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I can’t get used to it.
[Runs into thread with tee-shirt pulled up over head] THIRD THIRD, BLOODY THIRD [/runs out of thread]
Lol @nickc - I was just downplaying it 😉 The thing I like most is there's no dramas, no red-top back page 'exclusives', no managerial soap operas or players fighting each other. Just a massive amount of competence and hard work. It's nice flying under the national radar a bit - for however long it lasts.
Don’t think they deserved to lose 4-1 yesterday
I agree. The result flattered Newcastle. Southampton looked about 3 players away from a really decent team. Unfortunately, 1 of those is a goalscorer, one is a centre-half to play alongisde Salisu and the other is not Theo Walcott!
They looked good box to box but dreadful at either end. Nathan Jones a possibility. That would be a gamble after his spell at Stoke.
Think Southampton are in trouble, they spent on youth the last year, and it's not easy to integrate it into the team, same with Forest. The talk about replacing him with Nathan Jones isn't going to inspire confidence either and doubt he'll rock the boat with the issues that Hassenhuttl had, and there's no real money to make signings, you could see they've changed their policy to sign youth and hope to sell for profit.
Sean Dyche would probably be a good fit for the relegation battle, but would he be as easy to deal with for the board at Southampton, can see Jones getting it for that reason.
Sepp Blatter, that incorruptible man of the football, said today that awarding Qatar the world cup was a mistake as the place is too small. Well at last we can move on.
Too small? So nothing to do with their dreadful human rights record?
Jesus ****ing Christ..
Yeah, I mean we can look past the human rights record, the deaths of hundreds, probably thousands, of workers who built the stadia in basically slave-like condition, the appalling attitude towards LGBTQ+ people, and the rampant, blatant corruption that got the tournament awarded there in the first place, but there's no denying that it's a small place. Its why the Isle of Man has never hosted it.
Newcastle United what a change! What a transformation! Wahey!
Every time they played I kept recalling the time they were under the previous manager, Steve what his name.
Newcastle United what a change! What a transformation! Wahey!
It's as though the conversations about human rights abuses and dirty money have never happened....
If only the voice of reason and man of the people Sepp Blatter could have been in a position to influence the decision, this utter farce and all the associated unpleasantness of loads of dead migrant workers could all have been avoided
If only…
Sorry, I wasn't aware of such human rights abuses in Newcastle as well. I thought they willingly took them shirts off.
Sepp Blatter, that incorruptible man of the football, said today that awarding Qatar the world cup was a mistake as the place is too small. Well at last we can move on.
He didn't want it go there in the first place, supported the US bid, and voiced his opinion at the time.
He's still an utter arse though.
This is pretty timely and explains the utter farce of the awarding of the Qatar World Cup.
I’ve ended up watching all episodes of FIFA Uncovered on Netflix. An absolutely damning documentary on the flagrant corruption of the grifters at FIFA, going back decades. Qatar is nothing new. They awarded the 78 World Cup to a military dictatorship who were literally killing dissidents around the corner from the stadiums and Sepp Blatter was absolutely instrumental in that decision.
Everyone involved with FIFA is completely corrupt. They don’t even care about trying to cover it up, they’re all so bent. They all consider themselves to be untouchable, Sepp Blatter more than anyone. He still does. He’s still totally unapologetic.
Even though you know it’s all dodgy, because the scale of it has been normalised, this is genuinely shocking. Just the sheer scale of the blatant corruption. It’s more like a Colombian drugs cartel than a sports governing body. As an organisation it is absolutely rotten to the core
Agree, but the last world cup was held in Russia, a state who've killed and caused more misery than Qatar could only dream off. The time to protest was 10 years ago not the week before.
I’d half forgotten that the Russia and Qatar world cups were awarded on the same day, at the same ceremony in an orgy of corruption
There’s lots of footage of Blatter, Platini, and the almost comedicly bent Chuck Blazer and Jack Walker all back-slapping with their new best pal Putin, who I’m sure had made hearty donations to their jet set lifestyles
Anyway.. it feels really weird that this will be the last days ‘proper’ football until after Christmas. The whole thing is ridiculous
Well done Brentford. You absolutely love to see it.
