April football: Is it COMING HOME?

[-james-]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romano_Floriani_Mussolini

Benito Mussolini's great-grandson turning out for no other than Lazio u19 this afternoon. Position? Right wing.

[Dquincy]

This Liverpool game is ridiculous. Should have scored 6 goals based on the chances created so far.

[niko_cee]

So basically like 90% of Liverpool's games this season then? Scrappy equaliser inbound.

[Dquincy]

Yep. Nearly just happened with Joelinton through on goal after the defence switched off.

Classic Liverpool.

[Don]

VAR has saved this sport. If only we could now work to reform the CL to protect the top sides a bit.

[Waffdon]

They should be giving a penalty for pushing him over before he’s had a shot if anything

[Don]

If Kabak ain't back to slicing doners next season I'm gonna be disgusted.

[igor_balis]

hahahahahahahah

[Waffdon]

Lol

[Gray Fox]

Newcastle absolutely deserved that. The arm was against his body ffs what's he supposed to do?

Absolutely brain dead from the defence and Klopp in the last 20 minutes. Why keep the high line when it blatantly wasn't working?

[Shindig]

Mint. We have to keep Willock forever.

[Spoonsky]

So basically like 90% of Liverpool's games this season then? Scrappy equaliser inbound.

Beautiful stuff.

[Manc]

Another top four race no one wants to win.

[Lewis]

This Liverpool game is ridiculous. Should have scored 6 goals based on the chances created so far.


So basically like 90% of Liverpool's games this season then? Scrappy equaliser inbound.

-james-

[Shindig]

It's quite mad how wasteful Liverpool are in front of goal. Our survival's looking real comfortable now.

[Mellberg]

Looking at the table, wouldn't mind Fulham or West Brom pipping Burnley to another year. Northwestern tinpot town clubs are second only to London satellite town clubs in levels of uninteresting shite.

Welcome back, Watford :moop:

[Dquincy]

-james-

Some Liverpool stats:

Liverpool have collected just five points out of a possible 27 at home in the Premier League in 2021, only Fulham have picked up fewer [4] among all 92 teams in England's top four divisions.

Liverpool have had 146 shots this calender year, with just 4 goals. As well as this, the Reds have only scored four first half goals in their last 18 games.

[-james-]

What is the point I'm suppose to be arguing?

[mo]

Swindon rather fittingly relegated at the club stealers with a 5-0 rogering (Will Grigg even got 4). A fitting epitaph to the season. Would gladly never see any of the current squad ever again.

[niko_cee]

-james-

It would only have really counted if Taz had quickly bowled in with a "this lot'll never score" line.

What was the timing on his VAR post?

[Dquincy]

What is the point I'm suppose to be arguing?

Nothing, I just want to be friends.

[-james-]

Typical Lewis stirring the pot.

[Shindig]

Any chance of Klopp leaving at the end of the season? He sounds fed up week on week.

[Dquincy]

Any chance of Klopp leaving at the end of the season? He sounds fed up week on week.

Slim to none I think. I know the German national job is available in the summer, but can't see him leaving.

Can understand why he's sounding fed up though; he sets the team up to create chances, which they do a plenty, but the personnel are massively wasteful up front.

[niko_cee]

He probably sounds depressed because imagine how depressing it is to have to carry on in this environment week on week. It's unwatchable as a spectator, it must be horrendous to actually be invested heavily in it.

[niko_cee]

Has that guy just been sent off for kicking the ball?

[niko_cee]

I know there are plenty of "oh, the game's gone" moments these days, but, if kicking the ball, off the ground, when you are in possession of it becomes a situation where you can 'endanger an opponent' isn't that pretty much peak "game's gone"?

[Kikó]

I'm pretty sure he's one of the worst referees in the game. I think top flight football in England is pretty much done.

[niko_cee]

100% not the ref's fault though, they seem to operate under the standing order that the VAR is right and if you are sent to have a look then you are to change your decision.

[Kikó]

I'm not sure about that. He's got eyes and that's no way a foul nevermind a red.

[Dquincy]

You wot? It was mostly the ref's fault. He made the decision. Absolute shocker.

Edit : @Niko

[Lewis]

It's an anti-David Moyes conspiracy, probably run by West Ham themselves.

[Shindig]

"You won't believe which manager is history's greatest secret."

