November football: The Sack Race

[CJay]

Ireland should fold. We really are rubbish.

The one positive note is that fella Knight looks decent.

[phonics]

:D

Name a more iconic duo than your boys and 0-0s. Fucking hell.
Find out that the previous record holder was Northern Ireland and they still have to go another year or so without a goal to break it was fun.

[Giggles]

Ireland should fold. We really are rubbish.

The one positive note is that fella Knight looks decent.

Nearly did fold only for the bail out post Delaney. The pain is here now so they should just take more of it and just start going with the likes of Knight, Molumby, O’Shea, etc from here on and see who makes it.

[Pen]

Gutted by our early red and missed sitter at 0-0 against Wales. A win would’ve given as a much better chance of qualifying for the 2022 World Cup. On the upside we’re in pot three now for the World Cup qualifying which is great.

[Manc]

Maguire has found his calling as an inverted wing back.

[Giggles]

The way other results went we would actually have been a second seed for the World Cup draw with a win. That’s some indictment of soccer in Europe at the minute.

[phonics]

Ireland should fold. We really are rubbish.

The one positive note is that fella Knight looks decent.

I think the teams fine but you need that one player who can do something for the collective to break through. If I was a half decent mid table striker I would be searching for someone to fake me a passport.

Like put Calum Wilson in there or something and he’d have a road named after him within a year.

[Giggles]

Bamford was the only one in the picture and he’s holding out for England so you wouldn’t want him about anyway even if they don’t call him up. Someone in midfield to not shit themselves every time the ball comes their general direction is badly needed too.

5 at the back also. You’ve two proper premier league standard wing backs, stop messing about playing them as full backs.

[Pen]

The way other results went we would actually have been a second seed for the World Cup draw with a win. That’s some indictment of soccer in Europe at the minute.

It takes time for rankings to change drastically. This winless year you mentioned will stick with you for a good while, but won’t instantly drop you to the depths of lower pots.

[Pen]

That said, I’m not entirely sure how the rankings are calculated.

[Don]

Bamford :D

Lads, you need ebony blood and you have plenty of it. Also, to be so negative and toothless is a coaching problem more than a lack of talent.

[Giggles]

Bamford :D

Lads, you need ebony blood and you have plenty of it. Also, to be so negative and toothless is a coaching problem more than a lack of talent.

You don’t coach at international level. You have the players for a few days.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

England midfielder Declan Rice on Sky Sports: "We've been best mates since we were eight years old, we've seen each other grow. When we knew we were starting tonight together it was special and to both score, our families will be bursting with pride.

"I thought I timed my run right for the goal but you never know now. When you see it hit the back of the net - I just wish there were fans in. It's special, you can't put it into words. I need to add goals to my game. The WhatsApp is going to be buzzing!"

Mason Mount: "Our families would have been here together definitely. They were here when I made my debut. We are making special memories together. It's great. For me to be on the pitch for his first goal means a lot - it came off his shoulder!

"I let him do the defensive side and linked up with the guys up front. The attack we had tonight was deadly."

Awwww.

[Manc]

I will not accept Mason Mount as an international footballer.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I'm truly baffled as to why everyone has a problem with him (loads of Chelsea fans do too). I think it's just that many are under the impression that a football team should be comprised of all of the most exciting available stars, whereas in fact it should be comprised of some of them combined with talented soldiers like Mount.

[SvN]

Mason Mount is Tom Cleverley with a posher accent.

[Lewis]

Tom Cleverest.

[Giggles]

Fucking Denmark look like the best draw again :face:

I'd rather see Spain.


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[Jimmy Floyd]

How the actual fuck are England ranked 4th in the world?

[Jimmy Floyd]

Mason Mount is Tom Cleverley with a posher accent.

He doesn't have a remotely posh accent, and I think people imagining that he does explains my query tbh.

[Spikey M]

How the actual fuck are England ranked 4th in the world?

I was wondering how we're even in the 1st pot.

[-james-]

How the actual fuck are England ranked 4th in the world?

Why not? They're pretty good and (more importantly) win nearly all their games.

[-james-]

Joint favs for next summer btw.

[Spikey M]

Joint favs for next summer btw.

Lol

[-james-]

Makes sense to me. Coming off the back of a world cup semi and with the most exciting group of young players in the world, just played out two pretty good matches against the other most fancied side. Home advantage. I'd say England should be clear of Belgium if anything.

[Spikey M]

We are clear of the Belgium we just lost 2-0 to? Getting to a World Cup semi is obviously good, but let's not forget that we lost to the first proper team we bumped into. It was a fluke.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Why not? They're pretty good and (more importantly) win nearly all their games.

Did you watch them stink the place out (twice) against a pallid Denmark side? I can accept top 10, but 4th above Spain, Germany etc is nonsense.

