March Football: Tommy Tuchel Clocks On

[Magic]

That Rangers management is absolutely hilarious.

[niko_cee]

Rangers really are a bit of an inexplicable phenomenon in Europe.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Only Legia Warsaw now stand between us and a showpiece semi-final against Djurgarden or Rapid Vienna. What a story.

[Ben]

Legia's ultras make the best tifos and it's not even close.

Their "surprise motherfuckers" after being banned by UEFA was brilliant.

[John Arne]

Tuchel recalling Henderson, WALKer and tRashford :D

Planning for the future.

[John Arne]

1900471979830091980

[Jimmy Floyd]

Henry Winter Henrywinter
·
28m
Rashford back in #ENG squad. As is Jordan Henderson. And Kyle Walker. #Experience. Plus Lewis-Skelly, Burn, Trafford, Quansah

And if anyone knows about the value of #Experience, it's Sir Henry himself.

[Waffdon]

1900471979830091980

That defence is grim

[Yevrah]

It’s official. I have reached the age/level of interest where I don’t know who some of those people are.

[Kikó]

That's Waff. He's from Dundee but pretends to be a Chelsea fanboy.

[John Arne]

Horrible font, too.

[Waffdon]

That's Waff. He's from Dundee but pretends to be a Chelsea fanboy.

Snug 11am Sunday

[igor_balis]

Wtf is that fucking squad :D

[Shindig]

Dan fucking Burn!?

[niko_cee]

Chelsea are signing that kid from Sporting that United wanted for £40m.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Not that good anyway / the best thing since sliced bread (delete as applicable)

[Giggles]

You thing you cunts are bad. Let me introduce you to Robbie Brady in a full international squad.


1900162431508271231

[John Arne]

The England U21 team genuinely looks better than the senior team.

1900517278065607099

[Spikey M]

I see Alex Scott is now identifying as a WOKE under 21 year old man. :rolleyes:

[Jimmy Floyd]

Not English though. Get him out of there.

[niko_cee]

I don't know how true it was but they used to say we could play for any of the home nations and France. Probably apocryphal / lineage dependent.

[Magic]

From looking like unstoppable record breaking league champions to an inevitable play off final defeat against Sunderland.

[Gray Fox]

There's really only going to be the top 5 race left after today.

[Shindig]

City missing out on Europe could totally happen.

[Waffdon]

Maresca bottling it against Man City twice is the only reason they’re still in the mix for top 5. Bald fraud

[niko_cee]

City missing out on Europe could totally happen.

Maybe missing out on Champions League, maybe, but European football altogether?

Shame Minteh or Baleba couldn't take one of those chances.

[wullie]

Smashed the bejesus out of Sunderland today, Haji Wright hat-trick. Super Frank masterclass

[niko_cee]

I was thinking to myself earlier wouldn't it be great if Frank Lampard turned out to the the next Neil Warnock?

Elsewhere his former paymasters have signed another kid from Sporting for £18.5m.

[Jimmy Floyd]

City in the Conference League would be great content. Pep going mental in Slovenia because some poor child hasn't pressed high enough and NK Sjitove are now only 7-1 down.

[AJ23]

Nuno was a great manager at Wolves. He seems to know how to get the best out of similar sized clubs like Forest.

Mad how Gibbs-White has not made the England squad. Angel Gomes also performed well I thought under Carsley.

But Henderson is the one apparently.

[Dquincy]

Dele Ali. Sent off a few minutes into his Como debut. Poor bugger. Was a harsh one as well.

[AJ23]

Dele Ali. Sent off a few minutes into his Como debut. Poor bugger. Was a harsh one as well.

Well deserved in my opinion for anyone who does this

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/11/15/20/77831361-12752639-Dele_Alli_s_barber_revealed_the_Everton_player_s_s tupefying_pink-a-2_1700079372660.jpg

[Dquincy]

3 match ban the fucker.

[phonics]

That’s a penalty no?

[Ben]

No.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I'm sticking to the golf I think.

[John Arne]

Massive clampdown on streams right now.

[phonics]

AcePlayer: eab7aeef0218ce8b0752e596e4792b69eda4df5e for anything on SkySports Main Event. Haven't managed to find anything similar for TNT annoyingly.

[John Arne]

What channel is the Liverpool - Newcastle game?

[John Arne]

AcePlayer: eab7aeef0218ce8b0752e596e4792b69eda4df5e for anything on SkySports Main Event. Haven't managed to find anything similar for TNT annoyingly.

