Champions League final & Junternationals

[Spikey M]

Real Madrid must pay more in wages for bench warmers than the likes of Burnley and Brighton do for their whole squad.

[Yevrah]

Is that 5 champions league winner’s medals for Bale now? Unreal.

[Raoul Duke]

Bareth Gale and Eddie Hazard the true winners of tonight

[Danny]

Ceballos has 5 too I think. Proper chancer.

[7om]

I find Bale hilarious. He gives absolutely no fucks except for the Welsh national team and he’s got 5 Champions League winners medals. He’s winning at life.

[Shindig]

And when he does get the minutes, he's usually switched on.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dani_Ceballos#Controversies

Woah what. :lol:

:D

Jesus.

[Lofty]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dani_Ceballos#Controversies

Woah what. :lol:

He said Casillas has a tiny dick 'like a coin' and his mrs should ring him if she wants a real man :D

[Shindig]

That's a wrestling promo. :D

[Manc]

Jurgen Flopp. Looked like a corpse for 90 minutes.

[SincereTheRebel]

1530664726719365120

My hero

This is probably my favourite Ether of all time.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Just come to me that Carlo Ancelotti was managing Everton to 10th place this time last year.

Arguably the greater achievement of the two.

[Lewis]

1530670800071561217

randrew :evictory:

[Waffdon]

Was about to go asleep and then started pissing myself laughing again at Diogo Jota coming on in the Champions League Final. The game was over when that melt walked on. Absolutely bobbins

[Don]

What the sweet fuck are you on about? If anything it was the disrespect of playing that favela cunt over Bobby and that African gorilla over Matip that cost us but criticising Diogo is akin to your strange vendetta against Rudiger before he shat on your dirty face.

Ah well, the thing with being the best team in the world is, the glory can only ever be delayed.

[Offshore Toon]

Michael Owen is a genuine spastic.

Making Rio Ferdinand look intelligent, here.
He's best mates with Jake Humphreys irl so will be fully autistic also.

[Kikó]

The great thing about Ancelotti's Madrid is that he still sets them up like a 90s/00s team. Great players who know what to do and graft without necessarily having a "defined style of play" like Guardiola or Klopp. Benzema and Modric are giants of the game.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Much as I would like to get stuck into the French authorities, literally every time Liverpool make one of these finals there are some kind of ticketing/crowd problems outside. No one else can say it so I will bravely do so.

[Lofty]

Yeah they've just been crying on the news, one bloke said he has been to 5 finals and never seen problems like it: wasn't Istanbul bad? All I can think of is that 'Up the ticketless reds' banner, I know a lad who got into Wembley the other week without a ticket. Obviously the French aren't a soft touch.

[Yevrah]

Much as I would like to get stuck into the French authorities, literally every time Liverpool make one of these finals there are some kind of ticketing/crowd problems outside. No one else can say it so I will bravely do so.

The lol of them calling for an investigation too. Bring it on and throw the book at them.

[Baz]

Yeah they've just been crying on the news, one bloke said he has been to 5 finals and never seen problems like it: wasn't Istanbul bad? All I can think of is that 'Up the ticketless reds' banner, I know a lad who got into Wembley the other week without a ticket. Obviously the French aren't a soft touch.

Apparently Wembley is the easiest [proper] ground to bunk-in to.

[phonics]

The amount of people on the side of the French Police. All they know is tear gas and riot shields.

[Giggles]

Well on the other side you’ve a bunch of scummers with form for it, so is there even a right side?

[Waffdon]

What the sweet fuck are you on about? If anything it was the disrespect of playing that favela cunt over Bobby and that African gorilla over Matip that cost us but criticising Diogo is akin to your strange vendetta against Rudiger before he shat on your dirty face.

Ah well, the thing with being the best team in the world is, the glory can only ever be delayed.

Konate was absolutely brilliant. He was playing right back and centre back covering for your useless ‘Trent’.

Jota is fine for your Arsenal’s and Leicester’s but he’s not doing shit against a proper team.

[Browning]

He probably would have contributed more last night than Salah did- I only ever watch Liverpool when it's a big game and I'm not sure Salah has turned up for a single one of them, outside of scoring a penalty 3 years ago.

[Waffdon]

True though if Courtois’ bicep didn’t tip that shot near the end around it would have been filthy.

[Spikey M]

The amount of people on the side of the French Police. All they know is tear gas and riot shields.

And all we know is Liverpool fans.

[Kikó]

In a rare moment of agreeing with phonics, the French police are absolutely useless. It's easy to just say it's a Liverpool problem and some element will be true, it reads like an under prepared, badly staffed and badly policed event.

[Don]

St Petersburg wouldn't have had these troubles :cool:

[niko_cee]

Yeah they've just been crying on the news, one bloke said he has been to 5 finals and never seen problems like it: wasn't Istanbul bad? All I can think of is that 'Up the ticketless reds' banner, I know a lad who got into Wembley the other week without a ticket. Obviously the French aren't a soft touch.

