothroyd Out At Vicarage Road

Watford manager Aidy Boothroyd has become the Football League's latest managerial casualty after a less than inspiring start to the championship season at Vicarage road, which has seen Watford claim only 15 points from their opening 15 championship fixtures. The man who led the unfancied Hornets to the heady heights of the Premier League in 2006 has reportedly left the club by mutual consent following a string of poor results which has left last seasons Championship play off semi finalists hovering just one place above the Championship relegation zone. Only goal difference separates Watford from fellow former premier league strugglers Charlton Athletic, whose defeat at the weekend to an in form Barnsley side has led many fans and pundits to speculate that Alan Pardew, once hailed as a hero amongst the Addicks faithful may be the next high profile championship gaffer out of the job.
After such an impressive start to last season's championship campaign, Boothroyd's men fell apart in the final games of last season, with a dismal run of form seeing his side ultimately fall from the automatic promotion places to a crushing defeat to eventual playoff winners Hull City. This poor run of form has extended into the new season, and Watford fans have had to endure seeing players such as the magnificent Ashley Young leave for Premier league pastures new. Watfords demise and Boothroyds exit have arguably typified the lack of patience shown by football league chairman in recent years, and an apparent attitude that sees little long term faith shown in managers who have taken clubs to reasonable success less than a season ago, only to be shown the door after a string of bad results in 2008 (just ask Juande Ramos). Pardew must now be looking over his shoulder waiting for the bad news and will have to dig deep to save his own managerial skin at The Valley.

Harry Redknapp: Once Forgiven, Twice Forgotten...

...Or so the hastily made banner of one young disgruntled fan read at Fratton Park a few cold English autumn evenings ago. They often say that a week is a long time in politics - but it certainly isn't in football - as another whirlwind week in the life of the charismatic but controversial managerial career of Mr Redknapp unfurled. 'Arry has never been the shy retiring type and has arguably never been one to avoid the media spotlight in his now 25 colourful years in professional football management, but even the most cynical of Pompey fans surely cannot have foreseen the abrupt nature of his departure to North London. Ironically, he was honoured the freedom of the city of Portsmouth just days after quitting the Hampshire club, and reportedly received a very mixed reaction from the local population upon receiving this prestigious award. Having achieved the unlikely if not impossible task of guiding the unfashionable premier league club to its first FA cup triumph for nearly 70 years just a few short months ago thanks to Kanu's goal at Wembley, members of the gathering crowd reportedly booed their former hero, with some reportedly shouting "Judas" as he graced the stage.
I personally was disappointed by this reaction, with Redknapp having achieved great things on the south coast by establishing Portsmouth firmly in the premier league and attracting an array of young, exciting and talented players - such as Jermaine Defoe to the club. Harry would probably say he had taken Pompey as far as he could and left them in a much better position than when he joined (and rejoined) as manager. Other would however argue that there is no loyalty in football these days and that Redknapp has simply left for a more wealthy, glamorous club in Spurs. I'll leave you to make up your own mind, but in any case, there is little doubt of the immediate impact Harry has had on the multi-million pound squad assembled at Tottenham, having taken 4 points from his first 2 games in charge - including last nights stunning 4 - 4 derby match with Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. Only time will tell if his decision is the right one, but if he can turn around Tottenham's awful start to the season he will surely be hailed as a success story once again.