Martinez gets the Belgium job

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I didn't think it could get worse than Wilmots.

But it can.

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Rom fell for it as much as us. Cast our minds back to the first season and the game against Arsenal when we lined up with Rom on the right flank. He fucked Monreal's ass all game and when he scored pointed straight to Roberto, ran over over him holding four fingers up and jumped on him like a mad man. He must have felt, like a lot of us did, that the man could do no wrong and we were riding the crest a beautiful wave to fourth place.

His reaction today is a perfect encapsulation of how that optimism died

[hill135]

This is a truly terrible appointment.

International football is all about using the scarce training time before a tournee to hammer out a functioning system quickly. There is no place whatsoever for lofty ideals and long term projects as the next knockout game is only three days away.

Wilmots was tactically clueless but he at least commanded respect from his players as they would have grown up with him as the face of their national game. The current Belgium team is full of PL players who know Martinez and his teams fairly well so I would doubt he commands the same respect.

[hill135]

Thierry Henry to be one of his assistants.

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Graeme Jones is the personification of the old saying "it's not what you know, it's who".

Although that doesn't explain Martinez's rise

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Reminded of that vid of Henry on MNF discussing Guardiola's tactics in a bit of detail.

He's served under the man who provides the model for possession football so the difference between this and Martinez's karaoke version will be apparent from day one. I don't think he'll stick it out.

[hill135]

The fool strikes again. He's fallen out with Naingollan - one of the best midfielders around - and won't call him up to his squads.

Can't wait for Belgium to get shagged at the World Cup.