August football thread: Football is back (already)

[Baz]

Genuinely thought Billy Gilmour was already at Napoli. They cunts are the slowest negotiators in history

Wieffer looks well better. Like the opposite of how Mainoo plays, always available for a pass no matter what.

[John Arne]

Why hasn't Garnacho started the first two games? Injured?

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

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

Statman Dave knows all about the great Kirkzee.

[Lofty]

Feels like another game where United concede 30 shots to me.

[Kikó]

Why hasn't Garnacho started the first two games? Injured?

I think it's just a preference.

[randomlegend]

The fuck was that? The ref let Brighton take a free kick with the ball moving then when they passed it directly to a United player, he pulled it back for them to retake.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Fucking hell Amad.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

That's so clearly a yellow card.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Welbeck scoring against us.

Kill me now.

Slabhead and Mazraoui, ffs.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Would be nice if Rashford could learn the offside rule.

[Lewis]

Is there some sort of Portugal-like sponsor obligation to play Rashford regardless? Would United buy him for that position if he wasn't already there?

[randomlegend]

Appreciate it's not the long-term plan but this false 9 Bruno thing needs to die. Zirkzee should just be starting.

Ah looks like he's coming on.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Genuinely didn't realise that Mount was playing when they announced he was coming off.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Amad :cool:

I think he's onside.

[randomlegend]

Can't get my head around Amad. He's looked poor all game, then does that.

That's going in regardless of the deflection.

[Waffdon]

Dodgy lines. Clearly offside

[randomlegend]

This is going to be offside because it hits Zirkzee ffs.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

lol.

That's clearly off.

[Waffdon]

What a retard :lol:

[Lewis]

I don't think I've ever seen that.

[Waffdon]

Ronaldo had a goal chopped off against Spain when Nani smashed it in on the goal line. Would have been an unreal goal as well

[Lewis]

I remember that one, but did Zirkzee actually play for it? It looked like he was just pulling his leg back to stop and it hit him.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I thought he was trying to move his leg out of the way.

[randomlegend]

He's just stopping himself going into the net. It's ridiculously unlucky.

[Luke Emia]

Minteh to put it very mildly is raw.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Maybe the quad isn't on...

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Really smart to leave not one, not two but THREE players unmarked.

[randomlegend]

Really smart to leave not one, not two but THREE players unmarked.

5 players closing down the crosser though!

[Gray Fox]

Also very smart to give the man who defines Mid a new deal over the summer.

[niko_cee]

*waits for full time*

:drool:

[Shindig]

Gateshead 3-1 Yeovil Town. Top again but we've got a couple of BIG GAMES coming up this week.

[Lewis]

Experience suggests that McTominay ought to have been back there.

[Kikó]

At least there's an easy one lined up next week.

[Gray Fox]

Ipswich poked the bear far too soon.

[Spikey M]

Everton look absolutely honking again. I look forward to them somehow staying up with record low points.

[John Arne]

At least Everton will have the best stadium in the Championship.

[Gray Fox]

If they go down their £200m+ in loans become repayable in full, immediately.

[John Arne]

Strike.

1827361351301300315

[Jimmy Floyd]

The Brighton winning goal was funny as fuck. Every straight man in the city unmarked at the back stick.

[Dan]

Made the trip to Middlesbrough for the Pompey game. 2-2 is a decent result on paper but it’s a bit annoying to have been so close to a win again & then thrown it away with a stupid penalty. Could easily have had 9pts from the first three games but I’d have taken 3 before the season.

The home crowd was weirdly quiet for most of the game, and Middlesbrough is not the nicest place I’ve ever seen, but on the bright side we stayed in a 4 star hotel with a pool as it was the same price as a Premier Inn. We went down to leave for the game today & when the hotel lift opened Marlon Pack was standing there :wub:

[randomlegend]

Barca still haven't managed to register Olmo :D

[Waffdon]

Surely the year Arsenal finally win the league

[Spikey M]

I'll accept that on the condition that it's also the season Everton go down.

Arsenal can do the trebble if West Ham go down too.

[Giggles]

Why does everyone hate Everton so much? Most of you aren't old enough to remember them being good and they're largely inoffensive. They don't even seem to do that Spurs thing where they think they're bigger than they are.

[phonics]

That’s such a good win. Saliba is god like. I apologise for slandering David Raya.

That Rodgers guy is good. Is he new? I’d never heard of him.

[Spikey M]

Why does everyone hate Everton so much? Most of you aren't old enough to remember them being good and they're largely inoffensive. They don't even seem to do that Spurs thing where they think they're bigger than they are.

They're just shite and they keep wriggling off the hook. Plus, angry scousers are very funny.

[phonics]

My Dad hated Everton in a way that he only previously thought of Wigan. As a West Brom fan I’ve never understood it but I respect how petty it is.

