November football: MAXIMUM EFFORT

Last month Bruhnaldo said that I just hadn't put enough work into the OP for the Octoberball thread. As a man of the people and YOUR TTH Super Tournament runner-up I take these matters to heart. If anything, I possibly created the October thread a little too well, but I feel I do have the optimum monthly football thread OP in my locker.

As such, and in the spirit of the brainless modern footballer, I have elected to put in 110% this time. Last month the OP was 88 words, this month: 97! (Had to round up.)

The MAGIC of the CUP starts this month doesn't it?

Maximum effort??? If so, where is the V.League update? Call yourself a thread starter.

I ran out of words. Next month I'll write about the V League in the OP.

Requests for 2020 monthly football thread OPs welcome.

Where are this month's fixtures in the opening post? Just the major five leagues will do and European competitions.

Per my response to Bruhnaldo last month, I haven't done that in the OP since some time in the first half of the year. If you think people can't Google football fixtures themselves then you post them.

EDIT: Actually turns out I haven't done it all year. You all had your chance to complain or beat me to it. This is your life now. Embrace it.

100% votes for top, top thread. :drool:

@Pepe respects the effort. Must be an engineer thing, I guess.

An increase in words of over 10% definitely warrants top thread status.

I don't know what the haters are expecting. Ian can't control the calendar: months rise up without warning, like beasts from the deep sea. Fixtures are set, whistles are blown, footballs are kicked, and headed (though not for long if Jeff receives his Justice); Ian can't contextualise a thing. All he can do is start threads, start them on time, and put his heart and soul into them. It would be a cold heart who claimed he has ever failed us.

A critique of modern football using Southend Uniteds struggle as a sign of the times. 3000 words plz.

I want long term booking from you in 2020 Webly, you can be the Gedo of the monthly kickball threads.

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Originally Posted by Spikey M

A critique of modern football using Southend Uniteds struggle as a sign of the times. 3000 words plz.

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I will not make promises on word count but I'm happy to pencil that in for January.

All the support means a lot, lads. I didn't want to go all Granit Xhaka about it.

A top, top thread and Stoke have sacked their manager. What a start to the month.

The BBC article says they might bring back Pulis. What a time to be alive. Get Big Sam back at Bolton too.

Despite their atrocious start to the season, and now sacking their manager, Stoke still managed to beat us 2-0. Typical Fulham. In fact we've only managed 1 point against the bottom 3 this season. Gave Barnsley their only win of the season on the opening day too.

Meanwhile Liverpool with their annual fixture congestion moaning bullshit because they can't fit in a January game of a cup quarter final game that no one really gives a shit about.

I blame the Club World Cup on that one Geoff.

Even the supposed January date is when the FA Cup kicks in too I believe.

I'd be all for just sending Arsenal through and have done with it.

Awful precedent if they don't play the game, it has to be played, but I don't see why it can't just be played on the proper date with as understrength a team as necessary. Dig up Ian Rush if you have to.

If it actually came to withdrawing then that's just stupid. Who did they draw, Villa? Just send the reserves out. If they lose anyway then you've lost nothing. If they go through: fine.

If you care that little then just withdraw at the start of the season.

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Originally Posted by Ian

Last month Bruhnaldo said that I just hadn't put enough work into the OP for the Octoberball thread. As a man of the people and YOUR TTH Super Tournament runner-up I take these matters to heart. If anything, I possibly created the October thread a little too well, but I feel I do have the optimum monthly football thread OP in my locker.

As such, and in the spirit of the brainless modern footballer, I have elected to put in 110% this time. Last month the OP was 88 words, this month: 97! (Had to round up.)

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Are you going to ramp the word count up by 10% each month? 2020 will be AMAZING.

Nothing will top that 5-5 game. I’m still buzzing. :alan:

I'd be a huge fan of Liverpool being told to play both games on the same day, and then penalised heavily for fielding a weakened team in the League Cup. :drool:

We've already ruled out sending a reserve side out whilst the first team go to Qatar. I'm assuming because the plan is to mix reserves in over there and use it as a kind of international break.
The EFL are willing to help us fit the game in somewhere, though the EPL aren't keen on moving anything.

I don't see the game not being played, but if we have to send the u18's then what's the point?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ian

Last month Bruhnaldo said that I just hadn't put enough work into the OP for the Octoberball thread. As a man of the people and YOUR TTH Super Tournament runner-up I take these matters to heart. If anything, I possibly created the October thread a little too well, but I feel I do have the optimum monthly football thread OP in my locker.

As such, and in the spirit of the brainless modern footballer, I have elected to put in 110% this time. Last month the OP was 88 words, this month: 97! (Had to round up.)

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Bruh can lie in his piss. Top thread.

If anything I'm thankful that Bruh has inspired me to new levels of peak performance.

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Originally Posted by Sir Andy Mahowry

Are you going to ramp the word count up by 10% each month? 2020 will be AMAZING.

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You want me to try and give more than 110%? Even top, top players can't do that. You've gone quite mad.

Start the thread, start the thread Ian Webly
Start the thread, start the thread I say
Start the thread, start the thread Ian Webly
Drinking real ales the old man way

If anything there has been too much effort in that opening post, I hope your personal life isn’t being effected by the effort needed for your top top 110% work rate.

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Originally Posted by Pleb

The MAGIC of the CUP starts this month doesn't it?

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Gateshead at home to Oldham. So ... y'know, it's a day out. Andy Carroll's available today. I'll give him 45 minutes before something breaks again.

We're (Torquay) in the first round for the first time since it feels like an eternality against Maidenstone at their place so I guess that's a decent cup run in the bag.

I keep forgetting we're a Conference North side now. 2-3 games in hand over the rest of the league due to postponements. Steve Watson's York are crushing it at the top. Meanwhile Lee Clark's at the arse end of the table with Blyth Spartans.

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Originally Posted by Mike

If anything there has been too much effort in that opening post, I hope your personal life isn’t being effected by the effort needed for your top top 110% work rate.

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Sometimes sacrifices need to be made if you want to be the best.

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Originally Posted by Shindig

Meanwhile Lee Clark's at the arse end of the table with Blyth Spartans.

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I didn't realise he'd dropped out of League management. A little bit surprised as he got some good jobs, but was always a moaning arsehole so I wish him all the worst.

Djurgården are champions of Sweden!!!!!!:beer::rave:

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Originally Posted by mo

I didn't realise he'd dropped out of League management. A little bit surprised as he got some good jobs, but was always a moaning arsehole so I wish him all the worst.

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I thought he had it cracked at Huddersfield but, since then, he has not managed to find a foothold anywhere. Watson on the other hand made the right choice in leaving Gateshead and has pressed on. Mike Williamson's done decent in assembling a squad for the season and we're not too far out of the picture.

What do United do in training all week?

Fire Safety and Sensitivity.

Instagram strategy meetings.

Leaving out Fabinho to be available for City seems like a bold move.

I've not been Lallanas greatest fan, but big chance for him today. I hope it's a more creative midfield though. It's been a while since we put a hatful past someone in a Prem game so today would be a great time to start.

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Originally Posted by Trancemeister

Djurgården are champions of Sweden!!!!!!:beer::rave:

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Ever since I moved here i’ve gotten in with the Hammarby crowd who seem to have the most hype. The team is fun too. Decent league if i’m honest

Well this is fucking GREAT.

Centre backs and the new centre forwards.

Absolutely shocking. Henderson and Wijnaldum offering nothing going forward.

Also this game should be 1-1. Firmino was not offside.

That Mane dive :D

https://i.gyazo.com/d29233b5ccdf6ad9...ba13619021.png

Aye, they added a red line for Firmino that was nowhere near in the correct place.

I seem to say this every half-time, but this will see what we're made of. This does feel like a defeat in waiting though.

I've forgotten the last time we scored first.

How are we top? We are fucking shit. Salah is a mess of a player. Our midfield 3 useless every fucking week.

VAR got an offside wrong?

Hahahahahahaha

VAR is a proper victory parade for the luddites amongst us at the moment, just as West Ham v Newcastle is a victory parade for the lunch club.

Well, we don't deserve that.

I don't even know how.

Because you’re fucking jammy cunts.

Mentality monsters.

Someone about BOTTLING IT!!!

It feels like the end of the Invincibles season where they were limping home with 1-1s. Christmas is going to be interesting. We've got Bournemouth and Villa next. Decisive.

Jorginho's pass for our goal is a joke. What a hero he has become.

I hate VAR. The sport is in danger of losing its greatest quality: the joy/excitement of a goal being scored. Even as a neutral watching Real Madrid v Betis just now, the game is somewhat ruined.

Big win for us today. Next 4 games are really tough.

What % of balls in the net are being checked and how many are being disallowed?

I don't know but it feels like it's wiping off a hell of a lot more goals than it's allowing. Referees being too cavalier in allowing goals wasn't the problem it was brought in to solve, I don't think.

My issues prior to it being introduced were that it would lead to pauses where you had to wait to celebrate a goal and the refs would become too reliant on it thus exacerbating the first problem.

Is that what's happening?

This also wasn't what the offside rule was brought in to prevent:

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An official Premier League tweet read: “Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino was flagged offside before putting the ball in the net against Aston Villa and the decision was confirmed by VAR.

“The red line signifies Firmino and was aligned to his armpit, which was marginally ahead of the last Villa defender.”

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That is the same problem I have with it: even if the final decision is correct, you can't celebrate a goal, and there is literally no reason to watch football other than being able to celebrate a goal.

It has to change and can go down one of two routes, which I would dub the rugby and the cricket route:

The rugby route: the on field referee has to set clear parameters for each referral. E.g. 'Is there any reason that the goal cannot stand', or 'Goal - yes or no'. In rugby they seem not to just default to the latter, easier question which takes all the pressure off them, though in football I fear they might.

The cricket routie: you take all referral power away from the on field referee, and hand it to the teams (probably managers in this case), with a set limit of how many challenges you have - one per half, perhaps.

In either case, the on field referee has to be mic'd up and we have to hear the conversation between him and the VAR referee. If this isn't acceptable to the authorities because players are going to swear into the referee's mic, then the sport should probably no longer be played anyway and that would solve the problem too.

I started to type a long post out to explain how I'd like to see it work, but then I reminded myself while doing so that it'll never work long term in football due to the offside rule.

Just get rid of it. Things weren't that bad before.

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Originally Posted by Yevrah

I started to type a long post out to explain how I'd like to see it work, but then I reminded myself while doing so that it'll never work long term in football due to the offside rule.

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They'll have to change the offside rule to refer only to feet, or wheels I suppose in the disabled game, or bring in the fabled 'daylight' in some way. This stuff where they're drawing lines up from noses/armpits/erections to demarcate the offside line is a farce.

Saint-Maximum has a touch of the Sammy Ameobi's about him. Sets off full pelt and then loses control of his legs when it's time to shoot.

EDIT: Time to compare Bruce and Rafa's results:

Rafa (2018 - after 11 league games)

Won: 1 (v Watford) 3/11/18
Drawn: 3 (v Cardiff, Palace, Southampton, all goalless)
Lost: 8 (v Spurs, Chelsea, Man City, Arsenal, Leicester, Man Utd, Brighton)
For: 7
Against: 14
Position: 17th

Top scorer: Joselu (2)

Bruce (2019 - after 11 league games)

Won: 3 (v Spurs, Man Utd, West Ham)
Drawn: 3 (v Brighton, Watford, Wolves)
Lost: 6 (v Arsenal, Norwich, Liverpool, Leicester, Chelsea)
For: 9
Against: 17
Position: 15th

Top scorer: Shelvey (2)

Rafa would equal Bruce's point's tally after two more games (wins against Bournemouth and Burnley)

Not sure this Arsenal season could get more depressing but think hiring Jose Mourinho would deffo be the icing on the cake.

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

They'll have to change the offside rule to refer only to feet, or wheels I suppose in the disabled game, or bring in the fabled 'daylight' in some way. This stuff where they're drawing lines up from noses/armpits/erections to demarcate the offside line is a farce.

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The easiest way to fix it is instead of flagging any playable part of the body as offside, make it so the whole playable body has to be offisde. Like how the ball has to go all the way over the line.

Nobody thinks that a player being offside because he has size 13s and the defender has size 7s is interesting play.

Yeah, I was thinking after I posted that that the logic used in the long jump (i.e. you have only jumped as far as the furthest back part of your body) should be used to determine where the attacker is located.

I saw one guy get flagged who was jogging back onside, facing the opposite way to the defender, and he managed to turn around and still beat the defender to the ball and got flagged off because his ankle was offside. It's a joke.

The rule has been wank for years. This is before VAR even came in.

Toggle Spoiler

https://i.redd.it/it0lvccypqgz.jpg

That's offside

That was flagged because the linesman thought it was offside, not because an ankle or whatever. What the exact rule is only matters to the incessant analysis of every single thing that happens. During the game the linesman has to basically be able to look at two places at the same time, so the whole thing will always be inexact. Make it full body, part of the body, playing part of the body, whatever, it will always be the same. Except for VAR, which will always make things worse no matter which specific body part is arbitrarily chosen as the limit.

I was watching a Sunday league game this morning, and someone was given offside (he looked about five yards off to me). The attacking team's goalkeeper, fully 80 yards away and at the worst possible angle, shouted: REF YOU'RE A FUCKING DISGRACE ARE YOU FUCKING BLIND HE WAS MILES ON.

The moral of the story is that football is set up to fail.

Wish now that I'd just took the shitty tickets and went to the cup final. There's been many good solid players here over the years but you could put Jack Byrne in most premier league teams and he'd do very well. Gifted and better than he's ever been.