Oh, does that mean Arsenal will do a Leicester?
It’s as though the conversations about human rights abuses and dirty money have never happened….
And it's as though the above mentioned problems didn't exist until NUFC were bought
Well done Brentford. You absolutely love to see it.
Ivan Toney sending a message to Southgate 😂
Raheem Sterling and Callum Wilson both not in the squads as they’re ‘ill’, and Maddison taken off ‘injured’ but all smiles after a miraculous recovery at the final whistle
When’s Potter getting sacked then?
I’m going 27th December
When’s Potter getting sacked then?
Before or after Lampard? what are the odds on Potter getting sacked then replacing Lampard at Everton?
I think this just demonstrates that good managers still need the right environment to succeed in. Brighton might be a smaller club with a lower budget, but they were well run and geared to give the manager what he needed within that budget. Where as Chelsea are geared up to give the owner what he wants, and the manager is just one of those choices without though of how he fits into the whole aims of the club achieving success.
Hi, just logging in to say that Arsenal are top of the league and will be until at least the end of December. Merry christmas everyone.
They’ve got a real chance of winning it! They seem pretty relentless, and have made the most of a pretty kind fixture list early on to gain momentum. City are unstoppable front runners but less so chasing.
They’ve got a real chance of winning it! They seem pretty relentless, and have made the most of a pretty kind fixture list early on to gain momentum.
Sort of, but the team's littered with hard-to-replace players and a relatively small number of injuries - Partey, Ødegaard, Jesus, Saliba, Martinelli, Saka - would have a disproportionate impact. Contrast with Citeh who have ridiculous strength in depth, which is how they keep winning the Carabao Cup - Arsenal's back-up players lost mid-week to Brighton, they're not terrible, but there's no like-for-like replacement option for at least the first three of the above plus arguably Matinelli who is on fire atm.
In short, if they all stay fit, it's a possibility, but even then, it's a very young team and at some point they're bound to have a bad patch. Great to be a gooner regardless, looking like a proper team again 🙂
I have been wrong before and could regret saying this, but I can't see arsenal winning. they've won part 1. Part 2, the longer and far far tougher part is going to break teams, a lot of teams.... An awful lot of broken teams are going to break a bit more. I think arsenal will break.
Oh and Newcastle, they will break too.... Maybe 😂
Bitterness,rage and wor flags will fuel the Toon till the very end.
I've no clue who'll win it this year, Man City look like the best EPL team ever one week, and then go and lose the following week, Arsenal are getting results, whereas previously they'd fall apart, with players like Partey, Xhaka, Saliba, etc suddenly playing like their price tags.
The thing that's big this season though is that most teams can give the big boys a game, Fulham looked good today against ManU, Brentford showed their ability at City, Wolves who are bottom of the table looked way better than that against Arsenal, it's just so many banana skins for those at the top, look at Leicester, looked like a dead team a month ago, now mid-table and doing well.
I have been wrong before and could regret saying this, but I can’t see arsenal winning. they’ve won part 1. Part 2, the longer and far far tougher part is going to break teams
As Fergie always said: the season doesn’t start until January.
And that’s in a normal season, without some bonkers World Cup chucked in the middle.
Anyway: god only knows how we got 3 points out of that today. We were shite! Again! The new kid got us out of jail. He looks good! I think the comparisons with a young Ronnie when he started for United are a bit premature. Why do the press insist on piling on the pressure on young players?
Had a look at Arsenal’s fixtures and their next two they ‘should’ win and then they’ve got a tough run in January. Also got to fit the postponed City game in somewhere, so yep, you’re right Binners, let’s see how things are by the end of January.
If they can stay ahead Pep could get angsty and start fannying about like he does in the Champions League.
We've spoken about the redemption of Granit Xhaka but Shirley the comeback of Christian Eriksen from a heart attack is pretty special.