[Giggles]

They're just shite and they keep wriggling off the hook. Plus, angry scousers are very funny.
Is it the longest time in the top flight thing then? It's very strange, especially from Liverpool fans who's club is so many levels above them you couldn't even quantify it.

[Clunge]

That’s such a good win. Saliba is god like. I apologise for slandering David Raya.

That Rodgers guy is good. Is he new? I’d never heard of him.
Morgan Rogers. We bought him off Middlesborough for about £8m, about six months after they signed him from City. He's brilliant. He really came on leaps and bounds late last year, I saw him at VP and he was a real powerhouse. Had a terrific pre-season too and is looking like one of the first names on the teamsheet now. He was amazing today, so direct and powerful while on the run.

[-james-]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wmAtyDCru0


No idea why this is so watchable but I can't see myself not watching every second of it.

[Gray Fox]

Is it the longest time in the top flight thing then? It's very strange, especially from Liverpool fans who's club is so many levels above them you couldn't even quantify it.

From a Scouse Liverpool fan, the rivalry between us always used to be big brother to little brother kind of thing. I'm told in the 80s times were great as it was the two of us at the top most seasons.

Things have soured since and Everton spend a lot of time circling the drain. As such they have become quite bitter(our nickname for them was The Bitters for a long time). All they have now is "well at least Liverpool didn't win X." There is another fanbase going the same way but they're not fully there yet.

As such, even we're just kind of sick of them now.

[Giggles]

From a Scouse Liverpool fan, the rivalry between us always used to be big brother to little brother kind of thing. I'm told in the 80s times were great as it was the two of us at the top most seasons.

Things have soured since and Everton spend a lot of time circling the drain. As such they have become quite bitter(our nickname for them was The Bitters for a long time). All they have now is "well at least Liverpool didn't win X." There is another fanbase going the same way but they're not fully there yet.

As such, even we're just kind of sick of them now.

About 99% of fanbases in England are "at least Liverpool didn't win". Says more about Liverpool than Everton.

[phonics]

They aren’t at all. United maybe. Not Liverpool.

Also I forgot to shout-out Ben White, who upon seeing McGinn maybe kick a ball at Saliba decided to absolutely boot the ball as hard as he could at McGinns face so quickly it wasn’t even a decision. Just instinctively knew that he had the opportunity to be a cunt.

[phonics]

Morgan Rogers. We bought him off Middlesborough for about £8m, about six months after they signed him from City. He's brilliant. He really came on leaps and bounds late last year, I saw him at VP and he was a real powerhouse. Had a terrific pre-season too and is looking like one of the first names on the teamsheet now. He was amazing today, so direct and powerful while on the run.

I think you can be happy knowing you have a player just by the way Arteta treated him today. We had our central defender man marking him so tight today that he regularly ended up in the front 3. I’ve never seen us do anything like that to any player. Clearly thought that if we can stop him we win but couldn’t trust anyone outside the 6’3 bruiser to actually win those duels. Definitely going to make a big impact.

[Spikey M]

That Zirkzee offside. :D

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

1827489611330846916

:D

Anyone able to confirm/deny if Wolves is indeed shit?

[Ben]

He’s not wrong. My old company’s head office was there. And to make my visits even greater, they’d put me up in Walsall.

[Waffdon]

1827489611330846916

:D

Anyone able to confirm/deny if Wolves is indeed shit?

Lol at him having a burner account.

The Wolves Twitter admin will have a field day come 4pm

[Waffdon]

Proper basketball match this Chelsea game. Wolves could score 3 or 4 again if they want to. This defence and set up is beyond tragic

[Waffdon]

Get your cocks out for this palmer goal. Absolutely stunning

[igor_balis]

I know other people's fantasy football is about as interesting as their dreams, but you lot might be somewhat amused that I forgot to captain haaland instead of isak

[Waffdon]

I went with Muniz to try be a hipster. Went well :D

[Waffdon]

Hat trick for Madueke after calling Wolverhampton a shite hole :cool:

Wonder goal and creating 3 goals for palmer. Best in the league

[niko_cee]

This is more like the mad shit I thought Chelsea might be up to this year.

[randomlegend]

Get your cocks out for this palmer goal. Absolutely stunning

Yeah that is obscene to be fair.

[Gray Fox]

Brentford continually pushing up beyond the point of insanity here.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

1827740811661877684

I'd laugh so hard if Liverpool make it 3-0 only for Brentford to get a 93rd minute consolation goal.

[Gray Fox]

Another case of average first half but then very promising second half.

[Waffdon]

A very kind start to the season for the bald man from the completely random fixture computer

[Gray Fox]

Yeah but he still lost against Brighton.

[Waffdon]

‘Trent’ toys out the pram for being subbed with 15 mins to go. What a diva.

[Gray Fox]

Proper "you're not my real dad" vibes on the bench :D

[Jimmy Floyd]

I like Gary O'Neil, but losing 6-2 at home to us should be an auto-sack.