Cheers.

[Lofty]

More egregious was the Fofana stamp on Rice 'not meeting the VAR threshold' :moop:

[niko_cee]

How did Chelsea go from being quite exciting at the start of the season to this turgid shite?

[Jimmy Floyd]

Nkunku needs to be put down. Extraordinarily lazy player.

[Jimmy Floyd]

1-0 down with ten minutes to go and they're still hanging back in possession trying to draw the press. Has football undergone some sort of mass frontal lobotomy? These guys aren't smart.

[phonics]

Ange :cool:

[phonics]

Enzo has to be one of the worst signings a club has ever made. £120 million quid to walk around and look like a rat?

[Jimmy Floyd]

I watched the second half and bitterly regret it. There is just nothing for a supporter to latch onto in this team.

[niko_cee]

1-0 down with ten minutes to go and they're still hanging back in possession trying to draw the press. Has football undergone some sort of mass frontal lobotomy? These guys aren't smart.

Capello was right in his comments about Guardiolaball.

It's a methodology that is so reserved for the 1% of the 1% of toppermost elite footballers that even City can't do it at the moment.

It's also dull when done well and ruinous when not.

[Ben]

Capello was right in his comments about Guardiolaball.

It's a methodology that is so reserved for the 1% of the 1% of toppermost elite footballers that even City can't do it at the moment.

It's also dull when done well and ruinous when not.

At what point do the rest of the league look at Forest and Nuno and realise it’s actually better to play a more direct style when you don’t have the best squad in the world?

[Jimmy Floyd]

You'd have to extinguish the entire scouting systems, sack most of the managers and backroom staff etc. They're all set up to provide for hard-running counter press and nothing else.

What's more galling than the actual tactics is watching players completely unable to think on their feet or switch it up during games.

[randomlegend]

AcePlayer: eab7aeef0218ce8b0752e596e4792b69eda4df5e for anything on SkySports Main Event. Haven't managed to find anything similar for TNT annoyingly.

https://www.reddit.com/r/acestream_id/comments/15cfqct/ace_stream_channels_list_for_2023_working/

I found this the other week and the TNT links have been working for me.

[niko_cee]

Just clocked Liverpool are starting Kweev in the final.

:face:

[Gray Fox]

Probably his last game for the club if Alisson doesnt get injured again.

[Spoonsky]

Fair dues, he’s looking to become the first backup keeper in history to win three Kookaburra Cups.

[Giggles]

If he doesn't make a cunt of it then you'd think he'll land a decent contract somewhere this summer.

[Gray Fox]

I think it was Forest who were in for him last summer. We've signed the Georgian lad since too so I'd imagine he wont be chained in the basement like Nat Phillips.

[Gray Fox]

I suspect whoever scores first(if anyone) wins this. Isak should enjoy taking on a tired Liverpool defence. Maybe Quansah being there will be a blessing defensively.

Hopefully the experience of getting it over the line before will get it done today.

[Shindig]

Okay, that Wembley atmosphere slightly got to me. What a loud bunch of cunts we are. :)

[Jimmy Floyd]

Is this final always on ITV, or have they done it especially for the benefit of the two sets of soppy northern navel-gazers involved in this?

[Pleb]

Part of the new EFL deal etc

[phonics]

The VAR rules with playing on are so stupid. Bloke is obviously offside but you can't flag but because they don't score Newcastle get a corner?

[phonics]

This is an absolutely awful match. Tony Pulis would have been sacked at half time if he was in charge of either of these teams.

[Manc]

Liverpool are cooked.

[Gray Fox]

I have no idea why both teams do the tricky bit in getting themselves space and then lump it long at the full back.

[Jimmy Floyd]

That's the best header of all time. Step aside Pele.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Dan Burn :cool:

[Gray Fox]

The fuck is Kelleher doing?

[Luke Emia]

You'd have to extinguish the entire scouting systems, sack most of the managers and backroom staff etc. They're all set up to provide for hard-running counter press and nothing else.

What's more galling than the actual tactics is watching players completely unable to think on their feet or switch it up during games.

That Newcastle goal is a prime example of it. You have a giant of a centre half who has been free at every corner. Yet Konate and Van Dijk two very experienced players haven’t thought that maybe one of them should go and mark him.

[Luke Emia]

The fuck is Kelleher doing?

Yeah he seemed to wave it in.

[Jimmy Floyd]

A great moment ruined by Drury. Absolute cunt.