Istanbul was fine. It just took an absolute age to get out into the middle of nowhere where they'd built the stadium, and even longer to get back in to town at god knows what in the morning when the game finally finished. Don't recall any issues in the other three finals since either. The fake ticket thing (whether real or not) would really put me off trying to go nowadays though.

[Kikó]

This is clearly bad policing.

1530845006403182598?t=g62PXVMu_aD9HPbY3QVNcQ&s=19

[Gray Fox]

I know Liverpool fan narrative and all, but there’s a weight of Journos and public accounts of what went on and the whole thing sounded like a shambles.

[Guybrush]

In a rare moment of agreeing with phonics, the French police are absolutely useless. It's easy to just say it's a Liverpool problem and some element will be true, it reads like an under prepared, badly staffed and badly policed event.

Correct. The organisation outside the ground was a total shambles. A friend of mine's husband and son were at the ground 3.5 hours before kick-off and only just got to their seats in time.

[Spikey M]

And yet the Madrid end was mysteriously fine. Have a day off you lot. The French police may overreact, but it's still a reaction to the shitty behaviour of the Liverpool fans.

[Kikó]

1530685722591735810?t=erhucrhgn9WjrzLjXMgf5w&s=19

That's an organisational issue.

[Giggles]

1530685722591735810?t=erhucrhgn9WjrzLjXMgf5w&s=19

That's an organisational issue.

Were they organised into climbing fences in all the other videos?

[Shindig]

Aye, it's probably a bit of both. Let's assume the gates at the Liverpool end were fucked. Would the police allow the Scousers to enter from the Madrid end? Probably not. Either way, there's bother.

[Lewis]

The police will have overreacted to whatever was going on, and then that will have caused even more problems. You could see from the standing room in the Liverpool end that loads of people had got in without tickets.

[Spikey M]

I also imagine the bottleneck would have been a bit more manageable had tHe TiCkEtLeSs ReDs not turned up in their thousands.

[randomlegend]

What the sweet fuck are you on about? If anything it was the disrespect of playing that favela cunt over Bobby and that African gorilla over Matip that cost us but criticising Diogo is akin to your strange vendetta against Rudiger before he shat on your dirty face.

Ah well, the thing with being the best team in the world is, the glory can only ever be delayed.

Nice to see Taz being blatantly racist as usual.

[phonics]

That wasn’t a fence it was a ramp to another ramp. The stadium wasn’t even in the shot.

All this rare agreeances with phonics. I’m on a roll.

[Spikey M]

That wasn’t a fence it was a ramp to another ramp. The stadium wasn’t even in the shot.

All this rare agreeances with phonics. I’m on a roll.

Moving back to Britain and working in a pub must be Brexitising you.

[Shindig]

And he's claiming benefits. I don't know what other boxes are left to tick.

[Waffdon]

1530692390092263424

Poor sods getting pepper sprayed :(

[Offshore Toon]

The Millwall fan punching the Spurs fan a couple years back was miles better.

I don't condone violence, but what do you expect in those scenarios?

[Giggles]

The Millwall fan punching the Spurs fan a couple years back was miles better.

I don't condone violence, but what do you expect in those scenarios?

To keep walking on past like the rest of them did. Doing nothing is a very easy way not to be a scumbag sometimes.

[Offshore Toon]

Keeping himself to himself (I.e. "doing nothing") would have prevented the punch too. There's thousands of people about and emotions are high. If you don't want any trouble in that environment, stay respectful.

[Spikey M]

The geezers throwing punches could have easily been French Liverpool fans. Or Jewish Liverpool fans. As much as they shouldn't be throwing punches, imagine the twat was juggling potatoes in Dublin and shouting "are you still hungry lads?", I dare say you'd be fine with him getting twatted by someone then.

[Lewis]

Is the implication that he's doing a Nazi salute? I don't think he is, and I don't think the people hitting him think that either.

[Kikó]

Speaking of which, Ralf is going

1530902970124181504?t=swbtV6ZlHDu4XL9PVJL3BQ&s=19

[Giggles]

The geezers throwing punches could have easily been French Liverpool fans. Or Jewish Liverpool fans. As much as they shouldn't be throwing punches, imagine the twat was juggling potatoes in Dublin and shouting "are you still hungry lads?", I dare say you'd be fine with him getting twatted by someone then.

I’d just be told to be ok with it by 99% of posters here. So maybe follow their own advice?

[Spikey M]

I don't think you would. If you go to someone else's country and start taking liberties a slap is pretty justified.

[Giggles]

I don't think you would. If you go to someone else's country and start taking liberties a slap is pretty justified.

Yes I would. We all know how that story goes, “oh lol you’re obsessed with us and we don’t even think about you, get over it” etc etc.

Same rules for all, so take your scolding and walk on by.

[Manc]

I've just spotted Channel 4 have the rights to the Nations League. Lovely jubbly.

[Giggles]

I've just spotted Channel 4 have the rights to the Nations League. Lovely jubbly.

It’s on terrestrial here for the first time too.

ie: nobody must be watching.

[Ben]

It’s a massive step up on friendlies but still not enough to actively draw you in every match day.

