Speaking from a purely personal point of view I desperately want Harry to stay and as such, you won't have seen too much in the way of managerial speculation on these pages. However, it was interesting to note the rumours concerning Jurgen Klinsmann and in particular the suggestion that he was putting his name in the frame followed by a subsequent denial.

Chasing The Big Leagues Southampton and the challengers (English Championship) is a post from: Just Football

Tales from Tier Two is a series on Just Football in partnership with @tiertwofooty, in which we assess the promotion chances of the clubs in tier two of Europe's major leagues at the midway point of 2011/12.

By Chris Wright

Given the furore at Leeds yesterday, we thought it would be fairly timely to put together Pies' pick of the ten English-based football managers that, for one reason or another, are almost impossible to foster a begrudging respect for let alone take to your heart.

Chasing the Big Leagues Clermont Foot (France Ligue 2) is a post from: Just Football

Introducing a new series on Just Football now Tales from Tier Two, in which we will be taking a look at how the season is unfolding for the promotion chasing teams around tier two of Europe's major leagues.

Difficult drawing for premiership teams didn't only happened in the Champions League but also in the second rate European competition, Europa League, where all three English representatives are being paired with tough sides.

Manchester United will be facing fellow Champions outcast, Ajax Amsterdam, while Manchester City are set to battle last season's champions Fc Porto and Stoke City got pretty much the toughest one with Valencia at sight.

Not so long a go, Ellis Short offered Steve Bruce a four year contract to help quieten the murmurings in the media of Bruce's strong contention for the England management job. This was despite the fact that Bruce had seemingly only had modest achievements in his twelve year managerial career, with the only tangible success's being two promotions from the championship with Birmingham City (sandwiched between relegation).

To allow Cesc Fabregas to return to Barcelona was probably one of the toughest decisions Wenger had to make in his Arsenal managerial career. Cesc was the main conductor of the Arsenal orchestra, the skipper of the team and the inspiration of the players. Many factors had to be considered before letting Cesc leave the [.

Udinese represented a challenge that, as Serie A Weekly suggested last week, would prove pivotal for new Roma and so it came to pass in an evening from which few positives could be taken. The ‘Zebrette', in many ways, are Roma's antithesis. Franceso Guidolin started his managerial career in 1988, the same year in which Luis Enrique made his senior playing debut in La Liga.

Gary Speed, the manager of the Welsh international soccer team and an accomplished former player, was found dead in his home on Sunday morning.
The Football Association of Wales first announced the news, with local police in Cheshire - just across the border in England - adding more details later.

By Greg Evans

You could've had staked your life savings on Brian Clough being absolutely fuming with the Notts County defence come 5 o'clock last Saturday evening, were Old Big 'Ead still with us of course.

The Magpies travelled up to Yorkshire that morning knowing they had the opportunity to well and truly piss on Huddersfield's bonfire a club on the brink of breaking a very prestigious English Football League record.

Chelsea v Liverpool: five things we learned | Dominic Fifield

André Villas-Boas is under increasing pressure, while big money signings are still struggling to settle at both clubs 1 André Villas-Boas is already a manager under pressure It was arguable that, given the summer transfer outlay, Kenny Dalglish should actually have edged into this fixture as the manager under greater scrutiny, though in ensuring he has now gone 12 matches unbeaten against Chelsea while in charge of Liverpool, he left the focus fixed on André Villas-Boas.

Past Managers: Volume 3 Bob Paisley

Whenever somebody utters the name of Liverpool Football Club, it's synonymous with great managers and great players. Over the years Bill Shankly has become an icon but many people forget the achievements of his successor, Shankly began the dream, but it was none other than Bob Paisley who ensured it continued.

Relegation candidates, the toon flying high and another day in the life of an England manager Andre Villas Boas Surely the biggest test of his managerial career to date? Whilst there is clearly an understanding around Stamford Bridge that the AVB project will be given time to succeed, defeats to QPR and Arsenal and a [.

