September: Transfers! Southend! FOUR GAMES!!!!!!!!

[Ian]

Praise be, another tedious transfer window comes to a close. But not quite, we've still got a few more hours to go each slightly less thrilling than the last!

Meanwhile Southend's extended crisis continues as Ron Martin's wig is hoping, according to this (https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-12468275/WONDERS-PYRAMID-worst-run-club-land-33-days-extinction-PLUS-THREE-games-watch-weekend.html), "an Australian chap" can buy the club. But fingers crossed The Rock hasn't fully ruled himself out yet!

Please find below a simulation of how I believe a Dwayne Johnson / Southend takeover would go:
https://i.ibb.co/cFwyzJV/image.png

And lastly I am nothing if not a man of my word so here are FOUR games you should watch this weekend!
https://i.ibb.co/559b8z7/image.png

[Spikey M]

He may be late with the scoops, but by God he knows his stuff.

[Lofty]

Is Kudus making his debut tonight? I expect the Irons to pillage Kenilworth Road tonight, not sure why people are painting it as Galatasaray when Luton can't even trap a ball without conceding :moop:

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Kenilworth Road is such a great/shit stadium.

Proper non-league feel to it.

[Spikey M]

Kenilworth Road is such a great/shit stadium.

Proper non-league feel to it.

Not non-league (take it from me), but it's definitely up there with some of the league 1 and 2 stadiums I've been to over the years.

If you want Non-league, I went to Watch Great Wakering Rovers on Monday and it was good fun. I'm used to fans being on a first name basis with the players, but seeing a player getting a yellow for shouting "oh fuck off, George" at someone in the stand / bus-stop is a first. As is 3 red cards. One after the final whistle.


https://i.ibb.co/0mvxTNh/20230828-145136.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/9g0jv8K/20230828-150016.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/6gbdJKM/20230828-150413.jpg


I'm not sure I'll be back too often, but visit your local shite-league club. It's, erm... interesting.

[Lofty]

Top keeper bantz.

[Baz]

1697606235208486952

[Don]

:D

Moyes trying to hold on to a 1-0 against these mugs. The only thing more alarming is noticing losing Rice has had absolutely no effect whatsoever on them. £100m :D

[Baz]

Ward-Prowse is like that version of FIFA on the Nintendo DS where every corner was like 99% chance of a goal. Left side was Louis Saha scoring, right side was Gary Neville. :cool:

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

That was a pen.

[Kikó]

Booked the train to Munich.. 🎈

Was heading to Weisbaden today (capital of the state of Hesse don't you know?) But they've got a team now in the 2. Bundesliga and are playing Schalke. Swerve.

[John Arne]

Booked the train to Munich.. 🎈

Was heading to Weisbaden today (capital of the state of Hesse don't you know?) But they've got a team now in the 2. Bundesliga and are playing Schalke. Swerve.

Apologies if I'm mixing you up with another Man Utd fan on here, but didn't you say you would stop supporting them if Greenwood stayed?

[Kikó]

He's left?

[John Arne]

He's left?

He's still being paid £70k odd a week by Man Utd, and just shipped off on a temporary loan.

Is this really how fans are going to worm there way out of this?

[Kikó]

Well the ideal situation would be his contract was terminated but I'm not sure what worming is going on. They've moved him out of the club. If they bring him back next year to try and pretend all is forgiven then let's discuss.

[Giggles]

He's left?

:D that's some cop out after all the big talk.

[Gray Fox]

More likely no one over here wants to buy for obvious reasons and a suggestion of a contract termination will likely be rejected by him or more likely his legal team declaring he's not been found guilty of anything and as such has done nothing wrong. He's likely loaned away until his contract expires or until Saudi buy him.

[Ian]

I don't think anybody on here went any further than me saying they didn't want to cheer a team with him in it so I suspect this is just people responding to the posts they'd like to imagine were made than the ones that actually were.


More likely no one over here wants to buy for obvious reasons and a suggestion of a contract termination will likely be rejected by him or more likely his legal team declaring he's not been found guilty of anything and as such has done nothing wrong.

Basically, yeah. I mean they could have just sacked him and worn it if they actually had any principles but these people don't or they wouldn't be in the line of work they're in. Because the 'new evidence" they're claiming to have seen is clearly made up so not a chance anybody's doing anything other than pretend he actually is, like, totes innocent, yeah.

[Giggles]

Big club loans out young prospect for a season, big whoop. There's no doubt he ends up back in a Utd shirt.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

It does feel like they'll loan him out for this year (and maybe next year) then try to integrate him back into the team as they hope people will have forgotten by then.

[Ben]

Kiko has bottled this.

[Ian]

First he refused to stop supporting the club as he promised he would when United signed proven match-fixer Billy Meredith in the early 1900s and now this smh.