[SincereTheRebel]

I like Gary O'Neil, but losing 6-2 at home to us should be an auto-sack.

It was shocking. Give wolves maguire on loan. Its that bad.

[Shindig]

Very lucky to get a point today. And Joelinton should've been off. :D

[randomlegend]

Very lucky to get a point today. And Joelinton should've been off. :D

Aye that's one of the most blatant reds I've ever seen. EPL refs going and getting paid squillions to ref in Saudi is I'm sure unrelated

[Shindig]

It's the kind of thing that should be upgraded retrospectively.

[Lewis]

1827792247154516248

:lol:

[Spikey M]

:D And that's why everyone wants them relegated, Giggles

In other news.

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[Sir Andy Mahowry]

No pants and vest?

[Gray Fox]

"You'll have to wear the spare kit"

[Shindig]

"Lads, scope out the away end and see if any of the replicas fit."

[niko_cee]

Just seen the xG on the Chelsea game. Good grief.

[Danny]

Just have them wear the Coventry away kit. Chelsea style.

[Waffdon]

Just seen the xG on the Chelsea game. Good grief.

The way XG is worked out is completely dumb, IMO. Like, two of Madueke’s goals were not difficult whatsoever. Same with Jackson and Felix’s goals. That and it doesn’t take into account fairly simple chances on the break being let down by a terrible pass. There’s not a chance Chelsea last week against City created near enough the same as they did yesterday

[Jimmy Floyd]

That Everton video is pretty much a microcosm of modern top flight football. On the face of it, fans who earn probably not much at all, and are charged huge amounts for the privilege of attending games, probably feel they are entitled to vent their fury at the people who earn 300 times in a week what the fan earns in a year, only to fail repeatedly and relentlessly. By the same measure, though, the furious fan is absolutely free to stop supporting Everton, or not to accept those charges for tickets and travel and just to follow the team from afar, so they only have themselves to blame.

The issue is that the fan almost certainly feels more Everton than they do even scouse, or English, British or any other identity. The football team for such a person is the number one expression of self, and yet it's also a multi-million pound corporation that does not need the fan at all and would much rather replace them with someone wealthier.

I'm very surprised that there haven't been more breakaway FC United type things.

[Gray Fox]

I think most clubs do have their own version of FCUM these days. The problem is ironically, they tend to stall out after an initial surge precisely because they don't have the money. People then start jumping back off the bandwagon.

FCUM were as of last season in the same league as my locals(who went down) which I think is tier 7/8? They once got as high at winning the Tier 7 title, but they hit their wall and dropped back down. Attendances used to be a solid 5,000+ are now down to 2,000 or below. Good for their level but they're still stuck.

Same story for most if not all of these breakaway or phoenix clubs.

[Kikó]

A big stopper for fcum was bad financial management and then actually a number of clubs at that level are pumped with money from rich owners. The fans are progressively getting older as well and they're struggling to get the next generation in at the moment.

[phonics]

So I looked up that Morgan Rogers guy and found he was one of the West Brom grads that City pinched and mentioned it to my Dad. Apparently he's from the same town as the Bellinghams. We have to do a serious investigation into the water there and distribute it across the country.

[Shindig]

Gateshead 1-1 Oldham. Nobody around us won so we're still 2 points off the top. The top three remain unbeaten.

[Ben]

So I looked up that Morgan Rogers guy and found he was one of the West Brom grads that City pinched and mentioned it to my Dad. Apparently he's from the same town as the Bellinghams. We have to do a serious investigation into the water there and distribute it across the country.

We bought him for £1m and sold him for a massive profit six months later. He did alright for us but nothing spectacular. At the time I thought we got a great deal...

[Jimmy Floyd]

Just watched our highlights which is the first I've actually seen of us this season bar 20 minutes at the end of City that I wasn't really watching. Mudryk looks like he's spent the summer in Bakhmut, and I'm increasingly convinced that 'KDH' has been signed purely for modelling purposes.

Palmer is a bit of a joke. Wonder how we'll keep him away from Real Madrid / Barcelona or going back to City for £100 billion.

[Waffdon]

He’ll be sold for 120m next year when Estevao and Paez join up.

[Luke Emia]

I see Ryan Gauld has been called up by Scotland.

[Magic]

I see Ryan Gauld has been called up by Scotland.

Lol I was just about to post this. Genuinely thought he was going to be big when I saw him about 15 years ago.

EDIT: 13 years ago*

[Waffdon]

I see Ryan Gauld has been called up by Scotland.

