January Football: This Time It's 2024ier

[Don]

Easy home draw whilst City away to Spurs and Villa away to Chelsea. The retarded quad is ON.

[wullie]

Away at Wednesday the weekend after we play Wednesday away. Glad it's been a full two weeks since we last played them, otherwise it'd be a bit samey

[Don]

You can tell Maloney is a disciple of Bobby Martinez, some sexy af football but it will finish 0-4 with that madness at the back.

[niko_cee]

Someone just needs to take Anthony Taylor out back and shoot him.

Or all Portuguese people.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Bruno going down that easy against Wigan :lol:

[Gray Fox]

I feel like we play Norwich a lot, so Bristol would be welcome visitors.

[randomlegend]

You can tell Maloney is a disciple of Bobby Martinez, some sexy af football but it will finish 0-4 with that madness at the back.

Backing us to score 4, you're an embarrassment.

[Shindig]

Away at Wednesday the weekend after we play Wednesday away. Glad it's been a full two weeks since we last played them, otherwise it'd be a bit samey

Were any of them midweek fixtures?

[Don]

Rashford's performance there would be mind-boggling if his manager didn't have the aura of a 55 year-old virgin. He's tough on Sancho/Ronaldo/etc but he can't make Rashford pass after a year of coaching :D

[Lewis]

It was a proper highlight reel from him tonight. Such a thicko.

[SvN]

Yeah, but I bet the Wigan center halves have got proper stinging shins from the amount of times the ball was blasted at them.

[Kikó]

Bruno going down that easy against Wigan :lol:

It was a pen, probably best not to dive in in the box if you don't want to give away a foul in the box.

[Ben]

Only because it's a non-contact sport now. The fella brushed his toe. If Bruno stays on his feet the referee probably thinks there was no contact at all.

[Dave.]

Not a penalty and not a dive for me. There is contact but not enough to justify a penalty.

[Danny]

1744667704944943130

[Jimmy Floyd]

Paul Scholes is 100% an autist.

[Kikó]

Also - how good is football without VAR?

[Luke Emia]

Also - how good is football without VAR?

Knowing you can celebrate a goal when it goes in is so joyous. I think that's the biggest thing with VAR the complete loss of any spontaneity and it's a thousand times worse when you are at the ground.

[phonics]

Errrr

1744726038972936411

[niko_cee]

:D

She's probably 33.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Fairly standard Muslim behaviour tbf.

[niko_cee]

Knowing you can celebrate a goal when it goes in is so joyous. I think that's the biggest thing with VAR the complete loss of any spontaneity and it's a thousand times worse when you are at the ground.

I thought there were some good comments on the BBC livetext about this today:


The advent of VAR in football has utterly sapped the soul out of the best part of the game: the scoring of a goal. Now, as the ball hits the back of the net, instead of erupting into ecstatic cheers, we find ourselves mired in a maddening limbo, our joy on a leash, as we await the cold, clinical verdict of a video replay. This isn't the football I fell in love with; this isn't the sport where spontaneous jubilation united strangers in collective euphoria. The game's fluidity is now constantly interrupted by jarring stoppages, referees second-guessing themselves, and fans bewildered by perplexing rulings. It feels like we're trading the game's human heart for technological precision, but what's the point if it strips away the raw emotion, the very essence of football? We wanted fairness, but not at the cost of the game's soul, not if it means the purest form of happiness in the sport is diluted by the sterile anticipation of approval from an unseen, all-seeing electronic eye. Football was never meant to be perfect; it's the flaws, the human errors, and the instant drama that gave it its life. VAR, is turning our beautiful, flowing game into a stop-start spectacle that's as much about waiting as it is about watching. Get rid.


Without VAR decisions are subjective. With VAR decisions are subjective. We get the same number of mistakes and opinions/interpretation differences./ controversies. The difference being VAR comes at the expense of spontaneous excitement. Scrap it.

I've always drawn the equivalence to how DRS ruined LBW decisions in cricket, from a spectator's perspective. Imagine how different the 2005 Ashes would have been had Damian Martyn not been [wrongly] given out LBW every time he came to bat. Perhaps spectator sports should put the interests of the spectator above what other perceived interests are being served by way of technology.

There's also the fact that many of sport's most enduring moments are generally some form of cheating, or, at least where there is an element of contentiousness. I always thought Peter Stringer's response to what happened to him in that Heineken Cup final was fascinating, for example, but is very much emblematic of an entirely different point of view from the modern fan or participant.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Of course I had to find the data to back up my prejudices. Shout out to Afghanistan getting men's dicks into them more or less straight from the womb. Allahu Akbar.

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

[Kikó]

Knowing you can celebrate a goal when it goes in is so joyous. I think that's the biggest thing with VAR the complete loss of any spontaneity and it's a thousand times worse when you are at the ground.

The game is not for the fans.

[niko_cee]

Calvert-Lewin's had his red card overturned.

Good process lads.

[Lewis]

The game is not for the fans.

If you think the game is for the fans, you don't know anything about the game.

[Bam]

Of course I had to find the data to back up my prejudices. Shout out to Afghanistan getting men's dicks into them more or less straight from the womb. Allahu Akbar.

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



Niger seem to be a nonce nation.

[niko_cee]

Pepe's mob seem a bit all over the place as well on the age of consent.

[Waffdon]

If Middlesbrough forwards have any pace they could easily get at that Chelsea slug fest at the back assuming they play on the break

[Waffdon]

Never understand why them challenges aren’t given as fouls. Slide in for a block and wipe the striker out after they take a shot

[niko_cee]

Application of rule as stated by Jimmy in relation to goalies wiping people out at corners.