[phonics]

He is truly awful.

[Dquincy]

Fully deserved to Newcastle at half time, Liverpool have been dogshit. Jota as the leading striker doesn't work. But the alternative is just as bad.

[Gray Fox]

We've not been bad with the ball at the back, but we're being completely outworked in midfield so cannot make progress.

Best current hope is they realise they're winning and brick it or something. Awful.

[Shindig]

I can't count this Liverpool side out.

[phonics]

I've just seen the goal. Fucking hell that is apalling. Can't wait to turn on Second Captains on Monday and have them tell me how unlucky he was.

[Gray Fox]

I can't count this Liverpool side out.

Unless you gift us a goal, we're cooked.

[niko_cee]

:cool:

The wheels coming off the slot machine.

Good job they're almost insurmountably out in front in the league, although that would be a funny bottle job.

For all the shit that Nunez gets, Jota is a back up at best type of player. Did I hear right the other day that he hasn't scored in the Champions League for 4 years?

I see the FSG moles are out saying Salah is finished and it's super big brain that they haven't given him a new contract.

[Gray Fox]

I've mentioned it before, but there are clear things he'll want to address in the summer. A centre forward should be his first signing. I will always maintain Jota is best from the left and Diaz doesn't really do enough end product things for his good skill on the ball.

We're not getting any forward play from anyone in the middle at all. They're just there.

[phonics]

You’re just booting the ball up from 60 yards away what forward play do you expect?

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

VAR is a shambles.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Chalk that one off you cunts.

[Gray Fox]

Well what a shit end to a good season.

[phonics]

Thats quality from Isak.

[Shindig]

I can't fucking believe this

[John Arne]

We are terribly flat.

Neville having an orgasm with every Newcastle shot is slightly annoying.

[Gray Fox]

Thats quality from Isak.

Whoever signs him wins the league next year.

[AJ23]

If Newcastle hang on to this, the streets of London will be a fun place tonight

[Gray Fox]

As if to wave the white flag, here he comes to obliterate either the goalkeepers face or someone in the crowd.

[phonics]

Liverpool decide to actually pass the ball and immediately create a chance.

[Gray Fox]

I find it interesting they at our corner they put their fucking huge CB thats good in the air against our best aerial threat. Don't they have a 5"9 guy to do that?

[Spoonsky]

Jones could do with learning how to shoot.

[phonics]

This games so over I don't even need to wait till full time to call Liverpool MENTALITY MIDGETS and Arne Slot THE BALDEST MAN ALIVE.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

1901281222178865659

:lol:

[phonics]

Why are we still checking. It’s the most onside goal of all time.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I'm scared now.

[SincereTheRebel]

Just tuned in and i saw a newcastle player attempt a 360 roulette on the halfway line, while 2-0 up with 4 mins left in stoppage time.

[Shindig]

Have a day off, Drury!

[Spoonsky]

Congrats Shindig.

[Manc]

Get the tea towels.

[Gray Fox]

Indeed. Outplayed for the entire game save for one midfielder winning the ball back and making a through ball.

Ring in sick tomorrow.

[Mike]

We weren’t very good. Hopefully we don’t get beat against Everton so we can get back to getting the league hopefully wrapped up and not limping to the end of the season.

[Shindig]

That bus parade is going to be mint.

[Luke Emia]

This games so over I don't even need to wait till full time to call Liverpool MENTALITY MIDGETS and Arne Slot THE BALDEST MAN ALIVE.

Bald fraud.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Time's up for Slot.

[Shindig]

I got slightly worried when he brought on 7 attackers.

[Magic]

We weren’t very good. Hopefully we don’t get beat against Everton so we can get back to getting the league hopefully wrapped up and not limping to the end of the season.

Salah is the ultimate small game player so you should be fine.

[Lofty]

Whoever signs him wins the league next year.

Presumably this trophy win means they will be safe PSR wise so I'm sure he'll be encouraged to stay.

[phonics]

Presumably this trophy win means they will be safe PSR wise so I'm sure he'll be encouraged to stay.

The prize money for a Carabao Cup win is 140 thousand pounds.

[niko_cee]

Yeah, but the sponsorship value of being associated with it for Aramco is off the charts.

[Gray Fox]

I'm also not convinced he wont go to Barcelona who have no money, but will somehow be allowed to sign and register him after finding the 37th financial lever.

[Luke Emia]

Presumably this trophy win means they will be safe PSR wise so I'm sure he'll be encouraged to stay.