He’s been donning it in Vancouver for a few years. Making an absolute bomb as well. Lisbon followed by Vancouver is not a bad career at all from Brechin

[John Arne]

Juan Izquierdo playing for Nacional collapsed whilst playing last week and has now died :(

[Baz]

He’ll be sold for 120m next year when Estevao and Paez join up.
Would love him in a red shirt. There’s not many players in the league that I’d happily want at Liverpool but him (and Haaland ofc) are definites.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I'm watching Red Star Belgrade 1 (2), Bodo/Glimt 0 (2) in Champions League final qualifying. The latter are from the Arctic circle and feature a Russian goalkeeper and otherwise, as far as I can tell are entirely Norwegian. The former, who I am not supporting in this one it must be said, are completely dominant and I don't think they have a single Serb in their team, maybe one or two max.

Pumped.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Red Star fans are so weird. Everything is done in pre-choreographed yobbo chanting (I refuse to dignify them with 'ultras'), followed by giving themselves a round of applause when a chant is over, and other than a goal there is absolutely no reaction to anything happening on the pitch at all. They don't seem to support the team when they go forward, don't even whistle the referee really when a decision goes against them. Don't applaud their subs on, don't boo the oppo, nothing. All complete navel-gazing rubbish.

[Lofty]

Chelsea away :drool:

[niko_cee]

Why are Dinamo Zagreb still Dinamo Zagreb, but Red Star Belgrade seem to have to be called Scissor Edna?

[Jimmy Floyd]

I don't think we've ever played Barrow, and if we have, I don't know about it.

1948, apparently. 5-0. Lofty's great-grandad in the mud.

[Manc]

Big fan of The Beeb securing European highlights.

[Lewis]

Isn't 'Red Star Belgrade' just what we call them because that foreign jumble is their actual name and who can be arsed? Like 'Inter Milan' or 'A.S. Juventus'.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Crvena Zvezda is for those bedroom wankers with long hair who call managers the 'trainer' and Juventus 'The Old Lady'.

Dunno if such people actually exist but let's say they do.

[Giggles]

Brasil.

[Lofty]

I don't think we've ever played Barrow, and if we have, I don't know about it.

1948, apparently. 5-0. Lofty's great-grandad in the mud.

My grandad played for Barrow but it was 1949, not 1948 :D

http://barryhugmansfootballers.com/player/15212

[niko_cee]

I see that O'Riley chap was instakilled by a horrendous challenge from the Crawley Town captain. Nuke the Broadfield Stadium.

[John Arne]

Fizzy Pop draw

Liverpool vs West Ham
Man City vs Watford
Arsenal vs Bolton
Man Utd vs Barnsley
Wycombe Wanderers vs Aston Villa
Coventry vs Tottenham
Walsall vs Leicester
Brentford vs Leyton Orient
Blackpool vs Sheffield Wednesday
Preston vs Fulham
Everton vs Southampton
QPR vs Crystal Palace
Stoke vs Fleetwood
Brighton vs Wolves
AFC Wimbledon vs Newcastle
Chelsea vs Barrow

[niko_cee]

I'm struggling to understand the excuse for the seeding system other than to try and keep 'the big clubs' from knocking each other out too early.

Brighton v Wolves feels like a cup game that happens every year.

[Waffdon]

There’s extra games with the new CL and EL fixtures. They could end up playing each other within 24 hours of their European game

[John Arne]

Champions League winner this season could feasible play 17 games (excluding any qualifiers), which includes 2 playoffs games if they finish between between 8th-24th. 17 (SEVENTEEN).

[Baz]

How long before they sack it off and go back to something more like the old format?

Two group stages was the one.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I know some of you must have done a few playthroughs on FM and can tell me otherwise, but instinctively this feels like it will deliver more random results depending on who gets the luck with schedule (which I suppose is the same as having an easy group, but doesn't feel as such in the league format).

[John Arne]

From my vast FM experience, a few more random results, but the additional games just gives the bigger teams time to correct any one-off freak results.

The second round (or play-off round) could be more interesting with some smaller clubs scraping through against those top teams who didn't quite make the top 8.

[Ben]

Two group stages was the one.

Absolutely.

I feel like in hindsight it's not as popular as I imagined, but in my head it's still king.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Two group stages was absolutely dire, even though we had one of our best runs and legendary European nights under that format. Knockout football >>>>

[niko_cee]

I know some of you must have done a few playthroughs on FM and can tell me otherwise, but instinctively this feels like it will deliver more random results depending on who gets the luck with schedule (which I suppose is the same as having an easy group, but doesn't feel as such in the league format).

It feels to me like they are trying to turn the 'European Season' into an NFL type thing.

Is the play-off round seeded in anyway [ie 9 plays 24 etc] or is it a random draw? Can teams from the same nation play each other in the initial mega-league phase?

[Spikey M]

No more Trippier at Left Back for England.

1829118990460854436?t=ISx5oeC4lkWT6xBHKKsUfw&s=19

[Giggles]

You must be quaking in your boots lads.


1829126061444960673

[Giggles]

Robbie fucking Brady.