[Giggles]

I miss our annual friendly with Oman.

Plus, teams miss out on the odd big friendly they can buy with a South American team and instead have to play shite like Georgia or us or Norway.

[Spikey M]

Do professional footballers just not get any time off at all now?

[Giggles]

What way does the World Cup work this year? Do they just stop the EPL for a month and then go straight back at it after to finish in June?

[Kikó]

More fun post game it seems:
1530808645373526019?t=brUxQKdG8NFF3yoAdbP0gQ&s=19

[Spikey M]

Probably The Ticketless Reds.

[Ben]

Paris is dicey as fuck.

[Manc sean]

Keeping himself to himself (I.e. "doing nothing") would have prevented the punch too. There's thousands of people about and emotions are high. If you don't want any trouble in that environment, stay respectful.

Eh, the guy's clearly a straight member, on his own (or at least not with any kind of aggro wanting group) and not a fighter.

However, they are two of the worst punches I've ever seen thrown.

Edit: I guess that's after the game, so a bit of a suicide mission maybe. But he just looks rat arsed.

[Lewis]

More fun post game it seems:
1530808645373526019?t=brUxQKdG8NFF3yoAdbP0gQ&s=19

I lolled at this earlier. How can groups of anyone be mugged? Then you see the footage and it's literally about thirty people piling on like something out of the third world (which I suppose it is).

[Manc]

All part of the experience.

[Giggles]

I lolled at this earlier. How can groups of anyone be mugged? Then you see the footage and it's literally about thirty people piling on like something out of the third world (which I suppose it is).
Paris basically is at this stage from anything I’ve seen. Hardly a French person in it.

[Spikey M]

Most capital cities are similar. For some reason immigrants always want to live in Capital cities, despite them almost always being the most expensive and worst place in the country.

[Kikó]

I didn't really see much trouble at the Stade de France when I went. Other than the North African lads pick pocketing people, it was pretty chilled.

(The girl realised quickly and they were arrested, not the smartest bunch)

[Offshore Toon]

Eh, the guy's clearly a straight member, on his own (or at least not with any kind of aggro wanting group) and not a fighter.

However, they are two of the worst punches I've ever seen thrown.

Edit: I guess that's after the game, so a bit of a suicide mission maybe. But he just looks rat arsed.
It's not okay, but it's a reality check for the bloke. I don't think he's even trying to wind them up, but he should have held back the celebrations or found some more of his own people.

He'll be fine anyway.

[niko_cee]

And yet the Madrid end was mysteriously fine. Have a day off you lot. The French police may overreact, but it's still a reaction to the shitty behaviour of the Liverpool fans.

Guillem Balague was going on about how the Madrid end had much easier logistical access (major roads versus heavily built up residential) . I've been to the Stade de France once and as far as I remember it was OK to get into, although going to a concert probably a lot less bother than a football match. Reckon I went the Madrid end way as it was all big roads and seemed reasonably well set up in terms of refreshment options.

[Shindig]

Just looking at it on google maps, there's no shortage of turnstiles but I don't like how close-ish they are to the road. Probably doesn't take much for that to spill over if one of the gates is borked.

[Manc]

I'd love to see another angle of that penalty shout. Looked a stonewaller.

[thommo]

That is unbelievable. How on earth have they not awarded a penalty after seeing him clout his leg from various angles?

[Manc]

Huddersfield denied not one, but two clear-cut penalties. Flabbergasted.

[niko_cee]

Good.

Fuck off Huddersfield.

[Lewis]

They should stop either side coming up because of the empty seats.

[Manc]

Jonathan Moss wants hanging.

[Waffdon]

Jonathan Moss wants hanging.

He’s a right fat cunt. Never up with play and always guessing.

[niko_cee]

Forest.

:cool:

Shame the reward is being taken out of a good, competitive league and being put into a largely broken one albeit for a short period in all likelihood. At least they'll always have the money, for a few years.

[phonics]

The age of the media is showing with all this sucking forest off. The only thing I remember them for in my life time is Pierre Van Hooijdonk going on strike for a transfer to I can’t remember who and Dave Beasant crying about it.

[SincereTheRebel]

Better to have a new team in the league, than some stupid yoyo team like Norwich and them.

Burnely I liked it. I work with a lot of foreign scumbags and I give them burnely to support. The Peoples Team.

[Spikey M]

How many times has "The Ghost of Brian Clough" been credited?

[phonics]

Better to have a new team in the league, than some stupid yoyo team like Norwich and them.

Burnely I liked it. I work with a lot of foreign scumbags and I give them burnely to support. The Peoples Team.

That’s just mean.

[Lewis]

It's weird how that late-seventies/early-eighties period of English clubs winning European Cups is seen as English football being great rather than just the entire sport briefly being all ends up shit and us somehow coming out on top. I think Forest beat one good team (Liverpool) over the two year period.

[phonics]

Moving back to Britain and working in a pub must be Brexitising you.

You’d think you’d have learned not to suck off infamously awful police forces.

[Waffdon]

If you don’t look at the three B’s, the league for next year looks properly tasty. A proper Barclays Premier League.