[-james-]

I don't think the 2-0 was a fair reflection of that game, Belgium's goals were a doubly deflected long range shot and a direct free kick.

Beating Colombia, Sweden and taking Croatia to extra time isn't a bad track record to take to the Euros considering the riff raff that will be present.

[-james-]

Did you watch them stink the place out (twice) against a pallid Denmark side? I can accept top 10, but 4th above Spain, Germany etc is nonsense.

I think "Spain and Germany" just sounds scary but it's not really. International football is 90% crap. France have stunk the place out in nearly every international they've played this decade.

[-james-]

You won't see Gareth Southgate's mighty back nine shipping six goals in a game, that's for sure.

[Jimmy Floyd]

England will draw the following group, btw:

England
Slovakia
Iceland
Slovenia
Kosovo
(Moldova)

[Giggles]

We are clear of the Belgium we just lost 2-0 to? Getting to a World Cup semi is obviously good, but let's not forget that we lost to the first proper team we bumped into. It was a fluke.

Was the 2-0 loss to Belgium not a fluke though?

[Spikey M]

Was the 2-0 loss to Belgium not a fluke though?

Maybe. But saying we're clear of them is ridiculous anyway. We have played them 4 times in the last 2 years and lost 3 of them.

[-james-]

Maybe. But saying we're clear of them is ridiculous anyway. We have played them 4 times in the last 2 years and lost 3 of them.

Opposite trajectories though. Belgium's average age in the game the other night must have been touching 30. England were favourites at an empty Wembley last month so fair to assume they would be favourites at a PACKED WEMBLEY for the final too.

[John Arne]

England were only favourites because plebs were backing them, I imagine.

[-james-]

That's not how betting markets work, sadly.

[SvN]

He doesn't have a remotely posh accent, and I think people imagining that he does explains my query tbh.

I didn't say it was posh, just posher. Which it is.

[Jimmy Floyd]

In the same way that a potato is more like a jelly baby than it is like the planet Venus, I suppose.

[Yevrah]

It's at times like this I'm minded of the list of nations England have beaten in knockout football, which over the last 54 years is topped by Scandanavian teams.

[John Arne]

That's not how betting markets work, sadly.

How so? If one team is heavily backed, the odds will be shortened.

[-james-]

How so? If one team is heavily backed, the odds will be shortened.

Recreational money is a pretty small drop in the ocean these days. Syndicates staking huge sums on the asian market are what form the price and you can expect it to be bang on at kick off. If Baz and Mahow manage to back England to the point where they're artificially short, you can be sure Tony Bloom will be there to hoover up the value on Belgium.

[Waffdon]

You won't see Gareth Southgate's mighty back nine shipping six goals in a game, that's for sure.

They’re not even making it past the group stage next summer m8

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

This is going to be a glorious page to quote when England shit it up again.

Keep going James.

[Don]

Southgate stays. So Tariq and Grealish continue to be overlooked. So no chance for England.

[Baz]

No team with Pickford in net will ever win anything.

[Manc]

The squads will be decimated come June. The winner will be the nation with the greatest depth.

[-james-]

Not saying England are likely to win it, that would be ridiculous, they're 5/1. I just find this fetishization of the "Lol England are terrible and we'll never win anything" quite odd. It's an inferiority complex rarely seen outside of Scotland.

[Spikey M]

It's realism. Look at out track record. We frequently get knocked out by teams we should beat and completely shit the bed when we bump into a team on our supposed level.

[-james-]

Anyone can win an international tournament. The best thing you can do to improve your chances is have a really good group of players, and England have that. The fact that they drew with Costa Rica seven years ago has no effect on the likelihood of an entirely different set of players winning a few games next summer.

[Lewis]

We have crap defenders and a clueless manager. In big games, like that jammy semi-final we still should have won, that matters.

[Spikey M]

I'm not sure I even agree with the premise that we have a really good group of players. Historically we always have one part of the team that's amazing. Currently it's our attack. We remain shite the other side of the half way line.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Don't forget there is a goalkeeper who loves a fuck up.

[-james-]

Well find me an international side from the last half decade that's not quite flawed in some area.

Once you get to the semi finals you're only two games away and you don't even need to win them. It's anyone's game at that stage.

There are plenty of universes in which England beat Croatia, and then it's 90 minutes against France. I don't see how winning that is completely outwith the realms of probability.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I'd give us an 18% shot at winning the World Cup from pre-semi final. Based on that, off the top of my head, I'd give us a 9% shot at winning the next Euros (5% at the World Cup to account for Brazil). That would be 11/1 or so. Going to guess we're about that at the sportsbooks. Let's have a look.

5/1 :lol: Fuck off.

[-james-]

If you've got England 11/1 then I'd love to see the rest of your book.