[Gray Fox]

I know some of you must have done a few playthroughs on FM and can tell me otherwise, but instinctively this feels like it will deliver more random results depending on who gets the luck with schedule (which I suppose is the same as having an easy group, but doesn't feel as such in the league format).

It gives your minnows a better chance to claim the odd win in their 2 games in the teams from the same pot.

What I think they're more after though is ridding the group stages of that last pointless game or two. One giant group stage for the most part keeps everyone playing their best teams for fear of not getting in that top 8/24.

Your City/Madrid will likely still sail to that point and at the other end, there will be a team that loses all 8, but it keeps that drama going.

[Jimmy Floyd]

It also makes it massively advantageous to play the BIG BOYS later in your schedule rather than earlier.

[Adramelch]

It feels to me like they are trying to turn the 'European Season' into an NFL type thing.

Is the play-off round seeded in anyway [ie 9 plays 24 etc] or is it a random draw? Can teams from the same nation play each other in the initial mega-league phase?

A bit of both. A draw with 9-16 seeded and 17-24 unseeded.

[Jimmy Floyd]

My guess is also that there's always goal difference / tie breaker trains at places 8, 16 and 24 in the last round of games. DRAMA.

[Browning]

Did we forget to tell Carsley about his promotion?

[Gray Fox]

These UEFA presentations and fluff before draws get worse each time.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I'd love it if the AI software helping the draw fucks up.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Man City will get Inter and Dortmund, Shakhtar and Club Brugge, Celtic and Young Boys and Sturm Graz and Brest.

Edit: Not as easy as that but still a breeze.

[Gray Fox]

This draw style is so shit.

Absolutely nothing to say they havent already made up these fixtures before hand.

[niko_cee]

Following this on the BBC livetext I haven't a scooby-doo what is going on.

[Gray Fox]

They have Buffon drawing a team manually, then Ronaldo pushes a big button and the fixtures for that team appear.

[Giggles]

I thought it was only one big group? Why the draw?

[Gray Fox]

You need to be randomly drawn your two opponents from each pot, to make up your 8 games.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I thought it was only one big group? Why the draw?

You only play 8 games so the draw is to see who you play.

You get two from each pot.

[niko_cee]

Looks a fairly horrendous draw for Arne Slot's boys.

Would be nice to beat Madrid for once.

PSG look like they've been stitched up as well, but maybe none of it means anything.

[-james-]

I like the look of this format. Effectively no seeding.

[niko_cee]

Yeah, it's irrelevant which pot you are in. Someone hasn't war-gamed this properly for the Big Club Alliance.

[Shindig]

Livramento called up. :drool:

[Jimmy Floyd]

The creeping menace will presumably be 5 and 6 places given to the big leagues at some point.

[Spikey M]

1829141959518150796?t=JkTv6odKKMqkEKoGkb7gTQ&s=19

It's coming home.

[phonics]

I probably do have to look at myself as a self-hating white person when I see names like Eberechi Eze, Angel Gomes, Noni Madueke in the squad and the only name that triggered the reaction of 'Wait, he's English?' was Tino Livramento.

[Shindig]

It's great, really. Portuguese dad, Scottish mother and a very Italian name.

[Waffdon]

Chelsea getting beat by Servette :D

This defence is beyond tragic

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

"Best player in the league" with a shocking miss there.

[Waffdon]

"Best player in the league" with a shocking miss there.

You’re saying it like he’s not.

Bobbled anyway

[Jimmy Floyd]

Group stage soccer. Please draw us against TNS or some other proper jokers.

[Manc]

1829141959518150796?t=JkTv6odKKMqkEKoGkb7gTQ&s=19
It's coming home.

Angel Gomes at the 6. MGW at the 10. Phwoar.

[Ben]

Is that the Angel Gomes who got pied by Man Utd? I’m not the know-it-all I was 20 years ago but what the fuck is going on here?

[Waffdon]

Group stage soccer. Please draw us against TNS or some other proper jokers.

I’ve genuinely not even heard of some of them teams in pots 4-6.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I've heard it said that the ideal European draw is somewhere near, somewhere far and somewhere beach. In that case the away games need to be TNS, Pafos, 'Noah' (with his ark) and Astana.

Don't think that's possible actually, but let's say it is.

[Yevrah]

I haven’t seen the draw yet but if FM is anything to go by then the Conference League group stage is where this madness really shines. An absolute sea of shite.

[Boydy]

Larne have qualified for the conference league. Madness.

[Jimmy Floyd]

https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/0290-1bbb0f61eb45-fd7be1e96a13-1000/format/wide1/uecl_pots_web.jpeg?imwidth=2048

Just look at that. Magnificence from start to finish.

[Ben]

It’s like when PES didn’t have licences to any real team names.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Pafos and pathos for Chelsea [/henrywinter]

There's something new every time I look at it. Cercle Brugge! Sounds like a road. How are Panathinaikos in pot 5 but Oswestry's finest in pot 4? We don't need answers.

