May football: Southend United relegated (nearly)

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Originally Posted by Spikey M

Southend were all but relegated from the Football League last night. I can't see how the club survives it to be honest.

A heart felt memorial in next months thread please @Ian

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You may remember from my expert analysis of Southend United from last February (for fuck's sake) that the main conclusions to be drawn were:
- Charity is for mugs
- Football is shit
- Ron Martin is hirsute.

And things have only gotten worse. Indeed, if you google "Southend United" the top 'People also asked' option is "Why are Southend United so bad?" as Southend find themselves on the cusp of non-league football for the first time.

Per Spikey's request, this isn't the greatest analysis of Southend United in the world (I've already done that, after all) this is just a tribute.
https://i.ibb.co/F4WwbF6/image.png


Other football

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Other football? Spikey is in mourning. Have some fucking respect.

Recent history suggests that an immediate return to the FL is unlikely - you're either consigned to a few years down there, or worse, lower. Some Swindon fans recently have opined that perhaps a few years in non-league would be worth it to be rid of the current owner (we could very well face successive relegations next season and follow Southend out the trap door), but I think this is misplaced. Hang on to your FL status at your peril. Good luck getting back up, Southend.

Relative to those clubs finances is dropping out of the football league similarly devastating, financially, as dropping out of the Premier League is?

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Originally Posted by Ian

Relative to those clubs finances is dropping out of the football league similarly devastating, financially, as dropping out of the Premier League is?

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:lol: what's a parachute payment?

Didn't even think about that, so worse then.

It's a pity we didn't allow Florentino Perez to SAVE FOOTBALL, really.

Given how covid cut two non-league seasons short, I'm amazed any of them are still standing.

Thank you for your consideration at this difficult time.

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Originally Posted by mo

Recent history suggests that an immediate return to the FL is unlikely - you're either consigned to a few years down there, or worse, lower. Some Swindon fans recently have opined that perhaps a few years in non-league would be worth it to be rid of the current owner (we could very well face successive relegations next season and follow Southend out the trap door), but I think this is misplaced. Hang on to your FL status at your peril. Good luck getting back up, Southend.

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At the moment seeing Ron Martin out the door would be worth the short term disappointment. Especially if there was the chance of fan ownership, but I fear you're right. Chances are this is the start of a lengthy absence. Potentially a permanent one. Financially this is a disaster for a club that has been on the brink of collapse for a long time already.

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Originally Posted by Ian

Didn't even think about that, so worse then.

It's a pity we didn't allow Florentino Perez to SAVE FOOTBALL, really.

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For context, Macclesfield were wound up over just over half a million quid. Your big six there probably spend that on re-stocking the team bus' snack bar in a season.

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Originally Posted by mo

For context, Macclesfield were wound up over just over half a million quid. Your big six there probably spend that on re-stocking the team bus' snack bar in a season.

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About two weeks of mediocrity from Savey Davey.

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Originally Posted by Spikey M

At the moment seeing Ron Martin out the door would be worth the short term disappointment. Especially if there was the chance of fan ownership, but I fear you're right. Chances are this is the start of a lengthy absence. Potentially a permanent one. Financially this is a disaster for a club that has been on the brink of collapse for a long time already.

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We've got this whole thing where Lee Power has been taken to court by Michael Standing and Gareth Barry - who have allegedly put up quite a bit of funding for Town over the years. Which they were not allowed to do. Power tried to put us in admin the other week, thankfully the court blocked that as there are potential offers for the club out there. But we just seem to lurch from one shithead owner to the next, so I don't hold out much hope for the future.

Flush them all. Southend, Grimsby, Bolton... Good riddance.

:yawn: so edgy.

I've been saying there are too many clubs for years. Have you ever been to Grimsby? It barely sustains life, never mind a professional football team.

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Originally Posted by Lewis

Flush them all. Southend, Grimsby, Bolton... Good riddance.

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https://frinkiac.com/meme/S04E19/103...BDUkFDS1BPVC4=

:D

Hopefully it's mathematically done for us before our last two v Man City and Arsenal. (Although I'd fancy us v Arsenal.)

Loved the Welbeck goal. Please marvel if you haven't yet: https://www.skysports.com/football/b.../report/429167

Also enjoyed the helicopter views of the Amex. Will be amazing to go back. Life is going to be weird and great.

Brighton have been safe for about a month, if not longer. The bottom three are hopelessly shit.

Yeah, if anybody gets their act together, they can finish 12th. The only thing that threatened the bottom three was that weird spell Fulham had.

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Originally Posted by igor_balis

https://frinkiac.com/meme/S04E19/103...BDUkFDS1BPVC4=

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:D

Excellent.

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Originally Posted by mo

For context, Macclesfield were wound up over just over half a million quid. Your big six there probably spend that on re-stocking the team bus' snack bar in a season.

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I'm still baffled by this. Such a relatively small amount. Why no interested investors and why was it allowed to happen?

Man Utd fans have stormed into Old Trafford lol. Imagine there will be a delay to the game

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:lol:

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:drool:

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RI in its element.

Nah, R1 would be taking pictures of the boiler room. "These undersoil heating pipes date back to the Victorians."

'more like nobhead woodward :thbgrin:'
'.....'

Lol at the pundits sympathising with the morons.

The game isn’t happening is it.

If they've dug the pitch up, it'll be off.

Love the pictures from today. Wish I'd gone down.

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Originally Posted by Manc

Lol at the pundits sympathising with the morons.

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Are you in your 50s?

REVEALED: Old Trafford riot leader is City banker linked to Christmas "Super Spreader" event in Scotland.

Dawson, 39, pictured here on a city break in...

'Redknapp's Big Night Out' Jesus.

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Originally Posted by Lewis

REVEALED: Old Trafford riot leader is City banker linked to Christmas "Super Spreader" event in Scotland.

Dawson, 39, pictured here on a city break in...

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39!

Stitching you up because you've got them rattled.

Shitting hell just call it off so I can find something else to do.

It’s been called off

Am I right in thinking that if the game gets called off and the points are awarded to Liverpool, that would confirm City the title? :drool:

Why would City get points? ��

Dem FF teams doe. :harold:

It would normally be forfeit, but because of the opposition it goes down as 3-0 United for invading a stadium without injuries.

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Originally Posted by Waffdon

Why would City get points? ��

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I dun borked. Fixed it.

If United fans have HAD ENOUGH, cancel thier season.

They could play the game at the end of the season in Dubai.

These things will pass. You get some manc sean's going on about how it was a protest against the Glazer's ownership as a whole, but this wouldn't have kicked off without the Super League shambles.

Not having to watch United. :drool:

Souness still crying about the protests. Did he not stick a flag in the middle of the pitch in Turkey? :D

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Originally Posted by Waffdon

Souness still crying about the protests. Did he not stick a flag in the middle of the pitch in Turkey? :D

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Gary Neville seemed to refer to that as a protest earlier.

I think manc and Souness have both been as embarrassing as each other today.

Just waiting on Manc sending the ‘imagine it was our fans’.

Souness :harold:

Souness was also on good form when he was pretending diving is a new development in the Premier League in the last couple of years.

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Originally Posted by Kikó

I think manc and Souness have both been as embarrassing as each other today.

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I've had a mare tbh. Get the tinnies in and I'll see you at the next one.

Genuinely didn’t notice any downturn in the quality of Twitter without these corporate accounts tweeting the same shit as all the others all weekend. Can they stay off?

Inter have wrapped up the title.

Elche missed a last minute penalty which gave A.Madrid a 1-0 win. Two points clear with four games left. They still have to play Barca.

Lille one point clear of PSG with three games left. Lille last title was in 2011

Sporting are four six points clear with four games left. Last sporting title was in 2007

Arsenal are apparently bringing back Schezney which means I have to remember how to spell his name all over again. Nightmare.

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Originally Posted by phonics

Arsenal are apparently bringing back Schezney which means I have to remember how to spell his name all over again. Nightmare.

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Cracking start.

Shez Knee

Wasn't he Arsenal's third choice when he left? That's some career turn around. The Anti-Joe Hart.

Nah got demoted for smoking in the showers. Our 1, 2, 3 at that time he left are now West Hams best goalkeeper in yonks, Villas best goalkeeper in yonks and the other kept Allison out the team at Roma and went and won Serie A twice. It’s mental how good that team was in comparison to now.

Cunts

Mourinho new Roma a manger. 4-0 on Thursday NAP

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/motorsport/56966901

First Fabian Barthez has a couple of Le Mans drives and now this. Although I'm still weirded out by Michael Fassbender in the WEC.

This pitch :D

I think I'd pay to watch Verratti shag my mum. The turns and passing are something else. Kean in for that Argie lump immediately ffs.

PSG look like a proper rabble. Marco Verratti and Dire Maria are the only ones doing anything.

PSG look permanently offended whenever they’re not winning a game. End of the first leg was a better example but it shows through today as well. It seems like after seeing off Barcelona and Bayern they felt the trophy was basically theirs by right.

Best moment of the match so far was the commentator mentioning that Mauricio Pochettino’s son, Maurizio Pochettino, has made his professional debut earlier for Watford.

United, Leeds, Liverpool, Forest, Villa, Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs, City (?). Can any other league better that? Any other country have more than five? Nice rotation of teams at the top with one or two constants. Shame money's fucked it, really.

Rubén Dias is an incredible player.

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Originally Posted by Spoonsky

Rubén Dias is an incredible player.

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Just came in to post this.

He could well end up being up there with KDB and Aguero as their best ever signings.

Chelsea vs City in a Champions' League final is put you off the sport shit. City winning would at least get us a brief Chinny comeback, so what can Chelsea offer? PhatFrank?

I can only appreciate a Chelsea win if Franky Binman emerges from an actual bin to coach them.

They offer the first American champions league winner :cool:

Germany - 6
Italy - 6
France - 5
Laligam8 - 4
Holland - 3

Dire Maria :harold:

They’re surely the most immature squad in living memory.

“It’s that Latino temperament,” says the co-commentator, who was reminding us an hour ago that there’s still no room for racism.

I wonder how hard Frankie Binman is seething at Stevie G's success at Rangers.

He's needs the Celtic job, really.

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Originally Posted by Spikey M

I wonder how hard Frankie Binman is seething at Stevie G's success at Rangers.

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He’s done alright but he does have the best team and still managed to bottle the cups again.

This has possibly been close to a perfect match by City given the stage and level of opponent. Mon an Istanbul air disaster.

PSG are pathetic and should really be done for failure to control their players. City should be pleased no one ended up like Caniggia (regularly have to remind myself he didn’t actually get shot in the head. Thanks Wullie).

State of Zinchenko btw. How do players allow themselves to get riled so easily?

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Originally Posted by Don

This has possibly been close to a perfect match by City given the stage and level of opponent. Mon an Istanbul air disaster.

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They’re an unbelievably good squad. Bringing on Gabriel Jesus, Sterling and Aguero off the bench ffs.

What actually happened to them last season?

Injuries at CB. And then they try and play down our problems this season which are three times the magnitude :happycry:

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Originally Posted by Spoonsky

They’re an unbelievably good squad. Bringing on Gabriel Jesus, Sterling and Aguero off the bench ffs.

What actually happened to them last season?

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I get your point, but I doubt any of those 3 players coming on this season would fill a good side with dread.

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Originally Posted by Spoonsky

They offer the first American champions league winner :cool:

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Jovan Kirovski wants a word

Christ, there's a name I haven't heard in a long time.