[niko_cee]

I've no idea who the third B even are but you can wash your mouth out casting aspersions on the gambling mafia teams.

[Shindig]

Bolves?

[Giggles]

I’ve Brighton and Bournemouth.

[Waffdon]

Brighton, Brentford and Bournemouth.

Could be worse I suppose but you can’t be having two grounds averaging less than Hearts.

[Gray Fox]

Yikes.

1531000939733196800

[Giggles]

The cages need to come back.

[niko_cee]

Jesus.

Pray for Etienne Green or whatever he is called.

[Giggles]

What was the big flee right at the end for? Running from something or rushing the other teams fans?


1531000465902772230

[Shindig]

Y'know, after a 9 goal thriller, that's the least you can expect. :D

[niko_cee]

Looked like they were bombing the other team's dugout/players.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Almost as bad as Liverpool fans.

[niko_cee]

I don't know if it still happens in champ manager, but there is a sense that Liverpool's tactic has been somewhat cracked by the AI. You can pretty much predict how 99% of half-decent teams [and even the likes of Everton] will play against them. Sit deep, defend en masse, don't leave space in behind and punt it in the general direction of Alexander-Arnold and hope for the best. It can be effective. Liverpool's 'predictability' is reminiscent to me of Arsene Wenger's Arsenal, you know how they are going to play and they aren't going to adjust for anyone. I always respected Wenger for that [from a champ manager perspective at least] but it was also his downfall, somewhat, when the player quality dropped. I know this is probably too simplistic and lots of little things probably do change from game to game, but from an untrained eye's perspective there is very little variability in Liverpool's play. On the one hand, it means you lose 4 games in a whole season, which is mad, but in another way it leaves them open to more pragmatic approaches which can be implemented by non-terrible teams at the sharp end of competitions. It's not really a new problem either. Klopp's preferred XI has been pretty much set in stone since the start of the team getting good, which has other attendant issues. No goals across three finals, and the fact that they have generally played poorly [or lost, or both] most of the finals they have been in is interesting.

I'm curious as to whether he'll change at all, or just stick with it [my guess is he won't change]. The sadist in me makes me think I preferred them when they were less 'controlled' but being more attacking is never actually the answer if you want to 'win'.

[Shindig]

They definitely have that 'one more touch' about them which stifled Arsenal at times. I don't see Klopp changing it but he could do with a Plan B for when matches go the way they did last night. They started the game well really getting the ball forward and stretching the game. In the last few minutes, they really had no inclination to throw a hail Mary or anything.

And yet, they could've sneaked something past Courtois on another day.

[Waffdon]

How you could be arsed going to a cup parade a day after losing a CL final I do not know. They won one of the cups 3 months ago as well :D

[randomlegend]

They definitely have that 'one more touch' about them which stifled Arsenal at times. I don't see Klopp changing it but he could do with a Plan B for when matches go the way they did last night. They started the game well really getting the ball forward and stretching the game. In the last few minutes, they really had no inclination to throw a hail Mary or anything.

And yet, they could've sneaked something past Courtois on another day.

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/04/30/16/27847988-0-image-a-10_1588260760853.jpg

[Shindig]

Unironically, yes.

[Gray Fox]

I think it's a slight overreaction as you'll always get here, but they still won 2 trophies, came 15 minutes from another and then were denied the biggest of the lot by a top goalkeeping performance.

The last time we lost to Madrid, the very next day we lined up Fabinho and then Alisson. We went from fuck we blew the big chance, to massively revitalising the team. I think the same needs to happen here.
What was evident last night was perhaps the need for another creative type from midfield. It has tended to be either Trent or Thiago dictating games this season, but the former was off it and the latter clearly not 100% fit last night. Though once Thiago went off, very little came from the middle of the park. Keita can be great at times but is extremely inconsistent.

What Liverpool need to find this summer is a back up right back. A creative midfielder and a clinical centre forward. Obviously the last of those is tough to find now, but if Mane is to leave then it needs someone to replace him. I do not buy the Diaz as replacement thing at all.

[Waffdon]

It’ll need to start soon. Van Dijk, Mane, Salah, Henderson, Allison, Matip, Thiago, Fabinho and Firmino all turn at least 30 at some point this year.

The drugs won’t work as well over the next few years. Konate looks a beast so you’re well covered there but you’ll need to recruit well fairly soon in midfield as well as up front. Jota and Diaz leading the line will have you in the conference league in a few years.

[niko_cee]

Mate, they did a bow to the crowd on the back of a 1-1 at home with West Brom.

[Gray Fox]

Hopefully this Carvalho kid comes in and plays some part. As well as Elliott not breaking his leg next year. I believe they'll be long term replacements for Thiago and Frimino. You're right about the other outfield players though. They are ageing, but I will guess he'll only want to replace 1 or 2 a year.

If Mane does go it'll be quite sad. He was the first big signing Klopp made and he typifies everything he wants from the team.

[Don]

1530670932225843200

Keep the crisis talk to yourselves please, we're fucking class.