[Lofty]

More likely no one over here wants to buy for obvious reasons and a suggestion of a contract termination will likely be rejected by him or more likely his legal team declaring he's not been found guilty of anything and as such has done nothing wrong. He's likely loaned away until his contract expires or until Saudi buy him.

They could mutually terminate his contract if the fee was high enough they just dont want to take the hit.

[Lofty]

Pickford timewasting after 28 minutes :D

[Manc]

Gavin Bazuna needs to retire.

[Don]

Archer looks class.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Fucking hell Pickford.

[Kikó]

Not sure what I've bottled but on the ropes probably.

[John Arne]

Watching Spanish football is hard... diving, cheating, screaming and histrionics every 2 minutes. Also, Camavinga cannot pass - awful technique.

[Giggles]

You could have just left the Spanish bit out of that sentence.

[Danny]

Elanga :cool:

[Trancemeister]

Jackson is absolutely useless.

[Don]

I'd like to withdraw my apology and revert back to 'Colombian Carlton Cole'. How on Earth didn't they sign another striker? :D

[Don]

Wait, he'a not even Colombian. That could have been perceived as a bit racist.

[Don]

1698003150240616866?t=NMxuJgbwjaA-RDuiiXHhbg&s=19

Poor kid chose this over becoming a generational player.

[John Arne]

Bellingham with a 94th minute winner :drool:

[Shindig]

Deary me. Brighton have us.

[randomlegend]

Jackson has had one purple patch of form in his whole career and was widely considered one of the worst players in La Liga before hitting 9 in 8 or whatever it was in the last part of the season.

Absolute heist selling him to Chelsea.

[Waffdon]

You’ve just made that up.

The biggest issue is Thiago Silva having to be forced into the XI. Means they’re vulnerable to the counter and alongside that he’s got two folk out of position to accommodate him. The sooner Silva fucks off the better

[Don]

Was widely considered one of the worst before proving to be one of the best :D

[wullie]

Mad old 3-3 draw with Watford with us missing a penalty and nobody knowing how to defend. However I don't think I'll ever see us score a better goal than our second today

1697995837320663042

[Waffdon]

Newcastle in the mud. :drool:

[randomlegend]

Was widely considered one of the worst before proving to be one of the best :D

Yeah because one short patch of scoring form on the back of three years of being absolute shite "proves" someone a good player. Prior to that patch he was on 12 in 73, mostly in the second division. He was a laughing stock.

[Lewis]

This season Smallpockets is on FRAUD watch.

[Gray Fox]

Wasn't he in charge the only time PSG didn't win their league in the last 10 odd years? With Mbappe and Messi too?

[Lofty]

Howe might be getting the chop soon if they don't buck their ideas up. Same as the last match there is something weird going on where they get into the final third and cant complete a pass if their lives depended on it.

Doesnt help Ferguson is having one of those days where everything just goes his way.

[Don]

Yeah because one short patch of scoring form on the back of three years of being absolute shite "proves" someone a good player. Prior to that patch he was on 12 in 73, mostly in the second division. He was a laughing stock.

Have you got a GCSE in Maths? Jesus, where are those figures coming from?

[randomlegend]

Whichever stats site you care to choose. When it comes to goals and appearances they tend to be all the same.

Why don't you try to point out where you think I'm wrong (I'm not) rather than just crying and denying reality like you always do.

[Don]

Talk to me about Nunez and Antony and Malacia and Wan-Bissaka and life :happycry:

[randomlegend]

Managed to gather together enough fingers to count on to realise you were wrong I see.

[Don]

Talk to me about being wrong.

[Spikey M]

Stealing bikes. Stealing from children. Being under 5' 10".

[Manc]

The operation already working wonders for Jackson. Never fails.

[Giggles]

If Ferguson was South American or Slav every cock here would be red raw by now :drool:

He's going to make Bohs a fortune though unfortunately.

[Don]

I'd love to know who gets him. I'd expect no foreign club outside of Saudis can afford him so I see Arsenal as in the lead. All you potato farners are Liverpool fans, is he the same?

[Gray Fox]

He was in Liverpool kits as a child, so presumably.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

The SEETHE from Giggles if he switched to England would be incredible.

[Giggles]

The SEETHE from Giggles if he switched to England would be incredible.

It would be extremely difficult at this stage.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

It wouldn't, he can still change his mind.

[Don]

There's some google hits for him being a Utd fan. And he's just signed a new 5-contract? What's the salary on that? If he isn't getting £100K a week (he isn't, is he?) then he's fucked up.

[Jimmy Floyd]

We're in serious trouble.

[Lofty]

De Gea still a free agent.

[Kikó]

He was in Liverpool kits as a child, so presumably.

