posted Nov 11, 2008

I wanna see Distin and Campbell hovering over free kicks from now on - move over Kranjcar and Diarra, the key is to boot it, not place it!

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posted Nov 11, 2008

Wonder how the Adams / Metgod partnership has happened - what with Johnny's Tottenham background.....

Good luck Johnny, a Forest legend

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posted Nov 11, 2008

Actually free kick training sounds useful, when was the last time we scored direct from a free kick?, Niko vs Birmingham at St Andrews around this time last year?

As for the Metgod/Adams link, they coached together in Holland for a while a few years back

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posted Nov 11, 2008

Like this one for instance

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XysTzt--ik

pick that out..

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posted Nov 11, 2008

Good luck to Johnny Metgod, a Forest legend.

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posted Nov 11, 2008

What DCDJ! In the style of Nigel Quashie?

Joynny_Motgod osc, TA did some coaching research in Holland before he joined Pompey. They met up there.

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posted Nov 11, 2008

That was a mother of a free kick. Check out Frank McAvennie's awesome mullet as well.

Forest were sponsored by Skol lager - whatever happened to Skol?

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posted Nov 11, 2008

A quick Q for you older lot:
What was Metgod like as a player then? (Apart from the free kicks mentioned above)
What about your impressions of his character and leadership ability during his playing days? It might not count for much but at least it’s a hint of what to expect.
How young and naive do you think I feel?

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posted Nov 11, 2008

He was a no nonsense midfield general. Very popular with the fans, I would imagine he will bring discipline but also some dutch flair.

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posted Nov 11, 2008

Johnny Metgod was a real Rolls Royce of a midfielder (think Gus Poyet,Jan molby,Michael Ballack) a cool head and as you would expect from a dutchman had excellent technique. I saw him play for forest at Chelsea and he hit the bar with a freekick from a ridiculous distance. By coincidence he began his career at the club I play for DWS Amsterdam.

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posted Nov 11, 2008

He used to get stuck in - you could tackle in those days! - but had a cracking shot and could pass as well.

I don't think you can made a direct player-manager comparison though. Metgod was a similar player to Roy Keane (although not quite as good), really fiery.

Apparently (according to TA) he's a quiet guy now. Just like Roy Keane in fact!

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posted Nov 11, 2008

cheers guys! My old man is away on holiday at the mo

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posted Nov 11, 2008

congrats pompey on signing Frankensteins monster - no one thought u could pull it off!

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posted Nov 11, 2008

Nice to hear of H=Johnny again, hardly remember his days, just the name, god blast from the past. Good luck to him, hope he can help Pompey do well (apart from against Liverpool!)

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posted Nov 11, 2008

Good luck Paul Groves as assistant first-team coach! Grimsby legend!

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posted Nov 11, 2008

Good luck to Johnny and Pompey.

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posted Nov 11, 2008

Welcome back to English football Johnny, enjoy your stay on the south coast and come next spring there will be a job for you on the river trent more suited for your talents.

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posted Nov 11, 2008

this spells relegation next season for Pompey. Adams and Metgod must be the worst coaching team in the Prem.

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posted Nov 11, 2008

He had the hardest shot I have ever seen. More than once I saw him hit screamers that would stay low to the ground for twenty yards and then rise like a bastard into the roof of the net. He never had the pace to make it right to the top though.

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posted Nov 11, 2008

My goodness, don't you just love an optimist

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posted Nov 11, 2008

I agree with Sandcastlejim. I live in The Netherlands, so I know a lot about Dutch football. His achievements with Feyenoord as a Feyenoord assistant manager were not good. Some Feyenoord players were not satisfied with his management style. With Tony Adams and John Metgod in charge, Portsmouth will relegate.

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posted Nov 11, 2008

sandcastlejim
Please expand on your statement. They've only just got together in the last four hours, so by what facts do you base this on?

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posted Nov 11, 2008

I don't know about his coaching abilities, but he certainly is a favourite at Forest. Someone described him as a "Rolls Royce midfielder", and I would agree completely. Great to see him back in England, and I hope he succeeds at Portsmouth. (Then we can have him! )

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posted Nov 11, 2008

"He never had the pace to make it right to the top though."

Interesting comment when you consider the guy played for Real Madrid, Forest, Spurs, as well as about 400 games in the Dutch top flight.

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posted Nov 11, 2008

my dutch mates speak highly of him and he is respected for the work he has been doing lately he could turn out to be one of Tony Adams best ever signings

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posted Nov 11, 2008

Metgod: 1 word - Legend

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posted Nov 11, 2008

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=1XysTzt--ik

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posted Nov 11, 2008

Good luck to Adams & Metgod and for god sake, give them a chance! Ok, if they don't win their first 10 matches, then sack them

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posted Nov 11, 2008

"Tony Adams is a key figure in British football but his thinking is influenced by Dutch football," said Metgod.
Adams..a KEY figure !!?? How does Metgod work that out !!! WTF has he actually achieved...after his playing days ended ?? Clearly he'll go far ...with a brown-nose attitude like that !!