[Kikó]

I find it a bit premature to talk about Liverpool's demise sadly. Obviously the replacements for the 30 year olds will be key but not much has suggested recently that they will get it wrong. Losing by the odd goal/point is a pretty healthy starting point to be in.

[Giggles]

1530670932225843200

Keep the crisis talk to yourselves please, we're fucking class.

I’ve no idea how they calculate XG or anything but on a simple level, would not scoring from any of your (presumably) load of chances not be a bad thing?

[niko_cee]

Talk of turning 30 as if it's 1987. Most of those players have got years left in them yet. Waiting for players to become no good based on age is a mugs game. The only real danger is the 'last big contract' effect where you sign someone up to a massive one at 30 and they promptly turn to shite [Salah could do this].

I don't know if he's got it in him but I'd love to see Firmino drop back [back back?] into midfield. I feel the move away from playing him in the big games hasn't really worked even if he's the sort of player that, as a fan, you always think is on the cusp of becoming a really great player by adding goals to his game, but it never really happens [can see Havertz being similar].

Henderson probably needs to be shifted to a utility/totemic Milner style role over time.

[Spikey M]

I think it's just teams getting wise to what Liverpool are going to do. The same seems to happen to every "system" eventually. Then it comes down to if the manager has the ability to change the system. They usually don't ala Pochettino, Wenger, Mourinho etc, and just move to another club.

That and half the players being exhausted after months of Kloppball.

[John Arne]

I think it's just teams getting wise to what Liverpool are going to do. The same seems to happen to every "system" eventually. Then it comes down to if the manager has the ability to change the system. They usually don't ala Pochettino, Wenger, Mourinho etc, and just move to another club.

That and half the players being exhausted after months of Kloppball.

They aren't that wise to it if we still reached 3 finals and amassed 92pts in the league. I think there's a bit of an overreaction to the Madrid game... we can't, and won't, win every game.

[Spikey M]

They aren't that wise to it if we still reached 3 finals and amassed 92pts in the league. I think there's a bit of an overreaction to the Madrid game... we can't, and won't, win every game.

That's because of your early season form though. The wins have been pretty hard fought this side of Christmas. Especially since the United game. Wolves had your number for most of the game. 2 goalless finals. There is definitely a theme of them struggling to score developing.

[Luke Emia]

Personally for the big games I’d start Firminio. He’s the one who knits things together if these rumours were true of Kane then I wouldn’t be against it him dropping into the holes that Firminio does whilst being a lot more clinical could work.

[Luke Emia]

Even this bandwagon jumping of not winning the league because we didn’t beat any of the other top four is a bit off. We lost the league because of losing to Leicester and West Ham or drawing away at Brentford or at home with Brighton when we probably should have won games or at least got a point in each.

The form in the second half of the season has been more than fine I mean we won 16 games out of 18 it’s the sloppy points dropped in the first half of the season that cost.

[Luke Emia]

That's because of your early season form though. The wins have been pretty hard fought this side of Christmas. Especially since the United game. Wolves had your number for most of the game. 2 goalless finals. There is definitely a theme of them struggling to score developing.

They have but that’s how it was the year we won the league Klopp noticeably tightened things up in the second half of the season to just make sure we won games.

Plus we have played every 3 days since the middle of February I think in the end that has started to catch up with the players.

[niko_cee]

That's because of your early season form though. The wins have been pretty hard fought this side of Christmas. Especially since the United game. Wolves had your number for most of the game. 2 goalless finals. There is definitely a theme of them struggling to score developing.

Liverpool's form in the second half of the season was much better than the first (16 wins, 3 draws in the league since losing to Leicester at the halfway point, final of every cup). Salah was keeping the show on the road for much of the first bit of the season.

[phonics]

The French are claiming that 70% of the people in the stadium had fake tickets. I love when Cops make shit up to cover their ass.

[niko_cee]

How does that even work? Was there 70% more fans there or did they just bar thousands of legit ticket holders from entry?

[Kikó]

Probably the latter. They probably stopped letting people in once they saw the stands looked at capacity.

[Spikey M]

The Ticketless Ticketed Reds getting donned by The Moody Ticketed Reds. :drool:

[Shindig]

Probably the latter. They probably stopped letting people in once they saw the stands looked at capacity.

Yeah, something was up when you had those scenes outside + the very sizeable Liverpool support inside the ground.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/61653086

England will play their Nations League group match against Hungary in Budapest on Saturday with at least 30,000 fans in attendance - even though the fixture is being held behind closed doors.

Hungary have been ordered to play games without crowds after racist behaviour by their fans.

But their football association is using a Uefa regulation that allows children to attend, accompanied by an adult.

[Yevrah]

That's saying NO to racism alright. Fuck I hate this World sometimes.

[niko_cee]

:D

Presumably we'll be doing the same for our one.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The only sanctions that hurt are sporting ones. Why they can't bring themselves to deduct 3 or even 1 point from qualifying groups for nations that have badly behaved fans I have no idea.

[Don]

They're handing out a phonetic script of the Ukranian national anthem to the Scots tonight :D

[Spikey M]

Fuck off :D

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

:D

Presumably we'll be doing the same for our one.
Yeah but only around 2k are expected.

