I see Dave has 'taken over' from Kidd and suggested he isn't the complete coach. No matter how he dresses this up, he has created this for himself and has basically left Kidd in a very tricky position professionally. After admitting he wished Woodgate and Bowyer had gone down, isn't it time the FA had a word? Or will they be too busy with Ridsdale for inciting a riot?

-- Anonymous, March 05, 2002

Answers

awful press

-- Anonymous, March 05, 2002

He's having a nervous breakdown, isn't he? Flailing aimlessly about. Couldn't happen to a nicer bloke.

-- Anonymous, March 05, 2002

Kidd must be feeling great. Another Leeds person kicks a man when he's down!

-- Anonymous, March 05, 2002

The players held a press conference to publicly support Kidd in the face of abuse from fans. I suspect the press is deliberately not helping with it's O'Leary quotes used to fan the flames.

-- Anonymous, March 05, 2002

How has O'Leary lost it so completely in a year? It's taken all the fun out of extracting the wee out of my Leeds-supporting friend.

-- Anonymous, March 05, 2002

My own personal axis of evil ( (c)Swift, in this context...) is O'Leary, Hoddle and Wenger.

I have a deep and abiding dislike of these 3.

Hoddle seems to have a hole in his marbles bag at the best of times. Now O'Leary has lost the plot.

I just need Wenger to chin a ref or something now...

-- Anonymous, March 05, 2002

I could imagine Wenger scratching the ref's car with his keys or something petulent like that, perhaps put a banana up the ref's exhaust and then hide behind a wall sniggering.

-- Anonymous, March 05, 2002

Hoddle has really upset me with demanding Kasey Keller come back to sit on the bench for Spurs this weekend, rather than be allowed to fight for the #1 shirt in the US squad for the WC. There's also talk that he had promised Keller would be first choice keeper to get him to sign for Spurs, only to leave him on the bench most of the season. Not sure how true that is, however.

-- Anonymous, March 05, 2002

What's p....g me off is that he keeps quoting YBR: "Bobby Robson told me never to be frightened of selling a player because they can always be replaced" and "Bobby Robson said that he had always thought our fans were strange and fickle".

I know YBR is the elder statesman etc but he can do without being credited with every one of Dolly the Sheep's brain waves.

-- Anonymous, March 05, 2002

Ciara, much as I can't stand Hoddle you can't blame him for that - if Spurs need a keeper to sit on the bench then they're perfectly entitled to recall him. If we were in the same position I'd be mightily pissed off if we didn't recall a player just because his preference was to play for someone else. Who is the US number 1 at the moment? Friedel?

-- Anonymous, March 05, 2002

Friedel for now, but only because Keller isn't getting regular first team games this season. He's been given the chance to win the shirt back in the friendlies between qualification and the start of the WC, so every game is critical. If Keller were actually being used, it wouldn't be an issue. He was allowed to come over here for a game this past weekend(Honduras payback time. YES!), but had to go back for this coming weekend. I'm well aware it's within the club's rights to have Keller come back, but honestly if he isn't being used I would think Hoddle, being a former national team coach and player, would understand this is not just a case of playing a meaningless friendly. The result may be meaningless, but it's very important for the player. If Spurs have no other back-up, then that's another issue and I'd still grumble, but he would obviously be necessary as a bench warmer.

Fingers crossed, Bruce Arena is seeing that Keller wins matches, is steadier, and keeps more clean sheets than Friedel for the US. He is just about saying as much, but still hasn't made his decision for June. So hopefully missing this one match one count against Keller.

-- Anonymous, March 05, 2002

Oh, and honestly if it were Harper(for example), I would not be upset if he wanted to play for his country rather than sit on our bench if it were a similar situation as long as we had back-up available. The chances are slim he'd be used and if he could improve his lot at int'l level I wouldn't begrudge him the chance.

-- Anonymous, March 05, 2002

I would assume if he's been recalled he's going to be on the bench for Spurs - or is that not correct? By the way, did you see the Worthington Cup Final? Friedel was absolutely terrific. Can't say I've seen Keller play lately though.

-- Anonymous, March 06, 2002

Friedel is good, but imo Keller is just that bit better at intl level.

-- Anonymous, March 06, 2002

To be honest Ciara, I would be livid if Harper were released for a friendly game the other side of the Atlantic if we didn't have decent cover. Sod's law Given would be injured, just like a certain game where no goalkeeper was on the bench. Who is the Spurs 3rd choice anyway? I suspect nobody who's up to premiership football.