I must've blanked him out of my memory of 1996 Dortmund. Clearly Schott Boof was too powerful.

First player I think of in that team is Lars Ricken because his goal in the second leg of the semis broke my 11 year old heart.

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Stephane Chapuisat is my random old player that lives in my brain.

That name is fun to say. As is Heiko Herrlich. I was puzzled when Liverpool went for Riedle instead of him.

Is there a gas leak in that changing room?

Hullocaust.

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Originally Posted by Danny

Jovan Kirovski wants a word

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Great shout. I knew him from his later MLS days but I had no idea he’d had a proper career in Europe.

Jens Lehmann sending ill advised messages shocker

"said he meant that, as ex-Germany defender Aogo was "very knowledgeable", he had helped increase the "quota"."

:lol:

The only way you can know for sure he didn't mean that is if you yourself assume that he is in fact filling a racial quota. There's your racist.

Or you could just read the words he said, they were a bit of a giveaway.

I often mention people's skin colour when complementing them.

The easiest way - the most efficient way, if you will - to differentiate him from the other very knowledgeable pundits.

I normally just use people's names.

Names are a bit passé imo, and problematic, to achieve a safe space it should be skin colour + number.

Obviously you'll need to go through the Dulux colour chart a bit. I was saying to Gentle Gold 4398 the other day, what is it with all these Frosted Dawn types giving my mate China Brown 324 a hard time?

Demonym or nationality + number, surely?

I mean obviously it's most patriotic to just despise anybody who's not as white as I am but if you go by nationality that helps you filter by white foreigners too.

Identify people as a description you would give the police.

"I would say he had an Irish accent, yes."

Chelsea are going to workmanlike Real to death here aren't they?

Madrid team looks much than last week. Pulisic getting dropped is a bit harsh.

1-3 Madrid, Hazard doing a madness

Hazard to go off injured in the first half. Chelsea to win comfortably by 3.

We'll not know how this goes until Don drops an opinion.

There's no goals in that Chelsea squad, don't be giving us that shit in the final.

Man Utd playing Thursday, Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday is a bit lol.

Joe Cole is good value as a pundit.

I've explored the possible upsides of a Chelsea final win, and I've got 1) lol at City; and 2) setting Frank Lampard's career back far enough that he technically won't have been born yet. Any others?

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Originally Posted by Waffdon

Man Utd playing Thursday, Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday is a bit lol.

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OGB will probably still just try and not change the team any more than he has to.

Chelsea are dreadful at finishing chances

The Super League Deep State seems to be doing a number on all the streams.

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Originally Posted by Ian

OGB will probably still just try and not change the team any more than he has to.

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Van Der Beek should get a decent 10 minutes across the four.

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Originally Posted by Don

There's no goals in that Chelsea squad, don't be giving us that shit in the final.

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Well played.

Kante :cool:

I'm not sure you can criticise Zidane for this when Ronaldo has been anonymous in both legs.

It's pretty impressive how all the big clubs in Europe have gone to shit at the same time

That final is going to be stunning stuff :moop:

I don't know if it's the super league or what, but my team has beaten Real Madrid to progress to the European Cup final and I feel nothing.

So after a clear experiment. Twitter is much better on a game week when all the boycotting accounts weren’t on it.

Given we've proven we're the best there should be some breakaway league just for the English teams.

Someone put our season review of 1995/6 up. I've paused it at the 12 point gap. You can see the end coming. We've drawn plenty already which means United must've been shocking in the first half of the season.

Academically, I'm not sure Kevin Keegan has tactics with us. The philosophy is there in spades (Can these players attack and have a bit of flair?) but there's bugger all positional discipline. I'm having kittens at the sight of Gillespie and Ginola somehow winding up on the same flank. Albert, Peacock and Barton winding up in amongst the goals loads tells you how fucked we are at tracking back. I can't think of a single defender you'd look at as a dependable rock. We'd not get a decent keeper in until Shay Given.

Still fantastic to watch, mind. We score some absolute pisstakes that season. It also reminds me how the 'Newcastle Sporting Club' stuff kicked off in a big way. United in football, the Falcons in rugby, the Eagles in basketball and that Lister Storm they sponsored. And the hockey team that did nowt. Madness.

David Ginola's luxurious barnet alone was worth 15 points, I'd say.

Aye, he's lush. Shame Nigel Winterburn figured him out in the League Cup Quarter Final. And at no time am I ever sure of Steve Watson's position. We'll not the see the likes of The Entertainers(tm) again. No manager would cultivate that insanity now.

Also as with a lot of fun teams of that era they've just get gegenpressed into oblivion now.

Joy must be crushed by tictacs and cardio.

Ferdinand would've destroyed Liverpool's high line, to be honest.

Guardiola-ball is the worst invention to modern football.

Come on Kiko, when we were kids watching individualistic chumps like Cantona and Zola, we never thought we'd grow up to see a co-ordinated high press of this quality. It's synchronised running at its very best.

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Originally Posted by Kikó

Guardiola-ball is the worst invention to modern football.

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As a neutral i'd rather watch a Guardiola team than any other.

Can't stand teams that go out for an hour just to keep it tight and stay in the game. Our semi final against Leicester was the perfect example. We were too concerned about not getting humped and ended up meekly pissing away a chance at a final.

Pep always wants to attack and go and win for 90 minutes. Not many manager around with that mindset sadly.

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

Come on Kiko, when we were kids watching individualistic chumps like Cantona and Zola, we never thought we'd grow up to see a co-ordinated high press of this quality. It's synchronised running at its very best.

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This is something we lack currently, other than Grealish there aren't any real individual talents you'd pay to watch outside the top few sides.

It's not so much Guardiolaball, but the modern obsession with possession, and the attendant sideways/backwards passing that almost always entails that is the bane of modern football. I suppose 'playing out from the back' has brought the lols, but it's still intensely irritating as a spectacle.

Guardiolaball is actually just massively out-resourcing all of your opponents, and pretty much always has been.

One of the fun things about Leicester's title was how they did it with so little possession.

Possession-ball and playing out from the back would result in modern teams smashing the shit out of the finest 90s sides so suck it up.

Speaking of Leicester, interesting to note Mahrez and Kante were the 2 individual stars of each CL semi. No fucking wonder they dragged Leicester to the league.

Posession ball is fucking dull mostly though (or maybe Niko is just right, better resources and players means it's just a way of stifling the game for the opposition). A bit like Chelsea 2004-06, killing out games without the opposition ever looking like winning. It's not a good spectacle to have one sided fixtures.

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Originally Posted by Kikó

It's not a good spectacle to have one sided fixtures.

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Anyone for a super league?

Weirdly American sports is fixated on having as many one-sided fixtures as possible, they love and strive for DOMINANCE and DYNASTIES, with upsets or anything else being seen as disappointing or a letdown. That is one of the central tensions in the whole American ownership thing, sport over there is a completely different social concept to sport over here.

Behold this week's new story of the golf superleague (funded, I suspect, by the same people as the football superleague), should be an interesting case study in how far the yanks will prostitute themselves for moolah.

Who is it you think hates upsets in American sports? I can't speak for baseball but in NFL the people watching and reporting it love an upset or a surprise success as much as anybody else in my experience.

Sure they'll wank on about a Dynasty but so do the press over here, we just don't call it that. They still write "how will they ever lose a game again??????"-type articles when a team dominantly wins the league.

Do they not have an existential meltdown whenever two 'small market' teams, or those not featuring Tom Brady, get to the Super Bowl? Seems to happen in all the other sports there.

The only narratives they really like are strongman dominance (Brady/Jordan etc), a New York or LA team winning, or anything to do with a 'drought'.

Nah they just bang on about the history of said team and How They Got Here and whatnot.

I mean a favoured pastime for most of the NFL is lolling at the continued failure of the Dallas Cowboys, 'America's Team', and their owner Jerry Jones being miserable.

If a 'smaller' team makes it to the Super Bowl they tend to just dig into their history in the build up. Almost all of the teams have been to at least one Super Bowl and the NFL does so love its own history so they get loads of mileage out of that stuff.

There aren't really many 'small team' narratives in the NFL though, seeing as they're all part of a multi-billion dollar cartel.

Who are the small market lolbags? Jacksonville as a newer entrant (or I guess Houston/Tennessee by the same token)? Buffalo or Detroit as places of a bygone era?

It seems more of a thing in baseball from my extremely ill-informed perspective as there are established super teams (well, The Yankees) who appear to be allowed to outspend their rivals (to varying degrees of success). No one gives a fuck about basketball where I have no real idea what the success formula is, it seems some teams are able to aggregate all-star rosters somehow.

I was also thinking of T.Woods and M.Jordan (and probably others) as individuals, the American media acts around them like my parents' dog does when I have food in my hand. The same thing doesn't happen at all over here, the media are out to tear them down if anything. An Andy Murray figure would never be disliked there to the extent he is here.

Is that England badge revamp a stunt or permanent?

Devoting your energies to an 'inclusive' re-design of a thousand year old symbol of England whilst the domestic game almost falls to pieces on your watch is the best summation of this country's shithouse institutions possible. It will only be topped if they end up dropping it for excluding families with two lionesses.

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Originally Posted by Lofty

Is that England badge revamp a stunt or permanent?

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Link.

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Originally Posted by niko_cee

There aren't really many 'small team' narratives in the NFL though, seeing as they're all part of a multi-billion dollar cartel.

Who are the small market lolbags? Jacksonville as a newer entrant (or I guess Houston/Tennessee by the same token)? Buffalo or Detroit as places of a bygone era?

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No, you're just talking less successful / fashionable rather than 'smaller' because obscene wealth is the entry point into owning a franchise in the first place.

So when a traditionally shit team does well it tends to be because they've had to draft well for years and ideally, for the media, made one or two big signings that have tipped them over the edge. Obviously a QB is the dream in that scenario.

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Originally Posted by Manc

Link.

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There appears to be a telegraph story, but it's adblock sensitive.

You can see it on the official FA twitter.

Finished up the season review and I think I'd rather blame the woodwork for us losing out. Tino was fine but we might've done better if we left Beardsley up front with Ferdinand instead of sticking Peter out wide. The points dropped against Forest and Blackburn were horrific, though. How someone didn't put their foot through in the build up to Fenton's second, I'll never know. Batty's complete air shot setting up Woan just looks cursed.

Barely changed the side all year which probably had something to do with it, as well.

What's this Arsenal midfield 2 of ESR and Partey about?

You obviously cant take Roma too lightly but I am not sure why Shaw and Bruno are starting when we have a 4 goal lead.

Because the alternative is making changes and resting players and why on Earth would you do a mad thing like that?

Cavani is a bit good and I'm happy to say that I was wrong in regards to signing him.

Same.

I mean, I still suspect Woodward didn't know what the fuck he was doing and just signed the most famous available attacker but he's been great for us.

Just seen this posted in response to Havertz's little bit of fun time wasting last night.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p493yXNULn4

:D

I'm amazed he can generate that kind of power.

Lee Trundle would be a viral superstar these days. He invented Goals, Skills & Assists.

Villarreal are absolutely rancid and we’re not good enough to beat them by 2 goals.

At my local Chinese in Swansea they had a list what I assume was ‘regulars’ next to the till/phone. Most of them were in Chinese and then the address in English. The only name not in Chinese characters? Lee Trundle.

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Originally Posted by phonics

Villarreal are absolutely rancid and we’re not good enough to beat them by 2 goals.

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Good job we only need one eh.

Though the fannying around at the back is a bit hairy, Aubameyang looking a bit ropey with his finishing.