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Here just copy and paste this @Ian

Top European Goalscorers (As of 1 NOV)

1. Robert Lewandowski - Bayern - 13
2. Ciro Immobile - Lazio - 10
3. Jamie Vardy - Leicester - 9
3t. Wissam Ben Yedder - Monaco - 9
4. Sergio Aguero - Man City - 8
4t. Luis Muriel - Atalanta - 8
4t. Tammy Abraham - Chelsea - 8

League Leaders (As of 3 NOV)

https://ssl.gstatic.com/onebox/media...5ayA_48x48.png - https://ssl.gstatic.com/onebox/media...wJiw_48x48.png
https://ssl.gstatic.com/onebox/media...8LmA_48x48.png - https://ssl.gstatic.com/onebox/media...ofhQ_48x48.png
https://ssl.gstatic.com/onebox/media...vVPg_48x48.png - https://ssl.gstatic.com/onebox/media...a0ZA_48x48.png
https://ssl.gstatic.com/onebox/media...q5Zg_48x48.png - https://ssl.gstatic.com/onebox/media...6nqQ_48x48.png
https://ssl.gstatic.com/onebox/media...zQ2A_48x48.png - https://ssl.gstatic.com/onebox/media...p4YQ_48x48.png

Notable Fixtures
link to list of all fixtures

3 NOV

Everton v Spurs (Premier League)
AC Milan v Lazio (Serie A)

Rangers v Hearts (Scottish Cup)


5 NOV

Chelsea v Ajax (Champions League)
Dortmund v Inter (Champions League)


6 NOV

Leverkusen v Atletico (Champions League)
Real Madrid v Galatasaray (Champions League)
Guimaraes v Arsenal (Europa League)


7 NOV

Lazio v Celtic (Europa League)
M'gladbach v Roma (Europa League)
Man Utd v Partizan (Europa League)
Rangers v Porto (Europa League)
Wolves v Slovan Bratislava (Europa League)
M'Gladbach v Roma (Europa League)


9 NOV

Chelsea v Palace (Premier League)
Burnley v West Ham (Premier League)
Newcastle v Bournemouth (Premier League)
Spurs v Sheff Utd (Premier League)
Southampton v Everton (Premier League)
Leicester v Arsenal (Premier League)

Bayern v Dortmund (Bundesliga)


10 NOV

Man Utd v Brighton (Premier League)
Wolves v Villa (Premier League)
Liverpool v Man City (Premier League)

Juve v AC Milan (Serie A)

Celtic v Motherwell (Scottish Prem)
Livingston v Rangers (Scottish Prem)


14 NOV

England v Montenegro (Euro 2020)
Brazil v Argentina (Friendly)
Rep of Ireland v New Zealand (Friendly)


16 NOV

Cyprus v Scotland (Euro 2020)
Azerbaijan v Wales (Euro 2020)
Northern Ireland v Netherlands (Euro 2020)


17 NOV

Kosovo v England (Euro 2020)


18 NOV

Gibraltar v Switzerland (Euro 2020)
Rep of Ireland v Denmark (Euro 2020)


18 NOV

Germany v Northern Ireland (Euro 2020)
Wales v Hungary (Euro 2020)


23 NOV

West Ham v Spurs (Premier League)
Bournemouth v Wolves (Premier League)

Arsenal v Southampton (Premier League)
Brighton v Leicester (Premier League)
Palace v Liverpool (Premier League)
Everton v Norwich (Premier League)
Watford v Burnley (Premier League)
Man City v Chelsea (Premier League)


24 NOV

Sheff Utd v Man Utd (Premier League)

Milan v Napoli (Serie A)
Atalanta v Juve (Serie A)
Real Madrid v Real Sociedad


25 NOV

Villa v Newcastle (Premier League)


26 NOV

Juventus v Atletico (Champions League)
Real Madrid v PSG (Champions League)
Spurs v Olympiacos (Champions League)


27 NOV

Valencia v Chelsea (Champions League)
Barcelona v Dortmund (Champions League)
Liverpool v Napoli (Champions League)


28 NOV

Astana v Man Utd (Europa League)
Feyenoord v Rangers (Europa League)
Braga v Wolves (Europa League)
Arsenal v Entracht Frankfurt (Europa League)
Celtic v Rennes (Europa League)
Sporting v PSV (Europa League)


30 NOV

Newcastle v Man City (Premier League)
Burnley v Palace (Premier League)
Chelsea v West Ham (Premier League)
Liverpool v Brighton (Premier League)
Spurs v Bournemouth (Premier League)
Southampton v Watford (Premier League)

Bayern v Leverkusen (Bundesliga)

Monaco v PSG (Ligue 1)

Finally had the chance to watch Utd at home considering we've been pushed to Sunday or Monday I feel almost like every week this season and low and behold we drop yet another stinker ffs.

Webly > Bruh.

If you're going to include the SPL in the notable games portion Bruh, which you probably shouldn't, you should be including it in the goalscorers portion too. Defoe has ten league goals so far, and both Edouard and Morelos are on eight.

Look at him coming in and trying to hijack this top, top thread.

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Originally Posted by John

If you're going to include the SPL in the notable games portion Bruh, which you probably shouldn't, you should be including it in the goalscorers portion too. Defoe has ten league goals so far, and both Edouard and Morelos are on eight.

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One £20m player and one £10m player.

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Originally Posted by Waffdon

One £20m player and one £10m player.

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Thirty and twenty, probably, and the difference is purely down to the respective bank balances of the two clubs.

When Morelos leaves we'll have Shankland off your lot for 2% of the fee anyway.

We are a very good football team. Vardy is a transcendent icon.

Eriksen going down the Mesut Ozil career path

This is something that I noticed yesterday, and its a crying shame that it has taken Andy Fucking Gray to point it out.

View Tweet

It's because they can't say it was Martin Atkinsons fault, because he's fucking shite.

If Richarlison spent half as much energy on holding the ball up than he does throwing himself on the floor - he'd be a decent player.

lol at him saying 'we're disallowing goals' like he's still part of the Best League in the World.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by John

Thirty and twenty, probably, and the difference is purely down to the respective bank balances of the two clubs.

When Morelos leaves we'll have Shankland off your lot for 2% of the fee anyway.

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Edouard is a far better player, don’t be daft.

This VAR check is taking fucking ages. Just give it or don't, there's no right answer

That looks a broken leg.

How on earth has he given a red card to Son for that. He was away to give him a yellow until he seen his leg hanging off

All the players showing genuine concern for the player, and Digne is running and shouting at the ref to get Son sent off. Stay classy, Digne.

Anyone long on added minutes?

Should be about 15 but it'll only be 6 or 7

I'll go with 9.

Pennos :cool:

Was gonna say 12, but bottled it.

Easy for Rovers in the shootout. Sickening seeing Mannus the filthy hun as the hero.

Ballotelli racially abused at Verona. When he attempted to walk off the pitch, rather than his teammates supporting him, they just pleaded for him to carry on playing (and presumable ignore it). How depressing..

That Gomez leg break is horrific, but how the hell has Son been sent off for an innocuous challenge when it was Aurier flying in and Gomez's own momentum that did the damage?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by John

If you're going to include the SPL in the notable games portion Bruh, which you probably shouldn't, you should be including it in the goalscorers portion too. Defoe has ten league goals so far, and both Edouard and Morelos are on eight.

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I just tried to include clubs which were supported by folks on the website.

The top scorers was based on the top 5 leagues which were then listed under showing who lead each league at the time.

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Originally Posted by Gray Fox

Look at him coming in and trying to hijack this top, top thread.

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Yea you know me, always trying to enhance everyone's experience for some odd reason.

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Originally Posted by John Arne

Ballotelli racially abused at Verona. When he attempted to walk off the pitch, rather than his teammates supporting him, they just pleaded for him to carry on playing (and presumable ignore it). How depressing.

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Its really is hilarious. Why they all don't hold hands, cry and walk off the field l, I don't know.

Niko Kovac sacked at Bayern.

Eriksen needs to fuck off to Inter Milan on a free already. He's absolute dogshit. An appalling game

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Waffdon

Edouard is a far better player, don’t be daft.

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Edouard is a better all round player, but Morelos is a better striker. When he moves on I suspect Edouard will find his best football comes as a number ten, while Morelos is as pure a nine as you'll see. Taking two far superior players as a shorthand, Edouard is Cantona to Morelos' Shearer.

Anyone else watching the AFC Cup Final?
4.25 goalkeeper An Tae-song just sent off in just 26th minute. Al Ahed (Hezbollah funded team) now clear favourites. Still 0-0.
Choe Chol-su makes way for 4.25 sub keeper Sin Tae-song.

Im guessing as its Asia, 4.25 is the goalkeeper's height in feet.

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Originally Posted by SincereTheRebel

Im guessing as its Asia, 4.25 is the goalkeeper's height in feet.

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That's the North Korean Army team you're mocking. Watch your back.

Livestream
https://youtu.be/7gcB1DDiOFI

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Originally Posted by Yevrah

My issues prior to it being introduced were that it would lead to pauses where you had to wait to celebrate a goal and the refs would become too reliant on it thus exacerbating the first problem.

Is that what's happening?

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That's in danger of becoming the default reaction. If you lose the power of goals football is ruined.

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Originally Posted by SincereTheRebel

Its really is hilarious. Why they all don't hold hands, cry and walk off the field l, I don't know.

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You don't think players should walk off? Why not?

No they should walk off. Its sounds easy but I don't think none of the players been targeted gives a fuck.

Was at Brighton at the weekend and the joy of the goal has well and truly gone, as with the finger going up for lbw in cricket. Small celebration, then a subsequent ironic cheer when the goal is allowed to stand. :thbdn:

Never a game without a 'u wot m8' red card check as well.

It's complete bollocks and fuck the cunts who implemented it.

Is it being this well received wherever else it's been introduced?

What I'm also struggling to get my head around is why? It wasn't as if things were that broken in the first place and it was bloody obvious that football as a fast moving sport didn't lend itself well to video refereeing.

Since binning off my Sky subscription I don't actually watch much football these days, but it sounds like a good time to have ducked out. I feel for those of you that are emotionally invested in a club team and almost have to carry on as a result.

I don't remember it being as shit as this in the World Cup. Maybe we need to chuck Andre Marriner out of the booth and put Bakary Gassama in there.

I meant leagues more than international football,which I do still watch.

World Cup wasn't that bad, I'd agree.

Stannerz park should be no influence outside of a glorified video feed provider. If the referee feels his first instinct on an issue is inconclusive or has doubts, he can go to the monitor and review, asking the 4th official for input if needed. Otherwise the referees decision is final outside of:

2 challenges per half for each manager.
The manager has to state the infraction he's appealing.
An appeal obliges the ref to check the monitors for that infraction.
If the ref deems the appeal frivolous you lose your challenge, if you have no remaining challenges in that situation you get a yellow card.

It's so, so, so simple and they've absolutely cocked it up because everyone tasked with implementing it are 60+ and the ones building the system are nerds from Hawkeye who thinks you can apply tennis in/out and lbw to football.

What's an even worse idea?

View Tweet

Oh that's it.

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However, the Premier League will strongly argue against it – claiming it will lead to time-wasting and tactical appeals by managers to break up play and run down the clock.

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I don't understand this argument, instead of tactical time-wasting 3 times a game we just have said 'tactical taboo' applied to literally every break in play?

VAR is good and it gets most things right.

You aren't a match going fan.

If you watched United lose a final to an offside goal would you console yourself that at least the opposition fans got to celebrate in real time?

I wouldn't care. The whole game is based around the thrill of a goal not that every decision has to be right every single time.

Anybody who becomes overly animated when a goal is scored is a loser anyway. The enjoyment of a goal doesn't fade after ten seconds, and ultimately the glory of winning is far better anyway. Any MATCH GOING adult should realise that there's far more to the game than celebrating goals.

No you're right. Sitting there waiting for some bloke to check a video screen for 3-4 minutes is absolutely brilliant.

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Originally Posted by Kikó

No you're right. Sitting there waiting for some bloke to check a video screen for 3-4 minutes is absolutely brilliant.

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I've had some brilliant moments stolen from me by dodgy refereeing, so I don't see how VAR is suddenly making everything shit. It was already shit. But tbf you've had Roy Carroll throwing balls out of the goal and getting away with it so I can see why you don't want VAR.

Ultimately, we should aim for a system that's totally fair.

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Originally Posted by phonics

I don't understand this argument, instead of tactical time-wasting 3 times a game we just have said 'tactical taboo' applied to literally every break in play?

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Give the players power like in tennis. They get 2 a game or something?

They rrslly need to be stopping the clock when the ball is out of play or there is a foul. Cut the clock from 90 minutes to 45-60.

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Originally Posted by SincereTheRebel

Give the players power like in tennis. They get 2 a game or something?

They rrslly need to be stopping the clock when the ball is out of play or there is a foul. Cut the clock from 90 minutes to 45-60.

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The game would last 3 hours and you'd change the game into some weird form of rugby based around clock management.

Thats why you cut the game in half and stop the time when the game isnt actually played.

Edit: ball is in play for half the time anyway.

https://talksport.com/football/31591...-171127263506/

Yes but football isn't a game of clock management now. You'd have tactics based around punting it out for throw-ins and shite. It'd be rubbish.

Want to speed the game up? Stop taking 20 seconds for throwins, a minute for goal kicks and 2 minutes for any free kick within 40 yards.

Goal kicks should definitely have a countdown clock if the multiball system is being used. Goalkeepers (other than when their team is losing towards the end) take so, so long. Go above 20 seconds and it's an automatic yellow.

To be honest, I'd argue it (VAR) still wasn't all that great at the World Cup, albeit better than the iteration we see now in the Prem. I can think of a number of pretty contentious decisions throughout the tournament, and a few of those being fairly integral to final results and qualification.

The way that it should have worked was four blokes sit in a room watching the game and if any two of them spot something that looks obviously wrong and is fundamental to the potential outcome of the game all four get one minute to look at it and if all four agree then the decision by the ref is overturned.

The problem then comes however that if the refereeing team know this then over time they're going to rely on it more and more knowing that if they do let a clanger go it'll be picked up, whereas if they don't and they get it wrong they can't rewind time to change that. Which is why it fundamentally doesn't really work and is only going to get worse.

That we have things like the Man City vs. Spurs CL goal being disallowed and Firmino's armpit being offside, was a consequence I hadn't even countenanced.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Offshore Toon

I've had some brilliant moments stolen from me by dodgy refereeing, so I don't see how VAR is suddenly making everything shit. It was already shit. But tbf you've had Roy Carroll throwing balls out of the goal and getting away with it so I can see why you don't want VAR.

Ultimately, we should aim for a system that's totally fair.

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The game was and has been absolutely fine. This is all to make sure the BIG MONEY DECISIONS are correct. Don't think it has anything to do with you, the fan.

I would be fine with VAR if it was just on things that are obvious / needs one quick replay. But back and forth on questionable handballs or inconclusive offsides is not for the benefit of the match going fan.

I don't object to VAR, but the current implementation is just not good enough. As others have said, the 2-3 minutes of frame by frame checking to see if someone's kneecap was offside is just not on.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kikó

The game was and has been absolutely fine. This is all to make sure the BIG MONEY DECISIONS are correct. Don't think it has anything to do with you, the fan.

I would be fine with VAR if it was just on things that are obvious / needs one quick replay. But back and forth on questionable handballs or inconclusive offsides is not for the benefit of the match going fan.

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Surely the BIG MONEY DECISIONS in matches are just the most important decisions, which would also benefit the fan?

Benefits to the fans that don't help anybody's bottom line aren't the sort of benefits they're interested in.

Going to the match to enjoy it with your friends and watching your team is why you go. Not whether McTominnay's walloper is offside or not.

If results are irrelevant how is any team 'your team'?

Results aren't irrelevant but the enjoyment of the occasion isn't dominated by every decision being 100% right to the detriment of the actual sport. Added to that, the football team you bond with usually has some kind of family or location based attachment which then becomes important to you for that reason.