[Serj]

EDIT: Nevermind, confused pots with groups and spouted nonsense.

Pot 1 is a cracking assembly of locations for away fans, plus Linz.

[Waffdon]

Could theoretically have to fly to Cyprus 3 different times if you’re a pot 1 team. I’d be fuming

[Waffdon]

That's a cracking group for Chelsea supporters in terms of away trips. Linz being the dull outlier, but Copenhagen, Gent, Florence and Seville? Fantastic.

That’s just the seeded teams. Well, pot 1 teams. You play a team in each pot.

[Giggles]

Larne have qualified for the conference league. Madness.

Haven't they had fairly big (relatively) investment recently?

[Serj]

That’s just the seeded teams. Well, pot 1 teams. You play a team in each pot.

Yeah, I realized that too late, I've edited it.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Could theoretically have to fly to Cyprus 3 different times if you’re a pot 1 team. I’d be fuming

Cyprus is lovely, bar Paphos.

[Boydy]

Haven't they had fairly big (relatively) investment recently?

Yeah but they're still a Nothern Irish league team. Apparently the first ever to make the group/league stage of a European competition - I guess when other teams managed to get theough to later stages it was all knockouts?

They've won the league the last two years but they haven't been that much better than the other teams.

[Gray Fox]

Could theoretically have to fly to Cyprus 3 different times if you’re a pot 1 team. I’d be fuming

I believe you're limited to 2 teams from a country in your fixtures.

[niko_cee]

Could theoretically have to fly to Cyprus 3 different times if you’re a pot 1 team. I’d be fuming

Chelsea could just leave a team out there if that happens.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I'm obsessed now with Conference League and all its paraphernalia. Just called all my friends in Jakarta and told them to abandon their dinner plans.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GWLSHmEXgAAEwzp?format=jpg&name=900x900

[Gray Fox]

They really need to do this draw better than pressing a big ball and the fixtures appear.

[Waffdon]

Cyprus is lovely, bar Paphos.

Properly boring European away game though

[Waffdon]

Shite draw. I’ve heard of every team other than the Noah chumps

[Jimmy Floyd]

It's a nice draw. I'm going to make it my mission to get to Chelsea v Noah. Shame we are at home to the Irish side though, I was looking forward to visiting the quaint town of Shamrock and dancing through its streets after our win. Do you think they serve Guinness there?

[Pepe]

Is that a tier below the uefa League?

[Lofty]

Fucking Merino injured already :D

[Giggles]

It's a nice draw. I'm going to make it my mission to get to Chelsea v Noah. Shame we are at home to the Irish side though, I was looking forward to visiting the quaint town of Shamrock and dancing through its streets after our win. Do you think they serve Guinness there?

You'd do well in Tallafornia.

[Jimmy Floyd]

There is a real threat that I'm going to have to make my first ever visit to (the island of) Ireland before the year is out, I presume the red carpet rolled out for me will be the one drenched in the blood of their forefathers.

[Giggles]

Which bit? Or do you mean Larne for the soccer and not work?

[Giggles]

Can Larne play at home in this or do they have to use Windsor? I think nearly every club here has to use Shamrock Rovers ground instead of their own in Europe.

[Ben]

Cyprus is lovely, bar Paphos.

What’s wrong with Paphos? I’ve been about 20 times and it’s so inoffensive.

[Waffdon]

20 times. What

[Ben]

My aunt has a house there so we just get some flights once a year or so. Cheap late year sun.

[Giggles]

I like this new Liverpool manager. Looks like a lad would be up beside you on the high stool of a Friday evening after a day on a digger.

[Kikó]

I fancy a trip to Bucharest and maybe the Czech one. Oh and Porto to appease the wife.

[Giggles]

#imhungariannow

[Kikó]

Err what :harold:

[Giggles]

Err what :harold:

Yes I know, but once you go east of Germany they're all the one anyway so I'll stand by the sentiment.

[Gray Fox]

I like this new Liverpool manager. Looks like a lad would be up beside you on the high stool of a Friday evening after a day on a digger.

I am liking that he isn't Klopp Lite or Klopp 2.0. Seems very much his own man with zero fucks given if he has to upset the Status Quo either.

[Giggles]

I am liking that he isn't Klopp Lite or Klopp 2.0. Seems very much his own man with zero fucks given if he has to upset the Status Quo either.

Yeah in fairness it looks like they've the homework done on him from what I've seen so far. I'd say Klopp was fair enough in that they knew long before any of the rest of us too, seemed like the type.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

What’s wrong with Paphos? I’ve been about 20 times and it’s so inoffensive.

Brits have ruined it.

[niko_cee]

Asked if the club's fans had been sold a false dream, Howe, who has managed the side since 2021, said: "I don't think the dream dies, necessarily, but I think it takes a lot longer.