What was that ad about joining in the fight against racism by searching and reporting bad tweets.

Is that *Blink182 they played in the stadium when Roma scored?

:uhoh:

One for Fred's titantron.

Get Fatty Shaw back on.

De Gea playing like it's 2016 or we'd have let in about 8 already.

Ridiculous superkeeper cheat by DDG.

Is Paut Orres any good? He looks like Victor Lindelof could batter him.

That's the last time Arsenal appear in European competition for quite some time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CtNLQeyDRM

European final for the binman. Come on the ballot.

Good Ebening.

Glad to see Taz's reverse midas touch meaning Arsenal will win the league, champions league and world club cup in the following 5 years, like Liverpool after they went completely out of europe.

Arsenal TV killed Claude for this. There should be a public inquiry.

Emery absolutely loves that trophy. Bless him.

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Originally Posted by Lofty

Good Ebening.

Glad to see Taz's reverse midas touch meaning Arsenal will win the league, champions league and world club cup in the following 5 years, like Liverpool after they went completely out of europe.

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Even football thread randomers trying to take me down :happycry:

I'm fucking massive.

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

Arsenal TV killed Claude for this. There should be a public inquiry.

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At least they're giving him a state funeral.

Fucking hell :D

Really attack that roundabout, lads.

I missed that twat dying. Did he do himself in after he was outed as a racist?

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rekt

That's Claude's coffin he's leaning on.

I thought it was very magnanimous of the Super League's Manchester United to give little Roma their night to shine on our march to the final.

Truly a force for good

UK government advising against fans travelling to Turkey for the CL final.

lol

Can they just get on with moving it to Wembley, or, I guess if it needs a more ethnic turk feeling maybe Ashburton Grove?

Two legs. One at Hyde Utd, one at Kingstonian. 3,000 fans at each, covid safe, job's a good un.

I think it's safest to play it behind closed doors.

Preferably don't even televise it.

How are Leicester throwing it away again. Liverpool and West Ham for top four

It's almost like Brendan Rodgers coaching style peaks in the early-mid season.

Even based on this thread I wasnt expecting that score :lol:

I didn't even know we were playing. Those are the best surprises. :D

:drool:

Don't fuck this up. Start VVD.

Drama!

Atletico 76 pts
R Madrid 74
Barcelona 74
Sevilla 70

And they all play each other this weekend. Woof.

Also Rooney's Derby against Sheffield Wednesday at 12:30. Last round of the Championship, with at least one to be relegated.

Dallas is unreal. :drool:

Is Wayne Rooney a useless manager or are Derby just that much of a shithouse outfit?

Rooneh, the thick twat, getting relegated thanks to Darren Moore. You love to see these wankers be shown up for the nepotistic cretins they are.

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Originally Posted by Magic

Dallas is unreal. :drool:

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Our player of the season? There are a few candidates, but he's edging it for me.

We were brilliant today. Without Phillips are Raphinha for the majority of it too. Ran them off the park. Alioski was fantastic, probably his best performance in a Leeds shirt. He was everywhere.

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Originally Posted by Lewis

Is Wayne Rooney a useless manager or are Derby just that much of a shithouse outfit?

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Bottom when he took over

Dirty bastard :sick:

Derby stay up, Taz is on fire.

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Originally Posted by Don

Rooneh, the thick twat, getting relegated thanks to Darren Moore. You love to see these wankers be shown up for the nepotistic cretins they are.

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:pards:

I wonder how much 'Mel' spends on Rooney, Given and Steve McClaren compared to what they get back.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Waffdon

Bottom when he took over

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The White Pele. :cool:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kikó

:pards:

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Got the alert saying this had been used. Fairplay lad, that's great work.

My guy.

What a couple of minutes.

Aguero :harold:

City :harold:

@Lewis

We're going to win the league.

I can't see them beating Wolves on the last day.

Reece James that second half was an absolute monster. Mendy didn’t have a clue what to do.

I see Sancho turned in a big performance. What a summer this will be. :drool:

If Koumetio makes it onto the pitch Taz will explode.

I'm yet to be convinced this Ben Davies character exists.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by niko_cee

I'm yet to be convinced this Ben Davies character exists.

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Who?

Bend Avies?

Eze is a lovely player to watch.

Eze is that player we were looking for in terms of an individual outside the massive half-dozen that you would pay to watch.

That Man Utd kit really is quite disgusting. Didn’t realise they were only 3 points clear in 2nd if they lose this. Leicester and Liverpool next too.

Tyrone Mings belongs in the Championship with Stoke or something.

Watkins :harold:

Can someone ban Mahow from using that emoji. FACKIN hell

1-0 Ronaldo

Arsenal sent down those baggie cunts.

AC Milan gave Juventus the business beating them 3-0. Tomori with the third goal with a header. Juventus are fifth with 69 points, one point outside the champions league places. Juve still have to play Inter, who have already won the league and Atalanta who are ahead of them.

In La Liga, the top four all placed each other and both games ended in a 0-0. I watched the A.Madrid vs Barca game and it is a typical defensive display from A.Madrid. They had the better chances and they should have won. A.Madrid are still two points clear at the top with three games left to play.

PSG drew with Rennes and Lille won 3-0 which means Lille are now three points clear with two games left. All the remaining games are against teams in the bottom half.

Sporting Lisbon can win the league if Porto fail to win tonight. Lisbon are eight points clear with three games left. Their first title since 2002

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Fucking Oil McBurnie.

Obviously not a good look for a professional footballer, but telling how there's no indication of what transpired before.

If they move the Champions League final to Portugal instead of England because "European football's governing body feels in Portugal it is going to be easier to gain access for sponsors and broadcasters" both teams should just boycott it.

You'd think an opportunity to have a final attended by fans would help UEFA stick it to Perez and the Football World Series of Turin, Barcelona and Madrid.

Is there no-one from the North that writes about football? Is this why I have to listen to John Brewin bang out boring platitudes to fill a quota?

Be thankful it's not Ray Hudson.

On the topic of football journalists. Carl Anka wants decking.

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:d

So good. They really have been the highlight of the season.

That was sick :lol:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/57069145

Guangthong > Brisbane > Bengal > Swindon. That's a disappointing next step unless it's just to add something more domestic and boring to then set up the next more exotic job with Orlando Pirates or Urawa Red Diamonds or something.

Orlando Pirates really should be an expansion NFL team, lack of coastline and intellectual property violation of Tampa Bay be damned.

United line-up could be fun.

Getting BATTERED to indirectly don Liverpool. :cool:

That's some finish.

:drool:

Big Mace is a glorious finisher and look at Amad with another contribution.

This Telles/Williams combo is a nightmare. Wasn't Telles supposed to be good?

He was meant to be just expensive enough to put a lock on Luke Shaw's fridge but not good enough to actually expect to play.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ian

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/57069145

Guangthong > Brisbane > Bengal > Swindon. That's a disappointing next step unless it's just to add something more domestic and boring to then set up the next more exotic job with Orlando Pirates or Urawa Red Diamonds or something.

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'Domestic and boring' might be the best review Swindon has ever had.

Twinned with Disneyland though.

Southend said goodbye to Nile Ranger today. Good.

Is that because they've released him / his contract has run out or has he gone AWOL again and they're just crossing their fingers?

The phrase used is 'sever all ties' after he skipped physiotherapy sessions to fix his groin.

The lone Ranger.

If Ings doesn't get a spot in that squad ahead of Watkins' Passion and Greenwood's Mixed Race-ness, it'll be a disgrace.

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Matey barely posts but he was posting anti-Super League stuff whilst everyone else was waiting for the agents to check their statements, and now he's going for the Glazers directly. :happycry:

Get us a shirt, RL. Medium pls, ta.

They're lucky there's only a couple weeks left as watching them try to put the cap back on these cunts, having empowered them with this BLM bollocks was gonna be good fun.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/foot...a/7822103.stm#

It seems most of them have already come out too, Salah [with a Bojo tag], Mane, Pogba, Mahrez, Hakimi, Fener. The scenes when Mahrez and Kante burn a Star of David in the centre circle in Wembley before kick off :drool:

Mohamed 'Mo' Salah is top Muslim with his anti-Zionism and plain wife he obviously batters. The others are nowhere.

https://www.anfieldwatch.co.uk/wp-co...nf_4461466.jpg

"You think it's okay to put the flag on the pitch but the flames from the flag nearly got into this gantry and could have killed everyone here"

Antonio Valencia has retired, and it occurs to me that, after Wayne Rooney, he might have been United's best outfield player of that particular decade. Jesus. Who am I missing out? 2009 to 2019 (and half of it at right-back). There must be someone else.

Maybe Fellaini? For some reason he sticks out as an impact sub.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lewis

Antonio Valencia has retired, and it occurs to me that, after Wayne Rooney, he might have been United's best outfield player of that particular decade. Jesus. Who am I missing out? 2009 to 2019 (and half of it at right-back). There must be someone else.

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Van Persie?

Not consistently across multiple seasons.

Could be Chris Smalling if you're covering the entire period. Otherwise, Rooney(09-14?) or Carrick(09-17).

Michael Carrick was pretty shit through the David Moyes/'LvG' years, albeit largely through no fault of his own in those crab-passing midfield toilets, and I seem to remember him having an off eighteen months during the victory years (specifically going missing in those Bayern Munich knock-out matches). Chris Smalling might be in there actually fucking hell what a crappy period.

Manchester United post-Sir Alex Ferguson dream team:

David de Gea

Antonio Valencia
Chris Smalling
Harry Maguire
Luke Shaw

Bruno Fernandes
Michael Carrick

Marcus Rashford
Jesse Lingard
Ashley Young

A progressively past-it Wayne Rooney

:happycry:

Zlatan should be in with a shout, no?

That was probably the worst goal we've ever conceded since 1905.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lewis

Manchester United post-Sir Alex Ferguson dream team:

David de Gea

Antonio Valencia
Chris Smalling
Harry Maguire
Luke Shaw

Bruno Fernandes
Michael Carrick

Marcus Rashford
Jesse Lingard
Ashley Young

A progressively past-it Wayne Rooney

:happycry:

---

Bench:

'VdS'
Rafael
Trendy Lesbian
Andrew Herrera
van Persie
Nani
Zlatan

Paulp Ogba assman or something.

Edwin van der Sar was retired before the eligibility period, and Nani must have got about ten minutes under 'LvG'. My bollocks bench would be Sergio Romero, Rafael, one of the other centre-backs chosen at random, Ander Herrera, Juan Mata, Anthony Martial, and Marouane Fellaini.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lewis

Edwin van der Sar was retired before the eligibility period, and Nani must have got about ten minutes under 'LvG'. My bollocks bench would be Sergio Romero, Rafael, one of the other centre-backs chosen at random, Ander Herrera, Juan Mata, Anthony Martial, and Marouane Fellaini.

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I read '09-'19 upthread and went with that. If we're doing 13/14 onwards, Rojo is probably the defender I'd go with.

Another round down and all the boys doing the biz to keep Juve out of the too 4 :drool:

Mon the gooners.

CHO is back to looking like a hopeless cunt.

Get fucked, Hamilton, you plastic pitch bastards.

It’s baffling how Chelsea are where they are when they look absolutely shite in the majority of their games.

Weaponised possession is useless if the bomb doesn't go off.

They probably never went away but ive noticed a few players are donning Lotto, Mizuno and Diadora boots.