[Ben]

Well the guy Disaster just crocked is rapid and his replacement is slow as fuck.

[Waffdon]

Just the two players out of position from Pochettino. He’s slowly getting there

[Bam]

Pepe's mob seem a bit all over the place as well on the age of consent.


Best not even looking at Afghanistan. :facepalm:

[Waffdon]

Palmer as a ‘false 9’ going as well as expected. Imagine not starting a fucking striker against a mid table championship team with half a team missing through injury

[Waffdon]

Sack him at half time. Please for the love of god.

[Ben]

:cool:

[Ben]

They could still end up winning this comfortably, but Chelsea are pathetic. No fight or urgency in anything.

[Waffdon]

Striker curse is real. Palmer gets moved there and has missed 3 sitters.

[Ben]

That second injury will cost us. It meant putting Clarke on against Palmer/Madueke and he's the very definition of a bomb scare.

[Dquincy]

I thought there were some good comments on the BBC livetext about this today:





I've always drawn the equivalence to how DRS ruined LBW decisions in cricket, from a spectator's perspective. Imagine how different the 2005 Ashes would have been had Damian Martyn not been [wrongly] given out LBW every time he came to bat. Perhaps spectator sports should put the interests of the spectator above what other perceived interests are being served by way of technology.

There's also the fact that many of sport's most enduring moments are generally some form of cheating, or, at least where there is an element of contentiousness. I always thought Peter Stringer's response to what happened to him in that Heineken Cup final was fascinating, for example, but is very much emblematic of an entirely different point of view from the modern fan or participant.

I think football fans have very short memories. If you wind back to pre VAR times, the majority were calling for video replays. Now we have it we want rid of it. People should be careful what they wish for/bitch and moan about.

I include myself in that.

[Waffdon]

Watch the dinosaur bring Mudryk and Broja on but keeps Sterling out there

[niko_cee]

I'm not sure most people were, see the thread on VAR in here when it first came about, and even if the majority football fans were, the majority of people are fucking idiots lacking almost any power of foresight, so that's hardly surprising.

The impressive thing is that I'm not sure even the sceptics thought it'd become as harmful/rubbish as it has.

[Baz]

House on my street has stuck an A4 poster up in a bedroom window. Pink sheet with the Premier League logo on with the word CORRUPT underneath. That’ll show em!

[Yevrah]

The game is not for the fans.

I'm not sure that matters in this case as it's seriously damaging the product as an entertainment offering as well. I don't know whether they had to introduce it as UEFA/FIFA were, but either way, the Premier League (who're one of the few vaguely competent bodies in top level football) should take the lead on this one and bin it off.

[Waffdon]

Middlesbrough look like they’ve got a fan in their goal and they’ve still got a clean sheet. Some effort

[Yevrah]

I'm not sure most people were, see the thread on VAR in here when it first came about, and even if the majority football fans were, the majority of people are fucking idiots lacking almost any power of foresight, so that's hardly surprising.

The impressive thing is that I'm not sure even the sceptics thought it'd become as harmful/rubbish as it has.

As someone who was against it from the off my main concern was the impact it would have on marginal offside goals that we'd have to continually wait for the review of (as refs/linesman naturally rely more and more on it), but not only have they fisted that by checking far more than the marginal stuff, they've also seen fit to bring other 'infringements' during that check into the equation, and utterly cunted every single other application of it too.

We didn't even get to see what its use for 'clear and obvious errors' only would have looked like either as as soon as the toys were available they were being used more than a crack addict's pipe. It's horrid and anyone who still thinks it's a good idea is as close to a certifiable moron as you can get. Bin it and bin it now.

[Ben]

Middlesbrough look like they’ve got a fan in their goal and they’ve still got a clean sheet. Some effort

He's tragic isn't he. :D

Our usual keeper is bench warming at AFCON.

[Waffdon]

He's tragic isn't he. :D

Our usual keeper is bench warming at AFCON.

I think he spilled every single thing that went towards him.

Surely they sack him now. How many embarrassing results do you want in one season after spending a billion squid

[niko_cee]

Keep the faith, a few more £250m transfer windows and they'll get there. Still plenty of young talent to auction off to pay for Victor Osimhen's future long term girlfriend turned bride.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Professional football is a contract between super-talented players and the people who pay them. Traditionally it was the locally generated fanbase that paid their wages. In more recent times it has been the television viewer that did so, and VAR was brought in to sate that television viewer. I think we are rapidly moving into another separate era in which the fundamental contract of football is not between player and crowd, nor between player and TV viewer, but between player and Saudi Arabia, or player and City Football Group, or player and US venture capital. In that context, why do you need VAR? Data analysts will tell you that refereeing decisions make no difference to the outcome of a season, and the VAR process only reflects a culture of objective human scrutiny that these organisations reject. It will go and be replaced by sensors, robots and automation.

[Waffdon]

Villas Boas was streets ahead of this clown.

5 semis final losses in a row for him. Somehow lost out on a league title with PSG. A serial loser. And his jewellery is worse than De Zerbi’s haircut

[niko_cee]

:D

De Zerbi's haircut is dubious.

[Jimmy Floyd]

You're being far too impatient. This season and next are a write off, he has us above where we should be and still could win a cup. Third year I'd expect to see the dividends. But hey, I'd have stuck with Potter for three to five years.

[Waffdon]

Even if he stays in charge and stutters past ‘Boro in the home leg he’s going to rock up to Wembley with a Silva-Disasi back 2 with Salah running at Colwill and have the worst final defeat in the history of the stadium.