"We've got to build our revenue streams, that is the biggest thing. We've got to bring more money into the football club, however we do that - through player sales, through sponsorship, through loads of various things.

"That's the big thing that we need to focus on now for the next, probably, 10 years.

The beautiful game.

[Giggles]

I can't wait til it all dies.

[Shindig]

On the one hand, I've always been happy we haven't spent like daft clowns but I'm also annoyed we're realistically a 7th-placed club. It doesn't take much for the sides below you to catch up and breaking into Champions League footy requires a big slice of luck.

The alternative was sticking with a Mike Ashley who simply couldn't be bothered with it.

[Giggles]

On the one hand, I've always been happy we haven't spent like daft clowns but I'm also annoyed we're realistically a 7th-placed club. It doesn't take much for the sides below you to catch up and breaking into Champions League footy requires a big slice of luck.

Yeah it's mad, when it happend Newcastle were meant to be the next city (in the media). Did a royal die or lose interest or something or what?

[Gray Fox]

The loose threat of FFP means they cant just pump the money in like City did post-2008, or Chelsea in the mid 00's. You need to be bringing in all of the sponsorships and such to cover it off.

Newcastle having been in purgatory for ages meant they don't have any of that built up yet.

[Giggles]

Could they not just cheat it like the others?

[Gray Fox]

You can bend the rules fine, but the amount they'd need to spend to get to the next level would be too obvious.

[niko_cee]

Weirdly, the obsessiveness with 'financial doping' is only really serving to further entrench the earlier alleged misfeasances of City. Chelsea never had to cheat anything. Simpler wild west times. Perhaps better times.

[Shindig]

Chelsea spent daft when Abramovich came in. Ranieri's tinkerman persona came about because they (stop me if you've heard this one) had bought too many players.

[Giggles]

I didn't realise City had balanced things so well. I just always thought generic el Halalalllalalllallallahandchop would be able to inject a few bob to keep all good.

[randomlegend]

I said at the time the Saudis couldn't just come in and buy the League and everyone lolled. Another of my countless e-victories.

[Manc]

How much have they spent under MBS?

[niko_cee]

I didn't realise City had balanced things so well. I just always thought generic el Halalalllalalllallallahandchop would be able to inject a few bob to keep all good.

Whilst it remains to be seen whether their deals survive scrutiny, they still had a good few years where there were no real rules to build up some sort of base to start scamming from. When did FFP come in? 2012?

[Giggles]

Didn't realise they were even at City that long.

[phonics]

How much have they spent under MBS?

Khashoggi was the first case of amortisation.

[Shindig]

How much have they spent under MBS?

2021/2 - £167m
2022/3 - 116.8m
2023/4 - £87m
2024/5 - £45m? I'm giving the Osula deal £15m but it's 'undisclosed' from the site I'm using.

£415.8m in total.

[phonics]

To put into perspective how mad the markets gone. In that first year Newcastle spent the same amount on Chris Wood as Chelsea spent on Frank Lampard, Emmanuel Petit, Zenden, Jesper Gronkjaer and William Gallas in his first season. The year Abramovich took over they managed to sign Claude Makelele, Glen Johnson and Joe Cole for 1 Chris Wood. They were then massively criticised for buying the league by following that up spending 1 more Chris Wood on Hernan Crespo and Damien Duff.

[Shindig]

Aye, I thought it would be nice to compare Chelsea during Abramovich and City during the Robinho years but it just depresses me how the numbers have ballooned.

[niko_cee]

Still pretty sure we broke/made up the Robinho story on the morning of that deadline day.

[Shindig]

Another good metric is looking at your club's record transfers. I count 10 of our current first team to be valued higher than Michael Owen.

[Baz]

Warrington play Needham Market today. :wtf:

[Waffdon]

Been watching 10-15 mins and Saka has already been on the floor 4 times.

[phonics]

Holy shit ‘Fletch’ has got to be the worst commentator to ever work in the industry.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Lewis Dunk is tragic.

[Waffdon]

Lewis Dunk is a fucking terrible player. Either that or he’s camera shy and just plays shite every time he’s on the tele.

[Waffdon]

It’s hard to take officials seriously when they cannot spoke obvious things like that coming off Gabriel for a corner

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

:drool:

Veltman lucky to still be on the pitch too, mind.

[Shindig]

This FA Cup Qualifier between Campion and Blyth Spartans has been rotten. Blyth sacked Nobby Solano last weekend. 1-1.

[Waffdon]

I know they’re down to 10 men but I’m shocked Arsenal are playing so negative here. Aren’t even bothering to leave anyone up top

[-james-]

Been watching 10-15 mins and Saka has already been on the floor 4 times.


Holy shit ‘Fletch’ has got to be the worst commentator to ever work in the industry.


Lewis Dunk is tragic.


Lewis Dunk is a fucking terrible player. Either that or he’s camera shy and just plays shite every time he’s on the tele.