I don't even think it just affects match going fans. Waiting 3 minutes for someone to go through a replay, frame by frame, before you can celebrate, is shit no matter how you're watching.

It should have been left to blatant stuff (Maradona's handball, Lampard's ghost goal, etc.) and everything else left as it was.

Well don't the rules or guidelines say it's to undo "clear and obvious" mistakes?

Which should mean that if you haven't worked out without doing it frame by frame that there's an error then it wasn't clear and obvious and you move on.

I thought they did, but seemingly they're also trying to cure cancer.

I've barely watched any football this year but it sounds like it's been bizarrely bipolar as well. Either refusing to change anything or reviewing EVERYTHING.

Unnecessary wrestling chat because I am eedjit.

But can Rollins do it on a cold Wednesday night in Stoke?

I've left that there so it's clear the foolish thing you're responding to.

And is it Wednesdays now? I thought rainy Tuesdays were the true test.

Just make them do the var replays in real time, without adding any lines or whatnot. If it’s clear and obvious they should be able to overturn it. If they have to get a digital ruler out that’s not clear and obvious and leave it be.

You’ll get a “perfect” solution if you use all the technology, the rule book interpreted in finest detail and many minutes to review. That’s not the point I don’t think. Unless it’s obviously wrong, the referee is the referee.

Ousmane Dembele truly is a terrible player. Barca spunking €105(+40) million on him has to be one of the worst pieces of transfer business ever.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Foe

Just make them do the var replays in real time, without adding any lines or whatnot. If it’s clear and obvious they should be able to overturn it. If they have to get a digital ruler out that’s not clear and obvious and leave it be.

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I agree with this entirely. If you need a ruler and slow motion, it's not obvious. It seems like a really sensible and obvious solution, so it will never happen

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:lol:

More or less sums up race in Italy (and Spain, and other countries which haven't had the postcolonial experience we have had). They have a vague inkling that racism is a problem, but they have absolutely not a scooby what it is or how it works.

Quincy :cool:

Liverpool's Carabao Cup fixture confirmed....

18/12 - Aston Villa (away)
19/12 - TBC World Club Cup (Qatar)

Milner to star in both games.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/50309446

Xhaka no longer captain.

Ziyech :drool:

Woof.

What's Samatta with Liverpool?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by John Arne

Liverpool's Carabao Cup fixture confirmed....

18/12 - Aston Villa (away)
19/12 - TBC World Club Cup (Qatar)

Milner to star in both games.

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If they go through :shakesfist:

Chelsea’s home form is proper shite. Two wins all season I think.

First Tanzanian to score at Anfield I would have thought.

Being shite at home is a small price to pay for being gods of the road.

I thought 'Dave' was just offside.

If we get anything out of this Ajax should be closed down.

The same Ajax that managed to biff a 3 goal advantage in a half against the spuds.

Sounds a mental game.

We should win by at least three now. Should get six, seven eight easily. No one can play with nine.

That was for Waff.

Dortmund :cool:

What a strike by Kondogbia.

The Genk manager looks like Taika Waititi.

Should have pissed this, and would have done if Abraham could head. Oh well, at least we've salvaged the head to head on them.

Reece James should start every game. What a bloke.

That new angle of Kolasanic scaring off them two blokes at knife point is mental. Stands there ice cool whilst being jabbed in the arm with a knife.

Lol man just stands there like "Are you done? now? now? aw fuck it" and goes after them lol

Only turned it on but why are they bringing on Walker? If they have a sub left then why not bring on the sub keeper?

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Originally Posted by Giggles

Only turned it on but why are they bringing on Walker? If they have a sub left then why not bring on the sub keeper?

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They don't have one. Bravo was on the bench but came on at half time.

That's some shite luck then.

Cracker in Zagreb:

L. Ivanušec 83' (assist by B. Petković) 2 - 1
A. Ademi 89' (assist by Daniel Olmo) 3 - 1
3 - 2 90'+3 Júnior Moraes (assist by V. Kovalenko)
3 - 3 90'+8 Mateus Martins (PG)

Probably my favourite thing in football is seeing an outfield player in goal. A novelty that has never worn off.

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Originally Posted by mo

Probably my favourite thing in football is seeing an outfield player in goal. A novelty that has never worn off.

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I switched it on when I heard Walker went in goal.

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Originally Posted by Sir Andy Mahowry

I switched it on when I heard Walker went in goal.

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Same as that. Wouldn't have seen a second of it otherwise.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EIur8TqW4AAfV84.jpg

Convincing argument, how are you expected to win in those sort of conditions?

I think he's just showing Xhaka how to dig at your own support.

You know your team is in bad nick when the opposition have beaten you giving a piffling 100%.

The most entertaining Derby in the world tomorrow, troops. Strap in.

I like the latest "We're not racist, mates!" line from Italy, this time from the Verona chairman saying their fans aren't racist but they are sarcastic.

Sarcastic monkey chants.

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Originally Posted by Ian

I like the latest "We're not racist, mates!" line from Italy, this time from the Verona chairman saying their fans aren't racist but they are sarcastic.

Sarcastic monkey chants.

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Apparently the day after the game 4 councillors from Verona sent a letter to the club asking the act strongly to fight this terrible defamation against the club and the city, and giving them their support.
The Verona manager and owner also both denied that it happened when asked after the game.

Then Ballotelli released the video. It all went quiet.

Yeah, the Verona manager didn't even say he hadn't heard anything, just full on IT DIDN'T HAPPEN.

What a fucking strike...

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Surely Michael O'Neill could have held out for a better job than that.

How does Shane Long get chopped from the provisional squad when Scott Hogan remains?

No idea who Lee O'Connor is.

Goalkeepers: Darren Randolph (Middlesbrough), Kieran O’Hara (Burton Albion, on loan from Manchester United), Mark Travers (AFC Bournemouth).

Defenders: Matt Doherty (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Shane Duffy (Brighton and Hove Albion), Kevin Long (Burnley), John Egan (Sheffield United), Ciaran Clark (Newcastle United), Enda Stevens (Sheffield United), Derrick Williams (Blackburn Rovers), Lee O'Connor (Celtic).

Midfielders: Alan Browne (Preston North End), Josh Cullen (Charlton Athletic, on loan from West Ham United), Jeff Hendrick (Burnley), Callum O’Dowda (Bristol City), Glenn Whelan (Heart of Midlothian), Conor Hourihane (Aston Villa), James McClean (Stoke City), Jack Byrne (Shamrock Rovers), Robbie Brady (Burnley)

Forwards: Callum Robinson (Sheffield United), Troy Parrott (Tottenham Hotspur), Aaron Connolly (Brighton and Hove Albion), David McGoldrick (Sheffield United), James Collins (Luton Town), Scott Hogan (Stoke City, on loan from Aston Villa), Sean Maguire (Preston North End), Alan Judge (Ipswich Town)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-50333081

Blimey.

I didn't even know he was dead.

I knew he was dead but would have said it was much more recently than that. Fucking hell.

Come on you bhoys in Green. What a result

Chris Sutton topped Neville’s orgasm sound at that winner. What a bloke

Martial :cool:

Mourinho is such a retard for how he treated him.

We should have about 5 already. Rashford really cannot finish to save his life.

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Originally Posted by SvN

We should have about 5 already. Rashford really cannot finish to save his life.

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Yeah, it's a shame. Greenwood will be the better player.

He's played really well, too. Completely ripped them apart. Yet he's missed everything.

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Originally Posted by SvN

He's played really well, too. Completely ripped them apart. Yet he's missed everything.

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Then he does that; brilliant finish.

They've wisely chosen to drop off him and let him over-think everything.

What a ridiculous dickhead.

There you go. No chance to think about it. Just lamps it. Goal.

Why isn't Greenwood on free-kicks? Doesn't he score them with both feet for a laugh?

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Originally Posted by Lewis

Why isn't Greenwood on free-kicks? Doesn't he score them with both feet for a laugh?

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Yeah. Apparently he even takes penalties with whichever foot he's feeling that day.

Cocky little prick. I'd sell him.

The state of that Celtic group table. How shit are Lazio?

Stupid defender got in his way

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Originally Posted by niko_cee

The state of that Celtic group table. How shit are Lazio?

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Not exactly terrible. Ahead of Napoli and Atalanta in the league who are both in the Champions League. Both Celtic and Rangers have very decent teams this year.

Pretty sure Scotland will get back to two CL spots next year if either team gets a win or two.

Rangers comfortably batting Porto away is definitely the more :cab: result of the night.

I realised a long time ago that trying to make sense of the Europa League group stage is a fool's errand. It's pretty much a random results generating system.

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Originally Posted by SincereTheRebel

Stupid defender got in his way

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If that is a red as the tweet suggests it should be we're no longer playing football.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

I realised a long time ago that trying to make sense of the Europa League group stage is a fool's errand. It's pretty much a random results generating system.

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It's really not, the club with more money than the other goes through. You'll have the occasional result where an underated team like Eintracht upset someone but it's really very predictable.

Looking at how Roma were faring too I assumed the Italians were stuck somewhere akin to where we were 5 years ago when nobody cared and it affected performance. We seem to have pushed through that by way of just having much more money/better squads than everyone else. Presumably the lure of the Champions League (probably United and Arsenal's most feasible route into it next season) has in part led to this.

Dulwich v Carlisle on BBC tonight, if you want to see the most hipster club that these isles have to offer.

I seen that earlier when I was looking on BBC to see if they were showing this Ireland-Northern Ireland super cup thing. Is it FA Cup first round?

Yep. It's a proper little ground, to be fair to it. Saaaaf London represent.

I was going to get a Now TV week pass for the other thing and the NFL Sunday but the cunts make you get two subs to get Sky Sports and Premier Sports, so Dulwich it is.

Surely Forest Green with all their vegan shit qualify as 'most hipster'. In the Football League, perhaps.

What level are Dulwich Hamlet? I'm pretty sure we (Guernsey) were playing in the same league as them fairly recently.

No FA Cup dreams allowed here. :(

Are Dulwich our St. Pauli?

Yes, albeit much smaller, and full of south London geezers.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/50346235

Heh.

I saw Jamie Carragher quoted as saying City and Liverpool 'can't stand each other' earlier, which I'm guessing Sky put him up to as part of his continuing probation.

How Carragher still has a job considering he likes to spit on underage girls, I don't know.

I largely enjoy neville and carragher as a punditry duo, but the thing that always annoys me is when Carragher is clearly right about something and Neville is talking shite, but Carra just doesn't have the tools to put him in his place. Feels like Neville is borderline trolling at times, and Carragher just ends up getting so frustrated by how wrong Neville is that he can't do anything but angrily splutter.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lewis

I saw Jamie Carragher quoted as saying City and Liverpool 'can't stand each other' earlier, which I'm guessing Sky put him up to as part of his continuing probation.

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They had Gary cutting a promo for the fucking KSI fight, didn't they?

:face:

Norwich are so bad I think I feel sorry for them.

I think it mostly annoys me because it reminds me of being 14 and my mates deliberately saying stupid shit to get a reaction out of me, and i never fucking learned.

Gary Neville falls to bits when he starts straying away from what's on the screen in front of him, and Carragher probably calls him a fanny and all sorts off camera for it, but when they're live he has to keep a lid on it.

Asian Champions League Final 1st leg kicks off at 1630.

Al Hilal v Urawa Red Diamonds.

Reece James starting a Premier League game. You love to see it

Christian Pulisic consistently outstanding game after game after game now. Suck it, doubters.

Chelsea are absolutely brilliant.

Best thing in this game was Mike Dean doing a flourishing sarcastic VAR check signal. We need to clone him so he can never retire.

Wait until Loftus Cheek replaces Mount and Rudiger for Zouma - who has improved to be fair.

Loftus Cheek is a dead duck. He will have constant 9 month injuries until he retires, his back doesn't work.

It's hard to pinpoint one thing that has made us so much better but I would say the manager needs an awful lot of credit.

Them three months he’s fit though :drool:

I doubt even prime Kaka would replace Mount if we’re being honest so it probably doesn’t even matter.

Lampard deserves far more credit than he's getting thus far.

Mount has done a pretty peachy job given he is 12 and has the physique to match. Tomori has been a massive bonus as well, future captain.

The thing with Lampard is he is the opposite of our old mate Maurizio in that when faced with a decision, he will always go with the bolder option and it has paid off for him massively. You will have the odd game like Man U which doesn't go right but so be it.

If you lined up every British footballer under 25, Waff would break his cock off trying to do them all.

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We need to rein this stuff in now.

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

The thing with Lampard is he is the opposite of our old mate Maurizio in that when faced with a decision, he will always go with the bolder option and it has paid off for him massively. You will have the odd game like Man U which doesn't go right but so be it.

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He's also both respected, due to being a fantastic player and is also a likeable guy, which Chelsea have been missing since Rafa. They're instantly more likeable and playing good football.

And that's saying something considering the club double dipped on the stench that is Mourinho and what he brings.

Expectations and pressures must've lowered when the transfer ban hit, though. A lot of fringe players have perked up, given the chance and the squad seems pretty happy.

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Originally Posted by Lewis

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We need to rein this stuff in now.

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I noticed on the park railings near my flat this morning the council has installed six giant poppies, towering over everything on the pavement below. My immediate thought was why only six? You could have fitted thirty in if you'd wanted.

I saw a bus rolling with a massive one the other day, yet on the actual naval base they don't seem to have bothered with any of it. I think that that's quite revealing.

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Originally Posted by Lewis

I saw a bus rolling with a massive one the other day, yet on the actual naval base they don't seem to have bothered with any of it. I think that that's quite revealing.

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It's almost as if veterans find this kind of mawkish outpuring a bit embarassing. My old man served in the navy and he would rather there was far less of this shit.

If they disallow this...lol...

Sheffield player looks to be offside by a toe nail.

It must be awful to be a West Ham fan.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Giggles

If you lined up every British footballer under 25, Waff would break his cock off trying to do them all.

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Anyone Ive ever slagged or topped up has turned out to be correct. Respect the youth.

Jesus Christ. The English really are the worst at this, VAR is nowhere as bad anywhere else

VAR is awful. Regardless of whether the decision is right - it has destroyed the spontaneity and fun of football. Sheff Utd just scored a late equalizer and nobody could celebrate or cheer, pending awaiting fucking VAR.

I've become a big Newcastle fan at the moment, purely because I want Steve Bruce to stick it to their stupid dickhead fans. Above Spurs and United in the table tonight.

Lewis' link got me looking at the Twitter account, which is the funniest thing I've seen in ages

https://twitter.com/MascotSilence

I'm onboard. It's a continuation of where we were with Rafa but the squad has a little more zip.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lewis

I saw a bus rolling with a massive one the other day, yet on the actual naval base they don't seem to have bothered with any of it. I think that that's quite revealing.