If not I’m sure a visit to the Saudi embassy should be sufficient to persuade him.

[Dquincy]

I've mentioned it before, but there are clear things he'll want to address in the summer. A centre forward should be his first signing. I will always maintain Jota is best from the left and Diaz doesn't really do enough end product things for his good skill on the ball.

We're not getting any forward play from anyone in the middle at all. They're just there.
If Liverpool lose Trent, Salah, and VVD in the summer, then I can't see them challenging for much in the next couple of seasons at the very least, regardless of who they bring in to replace them. Not to mention needing to replace the weaker links in the team.

Could be a very important summer for Slot.

[Waffdon]

Mon Salah ghosting another big game imagine my shock

Anti football nerd

[Luke Emia]

I think with Slot if all three leave and we don’t get the replacements right he could be in trouble by the end of next year because there are some pretty glaring holes in the rest of the squad. Notably at left-back and the forwards other than Salah.

If Salah stays the biggest thing we have to sort in the summer is another striker and get Nunez out of the door. PSG showed up that we now do have a distinct lack of out and out pace in the squad. None of the front line are really quick and watching the PSG front-line really show how much pace can terrify a defence.

[Magic]

If Liverpool lose Trent, Salah, and VVD in the summer, then I can't see them challenging for much in the next couple of seasons at the very least, regardless of who they bring in to replace them. Not to mention needing to replace the weaker links in the team.

Could be a very important summer for Slot.

Why not lol everyone else is shit as well

[Shindig]

Kluivert looks like the kind of player he'd buy. As for our FSR wank, Champions League footy would be a much bigger boost. I don't think this Cup win raises the needle.

[Dquincy]

Why not lol everyone else is shit as well

Fair point. Cue someone winning the league with 62 points next year.

[John Arne]

England up against Albania with a potential back 4 of Skelly, Burn/Colwill, Guehi and Walker is frightening. How have we ended up here?

[phonics]

I mean, Lewis-Skelly is good, Guehi is good and Walkers won a billion premier leagues and the Champions League and we're playing Albania. I'm not sure its worth the 'Won't someone think of the Children' posing questions.

[Gray Fox]

I reckon Guehi could have his pick of non-Arsenal teams in the league in the summer imo.

Walker is the odd one out to me, but I've not watched more than 10 minutes of him in a Milan shirt so who knows, maybe hes in good form.

[Jimmy Floyd]

We should buy him back for whatever it takes, he shits on Colwill and our other retards.

[Shindig]

Hopefully Newcastle land the right bid. I suspect there's £10m more on his price tag, though.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/ce8yk09zrjro

Chelsea have completed the double signing of Sporting midfielders Geovany Quenda and Dario Essugo for a combined fee of around £62.4m, the Portuguese club have said.

Winger Quenda, 17, will join Chelsea for a fee of up to £44m according to an announcement on the Sporting website, external, but will remain in Lisbon until the end of the 2025-26 season.

The teenager has broken into Sporting's first team this season and made his Champions League debut in September.

Essugo, a 20-year-old defensive midfielder, will move to Stamford Bridge in the summer following a loan spell at Las Palmas. Sporting announced his transfer fee as £18.4m.

£44m on a 17 year old. Woof.

[Jimmy Floyd]

If we just keep on signing African children out of other people's academies for huge money, eventually it'll pay off.

[Waffdon]

Owning two of the most promising wingers in football just to bring back Sterling next year and fail to sell him :drool:

[Manc]

Blm FC.

[Shindig]

It's more of a throwback to the slave trade, really.

[Giggles]

O'Brien surely deserved a start tonight. Anything is better than Doherty not giving a fuck for 90 minutes.

[Waffdon]

The fact Scotland still pick Craig Gordon is utterly embarrassing

[Magic]

Well, I tried. 5 minutes of Clarkeball was quite enough for me. Fuck that.

[Manc]

What even are these games?

[Jimmy Floyd]

Nations League promotion/relegation playoffs. Except England's, those are World Cup qualifiers.

[phonics]

O'Brien surely deserved a start tonight. Anything is better than Doherty not giving a fuck for 90 minutes.


The fact Scotland still pick Craig Gordon is utterly embarrassing


Well, I tried. 5 minutes of Clarkeball was quite enough for me. Fuck that.

Just to do a Giggles. Both of these teams are winning, Craig Gordon has a clean sheet and Matt Doherty scored.

[Manc]

I thought doing a Giggles was setting fire to an immigrant?