-- Anonymous, March 06, 2002

Most managers get criticised for their attitude towards the international game. I picked up this on Reuters: Preview | Home | Logout | Help | Contact Customer Service

25Feb2002 UK: Dempster - The black and white of Bobby. By Brian Dempster. The man who knows Ulster Sport

BOBBY Robson is a human person. Like the rest of us mere mortals he has his good days and probably quite a few fraught ones as well. And as the Newcastle United manager passed another birth date anniversary last week, an inner hostility, probably produced by the approaching "Big 70" had poor old Robson's wrinkles in a cantankerous twist. It was back in the early 1970s when I first met the man making a name for himself at Portman Road, the home of Ipswich Town. On that memorable occasion the relatively youthful boss was a courteous companion and the perfect professional, as along with his Linfield counterpart Billy Bingham, we negotiated the transfer of Bryan Hamilton to Suffolk's Division One club. The years rolled by, and as passing time fashioned the various careers, the next Robson/Bingham/Dempster get-together was, in one way, a less auspicious experience. Wembley Stadium's antiquated Interview Room was the setting, with Bobby, now the Mexico-bound England team manager and Bingham as Northern Ireland boss, conducting the conventional post-match inquisition. Following the 0-0 draw which also guaranteed our belated qualification for the World Cup Finals of '86, there was literally little to write home about from an England standpoint. However, following a fairly inept performance, Robson had been handling the assembled broadcasting media and the football scribes with anticipated calm and flair. then, as the proceedings were approaching a conclusion, an English voice from the back begged an answer on Robson's team selection and the night's tactics. As I recall, nothing too controversial and nothing disrespectful in the innocent reporter's remark. But, for whatever reason, a nastiness surfaced that both shocked and embarrassed all concerned, and none more so than the belittled youngster, as Bobby crudely questioned his football knowledge and bombarded the kid with unnecessary insults. A mixture of memories and especially the disillusionment of that Wembley evening were revived when Bobby Robson returned from continental Europe to take the reins at St James' Park. Then they quickly faded as the seemingly more mature gent displayed admirable composure and dignity while leading his rebuilt side to the top of the Premiership table. But last week, out of the blue, the arrogance of 16 years came to the fore again. Thankfully, not a defenceless rookie reporter in sight, so football's managerial veteran turned his wrath toward Sammy McIlroy who, Robson raved, didn't use his head in playing the Magpies' Aaron Hughes for the full 90 minutes in the friendly against Poland. It seems, only in Bobby's view, the superbly fit 22 year old defender was one of a few Geordies who looked jaded in the FA Cup tie with Manchester City, more than a full three days after the Cyprus encounter. And that international managers such as McIlroy should be "more responsible." Sammy Mac is too nice a guy to publicly voice an opinion on the latest Robson outburst. Indeed, he is more likely to have personally explained the extenuating circumstances surrounding the hour-and-a- half of Hughes action and offered an apology, even when none was necessary. Let's face it, here was another sign of these times when international team bosses cannot afford to fall foul of Premiership clubs. So when dealing in future with the uncrowned king of Tyneside, McIlroy will do well to remember, that deeply hidden within that elderly greying and genial Robson exterior, there lies an occasionally cruel, crusty and crotchety old ... 69 year old!

-- Anonymous, March 06, 2002

It's a little different in the case of Hughes, though as he is currently a regular starter for his club matches, is pretty assured of his place in the NI squad, and won't be going to the WC anyway. In that case, Bobby has a point.

Pete, it probably would be our luck that Given would go down injured if Harper were away, but when he's sat on his backside for 6mos or so I honestly would not begrudge him the opportunity to stake his claim for a WC berth. It would do far more for his spirits and his match fitness than picking splinters out of his behind, which is the far more likely outcome. I don't follow Spurs closely enough to know who their third choice keeper is, but there is very little chance he'd be used anyway. Plus it gives a little psychological boost to the #3. It's a choice managers deal with all the time, and they have to do what they think is best. Not everyone has to agree with it, and in this case, I don't agree with Hoddle's choice.

-- Anonymous, March 06, 2002

Still, Ciara, he pays Keller's wages even when he is playing for the US so he's going to view things differently from the way you view them. Hoddle isn't paid to give a f..k about Keller's national aspirations. His worry is Spurs. It's a sad fact: club v country is only going to get more bitter as time goes on.

-- Anonymous, March 06, 2002

PS. I'm not saying that Hoddle is right, BTW, just trying to second guess his thinking.

-- Anonymous, March 06, 2002