February Football: The (Not A) Ho Chi Minh Special

[Ian]

V.League season starts this week.

So far my club have not released new jerseys, sold any season tickets, or even bothered announcing the fixtures.

At the end of last season, we released 80% of our first team players, and have since replaced them with players from the second division.

We are getting relegated.

Looking forward to @Ian's preview in the Feb football thread.

Sorry JA, I was gonna do something about Ho Chi Minh but there is perhaps unsurprisingly not a huge amount to be found online (in English at least, based on my Googling) about their current travails.

Anyway, it's February, and the proceedings start off with gallant little Manchester United's crusade to thwart the evil Saudi-funded Newcastle in the Worthington Cup and then on Friday we get to see Chelsea try and fit their 372 new players into the one team and then later in the month the return of European football too.

[7om]

Genuinely can’t wait to see how Sean Dyche’s 442 Brexit ball works out at Everton. I think he’ll do well with them.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Tony Marshall

[Lewis]

Given the way that the fixtures are piling up, this is too strong a team for a second leg when you are already 3-0 up.

[Ian]

Yeah I thought it was too strong a starting eleven and I certainly wouldn't have brought Rashford on with the game still 3-0.

[Don]

Andre Ayew back in the prem? Fuck off

This "16 year old" fuck is gonna end the sport.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

He's banging on FM too.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Get your Warren Zaire-Emery name: the name of the second most senior person in the accounts department at your company, the name of your favourite defunct nation state, and the manager who won the UEFA Cup the year you were born.

[Kikó]

Gordon Rhodesia-Bengtsson.

[Disco]

Kiko being a Rhodesia guy would be some turn up.

Martin Central African Republic Kessler.

[Ian]

Well the second part of my double-barrelled surname would be Molowny who I've never heard of before now.

[niko_cee]

Something Something-Robson for me.

According to wiki England (927–1707) is a former/defunct nation state.

[Ben]

Kristina Soviet-Zoff

[Kikó]

Mason Greenwood charges dropped. Hope we can sell him rapidly.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Awkward legal position for United, he's technically done nothing wrong (presumably) but there is nevertheless audio of him basically commanding a woman to have sex with him.

I'm sure the Saudis will take him.

[John Arne]

What is the difference between the charges levelled at Greenwood versus Partey? Partey seems to be getting on with things as if nothing has happened.

[Don]

It's a shame his outing as a shite footballer will be put down to this and not on the fact he's shite.

[Waffdon]

There’s video evidence and audio of him abusing her lol. Even with the charges dropped he still hits woman.

[Kikó]

What is the difference between the charges levelled at Greenwood versus Partey? Partey seems to be getting on with things as if nothing has happened.

Partey hasn't been charged.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Hopefully we just terminate the cunt's contract.

[Lewis]

I'm not sure that they could without paying him off, which they won't want to do. Did the woman he filled in take a bribe, or has the daft bint got back with him?

[Lofty]

Partey hasn't been charged.

Has he not? His bail has been extended until July.

[SincereTheRebel]

There’s video evidence and audio of him abusing her lol. Even with the charges dropped he still hits woman.

Sounds like some kink

[Waffdon]

Aubameyang left out the CL squad

Potter must hate him. They could have just unregistered their 3rd choice keeper and put a Dev Squad ‘keeper on the ‘B’ list.

[Jimmy Floyd]

From how Potter's used him, I would guess he has a terrible attitude.

[Waffdon]

Another dreadful Thomas Tuchel signing.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Badiashile, Andrey Santos, Fofana, Malo Gusto and Noni Madueke also left out.

Edit: I hadn't seen that Gusto went back to Lyon on loan.

[Don]

Don't those BLM kids not need registering or something due to their age/BLM-ness?

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

They need to have been at the club for 2 years.

[Don]

Badiashile seems a surprise decision then. Such a clusterfuck of a squad, if it leads to Potter getting fired before Xmas it'll be a shame.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Badiashile has looked good from the limited games so far, so I imagine that one just had to miss out somewhere and they think we're more likely to beat Dortmund by throwing attackers at it and playing Chalobah.

Will be interesting to see how we go tonight.

[Ben]

Definitely should be Badiashile over Felix.

[Waffdon]

Felix should definitely be in there. They chose the right 3 players. Koulibaly is much more suited to European football so him/fofana/Chalobah fighting it out to play with Silva makes sense.

Mudryk, Fernandez and James all starting

[Jimmy Floyd]

Enzo straight in is bold, but I guess there isn't anyone else unless you moved Mount back.

We're going to be very vulnerable at the back, can see it being 3-2 either way.

[Waffdon]

He needs to start. Not sure James does though. Last time he was out he got injured after being thrown straight back in

[Jimmy Floyd]

Listening to Howard Webb be very articulate and logical on Sky here, and seeing football twitter seethe in real time as he talks, makes me think: it's about class, isn't it? Always is, in this country. The football referee is (traditionally, currently or both) the only chance most working class people have to vent their frustrations into the face of an authority figure without censure. I don't think people, deep down, even want referees to get it right. They need them to be wrong.

Of course rugby - a recreation, not an outlet for the workers - makes a show of respecting its officials.

[Ian]

What is causing football twitter to seethe about Howard Webb?

Secondary question, but why are you reading Football Twitter when you could be doing something more engaging like, say, stamping on an upturned plug?

[Jimmy Floyd]

What is causing football twitter to seethe about Howard Webb?

Secondary question, but why are you reading Football Twitter when you could be doing something more engaging like, say, stamping on an upturned plug?

Because I was curious for a broad-ish public take on what Howard Webb was saying. It's a glitch in my personality.

[Waffdon]

Chelsea’s average age minus Silva can’t be much over 23.

[Ian]

What was he saying, out of interest? The only referee I'm used to on telly is Peter Walton waiting to see what VAR says then going "Yeah they've got that right, for me."

[Jimmy Floyd]

What was he saying, out of interest? The only referee I'm used to on telly is Peter Walton waiting to see what VAR says then going "Yeah they've got that right, for me."

He was explaining what VAR was for and going through various recent instances and whether they got them right or wrong. I thought it was almost Mick Lynch-esque in its simplicity and an example of good communication of a quite complex issue, but football twitter thought him a CLOWN who lacks CONSISTENCY and that Man Utd winning recently is a direct result of him being the head of referees.

[Ian]

Interesting, my look that up if it goes online. Would you say you agreed with him on VAR or just that he spoke very well? (Or a bit of both.)

[Kikó]

It's good that Howard has been given the night off by Erik.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Not sure who has the worse tattoos out of Mudryk and Fernandez. Real close-fought battle.

[Foe]

Similar to Jim I listened to Howard Webb and was refreshed with someone talking sense.

Trying to take football back towards what people expect it to be and trying to make the referees more aware of the shithousery that’s happening so they nip it in the bud.

Clearly I’m not aligned with Twitter GP either, which is encouraging.

[Kikó]

Tomorrow I'm entertaining myself with the Eintracht Frankfurt/Hertha Berlin fixture. Must win for Frankfurt if they want Champions League football while the latter are in drop trouble at the bottom.

[Waffdon]

Mount/Gallagher have no right to ever play in a midfield 3. Leave the midfield so open.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Jorginho to Fernandez is an unbelievably massive upgrade, based on these 25 minutes.

Still haven't solved the problem that our centre forward is not a centre forward and he's about as good back to goal as I am.

[Ian]

67% possession for one shot.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

That was special from Ziyech.