One good thing about experience, is that if you can learn from your past mistakes, you can become better in what you do. Alan Pardew wants to become more consistent And when Alan Pardew was appointed Newcastle manager, we knew he had had many ups and downs in his managerial career, which started at [.

(In)Famous Facial Hair in Football: Then and Now - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

It's something that's perhaps said almost as much in jest as it is in seriousness, but for some, the mark of a true manly man is all in the facial hair.

If you subscribe to that notion, then you may also be among the population that feels that football isn't what it used to be, with finesse, flair, and frailty pushing physicality in the past, or at best compressed into several three-to-five minute Youtube compilations.

By Nathan Hildred

In the past few years, the long-running Football Manager series has been more revolutionary than evolutionary. We've seen the advent of the 3D match engine, touchline shouts and Match Analysis that would make even the blokes over at Opta sweat.

Why we must back fashionista Mancini in battle against anarchy and alienation

Roberto Mancini is an unlikely freedom fighter. He has a hint of smugness, the aura of an aftershave model. The fashion ­statement of his City scarf screams ­superficiality. The jury is out on him as a football man, even on the biggest day of his ­managerial career.

So Inter-lull is a fun time isn't it? No Arsenal matches to moan about, no news from Arsenal from two weeks for fans world-wide to digest and and create stories of illusion around, and the long-awaited injury list to pile up even more. It's a great time to shut off from Arsenal and spend time with family, as we all love to do right?

Sunday marks this season's first addition of the Derby della Capitale, as Rome's two fierce rivals face each other at the Stadio Olimpico. In a season where Serie A looks to be wide open, winning a tense clash like this could put the wind in a team's sails and propel them towards the top of the table, so despite the fact this game appears early in the schedule it could have long term implications for both squads.

Molby the manager

On Wednesday night LFC TV broadcasts the latest episode in the series 'Managing the Liverpool Way', with Jan Molby's managerial career this time coming under the spotlight.

View the full story here: Liverpool FC

A news article on 2011-10-06 09:20:33 from: Liverpool FC

This news item has been reproduced from today's media.

Tonight on LFC TV: Molby the manager

Tonight at 9pm LFC TV broadcasts the latest episode in the series 'Managing the Liverpool Way', with Jan Molby's managerial career this time coming under the spotlight.

View the full story here: Liverpool FC

A news article on 2011-10-05 17:33:51 from: Liverpool FC

This news item has been reproduced from today's media.

AVB wants to get on his bike Chelsea manager Andre Villas Boas has revealed that he would love to take part in the 6,000-mile Dakar Rally on a motorcycle. The bike enthusiast acknowledges that fulfilling his ambition might have to wait until his managerial career is over. Villas Boas told the BBC: "The manager is [.

'I'm finished with management' – former Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier

The former Reds and Aston Villa boss has announced the end of his managerial career after health issues affected his ability to work on a day-to-day basis

View the full story here: Goal

A news article on 2011-09-19 13:54:00 from: Goal

This news item has been reproduced from today's media.

Tuesday is certain to be a special European night at Stamford Bridge. Whether or not the guest of honor plays a prominent role is up for suggestion.

This has been spoken of at length, but it bears repeating. Michael Ballack is returning to London. The old man the legend will be part of a quite good Bayer Leverkusen side that will be making its first trip to the Bridge since, well, ever.

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish has no concerns about Craig Bellamy's bad-boy reputation.
The Wales international could make his debut in his second spell with the Anfield club against Stoke on Saturday after returning on deadline day of the summer transfer window.
Bellamy's previous time at Liverpool lasted just one season in 2006/07, when ex-boss Rafa Benitez decided a lack of discipline did not fit into his tactics.

Concentrate on the good bits, says Kenny

With yet another international break out of the way it was time for Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish to speak to the media about a proper game of football, this Saturday's visit to Stoke in the Premier League. Since Kenny last spoke at a pre-game press conference he'd signed some more players and so it was understandable that some of the questions would be about the new faces.

Bellamy & Coates Ready to Play

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish has revealed that new signings Craig Bellamy and Sebastián Coates are ‘chomping at the bit' to be involved when the club return to Premier League action against Stoke this weekend. The two new boys only joined the club in the dying days of the summer transfer window, but both are eager to get their Liverpool careers underway.