[Lewis]

Nowhere near enough has been made of West Ham letting him go after he kept them up in 2017/18 because they wanted a Good Football manager. I hope he walks at the end of the season and they get relegated.

[Shindig]

And Lingard follows him as his new Fellaini. On the red card, that's harsh. He's just cleared it and it's an unfortunate coming together. It'd be like sending someone off for a clash of heads.

[niko_cee]

You wot? It was mostly the ref's fault. He made the decision. Absolute shocker.

Edit : @Niko

Did he? His decision came after 'consulting' the VAR monitor. When the ref is told to go and look at the monitor there's one outcome. It's a terrible decision (perhaps the worst there has been) but once the ref gets sent to look at the freeze frame where Chilwell manages to wedge his leg under the other guys studs it's a fait accompli. I don't really blame the ref in that situation. He's not the problem in this scenario.

[Dquincy]

Did he? His decision came after 'consulting' the VAR monitor. When the ref is told to go and look at the monitor there's one outcome. It's a terrible decision (perhaps the worst there has been) but once the ref gets sent to look at the freeze frame where Chilwell manages to wedge his leg under the other guys studs it's a fait accompli. I don't really blame the ref in that situation. He's not the problem in this scenario.

No, not having that. The VAR monitor is there for the ref to review the incident using his own judgement. If VAR make the decision on his behalf without the monitor then fair enough.

[Dquincy]

I see the authorities are holding a (utterly pointless) twitter blackout next weekend.

1386092317585649664

[Manc]

Timo comes across as a bit dim. Would explain a lot.

[Waffdon]

So is calling footballers on first names basis

[Manc]

Bless.

[Waffdon]

Bit noncey, mate. Football fwends x

[John Arne]

Wolves are awful.

Boly is a red card/own goal waiting to happen.

[John Arne]

Podence should be booked for that. What a fanny.

[Don]

Traore would have gone had Cork been a dirty foreign melt like Podence.

[Kikó]

Chris Wood's a really good forward.

[Shindig]

We could finish above Wolves at this rate.

[Lewis]

That was the worst game I've seen all season.

[Ian]

And assuming you've watched more than a handful of United games that's a very high bar for it to clear.

[Lewis]

I figured the eight-thousand fans in Wembley would be all spread out, but they aren't, so why can't it be more?

[Jimmy Floyd]

Every single one of the current rules is based on 'Well, we have to draw the line somewhere!' and inventing a random number.

This includes the 'rule of six'.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Spurs :lol:

[Dquincy]

I figured the eight-thousand fans in Wembley would be all spread out, but they aren't, so why can't it be more?

Trains, etc.

[Mellberg]

No Grealish for the ninth game straight. Wesley back on the bench after 15 months out though.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Is it an injury, or an 'injury'?

[Mellberg]

Genuine I believe. Has trouble with shin splints. Misses 3 months or so every couple of years due to them.

[Mellberg]

Lol at getting relegated by Keinan Davis.

[Lewis]

If Brighton aren't going to get themselves relegated the league should step in and flush them.

[-james-]

Is it the gays or the xG that's the sticking point?

[Waffdon]

Gerrard bottling another domestic cup. Puts Celtic out and gets eliminated a week later. You love to see it.

[Lewis]

Is it the gays or the xG that's the sticking point?

They just do nothing every year, and that pretend rivalry with Crystal Palace annoys me.

[Shindig]

Their goal difference tends to cancel itself out which just screams a team that can't escape a stalemate. It's those stalemates that tend to keep them up but drawing 13 matches a season (for three of the last four years) must be a bit grim to watch.

[niko_cee]

Can confirm pretty grim to watch, although I've not witnessed all that much PotterBall in person.

They're lucky that the three below them have been so useless/inconsistent (as I'm not entirely convinced West Brom and Fulham aren't both better than Brighton).

[-james-]

They do nothing in that they always finish 16th but so do Palace/Burnley/Newcastle. At least with Brighton there's a hint there might be something to come.

There's no way Brighton are the 18th/19th best side this season. Is finishing ability the only thing that matters when evaluating a team?

[Waffdon]

Well it’s pretty important.

[Don]

They've played some fucking stunning football this season. Wolves have been brutal this season and someone seriously needs to carry out an audit on the prem table because there is no way Palace have amassed 38 points so far.