He's a United fan.

1480508836960161798?s=19

[John Arne]

Ferguson has played for Bottom Ireland in a Euros qualifier, presumable there is no changing allegiance after that?

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Ferguson has played for Bottom Ireland in a Euros qualifier, presumable there is no changing allegiance after that?
Qualifiers don't count as official games.

[John Arne]

Really? That's pretty mad.

[Giggles]

Qualifiers don't count as official games.

You haven't got that right at all - more than three of them do. You've read the bit about any finals appearance and taken it that those are the only ones that count.

Incidentally, broken clock and all that, you've stumbled across being right that he won't have racked up more than three until Paris next week.

[Giggles]

Anyway, he's Irish as opposed to some innit geezer who holidayed to his granny a couple of times.

[Lofty]

Yeah I doubt he would change allegiance, just listen to him talk compared to Rice and Grealish.

[Spikey M]

They need to do away with all this nationality bollocks. Play for whatever country you were born in. It doesn't matter if you were born in between flights during a 4 hour change over in Moldova. If you're born there, you're from there, play for them.

[Giggles]

That's exactly how it should be. I know we'd lose out on more than most (McClean, Duffy, Cullen, Smallbone, and Keane in the current squad alone) if it was that way, but international sport should be about that.

[Don]

I can't remember if Gakpo does the wide spots or not but it's looking like a 3-way battle with Jota and the malnourished one for the 3rd spot because Nunez is here to stay.

[niko_cee]

30 points might be enough to stay up this season looking at some of the shite down the bottom of the table.

[Lewis]

United are definitely losing today. I would keep Martial around at this point just for his testimonial.

[Gray Fox]

Great performance. Quansah even looking alright.

I just wish they'd stop putting the game on at the same time as the F1.

[niko_cee]

Since when have FPL ownership stats been part of Sky's coverage? That needs to not be a thing.

[Luke Emia]

Since when have FPL ownership stats been part of Sky's coverage? That needs to not be a thing.

So many people play it I assume they are just jumping on the bandwagon.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Our Newcastle kit is shit.

[Waffdon]

Man Utd kit is a genuine disgrace

[Lewis]

It looks alright, but it's not a United kit. It's something a Belgian team would wear.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Havertz :harold:

[Waffdon]

Havertz is not normal. Hahaha. Jesus

[Don]

Havertz in a midfield 3 of a 4-3-3. The move to anonymous Kovacic role has begun.

3 fucking years ahead of the curve. One of my most outstanding takes was Kai.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Sir Marcus :cool:

[Waffdon]

The most Ten Haag goal ever

[Don]

This performance is making Tony Pulis tell the missus he's going back in for one more EPL job. Jesus, gtf back to Eridivisie :D

[niko_cee]

What's happened there then? Saka's been fouled, but has then been booked for the 'foul' on Fernandes which wasn't a foul because Saka had already been fouled so Arsenal get the freekick? I thought once the 'whistle has gone' you can only get done for violent conduct [ie not a yellow card foul]?

[Foe]

What's happened there then? Saka's been fouled, but has then been booked for the 'foul' on Fernandes which wasn't a foul because Saka had already been fouled so Arsenal get the freekick? I thought once the 'whistle has gone' you can only get done for violent conduct [ie not a yellow card foul]?

It seems a bit mad. He was clearly off balance because he’s been fouled and in isolation it looks bad. Var were even checking it for a red which is mad. Imagine getting fouled and sent off? Surely the fact he’s fouled sort of negates the rest, bar as you say a genuine violent conduct style retribution.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Looks soft as fuck on replay.

[SincereTheRebel]

Kai in a Chelsea or Arsenal shirt. He just seems dopey and clumsy.

[Danny]

If that’s given Arsenal fans can wind their neck in about Rashford last week

[Lewis]

It's a dive but you're asking for it defending like that.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

VAR getting things right.

[SincereTheRebel]

Did they card him for a dive as i didnt see one?

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Better Haaland to win it for us.

[Gray Fox]

Only thing he butchers is his teams chances of winning.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Maguire :face:

[thommo]

Once again the dwarf proving how braindead he is.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

"I don't think he's touched the ball yet but he's definitely touched Gabriel a few times"

:D

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Rashford trying to beat every man is getting annoying.

Cross the fucking ball.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Garnacho :drool: :drool: :drool: :drool: :drool: :drool: :drool: :drool: :drool: :drool: :drool: :drool: :drool:

Get fucked Arsenal.

Edit: :(

[Waffdon]

:lol:

Gabriel nearly fucked that by sticking his head out like that.

[Lewis]

Hoyland looks rapid. If he can finish and doesn't have pathetic hamstrings he should be good.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I've loved him getting physical with Gabriel too.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Clear foul on Evans.