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posted Nov 11, 2008

I remember that free-kick,ForestJedi. Phil Parkes was still a great keeper but he stood no chance with that one! Brian Rice scored the winner if I remember right.

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posted Nov 11, 2008

Sorry - I know that strike is famous but it's entirely bad goalkeeping, surely? It's straight at him!

Good player, though. Saw him play for Spurs in my first ever live game in a friendly against Monaco. We got thumped 4 - 0 but he was our best player.

But he's 42! Hang on - that means that he was 20 yeasr old in that clip! And 22 when I saw him. Wow. He's looked like he was in his mid-40's his entire life. That's a very bald man, right there.

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posted Nov 12, 2008

I was there for the 40yd free kick referred to in the article. The ball kept rising - if the net hadn't stopped it, there would have been carnage in the Trent End! ;~)

Awesome player and it'll be great to see him back in England! Can we lure him back to Forest?

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posted Nov 12, 2008

what a goal that was,

but wouldnt it have been carnage in the bridgeford end, not the trent?

could have swore it was that end of the wrong.


(someone back me up here)

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posted Nov 12, 2008

haha , "that end of the ground" might be better english

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posted Nov 12, 2008

paulod21:
""Tony Adams is a key figure in British football but his thinking is influenced by Dutch football," said Metgod
Adams..a KEY figure !!?? How does Metgod work that out !!! WTF has he actually achieved...after his playing days ended ?? Clearly he'll go far ...with a brown-nose attitude like that !!"

I think you'll find that JM was speaking inclusively of his playing days, you dullard!

And sandcastlejim: according to your profile, you do 'occasional sports writing'
Who for - the Beano? With opinions based on no facts whatsoever, I expect it'd be too intellectual a medium for you.

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posted Nov 12, 2008

I think the Adams / Metgod combo will prove to be a nightmare for Portsmouth. Adams was a good motivator as a player, but he's almost inarticulate as a manager. Did anyone see his interview on MOTD? He basically admitted that he had no idea why teams win one day and lose the next! Metgod says he's a thoughtful manager, but the long pauses between comments are there because he has to summon up enough words in English. I can't think of any manager - or any English team - LESS Dutch in their style of play!!!

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posted Nov 12, 2008

I thought his post-match interview was fine and honest - he basically said what we were all thinking: Portsmouth performed well against Fulham, Liverpool and Wigan and got a single point for their troubles, Portsmouth underperformed against Sunderland and got all three. Sometimes it's just luck.

It'd be stupid and arrogant for him to say 'I spoke to the boys and we improved on our previous displays, we deserved all the points, and it was my tactical changes that were directly responsible for the win. Go me!'.

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posted Nov 12, 2008

It was reported that Johnny admires the total football as coached by Rinus Michels (didn't we all) and will contribute that philosophy to Portsmouth.

Michels had a very intelligent set of players back in the 1970' led by the brilliant Johan Cryff and seven or eight other world class Dutch players. With the best will in the world, it is difficult to imagine any team in England with that level of collective intelligence.

I admire Johnny's ambition but you honestly cannot expect a typical united nations Premiership team to aspire and play in such a totally intelligent way. They just do not have the ability to gel and think so much alike as the Dutch did back them.

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posted Nov 12, 2008

sorry for being such a realist pompey fans but come on smell the coffee guys: Adams and Metgod, it's not what you need is it. What have they done in coaching terms? I rest my case.

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posted Nov 13, 2008

Sandcastlejim - "sorry for being such a realist pompey fans but come on smell the coffee guys: Adams and Metgod, it's not what you need is it. What have they done in coaching terms? I rest my case. "

Your not being a realist though. Your being a fatalist.

A realist would say "I dont think this is the right team for Portsmouth and I think that they will struggle with this management team in charge."

What your saying is "They are a useless management team and will send Pompey down."

The difference is that a realist would doubt the abilities of the men in charge but be willing to give them time to prove themselves before making a judgment while a fatalist gives them a damning judgment before they have had the chance to prove themselves.

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posted Nov 14, 2008

Spot on 11nytram11

sandcastlejim:
"What have they done in coaching terms?" So coaching us to be the current FA Cup holders & playing in Europe counts for nothing then?

For sure, Harry was at the helm, but TA wasn't just baggage. You might remember a lot of sour grapes from a number of teams about how 'defensive' we were - this was down to TA & got us to win it for the first time in half a century.
To repeat my previous criticism: for a self-proclaimed sports writer, you don't have much of a clue, do you?

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posted Nov 14, 2008

We are all sports writers on here Dodgy!

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posted Nov 19, 2008

True enough PW, but presumably somebody pays the bloke for his bucket of tosh!

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posted Nov 19, 2008

That is certainly what he would like us to believe.

Maybe he will let us know which publications he writes for?

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