[Waffdon]

Pochettino also made Messi look like a goat herder

[thommo]

Even if he stays in charge and stutters past ‘Boro in the home leg he’s going to rock up to Wembley with a Silva-Disasi back 2 with Salah running at Colwill and have the worst final defeat in the history of the stadium.

Can't believe we're being written off like this.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Apologies. Steve Marlet to fire home the winner, open top bus parade down Barnes high street, Bobby Moore statue at Wembley to be pulled down and replaced by one of Johnny Haynes and Mohamed Fayed arm-in-arm.

[Kikó]

Happy for Micheal Carrick doing such a good job. Hopefully we can ruin him as united manager one day.

[thommo]

Apologies. Steve Marlet to fire home the winner, open top bus parade down Barnes high street, Bobby Moore statue at Wembley to be pulled down and replaced by one of Johnny Haynes and Mohamed Fayed arm-in-arm.

:drool:

Although you can leave the Moore one up alongside the new statue, he played for us in our only domestic cup final appearance.

[Gray Fox]

Why in god's name is flappy hands in goal for this one. Fulham with a great chance now.

[Waffdon]

Did Fulham play like this when they scored 3 here the other week?

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Van Dijk :harold:

[Waffdon]

Well, defending like that certainly shows how they scored 3. Willian :cool:

[Gray Fox]

Why in god's name is flappy hands in goal for this one. Fulham with a great chance now.

Adrian or someone else please.

[Waffdon]

This Liverpool midfield is beyond dogshit which makes it even more annoying for their inevitable 2nd half flurry of goals

[Gray Fox]

Who exactly is going to be creating those goals?

We've given Fulham the chance to dig in here and they will. I don't this this lineup can break them down. All of the crosses are too floaty and Harvey is just not a right winger of any kind.

[Shindig]

Man, if we held out against Chelsea (we were battered so losing was the right result) we'd be favourites to win this. C'est la vie.

[niko_cee]

All of the crosses are too floaty and Harvey is just not a right winger of any kind.

Yeah. I know they've been banging on about this being his time to shine or whatever, but he always looks so much more adept in the midfield 3. Macca is also rubbish at and completely wasted as 'a six'.

[Waffdon]

The referee is such a weirdo for forcing the physios on there to make Pereira go off for 30 seconds

[Waffdon]

Who exactly is going to be creating those goals?

We've given Fulham the chance to dig in here and they will. I don't this this lineup can break them down. All of the crosses are too floaty and Harvey is just not a right winger of any kind.

You’ve played shit 60% of the season and are in the position you are. It’ll just happen.

[Gray Fox]

I'm not sure why we're all out attack here when there's a 2nd leg.

[Waffdon]

Decordova-Reid is having a mare here. Twice he’s not crossed it first time to someone alone in the box and then also had a horrific first touch to go one on one

[Waffdon]

How do these cunts keep getting away with it.

Arsenal were like this but grinding results out before being fully found out recently. Surely the same has to come for these.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Fuck off.

[Waffdon]

This Liverpool midfield is beyond dogshit which makes it even more annoying for their inevitable 2nd half flurry of goals

Far too obvious.

[Luke Emia]

How do these cunts keep getting away with it.

Arsenal were like this but grinding results out before being fully found out recently. Surely the same has to come for these.

I think the difference is that we aside from Salah have 4 forwards who there isn’t much to choose between. The two who don’t start can make a big difference in every game. Same goes for the midfield as well.

With the caveat we could still fuck this.

[Luke Emia]

That Nunez free-kick is the most Nunez thing I’ve ever seen.

[Waffdon]

that Harry Wilson cameo was pathetic

[Gray Fox]

Nunez changing the game from the bench again. I really hope Dirty Dom and Alisson are back for the 2nd leg.

[Waffdon]

The Curtis Jones fluke changed the game if anything

[niko_cee]

Marco Silva is slowly but surely turning into Nicolas Sarkozy.

[Don]

Nunez and Gakpo off the bench and these virgins are wondering why we keep winning games :happycry:

[thommo]

Yeah Nunez didn't really do anything apart from miss a sitter.

So exasperating, if that deflected goal doesn't happen we probably hold on. As it is, it goes in and we mentally fall apart. Keeping it to 2-1 is a small victory considering the final 20 minutes.

[Don]

Yeah Nunez didn't really do anything apart from miss a sitter.

:happycry::happycry::happycry:

[thommo]

Am I wrong? The cross into the box for the 2nd goal would be completed by anyone on the pitch. And before the deflected goal he had not impacted the game one jot.

[niko_cee]

Willian goes down 10 times out of 10 in VARland for the first goal.

[Gray Fox]

Nunez now with more assists than any Liverpool player this season.

11 days to the next game and hopefully let's one or two get back healthy.

[Manc]

Sky securing the AFCON rights at the eleventh hour. Lovely jubbly.

[Don]

Am I wrong? The cross into the box for the 2nd goal would be completed by anyone on the pitch. And before the deflected goal he had not impacted the game one jot.

Your own attacker (Bobby, was it?) shooting at Kelleher from an angle when the simple cross was on would beg to differ. The assist wasn't that easy and his general movement and dribbling got him a big xA too.


Sky securing the AFCON rights at the eleventh hour. Lovely jubbly.

Loved the pre-tourney hype of these useless cunts dying off within about 2.5 dire games last time round :harold:

[Jimmy Floyd]

All aboard Avram Grant's Zambia, with a first choice keeper named Toaster Nsabata.

[John Arne]

:D

https://gyazo.com/f49fa588061d4446b327165d1dcd0f18.jpeg

[Kikó]

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/67942943 Sven:(

[Yevrah]

Sad, but what a life he's had.