[Waffdon]

Strong hands from Onana

[Gray Fox]

Imagine time wasting all game and pissing about with it at the back to lose it late on.

[Shindig]

Don't need to imagine it, to be honest. Carvalho 90+7 :(

[Giggles]

Clear foul on Evans.

Please tell me that’s some new up and coming youngster and not Johnny Evans :D

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Please tell me that’s some new up and coming youngster and not Johnny Evans :D

It is indeed Jonny...

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I hate football.

[Don]

Really gutting to see these scenes...

[Gray Fox]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FeEaAk8XgAEIwuP.jpg

[Lewis]

It might have been a foul on Evans, but why is he open at the back post like that with ten minutes to shoot? Shit.

[SincereTheRebel]

Please tell me that’s some new up and coming youngster and not Johnny Evans :D


It is indeed Jonny...

I had to check and can confirm it is. Top Ireland. Debut under Fergie in 2007.

[Waffdon]

I’m looking forward to another season of let down for Arsenal. Fuck are these celebrations after both goals.

[Don]

4 games in and they've got Maguire and Evans at CB as their 4th and 5th choice. Egghead is cooking. Try 9th abd 10th choice though :harold:

[phonics]

Stick to doing the Poznan over Fabrizio Romano tweeting ‘here we go’ you muggy little runt. @waff

Scenes.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

:D

[Lewis]

I’m looking forward to another season of let down for Arsenal. Fuck are these celebrations after both goals.

It might be a London thing, it might be their TTH contingent being shit (soz Beano), but there is something immensely gay about Arsenal. I would rather Liverpool won something.

[SincereTheRebel]

Its seems they over celebrate last minute winners and beating rival teams.

[Waffdon]

It might be a London thing, it might be their TTH contingent being shit (soz Beano), but there is something immensely gay about Arsenal. I would rather Liverpool won something.

They’re just emotional as fuck. The fans and all the players and managers. Probably why their arse completely collapsed last year.

Look at Phonics, for fuck sake. 40 year old bloke who gets emotional as fuck on a message board at least once a week. Shadow boxing his laptop when he sees a Giggles/Waff/RL post.

[Kikó]

Bit disappointing but it's all irrelevant anyway as we wait for city to win another league. We've ended the game with Evans and Maguire so not sure it's all to hell when we can't defend properly.

Nice to see a centre forward come on and actually physically challenge their defenders.

[Lewis]

Look at Phonics, for fuck sake. 40 year old bloke who gets emotional as fuck on a message board at least once a week. Shadow boxing his laptop when he sees a Giggles/Waff/RL post.

lolling out loud at this has made up for the result.

[Kikó]

Plus var again confirming it's the worst thing ever to happen to football.

[Don]

Oh shit, Hunpty Dumpty is cracking. "Wrong angle, not offisde. Penalty on Hojlund. Foul on Evans. Arsenal didn't have minimum favela headcount."

[Lewis]

Harold
phonics
Davgooner
The Merse
Taz acting up because his genetics are telling him to support Arsenal
diljeet (as above)
Sincere (again)
AE (.....)

Pick one out of that. Harold for mine. Beano can have a pass.

[Don]

Woah woah woah, I despise them but they haven't been relevant for too long and they still aren't. Their fans have died down and are mutes as a result whereas Utd lot still have delusions that fuel my fire.

[Spikey M]

Harold
phonics
Davgooner
The Merse
Taz acting up because his genetics are telling him to support Arsenal
diljeet (as above)
Sincere (again)
AE (.....)

Pick one out of that. Harold for mine. Beano can have a pass.

The state of this country is enough to testify that deranged behaviour is the outcome of a fallen empire. What you see listed above is the ruins of "The Invincibles".

[Giggles]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FeEaAk8XgAEIwuP.jpg

Keeks has swapped his for a Greenwood poster.

[Kikó]

It's really excellent banter.

[Giggles]

Big claims aren't banter.

[Don]

Look at the seethe.

[Kikó]

I don't actually follow what you're saying.

[Spikey M]

Why is Sancho having a bitch-fit on Twitter?

[Lewis]

Humpty Dumpty said he wasn't picked because his training has been crap. Absolute fanny status CONFIRMED.

[Kikó]

1698421281756971401?s=19

Good man U day.

[Don]

1698417915429531942

Wheels coming off 4 games in :D

[Baz]

He might have tried hard in training but he’s still absolutely rubbish. Maybe that’s it, Jadon.

[Spikey M]

Big fan of Ronaldo fans - the biggest bunch of nonces in the world - using this to justify his chimp out.

[Kikó]

How will we cope without Sancho's static performances?

[Lofty]

A draw would have been a fair result but once Maguire and Evans were on it would have been embarassing not to win that.