[Gray Fox]

The charity shield is being held at Leicester this year for some reason.

[Ben]

Women's Euros.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The schedule this year is absolutely daft. Also five subs which I'm very upset about. Football edges ever closer to the players just being interchangeable running machines.

30 July: Diversity Shield
6 August - 13 Nov: Apertura
14 Nov - 25 Dec: World Cup break
26 Dec - 28 May: Clausura

All so that Sepp Blatter and Jack Warner can drink from the teats of Arabian milk and honey well into their 80s.

[Yevrah]

The only sanctions that hurt are sporting ones. Why they can't bring themselves to deduct 3 or even 1 point from qualifying groups for nations that have badly behaved fans I have no idea.

Because, like most organisations, they don't actually give a shit. Which is a brilliant stance to take while constantly telling us all that there's a massive problem and that we should.

[Waffdon]

Hickey and Billy G start :drool:

Fkn into these greeting faced rats. More Zinchenko tears pls

[Shindig]

I see Pardew's left CSKA Sofia because the black players got racially abused. That was quick.

[Ben]

I listened to a podcast with Brian Howard who played out there and he said the racism was on another level. They had a few Africans who just got pelters, especially when they lost.

[Kikó]

Spoke with some random football marketing company today about the premier league's plan to release NFTs. Dearie me.

[Ben]

Hasn't that ship already sailed? Came and went faster than the ice bucket challenge.

[Waffdon]

Even the Englishman in our squad are belting it out.

Fucking mon

Goosebumps at that

[Ian]

Scotland should really lean into their one opportunity they'll ever have to be the baddies here. Waste time, niggly fouls, shout "'mon the Putin" at their opponents, that sort of thing.

[Ian]

Instead they appear to be desperately trying to let them score.

[Waffdon]

I can’t believe in this day and age we’re still starting Grant Hanley

[Ian]

Lobs. :drool:

[Waffdon]

We have been absolutely dreadful :D

[Offshore Toon]

Mon the injury time winner.

[Don]

1532069308469104641

:lol:

[Spikey M]

Just give them the trophy now.

[Waffdon]

This hasn’t even been close. Absolutely outclassed everywhere.

Second booking for going to the crowd pls ref

[Don]

Strange to see the likes of Next Makelele Billy Gilmour be outclassed by nobodies like Ruslan Malinovskyi (who is the spitting image of Kiko btw). God bless the gammon hype.

[Browning]

Glad they let them win.

[Spikey M]

We should have sent them Mark Noble as Footballing Aid

[Manc]

Eight lefties in the eleven must be a record.

[niko_cee]

Billy Gilmour seems to be actually rather rubbish most of the time.

Bad few weeks for Andy Robertson.

[Waffdon]

Norwich ruined him. Cunts.

[niko_cee]

Hasn't he had about 2 decent games in his career?

Probably not on Norwich, but going there on loan probably indicative of something.

[Waffdon]

He’s class every time for us. Dominated Liverpool in the FA Cup as well.

This goalkeeper has tried his best to help us

[niko_cee]

Liverpool reserves in the cup and England in the euros is my count of his good games, in what? 2 years?

[Luke Emia]

Liverpool reserves in the cup and England in the euros is my count of his good games, in what? 2 years?

I’m not sure anyone can dominate in a 0-0 ‘victory’.

[Waffdon]

Robertson is absolutely useless for us when Tierney isn’t alongside him

[Waffdon]

Liverpool reserves in the cup and England in the euros is my count of his good games, in what? 2 years?

He’s the biggest reason scotland started winning games. Your fetish over him is odd.

[niko_cee]

He’s the biggest reason scotland started winning games. Your fetish over him is odd.

Fetish.

:D

I just don't understand why he gets so much smoke blown up his arse after his annual decent game. Not even close to being Scotland's best midfielder.

[Lewis]

lol these cunts don't even have a ground.

[Waffdon]

Mon Dylan Levitt’s Wales army

[Don]

The absolute scenes when we play Russia a week before the WC as our only viable friendly opponent and then wipe the floor with these soft cunts.

[Manc]

A winter off will do Robertson a world of good.

[niko_cee]

Aye, Liverpool could actually be quite well set with players not going to the World Cup or getting a game for teams that do. Should really just keep the season rolling.

[-james-]

George Baldock is on the bench for Greece tonight. That's news to me.

[Giggles]

An even bigger surprise for me was when I looked him up to see he was called up for Greece by Gus Poyet.

[Jimmy Floyd]

George Henry Ivor Baldock (Greek: Τζορτζ Μπάλντοκ

I don't know the alphabet but I'm definitely not buying that. Giorgos Baaldokk?

[-james-]

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

A decade or two more of this and it'll be a pretty textbook journeyman managerial career. Doesn't reflect particularly well on the stature of the Greece job.

[-james-]

George Henry Ivor Baldock (Greek: Τζορτζ Μπάλντοκ

I don't know the alphabet but I'm definitely not buying that. Giorgos Baaldokk?