My point isn't that England are going to win the Euros, are likely to win the Euros, or are a bet to win the Euros. Just that joint fav is about right, and it could feasibly happen.

[Don]

They ain't in the same class as a full strength and motivated France or Belgium for me.

[Jimmy Floyd]

If you've got England 11/1 then I'd love to see the rest of your book.

My point isn't that England are going to win the Euros, are likely to win the Euros, or are a bet to win the Euros. Just that joint fav is about right, and it could feasibly happen.

My book is a lot more fractured than the actual one and I think it's a lot more wide open, except for France who with their pedigree and depth should be short price favourites regardless of their irrelevant winter performances.

[-james-]

It's a shame the wetwipe 24 team format basically removes it as a possibility because they're well overdue a humiliating group stage exit.

[Yevrah]

If you've got England 11/1 then I'd love to see the rest of your book.

My point isn't that England are going to win the Euros, are likely to win the Euros, or are a bet to win the Euros. Just that joint fav is about right, and it could feasibly happen.

This is madness. I don't know how old you are, so I'm going to guess younger than me and say that one day, trust me, you'll have a horrible realisation that not only should England never be counted as one of the favourites, they actually have so little chance of actually winning something that it rounds to no chance.

Other than 1966 (a complete and utter outlier), we've never been a team that's capable of doing anything more than reaching a semi-final and only then if the draw goes our way, we have a bit of luck, or both.

There is absolutely nothing to suggest so far that this team will be any different.

[SvN]

You're being emotional about it Yev. Belgium have never won fuck all either, yet they're even more fancied than we are.

[Yevrah]

You're being emotional about it Yev. Belgium have never won fuck all either, yet they're even more fancied than we are.

Are you honestly comparing the quality of our players to that of Belgium's?

[niko_cee]

Aren't all of Belgium's defenders ancient and/or a bit shit now?

Shame we went with the zero pace approach against them the other day.

[Waffdon]

Belgium have a better overall team but there isn’t a huge difference player on player. Suppose they have the best player in the world in Eden Hazard to come back.

[SvN]

Are you honestly comparing the quality of our players to that of Belgium's?

Your post basically said "We never win anything and we never will, because we're England". That's crap, and our historical failures have very llittle bearing on how we'll perform at future tournements.

[Yevrah]

Your post basically said "We never win anything and we never will, because we're England". That's crap, and our historical failures have very llittle bearing on how we'll perform at future tournements.

The point was (and admittedly I could have been clearer) we routinely overrate the ability of English players (largely because the Premier League is so good). That's what I used to do and that's exactly what anyone thinking we should be among the favourites for anything is still doing.

[-james-]

This is madness. I don't know how old you are, so I'm going to guess younger than me and say that one day, trust me, you'll have a horrible realisation that not only should England never be counted as one of the favourites, they actually have so little chance of actually winning something that it rounds to no chance.

Other than 1966 (a complete and utter outlier), we've never been a team that's capable of doing anything more than reaching a semi-final and only then if the draw goes our way, we have a bit of luck, or both.

There is absolutely nothing to suggest so far that this team will be any different.


You grow up supporting England, get excited every two or four years because they have a "good crop of players", and you end up disappointed every time. Eventually this evolves to "we're England, we always disappoint", and each time you are proven right. Eventually you substitute the excitement that maybe this time England will win it for the satisfaction that at least you have that part of life sussed; England are shit and will never win a world cup.

Your post completely encapsulates the mindset I'm talking about. It's a completely emotional and has no grounding in logic. There's a reason that probably 99.5% of entrants to world cups are way bigger than 5/1 to win it; even if they're good/fancied, tournament football is a total crapshoot.

[Yevrah]

What is it you see in our players or manager that make you think we should be considered among the favourites?

[Spikey M]

You grow up supporting England, get excited every two or four years because they have a "good crop of players", and you end up disappointed every time. Eventually this evolves to "we're England, we always disappoint", and each time you are proven right. Eventually you substitute the excitement that maybe this time England will win it for the satisfaction that at least you have that part of life sussed; England are shit and will never win a world cup.

Your post completely encapsulates the mindset I'm talking about. It's a completely emotional and has no grounding in logic. There's a reason that probably 99.5% of entrants to world cups are way bigger than 5/1 to win it; even if they're good/fancied, tournament football is a total crapshoot.

Expecting a long running trend to continue is a rational position. When I say that Southend United won't make it to the Premier League I'm not being emotional.

[Jimmy Floyd]

It should probably be pointed out that the reason France, Germany and Portugal are all a bit long is they are in each other's group and so one of them has a chance to be knocked out or spat into the path of another big team in round 2, whereas we have been drawn with the more minor regions of Europe.

[-james-]

What is it you see in our players or manager that make you think we should be considered among the favourites?