[Lofty]

1698405034764145115

[Spikey M]

Such thick Mancunian accents.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Those fan channels are really good grifts. Might start one for Surrey in the county championship, would do numbers. FUCK'S SAKE READ THE OUTSWINGER BOI

[Don]

Climate change hitting Greater Manchester hard for that level of melanin production too, right?

[Kikó]

Those fan channels are really good grifts. Might start one for Surrey in the county championship, would do numbers. FUCK'S SAKE READ THE OUTSWINGER BOI

It's the pits. Absolute nobodies talking shit and people actually watching them. Grow up.

[Spikey M]

I don't understand how Twitch is a thing in general. What a load of shite.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Keeks is taking the loss well.

[Kikó]

It was probably the best performance of the season so far from us.

[Ian]

Big fan of Ronaldo fans - the biggest bunch of nonces in the world - using this to justify his chimp out.

Oh, is it a "YOU SEE TEN HAG IS THE BADDIE!!!11111111" deal?

Saw a kid in a Saudi Ronaldo jersey shirt the other day. Grim stuff.

[Spikey M]

Oh, is it a "YOU SEE TEN HAG IS THE BADDIE!!!11111111" deal?

Saw a kid in a Saudi Ronaldo jersey shirt the other day. Grim stuff.

It is indeed. 2 separate players couldn't just be fannies. It's the Dutchman wot did it.

[wullie]

On holiday last month when they had the market in town the knock-off football shirt stalls were all Inter Miami Messi shirts and Ronaldo's Saudi team, when they both retire you have to fear for the dodgy holiday kit industry.

[Lofty]

Some absolute parasite headbutted Keane after the game apparently, I hope they get jail time for it.

[Gray Fox]

Anthony off on loan in January?

[thommo]

Getafe will probably fancy him, he'll fit right in.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

https://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/antony-ex-girlfriend-gabriela-cavallin-claims-man-utd-star-attacked-her-when-pregnant-headbutt-cut-fingers-to-bone-shocking-abuse-allegations/blt41064b1c1915d863

Grim.

Cancel the cunt's contract please.

[Spikey M]

Some place, Manchester.

[Ian]

Ugh.

[Lewis]

Could they sack him and sue him for his transfer fee like Chelsea did with Adrian Mutu?

[niko_cee]

All set up for Sancho to be back to his best in the near future.

[phonics]

Antony dropped from the Brazil squad. Sancho to get some game time soon.

[Kikó]

Arise Pellestri.

[Spikey M]

1698692516508528657?t=wzPS4tJOH1F8kS8yK6j6uA&s=19

:lol:

[Boydy]

Swedish club contact Ifab after finding loophole in offside law (https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/sep/04/swedish-club-contact-ifab-after-finding-loophole-in-offside-law)

Lol

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Genius.

[Giggles]

Ferguson "injured" for France and Netherlands :sherlock:

[Jimmy Floyd]

What I'm hearing is we're going to allow him to play for you, but in return we annex Donegal.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66714875

:harold:

[Lofty]

They said on Second Captains they were surprised he wasn't subbed after his hat trick as he got a knock after that.

[Jimmy Floyd]

His agent is insane letting him do that interview. Comes across as the quintessential thick footballer with absolutely nothing about him.

[Don]

He's proper muddied his rep amongst Liverpool fans with that interview (not the 2LGBTQIA+ shite [lol at his words on that] but trying to bring the Nazi or Hairy Hungarian's name into disrepute).

[wullie]

It's not about the money, he said before diving into his huge vat of gold coins

[Spikey M]

Nice of him to take the heat off Sancho in the misjudged public statement world.

[-james-]

Henderson said: "I've gone above and beyond to help [the LGBTQ+ community]. I've worn the laces. I've worn the armband. I've spoken to people in that community to try to use my profile to help them. That's all I've ever tried to do.


Proper lol

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Can't do much more than that, la.

[Giggles]

What I'm hearing is we're going to allow him to play for you, but in return we annex Donegal.

Doing us two favours?

[Giggles]

Sir Andy Mahowry in a completely expected turn of events we're both wrong.

1699021019300745363

[niko_cee]

The seethe from that guy if clause whatever overrules clause whatever would probably collapse reality.

[niko_cee]

Also, in why do we have this shit part 157:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66724505

lol

[Ben]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66725924

The final straw for Kiko.

[thommo]

Avram looking an awful lot like the butcher from Coronation Street there.

[Jimmy Floyd]

£10 billion sounds a bit steep, but I'm up for TTH consortium buying a club. How much are they wanting for Southend?

[Spikey M]

Depends if you want to own the stadium and training ground. You can have the club for about a quid if you're willing to take on all the debt and pay rent to Ron Martin for the stadium and training ground.