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Accrington-Crewe second half running 30 minutes late. Referee injured in the first half, and then lino injured somehow near halftime. FA rules mean that the second half goes ahead with only 1 linesman! They tossed a coin to decide which line he would run. :D

Pochettino really needs to go now. Lost the plot.

If Leicester hold on here, that’s the top four pretty much sorted already. The other teams are too inconsistent to make up ten points even at this stage.

Properly good football for that goal. Lovely stuff.

Claude in the toilets checking his skin before action.

Arsenal not playing Aubumeyang through the middle at all times is a disgrace.

That’s such a good finish.

This is brilliant from Leicester.

Emery's hair gel will be getting very wet at this rate. 48 years old :D

If this was the WWE, which it sort of is, the PL bosses would be sacking Emery at this point. Needs a new storyline.

I think they have to.

The ship is sinking and this guy hasn't got it. They're being absolutely played off the park by a team they're hoping to be competitive with. Look at the difference in desire.

9 points off the top 4 after the game tomorrow as well. Even with 26 games left I don't see it being closed.

Vardy has 11 goals from 25 shots this season, that is ridiculous(ly unsustainable).

I suppose they could get Jose in for banter, albeit I see that Bayern are likely to give it Himmler until the end of the season so he might be holding out for that one to come up.

I'd like to see the gooners take a punt on someone like they did with Wenger, Emery was basically the most famous available manager and not that imaginative an appointment.

He's not got quite the glowing record, but if they want a proper long term project then Eddie Howe could be the way to go. Plays the attractive brand too.

Ironically Brendan is probably the manager they should have got, but there's no way he'd take the step down now.

Tony Adams :D

I feel like Eddie Howe could wind up sitting at Bournemouth for 20 years like this generation's Curbishley.

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Originally Posted by Waffdon

Tony Adams :D

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At half time I suddenly realised that he and Claude are exactly the same person.

Leicester absolutely bossed that.

Spurs should (lol) have it in them to make it competitive for the top 4 spots, but United and Arsenal look miles off. I suppose the question for Leicester is what happens if Vardy stops scoring, for whatever reason. December and January are the proper sorting things out months though, so many games to play.

I noticed earlier that the Conference is already up to 20 games, they must play pretty much every Tuesday. PL goes so slowly, then catapults through December/January, then slows down again, and then goes all harem scarem in April. Should really bin off four of the 20 teams and cut it to 30 primetime occasions.

Stop with all the bloody international breaks in the early part of the season. Another one next weekend? Ffs.

I missed the chance to make the same point last weekend (or maybe the one before) but who is this absolute joker in goal for West Ham and why did they let Adrian go?

Emery: We worked. We played our game plan being consistent. In the first half, it was a very equal match and we had chances to score. We concede some for them but it’s normal as a side playing at home with their supporters. Really, I think we did the first half very good. The second half we started [well] also being protagonist and having chances, good chances. They also did one post. The team who scored the first goal was [untranscribable] the three points and they did that.

Get him out. I'm fucking done with him. Unintelligible off the pitch, worse on it. I've gone from being bored of us passing it endlessly on the edge of the opposition penalty box to being genuinely impressed when we manage to string 4 passes together. It's appaling.

I'd keep him. You'll just hop from gaffer to gaffer like the Mancs otherwise.

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Originally Posted by Shindig

I'd keep him. You'll just hop from gaffer to gaffer like the Mancs otherwise.

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In which time they've finished below us twice in five years, won more silverware and participated in the Champions League more often.

This also ignores the fact that we are FUCKING AWFUL now, Arsenal used to be frustrating because we were better than everyone and invidiual mistakes would let us down. Now we're struggling to be the dominant side in games versus relegation candidates.

Emery came out recently saying he's made the team more competitive, and he's right in the sense that we have to compete for every point.

This from midweek sums it up. A rare occasion of us having the majority of the ball and it results in this:

https://i.imgur.com/DSZSaK0.png

500 passes. 1 into the box. They had twice as many shots as we did.

I thought Arsenal were alright today. In terms of chances created it was pretty even. The difference being that one side are on a massive scoring bender and full of confidence and the other lot are a laughing stock on twitter.

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Originally Posted by dino

I thought Arsenal were alright today. In terms of chances created it was pretty even. The difference being that one side are on a massive scoring bender and full of confidence and the other lot are a laughing stock on twitter.

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Yeah that was the best we've played since the first half at Watford. Watford would go on to score 20% of their total goals for the season in the following 45 minutes.

Presumably there's some sort of stat informing the view that Arsenal were alright today because just watching the game they were awful. If Leicester had been 2 or 3 up at the break it wouldn't have been an unfair reflection. They totally dominated the game, and if Arsenal's plan in general is to just sit off and hope to fluke something on the counter then, well, good luck to them.

Arsenal are 'LvG' United without the big game skillset.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lewis

Arsenal are 'LvG' United without the big game skillset.

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This analogy is completely wrong anyway but in fact we're actually much better in big games now than previously. Closest comparison I can think of is Juande Ramos' Spurs.

Arsenal don't play in big games any more.

Also, that squad's just been getting steadily worse over time. They used to be amazing because they had the players to match. Aside from Lacazette and Aubameyang, the rest are passengers. They haven't had a spine in over a decade and don't like close to finding one.

Just watched MOTD... How the hell is this Roberto fella in goals for West Ham? Surely they have a younger keeper who can catch the ball - the guy is worse the Karius.

Arsenal have basically matched United for mediocrity over the past 5-6 years. Both owned by Americans who treat it like a subsidiary business as well.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by phonics

This analogy is completely wrong anyway but in fact we're actually much better in big games now than previously. Closest comparison I can think of is Juande Ramos' Spurs.

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Yesterday was a big game for Arsenal. Granted, it's a one-off, but you still didn't turn up.

Also, Arsenal haven't won away to a top 6 side in 23 games.

I'm no gambling expert, but City appear to be (marginal) favourites to win today (on the Betfair exchange). I know it's a tight call, but a City win the most likely outcome? Isn't that a bit :cab:?

Underdogs. :cool:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by niko_cee

I'm no gambling expert, but City appear to be (marginal) favourites to win today (on the Betfair exchange). I know it's a tight call, but a City win the most likely outcome? Isn't that a bit :cab:?

Underdogs. :cool:

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I mean it's basically a coin flip. 35% vs 38%. Interesting that the price hasn't really moved since the Ederson news. Wonder if it's a work of fiction

If it is (and I could well see it) it's a pretty lol thing to do to Bravo.

I'd have City as slight favourites.

It's an interesting one because City can't really afford to lose, but also not sure it would be wise to try and play out a 0-0 like they did in the first game last season with the personnel they currently have available. Be good if they just try and outscore Liverpool.

It'll likely end up in a draw.

A loss for City will be disastrous, whereas it wouldn't quite be as bad for Liverpool though it would halt the momentum that has been building.

Wolves and Aston Villa is apparently on Sky One.


EDIT: Though presumably they're going to lick the arses of these scouse cunts right up to kick off.

Personally think City have to go for it. You can't rely on Liverpool to drop that many points against the chaff in this era.

Also add in that City are minus large parts of the back line and Liverpool have yet to keep a home clean sheet this season.

I reckon City will/should put Sterling on Trents side and that battle will probably decide the match. As outstanding as he is going forward, his defending is very inconsistent.

Like last season though it's very much a mental thing. City winning the last game put some seeds of doubt in there and a few nervy away draws followed if I remember right. West Ham, United and Everton come to mind.

The Guardian's sports journo's are absolutely obsessed with poppies. Every writer goes out of their way to mention how everybody is obsessed with poppies. Full circle.

United have looked alright, but I have literally no idea how good Brighton are.

I'm guessing shit.

Lol, what a couple of absolutely dreadful goals.

hold on have they always shown the replay of the celebration if they give it a good goal??? lmfaooo

How is that not a pen :|

Brandon Williams is ace. Luke Shaw is packing his teeth bleach and his chocolate fountain as we speak.

I was wondering why Kingstonian (7th tier) were 4-0 up away at Macclesfield in the FA Cup, and then I saw apparently the latter's entire squad is on strike due to unpaid wages. Is the whole of Manchester suburbs football collapsing in on itself?

I've just clocked that. Meanwhile Gateshead are out 2-1 to Oldham. By the looks of the stat page, Gateshead were up for it. York have lost as well.

And Leyton Orient dumped out at home by an 8th tier team from one of the shittest parts of Essex (the very shittest part of Essex didn't go so well either, with Spikey's men defeated at Dover).

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His streak continues.

Porko Darron Gibson.

Wolves need to take Jota off. On a yellow and still committing small stupid fouls.

Mark Bosnich when asked why he doesn't play legends games...

"Does Picasso come back and do paintings he used to do. You don't go back a redo a painting that's perfect" :D

Having not seen 'Bozza' for years I can only imagine he is either (a) enormously fat or (b) an emaciated cokehead, both of which would preclude masters football.

He's probably in better shape now than when he played.

That miss from Rashford, my god.

The Best of Rashford there.

Rashford fucking up Dan James stats ffs

Not sure how Walker is getting a game over Cancelo. No idea who the fuck Angelino is either.

The almost Brexit midfield returns.

Very attacking from City too.

Fred and Scott McTominay have been excellent today. If Paulp Oogba isn't the number ten when he comes back the so-called coaching staff want banning from the ground.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gray Fox

Very attacking from City too.

---

In what way? Not going with a back 3/5? They have every defensive midfielder on their books playing, by the looks of it.

Bore them to death and go for set pieces.

Disappointed, although not surprised, to see Oxlade not getting a start.

That fucking midfield.

And Lovren playing too. Ffs.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by niko_cee

In what way? Not going with a back 3/5? They have every defensive midfielder on their books playing, by the looks of it.

Bore them to death and go for set pieces.

Disappointed, although not surprised, to see Oxlade not getting a start.

---

Other than Stones, and the 2 DMs, I believe everyone else loves to get forward. I reckon they'll bypass the counter press very well. You may even see them dally around the back to draw a press in, then spring 2/3 quick passes and be in behind.

You'd imagine Sterling and Aguero will go down the Lovren/Trent side so it might be quite easy for them.

Another sitter missed from Rashford. He should've had 4.

Martial keeps it pretty well under wraps but he spends a solid 5 minutes a game fuming at Rashford :D

Forever the optimist but I just can't see how we're going to win today. It has nothing to do with the line ups or our ability to do so, it's more because you don't find yourself 9 points clear of your direct rivals after just twelve games with half your fixtures being against those who currently occupy the top 7.

Whilst I can understand it (by being on the inside of it) I would imagine the amount of pessimism that comes from Liverpool fans on here must be quite irritating to some.

Hopefully our plan is to bore them to death and stuff them on set pieces.

Shove the 'highest quality league game ever' BS.

I'm quite the pessimist admittedly(I'd say more realist). That comes from me seeing Liverpool bottle it on multiple occasions. We've always been good(not being outside the top 8 in some 50 years is great), but only ever hit inspired form for half a season 3 or 4 times in my life. Until last year anyway.

It just so happens we're up against another team that's equally as good, if not better as they have the nous of having been there and done it.

City city city city city city

What's with the De Bryne hate :D

Did they even check that penalty? City are going to get raped on the counter

If there was ever a demonstration of how shit VAR is, that was it. Someone buries one from 25 yards and nobody can properly celebrate because of some handball claim from a minute earlier.

Surely VAR's last ever game in English football today.

Clear penalty, too, they just bottled giving it due to the impending riots if they had.

They’d have given the penalty if Fabinho doesn’t thundercunt that in.

If this was any other game, that goal would have been chalked off and a penalty given. No one wants to do that here though

This comes off the back of the head ref guy demanding on field refs check the on pitch monitors more often.

The MELTDOWN is real though. VAR needs looking at or fucked off.

Such carnage.

VAR :D

How on earth do they spend 3/4 mins on VAR for Sheffield Utd yesterday and don’t even look at that. Hahahahaha what on earth

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Waffdon

How on earth do they spend 3/4 mins on VAR for Sheffield Utd yesterday and don’t even look at that. Hahahahaha what on earth

---

Either today's VAR ref is Kenny Dalglish, or they are shit scared of Anfield mob justice.

City are opening up their buttholes if they continue to defend like that.

The one yesterday was for a bloke offside that didn’t even create the goal. The whole thing is a shambles. He might well have been offside but they’ve not even looked at it back and if they had it was for 20 seconds.

Somebody has to take a hit for the team and blow Anfield up if they win the league.

*insert Drogba ‘this is a disgrace’ Gif*

Wijnaldum has been amazing this season. I mean they all have, but surely he's in the running for Liverpool's POTS

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Waffdon

The one yesterday was for a bloke offside that didn’t even create the goal. The whole thing is a shambles. He might well have been offside but they’ve not even looked at it back and if they had it was for 20 seconds.

Somebody has to take a hit for the team and blow Anfield up if they win the league.

---

Wouldn't that just perpetuate the victim narrative?

My TV is going through the window if Sky dont show the second goal. Where’s the stupid fucking lines they usually draw on screen.

Send your laptop out after it lad.

When did Sterling become Carsten Jancker? Winning everything in the air.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by John Arne

When did Sterling become Carsten Jancker? Winning everything in the air.

---

They need to bring Jo off the bench, or Niall Quinn perhaps.

James will probably come in and tell us City have been the better team, but that argument fails to appreciate that 90% of football is finishing.

If you fancy a laugh search twitter for 'racist sterling' and lol at all the, mostly Italians, calling Liverpool fans racists for boo'ing Sterling and asking why the commentators aren't making anything of it. :D

Only heard the first goal on the radio so interested to see the “handball” at halftime. What happened to the “if it hits the arm, deliberate or not, it’s a handball” rule?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Baz

Only heard the first goal on the radio so interested to see the “handball” at halftime. What happened to the “if it hits the arm, deliberate or not, it’s a handball” rule?

---

It’s the biggest game of the year, rules go out the window

If it's at the Eithad, City get that all day.

One of those that probably is, but ref will bottle it. Especially didn't help that we went up and scored.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Baz

Only heard the first goal on the radio so interested to see the “handball” at halftime. What happened to the “if it hits the arm, deliberate or not, it’s a handball” rule?

---

That applies to the attacking side only.

My dad is going to be SEETHING when I tell him what happened.

I don't know why Pep is seething. Someone needs to tell him about the First Rule.

Has De Bruyne ever played well in a big game?

Not really.

Absolute bedlam.

Someone get the ROFLcopter ready.

Mane, obvs. :cool2:

Brendan Rodgers and Frank Lampard to the rescue.

One horse race.

City: Shit we're 3 nil down who do we bring on?

Pep: Milner.

City's defence is just crap but most teams would be with half of them out. Crap tactics again though from Guardiola. No pragmatism.