I still can't see anyone touching City this year. We're top now, but it's only a matter of time before we start to slip. I think we will be battling for the top 4 spot by March.
Good. That’s what football should be all about. Create teams not buy them.
We’ve spoken about the redemption of Granit Xhaka but Shirley the comeback of Christian Eriksen from a heart attack is pretty special
It’s truly gob-smacking considering he very nearly died. He’s also been our best signing for a long time. He was one of the few players who looked like he could actually be bothered yesterday in another worryingly flat and clueless performance.
Ronaldo showing once again what a narcissistic arsehole he is.
Ronaldo showing once again what a narcissistic arsehole he is.
Right up there with bears defecating in woodland.
yesterday in another worryingly flat and clueless performance.
I know nothing about football, being an Ipswixh fan, but I caught the highlights of tbe ManU game last night and they didn't look as bad as I'd expected from binners previous comment. Maybe the edit flattered them.
But Ericksen's recovery is literally miraculous and comes across as a decent bloke too.
ManU had a tough game, and snatched a win, so good 3 points, but Fulham were going through them a few times, and if Mitrovic had been fit it could have been a real test for the ManU defence.
But, they now have time to get back on track, get injured players back, get Ronaldo out and maybe look at January signings if needed.
Think Arsenal are always just looking for the top 4, they really will be playing it game by game, they will also have some players back and healthy when they start again, it's really going to be interesting to see what the World Cup does for some players and teams, we're going to be getting into the last few weeks of the season and those who have a lot of players at the WC will probably suffer, Arsenal and Newcastle don't need to worry about Europe as much either, Newcastle not in it and Arsenal just picking and choosing who they play.
I'm going to put this here rather than in the 'Netflix' thread, but just in case you had missed it -
[url= https://www.channel4.com/programmes/italia-90-when-football-changed-forever/on-demand/74364-001 ]Italia 90: When Football Changed Forever[/url] -
- 3 parts, you'll love it.
I'm really struggling to care about Qatar 2022
I'm not even sure if I'll watch any of the group stage games. Anyone else disinterested?
For the genuine fans - if you win will it be a real World Cup? Will it feel like a real win or more like one of those pre-season tournaments in Bangkok or Tokyo?
I'll certainly be watching but I won't be glueing Panini stickers or be a slave to a wallchart. But then it's winter so sod all else to do.
I tell myself I'm disinterested but will probably end up watching it.
As for the moral issues, as uncomfortable as I am with it we have to remember that the last one was in Russia, a few years after they invaded Eastern Ukraine and annexed Crimea, we've had a world cup in Argentina under a military dictatorship and we've just had an Olympics in China.
Ultimately, we as a nation don't have much say where it's held. We do however have control of our own borders (stop laughing at the back) and no one is forcing us to have the kind of owners we have a Citeh, Newacstle and formerly Chelsea.
So in that sense, we're all in this together, and not in a good way I haven't boycotted the Premier League so to do so with the Quatar world cup would be sanctimonious in the extreme.
That leaves the only valid reason for boycotting it is that it mucks up the Premier League season. Which admittedly, is a valid reason.
of the 3 examples above Citeh's owners aren't remotely as bad as Saudi Royalty and Putin's stooge
That leaves the only valid reason for boycotting it is that it mucks up the Premier League season. Which admittedly, is a valid reason.
The BBC news is presently showing interviews with the impoverished families of migrant workers who have been killed while building the stadiums
I know that East Manchester is a bit dodgy, but I can’t recall anyone actually being killed from falling off scaffolding or crushed to death by building debris while the Emptyad was going up
So there’s that too
You boycotting it binners?
I’ve said many times on these footy threads that if there were never another game of international football played ever again, I’d do a little happy dance.
I couldn’t give a toss about Engerland, and international matches are, in the main, utterly tedious shite. I disliked the whole thing immensely, even before this utterly farcical orgy of corruption
So I won’t boycotting it as such, just treating it with the usual sneering disdain I have for international football.
The sooner this whole sorry circus is over, so we can get on with the ‘proper’ footy, the better.
