The Magic of the EFL Cup Thread

[phonics]

I've just realised Jaap Staam is manager of Reading. It feels like when a game of FM goes on too long and you notice that Raheem Stirling has just managed France to the World Cup final.

http://i.imgur.com/Yktk1Z4.png
http://i.imgur.com/2a79tEJ.png

[Magic]

We've made prices dirt cheap for that game so should be decent attendance. Hopefully we get through and get a big 5th round game. Nothing else to hope for.

[Smiffy]

.....

[Pleb]

The sacked one playing the Pep is lol really.

5-0 City.

[Jimmy Floyd]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/oct/24/sky-sports-bt-sport-people-switching-football-off

:drool:

Although I'm not sure what manchsststderbeh was if not a 'genuine heavyweight clash'.

[Magic]

Yes, it's fucking boring for the most part, and you can thank those cunts Boreinho and shite football for that. Go back to the 90s.

[phonics]

It's all a load of bollocks. People are just watching streams instead of paying for a Sky/BT combo that gets you a bunch of games your team isn't involved in for the low low price of 60 quid a month.

It's not even like the old days where you had to battle 6000 popup ads for a 144p stream in Chinese. It's all HD and you're there in a couple of clicks.

[Magic]

It's all a load of bollocks. People are just watching streams instead of paying for a Sky/BT combo that gets you a bunch of games your team isn't involved in for the low low price of 60 quid a month.

It's not even like the old days where you had to battle 6000 popup ads for a 144p stream in Chinese. It's all HD and you're there in a couple of clicks.

It is if you're streaming a Leeds game. :(

[Max Power]

This was a good article on the declining viewing figures. http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/english-soccer/ken-early-you-can-watch-nothing-and-yet-miss-nothing-1.2832070

This bit especially rings true:


In the last few years there has been a subtle change. Now it’s they play, you look at the internet and glance up if anything exciting seems to be happening. This applies even in the stadium, where you can see thousands of people glued to their phones.

It has become possible to watch nothing, and yet miss nothing. Any noteworthy detail of the day’s football – Wes Hoolahan scores a beautiful goal, David Luiz tries a bicycle kick and lands on his face – is detected by the global hive mind and presented in neatly edited clips, freeing people up from the onerous task of looking out for those details themselves.

Afterwards you can look at statistical analyses which will tell you what really happened in the game.

[phonics]

Ken Early really is quite brill.

[Magic]

Leading to the rise of Reg and co who can tell you how good a player is based on his passing accuracy over half a season.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The problem the broadcasters have is that people only really want to watch their team, but it is damaging to the business, on several counts, to let them do so.

[Lewis]

I wonder what our bigger clubs would make under the Italian/Spanish model (in the first wave at least, until competition completely died and took the interest with it).

[Magic]

This is what you get. There's no spread of talent. It's a boring monolopy and it's failed, like trickle down economics. It's made the weaker the weakest and the stronger the strongest. I hope it all collapses in on itself and we see the likes of these rich young fucking cunts outside local boozers pissing themselves because their kidneys have gone.

[phonics]

Just because Leeds are shit doesn't mean there isn't a spread of talent. Hasn't been this even since pre-Abramovich.

[Magic]

If there is it is such a light spread it doesn't make much difference. The odd ONE OFF in 24 years doesn't change that. Also that spread is then snapped up and we start all over again.

[John]

It's amazing how many of Magic's hopes and opinions are driven by pure bitterness.

Those little internet boxes that collate streams and present them as an actual television service will take a chunk out of viewership figures. I know plenty of people who've bought and had them fitted despite being completely useless with technology, they're basically streaming made idiot proof.

[Magic]

What's bitter about that? Wanting to see actual competition instead of boring TOP CLUB dominated wank? Oh I'm talking with an OLD FIRM fan. I see how this point of view won't register. But what about #WATP?

[Magic]

In 1970 the points difference between top and bottom was 42 points, despite 4 more games being played. The points difference in 2015/16 was 64, with 4 less games.

[John]

In 1970 the points difference between top and bottom was 42 points, despite 4 more games being played. The points difference in 2015/16 was 64, with 4 less games.

There were only two points for a win in 1970.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I wonder what our bigger clubs would make under the Italian/Spanish model (in the first wave at least, until competition completely died and took the interest with it).