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They really are cheating, aren't they?

James is going to have a field day with his expected goals here today.

Two correct decisions. Up the VAR.

Easy that ;)

Pep didn't do a lot to change that game. Granted City played well, but nothing changed, even after the third goal.

Haha.

Cry me a river City. Kompany should have been sent off in the game at their place last season (pretty much by his own admission) at 0-0 and that decided the season. You get them at home.

Not really sure how that Arnold one works with the new (insane) handball rule anyway. Silva's allowed to handball it 'accidentally' and win a penalty, but had a goal resulted (which is pretty much what a penalty is) then it's not allowed? There was literally no way to VAR that Fabinho goal away.

1.38 v 1.48 on the xG.

:happycry:

Hopefully Liverpool win every game now so United go down as having ruined a perfect season.

:lol:

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https://youtu.be/f85rgm5kvWs

Has a fanny? - check.
Refereed an actual premier division game? - nope.

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Is that an award for the league from bottom or top Ireland?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SincereTheRebel

Is that an award for the league from bottom or top Ireland?

---

It doesn't work as well when you try too hard.

Yeah Sincere you’ve milked that one completely dry

There is still some left in the teat

I would disagree.

Look at Top Mexico piping up.

Canadas Taint.

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You never get anywhere in Top/Bottom Ireland by letting things go, so keep up the good work Sincere. :thbup:

:D

In other news, man asked how well he was doing his own job says 'Very well thank you'

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/50380641

He makes the wrong assumption that getting correct decisions should be the aim. The aim should be to make football a more enjoyable experience for everyone. In VAR's case that might mean ironing out some of the clear injustices that were pissing people off before. That is not the same as getting every decision correct.

It should be like a nightclub bouncer, only becoming involved if absolutely necessary.

I've met some bouncers that are exactly like VAR in fairness.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

He makes the wrong assumption that getting correct decisions should be the aim. The aim should be to make football a more enjoyable experience for everyone. In VAR's case that might mean ironing out some of the clear injustices that were pissing people off before. That is not the same as getting every decision correct.

It should be like a nightclub bouncer, only becoming involved if absolutely necessary.

---

In that case they shouldn't have it at all.

The best nightclubs are the ones where the bouncer turns away half the people so i don’t know how well that analogy works

I'm not exactly on home territory in the nightclub field, it must be said, but you have to leave your analogy comfort zone sometimes.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bruhnaldo

I would disagree.

---

.

Look at Cuba's armpit piping up.

You leave Florida outta this.

To be fair, bouncers only have turn people away once a club has become too popular and it's necessary to preserve the culture of the club. The actual best clubs are relatively unknown so there's no need to turn away the dickheads because they haven't found out about it yet. Thus, I think Jimmy's analogy is okay.

Speaking of someone on here said something about clubs that don't exclusively play reggaeton or rap music and I got very confused because that's literally the only clubs we have here.

I've thought about this for several days.

If that game tonight is anything to go by, an Ireland - NI merged league is still a million miles away :drool: Both the result and the sectarian fun in the stands.

Sterling has been dropped by England after kicking off on Joe Gomez again. SEETHING.

"The 24-year-old is England's most creative player and has been spoken of as a future captain because of the leadership skills he has developed over the past few seasons, a notion encouraged by Southgate."

A new FEC? :drool:

The racists were all right about him. He should be dropped permanently.

Var

Drop your best player for that? Wouldn't even have been an issue had it not been one of the dippers.

Apparently the whole squad agreed on it.

People lose their shit when Liverpool are top of the league.

What are they even having beef about that has spilled over into a second day?

They had a squaring up during the game after Gomez was sent on to specifically shut Sterling down. No idea what was said but Gomez picked him up and shoved him a little.

Rumours are the 2 started some "banter" today and they were at each other again.

Joe Gomez has always struck me as a huge idiot

Well he is a centre-half, and he does have a bit of that Harry Kane not quite all there look about him.

lol at Sterling starting on him though. Pick your fights mate.

Micah Richards probably egged him on to do it, such was the level of his own personal seethe.

Sterling is your best player by a mile. Gomez should have been punted, no idea why he’s even been called up in the first place.

It's an excuse to rest him. If this had happened before an actual important match there is zero chance he'd have been "dropped."

I know the age difference isn't massive, but Gomez is a kid in that squad and Sterling is meant to be a senior pro. He shouldn't be attacking people in the canteen. I can think of other players who would go fully under the bus for that sort of thing in the past, but that's a can of worms.

It'd be great man management to biff the guy who did nothing though. :cab:

If Sterling is putting his hands on his teammates. Get him the fuck out of here.

Someone on Twitter had it correct. It would be like siding with Juan Foyth over Leo Messi.

Not quite.

Siding with Messi a famously successful international stratagem.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Waffdon

Someone on Twitter had it correct. It would be like siding with Juan Foyth over Leo Messi.

---

It's either have it forgotten this time next week or be still hearing about it in 15 years time. They probably did make the best decision.

It would actually be like siding with Poland over the Wehrmacht, if we're doing fucking stupid analogies.

'But they're Europe's best army!'

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Manc

Not quite.

---

That’s being harsh to Foyth. Joe Gomez is a fourth choice centre back and second choice right back. A black Phill Jones.

In Royk Eane's day the Dressing Room would have solved this, so either they don't exist anymore or everyone in a position to have actually solved it by telling them to grow up is a fanny.

Solksjaer has to stand on a stool and flash the lights on and off. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

A kid on Liverpool’s bench trying to banter off Sterling for a match he was barely involved in should be getting two footed in training for the rest of the week.

He was sent on in said match to stop Sterling and did it perfectly.

Any bollocks here about this being anything other than Sterling being a prick again is moot.

Racist.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gray Fox

He was sent on in said match to stop Sterling and did it perfectly.

Any bollocks here about this being anything other than Sterling being a prick again is moot.

---

I see Liverpool fans are frothing at the idea of Sterling being the victim. That’s funny.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Waffdon

I see Liverpool fans are frothing at the idea of Sterling being the victim. That’s funny.

---

Or, you know, just reading what happened and making a logical assesment. #JFT96

You are being a bit protective of the victimhood of the situation.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/50100530

Missed out on one.

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Annoyingly, it was Czechoslovakia. I entered both Czech Republic (correctly) and Slovakia, but missed the old country.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by thommo

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/50100530

Missed out on one.

Toggle Spoiler

Annoyingly, it was Czechoslovakia. I entered both Czech Republic (correctly) and Slovakia, but missed the old country.

---

Toggle Spoiler

Done this and missed out on same one. Typed in Czechslovakia and it wasn't accepted.

Yeah I'm with waff, deciding on who's in the right and who's in the wrong & appropriate punishment should be based on who has more insta followers and who can do the most keepy uppies. Lee Hughes scored well more goals than that family he killed so fuck knows what the judge was thinking.

Bernardo Silva's been banned (for a game) for that tweet.

lol

Quote:

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Originally Posted by igor_balis

Yeah I'm with waff, deciding on who's in the right and who's in the wrong & appropriate punishment should be based on who has more insta followers and who can do the most keepy uppies. Lee Hughes scored well more goals than that family he killed so fuck knows what the judge was thinking.

---

A don’t think wee Raheem has killed anyone mate

I think it was conclusively... Er... Concluded that that gun tattoo means he actively endorses murder. Bound to have done one himself.

Exactly

Powerhouse team for the test match vs New Zealand.

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I just spent 5 seconds thinking I was in the cricket thread that's such a nothing team.

Why would they name that a day in advance? Does Alan Browne's confirmed presence get the tickets flying over the counter?

None of them will feature against Denmark next week so I'd say he just got it out of the way.

It feels like Ireland play Bottom Scandinavia about once a fortnight.

It doesn't matter how much football changes. The Arsenal board will always be there to remind you of what it used to be.

Quote:

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And now the Daily Mail says there is ‘friction over O’Leary‘s proposed involvement’ in the hierarchy with chairman Sir Chips Keswick wanting the former club captain to become a football consultant on the board.

Keswick isn’t alone in wanting O’Leary to advise ‘on football matters’ with fellow board member Lord Harris of Peckham in support of the idea.

---

Chips?

I went to school with his nephew, Sir Onion Rings Penrith.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/50422048

He doesn't quite go full Robbie Keane here but he flirts with the idea.

I guess his stint at Monaco ruled out most European jobs for him and he doesn't strike me as the sort to want to start lower down the ladder. MLS is what it is which begs the question, whatever happened to Owen Coyle?

I don't think he made it to be a 4.5 star manager.

Quote:

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On 28 September 2017, Scottish Premiership club Ross County appointed Coyle as their manager on a two-year contract.[55] He resigned from this position on 1 March 2018, with the club sitting bottom of the league.

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What was it that prompted the infamous SG rating? Was his team playing fashionable tippy tappy at the time? I don't recall him doing anything whatsoever in management, though I could be mistaken.

I think he had Burnley around 10th after winning promotion the season before.

The top half of Owen Coyle's face is too big for the bottom half.

I was at his international debut.

EDIT: Actually it was Tommy Coyne.


.

I'm currently watching a game between Turkey and Iceland in which neither has any interest whatsoever in scoring a goal. It's strangely entrancing.

Does that in any way serve to screw the French?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lewis

The top half of Owen Coyle's face is too big for the bottom half.

---

Like the anti-John Barnes.

Marcelo Lippi, reportedly the highest paid manager in the world, has quit as head coach of China after they were beaten 2-1 by Syria.

Meanwhile Vietnam went top of Group G after a fantastic 1-0 victory at home to UAE. Victory at home to Thailand next week will almost ensure qualification to the third, and final round.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

What was it that prompted the infamous SG rating? Was his team playing fashionable tippy tappy at the time? I don't recall him doing anything whatsoever in management, though I could be mistaken.

---

I think he'd read so in the Guardian.

Was he not highly rated for a short time at Bolton?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by niko_cee

Does that in any way serve to screw the French?

---

Helps them if anything. I imagine Turkey will get it 1-0 at the end, the black haired nations only really start playing in the last five minutes.

This new kit is not good.

No haka? Fuck that.

Could have let Maddison get some rays in Dubai or head to the casino if he still can’t get a game.

Monty look like a proper pub team, 6-0 is par.

Moldova take the lead in Paris, got to love the frogsters.

Hat-trick of assists for Chilwell in 23 minutes. Are Leicester now too good for someone to buy him? Best left back in the league who Waff doesn't have a picture of in his wallet.

I've just turned on and seen the score.

How bad are this lot that they've let us scored three this quickly? Is it not these who are meant to be the banana skin?

Maybe a few years ago when Vucinic was playing, but today they look San Marino tier. We're also quite good, Rashford looks very sharp.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

Hat-trick of assists for Chilwell in 23 minutes. Are Leicester now too good for someone to buy him? Best left back in the league who Waff doesn't have a picture of in his wallet.

---

He’s good. He’ll be off to Chelsea along with Sancho in the summer so you’ll be a happy chap.

Rashford is invariably good for England.

Waistcoat for Ynitid manager.

Only a Spanish ref could lose control of this game. 10/10 for the flamboyant yellow card flourishing though.

Kosovo with a chance of qualifying if they hold on here against the Checks. England should roll over for them on Sunday.

Ronaldo decided to score a hat-trick tonight I see.

Chillwell > Sancho > Abraham

#Chelsea2020

Based on last night's performance alone, Sancho is basically Aaron Lenon. Lots of pace and got in all the right positions, but he has the end product of an autistic getting cold called.

They cant have it all. If his end product was better, he would be Mbappe.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Spikey M

Based on last night's performance alone, Sancho is basically Aaron Lenon. Lots of pace and got in all the right positions, but he has the end product of an autistic getting cold called.

---

He’s 19 :cab:

He also has better end product that Lennon ever did

Quote:

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Originally Posted by phonics

He’s 19 :cab:

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He is.

Are the shitheap nations much worse than they used to be, or are we better? I'm sure games like Montenegro and Bulgaria were reasonably tricky in years gone, now we're smashing them all about the place, home and away. Granted we've still got the odd Czechs away performance in us, but something seems to have changed for all these goalfests to be the new normal.

I think we have got better and I think the players (either because we're now entirely removed from the GOLDEN GENERATION by a number of years or because of Southgate) aren't finding England duty the total chore they seemed to previously.

Or at least are being more professional about it.

Southgate probably deserves a good chunk of the credit.

Probably also Kane, getting his 31 England goals in four years and being fairly reliable against the shit.

Looking at the numbers the only player above him in the scoring charts for England with a better goals per game is Jimmy Greaves.

Smashing goals against the minor teams does not count.

They are literally counted.

I think it's more that different teams are in the shit tier and others are now the more credible opposition. Take Kosovo and Bulgaria, they are the opposite of what they would have been (or perceived to have been) in the past.

I also think we have had a series of almost unbelievably easy qualifying draws. The last two in particular have been breathtaking in getting pretty much the worst team from each pot.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Spikey M

Based on last night's performance alone, Sancho is basically Aaron Lenon. Lots of pace and got in all the right positions, but he has the end product of an autistic getting cold called.

---

He had 13 goals and 19 assists last season, and has 4 goals and 8 assists so far this season. His numbers are insane for an 18/19 year old.

Lol at this Gomez situation still dragging on. Southgate is an idiot for even bringing him on.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by randomlegend

He had 13 goals and 19 assists last season, and has 4 goals and 8 assists so far this season. His numbers are insane for an 18/19 year old.

---

I did say I was basing my opinion purely on last nights match.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/50431476

Is it still the case that basically nobody actually watches European games on BT?

Well Sky was going to get it back with ITV/Amazon so there's that.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ian

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/50431476

Is it still the case that basically nobody actually watches European games on BT?

---

200,000 a match on average seems to be the consensus (presumably more for the bigger games involving English teams), although they and Sky both guard their viewing figures with the utmost secrecy.

This article is the most accessible I can find on the subject. Live football is hardly watched by anyone apart from the summer tournaments on terrestrial.

And yes, the most watched club football by a gap of tens of millions per season is of course that much-derided tournament, the FA Cup.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ian

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/50431476

Is it still the case that basically nobody actually watches European games on BT?

---

I do.

I pay for BT Sport but I don't bother with the group stage games apart from maybe having the Goals Show (which is pretty good, just the subject matter is fucking dull) on in the background if I've nothing better to do. It's worth every penny from February onward though.

If I'm being corporate about this, there is a fairly solid argument that the 8 top ranked Champions League teams (however you define that) should start their competition in February and the autumn bit should be the others competing for the other 8 places, probably in straight knockout football of some kind so there is excitement involved. Group stages in club football are the absolute worst.

I get it free through my phone so just watch it on that or on the PS4 if it’s a big game. It’s great on your phone for CL games as can just swap about matches and see any replay for goals/incidents for every game.