The only interest I have in it will be keeping an eye on any half-decent United players* picking up injuries
* so not Harry Maguire, obvs
re: injuries etc.
this is an interesting read
France will win anyway. Or Argentina. But most likely Brazil or Spain.
Does anyone actually care?
The Mash pretty much nailed it back in June
How’s it a football tournament if you’re not pissed in the garden?”
"The Phenomenon: Ronaldo" documentary on BBC4 tonight is worth a watch on iPlayer
Does anyone actually care?
You're right but if I look at my mates as the definitive example, those that support "big clubs", Chelsea, Spurs, West Ham etc see internationals as a nuisance but if you follow a smaller clubs then they also tend to follow the international team.
For me there's been some memorable world cup moments:
Maradonna's 2 goals
Ronaldinho lobbing Seaman
West Germany penalties Italy 90
Ireland v Italy, New York
Etc.
I still can’t see anyone touching City this year. We’re top now, but it’s only a matter of time before we start to slip. I think we will be battling for the top 4 spot by March.
This is the perfect season for Arsenal to try to avoid their normal post-Christmas malaise. The WC is a massive reset button, so hopefully instead of fading in the second half of the season they can effectively have two first halves, as long as their biggest names stay injury free at the WC.
City are monstrous on their day, but they don't seem totally balanced and the loss of Jesus/Sterling is significant.
Even as a long-term City supporter, I'm enjoying Arsenal being exciting and in the mix this season, what with Liverpool and Utd being mediocre. Even better if Newcastle can keep up their current form.
To be honest I don't know why football doesn't take a leaf out of rugby's book and carry on the season minus those on international duty.
.... because the Premier League attracts money grabbers from across the globe. Citeh have 16 players missing, Utd 14 etc The are over 120 players at WC2022 from the league.
Although it would be funny watching Top5 second string team play a virtually full strength lower ranked team
To be honest I don’t know why football doesn’t take a leaf out of rugby’s book and carry on the season minus those on international duty
That’s actually a pretty good idea. Then at Christmas the top 4 would be Bournemouth, Wolves, Brentford and Fulham and all the ‘big’ clubs would have to play catch up 😂
Most EPL matches are tedious shite.
City would still have Haaland up front!
and a back 4 of Derek (IT manager), Jeanette (accounts payable), Tariq (legal) and Daryl (youth team)
I got Ecuador in the work sweepstake. So that's the final nail in the coffin.
Most EPL matches are tedious shite
Even better if Newcastle can keep up their current form.
The toon are going to win the league. There, I said it. 😳
I can understand an Engurland fan complaining about internationals being tedious. You sit through a load of dull one sided qualification matches and then when things get spicy you get knocked out. But for a fan of an EPL club to complain about corruption....
Been adamant that I wasn't interested but succumbed to the work sweepstake today, and will be working from home when England play their opener 🤷♂️
I can understand an Engurland fan complaining about internationals being tedious. You sit through a load of dull one sided qualification matches and then when things get spicy you get knocked out
Life is way too short to watch Engerland qualifying matches. I’d rather remove my own kidneys with a teaspoon
But for a fan of an EPL club to complain about corruption….
Personally, I despise the owners of the club I support with a passion I normally reserve only for Tory MP’s. They’re money-grubbing parasites who are destroying the club and I despise them with every fibre of my being.
But they haven’t killed anyone that I know of, and if you’re talking about corruption; if there were a Champions League for it then nobody could even begin to compete with the unholy alliance of FIFA and Qatar (and Putins Russia)
Watch the Netflix documentary FIFA Uncovered and marvel at the sheer audacity of their unapologetic bentness. It’s staggering! And they still don’t give a flying ****!
I think it’s time to concentrate on the football now folks. If you’re not sure how to do that, you can ask NUFC fans.
With or without unfeasibly huge striped shirt?
Has anyone else noticed that Newcastle's 3rd kit is basically the Saudi national kit?
Proper piss-take
Like Natalie Imbruglia, i'm torn.