If they could sell overseas individually as well, they'd make so much in the short term it would relegate the Spanish pair to irrelevance. I reckon.

[Magic]

https://i.makeagif.com/media/9-21-2015/-gxUEn.gif

[phonics]

There were only two points for a win in 1970.

lol

[Magic]

A...HA! When 3 poinst was introduced in 81-82, the gap was also 42 points, with 42 games played. So FUCK OFF.

[Magic]

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/64/44/67/644467ccdb9105a3818bd9204cd7d20a.jpg

[phonics]

I'm still not sure how it's Man Citys fault that Villa (a big club with loads of money) only managed to win 3 games (christ, I didn't realise it was that bad, sorry Mellin) all season.

[phonics]

17 points :D

I'd completely forgot how shockingly bad that season was.

[John]

A...HA! When 3 poinst was introduced in 81-82, the gap was also 42 points, with 42 games played. So FUCK OFF.

Forty eight points. And it was fifty nine points from forty games by the late eighties. This footballing nirvana you want to 'go back to' where everyone plays attacking football and someone new won the league every year has never existed.

[Magic]

Look at the winners and runners up of the 24 years before the Premiership started. Then look at the same for the previous 24 years. It's night and day and the variation is there.

Also parachute payments is the worst kind of creation.

[Lewis]

If they could sell overseas individually as well, they'd make so much in the short term it would relegate the Spanish pair to irrelevance. I reckon.

It would be worth doing to watch Daniel Levy crumple against bigger and better Jews.

[John]

Look at the winners and runners up of the 24 years before the Premiership started. Then look at the same for the previous 24 years. It's night and day and the variation is there.

Also parachute payments is the worst kind of creation.

From 92/93 to 15/16 there have been six different Premier League winners. From 68/69 to 91/92 there were seven. Night and day.

[Lewis]

Forty eight points. And it was fifty nine points from forty games by the late eighties. This footballing nirvana you want to 'go back to' where everyone plays attacking football and someone new won the league every year has never existed.

And every other aspect of the game was crap.

[Reg]

Leading to the rise of Reg and co who can tell you how good a player is based on his passing accuracy over half a season.
Not too keen on stats but it seems from this thread that I'm a bit better at interpreting them than you. :henn0rz:

[Magic]

From 92/93 to 15/16 there have been six different Premier League winners. From 68/69 to 91/92 there were seven. Night and day.

And runners up? Goodnight.

[Magic]

And every other aspect of the game was crap.

Yeah screw those awfully cheap ticket prices and terraces. Although the pigs and Thatcher saw an end to the latter.

[Lewis]

Crowds were tanking through the seventies and eighties. Even accounting for economic factors, there were plenty of reasons for people to keep away from shitty grounds full of dickheads.

[Mellberg]

Top four finishes since:

Chelsea
City
United
Arsenal
Spurs
Leicester
Everton
Newcastle
Villa
Liverpool
Leeds
Blackburn
Forest
Norwich

14

Before:

Leeds
United
Wednesday
Arsenal
Liverpool
Palace
Villa
Spurs
Forest
Norwich
Everton
West Ham
Southampton
Watford
Ipswich
West Brom
City
QPR
Derby
Chelsea

20

Thought it would be a larger gap than that, but it's a bigger number and more fluid, with the majority of the less likely teams making more appearances rather than just once or twice as they do in the NEW ERA.

[Magic]

Plus the European formats were proper.

[Shindig]

Okay, we're through. Cool beans.

[Raoul Duke]

TV in general is losing viewers to The Internet, so it's no surprise something expensive and streamable like football is going this way. The US sports are the same.

[Magic]

Holy shit. :drool:

[John Arne]

Jurgen needs to top up his hair transplant. Really starting to thin on top again.

[phonics]

I decided to watch The Good Wife instead. Not quite the 7-5 the last one turned out to be it seems.

P.S. Jeff Rene-Adelaide, Ashley Naitland-Miles, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Lucas Martinez-Perez is bankrupting fans at the club shop.

[Magic]

I watched a few awful streams and persevered then when we went down to 10 due to injury in the last minute of normal time I switched off thinking we'd get a dicking. :(

[phonics]

791261742705901568

That's a dig.

[Lewis]

Imagine being the sort of person to 1) make that; 2) get annoyed if you saw that.

