DOOOOOOOOOOOOOMED

Never mind the lack of a goalkeeper or defensive depth…there are worse portents afoot.

Kevin McCarra from the Guardian (who I believe to be a raving moron) has tipped us to win the league.

Shit.

What is going on out there?

The season preview for our strikers will be done today or tomorrow, as well as a preview of the Liverpool match. In the meantime, what the holy hell is going on with all of these abrupt managerial departures?

The Ian Holloway one thankfully turned out to be false. While I imagine that he’ll be sacked in January in a Derby-style move where a club lucky to be there in the first place gets desperate to stay in the division (despite having no chance to do so), it would be a shame to be deprived of his humor until then. Martin O’ Neill leaving was somewhat of a surprise, though you get the feeling that Villa have peaked. It may be something beyond cynical, but leaving now will likely be the best thing for his career in the long run.

Steve Coppell is another matter entirely, though. The Fiver referenced an interview he did back in 2007, and it makes sense in that context. His intelligence and insight into the game cannot be questioned, but the thickness of his skin absolutely can. In the season where Reading went down, he wore a permanent shroud of gloom in his features and demeanor – like someone watching a relative drown without being able to actively help. I don’t feel sorry for many opposing managers – the simple truth is that I have no time for the majority. I was rooting for Coppell the whole way though, even though it was always going to be in vain.

Like the Fiver, I agree that if the authorities in England possessed anything above the brain stem, they would get this guy into some official capacity for the game’s development once he had some time to get his head together. But, we all know the likelihood of that, yeah?