It's like they have gone into Soccer Sports and took the boots off the rack at the front of the shop that nobody ever bought, but stole. :drool:

Top 4 is back in our own hands :happycry:

Shame we have to play Rhys Williams tomorrow.

Until we beat City in the final and throw you out again.

I think that still means we go in. It needed Arsenal to win EL for scenes.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lewis

Manchester United post-Sir Alex Ferguson dream team:

David de Gea

Antonio Valencia
Chris Smalling
Harry Maguire
Luke Shaw

Bruno Fernandes
Michael Carrick

Marcus Rashford
Jesse Lingard
Ashley Young

A progressively past-it Wayne Rooney

:happycry:

---

It's definitely Pogba for Lingard and Fernandes shifted to the 10.

Right wing should just be vacant.

I'll swap Paulp Ogba in if he does the business in a couple of weeks, since Lingard currently dons him (and everyone) on his finals performances. This has been his best season though, but then his only other consistent one was his first year back when 'Zlatan' fluffed about twenty xAssists.

They're doing it again. Coach is blocked.

Tyres popped :D

Get out and walk it.

The COVID-ridden corpse of Sadio has been laid to rest. We're gonna dick them 4-5.

"Tory Tory Man Utd"...the state of those thickos destroying the whole thing :D

Why are we putting out a full strength team when we're basically locked into second and have a final in 10 days?

I would think the answer to that is fairly obvious but it would be quite funny to see Big Nat Phillips accidentally end Fernandes.

Taz would have topped himself at the sight of Greenwood-Elanga-Amad running riot, so we’ve done this as a precautionary measure.

Cavani and Rashford against Rhys Williams suggests bloodbath. Hopefully we get shooting boots Salah and not that game he has where every chance falls to him and he scuffs them all.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gray Fox

Cavani and Rashford against Rhys Williams suggests bloodbath.

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United against a big team suggests snoozefest which feels 13 hours longer than it is.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sir Andy Mahowry

Why are we putting out a full strength team when we're basically locked into second and have a final in 10 days?

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'I like to see all the English teams do well in Europe.'

Another awesome goal contribution there.

What a finish from Nat Phillips.

I’d feel more at ease if we were 1-0 down.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ian

Another awesome goal contribution there.

---

Goal contribution, goal contribution
He sets up own goals, he takes set pieces
His stats are fucking padded

That's not a pen.

What is Bailly meant to do in regards to the "follow through"?

Special play from Pogba on that second, from the stupid foul to the piss poor marking.

Our Bobby! :wub:

Parking up at Old Trafford with our banter 5th and 6th choice CBs and missing our captain and still absolutely shitting on them even with a bent ref. Almost all the TTH Utd cretins here to see it and take turns tongueing my shaft too. We eating good today.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mike

Our Bobby! :wub:

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What a man

Unless I'm just forgetting it's been a while since we let one in from a raking ball to the back post but at the start of the year it felt like about half our goals were that.

Been properly shit since that first fifteen minutes or so.

How have the teams conspired to let Liverpool finish top four

Our performance yesterday was full-on negligence. Literally gifted it to them.

My TV must have glitched there because it looked like Rashford hit it with his left rather than fannying about fucking endlessly to get it on his right.

This triple threat commentary team always screws with my brain in Manchester v Liverpool. Can't they just have one of Neville/Carragher doing it and the other in the studio? Will the people of the spurned city really rise up in rebellion?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ian

My TV must have glitched there because it looked like Rashford hit it with his left rather than fannying about fucking endlessly to get it on his right.

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They should put a shot clock on him. The chances of him making the worst possible decision increase exponentially every additional second the ball is at his feet.

Rashford is one of my least favourite players to watch, as a 'neutral'. All he does is piss about and moan. Nice swan dive there as well.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lewis

They should put a shot clock on him. The chances of him making the worst possible decision increase exponentially every additional second the ball is at his feet.

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That is an excellent idea.

What would be the best result for Liverpool in the Chelsea vs Leicester league match? :uhoh:

Either way if Spurs beat Leicester on the last day we’re laughing.

Just gotta see off WBA, Burnley and Palace. Easy.

Yeah, Palace have never given you bother.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Baz

What would be the best result for Liverpool in the Chelsea vs Leicester league match? :uhoh:

Either way if Spurs beat Leicester on the last day we’re laughing.

Just gotta see off WBA, Burnley and Palace. Easy.

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Gotta be a big Chelsea win to pull the goal difference in for Leicester. Can’t see us winning our 3 games, but even 2 wins might be enough on goal difference if Leicester lose to Chelsea and Spurs.

In reality though these are 3 games that the Liverpool of this season will draw 0-0.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sir Andy Mahowry

What a finish from Nat Phillips.

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:cool:

Our lord and saviour.

Leicester have 1 GD advantage over us. 3 wins and we're basically guaranteed top 4. Unfortunately, all 3 games look troublesome.

Hear the silence of the Man Utd fucks tho. Where's your quoting of my posts now, you little tramps?

Well done on winning a meaningless game.

:console:

When two Super League teams face off everybody's a winner.

Henderson looks like he's going to struggle to become the number one after tonight and recent performances. Bailly and Lindelof are never going to be a partnership and desperately need to find a centre back or two.

Fred, while I like him, is never going to win you leagues.

We should let Leicester win, or at least agree a draw, and put pressure on ourselves to beat City. Either that or Tuchel should just be sacked tonight for losing at home to fucking Arsenal.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kikó

Henderson looks like he's going to struggle to become the number one after tonight and recent performances. Bailly and Lindelof are never going to be a partnership and desperately need to find a centre back or two.

Fred, while I like him, is never going to win you leagues.

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I think they need to judge him under normal crowd conditions to see whether he falls to bits like Ben Foster.

@Lewis

I'm starting to think we might not win the league.

He's just making quite a few fundamental errors at the moment. Can't help that DDG played like a legend the other night.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

This triple threat commentary team always screws with my brain in Manchester v Liverpool. Can't they just have one of Neville/Carragher doing it and the other in the studio? Will the people of the spurned city really rise up in rebellion?

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I actually like Neville and Carragher as colour commentators but they absolutely should not be commentating on utd and Liverpool games respectively.

People who know about the clubs playing improves the studio analysis, but the bias interferes with the commentary. Imo.

People like Andy Hinchcliffe who have played for every club and none are quite good for that in lesser games, but in MASSIVE games it's probably hard to find anyone of sufficient stature who doesn't have a bias.

I guess they could send Micah Richards in to do this one, using ICC Elite Panel logic.

"Lads, we've got Danny Murphy for today's game." <Danny Mills shows up> :(

I'd rather total neutrals, but if I had to pick I'd much prefer commentators with a negative bias than positive. I feel like even the most tribal #footballmen can be fairly objective about their biggest rivals in a way they can't be about their own teams, cus of not wanting to insult their mates and that.

But yeah for games like Liverpool Vs Manchester United just get someone who doesn't like either.

Positive/Negative is a fine dynamic for a wrestling PPV but not football. What's David Pleat doing these days? I hope he's well.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Shindig

Positive/Negative is a fine dynamic for a wrestling PPV but not football. What's David Pleat doing these days? I hope he's well.

---

Heh, i listen to a really good wrestling podcast (lapsed fan) with a nerdy super well researched journalist guy who likes real sport as well, and his actor mate who loves wrestling but doesn't care for the non-fake shit.

They're both good in their own way, but the latter went on this big rant at one point where he said proper sport would be better if the commentators, even if they had no bias, just pretend to prefer one team to the other, and commentate accordingly.

I agree with his love of the Heenan/Gorilla dynamic, and even agree that the Ventura/Gorilla partnership was underrated, but I'm not sure I agree that Everton vs Fulham in the 12pm Super Sunday fixture would be improved by Rob Hawthorne scolding Alan Smith for saying he hopes Allan ends the careers of Fulham players with leg breaking tackles.

"I think Liverpool will be looking at Chelsea's and Leicester's next two fixtures," former Liverpool midfielder Don Hutchinson told BBC Radio 5 Live.

Don and Micah are why I ought to start paying my licence fee.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by igor_balis

I actually like Neville and Carragher as colour commentators but they absolutely should not be commentating on utd and Liverpool games respectively.

People who know about the clubs playing improves the studio analysis, but the bias interferes with the commentary. Imo.

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McManaman is the worst for it, you'd be better off watching Fan TV (if that even still exists). I find Carragher alright, his analysis is pretty precise despite the bias involved.

They should all just get Ally McCoist on.

I think Gary Neville goes too far the other way to show how unbiased he is sometimes. The penalty conversation was intensely dull and there's zero chance he thinks that was actually a penalty.

Which one of the two stonewall penalties did he think was a penalty?

I'm not surprised you have a loose grasp on the rules of football based on your footballing ability and tendency to be megged.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EVqXFabXsAATm0K.jpg

https://pics.me.me/that-feeling-when...d-12549449.png
@Don

The league might actually be pretty good next season. City are obviously very good, Liverpool will be a different proposition with Van Dijk back, Chelsea look good under Tuchel, Utd look half-decent for the first time since Ferguson and a successful transfer window could see us genuinely good.

In reality City will buy Kane or Haaland and run away with the league again.

My, how the tables turn.

https://therepublikofmancunia.com/wp...bustcycle1.jpg

:D

When was the league last properly good? The Leicester year? City-Liverpool winathons don't count as good.

Must be Leicester. How many properly competitive ones have we had since Agueroooooooo on the last day? I suppose there must have been one or two.

The glory days before VAR prevented any kind of euphoria.

I was going to dub our current epoch the Post-Sunderland Era, but I suppose it's really VAR isn't it.

It depends how you define a good season, I suppose. Everyone was shit in the Leicester year. 18/19 had loads of good games and likeable teams iirc.

I'd define a good season as one in which the big prizes/relegation aren't decided until the very end and there are lots of twists and turns and excitement along the way. For that to happen there obviously has to be a certain amount of incompetence involved, rather than 18/19's relentless winning machines decided on Kompany randomly bopping one in about four games from home.

I don't see United being that much closer unless there's about 3 good players signed at CB, RW and CM. It's unlikely to happen.

Struggle to see how van Dijk comes back the same players either.

City beating Liverpool by a point was a pretty good season, most of those run-in games were far from walkovers (particularly for Liverpool), it was just mad that they both kept winning.

The Leicester season obviously tainted by the fact that Spurs could well have won the league, and that everyone else was absolute shit. It does feel that the days of things going into late-April with all to play for are somewhat of the past.

Can also see United reverting to being pretty average, so they'll probably romp it.

Van Dijk only needs to come back at about 50% to be fine, or 1% to be an improvement on available options this season.

Yeah I don't think United will be any closer to the top next season and may well be further away again if there's more than one actually good team again.

I still don't see us winning anything significant under OGB unless he just FMs it by throwing increasingly expensive players at it and they sort it out among themselves.

The Tuchel love in won't last. He's a maniac.

Nearing 30 after a ACL tear is never good, but the important thing is not to rush him and get him a proper pre-season. He's apparently told the Dutch manager not to pick him for the Euros. Probably says something about where he feels he is.

It's obviously player by player though. It seems to have completely shagged Oxlade-Chamberlain.

I think the spending power of City and United will keep them in the top 4. Liverpool will have to dig into the pockets. Regardless of league finish, we've had the same squad for essentially 4 years now with very few additions making it in. I'm not sure Chelsea will go mad, but their signings will settle and I think we'll see a true "big 4" emerge again like we had in the late 00's.