World cup performance where I thought they were largely good. Recent games against Belgium which were, at worst, evenly matched. Attacking options that few other sides can match. Defence not actually that bad is it? 4 goals in last 8 games against mostly decent opposition.

What European sides are good? Germany are tripe, lost 6-0 last week. France are obviously decent but consistently look absolutely terrible and are very much beatable. For Spain I challenge you to name 3 players who started for them last week.

It's not that England are incredible, it's that nobody is. Every time a tournament comes round people are reminded that the standard of international football is really bad. I think the anglocentricism that you propose overrates English players also massively overrates other national teams.



It should probably be pointed out that the reason France, Germany and Portugal are all a bit long is they are in each other's group and so one of them has a chance to be knocked out or spat into the path of another big team in round 2, whereas we have been drawn with the more minor regions of Europe.

This is true, but England are also on track to get one of them in the second round.

[-james-]

I don't think there's another international side in Europe that creates as much from open play as England.

[Manc]

:happycry:

[Spikey M]

What a hill to die on.

[Yevrah]

I assume you missed all the sideways passing against Belgium and the zero in the 0-2 result.

[Don]

James, post some xG and I'll fucking wade in and slay these melts for you.

[Spikey M]

Is there an xC(ockups) for Pickford?

[-james-]

Yeah tbf that last statement is a bit outlandish but that's because Southgate is a melt. The capacity to spank the riffraff is definitely there.

[Lewis]

Well find me an international side from the last half decade that's not quite flawed in some area.

Once you get to the semi finals you're only two games away and you don't even need to win them. It's anyone's game at that stage.

There are plenty of universes in which England beat Croatia, and then it's 90 minutes against France. I don't see how winning that is completely outwith the realms of probability.

How come ninety-five per cent of the time the best team wins those two games rather than 'anyone'? We could have beaten Croatia. We could have beaten France. Beating Croatia and then beating France...

[Manc]

Are Portugal still playing defence first? I'd fancy Ronaldo, Jota, Silva, Felix & Fernandes to do the business in tight games. 14/1 is enticing.

[-james-]

How come ninety-five per cent of the time the best team wins those two games rather than 'anyone'? We could have beaten Croatia. We could have beaten France. Beating Croatia and then beating France...

Because the team that wins shapes the narrative. France had the best players, but I'm not really sure they were the best team at the tournament (Brazil?). I don't think Portugal weren't the best team at Euro 2016 either.

[igor_balis]

Despite us consistently disappointing and underachieving for decades(even this is a bit overplayed imo), to extrapolate from that any kind of serious future predictions is deranged. Getting beat on penalties in major tournaments over a decade ago, seaman getting lobbed by Ronaldinho, losing against Croatia in 2008 qualifiers...it has as much relevance to our chances at the euros as Stuart Pearce throwing David James on as a striker does to man city's title ambitions this season.

[Spikey M]

Igor taking every possible opportunity to take contrarian positions in the past has no relevance to him taking this contrarian position.

[igor_balis]

It's easy to be contrarian on a forum full of divs like you MATE. Fight me.

[Giggles]

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[Shindig]

Historically, England's good for a Quarter final exit. The names change but we're broadly the same quality.

[Giggles]

Didn’t fucking do much good did it? It’s the excuse to sack him now though.


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[Manc]

It's got to go down as one of the worst tenures in management if he's booted.

[Giggles]

He’d have needed 10 convincing victories to win over the soccer public here anyway, where the epl is king.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I did lol at that story, and the idea of the awkward silence in the room (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7tvauOJMHo).

'Apart from the aqueduct, sanitation, a fully professional league in which to ply our trade, a birthplace...'

[Giggles]

Yeah it was/is all great.

[ScousePig]

On a completely unrelated note (and to make you all feel better), Sunderland lost at home to MK Dons last Saturday, and in the week prior lost to both Fleetwood and Mansfield.

And nobody will have batted an eyelid.

[Giggles]

Do they still make the tv show?

[ScousePig]

No, it's been shelved. There were rumours I think that it might start up again, and you'd imagine it would be popular with the shit-show still in full swing.

However, it may be coming to an end. Our new owners finally look set to be announced, with Juan Sartori taking more of a leading role and Kyril Louis-Dreyfus joining him.

http://wisemensay.co.uk/a-new-dawn/

[Shindig]

He looks old enough to be playing.

[Giggles]

It was Alan Kelly (GK coach) and someone else that shopped Kenny to the FAI apparently. Was thinking that asthma story was a bit dodgy the other night.

[Don]

Seeing Coventry-Birmingham on soccerway has got me all emotional. I won't be watching but we did it boys, we got through it all. Thanks to each and every one of you because there was some wobbles. I might wank to a pic of Wullie's avatar to celebrate tonight.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I've got the Chelsea game on talksport and the summariser is Super Schteve McClaren, who has just referred to Chelsea concentrating on 'playing that tick-tick football as they like to do'. Any ideas?

