Open And Shut Case

As Mother Superior said in The Sound of Music, when one door closes another one opens.

Something along those lines anyway. Just before she sings this if my memory serves me correctly.

Anyway to more important things.

Today's closing door was in the face of Paul Ince.

Not entirely unexpected.

I'm not quite sure how I feel about it though. On the one hand I am not sure he was really cutting it. On the other hand I can't help noting that the Blackburn Board knew he did not have management experience in the Premiership when they appointed him. It might be argued that they should have expected to give him more support and more time before calling time.

The opening door sees the return of Eduardo, who is playing tonight in the reserve team against Portsmouth.

I'm delighted to see him back. How timely that I just happen to have purchased for my son an Arsenal home shirt with Eduardo and the number 9 on it for Christmas.

Merry Christmas son.

Incy Wincy Doubts

I don't know about you but I'm starting to have one or two 'incy' doubts about the Blackburn manager.

It's not just the team's plunging form. It's just hard to feel confident he is on top of the job.

Take this weekend for instance. Apparently he was involved in a bit of half-time argy-bargy in the tunnel with 'Arry's number two.

He's quick to criticize other managers too.

You might argue with a name like Paul Emerson Herbert Carlyle Ince he has always been destined for great things.

I'm just not sure. Something does not feel quite right.

Two things are certain though.

One is he is unlikely to make quiz champion of the year.

The other is he will never be manager of West Ham.

A Nursery Rhyme

Incy Wincy manager has climbed up the football league
On condition that he studies for the coaching badge he needs
But like many Premiership managers, I feel somewhat afraid
That he'll be climbing up the leagues again if he doesn't make the grade

Should have come to Leicester!

The Clock Is Ticking

Well well!

I have to say that despite wavering a bit earlier in the week, I am now engaged completely again in Euro 2008. A great match between Italy and Romania yesterday, followed by the absolutely compelling game between Holland and France, including some absolutely amazing goals, especially the third Dutch goal?It will be very interesting to see what happens when Holland play Romania now they are guaranteed to go through to the quarter finals. I assume they will put out a reserve team, which means that there is a chance Romania could steal it. Now that would put the cat amongst the pigeons!

As for today's matches, having missed Spain earlier in the week I was disappointed with their performance tonight, even though they won. They will certainly need to raise their game if they are going to progress in this tournament. I'm not watching the Russia/Greece match though because

1. I'm posting
2. We have a friend round for the evening
3. My lover is cooking a delicious curry which will be sliding down my throat with a nice cool lager within the next half hour
4. I just can't get excited about either team

And amidst all that, the turbulent waters at Leicester City seem to be continuing. Paul Ince doesn't want to know and the only recently appointed CEO has already moved on.

Mandy must really be feeling the pressure now. Next season is already fast approaching - the fixture list is out on Monday. He needs to keep the fans onside to try to keep attendence up at the Walkers. Most of all though, he needs to find a manager who is half way decent but is willing to take a risk with someone who has such a trigger happy reputation.

Tick, tock, tick, tock..........................................................

On The Road

So we are sniffing around Paul Ince then.

For what it's worth I think it would be a great appointment. A view shared by many of the fans on the Leicester City Forum, Talking Balls.

You have to wonder in some ways why he might want us though. OK the Dons have only just come up into League 1 and we should be at the top of that next season (oh please let it be so!). But you would think twice, wouldn't you, about coming to work with someone of Mandaric's track record? Unless you didn't have much too lose or the deal was too good to turn down and worth the risk.

Plus I heard on the radio this evening that Blackburn are interested in him too if they can't secure Allardyce.

You have to wonder just how many manager's jobs are not a poisoned chalice these days. Mark Hughes has been told he must make the top six by the end of the season or else. Last season was littered with casualties and you just know next season will probably be the same if not worse.

If I was a football manager I would probably take to living in a caravan. It's much more suited to such an itinerant lifestyle.