It's free to air here and I still rarely watch a minute of it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

If I'm being corporate about this, there is a fairly solid argument that the 8 top ranked Champions League teams (however you define that) should start their competition in February and the autumn bit should be the others competing for the other 8 places, probably in straight knockout football of some kind so there is excitement involved. Group stages in club football are the absolute worst.

---

Despite being capitalist bootlicker bullshit I like this idea.

What the fuck is the Europa Conference League?

Is that the new one designed to remove more of the weak country clubs out of the Europe proper?

They should just do it with the Winners of the proper leagues. England, Spain, Italy and Germany. Straight in at the semifinals.

Fuck France.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Giggles

Is that the new one designed to remove more of the weak country clubs out of the Europe proper?

---

Just the opposite, I think. The other two stay as they are, and the new competition just means another sixty four teams get European football.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Yevrah

What the fuck is the Europa Conference League?

---

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_E...ference_League

A beautiful thing, and the new destination for our League Cup winners.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by John

Just the opposite, I think. The other two stay as they are, and the new competition just means another sixty four teams get European football.

---

Our cup winners and league 2nd and 3rd go into this now instead of the Europa. No extra places, so it just means they get to not have our (and presumably anyone from similarly ranked leagues) in the Europa any more.

Not that we could conceivably beat Denmark by even one goal, but the Swiss drawing with Georgia knocks all the craic out of Monday night now.

That was a bizarre anomaly but they've nicked a goal so you're alright.

It'll just make the build up better because everyone will BELIEVE but in reality is going to be another whupping.

Big Ireland, Bosnia, Wales and Slovakia/Little Ireland look like one of the play-offs, I think. Scotland will have Norway, Serbia and Bulgaria.

One of Georgia, Skopje, Kosovo or Belarus qualfying is a bit lol.

Kosovo are dons, I hope they get it.

They'll get it.

We'll tank the game Sunday while Bulgaria will do them a favour and beat the Czechs. Actually just saw the group standings never mind :D

Having a drunk Pen videocall me tonight was funny. Well played Finland.

As if you could tell.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ian

They are literally counted.

---

Neg rep from Offy with the comment "racist" for saying all goals are counted in the above post is my most interesting yet.

Putting a massive ramp leading to the bowels of the stadium directly behind the goal, into which balls seemingly descend never to be seen again, seems like a questionable design choice from the Cypriots.

They've just taken pro time wasting to the next level.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/50439121

This guy sounds like an enormous gaping arsehole.

He did improve them during his time though, right? I'm sure he'll do the same where he's currently at but he'd be better served just buying FM. Much cheaper and his son won't get grief.

England play tomorrow, right? Not tonight..?

If only there were a place on this very forum where things like match fixtures and the like could be easily organized and accessible to everyone.......

In about 90 mins @John Arne

Why does Southgate have an issue with Maddison? Rice/Winks is grim.

If football was as easy as selecting the most exciting flair player in every position then we wouldn't need managers.

Pick him over Chamberlain then. Rice/Winks don’t compliment each other whatsoever though, that was my point.

Not sure how Hudson Odoi has managed to sneak a spot.

Also Maddison is an enormous cunt and sociopath, apparently. Probably something to do with that.

What half decent player isn’t a cunt?

James Milner.

He seems like a bit of a whopper, but where does 'sociopath' come in?

He buys some expensive clothes tbf. Always thought he came across very likeable whenever I’ve seen him interviewed.

There was a Reddit thread recently where a bunch of supporters of clubs he'd been loan farmed out to earlier in his career contributed story after story about how shitty he was. I have not independently verified their claims, though I do have a team working on that and we'll get back with confirmation asap

I say sociopath just because he looks (and acts) so friendly and charming otherwise

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Danny

In about 90 mins @John Arne

---

Cheers. Livescore.com had it at 00:00 my time, but the day after tomorrow, whilst they usually organized it by match night.

Alexander-Arnold when someone is running at him is always a funny sight. He’s clueless.

Have we ever had a defence this bad?

Yes.

Doherty may have the legs well oiled tonight if there’s to be any width on the right. Though that’s only on the off chance we see any of the ball.

View Tweet

Jeff Hendrick must have photos of Mick McCarthy.

8 games (2 of which were against Gibraltar) - 6 goals. Wouldn’t score here if they played til this time tomorrow night, let alone get two.

87,000 expected tonight for Malaysia v Indonesia. When full, the Bukit Jalil stadium absolutely rocks - and the two teams hate each other. Should he cracker.

Elsewhere, Vietnam host Thailand Infront of 42,000 at My Dinh. A win for Vietnam will almost guarantee a first ever appearance in the third qualifying round. These are the games VN used to bottle... However, under Park Hang-seo, a victory (or draw) isnt too unlikely.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97lfsoBhw_M

Thailand win a fucking dodgy penalty.

Đặng Văn Lâm saves 😎

And now the ref has disallowed a perfectly good Vietnam goal. #corrupt.

Can't see an official attendance yet but seen a journo saying he reckons there can't be more than 10k in Hampden. Ouch.

I know it's massively racist to imply anything but below is a picture of the Ajax v PSV under-15 match.

https://i.imgur.com/8NA5qhN.png

Perhaps he's just much closer to the camera.

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

At least he got to meet his dad.

https://media.giphy.com/media/JUCt8vkxia33a/giphy.gif

Damilola there must have some leap.

Is O’Neill leaving the northies now or staying on for the playoff?

John McGinn for the Balon D’or. What a player

He is absolutely brilliant. Thank fuck Celtic weren't up for spending that extra half a million quid.

Bromley had two goals disallowed tonight, the second of which involved their man just chucking it straight into the net from a throw in. :D

Gareth Bale dancing with a ‘Wales. Golf. Madrid. In that order’ flag is incredible shithousing.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by John

He is absolutely brilliant. Thank fuck Celtic weren't up for spending that extra half a million quid.

---

Forever grateful.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Waffdon

Gareth Bale dancing with a ‘Wales. Golf. Madrid. In that order’ flag is incredible shithousing.

---

But in other news, we're going back to the Euro's. :drool:

On Tottenham, I'm not sure I can put up with more Mourinho bollocks and I quite liked Spurs tbh.

Doan Van Hau doing his best Phil Jones impression...

https://gyazo.com/eb64f47f14a63522a36329faa20c357e.gif

Who have Slovakia got that’s good? Naturally they’ll be superior to us but have they anyone at big clubs?

Hamsik.

Skriniar at the back is a regular for Inter and Hamsik hasn't long left Napoli for some Chinese coin.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Giggles

Who have Slovakia got that’s good? Naturally they’ll be superior to us but have they anyone at big clubs?

---

Albert Rusnak. :cool:

Jaysus I thought Hamsik was about 45.

Dubravka, as well.

He said big clubs. :henn0rz:

January's coming. He'll be at one soon enough.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Giggles

Jaysus I thought Hamsik was about 45.

---

I've no idea how he can be younger than me.

I can think of one way.

Euro draw could see a final of top Ireland v bottom Ireland. :drool: I'm so glad we've avoided them but I do think we'll flatter to deceive compared to the last Euro's.

It would also appear I owe Giggs a bit of an apology. Cunt.

Everyone qualifies for the Euros. You can still cling onto it :lol:

Wales are surely no worse than they were last time, they still have their star guys and the likes of James and Wilson are better than some of the jokers they had then. That said, I doubt they'll be getting to the semis or turning Belgium over this time, so I guess it depends on how you judge it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Danny

Everyone qualifies for the Euros. You can still cling onto it :lol:

---

It really is gone into a load of bollocks. We shouldn’t be anywhere near a chance, never should have risen above 16.

Bosnia look the pick of the 4 in our playoff but if the huns beat them then I just hope we lose in Slovakia because the nordies beat us 9 times out of 10 easily.

Dortmund 0-3 at home to Paderborn, approaching half time. Hummels legs have gone, and Weigl at centre back is weird.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Giggles

It really is gone into a load of bollocks. We shouldn’t be anywhere near a chance, never should have risen above 16.

Bosnia look the pick of the 4 in our playoff but if the huns beat them then I just hope we lose in Slovakia because the nordies beat us 9 times out of 10 easily.

---

Good spiel on what a shit show it’s become near the end of this. A once great tournament descending into a joke.

https://www.independent.ie/sport/soc...-38716463.html


.

You’re the fucking worst

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by niko_cee

Wales are surely no worse than they were last time, they still have their star guys and the likes of James and Wilson are better than some of the jokers they had then. That said, I doubt they'll be getting to the semis or turning Belgium over this time, so I guess it depends on how you judge it.

---

We're looking much better tbh, aside from 1 or 2 games but given the limited pool of talent at our disposal, we do tend to create some pretty decent players and I reckon we go into this Euro's with a 'stronger' national side. I'd take qualifying from whatever group we're in as a success but then this is only our third major tournament in our entire history and in those we reached the quarters of the World Cup (way before my time, mind) and the semi's of the Euro's. I'd fancy our chances against most if I'm being entirely blinkered but if they score first, we be fucked.

How is Roberto a premier league goalkeeper? He looks straight out of a soccer aid game.

His debut when they got pumped 4-0 by a lower league team in the cup was amazing. Didn’t attempt to dive and save any of them.

Mourinho is about to turn Aurier into the best right back in the world.

It's not that often a free transfer fails to justify his price tag.

This might be the end of the road for Mister Pellegrino, and then Jose will go on for the rest of the season about how he got him sacked.

Good to see The Ox getting a start today, though I can't quite figure out where he'll be playing. If it's the bog standard 4-3-3, then LW means Mané moves but I don't think I've ever seen The Ox play RW.
Option there for a 4-4-2 with a diamond too.

Salah making the bench is positive after being in a walking boot last weekend, but I'd wager he'll only feature in an emergency.

West Ham should start playing when they go two down next week.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dino

How is Roberto a premier league goalkeeper? He looks straight out of a soccer aid game.

---

If he appeared in a Soccer Aid game and someone told you he hosted the Spanish language 'Take Me Out' you wouldn't question it for a second.

Has Paul Ince always been bong eyed?

Lino in the Palace-Liverpool game raised his flag for a Palace offside, the ref didn't immediately see it, so it just lowered and everyone played on.

I will never understand when a player runs into a defender and it's a foul and when it's not.

Palace goal ruled out for a very questionable push.

Aye, I'd be furious if that was the other way round. Very soft.

I can only understand the argument for ruling it out if they've deemed the pushed player would have cleared the flick on, but I don't think so. Daft decision.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by John Arne

Aye, I'd be furious if that was the other way round. Very soft.

---

You should see the penalty we've just conceded. Makes that look like a shove.

2 more managerial vacancies in London incoming at this rate.

Used to be you could rely on Arsenal at home to shit out a win. Now we struggle for a draw. Its a joke.

Arsenal just got a suitably soft penalty but it's ruled out for offside. The games gone. Football is as much if not more of a non-contact sport than Basketball.

VAR ruling out Ryan's penalty save is a kick in the fantasy gonads.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by niko_cee

2 more managerial vacancies in London incoming at this rate.

---

I would hope so but our board are wank.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by niko_cee

VAR ruling out Ryan's penalty save is a kick in the fantasy gonads.

---

Benched him for Gazzaniga. Everythings coming my way this year.

Weird scene in Arsenal. Seemed like nobody reacted when Lacazette scored.

I think they're at the point where they want worse results so the manager is out quicker.

I hate playing on Mondays. It feels so far away.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by phonics

Benched him for Gazzaniga. Everythings coming my way this year.

---

I had the choice of him or Pope and gambled on a 0-0 shitfest in the Brighton game (as I have loads of Leicester defenders as well), the penalty save would have justified it.

I Kanté believe it.

Lovely stuff. We are so fucking good and Abraham's link up play is beastly.

Neither could he, looked like a kid who didnt understand what he had just done.

That was jammy as fuck. We are by far the superior team.

'Pep' passing the torch.

Maybe if Chelsea win this Lampard will start getting some recognition.

Chelsea’s defence is too shit against half decent teams. That was terrible.

There are another 5-6 goals in this game but City can go fuck themselves. Kanté and Jorginho are owning them.

That was a bit easy.

Kanté is such a good player.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by niko_cee

Kanté is such a good player.

---

He's the best that has ever played for Chelsea by a fucking mile. One of the best of the PL era for anyone. Because he's black, small and doesn't score many he doesn't get the credit (although he scores more and more each year).

It's no coincidence that he was there in the supposed 'miracle' Leicester year.

Calm down you snow bunny.

We are such a good all round side. Next four look so winnable as well. Table could look very interesting by the time we play Man City and Liverpool either side of Christmas.

I wonder if Kante would be the best goalkeeper in the world too.

Anyone else think that was kind of a poor half, quality wise? De Bruyne and Ederson spanking passes out for throw-ins, Aguero missing a chance he'd usually bury, Willian wasting an even better chance.


@Max Power I wasn't there today, did you see the game? Pretty comfortable win?

I hadn't noticed Everton losing 2-0 at home to Norwich.

Rumours that Silva will be out inside the week and Moyes will be back in.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Reg

I wonder if Kante would be the best goalkeeper in the world too.

Anyone else think that was kind of a poor half, quality wise? De Bruyne and Ederson spanking passes out for throw-ins, Aguero missing a chance he'd usually bury, Willian wasting an even better chance.

---

Our play was much more precise than theirs until the last 10 minutes. Both teams are playing out from the back in slightly hair-raising fashion which means the game has no real structure. Add in that both teams are severely lacking in calm, experienced leaders and it just gets more and more frenetic. This could finish 3-3, 5-4 Chelsea, 6-2 City or any result really.

City are still the best side in the league. Title race is going down to the wire again.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Reg

I wonder if Kante would be the best goalkeeper in the world too.

Anyone else think that was kind of a poor half, quality wise? De Bruyne and Ederson spanking passes out for throw-ins, Aguero missing a chance he'd usually bury, Willian wasting an even better chance.


@Max Power I wasn't there today, did you see the game? Pretty comfortable win?

---

We absolutely bossed the first half, missed a few chances and after the break Brighton were a bit livelier and pressed higher and we scored on the break during their best spell. Still managed to miss four or five clear cut chances late on and didn’t really concede anything meaningful.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dino

City are still the best side in the league. Title race is going down to the wire again.

---

It’s really not.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Waffdon

It’s really not.

---

Liverpool are scraping through most of their games and their schedule is bonkers for the next 6 weeks. City have more ways to win games and far better depth. It'll be tight again by the end of January and then City will probably win all of their final 15 games again.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dino

Liverpool are scraping through most of their games and their schedule is bonkers for the next 6 weeks. City have more ways to win games and far better depth. It'll be tight again by the end of January and then City will probably win all of their final 15 games again.