In the early days of Tottenham On My Mind I wrote a piece characterising the relationship between Harry Redknapp and his chairman. The title, Levy is Redknapp's Poodle, summed up their dealings during their first summer transfer window together. At his previous clubs, Redknapp ensured large sums of cash were at his disposal, even when at West Ham and Portsmouth that money wasn't really there to spend.

Chelsea's Andre Villas-Boas, the youngest manager in the English Premier League at the age of 33, finds himself under the spotlight himself as the Blues seek to regain their EPL title.
''I just want to be first,'' said Villas-Boas, who arrived from Porto. ''We look for excellence and look to win back the title that escaped us last season.

When last we left Swindon Town, the Robins were putting the finishing touches on a lamentable 2010/11 campaign that saw them relegated from League One and undergoing the process of disassembly. Beneficent chairperson Andrew Fitton chose to step down after having cleaned up Swindon's financial flubs from the past but exhausted after a long and disappointing season which was to have season the Robins challenge for Championship promotion rather than battling the drop.

By Tom Thomas

In the modern game its difficult to find legends and heroes. Perhaps that's because such things are better left for childhood sensibilities and nostalgic ruminations. The men of today often become the gods of tomorrow, somehow, and that's just the way these things work.

Could Gianfranco Zola be making his way back to Stamford Bridge as Carlo Ancelotti's new number two in the summer?. According to TuttoMercatoWeb, they believe that if Carlo Ancelotti stays at the club and move into his third season at the club, he will ask for Zola to come back as his assistant.

'Negative' football: A means to an end? is a post from: Just Football

by Theo Fan

I've often wondered what it is that leads to a team being labelled negative in the modern English game. The phrase anti-football has become synonymous with certain clubs and is often followed up by references to direct-play, an over reliance on set pieces, long ball football and percentage play.

Barcelona have received a massive psychological boost ahead of their Champions League semi-final first leg against Real Madrid with the news that inspirational captain and defender Carles Puyol will be fit to make the starting line-up. After losing the final of the Copa del Rey last week to Jose Mourinho's men in white, any emotional boost will have come in handy for Pep Guardiola as he seeks to earn his side a first leg advantage ahead of next week's second leg at home in Barcelona.

So, the "Special one" does it again.
He has only gone and won the Copa Del Ray (King's Cup) in Spain tonight by beating the mighty Barcelona, in extra time 1-0.
Ronaldo headed home the goal for his 42nd of the season late in the game so, another trophy claimed by Mourinho.
He has now won silverware for FC Porto, Chelsea and Real Madrid amongst others in his remarkable Managerial career.

His early coaching success now a distant memory, Paul Ince found himself out of a job once again this month after leaving relegation-threatened Notts County. With several of his former Manchester United teammates having enjoyed relatively straightforward routes into top-level management, is it circumstance or something else that's holding back Ince's managerial career?

One of the defining characteristics of this season in the Premie League has been the desperate battle to avoid relegation. With seven matches of the season left to play, there are still ten clubs that could still be relegated and it seems likely that the scramble will last until the very end of the season.

So far in his managerial career, Mixu Paatelainen has employed a tested and true stage performers mentality: always leave on a high note. How will that affect his tenure with Finland?

Let's get one thing out of the way. Hiring Mixu Paatelainen was the only thing Palloliitto could do.

Well it seems that Luiz Felipe Scolari's biggest regret of his managerial career has been his time at Chelsea. He has given yet another interview on his take at his time at the Bridge and this time he has revealed that he wanted to sign Robinho and then swap Didier Drogba for Adriano!!.
He said:

"It was my fault that I could not control the locker room in different situations, I tried to do something about that and I tried to sign Robinho, because I wanted someone who could improvise.

An article by Mark Warmington.

You can follow Mark on Twitter at @markawarmington and also visit his blog.

There is a question that has been toying with me for the past few months; a niggling little itch of a query that I just haven't quite been able to scratch into submission.