It's just how you'd say George Baldock in a Greek accent. Greeks can't do J sounds and don't have letters for B or D.

[Pen]

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

A decade or two more of this and it'll be a pretty textbook journeyman managerial career. Doesn't reflect particularly well on the stature of the Greece job.

Knows the country.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Max one season at his last five club jobs, though I guess that's probably standard worldwide nowadays.

[Giggles]

What the fuck is a finalissima and why do I keep seeing the word everywhere?

[Raoul Duke]

It's a type of pasta

[Jimmy Floyd]

Match between the European and South American champions in which hapless Italy got bummed by Argentina.

[Giggles]

Someone tell twitter and livescore quick then.

Edit - Johns regen above obvs, not jimmy.

[Lewis]

I was just watching the local beacon, and these kids were playing football. They were just doing some Goals, Skills and Assists, but every now and again one of them would smash another one over and shout 'BREXIT'. Is this a thing?

[Lewis]

I was just watching the local beacon, and these kids were playing football. They were just doing some Goals, Skills and Assists, but every now and again one of them would smash another one over and shout 'BREXIT'. Is this a thing?

I've seen this again today. Hopefully it makes it to the professional stage.

[Shindig]

Ragnick off to a flyer. What's German for honeymoon? Apparently it's Flitterwochen. Adorable. :D

[Giggles]

Bazunu injured :moop:

[Giggles]

We’re fucking dire today. Everything is so loose.

[Don]

Armenia vs ROI is the sort of international fixture that screams turgid 0-0. In fact, of the 32 sides in League B and C, only Serbia and Scotland can be relied upon for entertainment. Games between these sides are usually 0-0 with a probability of about 10% but it feels more like 90%, proper grim football.

Asian U23 is where it's at :cool:

[Giggles]

Ogbene has been so bad that the Slavs have stopped bothering to boo him for being black :D

[Giggles]

That’s a well deserved defeat. Got too desperate in the second half and completely fell apart in shape.

[Lewis]

I hope all of these Hungarian kids are racists.

[Lewis]

Unless they piped those boos in for the kneeling...

[randomlegend]

Starting with 8 defensive players against Hungary :sick:

[Lewis]

I count nine with Jarrod Bowen, arguably ten depending on what Mason Mount is doing.

[Shindig]

Should've sent an all black team.

[John Arne]

England players just can't stop looking at themselves on the big screen. It's so weird.

[-james-]

England have looked alright going forwards so far I think. What would be the point in going 2-3-5 when the world cup is five odd games away?

[-james-]

Get Trent in the bin though.

[John Arne]

Does anyone in the Prem still play 532? Chelsea perhaps?

[Shindig]

We struggled to get over these lads last year, didn't we? I can't see how the same gameplan will turn out a different result.

[Gray Fox]

Does anyone in the Prem still play 532? Chelsea perhaps?

Chelsea do and they were pretty good for it, when you consider their main strikers either were dreaming of Milan or recovering from The Operation. That and they lost Chilwell and were forced to play Alonso there.

They're about to lose their entire back line bar James from what I can tell though.

[randomlegend]

They'll sign Kounde + another and be fine.

Engloland though

[Waffdon]

Does anyone in the Prem still play 532? Chelsea perhaps?

Half the league play it every now and then. Chelsea, Wolves, Spurs and West Ham all play 3atb most games. Probably forgetting others

[Spikey M]

Yeah, the back 5 converting to a 3 when in possession is very much in vogue. The front 2 is less so, but wing backs being tasked with playing every wide position at once is all the rage.

[Manc]

Southgate could be firmly on the ropes come Qatar.

[Queenslander]

Armenia vs ROI is the sort of international fixture that screams turgid 0-0. In fact, of the 32 sides in League B and C, only Serbia and Scotland can be relied upon for entertainment. Games between these sides are usually 0-0 with a probability of about 10% but it feels more like 90%, proper grim football.

Asian U23 is where it's at :cool:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gno9DXeecUM

:cool:

[niko_cee]

'3' [read 5 or maybe 8] at the back is a truly terrible way to play football [says the total football Brighton fan who has witnessed it ad infinitum]. Never any of your own players forward when you want them, but very much plays into the 'sharp end zeitgeist' of just being really defensive and hoping the other team make a mistake. Yawn. Has worked well for waistcoat though so no hope of England ever fielding a decent XI. Alexander Arnold needs to be kept away from such systems for obvious reasons, also doesn't function very well against compact defences or teams who have no capable forwards to kick the ball at, so, you know, England and the back 5 is very much a no no. Not sure he's ever going to make the Bale leap either so could be an interesting career for him.

[Ian]

The Waistcoat Method is purely design to grind out qualifying and then be competitive in tournament football. Problem, as we've seen, is if you come up against a team doing the same thing then you struggle to create anything with the 7 defensive players you've chosen to do the job.

[Ian]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IqCul6gtX0

Youtube just popped this into my recommendations.