[John Arne]

This social media blackout - I mean I understand that something is better than nothing - buuut what are they expecting here? Do they think that the absolute knobheads who send these message are suddenly going to think "oh noes, my team is not posting for 3 days, I'd better stop being a racist cuntfuck".
Can't the FA jut employ 4chan to go after the individuals posting and hunt them down - surely more effective than this lip service bollocks.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I think it's more to do with pressuring the social media companies into acting.

Although they may be morally right on this, think 'football people' have a real blind spot on this - the public doesn't give a fuck about rich people receiving nasty abuse and so neither will the social media companies. If it's so important to them they should withdraw on a permanent basis, not for 3 days.

[SincereTheRebel]

Late goals over the weekend.

A.Madrid lost at Bilboa with a late goal. They are only 2 points clear of Barca and R.Madrid with 5 games left. They still have to play Barca.

Darmian cane off the bench to score the only goal for Inter who are now 10 points clear with 15 points left to play for. They need 3 more wins. They still need to play Juve.

Lille came from 2-0 down at Lyon to win 3-2. They are 1 point ahead of PSG with 4 games left.

Sporting Lisbon need 2 wins from the last 5 games to give them their first title since 2001

[SincereTheRebel]

Wolves have been woeful all season. That fake Diego costa needs to piss off back to la Liga. Fabio Silva is shit, but give the lad all game time until the end of the season

[niko_cee]

Wolves just seem like another team who's style of play really suffers in the no-crowd-meta.

That and the fact that their star forward's head got broke.

[Don]

Sporting drop points in 2 games and Mehdi Taremi's Blue and White Army will have the league, calm yourself. Tasty title races in Spain and France for a change.

[SincereTheRebel]

Sporting drop points in 2 games and Mehdi Taremi's Blue and White Army will have the league, calm yourself. Tasty title races in Spain and France for a change.


You and Taremi have matching nostrils. I can understand why you can smell a title. It isn't happening lad.

[Kikó]

Gerrard bottling another domestic cup. Puts Celtic out and gets eliminated a week later. You love to see it.

You think United might have a chance to win it? :pards:

[Shindig]

They've failed to replace Jota. The recruitment policy of 'have boots, speak Portuguese' puts pay to that.

[Don]

Pedro Neto is basically a genetic clone of Jota for all intents and purposes and whoever gets him is doing well. Their issue is thinking they can replace a world class striker with some dogshit Iberian talent.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Do you reckon Nuno does all the team talks in Portuguese? Has Conor Coady had to have lessons?

[Kikó]

I think Nuno just strokes his beard at them for 10 minutes with some heavy metal and they walk out pumped ready to grind out a 0-0.

[Shindig]

Do you reckon Nuno does all the team talks in Portuguese? Has Conor Coady had to have lessons?

He's knackered if they don't have a whiteboard.

[Baz]

Henry, Bergkamp and Vieira to buy Arsenal? :henn0rz:

[Don]

I wonder who Firmino's regen goes to after West Brom get relegated. Him and Johnstone along with Sheff Utd's Berge and Fulham's Areola, Andersen and Robinson are top half EPL material.

[Waffdon]

You think United might have a chance to win it? :pards:

As good as chance as anyone else has. Hopefully Hibs/St Johnstone draw each other.

[-james-]

Well it’s pretty important.

Finishing is streaky (https://twitter.com/jair1970/status/1350154256721072132), look at Liverpool scoring ten goals above expectation in the 2 seasons prior to this one before whatever has happened this season (five below).

The question of whether Brighton's recruitment are nerds optimizing for xG rather than G is pretty valid imo. In Maupay they've gambled on a promising young forward who scored a load of goals in the Championship while performing under expectation (37 goals from 41 xG at Brentford). He has 14 from 19.5 excluding pens in the Premier League which doesn't look too hot. I could see them going for (and will lol if it happens even though I think he's good) Tammy Abraham in the summer.

Even if they have compiled a group of players who are so historically poor (~25% worse than average) in front of goal it's not a problem you need to rip up the squad for, and they're doing everything else right. 2nd fewest goals against in the league since binning Mat Ryan for Sanchez. :huhu:

[Waffdon]

Abraham will end up at a top half team. Probably West Ham or Aston Villa. The former makes sense if Chelsea still want Rice

[Jimmy Floyd]

If my knowledge of what goes into golf is transferable to football (and surprisingly, I think a lot of it is, at least as far as attacking is concerned), Brighton are just a low-variance plodder of a side who need to throw in some mavericks up front if they want to finish higher than about 14th, but seemingly don't want to risk their pretty high floor (this season must be close to their floor) in pursuit of that.