I can't imagine why nobody has taken him up on this generosity.

[randomlegend]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66725924

The final straw for Kiko.

Mike Keegan (who weirdly seems to have a virtually directly line to Raine) says there's been no change in the club being for sale.

So whilst it's true shares dived after reports it was off the market, it doesn't seem to be true that it's actually off the market.

[Luke Emia]

Mike Keegan (who weirdly seems to have a virtually directly line to Raine) says there's been no change in the club being for sale.

So whilst it's true shares dived after reports it was off the market, it doesn't seem to be true that it's actually off the market.

You'd imagine that line has been fed to someone though for them to run it. More than likely just testing to see what the reaction is.

[Kikó]

The share price going down has zero impact on the Glazers. It's meaningless.

[Lewis]

I would love to see a breakdown of how the Glazers value the club. Six billion always struck me as pushing it owing to the money that would still need spending (stadium, does the buyer inherit their debt?), and therefore aimed solely at Arabs or hoping some clown would re-finance them had interest rates not exploded.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Surely the 'sale' is all a con and they're just hanging on in the hope a Super League happens and gives them a trillion dollars.

[Kikó]

I would love to see a breakdown of how the Glazers value the club. Six billion always struck me as pushing it owing to the money that would still need spending (stadium, does the buyer inherit their debt?), and therefore aimed solely at Arabs or hoping some clown would re-finance them had interest rates not exploded.

The seller inherits the debt if they want it (INEOS would absorb it into a separate vehicle apparently) or clear it if they buy it outright (Qatar). One credible explanation I've heard is they see the value of the NFL clubs and see a bigger ceiling than the one currently offered - https://www.cbsnews.com/news/washington-commanders-sale-nfl-owners-approve-dan-snyder-josh-harris-6-billion/#:~:text=NFL%20owners%20unanimously%20approved%20t he,North%20American%20professional%20sports%20team .
). I think it's all a game to eek out the last few dollars before selling.

[phonics]

Arsenal Twitter going crazy over players being nominated for a ballon d’or. Meanwhile, some bloke called Yasmine Bounou who I’m not sure exists is also on the list. So thirsty.

[Jimmy Floyd]

If I could change one thing about football it would be to abolish the balloon of gold. Not an individual sport.

[niko_cee]

It's all pretty meaningless as there's more to football finance than transfer churn alone, but lol (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66726456) nonetheless. Not sure who comes out of that worse really. Maybe one of the North Londons? Newcastle?

[Shindig]

Steve Harper had a stroke? Shite. :( Hope he recovers alright.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66732868

[Waffdon]

1699328264987160877

Is that actually legit? Bloody hell. They’re all shouting over each other :lol:

[Don]

Fucking retards. Silva said it well, decisions by non-players.

[niko_cee]

:D

I'm all for "well, it's not like he was going to save that anyway" being a mitigating offside factor.

[Jimmy Floyd]

They must have been on thousands of football pitches and be able to read the game as well as any player. The issue in the clip above is they're too frantic and insufficiently calm, derived from the deadly duo of being under far too much pressure, and probably being a bit thick.

[Don]

If anyone fancies a wank to non-adult material tonight:

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/sep/06/lewis-dunk-england-brighton-football

[-james-]

That opening paragraph. :lol:

[Ben]

I'm sure it's nailed on with a squad full of Manchester benchwarmers and Saudi has-beens.

[Dark Soldier]

United's guest of honour at the weekend was a convicted paedophile.

What a club.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Lies.

It was last year apparently not the weekend.

[Dark Soldier]

Tbf he wasn't noncing at the time and, like Gteenwood, second chances innit [/Nigerian]

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Just misunderstood and his 13 year old wife is probably really happy.

[Offshore Toon]

That opening paragraph. :lol:
It's so small-time, it's crazy. Have they actually confronted the psychological problems head on in any way? It doesn't matter how many times you hold hands and say you're winners, deep down they're itching to bottle it.

[Jimmy Floyd]

English sports teams will always be bottlers by default. We can win occasionally when we find a way of scamming the competition or manipulating resources to our advantage (jelly bean reverse swing; cheating swim/bike suits; the entire sport of rowing) but in a mano a mano battle of physical aptitude and resolve we will always tend to lose. It's just not what we're about.

That Croatia semi final in 2018 was the apex example of it.

[phonics]

Didn't have Mr. Britain painting this place as an island of losers down in the sweepstakes.

[Jimmy Floyd]

We're not losers. It's just that our wins come about as a result of having rigged things to our advantage long in advance, rather than out there in the heat of battle. Football it's hard to do that.

Tiger Tim Henman is the soul of our national sporting output.

[Offshore Toon]

That sounds like a loser mentality, mate. Had to cheat but then everybody cottoned on so now you're shit... But also still the best somehow.