True about VVD not necessarily coming back the same player. They seem to have signed Konate though who gets good reviews.

Utd to have a banger summer of transfers. Believe.

Oh god, I forgot about transfers. Can the Euros be expanded to 96 teams and block out all transfer coverage until August? Isle of Man, Yorkshire, Atlantis, invite them all in for the filibuster.

"We want this fella but we're loaning him to Benfica so we can bring them in from a Green list country."

EDIT: Carson starts! The disrespect. :D

Bruce and Pep clearly met up 5 mins before and just decided to say ‘fuck it’

Think Newcastle have forgotten what the ball is used for

It would've been nice to get something from that. Still, Sheffield and Fulham to come.

Are you getting paid for these posts (by the word)?

Yes. Yes, I am.

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:lol:

You just dissolve the fan and start afresh at the bottom without any of your former problems.

What a hero socially distancing from the crowd.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lewis

View Tweet

:lol:

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They spent more money buying flares than saving their club :lol:

Look at that German combover idiot not wearing a suit.

Why not just open the whole stadium if they're letting them sit together anyway?

It'll be down to staffing. They only want X amount of turnstiles open, X amount of stewards working the game, policing, etc.

Fans reacting. :drool:

Timo having a shocker with those crosses.

I haven't heard James Maddison mentioned all season. Has he dropped right off or was he never actually all that?

Whew. Fucking hell.

Tielemans has been so good.

The magic of the cup. :cool:

What. A. Strike.

Chelsea still starting Marcos Alonso in 2021 means they deserve to lose every game he plays

Kai Voldemort enters the fray.

I had completely forgotten about that Leicester helicopter crash. Good on them not milking it to death, and I hope they see this out.

lol his massive fivehead was offside.

That was always going to happen after VAR didn’t chop Leicester’s goal off

Can you score with a breadth of hair? Can you fuck. :D

Wonder what odds you get on Tuchel to be sacked after he loses both cup finals and finishes 5th?

That's the first game I've watched not involving Villa or England and enjoyed for a very long time. Love a bit of Leicester porn.

Taz your Leicester brothers have had the flag out. Pre-emptive lol at whatever the FA ends up doing.

Saw it, big up Hamza and Wes. Caglar letting the side down. I meanwhile am in the same boat as Caglar, I should have been in those London scenes today ffs. Hopefully they keep bombing the shit out of the dirty Arabs for another week so I can have my day out next Saturday.

Ibra doing a big song and dance at coming back for Sweden and then doing his knee. Lol.

Binedine Binman is crying off again, and what is the European Super League without its star managers?

He's probably hoping for the France job after the Euros.

Some of these videos of the Rangers fans battering each other all over Glasgow is tremendous. Manchester 08 vibes

It's been a good weekend for that.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-englan...herts-57127034

You know it's good when they start flinging chairs.

No Jota could be bad. Not a lot to change the game from the bench.

Hopefully West Brom aren't up for it.

Out for the season. He isn’t half injury prone.

I mean the season is only a week long at this point. I can't wait for it to be over.

Prince Hal doing his bit for queen and country.

Fat Sam denying Liverpool Champions League football would be glorious.

View Tweet

Deserved that for filming themselves.

View Tweet

Not fucking about.

Absolutely dire and not much of a hint of Thursday night.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kikó

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Not fucking about.

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It’s the sorting of the jacket afterwards :D

He’s a Rangers fan as well. Some team

If they don’t allow that goal :lol:

How is that offside

Hahahahahaha fuck off

Like a soulless, corporate Jimmy Glass.

Someone get me some decent footage of that ffs.

:drool:

It was a standard near post free header, except the bloke doing it had gloves on.

Hahaha, fucking get in!

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Some header and cross to be fair. Written in the stars for them after that disallowed goal and that

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

It was a standard near post free header, except the bloke doing it had gloves on.

---

Bore off.

:drool: Incredible.

First ever goal for a Liverpool goalkeeper in any competitive game. Absolute madness.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Manc

Bore off.

---

I wasn't belittling it. That's literally what it was. Keeper goals are normally some mental scramble, this was regulation set piece stuff.

Bit of an Eric Dier special, yeah. Thus making it all the sweeter against a well organised Fat Sam outfit.

Sort of a shame as dreadful draws against them would probably have bookended a woeful 5 months quite well, but now I guess it can be dreadful 0-1s against Burnley instead.

Gahahha. That is better than winning the league in an empty stadium :D

:jayjay:

It's a shame it's for Liverpool but I can't really be grumpy about a goalie scoring.

:drool:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Don

Gahahha. That is better than winning the league in an empty stadium :D

---

10x. Don’t remember the last time I felt genuinely ecstatic watching football but that’s done it.

His post match interview too ffs. A tear in the eye.

We all fell in love with him a little bit in his interview right? :wub:

Yep, he could put in a Karius performance (he couldn't) and I'd still absolutely love him. Now use that fucking Brazillian community of ours to attract Perreira over.

Atletico have just bottled the league, the useless bastards

Couple of assists for @Waffdon there. :cool:

Wahey. Me and Taz are better than Cole and Yorke

I don't know what I expected from this Women's Champions' League Final, but I'm still disappointed.

This entire weekend of football has been an attempt to piss me off, and it's succeeded.

Barca lost and are out of the title race. R.Madrid won. Saurez scored in the 88th minute to give A.Madrid a 2-1 win. One game left and two points separating both teams. A.Madrid are away to Valladolid who needs to win and hope other results go there as a way to stay in the division. R.Madrid are at home to Villareal who can still make Europa league places

Sporting Lisbon won their league last week.

Juventus are currently outside the champions league places by one point going into the final day.


Lille are currently drawing 0-0 with 10 minutes left. As it stands with PSG winning, Lille are a point ahead going into the final day

Saint Etienne have a 20-year-old, six-foot-four goalkeeper called Etienne Green. Somehow he is English. He has made some big saves.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SincereTheRebel

Saint Etienne have a 20-year-old, six-foot-four goalkeeper called Etienne Green. Somehow he is English. He has made some big saves.

---

Somehow all true. :D

https://www.sheffieldunited.news/sta...1232768380.jpg

6'3", muscle density like a bull,the sensibility that is afforded by a Canadian upbringing and 17 years old. Retire that 38 shirt.

Yeah if he keeps it for his entire fifteen year spell there.

Mixed race BLM talent like that doesn't get left behind. He's like a shiny Dragonite in the world of Jorge Mendes.

If he's mixed race then whichever parent is black must suck the light out of rooms.

My bad, he's just a lightie.

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/i...cOxEA&usqp=CAU

There you go. Ten years of muscle injuries and poor ball control awaits.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Shindig

I don't know what I expected from this Women's Champions' League Final, but I'm still disappointed.

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Check out Barcelona Women’s record in the league. You’d struggle to replicate it on FM.

26 wins out of 26. 128 goals scored and 5 conceded lol

I don't particularly follow the goings on at White Hart Lane, but, seeing that picture of Dele Alli on the BBC Sport front page, what the fuck? That seriously looks like his mysterious [40 year old] brother Jose was always going on about.

Only Jamaican centre-backs can pull those dreadlocks off.

They really don't suit him at all.

Also, what the fuck is this?

https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_..._330/image.jpg

Joke's on them, Global Warming and Covid40's Ealing Varient will have killed us all by then.

I know the BBC is now staffed by northern goons who can barely string a sentence together, but how does this sort of thing make it past the editorial process:

Quote:

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It will be the first tournament to have all matches played at night. This will help host nation China address the extreme heat for fans travelling to the arenas.

With China eight hours head of the UK, kick-off times for home nations fans will be at 06:00, 08:00 and 10:00 BST.

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So those kickoff times are at the famously nocturnal hours of 4pm, 6pm and 8pm locally.

This Gary Neville thing is such wank. Just like his players union stuff, it's say very vague things but say they'd be good.

Maybe they could have this independent football regulator be like, an association of members from the football community. The Football Association or something maybe?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

I know the BBC is now staffed by northern goons who can barely string a sentence together, but how does this sort of thing make it past the editorial process:

Quote:

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It will be the first tournament to have all matches played at night. This will help host nation China address the extreme heat for fans travelling to the arenas.

With China eight hours head of the UK, kick-off times for home nations fans will be at 06:00, 08:00 and 10:00 BST.

---

So those kickoff times are at the famously nocturnal hours of 4pm, 6pm and 8pm locally.

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And they'll only be 7 hours ahead in the below months. Unless they adopt daylight savings before 2050.

Quote:

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China 2050 will take place across June and July, with the final taking place on 30 July.

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Ole blaming protesting fans as the reason he's losing matches :drool:

I liked that he said he didn't want to blame it on that and then immediately blamed it on that.

"I'm not saying the fans have cost us 6 points, but..."

This is the best match I’ve seen in ages. Might be up for Arsenal getting relegated tbh.

It'd be your best chance at a trophy to be fair.

"It's a tough league to get out of." Remember that when Gendouzi scores his 8th hat-trick against a stern Luton defence. The Championship is fun.

I see 'arry Kane wants out again.

They talked him down with a new deal last time if memory serves. Not so sure it works this time.

Barnsley, Bournemouth, Brentford, and Swansea. I'll take Barnsley for obvious reasons but I would take the European Super League over any of them.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gray Fox

I see 'arry Kane wants out again.

They talked him down with a new deal last time if memory serves. Not so sure it works this time.

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A six year one in 2018, which either has some sort of get-out clause/release fee in his favour or he's an idiot.

Kane to one of the Manchester pair makes sense doesn't it? Can imagine Levy leading his gold-laden camel train all the way back to London like the Mansa Musa.

What's this Arsenal bidding for Berge nonsense about? When did they get a brain?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gray Fox

It'd be your best chance at a trophy to be fair.

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Days since last trophy:
Leicester City - 2
Manchester City - 6
Arsenal - 288
Liverpool - 325
Chelsea - 718
Manchester Utd - 1453
Wigan Athletic - 2927
Swansea City - 3003
Birmingham City - 3731
Portsmouth - 4747
Spurs - 4831

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Don

What's this Arsenal bidding for Berge nonsense about? When did they get a brain?

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The Partey ITK is trying to push the ridiculous idea that the Kroenkes are very sad about people not liking them so are going balls deep on Camavinga. Thinking it's more likely we end up buying Berge for 8 million more than they asked for 3 months from now.

Arsenal may as well cut off Xhaka and whoever else has been there in midfield for the past two years, and just bring back in Willock and go from there. They are a mid-table club they are now with unlimited resources.

Leave Wor Willock alone, please. It's nice to have goals coming from our midfield. Also, if Darren Bent's wound up sending Zaha our way, I'll be chuffed.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by phonics

The Partey ITK is trying to push the ridiculous idea that the Kroenkes are very sad about people not liking them so are going balls deep on Camavinga. Thinking it's more likely we end up buying Berge for 8 million more than they asked for 3 months from now.

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Camavinga's apparently been wank this season.

I honestly can't see Kane getting his move. Where's he going to go? Levi will want £150m or something absurd for him. City never spend that much on one player. Barca are broke. Real are probably also broke and if they're going to bankrupt themselves it will be for Mbappe. Pre-Ole it would have been a very Utd signing but I don't think we'd pay that much for a 28 year old nowadays, especially with Cavani having just signed a new contract. If we're going to drop mega money it will be on someone like Sancho or Haaland. We hardly guarantee silverware either so not convinced he'd even want to come to us. Chelsea could do it if Abramovich has a mad one but again, is that a big enough step up for him to go all in on?