[John Arne]

I look forward to seeing him in the brothels of Saigon very soon.

But yeah, cancer is a cunt.

[niko_cee]

Sad, but what a life he's had.

:D

I was thinking the same. Nailing Ulrika Jonsson whilst having it away with your deepthroat specialist secretary at FA Towers, and whatever Nancy was [wife?] as well.

[Jimmy Floyd]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/africa/67944871

The goat tournament. In every sense.

[Yevrah]

I have nightmares where I'm on an intercontinental flight in Sub-Saharan Africa.

[niko_cee]

There's a problem with the plane but I'm sure it'll sort itself out once you're in the air.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The fact that the government then asked them to fly on the same plane again was the best bit.

[SincereTheRebel]

Happy for Micheal Carrick doing such a good job. Hopefully we can ruin him as united manager one day.

Lads. Is there a direct relation between how good of a manager becomes and his actual position when he played the game? I cant seem to think of many mangers who had success as strikers. The good ones all seem to be central defenders and midfielders...

[Jimmy Floyd]

In baseball the theory goes (no idea if there's data to back it up, but in baseball there usually is) that catchers make the best managers, because they spent their career in close proximity to both pitcher and batter, and with an overview of the whole game. By the same token I suppose in football you would expect a central defender or deep-lying midfielder, or maybe even a goalkeeper, to make a good coach. Strikers are concerned with instinct and opportunism more than the form of the game.

Scanning over the current PL managers, there are a lot of ex centre backs, and I can't see a single forward, at least of those I remember as players.

[SvN]

Lads. Is there a direct relation between how good of a manager becomes and his actual position when he played the game? I cant seem to think of many mangers who had success as strikers. The good ones all seem to be central defenders and midfielders...

Alex Ferguson did alright.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Alex Ferguson did alright.

Brian Clough too, and Cruyff and Zidane... but in general I think vastly more defenders.

[-james-]

Nuno having been a goalie will never not be weird. Are there any others?

[Jimmy Floyd]

Zoff, Zenga, Lopetegui. Wolves appear to love them.

[SincereTheRebel]

Mangers with the highest points per game averages in the premier league. Data stolen from wiki. Only three forwards in the top 20. Looking at the managers who get over 1.3 points a game. Eddie Howe, Nuno,Thomas Frank, etc. It does not get better if you are a forward.

2.23 - Pep Guardiola - Midfield
2.16 - Sir Alex Ferguson - Forward
2.11 - Jürgen Klopp - Defender
2.05 - Roberto Mancini - Forward
2.03 - José Mourinho - Midfield
2.03 - Antonio Conte - Midfield
1.96 - Arsène Wenger - Defender
1.94 - Thomas Tuchel - Defender
1.88 - Mikel Arteta - Midfield
1.86 - Unai Emery - Midfield
1.84 - Carlo Ancelotti - Midfield
1.83 - Erik ten Hag - Defender
1.79 - André Villas-Boas - Never played as a pro
1.79 - Louis van Gaal - Midfield
1.77 - Gianluca Vialli - Forward
1.77 - Manuel Pellegrini - Defender
1.76 - Mauricio Pochettino - Defender
1.70 - Kenny Dalglish - Forward
1.70 - Roy Evans - Defender
1.69 - Rafael Benítez - Midfield. Retired at 26.

[niko_cee]

Mourinho midfield?

[Adramelch]

He was a midfielder in his youth, he just practically played for non-league sides.

[SincereTheRebel]

It does make sense. Being a forward, there are two positions you are usually fighting for. Being in midfield and defence, there are four positions. Being a goalkeeper. There is one position so on the balance of probability. Most players would play in defence or midfield.

[Waffdon]

1745797649494671471

Brighton won the game 5-1 :lol:

[niko_cee]

Carvalho straight into the thick of things for the tigers.

Is the Morton there of the Tyler variety?

Old Fabio has a touch of the Tom Inces about him, so probably needs to up his game a bit.

[niko_cee]

Everytime I see modern day Classic Ronaldo I think I like him a little bit more.

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/11330/production/_132284407_beckham.jpg.webp

Don't make 'em like they used to.

[Luke Emia]

Burnley really need to do the decent thing here and lose to Luton so we can get Everton in the fucking bin.

[niko_cee]

None of those three are coming out of the bin.

[Don]

Bit harsh on Burnley to allow that. Fucking VAR.

[Gray Fox]

Burnley really need to do the decent thing here and lose to Luton so we can get Everton in the fucking bin.

The window of Everton going down has passed. We'll be hearing of corruption for many a year yet.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Think everyone from Palace down could still drop, but it'll need one of these (probably Burnley) to go on a bit of a run.

[The Merse]

Mangers with the highest points per game averages in the premier league. Data stolen from wiki. Only three forwards in the top 20. Looking at the managers who get over 1.3 points a game. Eddie Howe, Nuno,Thomas Frank, etc. It does not get better if you are a forward.

2.23 - Pep Guardiola - Midfield
2.16 - Sir Alex Ferguson - Forward
2.11 - Jürgen Klopp - Defender
2.05 - Roberto Mancini - Forward
2.03 - José Mourinho - Midfield
2.03 - Antonio Conte - Midfield
1.96 - Arsène Wenger - Defender
1.94 - Thomas Tuchel - Defender
1.88 - Mikel Arteta - Midfield
1.86 - Unai Emery - Midfield
1.84 - Carlo Ancelotti - Midfield
1.83 - Erik ten Hag - Defender
1.79 - André Villas-Boas - Never played as a pro
1.79 - Louis van Gaal - Midfield
1.77 - Gianluca Vialli - Forward
1.77 - Manuel Pellegrini - Defender
1.76 - Mauricio Pochettino - Defender
1.70 - Kenny Dalglish - Forward
1.70 - Roy Evans - Defender
1.69 - Rafael Benítez - Midfield. Retired at 26.