Newcastle, on the other hand, are a bad team who are high-variance enough to capitalise on what good days they have, which, in a 38-game world where you only need to finish 17th out of 20, can be pretty effective.

Fulham are a worse Brighton, and the other two were doomed from the start. I'm not sure what Sheffield United did last season. That might be where my knowledge runs out.

[Lofty]

Henry, Bergkamp and Vieira to buy Arsenal? :henn0rz:

Flamini is the richest Arsenal alumni.

[Shindig]

Newcastle, on the other hand, are a bad team who are high-variance enough to capitalise on what good days they have, which, in a 38-game world where you only need to finish 17th out of 20, can be pretty effective.

Some of this falls on Bruce's management as well. Rafa wound up being pragmatic with the squad he had and Bruce does the same. Unfortunately Bruce also has stretches where he sets us up not to lose, rather than trying to efficiently fashion a chance. You don't want to be on the back foot when you've got little going forward. And unlike Rafa, the fans get right on Bruce, even when we're doing well.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/apr/27/julian-nagelsmann-leaving-rb-leipzig-to-become-bayern-munich-manager

Julian Nagelsmann will take over at Bayern Munich from 1 July in a deal that makes him the Bundesliga’s most expensive manager, with RB Leipzig receiving compensation that could rise to €25m (£21.7m).

Jesus.

[Lewis]

I would love to be in the meeting where the waxworks tell him to burn all of his suits.

[Manc]

33. :|

[Jimmy Floyd]

He'll have burned out of there by 36, then England for a bit, 40. Where does he go from there?

[Raoul Duke]

By that time he'll have enough money to buy a gold house. Why would it matter?

[Shindig]

Our youth FA Cup quarter final is on tonight against Villa. My hopes aren't up. 7pm kick-off.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gd9W2yWJUgU

And we're 2-0 down inside eight minutes. Good job, lads. :D Keeping playing from the back.

[Waffdon]

Werner would have had a field day getting in behind Madrid’s defence at the Bernabeu. This ground looks the size of non league teams

[Luca]

Is Werner disabled?

[Waffdon]

Chelsea have absolutely pissed this so far. Madrid look like bums

[CJay]

There’s a serious gulf in class between these sides.

[Luca]

Nacho might be.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I thought Pulisic had fucked it for a minute.

[igor_balis]

Wtf are real doing

[Lewis]

I would rather watch Liverpool win another one than this Chelsea team.

[Waffdon]

Where is Marcelo even meant to be playing here lol

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Chelsea :harold:

[Luca]

That’s some goal.

[Waffdon]

Benzema might be the most underrated player of all
Time

[Lewis]

1387114496574038024

Do you think actual football people recognise the Binman as a concept?

[Luca]

No, out of sheer psychological self-preservation.

[Raoul Duke]

Surely the Binman concept is actually liberating to them? Well, not Proper Football types but chancers like Joe Cole

[Don]

Hard to get excited about this semi involving no underdogs and no decent footballing sides. Imagine a front three of Werner, Mount and Pulisic winning this :D

Why's Zidane done a Pep and gone weird with his tactics and why couldn't the Islamic cunt do it against us and field Marcelo too. Speaking of Islamic cunts, what Waff said.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EyyqPjsUcAQkkRL.jpg

[igor_balis]

The first 30 minutes have looked like what brazil Germany 2014 would have looked like if that German side had zero end product or composure in the final third. Madrid look rotten.

[Lewis]

Right down to sharing a schoolgirl with his friends.

[Don]

Right down to sharing a schoolgirl with his friends.

:baz:

[Lewis]

He's probably suffered in his career from playing with Ronaldo and doing the Wayne Rooney shift. He looked like an absolute freak at Lyon when United pretended to be interested.

[Waffdon]

No one comes close to Kante when he’s playing well.

[Shindig]

At what point does a binman graduate by sheer weight of success? Or is binman just a way of life at this point?

[SincereTheRebel]

What happened to the Binman G.O.A.T? Did he take another job after his sacking?

[Kikó]

What is Roberto di Matteo up to?

[Spikey M]

Southend were all but relegated from the Football League last night. I can't see how the club survives it to be honest.

A heart felt memorial in next months thread please Ian

[Shindig]

What is Roberto di Matteo up to?