PSG are the most likely to put up the money I reckon, and he's guaranteed League titles if he goes there I suppose. But he's probably got his sights set on Shearer's record and would he really want to go to France?

I think he'll still be at Tottenham next season and he fucked his chances to get his big move when he signed that contract.

We could do it, but he'd have to want to get booed at Tottenham for the rest of his life, which I find doubtful. Also I'm sure he's heard about the operation.

Liverpool?

The man has no ankles, he's going nowhere.

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Bet it took him fucking ages to get over to take that corner.

Just seen that we've been absolute dogshit all year and could technically be within 2-3 points of Liverpool, Chelsea and Leciester by the end of the season.

:drool:

That was fucking delightful.

I love goals like that. Beckham against Birmingham has always been a fav

I bet there aren't many players who could have scored that. What a player.

I don't think Bruno Fernandes touched that. He obviously gets so many goal contributions that they assumed he did, like when divers don't get definite penalties because of their reputations.

Not that it matters, we're down, we're shit and we will lose this regardless, but how the fuck does VAR miss that? Cavani is about 2-3 yards offside.

Actually looking forward to next season where games can simply be ruined by shit refereeing, not shit refereeing followed up by inadequate VAR reviewing it.

Ban those United fans who left early.

Another unbelievably shit home performance.

I would have left ages ago. The stewards will be on a right power trip not letting people out all at once.

Probably should have won it. Fans were deathly silent, like they were bored to be there. Weird game.

Ridiculous season - won away at Liverpool, Everton and Leicester, drew away with Spurs, Arsenal and United, and yet we are 10 points adrift and relegated with 3 games to go.

Home and away is meaningless in the no-fan zeitgeist.

It's really hard to get your head around that though, having spent however many years looking at tricky away fixtures etc.

Chelsea with only 8k fans, could they not shift another 2k tickets?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by niko_cee

Home and away is meaningless in the no-fan zeitgeist.

It's really hard to get your head around that though, having spent however many years looking at tricky away fixtures etc.

---

True, but I'd have been shocked if we'd managed those results against those teams at home. Just a weird season where we performed fairly well as underdogs, and generally shit the bed when faced with teams in the lower half.

How’s Mike Dean given a free kick rather than a penalty there? :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Waffdon

How’s Mike Dean given a free kick rather than a penalty there? :D

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And why is VAR not overruling it?

Werner :harold:

And again, lol.

What a start this has been for Werner.

Werner must be in double figures for disallowed goals, the massive retard

The celebrations, especially with the fans here, after both of those made them so much sweeter.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

Liverpool?

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Yeah, but no.

He'd obviously massively improve anyone he joined, but I'm not sure anyone has the gold to fuel the train, as you put it, least of all Liverpool and their transfer committee moneyball wankery.

I don't really see how anyone is going to pay £150m(?) when Mbappe's kicking around on a 1 year contract and Haaland will be available for (relative) peanuts next summer.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sir Andy Mahowry

The celebrations, especially with the fans here, after both of those made them so much sweeter.

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Yep, the amount of false joy across these last two games for Chelsea. :D

This has been really enjoyable - fans make all the fucking difference don’t they?

Martin Tyler is fuming.

Jorginho being Chelsea's top scorer in the Premiership with 7, all penalties, is criminal.

City don't need to be after Kane. They need some no nonsense defenders to sort out Brighton running riot on them.

Sir Alex Ferguson sounds as Scottish as he did in the nineties in this Gary Neville interview. He doesn't live there, so his brain must be damaged.

Leicester, as magnificent as they are, have blown this again.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lewis

Sir Alex Ferguson sounds as Scottish as he did in the nineties in this Gary Neville interview. He doesn't live there, so his brain must be damaged.

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Can’t be losing the best accent in the world

Werner will probably score about 30 goals next season. The nicest, slightly retarded, footballer you’ll ever see

Dias' propensity to go to ground in search of the block was fully shown up by Trossard there. The VVD (RIP) comparisons aren't going to age well when he's loaned out to Sean Dyche's Spurs.

Someone fucking slap down however much it takes for Bamford to hang up his boots and take up punditry.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Don

Dias' propensity to go to ground in search of the block was fully shown up by Trossard there. The VVD (RIP) comparisons aren't going to age well when he's loaned out to Sean Dyche's Spurs.

---

It looks like on FIFA when you just keep spamming X. :D

Someone has petrol bombed Peter Lawwell's house. :cab:

I've just seen the excellent statistic that Jorginho is Chelsea's top league scorer and that all 7 are penalties.

The Operation. :drool:

Back in the stadium for the first time in 6 months and Spurs are booing their team of at halftime? :D

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Goal of the season. You can't teach that.

Striker's instinct. :cool:

Also, Willock for England.

Hugo and his weak wrists should have saved it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sir Andy Mahowry

Hugo and his weak wrists should have saved it.

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He probably wasn't expecting his Left-Back to turn into a backwards Roberto Carlos.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Spikey M

He probably wasn't expecting his Left-Back to turn into a backwards Roberto Carlos.

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He got a hand to it.

I’ve seen this chukwumeka lad play for 5 minutes and he’s already convinced me he should be starting ahead of nakamba, who didn’t looklike a professional footballer at all today.

Great attempt at a save from the Burnley ‘keeper there

Thiago has settled. About 10 months late but it gives me a chance to stock up on the kleenex for next season.

Nah. I’m not convinced. Good stats on paper but next to nothing in terms of influencing games.

Just watch every pass closely and then note the difference in its pace and how it automatically initiates progressive movement from its recipient compared to Gini's turgid rolls behind every target or any mere mortal frankly.

He’s quality, it’s shown in the last two games before today for sure.

Will Spurs, Everton and Arsenal all try and lose at the weekend to avoid the Conference League?

All the talk about Allison's header has led me to Mart Poom's awesome one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQpS2kf0ZwU

Like a freight train.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mo

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bet it took him fucking ages to get over to take that corner.

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:D

Lol

The story is only half right and from 2019.

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The club also went under last year due to not paying salaries.

Oh and the owner of Zibo Cuju has actually played for the club this year. I do not know if he has an overweight son who also plays though.

I like how he's pointing everywhere like he's directing traffic. And some of his touches look strangely arrogant. When's the last time there was a nonchalant fatty in the game?

Luke Shaw. :cool:

Dias getting the footballer writers award just confirms what a truly awful season this has been.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/57182285

River Plate had to play midfielder Enzo Perez in goal because of a coronavirus outbreak but still beat Independiente Santa Fe 2-1 in the Copa Libertadores.

The Argentine side had 20 players test positive for Covid-19 and, along with injuries, went into the Group D game in Buenos Aires with just 11 players.

Four River Plate keepers were impacted and a request to register their fifth and sixth keepers was rejected.

Perez, 35, was chosen to play in goal and helped his side to victory.

:cool:

He was also awarded the MOTM.

No idea why they weren't allowed to register their 5th or 6th choice keepers though.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Shindig

I like how he's pointing everywhere like he's directing traffic. And some of his touches look strangely arrogant. When's the last time there was a nonchalant fatty in the game?

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Steve McNulty.

Why is everyone trying to convince me Tryone Mings is a solid defender? Fuck off.

Nuno Santo leaving Wolves on Sunday. The Wolves fans around me are furious and they all reckon he's off to Spurs.

Yeah, there must be more to it than 'mutual consent', unless Wolves have had enough of being a top flight club.

He's had three years and spent a lot of money, so you can see why they might want to freshen things up if they look less likely than ever to be threatening the so-called 'Big Six'.

Mourinho would have been such a perfect fit there, and is such a dreadful fit at Roma.

I genuinely don't know if Mourinho could do a decent job anywhere. Maybe Bayern Munich. As for Wolves, they're not really pushed on and they've struggled to replace Jota. I don't think Nuno will do that much at Spurs, either. It's Spurs.

I rate Levy's footballing mind but that's all gone if he doesn't go for Potter.

Sacking Mourinho to get Nuno would make no sense what so ever. It really should be Potter.

I see FIFA are looking into the possibility of a World Cup every 2 years. I know the Super League was a crock of shit but if it’s not one load of corrupt individuals trying to shoehorn more games into the calendar it’s another.

Daniel Levy has just spent a billion quid on a stadium so that he can pretend to run a big club. He isn't going to hand it over to somebody called 'Graham Potter'.

Barca signing Aguero and Depay on frees is fun. Thought they might slip into real Arsenal mediocrity but Depay in particular should give them a few more years of relevance.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lewis

Daniel Levy has just spent a billion quid on a stadium so that he can pretend to run a big club. He isn't going to hand it over to somebody called 'Graham Potter'.

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"And if you look over here, Graham, you'll see our cheese bar."

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Luke Emia

I see FIFA are looking into the possibility of a World Cup every 2 years. I know the Super League was a crock of shit but if it’s not one load of corrupt individuals trying to shoehorn more games into the calendar it’s another.

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What it is is an arms race by the competing trio of FIFA, UEFA and the Big Clubs to have control over the golden goose. The Big Clubs made a serious tactical (and probably strategic) error with the super league announcement, and you can expect FIFa and UEFA to surge into the gap that has created.

If 'LvG' had done another year Memphis Depay would be a club legend and Marcus Rashford would be at Blackburn.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Don

I rate Levy's footballing mind but that's all gone if he doesn't go for Potter.

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Please god yes.

Nuno brought in the best years at Wolves. They do need a refresh but I thought maybe one more season. I don't want to see any of the Gerrard or Lampard type characters. Talk of some next Portuguese don getting the job. Pulling the same stunt twice, I don't like it. What's Rafa up to these days?

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/spor...olves-20651493

I'm going to come right out and say it: Deifying Rafa is one of the stupidest fucking things wor fanbase has ever fucking done. He worked very well under the circumstances but the same can be argued for Steve Bruce.

Mon the bees.

That Bournemouth goal. :harold:

Toney is a top WUM, shouldn't have been booked. Gonna be a red here at some point.

This is amazing.

It really doesn't get better than this :drool:

Definitely all aboard the Brentford v Barnsley final, which pretty much assures the exact opposite outcome.

Lewandowski > Gerd Muller :cool:

A.Madrid are about to kick off two points clear of R.Madrid. Valladolid is still fighting for survival.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sir Andy Mahowry

Lewandowski > Gerd Muller :cool:

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It should be two Ballon d'Or in a row for him. Covid scammed him last year.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SincereTheRebel

A.Madrid are about to kick off two points clear of R.Madrid. Valladolid is still fighting for survival.

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and A.Madrid have gone 1-0 down.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SincereTheRebel

and A.Madrid have gone 1-0 down.

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Fat Ronaldo apparently has offered each player 150k if they beat Atletico.

R.Madrid have gone 1-0 down at home to Villareal

Both Madrids are losing at halftime.

A.Madrid have just made it 1-1 with a some Dinho movement on the edge of the box.

Benzema had a goal wiped out for Madrid. They are still losing 1-0

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Both Madrid sides won.

Barcelona looking right mugs for letting Suarez go.

French league tomorrow with either Lille, PSG and possible Monaco if they win by about 25 goals.

The banter if either of these teams make it into the prem. They'll be down by November.

Relegation scenes at the bottom of Ligue 1. :drool:

13th through 18th all still in it.

Ashley Young scored for Inter today. I forgot he exists.

Wolves should do us about 4-0.

Elanga :cool:

What a cross from James on his weaker foot.

Doniel James. No need for a right-sided forward now. Spend the ninety million on Declan Rice.