[phonics]

We're not losers. It's just that our wins come about as a result of having rigged things to our advantage long in advance, rather than out there in the heat of battle. Football it's hard to do that.

Tiger Tim Henman is the soul of our national sporting output.

That is the definition of a loser. By your definition, the country is Wile E Coyote.

[Giggles]

France should have had about 8 here.

[Yevrah]

That Croatia semi final in 2018 was the apex example of it.

Our football team has done it so many times now, across 35 years of me watching them, with different players, managers and opposition and there is only one conclusion you can really draw from that. Our football team are losers.

[Baz]

Mostly because their managers are absolute losers, I reckon.

[Lewis]

It's not like our eleven players have been better than their eleven players for most of these exits. Iceland was obviously a joke, and Southgate has a lot to answer for; but people forget that those Portugal teams that cursed us were every bit as good as our 'Golden Generation', and the same goes for Germany, Argentina, Brazil...

[phonics]

Loser talk.

[Offshore Toon]

Imagine Mourinho in charge instead of the bulbous-lipped apologist. Most of them are too dim to understand what a weak mentality is, so it definitely largely stems from the top. Southgate is a perennial bottler and his pursuit to make amends for that missed penalty has cost England another trophy. You couldn't write it.

[Jimmy Floyd]

If we're not favourites in a big game we will lose. Pretty much guaranteed. That isn't the case with other nations.

The reason we do well is for reasons that are nothing to do with the England team or management, for instance having the world's best and deepest football culture other than maybe Brazil.

[niko_cee]

This all sounds like a load of hot air bullshit.

Fair enough, sitting around 'manifesting' winning the world cup is obviously absolute wank [although a lot in here seem to be somewhere on that spectrum]. Brazil have just gone through twenty years without winning it, so the idea of any nation being entitled to win is clearly mad. Maybe we have enough top top players around and coming through now, but, unfortunately, not everything always goes to plan. The last exit wasn't so much bottling as getting mugged and/or the continuation of the trend of safety first Southgate being both a blessing and a scourge. I'm not sure you can coach 'mentality' at international level in the same way you can at a club.

[Shindig]

The stakes are higher and they don't have the benefit of a club dressing room. It's six weeks with the guys you tend to work with sporadically.

And yet, Southgate didn't know how to handle us leading against Italy.

[niko_cee]

Does Southgate ever have a specific plan for any given situation beyond the one the side is always sent out with?

[Shindig]

It would appear not. I can't think of a game-changing Southgate sub.

[Offshore Toon]

You can't coach it, but you can address it and understand what helps and what doesn't. Walking around claiming failure is not an option when you're going to fail is their attempt at dealing with decades of shit, but it's shallow and naive. They're already attempting to fix the collective psychology, but they're doing it in a way that only a weak minded group would. If you don't understand the issue, you can't fix it, and they clearly don't understand the issue.

[niko_cee]

Isn't the best solution to breed a winning culture through the age groups, so players come in to the senior set-up with experience of having done well on the international stage? Which they sort of have been doing of late. For too many years [and to some extent it is still the case] England took the view that one senior cap at 18 forever precluded you from going back to [appropriate] age group stuff whereas countries like Spain [long time bottling losers] would be rolling out 22 year old Juan Mata and [linked to United for loads of money] Thiago in their U21 sides for the major age group events.

[Spikey M]

I just want a manager that actually makes use of the outstanding attacking players we have, rather than being so scared of conceding that scoring goals often feels like it's viewed as a bonus.

[Baz]

A woman at work (who is the one of the least socially aware and emotionally unintelligent people I’ve ever had the displeasure to meet, but that’s a story for another day) bangs on about her six year old son like he’s the second coming of Messi, so the 2042 World Cup is basically Englands.

[niko_cee]

I just want a manager that actually makes use of the outstanding attacking players we have, rather than being so scared of conceding that scoring goals often feels like it's viewed as a bonus.


Kane
Grealish Saka
Foden Bellingham

Rice

Chilwell Colwill Dunk TAA*


*I have no idea about the defence in general, you could obviously put Stones or Walker in there somewhere if you wanted to be less BANZAI. That Lewis Dunk has 1 cap [or whatever piteous amount it is] should be a national scandal.

Obviously instead we'll get Rice/Phillips/Henderson with Mount taking one of the attacking roles and Saka being asked to play as an extra full back. And Harry Maguire, forever.

[Adramelch]

A woman at work (who is the one of the least socially aware and emotionally unintelligent people I’ve ever had the displeasure to meet, but that’s a story for another day) bangs on about her six year old son like he’s the second coming of Messi, so the 2042 World Cup is basically Englands.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJXLfa6fXUw

[Lofty]

A woman at work (who is the one of the least socially aware and emotionally unintelligent people I’ve ever had the displeasure to meet, but that’s a story for another day) bangs on about her six year old son like he’s the second coming of Messi, so the 2042 World Cup is basically Englands.