To his credit, he is the only person in the country who appears able to say 'Ziyech' properly.

[igor_balis]

Tick ting football, taz's football philosophy.

[igor_balis]

Villa Brighton has been terrific fun.

[Jimmy Floyd]

McClaren's co-commentary was a treat from start to finish (I went out on a long walk down the Thames with it soothing my ears). He really stuck to his guns with the tick-tick-tick stuff - he maxed out at five ticks, without ever explaining what he meant - and kept making sexual purring noises in the background, leading the play-by-play man to break off for Steve's thoughts, but Steve never had any thoughts, leading to an uncomfortable amount of dead air. At 1-0 up and Newcastle missing chances, he kept saying "the difference between the sides is that Chelsea have been clinical in front of goal" (we led through a Fernandez og). Steve really did sound like Twente Steve throughout, peaking when he said: "Well, as we always say in football, no two halves are ever the same." I swear literally no one in football has ever said that.

Finally he signed off by awarding the man of the match to N'Golo Kanté, who he described as the glue in the Chelsea side, also adding that "he's really added more to his game since I last watched him - he looks up and looks to play the ball forward". Presumably Steve last watched him when he was Claude Makelele.

9/10, would listen again.

[Waffdon]

Kante does look a bit good again.

[Yevrah]

Absolute farce that decision.

[Spikey M]

Why? That's what the rules say should happen.

[igor_balis]

Can someone recommend me a good GPU for less than 150 quid?

[mugbull]

That's not even bad in the grand scheme of all recent handball decisions

[Shindig]

Can someone recommend me a good GPU for less than 150 quid?

Are you doing this on purpose?

[Jimmy Floyd]

That one was a Handball Classic wasn't it? Basically controlled it with his arm.

Spurs are so sharp on the rare occasions they get the ball, let down at times by the crass imprecision of everything Bergwijn does.

[Waffdon]

Jose Mourinho sonning Lampard to the title would be great

[mugbull]

Ederson in no-man's land for both goals. Maybe the neck tats aren't actually making you gangsta

[Lewis]

Jose Mourinho sonning Lampard to the title would be great

He's going to cut a promo for the ages.

[mugbull]

And Kyle Walker needs to be phased out of City, England, Premier League, and eventually football

[niko_cee]

Without seeing a moment of it, lol at Spurs doing another no possession, score every shot on target job on City. When was the last time Ederson made a save against them? Feels like it might have been 3 or 4 games ago.

[phonics]

Without seeing a moment of it, lol at Spurs doing another no possession, score every shot on target job on City. When was the last time Ederson made a save against them? Feels like it might have been 3 or 4 games ago.

I think I saw something like they've had 6 shots in their last few games and scored 5. City have had 52 and scored 2.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Bruno's been having tackling lessons with Pogba.

[Waffdon]

Of course that gets overturned. :D

What a pathetic system.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

:harold:

[Lewis]

He got enough of the ball to have stopped him doing anything with it.

[igor_balis]

I feel like they didn't actually show the ref the proper angle on the monitor. You can't really see it on that one. I don't understand.

[randomlegend]

People would be foaming at the mouth if we got that given as a penalty.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

:harold:

You've got to love this system.

[Waffdon]

Hows he not given the foul on Gallagher beforehand again? Fuck me :D

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

That was such a shit penalty.

Thankfully Johnstone was miles off his line.

[Waffdon]

The most Man Utd game so far.

The longer Ole is in the better

[igor_balis]

Wow im crying

[randomlegend]

:moon:

[-james-]

Football is so shit now.

[Spikey M]

This is some match-fixing shit.

[Waffdon]

This is some match-fixing shit.

He was meant to be the VAR official tomorrow but got changed. :happycry:

[phonics]

Keeper sent off mid penalty shoot out and the outfield player saves a penalty in sudden death.

1330252913806086145

[Shindig]

Is that Bruhnaldo's lot?

[randomlegend]

This game has been absolutely appalling.

[Waffdon]

Fernandes isn’t all that is he?

Barcelona in tenth after losing again today

[Ian]

Another masterclass from the Mighty Reds.

[Gray Fox]

Nah we get to embarrass ourselves tomorrow.

[Manc]

Fulham are pathetic.

[Lewis]

I only looked at the table yesterday when someone said United have gone above Arsenal and City, and lol out loud at that bottom four. Derby might be losing their points record at this rate.

[Shindig]

It boggles the mind how shit we've been and we're still 8 points clear of the drop.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Fulham and penalties :harold:

[niko_cee]

Aye, they're not really profiting from the VAR penalty zeitgeist.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

1330503330972446720

A work of art.