Kovacic and Jorginho are such an awful pairing. If Kante doesn’t start next week, City will win by about 5.

Willock will not have it this good at Arsenal. :(

Jorginho :lol:

He’ll somehow start in the Champions League Final, the absolute melt. Chelsea bottling two finals and top four would be some laugh. Tuchel out the door by time Euros finish.

What's the rule these days for if Chelsea finish 5th but win the Champions League?

I would like to retract my Daniel James praise.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lewis

Doniel James. No need for a right-sided forward now. Spend the ninety million on Declan Rice.

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Lol that finish.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Boydy

What's the rule these days for if Chelsea finish 5th but win the Champions League?

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They both get in.

I've just clocked Everton in tenth. A few mug punters fancied them at the start of the season didn't they, as if you can just stop being Everton because you sign a big name player.

Hope Hannibal gets on. Kid is absolute class.

Chelsea and Leicester competing to throw this away.

The ball hits Mings’ hand which stops the ball going in the net. How isn’t that a penalty

fouls like that winks one have to be a red IMO

Just look at that hair :drool:

Oh Brendan. Not again.

The Big Four is back and BIGGER THAN EVER.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by randomlegend

Hope Hannibal gets on. Kid is absolute class.

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He's so good.

Have Leicester really BOTTLED IT/faded? They have a thirteen man squad.

That is an all time bottle job by Leicester. Also secures Tottenham's passage into the Conference League so what's not to like.

And Sutton United going up, what a day.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lewis

Have Leicester really BOTTLED IT/faded? They have a thirteen man squad.

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Within that match, it's a bottle job. All season, obviously they were doing well to be in that position in the first place.

Third place never in doubt.

Wanking over 'Hannibal' :D he's Angel Gomes with bigger hair, get back on the Pellistiri bandwagon son.

Fucking hell, Schmeichel really punched it into his own net.

4th gets knocked out.

12th is Steve Bruce's highest Premier League finish for a decade. He has only finished as high as 10th in his career.

I've heard more about Noel Gallagher and Manchester City this week than Sergio Aguero, which, once again, is every reason why they're a nothing enterprise.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Don

Wanking over 'Hannibal' :D he's Angel Gomes with bigger hair, get back on the Pellistiri bandwagon son.

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He's already better than Thiago.

Steve Bruce spends all year getting slagged off and finishes better than ‘Rafa’ ever did.

David Moyes' West 'am United only 1 point off Leicester in the end. And above the other 2 shithouse London clubs. Very underrated job.

I don't know if manager of the year has already been sorted, but Moyes should be it. Many had them to go down.

Must be their first London silver medal for years.

Absolutely pathetic league. 6 points of CL despite being absolute trash all year.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

I don't know if manager of the year has already been sorted, but Moyes should be it. Many had them to go down.

Must be their first London silver medal for years.

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I'd have him for it as well. Maybe an outside shot at Bielsa or Dean Smith.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D6xlHcFW4AM2N6p?format=jpg

:lol:

After finishing above Wolves, I'm expecting the pundits and papers to link Bruce to the Tottenham job. He could replicate Harry Redknapp's success.

Honestly, someone giving Bruce a big job would warm my heart.

Maddison is meant to be a proper twat.

He looks like he is. Stephen Ireland's regen.

Wonder if he has a big pink car

Lille 45 minutes away from a league title.

Napoli. :facepalm:

One job

Lille are champs

Klopp is manager of the year, rest assured. That achuevement is outrageous and will only be appreciated next season when we don't play with 9 every game.

Schmeichel (still can't spell that name) had a bit of a stinker.

That 3rd goal isn't handball now? He did sort of appear to control it with his hand, hardly incidental contact.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by niko_cee

That 3rd goal isn't handball now? He did sort of appear to control it with his hand, hardly incidental contact.

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That confused me as well. I don't like the rule but I thought attacking players touching the ball with a hand meant the goal was ruled out, incidental or not.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bbc.co.uk

Newcastle's fans are right to expect more but this centres more on owner Mike Ashley than Bruce and in his defence they looked a much more purposeful side when Callum Wilson and Alain Saint-Maximin were fit.

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No, it's Bruce getting most of it. Fuck our fanbase.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by nufc.com

To be content with that upturn though is to fall into the usual unrealistic expectations trap. How high could we have finished if we'd not had our own personal mid-season break and attempted to play games without actually attacking? Injuries and the effects of the pandemic this season weren't unique to this club, no matter what you might hear in the media.

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Yeah, how high could we have hit if two Covid outbreaks hadn't hit the club? One of which kept Saint Maximin out of action for 2 months? We had maybe six of our first team out at one point. We're not a big squad so that absolutely knackered us. Joyless old cunts.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Guybrush

That confused me as well. I don't like the rule but I thought attacking players touching the ball with a hand meant the goal was ruled out, incidental or not.

---

Commentators said it was because it wasn’t immediately before the goal (it was). If Kane scored it would have been disallowed but because there was technically another phase before he passes it, the goal stood

That Spain squad looks average as fuck. Laporte switching from being French to Spanish the only saving grace.

There’s one Brighton player in the squad and zero Real Madrid players

Just looked at the squad and my main takeaway is that I'd have had Busquets as a good bit older than 32.

Full respect to Aymeric Laporte, he's put a lot of grind into creating the illusion that he isn't French, and now he finally has his reward.

(He's 100% French).

I can't remember a country having depth like the French do now. Recent winners of things have tended to either have ten very good players (Germany, Italy) or half a team of exceptional ones (France [1998], Brazil, Spain), but their second string could worry the semi-finals, and the bums they leave at home would still be a handy side.

Going through these old squads and 1998 looks to have been the most open tournament. Argentina, Brazil, France, Holland, and Italy all had the personnel to win it, and when they did meet they all seem to have been close games. They still had the players for 2002 as well but only Brazil managed not to be shit.

Does treating your immigrants like shit lead to excellent football talent production? I think it's certainly worth looking into.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lewis

Going through these old squads and 1998 looks to have been the most open tournament. Argentina, Brazil, France, Holland, and Italy all had the personnel to win it, and when they did meet they all seem to have been close games. They still had the players for 2002 as well but only Brazil managed not to be shit.

---

Cos Ronaldo was three times better than anyone else, so when he wasn’t vibrating in 2002, Brazil were the best.

You’re better off finishing 2nd in Scotland/England’s group. Winner faces the 2nd out of Germany, France and Portugal whereas the runner up faces the runner up from Spain, Poland, Slovakia and Sweden.

I didn’t even realise teams can qualify from 3rd place into the knockouts. What a shambles, as is Scotland having two games at their own stadium and England having all 3 at their own place

Brazil's run in 2002 was: China, Costa Rica, Turkey, (a shit) Belgium, Trevor Sinclair, Turkey again, and finally a very pedestrian German side who had had a piss easy run themselves. Of all World Cup wins this was possibly the biggest second-gear crowning.

Argentina should have been favourites for that on paper but chose our favourite maverick coach to send them to a group stage exit; Italy should have been up there too, but made a complete mess of the group and then suffered from a severe dose of entitlement vs South Korea (and a bit of shit reffing, but in their case that is very overplayed because of said entitlement, the real shit reffing was in Korea v Spain).

Holland definitely had the players too, but forgot to qualify.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Waffdon

Commentators said it was because it wasn’t immediately before the goal (it was). If Kane scored it would have been disallowed but because there was technically another phase before he passes it, the goal stood

---

I assumed it was related to that Firmino one (against Spurs) which sort of changed the rules (and the ludicrous Matt Cash one soon thereafter) where if the ball is considered to have deflected into the hand/arm from you playing the ball it isn't handball - but it just seemed even accounting for that that Kane did sort of use his hand to control it. lol if it was for lack of proximity to the goal/some phase of play wank.

It seems the Konate deal is done. Liverpool making the Champions League places more than made up the cost of the transfer too. A deal for Kabak is now likely off too. We've Van Dijk, Matip, Gomez, Konate and Phillips ahead of him with Fabinho able to step in.

A lot of talk about Bissouma being the Wijnaldum replacement but I expect to see a decent spending spree.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Shindig

No, it's Bruce getting most of it. Fuck our fanbase.



Yeah, how high could we have hit if two Covid outbreaks hadn't hit the club? One of which kept Saint Maximin out of action for 2 months? We had maybe six of our first team out at one point. We're not a big squad so that absolutely knackered us. Joyless old cunts.

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Bruce got shit for putting together some utterly hopeless displays and without ASM bossing it or Willock gannin radge it's a very different story.

Sometimes a team performs well despite the tactics, and I think this is a good example. Why are you so big on him?

Sounds like good players win games from that summary Offy.

I've seen too many mag managers blow hot and cold before him. Pardew had the same bother. He'd get us to Europe and then spend 13 games without a win. It's not a problem exclusive to Bruce. Benitez went 10 games without a win at the start of 2018-9. In that run we had some big hitters but we also stunk up the joint against Brighton, Cardiff and Southampton (no shots on target). When we finally did get a win, we rode our luck against Watford. At the time, Joselu was our top scorer with 2.

Until we get actual squad depth, in talent as well as raw numbers, this will not change.

This should be named the Unai Emery trophy if Villarreal win this tonight.

Daniel James masterclass off the bench. :cool:

Why has he dropped Fred and moved Pogba back to CDM/CM when Pogba has looked his best on the left?

Owen Hargreaves is completely German now.

God I hate watching Rashford play football. He looks like he's despising every minute. Stick to feeding kids, mate.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sir Andy Mahowry

Why has he dropped Fred and moved Pogba back to CDM/CM when Pogba has looked his best on the left?

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Probably because Fred is horrendous

At least he does look like he's enjoyed it if he scores a goal, usually, which puts him several levels of cheeriness above Martial.

Lindelof is not a footballer.

United? Conceding from a set piece? No, that scarcely seems possible.

Man Utd's options off the bench are so tragic :D

This Yeremy Pino kid is hot shit.

Edit: Gahahaha

Whoop. Just step up and play them offside, silly.

10/3 for Man Utd is generous considering their record away from home when losing

https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/...-b1854543.html

Let's never hear any Harry Maguire criticism ever again.

The old United losing in the first half routine. I look forward to stories of their 3-1 win.

I love the look of this Villarreal side. Especially the centre half pairing. Phwoar.

I swear Unai Emery and/or Carlos Bacca have been winning the Europa League for about a decade straight.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

I love the look of this Villarreal side. Especially the centre half pairing. Phwoar.

I swear Unai Emery and/or Carlos Bacca have been winning the Europa League for about a decade straight.

---

Emery won 3 in a row for Sevilla and then lost to Eden Hazard in 2018. It’s some record.

I wouldn't write off the Man Utd season if they lose here as ultimately, they are without their first choice CB and captain for 1 game.

:********)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Pleb

https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/...-b1854543.html

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Insurance scam.

Too slow and too cautious so far.

Did VAR even look at that STONEWALL penalty?

Don Cavani trying to save Ole's job.

Fernandes nailed on to score a penalty to seal the game when at 2-1.

ffs Rashford.

Fernandes looked about 5 foot offside

Villarreal refusing to play corners into the box is confusing considering Uniteds weakness to them and they got their first goal from doing that.

United have got to be one of the most physical sides in Europe.

Fuck VAR.

Both these teams don’t deserve to be in the CL next year and should stay here. Absolutely dreadful sides.

Who have Villarreal beaten to get here? Such a nothing outfit.