There’s 4, not 3…

Klopp started his senior career as a forward too, moved to CB quite a few years into his career.

Assuming a 442 was in vogue at the time for most of these guys playing careers, you might argue they’re very slightly over represented.

[Danny]

Roy Evans (and his 9 games for Liverpool) better than Rafa confirmed.

[Waffdon]

Colwill at left back with Silva-Disasi in the middle again. He’s retarded at this point.

[niko_cee]

How are all the games on TNT this weekend?

[Waffdon]

There’s only 4. It’s the ‘break’, half of the teams play this weekend and rest next weekend. Don’t think any are at 3pm

[niko_cee]

Yeah, just seems odd that last night, this game, and the late kick off are all on TNT when they usually only get one per weekend.

[Waffdon]

Ahhh. Sky definitely have the games tomorrow as they’ve been advertising them. Must be due a couple for the quota

[Jimmy Floyd]

It's great news as it means we don't have 'Fletch' on comms for our game.

Christ we are so awful on paper.

[John Arne]

Fulham playing it out from the back with 2 centrehalves who can't pass seems a tad risky.

[Jimmy Floyd]

This is the Brentford game all over again, we just have no idea against teams that bed in deep. We can't score except from a glaring error or some piece of individual brilliance (which we don't even try because it's low percentage), and they will easily get two on the break.

[niko_cee]

Is Poch battering them with double sessions in training or something? Whenever I watch Chelsea they look so laboured/lumbering.

[niko_cee]

Presumably that's a VAR red.

Or not, lol. More superb consistency.

[Jimmy Floyd]

We are just a team that has been put together for reasons other than its ability to play football well this season, and as a result are incredibly disjointed most of the time. Nothing is automatic and decisions are slow. In this era where it's a squad game and ten are going to be injured at all times, you have to be system first, rather than what we are, which is the manager trying to cobble something together each week depending on who's available.

I genuinely think we're doing quite well to be 10th or whatever we are. There is nothing to go on here.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Once again our saving grace is the brilliance of Palmer.

[Foe]

I wasn’t really sure why Jackson was still playing given he’s clearly quite crap but broja performance today provides that insight if that’s the alternative.

His football brain is just so slow.

They must be praying for nkunku fitness improvements as in the few games he’s played he’s already shown he’s a level above.

[Waffdon]

Of course he’s bringing on Chilwell to play left wing. Oh my god get him out for fuck sake

[Jimmy Floyd]

Screaming for the manager to be sacked while 1-0 up in a derby, you are a bit of a joke.

Enzo Fernandez goes through these weird 15 minutes periods where he literally can't play football at all, i.e. about as good as me. In one at the end of this game.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The idiocy of Boehly et al really shows up at the end of games. No experience, no brains, no calmness. Just amortisation.

Fulham should be upset they didn't get anything from that, poor execution all game from them.

[Waffdon]

Screaming for the manager to be sacked while 1-0 up in a derby, you are a bit of a joke.

Enzo Fernandez goes through these weird 15 minutes periods where he literally can't play football at all, i.e. about as good as me. In one at the end of this game.

Stick to cricket brother

[wullie]

Just beat Leicester 3-1 after going a dodgy goal down, top six for at least an hour too. Not bad start to the year

[Gray Fox]

16th minute of the Reading game.

1746190398416929215

[Waffdon]

Good lads

[Giggles]

Why is there so few EPL games this weekend?

[Gray Fox]

They're still on the pitch now. A tannoy announcement just told them to clear off or the game will be abandoned and the club may receive a points deduction.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The more time goes on, the more I think there should be a complete ban on all foreign ownership. Every single one is just a massive money laundering exercise, Abramovich's Chelsea being the great test case. Want to own an English club? Live here and pay your taxes here. Will that mean that league quality drops? Yes. Does that matter? No.

Fortunately I think the tide is turning now at long last.

[-james-]

The more time goes on, the more I think there should be a complete ban on all foreign ownership. Every single one is just a massive money laundering exercise, Abramovich's Chelsea being the great test case. Want to own an English club? Live here and pay your taxes here. Will that mean that league quality drops? Yes. Does that matter? No.

Fortunately I think the tide is turning now at long last.

It's not really for the Chelsea/Fulham/Middlesbrough season ticket holder to decide though, is it?

[Jimmy Floyd]

No, it's for the government.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

1745875014073610608

Erich Dier.

[Raoul Duke]

1745875014073610608

Erich Dier.

He grew up in Portugal, so he's going to have a bit of an odd accent, no?

[Waffdon]

City getting another injury from the assistant refusing to stick a flag up straight away for an obvious offside :D

[niko_cee]

Interesting the VAR looked at the collision as well, how would that work with the offside? My understanding would be that only violent conduct [as opposed to endangering an opponent etc] is operative in a post-offside situation.

[Baz]

Why didn’t Gordon (I think) just smash it on target for that Ederson error?

[Waffdon]

Bernardo Silva is just the perfect footballer.

[Baz]

Phenomenal finish.

[Waffdon]

City are a mess at the back this season. No wonder when they keep defending with 2 players really.

[Waffdon]

Kyle Walker don’t let someone cut inside you and ping it into far corner challenge.

[Ben]

Tremendous game this so far.