1) It was never "Yari" Litmanen, was it?
2) I'd entirely forgotten that Ravanelli had a stint at Derby.
3) My favourite thing in the whole video is the reaction from the Blackburn player who Collymore backheels the ball away from. Absolutely seething and zero interest in tracking back. :D

[Giggles]

I think it was spelled with a J but I never remember anything other than the Y pronunciation.

[niko_cee]

I saw yesterday that the Charity Shield is on July 30th. :cab:

And there's another Afcon next year, albeit this time in the summer.

[Ian]

I think it was spelled with a J but I never remember anything other than the Y pronunciation.

Yeah it's only ever been Yari that I've heard it but it's definitely a J. I think Sky's video monkey must be about 20 and had never heard of him before the clip and just winged it.

[Pen]

It’s Jari you heathen. The finest footballer to grace the planet.

[phonics]

There’s a bloke playing for Sao Paolo called Thierry Henry.

[Manc]

Zinchenko nailing it on and off the pitch.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The taffs have got this. Their various class players a far cry from the shambolic piss-stained tramps and children fielded by the picts in the week.

[Giggles]

You forgot the phwoar on the end of that.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I love this ref. Someone puts in a shit late tackle, gives them a yellow, Dan James screams 'fuck off' in his face, instant yellow for him too. All inside two minutes. Should have been a red really but what can you do.

None of the bullshit 'ooh it's too early' rubbish that prevails in refereeing.

[Waffdon]

The taffs have got this. Their various class players a far cry from the shambolic piss-stained tramps and children fielded by the picts in the week.

:lol:

[Lewis]

I think I want Wales to win this. I know.

[Giggles]

I want Ukraine to win and go on the piss for a couple of days.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I do, and I also wanted Scotland to win the other day. We Home Nations should always stick together.

Ukraine vastly the better side though it would appear.

[SincereTheRebel]

This big number 9 for Low Belarus has a magic first touch.

[niko_cee]

Seriously jammy goal.

[Lewis]

I do, and I also wanted Scotland to win the other day. We Home Nations should always stick together.

Ukraine vastly the better side though it would appear.

Let's not go mad.

[Manc]

That's a penalty.

[niko_cee]

Never in a million years. It'll get given though.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I thought it was too, maybe slow motion exaggerated the contact.

Dan James is 2020s football summed up. His job is to run: run, and run, and run, and run, all day. He has no other attributes whatsoever. Just running. But that's enough.

[niko_cee]

It's not enough. The players you generally proclaim to just run all day are also actually really good at football. He isn't. He's like the quick kid at school who gets stuck on the wing for pace alone but is absolutely useless.

[Jimmy Floyd]

It's not enough. The players you generally proclaim to just run all day are also actually really good at football. He isn't.

He plays for Leeds Utd and Wales, it clearly is enough.

[SincereTheRebel]

These conditions are superb.

[niko_cee]

Keiffer Moore plays for Wales and is soon to be a Premier League player.

[Lewis]

Why is this being played in the crap stadium? I know they took it on because their crowds dip when they're shit, but a play-off like this would surely [almost] sell the big stadium out.

[Waffdon]

It's not enough. The players you generally proclaim to just run all day are also actually really good at football. He isn't. He's like the quick kid at school who gets stuck on the wing for pace alone but is absolutely useless.

Half the footballers these days are just athletes. It really is sickening.

[-james-]

Half the footballers these days are just athletes. It really is sickening.


Compared to thirty years ago when half of them weren't even that.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Maybe it's just a personal preference, the same reason I find men's tennis utterly unwatchable since about 2005. You've been to the gym and done a bit of cardio, well done.

[niko_cee]

Half the footballers these days are just athletes. It really is sickening.

Isn't this just all part of the Wenger continuum?

Also aren't they all athletes as per the dictionary definition?

[niko_cee]

What a save that is.

[niko_cee]

This is going to be a long 15 minutes.

[Pepe]

Bring creative midfielders back.

[niko_cee]

5 day weekend in Wales then.

[Lewis]

England QUALIFIED. Wales QUALIFIED. Northern Ireland FAIR ENOUGH. Scotland LMAO.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Bale shouldn't sign for a club. He should just train with Swansea or something until November.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I'd have rather seen Ukraine in the tournament.

[Lewis]

Fuck Ukraine and two pound petrol.

[Jimmy Floyd]

England, Wales, USA and Iran is a proper plebby group, mind. Like a group from the world 9-ball pool cup or something.

[SincereTheRebel]

Bale shouldn't sign for a club. He should just train with Swansea or something until November.
:cool:

[Gray Fox]

Canadian mens team is on STRIKE.

1533557633570836480

[Lewis]

1533516563835502595

:o

[Jimmy Floyd]

Ugh. I take back my praise. Stay in your lane, mate.

[Kikó]

Should have gave them the penalty if he was really sad.

[Giggles]

Smallbone has been an absolute beast in this U21 window. Good enough you’d be worried he’ll fuck off now.

[Waffdon]

Compared to thirty years ago when half of them weren't even that.

Much better that way.

[Kikó]

Agreed. Fuck these identikit players.

[Giggles]

It's entertainment after all. If people stop watching it's done.