[Shindig]

Should've got Lookman to take it.

[niko_cee]

Would have been even funnier had it gone in and been ruled out for kicking it twice.

[Manc]

What on earth has happened to Sheff?

[Jimmy Floyd]

Jesus Arsenal are honking. Should be a couple down here.

[Waffdon]

Arteta has sorted them out against the decent teams but they’re right boring bastards now

[niko_cee]

Isn't this how the FA Cup game went before Arsenal skanked a couple of goals and sauntered off into the next round?

Not that I disagree on Arsenal being the worst team to watch in the league, they're horrific.

[Pleb]

Fuck me that was idiotic.

[mugbull]

Love to see it

[Lofty]

This is why I drink.

[Lofty]

Saka is horse shit :harold:

Looks alright tonight.

[niko_cee]

Should have given that one-on-one the Calvert-Lewin first-time finish treatment.

[igor_balis]

Go home tierney you daft cunt

[Spammer]

What on earth has happened to Sheff?

I honestly think once we win won then we'll put a few more results together and improve...So long as we're not completely adrift at that point.

Win today and we'd be on our way. Once they scored tho, heads went down massively

[Manc]

You can't imagine Wilder helping matters. He was publically digging out players when you were on song.

[niko_cee]

Leighton Clarkson on the bench. :cool:

[Waffdon]

What the fuck was that :D

[Don]

Lol at the media narrative that we're experiencing some sort of defensive crisis. Matip & Fabinho > Van Dijk & Gomez.

[-james-]

This iteration of Liverpool feels like the best yet. Absolutely ridiculous going forwards.

[Waffdon]

The season they won the Champions League was their best.

[Shindig]

Yeah, that two year spell was mad. And they chased hard for the first year of that.

[Waffdon]

Ibrahimovic dragging Milan by the balls to top place at 39 years old is quite impressive

[Mellberg]

Zlatan's level of focus and determination is probably overlooked because of all the lol Zlatan stuff. The man's a machine.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Alan Pardew to CSKA Sofia as director of football. Get the docu cameras in there.

[Yevrah]

Alan Pardew to CSKA Sofia as director of football. Get the docu cameras in there.

That is an outstanding move. :D

[niko_cee]

I can't decide if he must have a brilliant agent, or a terrible agent.

[Shindig]

Still not as daft as Gullit going to Chechnya.

[Jimmy Floyd]

That is an outstanding move. :D

It's just perfect.

http://cska.bg/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=65

[Shindig]

https://e0.365dm.com/20/01/1600x900/skysports-alan-pardew-chris-powell_4896545.jpg?20200119223457

Here's hoping for a Lenin-esque equivalent.

[Raoul Duke]

A statue of Pardew, 200ft tall

[bruhnaldo]

Keeper sent off mid penalty shoot out and the outfield player saves a penalty in sudden death.

1330252913806086145

I actually went to this -

Guy next to me took video of the penalty we won on hold on I’ll upload it so u can see from my perspective x

The irony of working in hospital for 5 months of COVID but only succumbing to it because I had to go to football isn’t lost on me but the scenes were so insane

It was our first ever playoff match in our 6th season, we were down to 10 men at the end of the 2nd half and entire ET

Couldn’t have been written any better

[bruhnaldo]

https://streamable.com/hbeu7v

1330257307452772353

I’m holding up a scarf 3 guys to the right of the security guards on the left in the front

[Spoonsky]

Nice one. But are you saying you got covid?

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Just look at how many have their masks pulled down.

You can make masks compulsory to wear in sporting grounds (bar when eating/drinking) yet you'll always get people yanking them down.

[Pen]

The guy next to you got a bit too excited as it looks he’s only wearing a collar of somekind :D

[Pen]

I’m a bit surprised you’re not playing at empty stadiums though.

[Shindig]

The almighty dollar trumps all. Baseball's the same.

[bruhnaldo]

Nice one. But are you saying you got covid?

I wouldn’t be surprised. No signs yet but it’s early days lol

[Waffdon]

Werner’s had three of the easiest chances the last two games and missed them all.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Werner’s had three of the easiest chances the last two games and missed them all.

I was about to post the same thing - he is a gloriously brilliant player but whatever (probably high) tally he ends up with this season it should be double.

He should probably be a goal a game man, he's that good at getting into positions.

[Don]

Mount assisting CHO is the sort of thing that means they both might start on Sunday.

https://media.tenor.com/images/d9ea17c6d3113d222629b7391a83b538/tenor.gif

[Waffdon]

Zyiech will be playing and show everyone he’s the most naturally gifted player to grace the Premier League this year

[Jimmy Floyd]

No chance Callum will start. Notable that we're resting Kanté (to stick to Kane like glue) and Reece James - Mount/Kovacic will start, Ziyech will run the game and Chilwell will molest Aurier down that side for a comfortable win by three or four.