[Waffdon]

Tremendous game this so far.

Thanks to the city defence. Their attempts at offside are hilarious. Isak or Gordon could get in behind at any turnover

[Gray Fox]

Rodri is the best at his position but he isn't half a cunt.

[Baz]

He is good isn’t he. Absolutely relentless.

[Gray Fox]

Newcastle need a 3rd before Kevin comes on. This is only going one way dropping deep so early.

[niko_cee]

Over the top with pace is their best bet.

[Gray Fox]

City have it sussed out now. They're going to wear Newcastle down and then romp to a 4-2 win.

[Waffdon]

Julian Alvarez doesn’t really do anything does he?

[Gray Fox]

That man never winning the golden ball is a crime.

[Waffdon]

That man never winning the golden ball is a crime.

Stunning finish.

[Gray Fox]

He's not even fit and just makes everything look so easy.

[Gray Fox]

Howe just needs to send on a couple lads who can run. This is obvious 92nd minute winner territory here.

[Gray Fox]

That's obscene.

[Waffdon]

:drool:

Every goal has been unreal

[Shindig]

Cunts. All 115 of them. :moop:

[Don]

My Men's Mental Health was truly thriving when the Belgian cunt was injured.

[Alan Shearer The 2nd]

I try and tell myself it'd be too cliché for Kev to come on and be the match winner.

[Shindig]

He's just astonishing. He should move to a proper club where he'll be appreciated.

[Alan Shearer The 2nd]

Anyone else listening to 606 with the City fan saying he'd have been 'Pep out' if they hadn't won today?

[Jimmy Floyd]

What are you doing if you aren't involved in an active campaign to have your club's manager sacked? Are you a real fan at all?

[Gray Fox]

That's now 50 games unbeaten when Rodri starts too.

[Alan Shearer The 2nd]

What are you doing if you aren't involved in an active campaign to have your club's manager sacked? Are you a real fan at all?

I listened for a while longer, it's fair to say I'd forgotten how mental the average caller is.

[phonics]

Dean Gaffney broke his collar bone after being run over on a night out by a £70 million football star.

The EastEnders actor was "catapulted" into the air after being hit by Wesley Fofana's Lamborghini. He was taken to hospital while Fofana, 23, was breathalysed at the scene. The incident took place on the King’s Road in Chelsea, West London. Fofana passed the breathalyser check and was allowed on his way.

[Ian]

Set Wellard on him, Dean.

[Shindig]

I watched Eastenders for the first time in years and it feels like nothing ever changes. Well, except the comic relief characters are all dead.

[Yevrah]

I watched Eastenders for the first time in years and it feels like nothing ever changes. Well, except the comic relief characters are all dead.

Isn't it all (for want of a better word) woke as fuck these days?

[Shindig]

There's nothing woke about half the street being wrapped up some kind of murder plot. Everyone else is a Mitchell or a Slater. And alcoholic. There was even a moment where some builders were all, "Phwoar!" at one of the murdering women.

[Lewis]

The ethnic and gay make-up of Eastenders isn't particularly eye-catching since it's set in London, and Emmerdale has more non-white people in it than have ever set foot in the Yorkshire Dales, but the recent attempts at tackling racism look like they've come from some Tumblr session on what bad racism is. Eastenders and Coronation Street had smooth-talking anti-Muslim terrorists come out of nowhere and attempt to blow up their respective ethnic food outlets, and the gay black lad in Emmerdale seems to run into prejudiced authority figures every other week before giving them a piece of the writers' mind.

[John Arne]

Mad game for the Mariners yesterday.

https://gyazo.com/00e68b165fe83495f2d57f31f20ed741.jpeg

[Shindig]

Must've been a lot of corners.

[John Arne]

#nearpost

[John Arne]

Why is this VAR taking so long? The very first replay clearly shows the striker holding the defender and stopping him from running out. Disallow it and get on with it.

[Ben]

That VAR check was an absolute joke, even much more than normal. Four minutes to decide what the average viewer saw in four seconds. It’s completely jumped the shark now.

[Kikó]

Surprised that VAR is dogshit again.

[Spikey M]

Isn't it all (for want of a better word) woke as fuck these days?

Yes. To the extent that it's finally made my wife stop watching it, so it can stay that way as far as I'm concerned.

The Christmas episode was just "all men are evil and all women are strong, which evil bastard will these strong beautiful women kill?"


Spoiler: It was the white one. Atleast the Muslim Lesbian was ok though.

Edit: I think they're Hindu actually. Cancelled.

[niko_cee]

Was the goal disallowed for a foul or for offside? More good process whichever way.

[John Arne]

Was the goal disallowed for a foul or for offside? More good process whichever way.

Offside. It looked very close on the offside, but clear as day for the foul.

[Ben]

It would have been even more farcical if Bailey was onside. They would have then wasted another four minutes while they sent the ref to the monitor to check the foul.

[niko_cee]

Pretty rubbish game. Hopefully the next high line extravaganza is more entertaining.

[Giggles]

Is McTominay not Utd's best player regularly? How come he's sitting?

[Lofty]

The ethnic and gay make-up of Eastenders isn't particularly eye-catching since it's set in London, and Emmerdale has more non-white people in it than have ever set foot in the Yorkshire Dales, but the recent attempts at tackling racism look like they've come from some Tumblr session on what bad racism is. Eastenders and Coronation Street had smooth-talking anti-Muslim terrorists come out of nowhere and attempt to blow up their respective ethnic food outlets, and the gay black lad in Emmerdale seems to run into prejudiced authority figures every other week before giving them a piece of the writers' mind.

