February Football: High Lines Stagger On

[phonics]

There is way, way, way more anger, bitterness and voiced frustration among all football fans today than there was when I was growing up. Applies to every club, not just Everton. Not sure where it has all come from, but I think it's undeniable.

My best theory is it's been caused by the Sky 'football is extremely important and serious' culture shift, but I don't know really.

My Dad agrees with you on both points. He says when he was going home and away following the Baggies that rivalries only mattered when the teams actually played each other. There wasn't a 'lol you lost to Palace last weekend' when going into work, laughing at each others misfortune or seething at their success. But obviously when it was head to head there was still bragging rights.

Although whether his apathy towards rival teams success was somewhat fueled by him having access to a t-shirt press in the late 70s/early 80s during Villas peak and him making a mint outside of Villa Park selling shirts with the League Table printed on the day they won the league. That was the day he found out that the League Table is actually copyrighted material and you can't print it without a license.

[phonics]

I still enjoy the football but I certainly feel much more disconnected from it now. Because my postcode no longer begins with L, I have to buy a membership to the club site, to then be in the privileged position of being able to apply into the ballot, for any potential leftover tickets against the team of my choosing. This after all the L postcodes are given theirs, so there may be none left. Only then will I be lucky enough to be able to hand them some £60+ for a ticket.

My perspective on this is slightly different, I became an Arsenal fan in 96 because everyone on my estate supported Arsenal and we were the only family with Sky so everyone would bundle into our living room to watch the matches. But that was when I was obsessed with football generally, a mixture of Championship Manager, FIFA and just playing it in the playground during breaktimes mixed with the fact that the majority of televised football was on terrestrial TV meant that I can still remember where I was when Zola scored against Stuttgart in in the Cup Winners Cup. I moved abroad in 2000 and a dodgy Sky Box with Sky Sports included cost about 190 quid a month so that wasn't happening so I kind of just moved on.

Then about 2004ish, Sopcast came around where you could watch a 240p stream in Chinese and the shouts of Bergkampuh and Fabregassu were the first time I had a connection to home in half a decade. It was a pain in the arse to find, buffered constantly and, as I mentioned, in Mandarin. So slowly but surely the only football I ingested was Arsenal matches. Years of that formulated into what I am now, I wouldn't say I'm a football fan that supports Arsenal I'd say I'm an Arsenal fan, they just happen to play football. In that 20 years I'd say I've probably not watched about as many Arsenal matches as I've physically attended. Somewhere in the 30s.

[Ben]

There is way, way, way more anger, bitterness and voiced frustration among all football fans today than there was when I was growing up. Applies to every club, not just Everton. Not sure where it has all come from, but I think it's undeniable.

My best theory is it's been caused by the Sky 'football is extremely important and serious' culture shift, but I don't know really.

I less blame Sky, more social media. It's not just in football, it's everyday life that everyone thinks they have to like or hate everyone/thing (Trump is a great example). Not having an opinion is just not an option anymore.

[Lofty]

I'd say it's both, I also agree with a theory my Scouse friend proposed that the further away from Anfield a Liverpool fan hails from the more deranged and rabid they are.

Also I think it is easier to be irked for rival fans to be irked by these 'plastics' when they give hot takes or goad their local rivals. I saw one yesterday where Paddy Power or whoever posted something about the new Everton ground, a guy was in the comments mocking Everton and was immediately being pulled for being a Liverpool fan from Somerset.

All these interactions didn't exist years ago, and even stuff like the endless coverage. Football is now a product, every drop of analysis possible must be milked and searingly hot takes fired at every opportunity. Just look at stuff like the suggestion teams and fans shouldn't celebrate results, celebrating anything less than a trophy win is pathetic and tinpot despite the fact recently unless your team hails from Manchester or Liverpool the chances of your team winning a trophy are slim.

[Jimmy Floyd]

When you think back to coverage from my childhood, Jimmy Hill and Trevor Brooking and people like that, it all had a sense of perspective. Carragher and Neville are all deadly serious opinion. Also doesn't help that the football industry has grown up to completely dwarf other sports and frankly other weekend activities, in a sort of kickball-industrial complex, which is inevitably going to fuel a sense of its own massive importance.