Nothing since Villa. Back to back binmen with him and Sherwood. What a time to be alive.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Southend were all but relegated from the Football League last night. I can't see how the club survives it to be honest.

A heart felt memorial in next months thread please Ian

Grimsby going too, a truly bleak day for seaside shitholes. At lunchtime I'll play that Morrissey song about 'trudging slowly over wet sand' in their honour.

[phonics]

I've watched that Cheltenham manager on loop for about 12 hours now.

1387147575480967169

[Browning]

Where is Marcelo even meant to be playing here lol

Wherever he played, I'm sure it was better than what he's doing for the 2nd leg.... working in the polling station apparently.

[Gray Fox]

Seeing Grimsby mentioned reminds me of the first Liverpool game I ever went to. We played them in the League cup and lost 2-1 at home after extra time. It's a wonder I ever went again.

[Lofty]

Barrow staying up at their expense :drool:

[phonics]

Liverpool fans, buying a friend one of the retro shirts. Crown Paints or Candy?

https://store.liverpoolfc.com/media/catalog/product/cache/236ed41ccdfb36d5c5b8767303b43c6f/a/1/a13347-a.jpg
https://store.liverpoolfc.com/media/catalog/product/cache/236ed41ccdfb36d5c5b8767303b43c6f/a/1/a13339-a.jpg

[niko_cee]

Candy.

There was a grey Crown Paints one too (think it was the first shirt I had).

[Don]

Candy but in red.

Thinly veiled 'I've got a scouse bird' post :drool:

[phonics]

Is the Red one actually nice IRL?

[Shindig]

https://www.3retro.com/siteimg/productimages/801-189.jpg

[phonics]

Thanks Shindig. I couldn't have found that picture of a 3d render without you.

[thommo]

Ask inane questions and you get inane answers.

[Shindig]

Especially when the question is, "Does this thing I'm not going to wear or see much look nice on other people?"

[Don]

It's a top 3 kit.

[Pen]

What happened to the Binman G.O.A.T? Did he take another job after his sacking?


What is Roberto di Matteo up to?

I would’ve TTH’s toppest binman is Roberto Martinez, but he could’ve been the original chancer too.

Edit: Kingbinman could be Villanova too 🤔 his only job prior to managing Barca was being the lunch lady for a few years.

[Lofty]

Avram Grant surely.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

City :wave:

[Shindig]

Grant and Di Matteo are on my Mount Rushmore for binmen.

[Lewis]

Dire Maria should have been a modern United great. He's still got years in him as well.

[Lewis]

Grant and Di Matteo are on my Mount Rushmore for binmen.

Roberto Di Matteo, Luis Enrique, Zinedine Zidane, and then a space reserved for whichever one wins something first in England. Carlo Ancelotti gets his own Lincoln Memorial-type monument, and there is a separate one for the international binmen.

[Don]

PSG are special. Poch :cool: Hopefully Neymar does his cruciates in injury time of 2nd leg.

[Waffdon]

Navas looked a bit shit there

[Shindig]

Roberto Di Matteo, Luis Enrique, Zinedine Zidane, and then a space reserved for whichever one wins something first in England. Carlo Ancelotti gets his own Lincoln Memorial-type monument, and there is a separate one for the international binmen.

International journeymen get a wall of the Pentagon each. Ancelotti, Hiddink and then three others. Actually, the Dutch could fill the rest of that easily.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I reckon Joachim Löw has international binman credentials.

[Kikó]

PSG are special. Poch :cool: Hopefully Neymar does his cruciates in injury time of 2nd leg.

Extraordinary.

[Waffdon]

That tackle :D

[Shindig]

Add more walls to the Pentagon. We need Jurgen Klinsmann and Diego Maradona on there.

[Lewis]

There are too many international binmen. Mario Zagallo got the Brazil job in 1970 specifically to not coach them, and Franz Beckenbauer got by on 'Class of 74' stories.

Tottenham meets France here. Falling to bits.

[Spoonsky]

That's such an ugly challenge :D

[Jimmy Floyd]

That tackle was Cameroon 1990 stuff.

[-james-]

Phil Foden is basically Messi.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Phil Foden is basically Messi.

He's so good. Is he doomed to a lifetime of being underappreciated because he doesn't play for one of the media-friendly red teams?

[Don]

Kiko posted 'This Mbappe has potential' at HT and deleted it for fear of being controversial. Pass it on.