Hollyoaks presumably still the inclusivity king.

[randomlegend]

Is McTominay not Utd's best player regularly? How come he's sitting?

No.

He scored a few goals and conned another manager into feeling like they had to pick him, but the midfield is non-existent whenever he's in it.

[Spikey M]

This Spurs midfield is awful too, so this could be interesting.

[Kikó]

Fucking hell, thundertwatted it.

[Manc]

INEOS are back.

[Gray Fox]

INEOS are back.

Funding withdrawn.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Love a good glancing header. Probably in my top five favourite types of goal. Undisputed number one is the Inzaghi poke finish that barely rolls over the line (a dying breed), but a glancing header and a low thump into the bottom corner will do me nicely.

Hate a top corner curler. Death to Insigne.

[Gray Fox]

"It's just the way we play, mate"

[Gray Fox]

Very strange to see a home side just sort of standing there waiting to be beat.

[Kikó]

Positives: both forwards have scored and at least Hojlund seems able to find Rashford even if the latter can't be arsed passing it the other way, Martinez looked good and already offers more on the ball (although Evans was good), Garnacho doesn't give up even when he's having a hard match.

Negatives: outplayed for the majority of the game by spurs who are missing loads, made Porro look like Cafu, Eriksen is absolutely knackered, Rashford is still a cunt.

[Yevrah]

Do I get to claim my e-victory on Rashford yet? I need to before he goes on a streak again.

[Kikó]

If you want it you can have it champ.

[Yevrah]

I'll get onto the engravers and add it to the trophy.

[Kikó]

Looking forward to us selling him to PSG in the summer.

[Kikó]

That's if Potter wants to sell him.

[Spikey M]

Brennan Johnson is somehow escaping criticism, but he is absolutely terrible. £50 million for a Geezer that won't shoot and manages to pick the wrong pass every time the ball is at his feet. Forest must have been laughing their arses off when they cashed that cheque.

[Baz]

Didn’t have Sadio Mane down as a nonce, yet here we are.

[Danny]

Positives: both forwards have scored and at least Hojlund seems able to find Rashford even if the latter can't be arsed passing it the other way, Martinez looked good and already offers more on the ball (although Evans was good), Garnacho doesn't give up even when he's having a hard match.

Negatives: outplayed for the majority of the game by spurs who are missing loads, made Porro look like Cafu, Eriksen is absolutely knackered, Rashford is still a cunt.

I swear we concede a goal like today every time he plays and he is always the man 5 yards behind the runner.

[Gray Fox]

Everton and Nottingham Forest are apparently to be told tomorrow they're in breach of FFP spending rules.

Everton seethe will kick up another notch.

[Manc]

Was FFP designed to stop clubs from ceasing to exist ala Bury, or to create a closed shop for the big boys?

[niko_cee]

The latter under the guise of the former, well, for FFP anyway. Dunno about the profit and sustainability stuff so much.

Completely incompetent administration allowing the various types of ownership folk in the real problem. Stable door and all that.

[Gray Fox]

Moreso the latter.

See how Newcastle are struggling with FFP a little hampering their plans to reinforce.

[Ben]

I swear we concede a goal like today every time he plays and he is always the man 5 yards behind the runner.

That was always the case though, but he was accommodated for being so good going the other way. Ten Hag needs to own the fact he keeps playing Eriksen out of position but I think (heart attack or not) the game has changed to the point he doesn’t fit in anywhere anymore.

[Baz]

Warrington drew 2-2 this weekend. They were 2-0 down until Andre Wisdom (yes that one) dribbled through the entire opposition and belted one home, and then the goalkeeper scored his second of the season with a header from a corner in the 97th minute. :drool:

Hopefully next Saturday against Southport is exciting, when I’m actually there.

[Waffdon]

If Everton get another points deduction. :lol:

[Jimmy Floyd]

Everton FC and Nottingham Forest FC have each confirmed to the Premier League that they are in breach of the League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR). This is as a result of sustaining losses above the permitted thresholds for the assessment period ending Season 2022/23.

In accordance with Premier League Rules, both cases have now been referred to the chair of the Judicial Panel, who will appoint separate Commissions to determine the appropriate sanction.

Commissions are independent of the Premier League and member clubs. The proceedings are heard in private with the Commissions’ final decisions made public on the Premier League’s website. The League will make no further comment until that time.

If they've confirmed it themselves, what's the issue? Are they saying that the rules are wrong and they should be able to spend what they like? Might be true but not exactly a great defence.

And yes, I'm aware that it's a rolling cycle so some of the years are the same as the last sanction, but surely that's in the rules as well.

[Manc]

Beginning of the end for the PL.

[niko_cee]

If they've confirmed it themselves, what's the issue? Are they saying that the rules are wrong and they should be able to spend what they like? Might be true but not exactly a great defence.

And yes, I'm aware that it's a rolling cycle so some of the years are the same as the last sanction, but surely that's in the rules as well.

I guess it's the sanction that is up for decision/debate, rather than the breach.

[Giggles]

Beginning of the end for the PL.

If you're only punishing the dross and letting the big clubs off then that's probably going to end up with the league they exactly want.

[Kikó]

https://www.asroma.com/en/news/70283/jose-mourinho-to-leave-as-roma-with-immediate-effect Jose gone.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I'll join Waff in the sniper tower for Poch if it means we can get the great man back.

[niko_cee]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/67993371


Premier League chief executive Richard Masters says a date has been set for the hearing into Manchester City's alleged breaches of financial rules.

But, speaking in front of MPs, Masters said he could not reveal the date.