[Giggles]

Never doubted the Doc :uhoh:

[Ben]

I’ve been watching five minutes and, despite the suspect line up, we’ve already shown more intensity than the entire Southgate era. Whether that will actually translate to any trophies remains to be seen but it’s at least refreshing.

[Magic]

*checks match stats*

[Jimmy Floyd]

Inside Tommy Tuchel's head now, 1-0 up everything seems to be going OK, but his vision is blurring, his mouth is dry, he's nauseous... what is it? The drums, the trombone, the Great Escape... the horror... the horror.

[niko_cee]

The England band strike up We're on the ball

[Shindig]

Dan Burn could conceivably be playing at a World Cup next year. Thrilled. Although it looks like Anthony Gordon may have died.

[niko_cee]

Relegation six pointer in the Isthmian South Central today as the Green Lions of Guernsey travel to the posh bit of Redhill, branding itself Reigate, to take on South Park.

Do they still do that non-league weekend thing during international breaks?

[Shindig]

I think so. Gateshead play host to Tamworth. We're still in a play-off spot but it doesn't look as guaranteed as it once was. We really miss Iron Mike Williamson.

I've just registered my interest for next weekend's Carabao Cup celebration. Doesn't sound like there's a traditional bus parade and instead an 8 hour festival on the Town Moor. I'm not holding out hope for a slot unless the event spills out onto the golf course.

[Spikey M]

Can Gateshead actually get promoted this year then Shinners?

[Shindig]

I assume the technicality that shafted them last year has been worked out with the council. We've not been great under Carl Magnay but not bad enough to see him dropped. I don't think we have the form to sneak through the playoffs.

[niko_cee]

Lost 3-2 in the 99th minute.

:face:

I reckon they must have lost [or dropped points in] at least half a dozen games in added time this season.

[Shindig]

2-0 defeat. Gateshead's 5th defeat in a row. Get Williamson (sacked by Carlisle in February) or Elliot (sacked by Crawley yesterday) in IMMEDIATELY.

[Spikey M]

4 points off you with a game in hand. :drool:

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

1903431541465788445

:cool:

And Phonics feels that refs are against Arsenal.

[Dquincy]

Only 5 posts on here regarding the England game last night. Says a lot about the lack of interest considering it was Tuchel's first game.

[phonics]

1903431541465788445

:cool:

And Phonics feels that refs are against Arsenal.

Not even the most impressive refereeing performance in the Netherlands in the last year.

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

[AJ23]

If you'd told me 15 years ago that Craig Bellamy would become quite a measured and decent manager, I'd have said you must be smoking some good drugs.

[Shindig]

Could say the same about Southgate. International football is a weird set of skills.

Back on my old Cup Final kick, I've settled on the 1953 FA Cup Final as I think it's the oldest game I can find on youtube. Lofthouse vs Matthews :drool: God knows if there's anything going on tactically but both sides are not wasting any time getting forward.

[John Arne]

Liverpool Legends played Chelsea legends yesterday. Some proper nostalgia in the line-ups.

Liverpool: Dudek, Hyypia, Klavan, Vignal, Kelly, Gerrard, Spearing, Sissoko, Babel, Kuyt

Chelsea: Cudicini, Babayaro, Huth, Gallas, Wise, Malouda, Makalele, Ramires, Jimmy Floyd, Bosingwa, Obi Mikel

Highlights:


https://youtu.be/WPyPj9COgsE?si=nt8hUBaifUMl1GLv

[Jimmy Floyd]

I saw the lineups yesterday and could barely recognise Ramires, he's got impressively stuck into the airport lounge buffets since his playing days.

[Ben]

“Legends” is a bit of a stretch as far as Liverpool are concerned.

[Pepe]

Crouch having the time of his life. You love to see it.

I don't think that we saw a dribble as good as that from Malouda in his entire professional career.

[Magic]

Greece look pretty good going forward.

[Magic]

Pretty good indeed.

[Shindig]

Newcastle lasses won the Tyne-Wear derby in front of a record crowd, today. Not much to say about the match other than the football is still shite.

[Waffdon]

Pretty good indeed.

Still won’t be enough to sack the dinosaur. McLean, Hanley, Ralston and Gordon all being regulars is an utter joke.

[-james-]

Fucking hell Scotland

[Bernanke]

Some good games tonight.

[Giggles]

Parrot has improved so much with regular games, but Azaz has definitely been the standout player for us this window. Definitely needs to be a regular starter now.