Neymar losing his head is still so damn satisfying to watch.

[Lewis]

He's so good. Is he doomed to a lifetime of being underappreciated because he doesn't play for one of the media-friendly red teams?

The opposite. He's an English player who 'Pep' rates, and he's liable to be the only homegrown player worth a wank at City for the foreseeable future and therefore proof of all the Great Things the slave state is doing in Manchester ('on and off the pitch[!]'), like when Jack Wilshere was briefly the poster boy for everything Arsene Wenger had brought to the game.

[Lewis]

Sorry, Jack 'Jack' Wilshere.

[Manc]

Does Phil like a cheeky smoke?

[Jimmy Floyd]

The opposite. He's an English player who 'Pep' rates, and he's liable to be the only homegrown player worth a wank at City for the foreseeable future and therefore proof of all the Great Things the slave state is doing in Manchester ('on and off the pitch[!]'), like when Jack Wilshere was briefly the poster boy for everything Arsene Wenger had brought to the game.

If he played for United he would already be England captain and have national Gazza status; as it is he feels very under the radar.

[Lewis]

If he played for United he would be crap.

[Ian]

Next England captain from United is still going to be FEC, Foden can do one.

[Lewis]

The Luke Shaw redemption NARRATIVE gets him it in a friendly, and then two goals come down his side in a 3-1 defeat.

[Spoonsky]

He's so good. Is he doomed to a lifetime of being underappreciated because he doesn't play for one of the media-friendly red teams?

Rather because he has possibly the least likeable face of all time.

[Jimmy Floyd]

That is true, if he wasn't good at football he would be thieving all the nice cars in Wilmslow.

[SincereTheRebel]

He one of the lads. He still stands on street corners in shorts and a tennents super with a hand full of sovereign rings

[Kikó]

Kiko posted 'This Mbappe has potential' at HT and deleted it for fear of being controversial. Pass it on.

Neymar losing his head is still so damn satisfying to watch.

I'm only joking Tazmania.

[niko_cee]

For all the talk of the death of football surrounding the Super League, the actual death of football is the near total domination of the oil clubs which is now manifesting itself in the european cup (hitherto the final frontier for said domination). Over the last 10 seasons City, PSG and Chelsea have basically accounted for something like 60% of all domestic competitions won, and it's only the national cups that pull that average down from nearer 80%.

7(8) Premier League titles
7 League Cups
3 FA Cups (although also 4 of the 5 previous to the 10 year cut off)
7 (8) Ligue 1 titles
5 Coupes de France

[Kikó]

Yeah the super clubs have already largely killed the competitive edge.
City / Liverpool / Chelsea in England
PSG in France
Bayern in Germany
Juve in Italy
Madrid/ Barcelona in Spain.

[Mazuuurk]

Having not paid that much attention to Foden this season - someone tell me what his main strenghts actually are? I see him as your average english "10" - good at linking play, decent technique, excellent at making runs into the box and a mean shot. But perhaps not super rapid or one of those Neymar-style dribblers, and while the passing is good it's not De Bruyne either.

aul Scholes or Frank Lampard reimagined, basically.

Is that image wrong?

[Jimmy Floyd]

He's not a Scholes. I can't think England has had a player of his type in the last 25 years. The best comp I can think of at the moment is Pavel Nedved.

[Don]

A small group of financially dominant sides is manageable as long as it's otherwise a level playing field during the game and competition. A couple of them will be hitting the rocks soon too :drool:

Foden is actually becoming the Iniesta regen. With a better shot.

[Mazuuurk]

He's not a Scholes. I can't think England has had a player of his type in the last 25 years. The best comp I can think of at the moment is Pavel Nedved.


Alright fair enough. I looked at some videos now. Kaka also seems like a fair comparison to me.
Saw him being compared to Gazza, but that seems true for every english talent basically.

But then he's more of a central midfield player right? I have the impression Pep keeps playing him as a winger.

[niko_cee]

The best players are always more 'central' when they come through the age groups, I've no idea what his actual position is (probably an anachronism in itself).

I've been quite surprised at how good he is at dribbling/going past people in confined spaces.

Gonna be great when England get trolled out of the Euros with Rice, Dier and Lingard in front of 5 defenders with the likes of Foden and Grealish on the bench/not in the squad.

[niko_cee]

Granada staging a late sinking of the good ship Koeman.