[Don]

Ziyech myth still going? That's cute.

[Waffdon]

You rep Diogo Jota m8

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

lol at Chelsea.

[Don]

Please don't embarras yourself, bro.

The sooner this Tammy, Mason, Callum triumvirate of mediocrity is outed the sooner we can all get on with our lives and this Sunday's spanking will be the start.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

ffs.

[Giggles]

lol at Chelsea.

Eh?

[Waffdon]

That’s some header

[Jimmy Floyd]

Now here's a curious one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08jKbjsO7fU

Why does everyone in England try to rhyme it with 'door'? Do they think it's like Mordor? Just read the word out ffs.

[Don]

If you wanna have a laugh, take a look at that Barca XI.

[phonics]

I’ll never forgive the Arsenal fan hive mind for driving Giroud out of the club for Lacazette.

There’s been so much change over the last 6 years and outside of central defence I almost think we’d be better off had we not made a transfer in that time.

[Danny]

Thats a funny looking penalty.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

What a goal that is.

[Ian]

Right I don't want to gush with praise or anything but I haven't absolutely despised this so far.

[Shindig]

Life is like a bin of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get, but you can guarantee it'll make you ill in 48 hours.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Why wouldn't Bruno take that for a chance at his hattrick?

[Danny]

Right I don't want to gush with praise or anything but I haven't absolutely despised this so far.

Lets not get too excited.

[Ian]

Why wouldn't Bruno take that for a chance at his hattrick?

Maybe he's realised that three is a totally bollocks number to care about and thought Sir Daniel deserved a goal.

[Luca]

To troll the Penandes haters like Don.

[Lewis]

Mason Greenwood looks faster than he did last season.

[Ian]

I'd quite like Cavani to get a goal here. His movement is well ahead of anyone else we play at centre-forward and yet I'm not sure we've managed to get him the ball in the box yet. It'd be nice for him to score before he wonders what the point of making all these runs is.

[Ian]

Should he have saved that or am I just being a dickhead?

[Ian]

We seem quite keen to chuck this lead.

[Raoul Duke]

Should he have saved that or am I just being a dickhead?

Yeah, he was too slow getting across

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Even the sprinter gets a goal.

[Ian]

Ponck is a fun name to say.

[Reg]

That first half was way more fun than United have been in months, unless I’m forgetting. Surely a bold XI to start with against most teams, but worked pretty well to get top of the group.

[Luca]

Yeah, he was too slow getting across

Thanks, Drapes.

[niko_cee]

Reading this:


Former Inter Milan, Manchester City and Brazil right-back Maicon, 29, is in talks over joining Italian Serie D side Sona.

On the BBC gossip page this morning sent my head into a bit of a spin.

Turns out he's actually 39.

[Spikey M]

That's still a young pup by Italian defender standards.

[Ian]

In my mind his career is very much Inter / Brazil and then disappearing forever, I always instantly forget he played for City every time I'm reminded of it.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I have him playing on the wing for Roma after his Inter career, which I think is probably a different Maicon (or just a different player). Brazilian footballers should really have an Equity-style arrangement whereby once a name is taken it can't be re-used by someone else.

[Ian]

Apparently he went to Roma after City so you may be onto something.

[Spikey M]

Aside from Bale making him look like Titus Bramble his career has pretty much passed me by.


https://youtu.be/JOirPSqL28w

[Reg]

I have him playing on the wing for Roma after his Inter career, which I think is probably a different Maicon (or just a different player). Brazilian footballers should really have an Equity-style arrangement whereby once a name is taken it can't be re-used by someone else.
Are you thinking of Mancini? He was at Roma, and then Inter.

Think I'll watch Inter v Real Madrid tonight, bottom two in their group.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Yep, combined the two in my mind.

There are three other Maicons around in European football, or rather two, as one of them was killed in a collision while driving home from a Ukrainian nightclub during his time at Shakhtar.

[Don]

He's not quite Eder levels of shit but Origi has really gone backwards and must now be the shittest CL final goalscorer, no?

Neco Williams is fucking poison too. Fascinated to see how Rhys Williams' career develops after this season, he'd get fucked in an ordinary side yet looks quite good for us. Running his own high-street shop by 30 talking about the 6 months he was atthe pinnacle of the game :D

[Baz]

Neco Williams is fucking poison too. One of the worst "prospects" we've ever had. Would honestly rather bring Jon Flanagan back.

[Manc]

Lol at people watching the group stage.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Noticed that Middlesbrough have somehow overnight gone from useless clod of shite last year to winning every time I see their result this year, so being pretty sure they sacked Woodgate I had to google 'Middlesbrough manager' in order to find out who might have overseen this transformation. I was guessing it would be some Spaniard or German I'd never heard of.