---

https://i.ibb.co/vkGHRgh/BNXt9-Cs-CIAAS7bb.jpg

Im tired of seeing players turn their back on shots. Facing the ball like a goalkeeper would stop 50% of the goals scored

If City play like they have today they won't get within 15 points of them.

I wouldn't mind if Liverpool won the league, I just don't think it's realistic to expect the chaps at Anfield South to keep disallowing goals against them at the current rate.

There have ever existed very few things that are worse than the Premier League's implementation of VAR.

If Chelsea start figuring out these big games then they'll be challengers.

Interested to see who Lampard goes for when he is allowed to spend.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dino

There have ever existed very few things that are worse than the Premier League's implementation of VAR.

---

Yep. It's actually killing the joy of the game, and it doesn't need to be like this.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Gray Fox

If Chelsea start figuring out these big games then they'll be challengers.

Interested to see who Lampard goes for when he is allowed to spend.

---

We need a second striker (Batshuayi is a Championship level player in everything but stabbing in loose balls), a left back, and a centre back or a perma fit Rudiger. We also probably need another 2 years of maturity from the likes of Mount, James, Abraham and Tomori. We will also need a replacement for Willian at some point.

Then we'll be challengers. I'm undecided on the goalkeeper, he's a dreamboat and does most things very well but does chuck the odd one in.

Thoughts on Pulisic @Jimmy Floyd?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Spoonsky

Thoughts on Pulisic @Jimmy Floyd?

---

Absolutely brilliant, love him to bits. His contributions going backwards are somewhat minimal but that's partly the fault of neither of our left backs being able to defend.

That's great. I know he looked a little tentative in the first games but it seems like he's come into his own now.

The way he turns from back-to-goal to drive forward and spins away from people - whilst not quite as devastating as Hazard - is somewhat reminiscent of a more lightweight version of him.

His decision-making is invariably decent as well.

The Copa Libertadores final is, bizarrely, on BBC2 in a minute. Flamengo v River.

Copa Libertadores is a lovely little surprise. Hopefully it puts the Champions League to shame.

The storm troopers made no sense, but I like it. They should just turn it into one massive weird party with a game of football in the middle.

The stadium looks weird from a photo I seen. Is it an even bigger whore show than Europe for executive boxes, etc?

The whole thing has a very USA 94 feel, led front and centre by the Flamengo manager's hairdo.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dino

I just don't think it's realistic to expect the chaps at Anfield South to keep disallowing goals against them at the current rate.

---

:D

Did the xG not come in again?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

The whole thing has a very USA 94 feel, led front and centre by the Flamengo manager's hairdo.

---

It did feel very American, especially that band they showed (with no sound) that made me wonder if Bon Jovi was a River fan for a moment.

Jorge Jesus is a legend, to be fair.

Flamengo look a bit of a rabble.

Is Marcelo Gallardo the manager of River (he of next Maradona/Ortega/Aimar fame?). Has Tim 'Coocheen' Vickery been giving them pronunciation notes so it sounds nothing like how you'd expect it to (Gashado?)?

Aye, I excepted it to be (and have been pronouncing it since 2001/2 as) Guyardo.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by niko_cee

Flamengo look a bit of a rabble.

Is Marcelo Gallardo the manager of River (he of next Maradona/Ortega/Aimar fame?). Has Tim 'Coocheen' Vickery been giving them pronunciation notes so it sounds nothing like how you'd expect it to (Gashado?)?

---

Tim had a little shot piece before the game in which somebody Enrique became 'Iheeky' as per.

It would be Gayardo until you start applying regional accents/dialects. Like the difference between saying Newcahstle and Newcassle.

Gilbert Silva with the excellent analayis of passion and who wants it more.

I want Roy Keanes reaction to Jesus snogging the face of Enzo Perez pre match, he'd be fuming.

Bloody hell, that escalated quickly.

Put the statue on hold Marcelo.

It’s all unravelling to shite now.

That was everything I initially expected, but all condensed inside five minutes at the end. Amazing.

The most South American climax.

I reckon playing Flamengo in Qatar (?) will be more entertaining than having to deal with "Gashado's" well-drilled shitkickers.

I assume the Diego they brought on is the Diego of Santos wonderkid heritage.

Referee really came to the party in injury time with his flamboyant multi-carding, well done him and see you at the World Cup.

Southampton should have had 5 or 6 by the looks of this.

We were fortunate to win today but you take three points however they come at the moment. Aguero getting injured for City is pretty shit as I like him but it's just another thing that seems to have fallen in our favor. If we ease to this title it's going to be the most unLiverpool like way. Something has got to be brewing, hasn't it?

I thought Tottenham would win against West Ham and wild carded the fantasy football to include their two centre backs and keeper so to concede two is pretty shit. Vardy striking again for Leicester means they are our main challengers but I still don't see where we would be dropping the points. It all seems too good to be true.

My first away game following Bolton for 2 years my last away game we lost 4-0 vs.Rothetham. We went 1 better this time and lost 7-1 😂 for fuck sake.

Jimmy’s having a mid-life rejuvenation or something. He used to be the most negative person on the board, now it seems he loves everyone and everything. Maybe coming out helped the matter

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Gray Fox

Rumours that Silva will be out inside the week and Moyes will be back in.

---

If they could see their way clear to sacking him after losing the derby then that would be much appreciated. Looking at their next 5 fixtures it's hard to see how he makes it to Christmas in post.

If they didn't have that run of fixtures he'd probably be gone. No point in killing your new manager with that start.

Al-Hilal just beat Urawa 3-0 on aggregate to lift the Asian Champions League. Al-Hilal's frontline is Gomis and Giovinco :drool:

The left side of Man U's defence is like one of those paper walls that the contenders used to smash through at the end of the eliminator on Gladiators. Jones may be a calamity but the boy at left back might as well have sent a picture of himself.

Not sure if I'll ever get used to being a mid-table side like this. I get irrationally pissed off just the same as each week goes by despite this really and honestly being our level

I used to enjoy it in the pre-Abramovich times when our level was basically 5th-9th. You win enough games that it isn't a complete slog watching the team, and then you're just about good enough that if you catch a top team on a bad day you can do them one and it feels like a miracle (we used to lol our way to wins at Old Trafford on a semi-regular basis). Then you just have to take the occasional 4-1 losses to Charlton like a man.

Man U fans of a certain age have been brought up on pissing the title every year, so it's probably harder to take going in the other direction.

Is this john fleck, the john fleck from high new zealand. FM legend?

Smallpockets IN.

It's time for the driver to retire.

This is United's level now. Mid-table side with a mediocre manager.

Wilder is a visionary. What a manager.

Andreas Pereira should get a normal job because he has no business playing football.

At least his real name is amazing. Hugo Hoelgebaum.

I don't understand how Pereira gets games. He's never once done anything.

I was going to say that everyone else is injured but Garner is on the bench, he should be playing.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by thommo

This is United's level now. Mid-table side with a mediocre manager.

---

Steve Bruce's next job.

Big Sam is available.

How far United have fallen really is heart warming stuff. :lol:

Cracking strike by Williams.

That was some rip.

Good on Dan James btw. Could literally see him think about playing it back and said man for fuck sake I've got to do something and sure enough leads to that.

Lol. Ooops.

Now get a 3rd you cunts.

Haha oh eck

Binman, taking out the trash.

He's sorted out his steering.

James has been absolutely bossing every game i’ve watched him play in this season, he’s phenomenal isn’t he

Fair play to the hologram at left back, if he hadn't struck that ball like that on the drop then it would have ended 2 or 3-0. Questionable why he is playing left back though given that and the fact he has turned onto his right peg 100% of the time.

This is like the glory days of Fellainimania, this.

If this gets disallowed, cancel football full stop.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

Fair play to the hologram at left back, if he hadn't struck that ball like that on the drop then it would have ended 2 or 3-0. Questionable why he is playing left back though given that and the fact he has turned onto his right peg 100% of the time.

---

He's right-footed but plays at left back (I'm not going to say "always has done" since I don't know what he played when he was 15, but that's his usual position). He's also been good since he's come in.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ian

This is like the glory days of Fellainimania, this.

---

Sure is.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Waffdon

If this gets disallowed, cancel football full stop.

---

Totally agree, that's a perfectly good goal.

Even though the goal stood, VAR fucking ruined that.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by randomlegend

He's right-footed but plays at left back (I'm not going to say "always has done" since I don't know what he played when he was 15, but that's his usual position). He's also been good since he's come in.

---

I'd want my full back to at least be able to go on the outside at some stage. It can be helpful defensively against the cut-inside merchants though.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

I'd want my full back to at least be able to go on the outside at some stage. It can be helpful defensively against the cut-inside merchants though.

---

Yeah it's certainly unusual.

I have no idea why we put a third centre back on again after going 3-2 up. We were all over them before, then that just invites pressure on and we concede again.

We were also shit the whole time we played that way

Meanwhile in Rome. Smaldini scored and got two assists in a 3-0 win.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

Andreas Pereira should get a normal job because he has no business playing football.

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bruhnaldo

I don't understand how Pereira gets games. He's never once done anything.

---

I think he's been good recently and could be a really good player, but a midfield two of him and Fred should probably never happen again.

Bit negative from Solskjaer that. What kind of message does telling them to sit off against Sheffield United send?

That they're shit.

He is 'tidy' but an absolute fanny. His 'Preseason Pirlo' nickname is incredibly fitting.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SincereTheRebel

Meanwhile in Rome. Smaldini scored and got two assists in a 3-0 win.

---

I dunno if you've actually seen them, but they are the most ratchet collections of goals/assists you've ever seen.

They all count lad.

It’s ratchet good or bad? My initial thought was the former until Sincere posted.

Bad

Ratchet is like "ghetto" or improperly done more or less.

"Damn, I broke the zipper on my jeans."
"Here, just glue them together for now."
"Wtf? That's so ratchet."

Was Woodward really arguing with Alex Ferguson and Gill in the stands?

Word.

Tuanzebe coming on probably made sense as we had 5 forwards on which was probably a bit OTT. OGS would have been given stick the other way as well.

He made a mistake starting Jones today but rectified it and then for keeping Pereira on for more than 30 minutes. Fred did well enough. Williams struggled today with the intensity but came into it second half. Take the point but we are desperate for an actual centre mid or two to add to McTominnay and (er probably) Fred*.

*Not counting Pogba as he's barely ever fit.

"barely ever fit" is an interesting way to describe the situation. The mans been off gallivanting in Miami on vacation in the middle of the season. "Fit" or not that surely makes no sense if he's anywhat in our plans.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/50550954

"It was clearly a joke said as a paradox."

wat.

I didn't realize that was the former Leeds owner saying all that lol ffs.

It's a pretty good response to all the press bullshit.

Emery sacking imminent and Nuno Espirito Santo bookies favourite to replace him out of seemingly nowhere.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Lofty

Emery sacking imminent and Nuno Espirito Santo bookies favourite to replace him out of seemingly nowhere.

---

I've seen absoultely none of this. I just did a search on Twitter and the only people 'reporting' it are linking to/posting logos of bookmakers.

Yids, lol.

Is the slur necessary?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by phonics

Is the slur necessary?

---

They call themselves that so probably no need for the outrage.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Giggles

They call themselves that so probably no need for the outrage.

---

Irrelevant, but carry on.

We’ve another one. In fairness phonics was probably getting lonely up there.

That VAR decision in the Madrid/PSG game was horseshit. That's never a foul on Marcelo.

Chelsea Twitter for the last six months has been an open battlefield based entirely around the 'Y-word'.

The protagonists. On the the progressive side: Dan Levene, a minor journalist and Chelsea fan of Jewish background who goes to every Chelsea game as press and live tweets the action, mostly in earnest. However, whenever he hears one of the two terrace songs that include the word 'Yid' referring to Tottenham Hotspur, or the one song that includes the word 'pikeys' referring to West Ham, he posts tweets like this:

View Tweet

He has cautious support from the more luvvie end of Chelsea Twitter. However, his bitter enemies, much like the Night King's Army of the Dead, are the endless rump of core Chelsea supporters who follow him around calling him 'nonce', claiming that he is himself a racist as he once posted tweets lolling at the songs concerned, claiming he is a conspiracist working against Our Club, or deploying various other common abuse techniques in the same vein. 'Fuck Dan Levene' has even become a regular rondo amongst the away support. He responds by quote tweeting his enemies, calling them racists and trying to @ their employers, if available.

It's a wholly dignified war that will rage on until the end of time. I think I'm a neutral, broadly, hiding in Chelsea Switzerland swilling on flat Singha beer.

Real Madrid giving up a 2 goal lead in 2 minutes, ha.

Last fifteen minutes were pretty great.

wait pikey is a slur?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bruhnaldo

wait pikey is a slur?

---

It's a word for a gypsy. I don't think you have them over there.

If you just count Bundesliga and Champions League, Lewandowski has scored 26 goals in 17 games.

Different level of course but Erling Haaland is only nineteen and has the same number of goals in one more game.

Kind of makes me wonder how obscene Ronaldo's goal tally would look if he stayed in Portugal.

View Tweet

Seriously fat man.

Pure muscle.

Who cares about “yids” actually

Be great if Chelsea let Reece James take set pieces. His crossing is on another level.

Christensen/Zouma is a Championship level partnership as well. Grim.

When people were calling him fat in the summer he posted a topless photo showing he's evidently not.

The fact that was even given as a penalty :D

Kepa is an absolute calamity. What the fuck was that m. Hahahaha.

Can Napoli play Liverpool every week?

This nerd sprinting to the locker room lol

Another goal conceded first. Another one with this stupid high line at fault. Another poor first half.

I can't wait to see it all again against Brighton.

Get Oxlade-Chamberlain on.

Also Alexander-Arnold for down the right. Not sure Gomez was the right choice for this game.

Not great this.

Ziyech is a wonderful player.

Napoli have made this so fucking boring.

Hopefully we kick on now.

Salah holding Koulibaly off, fucking hell.

Will only make it more laughable next time he falls over because little Ryan Fraser burped in his direction.

That's some hit from Sancho.

I would have much rather have put it to bed tonight but alas it wasn't to be. We'll have enough to qualify but a missed opportunity to make December a little 'easier'.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by randomlegend

When people were calling him fat in the summer he posted a topless photo showing he's evidently not.

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He's evidently overweight.

We (Liverpool) are close to going on 4 or 5 game winless run. I fear that Klopps lack of rotation, particularly at FB and upfront will cost us. Salah and Robertson carrying quite serious knocks. Add Fabinho to that list now. TAA looks shot, and Henderson just doesn't have the drive anymore.

Still, top of the league.

Poch in.

We were laughably naive last night and fortunate not to lose.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by John Arne

We (Liverpool) are close to going on 4 or 5 game winless run. I fear that Klopps lack of rotation, particularly at FB and upfront will cost us. Salah and Robertson carrying quite serious knocks. Add Fabinho to that list now. TAA looks shot, and Henderson just doesn't have the drive anymore.