:happycry:


"But the volume and character of the charges laid before Manchester City, which I obviously cannot talk about at all, are being heard in a completely different environment.

"There is a date set for that proceeding. Unfortunately, I can't tell you when that is but it is progressing."

Why? Ongoing process?

It's making a mockery of the whole system. They're either going to have to completely exonerate them or completely nuke them for this 'process' to have any credibility whatsoever afterwards, and I can guess which it will be.

[Ian]

https://frinkiac.com/meme/S05E03/226108.jpg?b64lines=IEdFTlRMRU1FTiwgSSdWRSBERUNJRE VECiBNYW5jaGVzdGVyIGNpdHkgYXJlCmNvbXBsZXRlbHkgaW5u b2NlbnQu

[Yevrah]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/67993371



:happycry:



Why? Ongoing process?

It's making a mockery of the whole system. They're either going to have to completely exonerate them or completely nuke them for this 'process' to have any credibility whatsoever afterwards, and I can guess which it will be.

Which different environment are they being heard in and why? What's the TLDR of how this has progressed from start to fin..er, where we are now.

[niko_cee]

Presumably something along the lines of Everton/Forest here:

https://premierprod.s3.amazonaws.com/premier-meetings/meetingrooms/images/6cbd279a-69b7-492d-aedf-791fef03b6ed.jpg?crop=auto&scale=both

City here:

https://opulencemag.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/The-Spa-at-Mandarin-Oriental-reception-area.jpg

[Shindig]

Forest and Everton's were investigated by an independent party. Assuming City's went the same route, The Premier League(tm) might not be privy to the process.

[Yevrah]

:D

I was surprised to see that Everton's revenue is only £181m per annum, which makes it arguable as to whether they could be even be described as a large business and paints a picture as to why they're operating out of the smaller room.

[niko_cee]

I think that was one of the most abiding things I took away from that Why England Lose book, or maybe another football finance book ages ago. They described some company you've never heard of in the FTSE 250 or something, what it did, which was really dull, where it was based, which was super mundane like a business park in Slough, then went on to explain that, as a business it was 10 times the size of Manchester United or something mad. This is probably less the case now, but football as 'big business' is a bit of a myth.

[Raoul Duke]

I think that was one of the most abiding things I took away from that Why England Lose book, or maybe another football finance book ages ago. They described some company you've never heard of in the FTSE 250 or something, what it did, which was really dull, where it was based, which was super mundane like a business park in Slough, then went on to explain that, as a business it was 10 times the size of Manchester United or something mad. This is probably less the case now, but football as 'big business' is a bit of a myth.

The average Tesco Express makes more revenue than a Prem club, or something like that

[Gray Fox]

:D

I was surprised to see that Everton's revenue is only £181m per annum, which makes it arguable as to whether they could be even be described as a large business and paints a picture as to why they're operating out of the smaller room.

The problem for most in the EPL is that your big boys have already got their foothold in the foreign markets. Asia especially, you'll do well to oust the presence that United and Liverpool have there.
I've no idea what the US landscape is, but I imagine even being an Everton, it's tough to stand out.

[Yevrah]

The average Tesco Express makes more revenue than a Prem club, or something like that

It wouldn’t be anywhere near, but I agree with the sentiment.

[niko_cee]

Nice to hear Jonathan Pearce waxing lyrical about Guernsey tax exile Stephen Lansdown.

[Ben]

Pearce should have stuck to Robot Wars, he's an awful football commentator these days.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Presumably the City charges are far more numerous, complex and lawyered up than the Everton and Forest ones. However, if the PL had any kind of shrewd operators within (as opposed to being full of ex IMG and Adidas marketing execs as I imagine they are) then they would have foreseen the problems that would be caused by going in at this time in such a matter-of-fact way. As ever in sport, too many confident people involved and too little thought.

[Giggles]

It's about time Mourinho just went on a nice holiday to wait until he can retire into the Portugal job.

[Gray Fox]

He needs to take over England after waistcoat takes the golden generation out in the group stage.

[Giggles]

Pearce should have stuck to Robot Wars, he's an awful football commentator these days.

I just turned on the BC - West Ham game and the first thing I hear is him being a pearl clutching twat as per.

[Manc]

The state of the refereeing in that Cup game.

[Spikey M]

And the award for most transparent attempt to boost a career goes too...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/68001449

Had to flee the country indeed. :harold:

[Lofty]

How she gets any airtime after her transfer analysis of the Rice move is criminal, box ticking or not.

[Ben]

Turns out Henderson hasn't earned a penny for his Saudi stint. He deferred all his wages because Waistcoat kept calling him up for England, meaning he would have spent enough time back in the country to get stung for loads of tax. :D

[niko_cee]

Think that's only sort of true, he was keeping/using days for 'visiting family' as well, which struck me as a monumentally stupid thing to be doing but whatever.

Assuming Liverpool have been paid they appear to be just about the only party to have benefited from the whole shitshow.

Oh, and agents, natch.

[John Arne]

I would assume Henderson will stay get paid what he is owed by the club - they won't just not pay it, otherwise, they'll end up with a transfer ban or some such.

I think he can do what he wants, and join whatever club he wants, but this whole situation and potential tax avoidance is not a good look.

[Mike]

Maybe his club have agreed to release him if he agrees to leave the money they owe him.

[phonics]

It's just deferred because he hasn't been out of the country long enough to not be taxed on it.

[Yevrah]

As Yev Sports News understands it his contract has been ripped up on the proviso anything he will/would earn will go back to the Saudi club if Ajax qualify for the Champions League. A sort of deal add on if you will that's being paid by the player rather than the club.