October: Halloween football edition

[Kikó]

No football happened yet in October so we start the month with Europa League action tonight with notable fixtures such as:

Otherwise, ten hag carries on his Bald football masterclass away at Porto and Rangers host Lyon. Spurs mate travels to Turkey to play against some bin men. Chelsea hosts Gent in a blockbuster tie for the UEFA Conference and Shamrock host the Cypriots.

Later in the month, beautiful footballing side Aston Villa will pump United, before we have another fucking international break.

[niko_cee]

If there was ever a 'tough away game' you'd want as United manager then surely it would be the trip to Villa Park. Don't they almost always win there, somehow?

New contract for baldy in the international break.

[Kikó]

No Scott Maradomminay to save us this time.

[thommo]

Let's not forget the mighty TNS travelling to Fiorentina tonight. First game for a team from the Welsh league system in a European group stage. And they're still probably one of the worst supported clubs in the Cymru Premier.

[Giggles]

Need a good 8 or 9 Rovers injuries tonight.

[Kikó]

Let's not forget the mighty TNS travelling to Fiorentina tonight. First game for a team from the Welsh league system in a European group stage. And they're still probably one of the worst supported clubs in the Cymru Premier.

Sorry I thought I'd included all the British clubs.

[SvN]

I just looked and was surprised how poor their attendences are, there are 5 teams that regularly have higher attendances, and Colywn Bay get more than double what they get. Are they badly supported because they're based in England?

[thommo]

They lost a lot of their fanbase from Llansantffraid (the village where the initial team was based) when they moved to Oswestry after merging with Oswestry Town in the 2000s. Since then, they've been the only full-time club in the Welsh Prem which has allowed them an incredible period of dominance but no real fanbase to enjoy it. Llansantffraid have even started a new club to play on their old ground that is now in the 3rd tier of Welsh football.

They're basically hated throughout the Welsh system as they win everything (they lost a league game the other week for the first time in nearly 600 days), pay much greater wages on full-time deals and now play away from their initial home (in England).

[John Arne]

I always have a little chuckle when remembering that the best team in Wales is English

Perhaps Wrexham should go back into the Welsh system... quicker European football, at least.

[Yevrah]

Given you must get about £3 for winning the Welsh league and the aforementioned attendence levels, how are they being bankrolled?

[Jimmy Floyd]

Some bloke had a business (Total Network Solutions), he bought the club, which must have cost about a fiver at the time, and title-sponsored it with the business. They did well and won stuff (hence Jeff Stelling's legendary 'They'll be dancing in the streets of Total Network Solutions tonight'). He then sold the business to BT, who ended the sponsorship of the club, so he kept the TNS branding with 'The New Saints', but continued to own the club. So presumably he's bankrolling them to a far greater extent than any other Welsh club, even though they are in essence a village team from Oswestry.

[Gray Fox]

Apparently when he took over they had a turnover of £40k a year, to now where it is over £2m a year.

[Giggles]

With that many changed Halgrímsson must have actually picked this one himself. Such a pity Lyon didn't hold on to O'Brien, another one bites the dust on the bench in England.

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[randomlegend]

Casemiro - Eriksen pivot, Ten Hag trying to get sacked.

[Jimmy Floyd]

If music be the food of love, play on.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Fucking hell. Cercle Brugge 6 St Gallen 2. That is a STATEMENT win. Timely reminder for Maresca of how tough this is going to be.

[Kikó]

We're back

[Jimmy Floyd]

The lady on co-comms, presumably reeling from whatever bodily dimensions Miles has awarded her, declares that 'Stamford Bridge is becoming a fortress again'. And with Brighton having scored just twice at the weekend, while Crystal Palace were restricted to a single measly point upon their recent visit, who could argue?

[Kikó]

We're back

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

lol.

[Waffdon]

Samu and Duran both linked with Chelsea all summer and have both been shit hot since the start of the season. That scouting network

[Gray Fox]

The scouting network seems to have been sign every player available everywhere.

[Luke Emia]

De Ligt is just Harry Maguire with a fancy Dutch name.

[niko_cee]

Chants of "who are ya" ring out from Chelsea supporters after Christopher Nkunku's sharp finish in the box.

At least they seem to have found their level.

[Dquincy]

Rangers following Celtic's lead with getting a food fisting too.

Also, Chelsea are becoming a quite likeable team. I'm calling top 4 finish this year. It's all going to 'click' for them. I can sense it.

[Lofty]

Yeah the scouting network is the same as FM when you take over a conference side and your scout tells you Messi could do a job.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Guy Verhofstadt, the photographer Dirk Braeckman (born 1958), Jan van Eyck... can you hear me Jan van Eyck? Probably not, all told.

[Gray Fox]

As funny as it is to see fraud boy sent off again, that really is the kind of stuff VAR needs to be dealing with. He's waved a boot near someone and got sent off for it.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Another new contract for the bald fraud?

[niko_cee]

Maguaradonna.

[phonics]

I know it's a cesspit but it's very weird to me that a national broadcaster of Champions League is trying to ragebait for interactions like this

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(Arsenal played Porto in the Round of 16, there were no points available)

[Ben]

“There were no points available”

You lost the game ffs

[phonics]

Yes so if we’d won how many points would we have got.

[Manc]

Guimaraes - 3.

[-james-]

Safe to say they've smashed it out the park with the "ragebait" then.

[Kikó]

24 times United have conceded 3 or more under ten hag. TWENTY FOUR TIMES.

[Giggles]

That draw last night earned Rovers more money than they'd get for winning the league.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Engagement Eric at TNT Sports having a massive Friday night blowout with his bonus payment.

[Luke Emia]

24 times United have conceded 3 or more under ten hag. TWENTY FOUR TIMES.

Yeah, but they've got more points away at Porto than Arsenal this year.

[Lofty]

More booking points.

[Shindig]

Rob Elliot has left Gateshead for the glittering lights of Crawley Town.

[SincereTheRebel]

24 times United have conceded 3 or more under ten hag. TWENTY FOUR TIMES.

That does not sound that bad.

Edit: 124 games manged so far. 3 goals were conceded every 5 games.

[Kikó]

That does not sound that bad.

Edit: 124 games manged so far. 3 goals were conceded every 5 games.

[niko_cee]

They've just got to stick to the plan and bounce back on Sunday.

[Gray Fox]

Pogba can play again as of March 2025. United could use a midfielder like him.

[Danny]

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[Magic]

Sigh. Meslier.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Mourinho and Everton is a match made in heaven (unlike Mourinho and Fenerbahce, it seems). Make it happen.

[Yevrah]

Mourinho to Everton, Sir Gareth to Man Utd and I might wank myself to death during the international break.

[niko_cee]

Guardiola said City had asked for the delay because of the club's involvement with the Club World Cup, but said the Premier League would not accept the request.

The final of the 32-team event is set for 13 July at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, creating a gap of either four or five weeks to the start of the 2025-26 Premier League season.

Three of those weeks will be mandatory rest periods for the players.

"The Premier League has not allowed us to postpone the first two games for our recovery," said Guardiola. "Thank you so much.

"I think the club asked the league to postpone one or two or three weeks so we can have a holiday after the [Club] World Cup but it is absolutely not allowed. The Premier League say yes to us? No. Absolutely not."

However, after talking to officials at City and the Premier League, the BBC has learned there has been no formal request.

Please just get them/him in the sea Independent Panel.