:harold:

[Mellberg]

Nothing since Villa. Back to back binmen with him and Sherwood. What a time to be alive.

A light needs shining on how shit Sherwood really was. The year we went down (with about 17 points) we actually had a fucking excellent window.

Gueye - Champions League semi last night despite GBH
Veretout - Europa League semi tonight
Amavi - Europa League final (winner?) a couple of years back
Traore - Inconsistent don
J Ayew - Decent centre forward

Instead he threw his toys out the pram, ostracised the lot of them as he didn't get Andros Townsend, played Kieran Richardson, Gabby Agbonlahor and a load of shit in centre midfield, created a toxic split dressing room and blew the club to pieces. Proper, proper shit cunt.

[Waffdon]

Man Utd aren’t going to bottle another semi final, are they? :lol:

[Lewis]

The Luke Shaw redemption NARRATIVE gets him it in a friendly, and then two goals come down his side in a 3-1 defeat.

:happycry:

[Don]

The standard of football in this Utd game :sick:

It's literally like your local powerleague.

[phonics]

I do rate Arteta but the continued existence of Ceballos does give me doubts. He looks like a League One player.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I'd sack Ole if he doesn't win the tournament.

[Lewis]

Cavani is amazing. Give him whatever he wants for another season.

[phonics]

I think the foul system is fundamentally broken at this point.

[Don]

Emery :cool:

[CJay]

I do rate Arteta but the continued existence of Ceballos does give me doubts. He looks like a League One player.

Serious question: what has Arteta done this season that has made you rate him? With the Europa League now up in flames and a bottom half finish as likely as a top half finish (in a poor league) you have to question him surely.

[Lewis]

I'm not even sure he even really qualifies for binman status given that he only had a few shitty years at Arsenal, and that just leaves you with some no mark novice manager.

[SvN]

Lovely to see what a shambles of a hairline that chancer has got these days.

[Don]

He's a student of Pep.

[Waffdon]

I’ve done a Taz.

Smalling repaying Man Utd by standing two yards deeper than everyone else

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

That's not a pen for me.

Cavani should take it for the hattrick though.

[Lewis]

How is that a penalty when the ball is five minutes past him?

[Ian]

All these goal contributions. :drool:

[Lewis]

Stat-padding his way to the Ballon d'Or.

[Kikó]

Very satisfactory second half so far. Roma sure also not very good.

[Mellberg]

Arsenal making a balls of Rule Britannia.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Mace is ace.

[Ian]

Cavani. :drool:

[Waffdon]

It’s going to be another all English final in both competitions. What a league.

[CJay]

It’s going to be another all English final in both competitions. What a league.

What a bore.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

There's absolutely no chance Arteta's Arsenal turn it around.

I still don't believe that City will make it to the Champions League final.

[randomlegend]

Just watched the Utd highlights. Shaw is actually so good.

[phonics]

Serious question: what has Arteta done this season that has made you rate him? With the Europa League now up in flames and a bottom half finish as likely as a top half finish (in a poor league) you have to question him surely.

Tonight was the first time that I've seen us been actually passed through in several years. For a good few years the way to beat Arsenal was simply to just pass the ball forwards and you would get a decent attack in the final third. That doesn't happen anymore. We no longer get completely bypassed in midfield.

However, whatever structure fixes that seems to completely inhibit the team in possession and attacking. Meaning we have to score the few chances we do create because the goals we concede now are mostly creations of our own making (we lost 3 games in a row by 1 goal because a player gave the ball to the opposition for a free goal).

Pretty much this same team drew 15 games last season. Most of the players really aren't very good. Mohamed Elneny, binned off 3 years ago to Turkey, was the inform midfielder for a time. And those that are good don't fit together whatsoever.

I back him because there's a sense of something there and he's a decent bloke.

I'm in two minds because I always backed the Wenger way of just destroying the dross and getting battered by the top whereas Arteta is the reverse@
https://i.imgur.com/0IEQVDo.png

[Shindig]

They definitely don't have the x-factor in the squad that can bail them out. And I don't think Arteta's the kind of manager who can bring those kinds of players in.

[phonics]

There’s no such thing as X-factor. It’s paying them. Our wage bill is 100 million less than United, Liverpool and City.

[Yevrah]

It's a good job football was saved from the ESL, clubs are still definitely not businesses and you'll soon be spending some of that money.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

There’s no such thing as X-factor. It’s paying them. Our wage bill is 100 million less than United, Liverpool and City.

