AUGUST: Europe, fitba and the MAGIC OF THE CUP

[SincereTheRebel]

Are the goals smaller for the women's game?

[randomlegend]

No. It's been proposed loads of times but it would be sexist or something IDK

[Lewis]

They're basically spiting themselves playing with full-sized man goals (even pitches). I wonder if/when it becomes even more popular, and it can afford not to just ride on the back of existing infrastructure, that will have to be changed.

[Ian]

The argument I've seen is that men were, on average, far smaller when those goal sizes were introduced and that's why they want to get on with it as-is but that's ignoring the fact that the ball was about as lively as a bag of cement back then and also the people taking the shots were coal miners and not professionals who can practice kicking into a nearly-empty goal all day.

[Shindig]

I feel like the women keepers are more about self preservation, as well. On that strike, the lass was more about being at full stretch but not actually jumping for it. I don't really look at women keepers and see much agility.

[Gray Fox]

Excuse me while I Google who or what a Koumetio is.

[niko_cee]

17 yo brickshithouse aka Taz's latest squeeze.

[Don]

Gray's been led down Blacked videos rabbit hole on xvideos now. Hope he manages to catch the second half.

[Gray Fox]

I think he was bigger at 10 years old than I am now.

[Shindig]

Excuse me while I Google who or what a Koumetio is.

It's an ice cream.

[phonics]

SoccerStreams is down, someone help a brother out.

[SincereTheRebel]

You are not my brother.

[phonics]

Human cheat code.

[Waffdon]

That arsenal kit is a beauty once again

[Shindig]

The Charity shield is like a bin lid ....

[phonics]

I’m anti shot clock but there has to be a time limit put on throw ins.

[Lofty]

It's a good hit, but as always in women's football the goalkeeping is laughable.

This loaded first for me and thought it was an Allison joke :D

[Waffdon]

Saka really is class. His passes and decision making is always excellent. Should be trying to move to a big club

[Gray Fox]

Shocking first half there. The workman midfield does not work against this 5 at the back business. Crying out for a Keita/Oxlade type in the middle. Games like this show me how Thiago would improve us.

[niko_cee]

Quite surprised Keita didn't start this one, which has rather driven a coach and horses through my fantasy ambush plans.

[Gray Fox]

Joe Gomez with a brain dead performance on all levels so far. Still, nice to see Keita come on and a midfielder actually passed forwards.

[SincereTheRebel]

Shocking first half there. The workman midfield does not work against this 5 at the back business. Crying out for a Keita/Oxlade type in the middle. Games like this show me how Thiago would improve us.

Arsenal have been putting 10 men behind the ball since Arteta came in against the other teams who win trophies. Weirdness.

[phonics]

How is that a yellow card? :D

[Lofty]

Arsenal have been putting 10 men behind the ball since Arteta came in against the other teams who win trophies. Weirdness.

Because he doesn't have enough creative talent in the middle of the park to go toe to toe with the best.

[SincereTheRebel]

Because he doesn't have enough creative talent in the middle of the park to go toe to toe with the best.

Shots fired. Ozil still on the shelf?

[Gray Fox]

He's not wrong. They one of, if not the best strikers in the league along with an exciting young talent but not a lot in that midfield. Makes sense to sure the back up first.

[Lofty]

Kolasinac on, advantage Liverpool.

[Lofty]

Shots fired. Ozil still on the shelf?

Yeah he won't be playing again.

[Foe]

Nketiah is just a passenger isn’t he? He needs to go off on loan to Mainz or Bremen to see if he can score goals.

Surprised the Liverpool player didn’t get a booking/red for the high boot into the chest of nketiah. Nketiah got a 3 match ban for same style last year.

I personally don’t think either warrant a red. But surprised not even a point of discussion.

[phonics]

I think he’s been fine. He won’t be judged on the back of competing on his own against Van Dijk.

[niko_cee]

Is this the first empty stadium penalty shoot-out?

[Gray Fox]

Calling it now, Arsenal to win the shootout, Salah and Jones to miss.

[SincereTheRebel]

Yeah he won't be playing again.

If the transfer window shuts and he still at arsenal. You would be foolish not to bring him back in. Credit Arteta, but Xhaka looked done after his cry baby mode, and he came back in and done OK from what Im told.

[niko_cee]

It should go full Afcon unless the players really can't be bothered.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

You could tell Brewster was missing that.

[SincereTheRebel]

Community shield js the least important trophy to win. Its lower than the carling cup, European super cup and the club world cup right?

[phonics]

We're gonna win the league.

[Waffdon]

Allison didn’t even get close to a single penalty there. Neither keeper did tbf.

[Gray Fox]

That new foot on the line rule seems to have made it harder for keepers but Arsenals pens were all right in the corner there. Would have been tough to stop any of them.

[phonics]

I can’t believe we’re selling Maitland-Niles. It’ll haunt us for years.

[Giggles]

That new foot on the line rule seems to have made it harder for keepers but Arsenals pens were all right in the corner there. Would have been tough to stop any of them.

Is that new?

[phonics]

No but there’s VAR to enforce it now.

[Gray Fox]

Is that new?

Keepers have been moving forwards as well as diving one way for years, but now they're using VAR to check the keeper has at least one foot level with the goal line at the moment the ball is struck.
Essentially means sticking it in the corner wont be saved.

[phonics]

Also the change that if the keeper is off his line and still concedes they can’t force a retake.