Being a fan of the Mighty 'Boro - *disambiguation* Stafford Rangers - i've no skin in the Big Boy's Game.
'Boycotting' it seems uniquely pointless, but sort of worthwhile. Watching it as an England fan would be almost exactly the same, except of the two, maybe a bit less worthwhile.
I love the World Cup, and have done since staying up late to watch my first one in '86 - was actually in Italy in '90 for Scotland's final group game against Brazil - not Scottish or Brazilian, just knew it was going to be an epic party and it didn't disappoint.
I think/know i'll be sucked into it, and that probably makes me a sucker.
But when played beautifully, it's a beautiful game isn't it?
Guess this'll be the reason Wilson got picked for the squad over Toney...
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/63653384
More likely it’s just because he plays for Brentford.
Whereas Harry Maguire occasionally makes the odd substitute appearance for United, when all the first choices are injured, and he’s presently in Qatar, wearing the captains armband and will probably start every game
His kinfolk back in Easter Island will be proud.
I’ve said many times on these footy threads that if there were never another game of international football played ever again, I’d do a little happy dance.
I couldn’t give a toss about Engerland, and international matches are, in the main, utterly tedious shite. I disliked the whole thing immensely, even before this utterly farcical orgy of corruption
So I won’t boycotting it as such, just treating it with the usual sneering disdain I have for international football.
They did a bit about this on Radio 5. How much of that is due to the fact that we've never done anything other than disappoint and fail for our whole lives. All we've had is expectation because we do (fact) have the best league in the world - due to all the dirty forriners - and perennial underachieving national teams.
The Brazilians, Argentinians, Germans, Italians (Qatar being a bit of a fly in the ointment obvs) are generally mad for it, on the basis they've got a dog properly in the fight since forever.
Did you really not get a teeny bit enthusiastic during Italia 90, Euro 96, or last years?
Did you really not get a teeny bit enthusiastic during Italia 90, Euro 96, or last years?
I absolutely loved Italia 90 and Euro 96, but after that it was the law of diminishing returns. What really did it for me was the so-called ‘Golden Generation’ capitulating in the most pathetic manner imaginable in South Africa in 2010, with ‘Engerlands Lionheart’ John Terry swaggering about being a horrible racist **** and I decided I didn’t really like anything at all about the set up of Engerland and I wouldn’t be bothering wasting another second of my time with them.
I’m aware that things have improved since then, but I just can’t summon even the tiniest interest in the national squad.
Anyway.. back to today and the Qatar government have just changed their minds about selling beer at the grounds.
Qatar bans beer from World Cup stadiums after 11th-hour U-turn
I can’t think of many sentences that willl ruin your day more than:
“There is no impact to the sale of Bud Zero, which will remain available at all Qatar’s World Cup stadiums.”
😂
“There is no impact to the sale of Bud Zero, which will remain available at all Qatar’s World Cup stadiums.”
Given the controversial nature of the tournament - you'd think they wouldn't piss off a sponsor at the 11th hour.
How do they expect England fans to get drunk enough to pop flare's up their bums?
I find quite amusing that FIFA are about to take a good financial kicking if the major even sponsor cant sell its products or advertise at the grounds.
To me it shows how awful football is that its seems near compulsory to be on the beers to make it watchable
To me it shows how awful football is that its seems near compulsory to be on the beers to make it watchable
You do know that isn't the reason why people choose to have a beer at a football match don't you?
Edit (unless you are a Man Yoo fan 😉 )
To me it shows how awful football is that its seems near compulsory to be on the beers to make it watchable
Have you seen Man Yoo’s defence over the last few seasons? I’m not enduring watching that while sober.
And most Engerland games are so tedious, I’d recommend taking acid to enliven them
I got England in the work sweepstake so that would seem to be the kiss of death.
Appreciate that international matches are a bit dull when compared to the soap opera at Man U...
It would be more interesting to spike the teams drinks with acid, shudder to think where your imagination would go having a bad trip in midfield with slabhead behind you.