Has that ever panned out correctly? I know a couple who to this day will regale you with stories of how their lad was the best ever at all sports etc etc but it has just resulted in him being a lazy cunt at 35 who expects them to attend all of his amateur cricket matches.

[niko_cee]

Isn't it more commonly the children who have the misplaced aspirations of professional sportsmanship [who didn't plan to be a professional footballer when they were 10?] - you'd think parents would have a little more perspective.

[Spikey M]

Both my kids are going to be pro footballers. My mortgage isn't going to pay its self.

[Baz]

Both my kids are going to be pro footballers. My mortgage isn't going to pay its self.I was hoping for this but ones a girl and ones flippin' massive, so I'll have to settle for a GP and a rugby player, cos I don't fancy him bagging the big fat goalie role at school.

[Offshore Toon]

Isn't the best solution to breed a winning culture through the age groups, so players come in to the senior set-up with experience of having done well on the international stage? Which they sort of have been doing of late. For too many years [and to some extent it is still the case] England took the view that one senior cap at 18 forever precluded you from going back to [appropriate] age group stuff whereas countries like Spain [long time bottling losers] would be rolling out 22 year old Juan Mata and [linked to United for loads of money] Thiago in their U21 sides for the major age group events.
It's bigger than that. Plus, the kids aren't going to come in and change the mentality of the first team so easily. Bellingham may be crucial moving forward but he seems more Kante than Sergio Ramos so I wouldn't bet on it.

Jimmy's thoughts are a good example of what the problem is and Southgate's tactics are a result of the nationalistic mindset. Football is a very complex game that all too often boils down to mindset and culture because all the training in the world means nothing when failure is not just an option, but expected.

The team clearly has enough about them to win but there's no self awareness about where the problems are, so you see this bravado of a fake 'winner's mindset' and it gets you nowhere. It must be hard to be at the top of the game and see yourself and your team as having huge flaws, but they're there and they won't go away until they're confronted. The FA are desperately hoping a cup win will leave this stuff in the past but they don't have to rely on that sort of luck.

It's Tyson Fury v Anthony Joshua stuff. Self-awareness is key and Southgate is the worst offender of all as he has absolutely none, and you can't expect the simple minds of the England team to have any so they're fucked.

[Don]

Lavia injured :harold:

[Jimmy Floyd]

Spain are 4-0 up at half time against Georgia and I noticed that Gavi, fresh from having an Evander Holyfield style injury last weekend, is nevertheless playing in a big scrum cap. This is his 22nd cap at the age of 19 years and 1 month, and he's also played 100 times for Barcelona. That must put him on track to break a shitload of appearance records if he plays into his mid-thirties (my fifties) without major injuries.

[Waffdon]

Georgia/Norway draw on Tuesday assuming Scotland win tonight to confirm qualification during the Scotland/England game :drool:

[Giggles]

Armstrong is in. Gonna 4-0 Netherlands and he won't see a minute, but still :cool:

[Giggles]

And as for Afolabi, :drool:

[niko_cee]

It obviously shows how wildly out of touch with things I am now, but I had literally never heard of 'Yamal' before this afternoon and now I see he has scored whilst also being Spain's youngest ever player. Is he any good or can I expect to see him rocking up at the Amex in 4 years?

[Jimmy Floyd]

Wiki has this to say:


With his technical profile, he was compared to his idol Lionel Messi, like many La Masia trainees before him, but also to more recent Barça player Ansu Fati.

Place bets now.

[Waffdon]

McTominay for Scotland this past year :drool:

Can’t believe we were wasting him at centre half. Absolute goal machine

[niko_cee]

Is the Jockland game on TV? Sort of expected to find it on Sky but no dice. Is it on one of the weird Scotch terrestrial channels?

[Jimmy Floyd]

It's on Viaplay Sports 1, so no.

[Waffdon]

STV are tight bastards so yeah, all our games (and domestic cup games) are mainly on Viaplay, whatever that is.

We’re so fucking good. Avoid a battering in Spain and we’ll win the group. :drool:

[niko_cee]

Stay Classy Sau-Diego. (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66751562)

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

1700271433769967750

Cracking name too.

[John Arne]

Arguably one of England's best players, Foden, misses out again, whilst Maguire and Henderson continue to start :/

[Spikey M]

It's just depressing at this point. He's completely jumped the shark.

[John Arne]

Already Maguire keeps moving over to the left despite playing on the right side.

[niko_cee]

Has Gareth Southgate Badger really sent Jude Bellingham out to play on the left wing?