Still, top of the league.

---

We're fine. There's just a couple of little things to iron out.

I'm really not sold on this high line for example. I understand it allows Trent and Robertson to bomb on and pin teams back, but as seen last night it can be vulnerable to a well timed run in behind. Though they were lucky Van Dijk was down and the ball went right into the gap he'd have been in.

From there we were left with the Brexit midfield of old trying to break a team down, which as we know it can't do. This is the perfect time to bring the likes of Ox, Lallana and Keita into the fold and maybe go back to more of an open style. Shaqiri coming back now is well timed too.

Last night just looked worse than it was due to Napoli having no intentions on winning the game once the scores were level. It was all about not losing.

The next 4 league games are Brighton, Everton, Bournemouth and Watford with the trip to the south coast being the only one away. That Watford game could be an opportunity for rest. You could also make a case to take the kids/reserves over to Qatar. The ones who dont travel would then get 9 days rest after the Villa game.

I really think we need to be looking to buy during January. Some rotation options at full back would ease things massively. Gomez is just not a full time right back I'm afraid.

Gomez is all brawn no brain. Shouldn't be near the first eleven in all honesty.

He does seem to be regressing at an alarming rate, not that he should really be playing on the right at all.

It's also a lot to do with who he's playing against. He does his defensive duties at RB quite well as you'd expect, however looks lost when he pushes beyond the halfway line. Against a team that was always going to look to absorb pressure, he is of little use.

Breaking his leg last season hasn't helped at all. But if given a run at CB again we could see him back to his best. It's no coincidence to me that his best form came after a full pre season and then long runs in the team at CB.

His positioning is incredibly poor.

As nice as it would be for Gomez to rediscover his past form, it's important to recognize it will be difficult to replace VVD now that the world class Lovren has returned.

Lee Grant must be fuming that he's not only having to actually play a game but that he's having to fly a bazillion miles to do it.

Manc Sean is currently freezing his nuts off in Kazakhstan.

Maybe that's the answer to his old signature.

I'm looking through the United website profiles of these players. I'm liking that we have a player called "Largie" and also that Max Taylor's bio starts with "Formerly known as Max Dunne, his name was changed to Max Taylor from February 2019."

Thanks for that, guys, that's really all I wanted to know.

Astana must be shit if they've allowed Lingard (not Astana, as I initially typed :face:) to do a thing.

Feyenoord Rangers looks the pick of what Virgin is showing anyway. Some difference in atmosphere to the Wolves game.

You forget the Braga stadium is built into a mountain. It's like playing PES4 with maniche, scoring screamers from 30 yards.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SincereTheRebel

You forget the Braga stadium is built into a mountain. It's like playing PES4 with maniche, scoring screamers from 30 yards.

---

The lack of any supporters is a bigger factor than a mountain.

We've been dire.

That's more like it. Alfredo Morelos is a machine.

Unfortunately Filip Helander is a comedian.

View Tweet

:lol:

Wolves are Through to the knockout stages. The draw is on the 16th and im flying out. I couldn't make it to Braga in the rain.

Gabriel Martinelli is the man. He can be crap for the rest of his career but my man loves running around.

David Luiz looked alright in midfield and now he looks like he's broken a rib.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SincereTheRebel

Wolves are Through to the knockout stages. The draw is on the 16th and im flying out. I couldn't make it to Braga in the rain.

---

Flying out to the last 16 game or to the draw?

This Arsenal team has been unable to control the tempo of a game for a few years now. If the opposition is on top, they will concede.

We're now being out sung by a group of Frankfurt fans that are officially banned from attending.

The boos were so much louder than literally anything in the match I am 100% sure they turned up the mics on a section that looked feisty.

I think dino and his xG friends are bores but this is absolutely mental.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EKZEIGiXkAAYy8E.jpg

You should never have let Wenger go. He had at least another decade in him.

Celtic are going all the way

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Giggles

Flying out to the last 16 game or to the draw?

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Flying out to an away event in the last 32. The draw is on the 16th for it. I

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

You should never have let Wenger go. He had at least another decade in him.

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I was on both the 'Wenger should quit after either of the FA cup win's and 'Whoever takes over from him would be doomed to failure' bandwagons so I've come up trumps.

However, he's managed to fuck it up in a way I thought not possible. Arsenal always played well collectively and were let down by the individual. Now they play badly collectively and are saved by the individual.

"I think today we improved" he says after losing to a team in mid-table at home. He doesn't help himself.

edit: “I think we deserved more. First half we were happy. We lost control of the game for 15 minutes and they scored two goals.”

Ah shame we had no control over that really. I'll choose not to factor in that we were pretty mediocre in the first half and were 1-0 up of a scrappy Auba goal as usual.

edit 2: My bad the full quote is "Today we improved things but it wasn't enough." Imagine how shit we were before today...

Tomorrow is pay day and I get my pay rise back pay. Hopefully Emery confirmed sacked when I wake up to make it a triple whammy.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lewis

View Tweet

:lol:

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The gif in that account's pinned tweet is amazing.

He's gone. Ornstein reporting it.

Official now.

#ljungbergin

RafaIn

Give Claude the job.

Apparently the players were openly giving it 'Good Ebening' by the end

You could see it.

Came out of the ground on Saturday seething. That 5 minutes of the second half was the best I'd seen us at the Emirates all year summed it up. Didn't help that Palace played the cunt card so well and the ball was in play less than in NFL either, but it was unanimous amongst the faithful that he had to go and pretty clear the likes of Auba and Lacazette weren't feeling it.

Poch in? (lol)

I've seen quite a bit of Max Allegri chat, but is he really going to be all that different to Emery? Any old binman can win the league with Juve. I suppose he looks a bit more like a ranking mafioso than Unai.

https://img.gifglobe.com/grabs/theda...-subtitled.jpg

at least unai can get back to the bureau de change now

Alegri and Enrique are uninspiring.

Arteta and Vieira romantic, though unexciting.

Pochetino highly unlikely, but I'd be well up for it.

They should hire Pottechino and on the off chance they win something it’ll be the best troll job ever.

This Maldon and Tiptree 'stadium' is glorious

Arsenal should 100% hire Chris Wilder.

I read that as Chris Waddle. :D

Just get eddie howe

Quote:

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Originally Posted by niko_cee

Poch in? (lol)

I've seen quite a bit of Max Allegri chat, but is he really going to be all that different to Emery? Any old binman can win the league with Juve. I suppose he looks a bit more like a ranking mafioso than Unai.

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If he could sort the defence out it would be a start.

So, the draw for Euro 2020 hasn't been mad yet, but already know 3/4 of Group B :/

https://gyazo.com/ec499e1f68b7f477b42933ce36cd8560.jpeg

Is that because they already picked the host cities?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Shindig

Is that because they already picked the host cities?

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Aye, combo of host cities and teams being kep apart, I think. I guess. I have no idea.

Yeah, hosts play a part. Hence, if Ireland qualify, they'll be in with Spain as the Arriva hosts matches in that group. Hungary land in Germany's group. Romania would get Holland.

Yeah title might be over now lads.

Pep is a useless twat. Now relying on nuclear war or similar to stop Liverpool.

Ecstatic.

Leicester's to lose now.

Hard to tell which way the fantasy jinx is going to go today. I've dropped Salah, but also have Dunk, Ryan and Connolly on my bench.

How much Richard Keys and Andy Gray hate VAR is making me a fan of VAR!

This is the Spurs of several seasons ago, with a slightly more shit defence

A Mourinho team scoring more than two goals for three games in a row must be some sort of record.

Alisson :face:

https://gyazo.com/856fb06dde96466568ce8ad4d4466246.gif

Braindead from Alisson and then also Adrian from the resulting free kick.

Further evidence for my belief that most footballers are little more than robots completely incapable of devising bespoke movements other than those they are used to doing.

:pards:

Palace's game today was their first game outside of London for 3 months :/

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EKotGekW...jpg&name=small

:wub:

Eleven points clear and we haven't even been that good for most of it. :eek: We're going to have to go some next level bottling to throw it away now. It's maaaadness.

Yeah, but you will throw it away.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bam

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EKotGekW...jpg&name=small

:wub:

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Full kit wanker.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bam

Yeah, but you will throw it away.

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Perhaps but when you've failed to win it because of a 'slip' or a season in which you hit 97 points and still don't then it kind of prepares you for anything calamitous.

Anyway, in case anyone is interested.

Group A (Rome, Baku): Italy, Switzerland, Turkey, Wales
Group B (St Petersburg, Copenhagen): Russia, Denmark, Belgium, Finland
Group C (Amsterdam, Bucharest): Netherlands, Ukraine, Austria (Georgia, Kosovo, Belarus, North Macedonia)
Group D (London, Glasgow): England, Croatia, Czech Republic (Scotland, Israel, Norway, Serbia)
Group E (Bilbao, Dublin): Spain, Poland, Sweden (N Ireland, Bosnia, Slovakia or Ireland)
Group F (Munich, Budapest): Germany, France, Portugal (Iceland, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary)

Are we basically hosting this tournament by stealth?

Given 4 of 6 groups have a 3rd place team going through, the group stage seems absolutely pointless.

Yeah, was like that last time, it's wank. In theory a team with 1 point can go through.

Watching Eastleigh v Crewe with no VAR is so refreshing.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Spikey M

Full kit wanker.

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Alright MancSean. :D

England have gone outright fav on Betfair. :rave:

B.Munich are losing 2-1 at home vs Leverkusen with two counter-attacks FIFA goals from Leon bailey. B.Munich has been wasteful and have missed several open goal chances.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dino

England have gone outright fav on Betfair. :rave:

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What to win the whole thing?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bam

What to win the whole thing?

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Yeah. Quite surprising considering we're likely to meet one of France/Germany/Portugal in the round of 16.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bam

Alright MancSean. :D

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Knocking Llamas out left right and centre.

It's our year.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dino

Yeah. Quite surprising considering we're likely to meet one of France/Germany/Portugal in the round of 16.

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We always have ridiculously short odds in these things.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dino

Yeah. Quite surprising considering we're likely to meet one of France/Germany/Portugal in the round of 16.

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When will our media ever learn, the start of putting huge pressure on these kids has already started.

Hopefully Southgate can keep an umbrella over them.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bam

When will our media ever learn, the start of putting huge pressure on these kids has already started.

Hopefully Southgate can keep an umbrella over them.

---

Bookies are the media now?

If we can produce Shakespeare, Attenborough and our NHS I think we can beat some stinking continentals on the soccer field.

Ben Foster is shit.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sir Andy Mahowry

Bookies are the media now?

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They're all part of the hysteria.

Thought that first Southampton goal looked a bit handy at first glance. More top work fro the VAR mob.

It's seasons like this I absolutely hate due to us wobbling against relegation candidates and then rebounding to bork a top side. I don't fancy getting much from Brammal Lane. Hell, Southampton at home's looking sketchy. Joe Linton's starting to look like the worst business this club has done in decades. :(

Mourinho looks happy. I suppose he can live at home now rather than in the Travel Tavern.

I'm fairly convinced this Mourinho is a body double, and the proper one is still just doing punditry for Russia Today and appearing in ads for gambling/online gaming/arms dealers.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Shindig

It's seasons like this I absolutely hate due to us wobbling against relegation candidates and then rebounding to bork a top side. I don't fancy getting much from Brammal Lane. Hell, Southampton at home's looking sketchy. Joe Linton's starting to look like the worst business this club has done in decades. :(

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Why are you still bothering?

It's something to do for 2 hours of a Saturday. EDIT: Nufc.com's advent calendar is off to a flyer.

https://www.nufc.com/advent2019/2019-advent-01.html

I want to know who stood in for Albert Luque.

Bloody hell who designed that website? :happycry:

Christ, is that the official club site?

https://www.nufc.co.uk/ is the official site

Quique Sanchez Flores has been sacked. Again.

Gracia in.

Jeonbuk won the K.League title today. Going into the last game, leaders Ulsan needed just a point at home to their rivals Pohang - they were beaten 1-4.

Jeonbuk won 1-0 to win the title by scoring 1 more goal than Ulsan, after finishing level on 79pts.

Get VAR in the fucking bin. Arsenal player was as far forward as anyone else.

Absolute joke decision.

Doing the big bollocks shushing Tim Krul too when you’re part of such an absolute waste of space you’ve just had your manager sacked :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Spikey M

We always have ridiculously short odds in these things.

---

I generally think England have gone off roughly the correct price for the last few tournaments, having gone off too short through most of the previous decade. I thought they were value at the last world cup.

It's pretty early days though and the Betfair market will be mostly UK money so maybe they are too short and will drift.

England are pretty good though.

Arsenal hardman Kolasinac with blonde tips :face:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dino

I generally think England have gone off roughly the correct price for the last few tournaments, having gone off too short through most of the previous decade. I thought they were value at the last world cup.

It's pretty early days though and the Betfair market will be mostly UK money so maybe they are too short and will drift.

England are pretty good though.

---

Southgate will not win them shit.

Leicester should win by three or four today.

What are you basing that on? He's the one manager who has come closest in 30 years.

How come Utd aren’t on?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SvN

What are you basing that on? He's the one manager who has come closest in 30 years.

---

Basing it off the idea of me always being correct, mate.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Waffdon

Basing it off the idea of me always being correct, mate.

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With the team all being English youngsters I thought you’d have drained yourself away to nothing over them at this stage.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Giggles

How come Utd aren’t on?

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We're shit.

Thats outrageous from Grealish :|

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Giggles

With the team all being English youngsters I thought you’d have drained yourself away to nothing over them at this stage.

---

Their goalkeeper is a hobbit, their defence is dreadful and the manager just isn’t very good. Central midfield isn’t exactly blessed with options.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Shindig

It's something to do for 2 hours of a Saturday.

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Remember when the club used to inspire passion and excitement? Find something else to do for two hours.

Did yesterday's result not excite you? We've had some proper big wins over the last few years. We just can't reliably build on it. And ... the threat of relegation at least adds something to it.

Up to 5th, somehow

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Danny

Thats outrageous from Grealish :|

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The kid's magic :cool:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Shindig

Did yesterday's result not excite you? We've had some proper big wins over the last few years. We just can't reliably build on it. And ... the threat of relegation at least adds something to it.

---

I didn't realise what had happened until the evening. Anyway, I find it impossible to enjoy a win/good result under these circumstances. I was happy for the Longstaff brothers in the win over Man Utd, but that was it. There is no long-term success under this regime and a stand needs to be taken.

Just as close to 5th as you are the relegation zone....:henn0rz:

I've been looking at our attendances and it seems like the boycott's holding. At least from a sense we're pulling 44,000 crowds unless a big side comes to town.