[Magic]

Probably Dav. And Ledley would be fuming.

[Giggles]

Mokbull is already trying to get some exif data from the photo.

[John]

Sheddy would be FUCKING MAD if he saw that.

[Kikó]

Planet of the Apes.

[Lewis]

Swimming pool.

If Carrick/Herrera/Ogba works tonight there will be a strong case for using it most weeks (or at least when Carrick is fit).

[Adamski]

I gather from the level of posts it's been a first half that will transcend the ages?

[Max Power]

City's reserves been the better team but fairly dull fare.

[Lewis]

'Zlatan' is killing everything in a Rooneyesque way, but not even moving around to do so.

[Reg]

Pogba pretty much invisible again. Not going to be a no10 is he? Spend all that money and then have him playing a new position.

[Lewis]

He's been alright, and I'm not sure what he can realistically do when he looks up to see his striker asleep and Juan Mata preparing to crab it back inside.

[Adamski]

Maybe he could try creating something from nothing, like the most expensive player in the world should do.

[Magic]

This is amazing. I predicted it all. Fuck you Loseris.

[Giggles]

:drool:

[Waffdon]

That was brilliant from Herrera

[Spoonsky]

Just got home, worth finding a stream?

[Giggles]

Just got home, worth finding a stream?

Most definitely not.

[Lewis]

United are BACK, and Chelsea are out. Book your trains for Wembley.

[Shindig]

Hull away. Could've been worse.

[GS]

If we somehow get past the giants that are Leeds, I may take a passing interest in the semi-final.

[Magic]

That's going to be a sad, 4-0 demolition at the hands of their second string.

[Lewis]

I must have missed the Hammerdome getting a reputation for aggro. How has that happened? Is it impossible to police with those stupid deep stands and massive walkways?

[Reg]

Security has been lacking apparently. Violence/crowd trouble at multiple games.

[Lewis]

The Good Football Bowl.

[Kikó]

Fuck off city.

[Byron]

I must have missed the Hammerdome getting a reputation for aggro. How has that happened? Is it impossible to police with those stupid deep stands and massive walkways?

We want extra policing at the stadium but The Met have told the club to do one until there is more CCTV and stewards in place, which we won't pay for.

[Shindig]

Should've kept all those extra seats. To replace the ones thrown, I mean.

[Giggles]

Would the miserable fuckers not stump up for a few cameras seeing as they got the stadium for nothing?

[John Arne]

I never understand this attitude by clubs. You are paying players £20,000-£120,000 A WEEK and yet spending a couple of grand on cameras and paying a 10 grand a match more for extra stewards is seen as a not worthy expense.

[Smiffy]

.....

[Byron]

Would the miserable fuckers not stump up for a few cameras seeing as they got the stadium for nothing?

The club seem to think they have enough security. Obviously they're wrong but no one can seemingly convince the Porn Brothers otherwise.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Football clubs' attitude to the Met (and other police forces no doubt) has always been pretty lol. They're basically asking for state support to police their private event, some of which is reasonable, but they never understand that every officer that gets deployed at a match is therefore not doing his normal policing work elsewhere, so it costs everyone double.

[Kikó]

Yeah but the police have had a great gig on the whole and can treat football fans like animals and get away with it.

EFL cup is top. Loads of away fans makes it a decent atmosphere. Fuck off city.

[bruhnaldo]

On another website I said the 1-0 was a cause for concern not celebration, considering it took Ander Herrera basically crack-back blocking* the City player to put us in on goal and beat City Reserves.

I was then told I was being a grumpy p.o.s. who should fuck off and die.

Football is fun.

*https://usatthebiglead.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/st-louis-crack-back-block-on-arizona-b.gif?w=640&h=334

[niko_cee]

It was cause for concern, for all concerned. Such a crap match. The number of times some idiot on either side would just play it square to an opponent or laser it out of play 30 yards from the presumed target was ridiculous.

It may have been 'the reserves' but city looked rank. After lacking a proper footballing identity forever they now appear to be set on one where they become renowned for sloppily dicking around at the back.

[Giggles]

If they're going to do this Friday night Football thing they could at least go all-in with it.

[Reg]

There's a game on Monday night. They're not doing Fridays and Mondays around the same weekend. Suspect they might next season, although I don't know what the viewing figures are like in general (the Liverpool-Man Utd figures were huge).