Ha ha ha ha. He might be one of the best managers of the last 30 years in this country, not even joking.

[Don]

Lol at people watching the group stage.

Brav, the wounds are still recovering from the international break. Obviously none of it matters but just let mans have this bit of peace.

[Kikó]

Noticed that Middlesbrough have somehow overnight gone from useless clod of shite last year to winning every time I see their result this year, so being pretty sure they sacked Woodgate I had to google 'Middlesbrough manager' in order to find out who might have overseen this transformation. I was guessing it would be some Spaniard or German I'd never heard of.

Ha ha ha ha. He might be one of the best managers of the last 30 years in this country, not even joking.

Warnock is probably the greatest second division manager we've ever had.

[phonics]

Warnock is probably the greatest second division manager we've ever had.

Him and Mick McCarthy. Ipswich fans hounding him out for taking them from 14th to 6th and them getting relegated a year after he left was lovely stuff.

[Baz]

Ipswich fans hounding him out for taking them from 14th to 6th and them getting relegated a year after he left was lovely stuff.
While their big rivals stormed the league and got promoted to the Premier League at the same time. :drool:

[Jimmy Floyd]

It's a constant theme in modern football discourse isn't it? Struggling middle-sized to smaller club hires an old school 'dinosaur' British manager like Warnock, Pulis, McCarthy, Bruce, whoever it may be. Home fanbase loses its shit, wanting a more 'progressive' appointment and/or 'attacking football' instead, while rival fans mock them for having ideas above their station.

[Kikó]

https://media1.tenor.com/images/a713c8e1fa04265239dbfba5af866740/tenor.gif?itemid=15780988

[Lofty]

Him and Mick McCarthy. Ipswich fans hounding him out for taking them from 14th to 6th and them getting relegated a year after he left was lovely stuff.

Cherry on top was him telling his own fans to fuck off when the sub he brought on scored a winner.

[Waffdon]

Alaba’s agent to talk to Chelsea in January. Fat Frank has some pulling power for a binman

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

His contract is up in the Summer and he's refusing to sign a new deal.

[niko_cee]

It's Marina that has the allure.

[Manc]

She certainly knows how to make a sale. Luiz, Costa, Morata & Oscar all north of £50m.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Does he play centre half now? I don't think I've watched Bayern for about five years.

[Waffdon]

Mainly centre half but can cover left back and midfield.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Why would he want to leave them? Agent wanting the proceeds of a move, or is he fed up with wheat beer and those massive pretzels?

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

They made him a contract offer with a deadline, he and his agent felt it was too low and Bayern withdrew said contract offer as the deadline passed.

Alaba and "his team" didn't realise that the contract offer would be withdrawn if they didn't accept and they're now angry.

[Ian]

I think the thing I read said he wanted a deal to match the top earners (which I assume means Lewandowski) and they've said no.

[Lewis]

I've always wondered whether they're forced (or at least 'advised' by the waxworks) to do the Oktoberfest dressing up every year. It might be the main reason they've never considered hiring Jose Mourinho, who would almost certainly turn up in his normal clothes and ruin it.

[SvN]

Would that be the equivalent of him turning up the Munich memorial at Old Trafford in a hoodie and trainers? Presumably with a seething Beckenbauer mirroring Bobby Charlton's outrage.

[Lewis]

https://i.imgur.com/IHPHSpP.png

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

1332256117544673280

They're in the fourth tier and have recently signed one of Pogba's brothers and have been trying to bring in Samuel Eto'o.

Edit: Beeb says fourth tier but it seems they're actually in the third tier.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I'm sure Levante will be quaking in their boots.

[Shindig]

He hasn't played in 3 years. :|

[Spammer]

Unsure whether I even want to watch THE MIGHTY BLADES vs West Brom tomorrow. Dunno if I can stomach it and it'd probably just ruin my weekend if I did watch it and we lost. If I just saw the score I doubt I'd be as arsed.

I'll probably end up watching it but I've rarely thought about not watching a game when I've been able to.

[Manc]

Cool story bro.

[phonics]

You are way too wank of a poster to be cool story bro'ing anyone.

[Shindig]

I'm going to let my imagination do the work and assume Joelinton was unplayable tonight.

[Offshore Toon]

He was alright everywhere except in front of goal. He can be a great link-up player, as shown in the first goal, but got nowhere near with too many chances. Saying that, he did score, so overall it must have been one of his greatest games. I also won £220 on the game so I love him now. :clap:

[Shindig]

Yeah, his goal was a very Joelinton finish. I watched a video a few weeks back showcasing his five best Bundesliga strikes. Four of them were absolute gifts. I can't imagine what we saw in him to play him alone up top.

[Waffdon]

That Liverpool team is pretty horrific. Brighton to miss at least four glorious chances.