[niko_cee]

Was that ever the rule?

Seems a bit mental. I though encroachment was only enforced if it materially benefited the infringing team.

[Lofty]

If the transfer window shuts and he still at arsenal. You would be foolish not to bring him back in. Credit Arteta, but Xhaka looked done after his cry baby mode, and he came back in and done OK from what Im told.

He doesn't track back enough for the system I think is the problem. Can't have this team ethic of extreme pressing and hard work then give someone a pass. They tried to buy out his contract and he refused by all accounts.


Community shield js the least important trophy to win. Its lower than the carling cup, European super cup and the club world cup right?

It is the least important trophy and even considered bad luck to win on years gone by if you were a title contender but silverware is silverware and it's better to win than not, you could tell the Liverpool players wanted to win by their reactions to the missed penalty.


I can’t believe we’re selling Maitland-Niles. It’ll haunt us for years.

Hopefully today will have maybe made Arteta reassess him, to be fair he starts all our big games at the moment. I know I haven't been his biggest fan but he definitely played out of his skin today and the same as Martinez I would always favour keeping a long serving academy graduate over a more recent arrival in the same position.

Elneny is an interesting prospect if he is committed to the system, you don't have to be a rocket scientist to play that position just win possession back and give it easy like he did today.

[Giggles]

Why did they ever extend Ozil that time? Was it a clause?

[Danny]

Liverpool kits with a bit of green trim takes me back to the early 90's when they were shit. That would be a nice return.

[phonics]

Why did they ever extend Ozil that time? Was it a clause?

PR. Sanchez and Ozil's contract were both expiring the same year and they didn't want to be seen as losing their two stars so Ozil had them over a barrel. Also it's easy to forget but he was consistently getting 12-15 assists+ 8-10 goals a season before he signed that deal so it's not like we gave this version of him 350k.

[Lofty]

Why did they ever extend Ozil that time? Was it a clause?

At the time there was panic he would leave and the club would look weak letting it's best player leave (at the time he was setting assist records) so gave him a bumper contract.

[phonics]

lol I just had a look at his stats and they were dog shit back then too so yeah it was purely wanting to save face.

[SincereTheRebel]

The CAM has died.

[Dquincy]

Joe Gomez is not developing into the player his potential promised. Time can change that, but not overly confident.

Also, Williams at fault for the O-bang-e-yang goal. Should have shown him onto his left.

[phonics]

Also, Williams at fault for the O-bang-e-yang goal. Should have shown him onto his left.

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[John Arne]

Also the change that if the keeper is off his line and still concedes they can’t force a retake.

I think that has always been the rule. If the keeper comes off his line early, but the pen was scored, the refs never made them retake it. A scored pen is only retaken for encroachment by other players.

[Dquincy]

1290018921584762886
He's by the 6 yard line. Even i can scored with my left peg from the 6 yard line.
Yesterday he was 20+ yards out....

[Don]

That was a world class goal, can hardly blame anyone beside the failed press but even that I'm happy to put down to Arteta, there's [unsurprisingly, given his pedigree] life in that cunt as opposed to your Oles and Lamps'.

We absolutely shat on them though with that interesting tactical switch with the double-sub, lemme see that four attackers+Naby more often please. Fabinho, VVD and Matip instead of the downy is what we're talking about.

[Gray Fox]

It was a very well planned game from Arteta. I was on a stream that was difficult to tell Van Dijk from Tierny, but it seemed to be a 5-3-2, but the 2 were actually spread wide.

He knew our game is to get the ball out to the full backs and essentially had a man specifically for them, but then comes the interesting bit, he kept the 2 up top wider so that when the ball was won back, there was an instant pass in behind the full back to put them on the attack. This put our full backs in a tough spot. Robertson coped with it quite well and even still got 3 or 4 fantastic crosses in. Neco Williams however looked lost. The shitness of Joe Gomez as also a concern.

Players will make mistakes but the 2 I can think of are of concern. His first came when we had Arsenal pinned back for a few minutes and he decided to cut in onto his left foot and shoot from 30 yards. But the 2nd, he was RB at the time and a ball was being played into the gap between him and Fabinho. He backed off pressing the pass and was jogging back. The ball came by and he looked at it and slowed down. It was then as if he noticed that pass must actually have been for someone and tried speeding back up to get it back but failed. I miss my Giraffe.

After Arsenal settled into that groove, getting in through the middle needed to be an option. With Gini, Milner and Fabinho it just wasn't. The introduction of Naby lad changed all that though. So nice to see a midfielder carry the ball forward and make a forward pass. I can very much see where Thiago would fit.
Minamino also looked to have found a purpose too.

[niko_cee]

Wasn't that United's tactic against Liverpool last season? Split wide forwards?

Yeah, Gomez has been making more and more brainfade errors of late, I know he's still young but I'd be surprised if Matip wasn't back in as and when he is fit again. They probably do need to add some depth in that position unless they really believe in some of the young lads coming through (let's not have Fabinho playing there in some sort of horrific rehash of City's turmoil last season).

[Giggles]

:uhoh:


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[Giggles]

Now come on and give us Dundalk Linfield for the craic.

[Don]

Ooof. Always a chance of a Milan fuck-up given they are eternally shit. Imagine :drool:

[Giggles]

Fucker of a draw when nobody will be allowed into the ground to see it.

Dundalk got as good a one as they could have with some Andorrans.

[Shindig]

Sell the merch regardless. Days like that don't come around too often.