The 2022-2023 Football Thread

[Scepticalscribe]

Today, the Community Shield, (formerly, for those of us of a certain vintage, the Charity Shield), a game between last season's champions in the Premier League (Manchester City) and the team that won (in other words, the team that is the current holder of) the FA Cup, namely Liverpool - and a fixture that is traditionally the curtain raiser to a new football season - is being played.

Thus, I think it appropriate to start a new thread for the football season of 2022-2023.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

And Liverpool are currently in the lead, by a gaol to nil.

 

[Apple fanboy]

And Liverpool are currently in the lead, by a gaol to nil.

Two teams I’d like to see both lose. Hopefully City get really tired before next weekends more important fixture.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Two teams I’d like to see both lose. Hopefully City get really tired before next weekends more important fixture.

I know that, technically speaking (writing?), the outcome of this match is not terribly important.

But, firstly, it does serve as a sort of curtain raiser to a new season, and secondly, - sometimes - it does send an early signal that all might not be as well as might be, at one of the top clubs.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

A very impressive victory for Liverpool - who won by three goals to one - against Manchester City in the Community Shield (the Charity Shield, to those of us of a certain vintage).

 

[pachyderm]

I'll take that point!

 

[pachyderm]

Dammit.

Had them 1-0 and let them off the hook yet again. I can't figure out how we don't keep pressing as much as possible the entire game.

Pictures of nothing in particular... lol

Not sure why it looks like I quoted myself...

 

[Lord Blackadder]

You can't read too much into preseason matches or indeed the Charity Shield - a match that is neither a friendly nor major silverware (unlese you're Jose Mourinho) but has a high profile due to the usual opponents. Having said that I'm sure that beating strong Man City lineup is good for team morale going into the season, even if this team are experienced enough not to let it go to their heads.

Liverpool have now refreshed their front line, a necessary but always risky and expensive process. There is truly no replacement for the Salah, Firmino, Mané trio at their historical best. But that doesn't mean the current group can't be just as good in their own way, and of course Salah may have several years left at his peak. Bobby Firmino is clearly past his best but is still an excellent squad player who is universally liked and offers something unique. And of course we now have to see how things play out between Jota, Díaz, Nuñez, and Carvalho (the latter probably a bit part player but one for the future, as they say). The raw materials for a fearsome attacking unit are all there.

On paper I expect another year of Man City winning the title. Why would anyone assume otherwise? But Liverpool have done well in the transfer market and retain the core of a world-class, experienced squad, so I expect to see them finishing second after pushing Man City hard again, coupled with a good European campaign. And of course if Man City stumble Liverpool will hopefully be right there.

More interesting perhaps will be to see how the rest of the top six shake out. To me all of Spurs, Arsenal, Man Utd, and Chelsea are wildcards. All of them have made some major signings and of course Man Utd now have a permanent manager in the hot seat. But only two of them are likely to qualify for the Champions League.

I am looking forward to starting the season with a very sour-looking CR7 on the pitch for Man Utd, wishing he were somewhere else. Mind you, he'll still probably be scoring goals, but even so I bet ten Hag also wishes Ronaldo were somewhere else.

 

[Apple fanboy]

You can't read too much into preseason matches or indeed the Charity Shield - a match that is neither a friendly nor major silverware (unlese you're Jose Mourinho) but has a high profile due to the usual opponents. Having said that I'm sure that beating strong Man City lineup is good for team morale going into the season, even if this team are experienced enough not to let it go to their heads.

Liverpool have now refreshed their front line, a necessary but always risky and expensive process. There is truly no replacement for the Salah, Firmino, Mané trio at their historical best. But that doesn't mean the current group can't be just as good in their own way, and of course Salah may have several years left at his peak. Bobby Firmino is clearly past his best but is still an excellent squad player who is universally liked and offers something unique. And of course we now have to see how things play out between Jota, Díaz, Nuñez, and Carvalho (the latter probably a bit part player but one for the future, as they say). The raw materials for a fearsome attacking unit are all there.