It’s hard to take officials seriously when they cannot spoke obvious things like that coming off Gabriel for a corner


I know they’re down to 10 men but I’m shocked Arsenal are playing so negative here. Aren’t even bothering to leave anyone up top

Fucking hell cheer up

[niko_cee]

Veltman. :cool:

Such a snidely little shit.

Great pass by Dunk for the goal as well. Raheem already destabilising hitherto unstoppable title favourites Arsenal.

[Baz]

I’m watching Brentford for FPL purposes. Brereton Diaz is such a knob.

[niko_cee]

Are Southampton going to be this season's version of just the way we play mate?

[randomlegend]

That Declan Rice second yellow is amazing. What an idiot.

[Waffdon]

Are Southampton going to be this season's version of just the way we play mate?

Absolutely

Gonna go down with about 20 points but top 3 in possession. 60+ again today :D

[niko_cee]

The seethe will be strong tonight.

[Magic]

Beverton. :harold:

[Gray Fox]

Fucking inject it. That stadium will melt down.

[Waffdon]

That’s some effort

[Spikey M]

:lol:

[Shindig]

Gateshead 2-1 Eastleigh. Top of the league with a 90 minute winner. 3rd placed Barnet are next.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

That Everton result is fucking perfect.

[Shindig]

Looking at the highlights, they just completely folded. Mad to see a Dyche side do that.

[Baz]

Watching Everton with my blue nose in-laws was pretty amusing.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

1829964154838352294

McGinn had a fun day.

[Dquincy]

Mason Greenwood. 5 goals in his first 3 games in Ligue 1. Oooft.

[Spikey M]

How many rapes?

[Baz]

Funny seeing the Arsenal fans on Twitter absolutely seething over the Declan Rice red card.

Also enjoyed Arsenal dropping points and Man City not keeping a clean sheet, for FPL purposes.

[Jimmy Floyd]

It's when they post a still image of a perceived injustice againsr an Arsenal player, juxtaposed with a still image of a completely different player from another team in a different match which they perceive went unpunished. Exactly the same seam of thinking as the #twotierkier people but if you put this to the gunner massive they would shriek their faces off.

[Giggles]

It was a bit of a joke really. Did he even kick the ball away as he was taken down?

[SincereTheRebel]

Watching the clip of both his cards. Both were harsh but the second one, i cant stop laughing.

Rice kicked the ball first, then got taken down. He kicked the ball because he knew he predicted he was going to get kicked.

I still believe, most of these issues can be resolved if they stop the clock when the whistle blows abd just play 25 minutes each way.

[Foe]

That Declan Rice second yellow is amazing. What an idiot.

I think this is the correct take.

The Pedro one in the first half that’s being compared is a totally different situation from memory. He’s over run the ball and in frustration booted it away. You see this multiple times a weekend. Sometimes the ref books the player, sometimes they don’t. It’s just petulance rather than an intent to hinder/cheat.

For rice, he was booked for a late tackle and despite knowing that has taken a chance. Best case, giving him the benefit of the doubt, he is unaware veltman is coming and just knocks the ball off the pitch. However it looks more sinister than that, it looks like he knows a quick one is coming and wants to hinder the restart. That should be a booking. That’s intent to cheat, irrelevant if he kicks it ten inches or ten yards.

Either way, you’re on a booking and controlling the game - why take that gamble? And the output is players are now being taught and trained to deceive and cheat. This scenario is probably the perfect cover of it both ways. Who was veltman passing to? Nobody… he took a chance that rice was going to block him.

Two players and teams trying to deceive, rice just on the wrong end.

All the talk of violent conduct and rice getting booted is just lazy. An air shot because he kicked the ball away.

[Baz]

An air shot:ae:

[Gray Fox]

Rice got booted and a yellow card which is what he deserved really.

Though I'd have booked both as both are effectively trying to cheat the ref into a cheap yellow card.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I think Veltman deserved a yellow too.

He knew what he was doing.

[Lofty]

Both deserved a yellow but the ref was poor all game, he was booed off at half time. There were a lot of hard tackles Brighton made with no action but then yellows thrown out early doors for Arsenal. Definitely feels like there is a 'let it flow' instruction that's going to see someone badly injured before Christmas.

That said Arsenal should have been 3-0 up at half time so only themselves to blame.

[Gray Fox]

Is the new thing now not to disturb the FLOW OF THE GAME?

I look forward to several penalties in the game at Old Trafford later then.

[Gray Fox]

Waff and Jim thrilled.

1830203958100386274

[Waffdon]

Got a fiver on him to emulate Haaland and get a hat trick. I have all the faith in the world

[Danny]

And fivers to burn

[Jimmy Floyd]

Nine years? Seems a bit short termist. What will we do in 2034-35?

[randomlegend]

Nine years? Seems a bit short termist. What will we do in 2034-35?

You'll extend him again in a year, don't worry mate.