Phil Neville gets Portland Timbers head coach job in face of fan complaints

“We are deeply disappointed that the club has reportedly settled on a finalist for head coach who has a history of sexist public statements that run counter to our ethos as a club, city and supporters' group, and who also lacks a proven track record as a manager.”

My pal Paul Columb (Irish-born Blue, occasional TW poster and Live Forum participant) is a Timbers season ticket holder. I just texted him for his reaction. Will share when he responds.

'just disgusting. Honestly, his horrible tweets wouldn't bother me quite so much if the ownership group wasn't coming fresh off a number of scandals involving protecting a coach who sexually predated on players on the womens' team, creating a hostile working environment for women staff members, potentially covering up for a player on the mens' team who abused his girlfriend, putting pressure on a female employee to not speak out about it, claiming that all the "bad eggs" were now no longer involved in soccer operations but in their own press release making clear they were involved in this hiring AND having the gall to ask the (very upset) fanbase to trust them and say they've totally changed the culture and turned over a new leaf. Hiring a total asshole with a history of misogyny after all that? Jesus'.

Given his background Neville probably has the same Agent as Wayne Rooney and Ryan Giggs and let's be honest, the majority of Premier League managers have won nothing to very little in their closed shop environment, I can think only of Laurie McMenemy and Jose Mourinho who aren't ex-players actually managing clubs. As they say, it's not Rocket Surgery.

If you are going to make a list of St Philip's short comings let's not overlook his greatest crime.

His performance against Wigan (0-3) in the quarter final, when it looked as if the draw had green lighted us all the way to Wembley, was quite possibly the worst individual performance I have seen from an Everton player. He was by far and away Wigan's best player.

At least Glen Keeley had the good sense to get himself out of there and a despairing supporter had the good sense to do the same for Alex Nyarko.

Glen Keeley and Alex Nyarko.

I think we could add Per Kroldrup to that list.

Now you've started me.

April 2001. We should have got a free kick, but they get one. They move it about 10 yards forward unchallenged and McAllister squeezes it past Paul "Coco the Clown" Gerrard, who flopped like a wet salmon.

Thanks Dave!

We knew Liverpool were going to throw everything at us during that second half. They were fucking shite, and we gave them way too much fucking respect out of fear, even though every single one of the 35,000 Evertonians inside that stadium, would have walked through a massive inferno for Everton, on that very sorry day. Fear!

We had them on the ropes and in the corner. As you say, there for the taking.

We came out second half, changed it and bottled it, leading to me having a heated debate with some red cousins on the way to Wembley Park Stadium.

I don't blame Distin for the mistake, I blame the change in tactics. It was our trophy for the taking if we had believed.

I couldn't remember too much about the semi-final and how we lost it so looked it up

Here's a link for those that might want to drown their sorrows.

Link

Get off it, Mike, George Best passed on years ago.

Alan.

George Best was electric. The best there's ever been. Never have I seen a man instantly put so much daylight between himself and the defender/s He just beaten.. He was fast. Had gravity defining balance. Instant control and according to legendary "hard man" Ron Yates ( He who we sing about hating ). He also tackled "like a tank"

But greatest dribbler ? Sure best had magical feet, which often took him last 2/3 defenders, but on pure dribbling skills alone. I can't make my mind up between Charlie Cook and Wee Jinky

You'll remember that City had a dribbler when they were really poor called Kinkladze ( think that how you spell it) He liked to Slalom his way through a packed defence too.

Good post. I've always loved players who could weave their way through a crowded defence.

They don't seem to make them like that anymore

I don't know how many you've seen but, for me, the best team ever was Brazil 1970, even their centre-half was capable of going past several players.

Gerson ran it and Pele was just the icing, their only weakness seemed to be the goalkeeper.

And I truly believe Messi is the best player ever, after carrying Argentina to a World Cup and a Copa America, plus eight Ballons d'Or, 40 club trophies, and more international goals against better competition than Pele.

By ‘ Wee Jinky' I'm assuming you mean Jimmy Johnson? Willie Henderson wasn't too shabby either!

Just two of the many brilliant Scottish players who graced the game.

The majority of my views as a younger man are certainly nothing like my views today. One's past shouldn't determine one's future in my view.

On another note, Pip Neville is a terrible manager, and that alone should be the reason they don't want him.

Sorry but it's above my pay grade to fiddle with the coding... where's AI when ya need it???

Have a look at that fuckin' name checker. I bet he's finally gone off his nut and interfered with the system, you can't say I haven't warned you about that Dickhead.

I quite like the poppy!

Oh and to comment on the article, Neville should never have a manager's job even in the National League, he has proven time and again he hasn't got a clue.

My IPad is working okay now (touch wood). Michael won't admit it but I bet it was that bleedin' name checker!

Tom Finney was my favourite dribbler, beats George Best, for me, because of the length of time he played and his perfect temperament, dribbling and kicking with both feet, a gent on and off the field.