On paper I expect another year of Man City winning the title. Why would anyone assume otherwise? But Liverpool have done well in the transfer market and retain the core of a world-class, experienced squad, so I expect to see them finishing second after pushing Man City hard again, coupled with a good European campaign. And of course if Man City stumble Liverpool will hopefully be right there.

More interesting perhaps will be to see how the rest of the top six shake out. To me all of Spurs, Arsenal, Man Utd, and Chelsea are wildcards. All of them have made some major signings and of course Man Utd now have a permanent manager in the hot seat. But only two of them are likely to qualify for the Champions League.

I am looking forward to starting the season with a very sour-looking CR7 on the pitch for Man Utd, wishing he were somewhere else. Mind you, he'll still probably be scoring goals, but even so I bet ten Hag also wishes Ronaldo were somewhere else.

Not got high hopes for the new season.
Extra substitution will favour the greedy six over those teams pushing to break into the top six.
Mid season break for the World Cup won’t be good either.
Hope I’m wrong, but suspect it won’t be a great season for the Hammers.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Had to work today, but I had the Women's Euro final on in the background and it's a big day for England, winning their first major trophy (men's OR women's) since 1966. Not only that, but they beat a very good Germany team in the final.

England Women looked mentally strong, they gave up a late equalizer but instead of following the usual England script they replied with a winner.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Had to work today, but I had the Women's Euro final on in the background and it's a big day for England, winning their first major trophy (men's OR women's) since 1966. Not only that, but they beat a very good Germany team in the final.

England Women looked mentally strong, they gave up a late equalizer but instead of following the usual England script they replied with a winner.

Just as well it didn’t go to penalties!
Well done to the England Women’s team.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Just as well it didn’t go to penalties!
Well done to the England Women’s team.

When the Germans equalized, you could feel the crowd deflate. Yet England kept plugging away and maybe, just maybe, the Germans were tiny bit complacent about going to PKs and took their foot off the gas a little? it was a scrappy winner but they all count and England's first goal was a great chip.

 

[HandsomeDanNZ]

Fabulous stuff. Football really did come home.
Great to see some impassioned pleas to get the women's game recognised for what it is. An unmitigated success story.
Ian Wright begging for girls to be able to play football for PE (I didn't know they couldn't).

Super crowd, too - a record for any Euro final, apparently.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Well done to Englands ladies on a brilliant win at the Euro’s. They’ve certainly embarrassed our as always overhyped mens national team.

I watched the community shield match in a Bayern Munich bar which was a first for me. Great win for liverpool though and a match where it’s not the most important trophy, but one a team wants to win to send a message when starting a new season. Beating a full strength Man City is a nice start.

 

[mrsmith1]

Very much looking forward to Nottingham Forest being back in the Premier League for the first time in 23 years!

 

[Apple fanboy]

Very much looking forward to Nottingham Forest being back in the Premier League for the first time in 23 years!

They’ve certainly spent a lot. Hope the gamble pays off for them. I’ve not yet forgiven them for the Jessie Lingard gazumping.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Very much looking forward to Nottingham Forest being back in the Premier League for the first time in 23 years!

It strange that such a big English team has spent so long out of the Premier League and I agree, good to see them back.

 

[mrsmith1]

They’ve certainly spent a lot. Hope the gamble pays off for them. I’ve not yet forgiven them for the Jessie Lingard gazumping.

Gazumping? hmmmmm

 

[Silencio]

Forest is going to be a lot of people's second favorite team this season. It may be a tall order for them to stay up, and a lot of their key players from last season are gone. Hopefully they bought well enough. Their midfield will be poorer without James Garner, who can hopefully carve out a role at United — he will certainly be called upon more if Frankie de Jong doesn't come, and that whole saga is getting very tiresome.