[randomlegend]

The fact it's looking like Chelsea are going to pay us £5m to take Sancho back, good lord.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I think he's the laziest person I've ever seen in football. There should be no place for him in the sport. Should have to go and get a normal job and stop insulting people.

[Luke Emia]

I was then coming to post about that there’s that much noise about it you can only assume it’s Chelsea briefing on it.

How’s long has he got left on his contract at United? Maybe Brailsford can get some marginal gains from him?

[niko_cee]

1 year with the fabled 'option to extend'.

[niko_cee]

Cracking freekick.

Can be doing without 'MLS' as some sort of commonplace contraction.

:sick:

Rashford and Bowen, truly a golden generation.

[Waffdon]

My right back :cool:

Snapped hammy inbound

[Yevrah]

That was a ghastly first half, just lacking quality (bar the free kick) all over the shop.

[Yevrah]

And playing Rashford against a team with 9/10 men behind the ball is absolutely pointless.

[Jimmy Floyd]

This whole qualifying schedule is such a hiding to nothing. It's almost better for the fabled 'momentum' to shit your way through than blast everyone 8-0.

Could have really done with a couple of better sides. I suppose the Serbian games will be an 'occasion'.

[Shindig]

Serbia will still put 10 behind the ball like they did last time.

EDIT: I thought Bellingham might be gone there. :uhoh:

[Jimmy Floyd]

Bellingham should absolutely go there. Referee will get destroyed by the assessor, bottle job.

[niko_cee]

Rashford must have one of the lowest Football IQs or whatever you call it going.

Bellingham goes there in a proper game.

[Spikey M]

Going around the Maginot Line doesn't work when your Panzers are spastics. Rashford and Bowen are a complete waste of time in games like this.

Play a narrow front 3 and let the wing backs put the crosses in.

[Dquincy]

Eze showing Rashford how to do it.

[Lewis]

Good to see Tuchel has given up on that combover he was rolling with forever.

[Yevrah]

Bellingham is in real danger of becoming Gerrard mark II. He's well on his way to 50 caps now and has done the square root of fuck all compared to his talent. Not helped by Sir Gareth being at the helm, obviously, but he really needs to start pulling his finger out.

[Luke Emia]

Bellingham is in real danger of becoming Gerrard mark II. He's well on his way to 50 caps now and has done the square root of fuck all compared to his talent. Not helped by Sir Gareth being at the helm, obviously, but he really needs to start pulling his finger out.

He did score an overhead kick with the last kick of the game to keep them in the Euro’s…

[Yevrah]

He did score an overhead kick with the last kick of the game to keep them in the Euro’s…

He did, but he spent the rest of the tournament dining off that and mooching around like a petulant child.

[AJ23]

If England play like that against Serbia, they're going to have another tough time.

The Vidic regen Nikola Milenkovic is just going to shut out Harry Kane quite easily.

[John Arne]

Just watching the highlights... I see Pickford is still doing that thing of being very manic, very manic, very manic, getting hold of the ball, telling everybody else to calm down, then being very manic, very manic, very manic.

[Shindig]

One thing that bothers me when we face a low block is how we never look to quicken things. It's all sideways and very little movement. Most of our crosses were airborne which were easy to defend. Nothing low to add a bit of chaos, nobody chancing their arm with a long ranged effort, etc.

[niko_cee]

Rashford literally tried to 'fizz it in' every single time he got the ball in a crossing position. Mostly straight to the goalkeeper or into the shins of the defender right in front of him.

James was the only player on the pitch with enough [crossing] ability to put anything dangerous in.

[Shindig]

'Fizz' is generous. He kept doing that thing where he faces up the defender, shift the ball between his feet or checked back, and then tried to go past him. It's not direct enough.

[Gray Fox]

1 down to Madrid then, 2 left to go.

[Pepe]

Bellingham is in real danger of becoming Gerrard mark II. He's well on his way to 50 caps now and has done the square root of fuck all compared to his talent. Not helped by Sir Gareth being at the helm, obviously, but he really needs to start pulling his finger out.

What I remember of him in the euros is that he played really well for the first half of the first match (which made all of you very excited), then did fuck all for a few matches, then scored a late equalizer, then did fuck all again for the remainder of the tournament.

[Yevrah]

That’s about the size of it.

[Manc]

1 down to Madrid then, 2 left to go.

Wish him well.

[Giggles]

There's a fierce meltdown going on about this Alexander-Arnold thing. Could they not have just sold him 18 months ago when he didn't sign the new deal they presumably offered him?