Alfredo Di Stephano was my favourite footballer.

Gone over my head about the name checker you are on about, Dave.

Don't worry about the name checker, Brian, Michael knows all about him.

On the question of dribblers, I just got off the phone with a Brazilian former teammate, and he just laughed at some of the names mentioned here. As far as he's concerned, nobody was even close to Garrincha.

Times change and because someone said something years ago they shouldn't be brought up for it now.

Years ago, one of the most popular programmes on telly was "Till Death Do Us Part" and its follow on "In Sickness and in Health" with Alf Garnett. Staple watching for millions each week. In fact, I'm watching a rerun of the later on the telly now.

These days of course it wouldn't be allowed and most of us would be mortified. However, how many of us laughed our bollocks off when it was on every week.

But watching documentaries, you can see they were true greats. Players that changed the game. The Cruyff turn and Beckenbauer putting his mark on the modern sweeper role (originally a midfielder).

I watched Maradona and despite England supporters distain towards him because of the hand of god, another of the finest footballers to have graced the field of play.

What about Zidane? Does he belong at the top table? In the modern game, Messi certainly does.

One of only three players to win The World Cup, Golden Boot and Golden Ball at the same competition.

Yes I was talking about Jimmy Johnson. The one thing that held him back from being all-time world great, was his attitude to the game.

While Maradona, Messi and Best would Leave their opponents for dead, Wee Jinky could not resist coming back to beat them again – "I was always an entertainer first, The pitch was my stage. The whistle meant it was showtime."

My old boss, a big Celtic fan, used to tell me that he would send the Celtic park crowd home dizzy.

Having said all that, he still won multiple leagues and cups (including the European Cup). There was clearly a little more to him than being just an "Entertainer".

Don't be envious – I only saw Stefano on the box, quite a few times, more than enough to see he could have played any position on the field and look good.

Dave (43),

Jimmy Johnstone one of the many ‘ Tanner ball dribblers' who played in Scotland, I was disappointed he never played at Anfield the night Celtic got beat in the semi-final of a European game, big John Hughes played instead… well he was on the pitch!

Jinky Jimmy might have made a difference to Celtic's close defeat.Tommy Ring was a wizard with the ball as well.

I was lucky enough to see the great Alfredo Di Stefano play live at Old Trafford against Man Utd for Real Madrid. They had Gento, Suarez and Santa Maria in their side and Utd had Charlton, Best and Law.

For me, he is the best all-round centre-forward I have seen, good in the air, ball control excellent, and obviously a good finisher. As you say, Dave, he wouldn't have looked out of place in any position on the field.

I most probably saw that game on TV Brian, I think one of the Man Utd vs Real Madrid games was a friendly game, I think it finished 2-2.

It was on Granada TV and as soon as the game started it cut to the adverts – unbelievable or maybe it not in those days, I think Gerry Loftus was the commentator.

Real Madrid were an excellent team but they should have been because they bought the best from all over the world, they had a good look at Alex Young but never made the effort to buy him. They were like the Harlem Globetrotters – played to entertain but also to win.

Yes, it was the friendly game, when I think back to the quality that was on that pitch that night, I only later in life realized how lucky I was to see them all on one pitch live.

I know it's a bygone age when footballers weren't over coached and just went on the pitch and displayed their skills.

A time when fans could go to a game and appreciate an opponents skill without having to shout abuse at him for possessing that skill.

When players played the game they loved not for untold riches but just for the joy of being able to display their skills at the highest level.

Top man for putting up the correct spelling of Johnstone.

Makes it so much easier to Google and YouTube somebody if you spell their breeding name correctly.

Not only were Celtic the first British winners of the European Cup but every player was born within a few miles of Glasgow.

Nowadays there's no chance any team will be full of homegrown players, never mind win anything.

Mind you that's when the Champions of Europe meant something, unlike this crap Champions League nonsense.

Your comment, although informative, gave me flashbacks of watching Peter Beagrie.

Beat a player to go back and beat him again. Only there was often no end product and he infuriated as much as he entertained!

I'm not putting him in the same category, just saying!

Wayne Rooney certainly did but it was all too brief. Peter Beardsley was great to watch and Kanchelskis was definitely one who was worth the entrance fee but otherwise, we've been starved of entertainment for a few decades.

Besides his two goals, the memorable moment for me was when what seemed like half the Burnley team converged on him and he just strolled out the other side of them with the ball. Too brief a time with us.

Unfortunately, the truth was, as often as not, he didn't even know what he was doing and was exhausted after half an hour anyway.

Loads of them each season: "You lazy idiot!!!"

I did think Lookman and Geri were thrown on too late in games, often when we needed the winner or were bereft of goals or chances. Whenever they got the ball, they'd be alone up front and expected to beat their entire defence with several tricks and skill sequences. Two of them went down too easily so you can guess where that usually ended.

And honorable mention to Rooney scoring from his own half.