Get Sheringham on.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lewis

Daniel James masterclass off the bench. :cool:

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Staring him in the face the silly cunt.

Doing this with no subs.

My body is ready.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Manc

Who have Villarreal beaten to get here? Such a nothing outfit.

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RB Salzburg, Dynamo Kiev, Dinamo Zagreb and Arsenal. So no one really.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Waffdon

Both these teams don’t deserve to be in the CL next year and should stay here. Absolutely dreadful sides.

---

Happy with that. Best tournament going.

This has been so bad.

Alberto Moreno :D

He already won one Europa League for Unai Emery single-handedly, why not another?

The good thing about the Europa League is you get different teams in it each time, which was the even greater glory of the Cup Winners' Cup.

Loving Villarreal's troll possession tactics. Making the cunts run as much as possible and that Norwegian cunt is sat there playing with his mushroom still.

Taking Greenwood off instead of Rashford is such shit non-management.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

God I hate watching Rashford play football. He looks like he's despising every minute. Stick to feeding kids, mate.

---

Petulance personified.

:drool: when Southgate plays Rashford-Kane-Sterling.

Rashford goes down injured every game

Trashford protecting the brand.

Imagine if a penalty miss by the Portuguese tramp was to lose it for them :drool:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Don

Trashford protecting the brand.

Imagine if a penalty miss by the Portuguese tramp was to lose it for them :drool:

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That’s him scoring the winning penalty nailed on then

Here we go. The English Gareth Bale.

Jesus, James on for Pogba :D

Tuanzebe coming straight from a Blacked production.

Other than last ten minutes sort of stuff when the game is already won, has he ever taken Rashford off?

Has “Donny” been caught fingering Solskjaer’s missus or something?

Surely you keep pogba on over James for a penalty lol

James is 100% going to miss a penalty (if he takes one).

They've played about 4 minutes of this half of extra-time so far. Should have been about 10 added on.

One for the err ... purists.

Mata is shite at penalties so I wouldn’t be bringing him on to take one

A shagged out McTominay and AWB are better than you lads. Now go out there and win me a trophy.

I would sack him regardless of how the penalty lottery turns out. This has been like a showcase game of exactly why he isn't good enough.

Solshire bringing on loads of left footers before a penalty shootout, no ta.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by randomlegend

They've played about 4 minutes of this half of extra-time so far. Should have been about 10 added on.

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You want to watch more of this? :cab: United have settled for the shootout.

Said nothing about what I wanted.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lewis

I would sack him regardless of how the penalty lottery turns out. This has been like a showcase game of exactly why he isn't good enough.

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100%.

How are Villarreal both kicking first and kicking down their own end? Is Bruno Fernandes an idiot?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Waffdon

Mata is shite at penalties so I wouldn’t be bringing him on to take one

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lol

That second Villareal penalty is dreadful. De Gea looks wank at penalties.

Hasn't he saved one ever (in the 8-2 over Arsenal)?

The last pen he saved in the Premiership was in 2014.

Let Eric Bailly take one.

De Gea seems to keep his head rigidly still as he dives, which must be contributing to it.

De Gea is not saving one. We'll lose.

This is Afcon stuff so far.

ERersdfsdfsdlk

Fucking hell, that penalty.

Release me from this torment.

Fucking hell...

Lindelof to fuck it.

Well Lindelof can do one thing.

That's some pen from Rulli.

De Gea had zero belief he was going to score there.

De Gea :face:

He fucking hates penalties.

So yeah, De Gea definitely shit at pens.

Sell that man.

You could see that with his long run-up. What does he need that for when he can't even find people with kicks?

Well that's Spain's Conference League spot YEETED

Unai Emery in the Europa League is an absolutely phenomenal record.

De Gea deserved that for his pathetic efforts at trying to save the 11 he faced. Other keeps was unlucky with 4 of his.

Alisson scores headers and de Gea can’t even score pens

He needs to go.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Baz

Alisson scores headers and de Gea can’t even score pens

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He also can't save penalties.

You gave him 300k a week. He’s not going anywhere.

Tears from the gyppo. :drool:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by phonics

You gave him 300k a week. He’s not going anywhere.

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Ole needs to go.

Should have just wellied it

I thought he was meant to be good with his feet :happycry:

Absolutely hate to see RL, Kiko, Mahow and the rest of the merry men in the mud. PM me if you need to talk lads.

Bad Ebening.

Both them goalkeepers were pathetic. Limp wrists galore

Great scenes with the Villarreal fans and players.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

How are Villarreal both kicking first and kicking down their own end? Is Bruno Fernandes an idiot?

---

ThatÂ’s a good point. :D

Brilliant penalties there. ThereÂ’s nothing like a marathon shootout. The keeperÂ’s was so good as well.

Bruno won the toss and asked them to shoot first in the worst mathematical probability choice of all time.

I thought it must have been. I'm not expecting O'Fernandes to be a Professor of Probabilities, but is there not someone on the staff (the manager, for example) who can tell him you should always kick first?

It was so de Gea could look what trying to save penalties looks like.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

I thought it must have been. I'm not expecting O'Fernandes to be a Professor of Probabilities, but is there not someone on the staff (the manager, for example) who can tell him you should always kick first?

---

You'd think them changing the way penalty kicks worked half way through to fix kicking first winning during your professional career might ring a bell.

I still remember when they changed the throw-in rule so the keeper couldn't pick it up when I was in youth football.

Why is Trashford talking like that Steve McClaren interview?

Bizarre interview from Rashford. Did he
not realise he was speaking to a fellow Englishman?

Not to get serious but the reaction to this is exactly why football punditry, football coverage and everything that surrounds it is nonsense and should be ignored.

If United had won a penalty shootout 12-11, Ole is a good manager who won the Europa League and finished second, maybe they could have a title run next year. But Because his goalkeeper missed a penalty, he should be sacked.

Intelligent analysis had him as a fraud long ago so at least the coin landed on the right side.

Ideal time to bump the pre-season prediction thread. I even got Everton right. :cool:

View Tweet

The most conclusive proof yet that a woman runs his account. Grow up son. I bet Don Cavani isn't at home bealing over people calling him Rocky Dennis.

I find it mental that any modern footballer still reads their social media comments and messages. It must be strictly terrible for their well-being, not to mention their performance.

The predictions thread is good. Great debate on Leeds halfway down.

This acknowledging racism exists on social media has gone too far. At this point it’s just edgelords looking for a retweet.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by phonics

Not to get serious but the reaction to this is exactly why football punditry, football coverage and everything that surrounds it is nonsense and should be ignored.

If United had won a penalty shootout 12-11, Ole is a good manager who won the Europa League and finished second, maybe they could have a title run next year. But Because his goalkeeper missed a penalty, he should be sacked.

---

I think there would have been a lot of questions for all the celebrating. United should have dispatched these cunts within 90 minutes and landed me £140. That United team should be skullfucking the likes of Villareal every time, no excuses. Ole is piss poor at reading tactics and adapting though. Like when he beat RB Leipzig with a rip roaring all out attack peformance then sat on the sidelines looking like a confused dog the next game when the same tactic didn't work against an Arsenal team playing a deep block counter.

I think Lofty summed it up with the line about Ole's reading of tactics but also more on trusting players to change a game when they might not be the stellar player. It leads to players like Mata and van der Beek barely being used and/or well out of form when they are put on.

Last night was massively disappointing because we had an opportunity to win the game but decided we wanted to wait until pens or hope for some magic from someone still on the pitch. But they were all dead on their feet for ET. Trashford was awful and he played the full game.

United's approach for years has been to wait for someone to do something magic (or, you know, get gifted a penalty). Those are the players they have, loads of 'on their day' match-winner types. When they have an off day, it's all a bit wank. Rashford, Martial, Pogba, all very hot and cold.

We've been able to create more opportunities to be 'gifted a penalty' which is down to a better style of play. The problem last night was a lack of rotation when players like Rashford are clearly carrying injuries (Winter says he has a shoulder and ankle injury) plus his baffling subs.

What was interesting last night was how they couldn't keep the pressure up. They came out swinging in the second half then settled into being stifled by a compact Villarreal. Sometimes you need guile to unlock that and United just didn't have the movement, especially down the middle. Life's so much easier if all you have to worry about is Luke Shaw crossing one in.

Which he didn't do either as I think his form went off a cliff the last few weeks. Ah well, better season than last but still not good enough.

View Tweet

Classic Binman move.

He really has had an amazing 'rise without trace' career, even going back to his playing days.

I have to admire it really. Never has there been a manager linked to so many top jobs (with seemingly a realistic chance of getting them) with as little substance as Martinez has.

On the Twitter thing, I don't get why they use it. It strikes me if you're Rashford as the online equivalent of hanging out at BNP meetings.

He won school dinners, get off it and use a much less hateful platform if you need a dialogue with fans, or whatever.

Footballers' social media presence isn't even done for personal enjoyment, it's all about their public profile, marketability etc. It is much more valuable for Rashford to get a billion likes when 'he' complains about 70 racist messages than it is for him to get off twitter and not see (or his 'people' not see) the racist messages.

This is why the 'social media boycott' the other week was such a load of nonsense, they are all going to come straight back on social media, no matter how much abuse they receive, because they need it to sell trainers. If they really thought it was all so disgraceful they would just leave, and deny the social media companies concerned their traffic forever.

Yeah, you've nailed that.

A cynical commercial exploitation of racist abuse is not cool.

The lol was them airing this hollywood budget POS multiple times last night:

https://youtu.be/ha-LDKmIgsQ

I saw that and had no idea what they were trying to achieve.

If you are the subject of abuse online presumably that's a horrific reminder and if you're an online abuse champion, presumably it's pretty lol.

Online abuse champion ? Paging @Baz

Is the term not Online Abuse Badboy?

As a victim of it myself, I’ve been a champion for as long as I can remember.

I'm not entirely sure that racial abuse aimed at someone who earns in a day what the likely perpetrator does in a year is that big a problem (except maybe for the power dynamics, 'reverse racism' arguments).

I saw that Naomi Osaka is now refusing to do press due to her 'mental health'. Sports stars are disappearing up their own arses into a PR dystopia and it's happening pretty quickly.

I should probably stop DMing her.

Half black, half Asian. It must be hard not to beat herself up all the time.

Anyone else watched that Leigh-Ann Pinnock (Little Mix) programme about racism? Could have at least got someone to present it who had actual opinions beforehand. She’s lovely though.

Got some fucking tennis slag complaining about post defeat interviews being detrimental for her mental health so she's stopped carrying out media duties. We're about 10 years away from becoming computers if we let these soft shites grow.

Edit: Jimmy has it covered.

They can all stop doing their media duties if they want, I'm sure they'll be happy with the reduced salaries reflected by the inferior media product subscriptions on offer etc.

"In absence of a Roger Federer interview, here's last years ... I mean 2019's."

https://www.theguardian.com/football...his-revolution

There is something weird about this article that I can't quite identify other than it being written by a German. Cheers, Phil?

It reads like Uefa-wank, i.e. something translated into and back out of 14 different languages, and finally voiced over in a dark room in Geneva.

In before City MELTDOWN

Tone. :cool:

Bees up Fulham down, Bees up Fulham down...

Shoulda been having the time of my life tonight in a packed Wembley. Robbed by the fatties.

That's a rather unfortunate/bizarre red card right there.

Brentford. :cool:

Have they ever been in the top division in english football?

There was no football before 1992 remember.

First time since before the war I believe.

Ange Postecoglou to manage Celtic on the cards according to our media.