[Lofty]

I suppose the greatest example of where it all went wrong is Arsenal Fan TV.

[niko_cee]

lol at Gasperini going full Trump on Lookman's penalty taking pedigree. Embarrassing stuff.

"Lookman was not supposed to take that penalty, he is one of the worst penalty takers I've ever seen,"

Fact check: Lookman's record for Atalanta is now four out of five and in his professional career 4 out of 6.

[Mike]

. Because my postcode no longer begins with L, I have to buy a membership to the club site, to then be in the privileged position of being able to apply into the ballot, for any potential leftover tickets against the team of my choosing. This after all the L postcodes are given theirs, so there may be none left. Only then will I be lucky enough to be able to hand them some £60+ for a ticket.

I’ve left my address on the site as my L postcode one and I’ve still had ticked for one game in 3 years. Such a pain.

[Ben]

£15m to sack Ten Hag.

I look forward to seeing the figure for Shamorim.

[Jimmy Floyd]

WFH? What The Fuss? Working from Heim is not a crime. There seems a mild fuss over Thomas Tuchel’s preparations for his first England squad, that he’s not at every game he can be. A storm in a Tommy T cup.

Sir Henry has finally lost it I think. Sad day.

[Gray Fox]

Not another performance like against Wolves please.

[Luke Emia]

I’m of the understanding that Sir Henry is no longer working for a newspaper no? Where is he putting his musings?

[randomlegend]

I’m of the understanding that Sir Henry is no longer working for a newspaper no? Where is he putting his musings?

Nowhere, Jim's got his and Dominic Cumming's phones bugged so he's got something to masturbate to.

[Gray Fox]

It's not a red card but that's silly from Disasi to give the referee the chance there.

[Gray Fox]

Top assist from Garcia.

[Waffdon]

Of course Salah scared another open goal tap in. I’m utterly sick of this deviant. Luckiest footballer in the world.

[Gray Fox]

Villa sending every attack up their left. Almost like we have a weakness there or something.

[Ben]

What is wrong with De Bruyne this time? Pep is such a fucking weirdo. They simply don’t win without him on the pitch yet he gets benched anyway in the biggest game of their season.

[Waffdon]

That Villa front 4 might score 5 or 6 against Chelsea on Saturday if they’re up for it. Every single one of them (barring maybe Asensio) is an absolute athlete which bodes well

[Waffdon]

What is wrong with De Bruyne this time? Pep is such a fucking weirdo. They simply don’t win without him on the pitch yet he gets benched anyway in the biggest game of their season.

Eh? He’s fallen off a cliff this year. Completely lost his legs

[Gray Fox]

Watkins with pretty much one chance, one goal. Jota has been in the position he squared it to Salah from about 5 times and wasted almost every one.

He may regret not swapping Nunez out for a new centre forward.

[Waffdon]

Could be another long few years for European teams. Looks like this front 3 is fully clicking these days. Looool. Madrid are just different gravy

[Ben]

They lose a lot less when he starts. Fair enough rest him against Southampton et al but this is where they need him. He’s still up the top of their assists and they need someone to create goals here. Nobody else on the pitch looks capable.

[Gray Fox]

No idea how we're top of the league playing like this so often.

[Gray Fox]

Insert breaking bad gif.

[Waffdon]

‘Another goal involvement from mo Salah’ as be passes 2 yards to a bloke scoring from a massive deflection from 18 yards. FML

[Gray Fox]

Villa look absolutely goosed. Dead on their feet.

[Luke Emia]

‘Another goal involvement from mo Salah’ as be passes 2 yards to a bloke scoring from a massive deflection from 18 yards. FML

This is a very weird hill to be dying on when he’s been comfortably the best player in the league this season so far.

[Gray Fox]

That Nunez miss will resurrect Baz from his chicken pox death.

[Shindig]

Being in the right place that many times has to transcend luck.

[Luke Emia]

That Nunez miss will resurrect Baz from his chicken pox death.

He’s fucking useless. If we had anything up top we’d have the league sewn up by now.

[randomlegend]

Does Nunez still pass the eye test, lads?