Where are you getting those figures from?

https://www.spotrac.com/epl/payroll/

https://www.planetfootball.com/quick-reads/how-every-premier-league-clubs-wage-bill-compares-to-their-league-position/

Those were the first two links I found and neither show that much difference.

[Lewis]

lol out loud at those United figures. Two years left on that Dave Gayer contract as well. :humb:

[Waffdon]

Where are you getting those figures from?

https://www.spotrac.com/epl/payroll/

https://www.planetfootball.com/quick-reads/how-every-premier-league-clubs-wage-bill-compares-to-their-league-position/

Those were the first two links I found and neither show that much difference.

Crystal Palace figure looks odd. Who the fuck are they paying for? Benteke?

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Zaha, Benteke and Sakho are on 100k+ with Batshuayi (albeit on loan) just outside of that, according to the first site.

[Luca]

McTominay on 20 grand a week while Lee Grant is on 30 and Phil Jones is on 75 is quite something. I'd be banging down the manager's door every day.

[niko_cee]

Yeah, Arsenal are hardly going to have a reasonable wage bill (although I am somewhat surprised Spurs' has crept to be that high too) given their penchant to doling out the big contracts to over the hill marquee players.

[John Arne]

Out of date, surely...

https://gyazo.com/38ab863f1d38bb1e2198c5e9b432dd4c.jpeg

[niko_cee]

Has Partey been any good for Arsenal?

[Don]

No. Turns put being an African and a 'baller in the eyes of the MOTDX FIFA fanboys turned out to be misleading.

[SincereTheRebel]

Rob holding appears to be their best, most consistent defender. That tells you everything.

[Offshore Toon]

https://i.ibb.co/4tZTmBx/Screenshot-20210430-110732.png

Why would you take a dog to a firework display?

[Spikey M]

:D

[Kikó]

He's a very funny person is Sharples.

[Ian]

:D

[Boydy]

I came in here to see if that had been posted yet. :D

[randomlegend]

https://i.ibb.co/4tZTmBx/Screenshot-20210430-110732.png

Why would you take a dog to a firework display?

Might have run away from his garden because of a display nearby.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I've decided this social media boycott thing is the biggest load of shite since records began. Back on Tuesday to hawk their wares via the same platforms... it's completely empty.

[Don]

That's white privelege talking. Mods, can we close the football thread over the weekend? We'll all be the worse off not being able to read Kiko's thrilling posts but sacrifices must be made.

[Yevrah]

I heard about it the other day and genuinely couldn't believe it for exactly the same reasons.

[Baz]

It’s somehow even less productive than that blackout thing people did.

[Lewis]

A lost dog is worse than somebody sending the monkey emoji to a professional footballer. Gypos could have found it or anything.

[Waffdon]

I’m switching off from TTH for a while.

Why? Because enough is enough.

I want greater regulation by TTH Moderators to stop online abuse.

By going silent, I am sending that message loud and clear.

#WaffUnites against discrimination and online abuse.

[Baz]

Fuck off you white scotch girl.

[phonics]

Daniel Storey is taking it so seriously and feels so strongly about it he managed to take a poorly cropped blurry sceenshot of his message.

1388130470962008070

[Jimmy Floyd]

My timeline is almost sport-free now, it's amazing. Pleased to say however that pro golf (even the European kind) soldiers on. You learn who your real friends are at times like this.

[Shindig]

If only this could get Stan Collymore to shut up.

[randomlegend]

Cavani staying at United another year. Good news.

[Foe]

Thoughts on the balbuena and vestergaard incidents please gentlemen.

Cooper upheld as red, balbuena appeal won. Should vestergaard have been sent off?

[Andy]

Thoughts on the balbuena and vestergaard incidents please gentlemen.

Cooper upheld as red, balbuena appeal won. Should vestergaard have been sent off?

Not sure of the rules. Seemed a tad harsh but possible that Vardy could have got to that if Vestegaard hadn't taken him out.

It's just typical of our last few months, forced himself into a corner with that mistake and ruined this for us.

[-james-]

Ally McCoist is a truly terrible commentator outside of world cups.

[Reg]

Him failing to give Man of the Match to Danny Welbeck should see him sacked, but I don't mind him other than that.

[Mellberg]

Bertrand Traore's great to watch when he's on it. Must've grew up playing FIFA Street.