Ronaldo and Mendes have played this summer extremely poorly and done real damage to Ronaldo's legacy at United. Even if United will be light up top, I want him gone. He doesn't fit with the way Ten Hag plays, so why waste a year accommodating him?

And congratulations to the Lionesses: thoroughly deserved champions of Europe. It's impressive how the English women's game has grown so quickly after being utterly ignored for far too long. Both England and Germany are legitimate challengers to the US in the next World Cup.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Really well done to the England Women's team on a brilliant victory and on actually winning the trophy (a first for English football, in any competition, as @Lord Blackadder has pointed out, since 1966); delighted for them, - they are thoroughly deserved champions - and thrilled for the women's game, in general.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Really well done to the England Women's team on a brilliant victory and on actually winning the trophy (a first for English football, in any competition, as @Lord Blackadder has pointed out, since 1966); delighted for them, and thrilled for the women's game.

Interesting how some of the football grounds that were not interested in hosting women internationals just 2 years ago are suddenly congratulating the England women. They’ve embarrassed our mens national team I think and I hope it adds pressure on them for the next real tournament which by my calculations is the Euro’s.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Interesting how some of the football grounds that were not interested in hosting women internationals just 2 years ago are suddenly congratulating the England women. They’ve embarrassed our mens national team I think and I hope it adds pressure on them for the next real tournament which by my calculations is the Euro’s.

Very interesting, and not to their credit.

Actually, I have been reading about the history of the women's game (during these championships - the history of football is something I am fascinated by), and how, immediately after the first world war, the women's game was exceptionally popular, (drawing vast crowds) and very competitive, setting high standards.

The FA then proceeded to play a very discreditable role in killing off the women's game for the subsequent half century.

 

[mrsmith1]

Forest is going to be a lot of people's second favorite team this season. It may be a tall order for them to stay up, and a lot of their key players from last season are gone. Hopefully they bought well enough. Their midfield will be poorer without James Garner, who can hopefully carve out a role at United — he will certainly be called upon more if Frankie de Jong doesn't come, and that whole saga is getting very tiresome.

Ronaldo and Mendes have played this summer extremely poorly and done real damage to Ronaldo's legacy at United. Even if United will be light up top, I want him gone. He doesn't fit with the way Ten Hag plays, so why waste a year accommodating him?

And congratulations to the Lionesses: thoroughly deserved champions of Europe. It's impressive how the English women's game has grown so quickly after being utterly ignored for far too long. Both England and Germany are legitimate challengers to the US in the next World Cup.

As long we have super Steve Cooper in charge, we will be alright.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Their midfield will be poorer without James Garner, who can hopefully carve out a role at United — he will certainly be called upon more if Frankie de Jong doesn't come, and that whole saga is getting very tiresome.

I'm relieved Liverpool aren't doing any business with Barca right now...it would be nothing but trouble. They've sold future TV rights to fund current purchases and are flogging Cruyff-branded NFTs. Gross. They still brag about their ownership model but the reality is, when you're in debt your creditors own you. And Barca now have a LOT of creditors.

As for Ronnie, he has painted himself into a bit of a corner. I don't see a destination for him at the moment unless PSG make a complete mockery of all their recent talk of moving away from a Galacticos model and swoop for him. Otherwise it'll be a weekly helping of Grumpy/Disengaged Christiano till at least January.

He would have been better off not making any noises in the press and just trying to get a move done quietly.

And congratulations to the Lionesses: thoroughly deserved champions of Europe. It's impressive how the English women's game has grown so quickly after being utterly ignored for far too long. Both England and Germany are legitimate challengers to the US in the next World Cup.

..and to be fair Germany were missing a couple of their best players and England were on home soil, so all things considered they did really well. If Popp had started I think she would have buried at least one of the chances Germany missed. That doesn't take anything away from England's win but I agree that Germany will be top contenders at the next women's WC.

Oh, and another reason to support the women's game - they don't do World Cups in Qatar in November.

 

[timsutcliffe]

League code for the Macrumors fantasy league:

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