[Spikey M]

Transfer fees going insane over the last 10 years seems to have ushered in an era of players running down their contracts to move on a free on mega wages, rather than seeing the mega-money go to club, and more power to them.

[Giggles]

Yeah definitely. If he had done a knee or something we'd see how quick he'd have got a new deal. Look after number one.

[niko_cee]

Think Klopp leaving rather torpedoed any penultimate year contract negotiations, although with Trent I'm not sure that would have made much difference. Paying the price for operation best mate with Bellingham. And the owners are super big brain. Could be quite funny next season if they lose all three and replace them with Eredivisie / Bundesliga numpties. Post- Suarez low.

[-james-]

Edwards numpties > Boehly/Woodward numpties though

[niko_cee]

Think we're heading back to the halcyon days of just buying loads of players off one South coast club.

[Jimmy Floyd]

With the way clubs are run these days, i.e. endless morons through the door and then out again, football is becoming more of a strong-link problem. Keep Salah until he dies and you're golden.

City this year a very apt demonstration of that.

[phonics]

I’m kind of hoping Salah does get his 5 year 8 billion pound contract and does a full Mark Viduka.

Genuinely one of the funniest careers of all time. Every contract year he’d be up for the Ballon D’or and then spend the signing bonus on curry for 4 years. It does make you wonder how good he could have been if he gave a single shit.

[SincereTheRebel]

These nazi immigrants are cutting straight through the samba boys. 2-0 inside 10 minutes.

[John Arne]

These nazi immigrants are cutting straight through the samba boys. 2-0 inside 10 minutes.

Just tuned up... genuinely haven't heard of half the Brazil team. Bento, Wesley, Andre....

[Lofty]

Transfer fees going insane over the last 10 years seems to have ushered in an era of players running down their contracts to move on a free on mega wages, rather than seeing the mega-money go to club, and more power to them.

Wenger right again :cool:

[Jimmy Floyd]

A small recovery in prospect for the lost art of good Brazilian player names (and with it their World Cup hopes after 20+ years). People like 'Andre' are holding them back and need to go, but Bento in goal works well and Joelinton is a beauty especially when you say it as Brazilians do (zhwellinton). 'Endrick' is also excellent.

Still work to do - Joao Gomes coming off the bench is far too Portugal, and I'm not having an outfield 'Ederson' whatsoever - but I'm not ruling out their chances just yet.

[Ben]

I didn't realise Matheus Cunha was so well travelled, despite still being only 25. I thought Atletico plucked him straight out of the favelas.

[wullie]

I liked when Brazilian players were going so far away from classic names they were almost Last Of The Summer Wine with players like Arthur, Allan and Compo Souza.

[Ben]

Compo :cool:

[John Arne]

Fred :drool:

(Freeedjjji)

[Jimmy Floyd]

Look at this bloke Lucas Beraldo on the bench. He would be twice the player if he was just 'Beraldo'. Who needs Lucas? Every prick in the world is called Lucas.

If Pele was around nowadays he'd probably be called Edson Junior or something. Decline.

[Mike]

There's a fierce meltdown going on about this Alexander-Arnold thing. Could they not have just sold him 18 months ago when he didn't sign the new deal they presumably offered him?

It feels very much like a none match going fan meltdown.

[Pepe]

Djalminha :cool:

[Shindig]

Grafite and Dinamite were the last two good ones I can remember.

[Lewis]

Wenger right again :cool:

I figured that fees going mental would essentially negate them, leaving us with rugby-like contracts where people either signed for three years or ten years.

[niko_cee]

No Chris Wood for Forest.

A trip to Wembley beckons.

[Gray Fox]

It feels like we've not had Barclays in ages.

I for one can't wait 'til we get back so we can have Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher talking Trent, instead of Salah for an hour before build up.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Fulham-Palace on Saturday is a seismic prospect in these parts. Barclays news relegated to chip paper (triple-cut hand-cooked chips costing £12.95, but still).

[niko_cee]

On the slightly tenuously related to football and chips front, Ed Sheeran was BANG ON about London chippies being shite and Danny Dyer can fuck off crying into his pie and mash if he thinks any different.

[Lewis]

I had some London pie 'n' mash last year and it was awful. Shit pie, shit mash, and the less said about the 'liquor' the better.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Bosh.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Pie and mash is just romanticism of shit old working class tropes, like when my old man pretends to still prefer tinned luncheon meat to the range you can now get in a supermarket.