[randomlegend]

Man City

[Jimmy Floyd]

Crisis club Liverpool slump to an eight-point lead.

[Manc]

Slot got those substitutions very wrong. Trent was cooking and Jota looked lively.

[Spoonsky]

Yes he did. Though Bradley played well and his ball for that Darwin chance was superb. I think I’d like to see Darwin never play for this club again, can we have Divock Origi back please?

[Clunge]

We were excellent tonight. And we've still got shitloads of players to come back to fitness. Love love love seeing Jacob Ramsey back, and Rogers is a machine. Malen looking super lively too.

[Gray Fox]

Yeah Villa played well. Took 10-15 mins or so but they really figured out getting through the press then and were good value for the lead. Both teams looked dead on their feet about 80 mins in and I think bringing Nunez on just killed the ability to sustain attacks.

Jota was much busier but both ended up spurning massive chances. Defence is suddenly a little bit leaky. If we can win away at City and then at home to Newcastle, I'll be quite happy with how this period has gone.

[Manc]

Football Italia firmly in the mud.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The most overrated football nation in the world has another blinder. Think the last two days all but guarantees England's 5th CL place.

[phonics]

Feyenoord or PSV for us it is. 18 matches played for us to do traditional group stage tie in the round of 16. Great stuff.

[AJ23]

Counting down the days until Pep calls it a day.

Snapping at journalists and kids on the street. Nothing to win. 115 charges. Kevin Keegan reincarnated.

So sad. Such a great club that tried to do things the right way.

[Shindig]

Keegan only snapped once. Pep's been like this for months.

[AJ23]

Keegan only snapped once. Pep's been like this for months.

True. His marriage failing on top is seeing him cracking like humpty dumpty. It's a lot to deal with.

[niko_cee]

Does Nunez still pass the eye test, lads?

That he seems to have got progressively worse is unfortunate. I don't see much of Uruguay but when I do it seems the same with them. It must go beyond confidence, maybe he just can't be coached and attempts to do so, as is required in modern shape and structure football, are harmful / counterproductive. I don't think he's as bad as he seems to have become, but maybe Portuguese football is his level.

The BBC had a thing about him and whilst not great his 'numbers' weren't necessarily as bad as you would imagine, although obviously still fairly bad.

Shame. Everyone wants a talismanic 'nine' but there are vanishingly few these days and trying to buy them is a mugs game.

[niko_cee]

What has happened to all the other European competitions? Don't they also have bloated new formats?

[Gray Fox]

I just think he has no composure at all. Gets that tunnel vision. You can see it in him. When he gets the ball he has already decided what he wants to do. If he wants to cut in onto his right and shoot, he's going to ignore everything and do it.

He did go through a phase of setting Salah up for a fair few goals, but even that has dried up. I thought the Brentford winner might have spurred him on, but that the manager immediately dropped him back to the bench says a lot. Speaking of, he is the first real example of Slot calling a player of his out. I did notice it myself too. Once he missed that sitter he started sulking about the pitch.

It's annoying because he has everything else. He's the perfect size you'd want and has pace to burn. Doesn't seem to get injured much. Has that trait of the ball always seeming to find him too. He even usually has the work rate unquestionably.

I've been noticing him be very rarely played even when rotation is needed, but this just puts the stamp on the summer transfer really. I'd be surprised if he's in the squad for City.

[Luke Emia]

I lost my patience with him at the Palace home game last season he was diabolical and he hasn’t been any better in my eyes in the games I have been to this season - Don’t worry lads I’m at Southampton at home in a couple of weeks so that will see them reach the magic 12 points.

But since probably last March he has stopped doing the things he was good and couldn’t knock him for. Always getting into positions to score, being a general nuisance and always working hard. If he’s not doing those things(which he isn’t at the minute) he’s fucking useless and yes he seems to have turned into a sulky teenager whenever he does get on the pitch but his performances over the past getting on for 3 seasons don’t warrant him starting.

[Shindig]

Its a bit like Joelinton when he used to see the whites of the goalpost. Blood goes straight to his head and he POWERS IT TO HEAVEN.

[phonics]

I've just found out Zaha is playing in the MLS this week.

Unai Emergy tried to give Saka to Palace in return for him.