[randomlegend]

I had some London pie 'n' mash last year and it was awful. Shit pie, shit mash, and the less said about the 'liquor' the better.

Yeah I've seen one or two of the famous places on a couple of YouTube food channels and it doesn't look remotely tempting.

Good pie and good mash are banging though.

[SvN]

Orange chips make the black country the supreme area for chippies.

[Ben]

There's a tremendous pie 'n mash place in Whitby but it's still just pie 'n mash. Nice to have once every few years but that'll do.

And obviously being close to Whitby, everywhere else I've sampled out of the region is useless.

[Dquincy]

Mash will always be the poorer cousin to chips when discussing potatoes.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I'd take the best mash over the best chips. The watery snot they serve in pie and mash shops is not mash, it's just what people could afford in about 1910.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/mar/27/harry-redknapp-appears-to-make-nazi-salute-after-calling-thomas-tuchel-german-spy

:lol:

I'm not sure a spy is needed to "fuck up" the English national team.

[John Arne]

The keeper :D

1905340374119227400

[Gray Fox]

Beginning of the end for Maresca I think. The first team played the u21s at the training ground and lost 3-0, so he's cancelled their day off and got them all in for training.

Might work at another club but I could see the players not taking that well.

[niko_cee]

Alphonso Davis doing his ACL weeks after signing a new 5 year deal. Good job he decided against holding out for Real.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Seeing a lot of OMIGOD NO PL???? type stuff today. Another fascinating chapter in people's inability to cope without league soccer. Do these guys sit around curled up in a ball all summer?

[Shindig]

Nah, they huddle around plane trackers and agent twitter feeds.

[Gray Fox]

"Player X has followed Team Y on TikTok. Transfer announcement must be imminent!"

[Giggles]

I want another international window.

[Shindig]

Nah, that'd just put our bus parade back another week. :moop:

Here's a good jaunt down memory lane. Boro's bus parade 21 (!!!) years ago.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuD5w2V_9Zw

Steve McClaren is on top form only for all the energy to be sucked out of the town with Gareth Southgate's speech.

[thommo]

FA Cup quarter finals being given their own weekend is fantastic. Especially so with the slate of teams involved (and I'm not just saying that because Fulham are still in it).

[Waffdon]

Beginning of the end for Maresca I think. The first team played the u21s at the training ground and lost 3-0, so he's cancelled their day off and got them all in for training.

Might work at another club but I could see the players not taking that well.

He’s not really got no excuses moving forward. Every single player is fit and in training and no game for a week yet. Guarantee he starts Fofana as right back again, the massive twat.

[Manc]

Adam Wharton is a lucky boy.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

That would have been some goal by Lerma.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

That was fucking lovely.

[Manc]

Eze is different gravy.

[Jimmy Floyd]

This is such a proper cup quarter-final. Loving it. Game later should be similar too.

[thommo]

Well that was frustrating.

Feel like we were the better side for most of the game, especially up until the 2 goals in the 1st half. Once they got the lead, they defended well and stuck to their shape (very similar to their win in the league last month against us) and could counter as we pushed forward.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Difference between the sides was that Fulham are fare more prosaic in attack, don't have the magic of an Eze.

[niko_cee]

I'm about to take 3 kids 9, 8 and 5 to the Brighton game. God help me.

[Gray Fox]

God speed Niko. Expect the short attention spans of todays youth to kick in around 20 mins in when someone goes down feigning an injury again.

[Magic]

Sensational keeping again from Meslier. This cunt has cost us promotion already. Wilder and Parker getting automatic is a scandal.

[Magic]

Fucking hell. He's an absolute cunt.

[AJ23]

Meslier is a tragic excuse for a goalkeeper. If Leeds had a solid 'keeper, they'd be well clear at the top right now.

[Alex]

Sensational keeping again from Meslier. This cunt has cost us promotion already. Wilder and Parker getting automatic is a scandal.

Darlow for the rest of the season seems a completely reasonable move to me at this point. It won't happen, though.

[Magic]

Darlow for the rest of the season seems a completely reasonable move to me at this point. It won't happen, though.

I'd take Rachubka back at this stage.

[niko_cee]

God speed Niko. Expect the short attention spans of todays youth to kick in around 20 mins in when someone goes down feigning an injury again.

This is about right, well for 5 and 8. To be honest they did well considering how shit a game it has been. Penalties beckon for maximum child misery.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Not a penalty at all.