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The 2023-2024 Football Thread
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Hammers seem to be making a lot of low-ball offers "take it or leave it". They run the risk of getting nobody.
I'm not sure you can say it was "Kind of" dumb.
That was braindead at this level.
She was played off the park, got frustrated and acted out. That's the kind of thing that an amateur does, not a pro at a World Cup.
She's lucky that it didn't have bigger consequences for the team.
I assume as it was violent conduct and a straight red card, she'll get a three match ban, ruling her out of the rest of the cup, assuming that the team makes the final.
Silly girl.
Not only that but ideally you’d have liked these players in weeks ago. If we do make signings this week, it might be too late for them to be available against Bournemouth.
Hopefully we get some business done today.
It's strange business.
As you say - you ideally want a bunch of new players to have weeks to integrate, learn the systems and get themselves comfortable in the squad.
The players they've been looking at are experienced professionals, but they'll still need to bed in over time.
It's also a bit unsettling for the teams they are tapping up. They will also want to replace those players and have time to so exactly that - but in these days of FFP, they can't move until they have funds.
I also think it's laughable that so many teams try the lowball trick, in this inflated market. If you can sell someone like Rice for GBP105m, then you can't expect to be treated to a bargain when buying a replacement. That goes for all teams, not just West Ham. Southampton do the same, as do Newcastle, Man City and others.
Also appears that Spurs and Munich will have trouble finding middle ground on the ageing Harold Kane. Yet another offer rejected.
I never saw Kane leaving Spurs this year. I’m not sure he wants to move abroad.
Just read some articles about the Saudi pro league and found that the owners of Newcastle United own the top 4 clubs in the Saudi Pro League
www.bbc.co.uk
Which means all the high profile players we have been reading about that have gone to the Saudi pro league have been bought by the same company, PIF. Surely that is not allowed, one club owning 4 clubs in the same league and buying players for each of those clubs. I thought FIFA rules did not allow such a thing to happen.
Also, it would now appear that Saudi run barber shops and fast food restaurants can now show the games as a internet streamer has won the rights to stream the games in the UK
www.bbc.co.uk
Saudi Arabia's PIF takes over four leading clubs
Four of the leading Saudi Arabian clubs are taken over by the country's Public Investment Fund.
www.bbc.co.uk
Which means all the high profile players we have been reading about that have gone to the Saudi pro league have been bought by the same company, PIF. Surely that is not allowed, one club owning 4 clubs in the same league and buying players for each of those clubs. I thought FIFA rules did not allow such a thing to happen.
Also, it would now appear that Saudi run barber shops and fast food restaurants can now show the games as a internet streamer has won the rights to stream the games in the UK
Saudi Pro League matches to be streamed in UK by DAZN
Streaming platform DAZN has secured exclusive rights to screen the Saudi Pro League in the UK.
www.bbc.co.uk
The Kane issue is weird to me because there does not appear to have been anything coming from Kane's camp that he 100% want's to leave Spurs but has not signed a new contract with them but Spurs seem to want to sell him but not to a rival PL team according to the clubs owner and yet they keep turning down good offers from Bayern for him.
PIF is the sovereign fund so in fact the country owns the clubs. The fund of course is "controlled" by Bin Salman so this is Abramovich playing Football Manager, the extended and supercharged version.Just read some articles about the Saudi pro league and found that the owners of Newcastle United own the top 4 clubs in the Saudi Pro League
Saudi Arabia's PIF takes over four leading clubs
Four of the leading Saudi Arabian clubs are taken over by the country's Public Investment Fund.
Which means all the high profile players we have been reading about that have gone to the Saudi pro league have been bought by the same company, PIF. Surely that is not allowed, one club owning 4 clubs in the same league and buying players for each of those clubs. I thought FIFA rules did not allow such a thing to happen.
Also, it would now appear that Saudi run barber shops and fast food restaurants can now show the games as a internet streamer has won the rights to stream the games in the UK
Saudi Pro League matches to be streamed in UK by DAZN
Streaming platform DAZN has secured exclusive rights to screen the Saudi Pro League in the UK.
Bit of a power struggle going on at West Ham right now. Moyes wants to be making the decisions on transfers. But others have different ideas.
Hope it gets sorted as we don’t need the turmoil on the eve of a new season.
Julien Lopetegui may also depart Wolves at the last moment, also due to lack of transfer activity. They going for that new manager bounce in MW1? Of course they're playing United to kick off the season.
Kane is probably using the fact that he'd leave on a free next year as leverage for Spurs to get a deal done now, but Levy and Bayern are both too stubborn to reach a consensus.
I'm glad United is sitting this one out, even though it's now known that Højlund is carrying a back injury and either needs to rest or be carefully managed to start out. Of course there's no ETA for Martial to return, and Greenwood's status is still an unsolved mystery. Long live Sancho as a False 9!
Kane is probably using the fact that he'd leave on a free next year as leverage for Spurs to get a deal done now, but Levy and Bayern are both too stubborn to reach a consensus.
I'm glad United is sitting this one out, even though it's now known that Højlund is carrying a back injury and either needs to rest or be carefully managed to start out. Of course there's no ETA for Martial to return, and Greenwood's status is still an unsolved mystery. Long live Sancho as a False 9!
I know United are desperate to buy a striker but it reeks of total desperation when they go ahead and buy an already injured striker.
Aaaaaaaand Lopetegui is out at Wolves.
Initially, I had thought that this came out of nowhere, but then - realising all of the headlines (and stories - and this is solely citing articles that had been published in the Guardian) over the past season where he had clearly signalled his manifest unhappiness with transfer policy, - no, this is no surprise, but does come at an inconvenient time.
If he refuses to sign a fresh contract, Spurs would be very foolish not to cash in on him now, as, next summer, he will walk away on a free transfer, leaving Spurs very much out of potential pocket.
But how does Spurs cash in on him if he refuses to move to a club abroad because he wants to stay in the PL to try and get the leagues goal scored record but the owner refuses to sell him to a PL club.
Do we know (for certain) that the (main) reason that the Bayern offer has been rejected is that Harry Kane would prefer not to move abroad?
To my mind, that does not fully make sense; rather, I think that both sides are indulging in a spot of brinksmanship.
Remember, last year, Harry Kane also wished to leave Spurs. He has made no secret of his unhappiness.
However, last year, the club had the stronger hand in these negotiations, as Kane was tied contracturally to them for a further two years. This is no longer the case; if they don't cash in now, from a financial perspective (and Spurs are not in the same league as the clubs financed by sports washing states), Kane will be a rapidly depreciating asset.
If HK wants CL football (before next season, when he can stroll away on a free transfer, rather than the coming season), he may have no choice but to move abroad.
And, if the club want to make any money at all from him, they really will have to think about cashing in on him - extract maximum value from him - this summer, as, from January, clubs will be free to openly treat with Harry Kane, while Spurs can expect to receive nothing next summer.
This is not a negligible player, and, moreover, there is a significant difference - even in these insane and inflationary times - between being in a position to pocket approximately £100million from transferring a player who wishes to leave and having your key asset and best player stroll away elsewhere on a free transfer next year.
Saints finally announce that Tino Livramento has gone to THAT club.
Newcastle made an offer that Saints could not refuse - £40million for a 20 year old that has only played in two competitive matches since busting his ACL - not bad business to be honest. If he carries on like he was, he'll end up being worth significantly more in the future.
Lopetegui being replaced swiftly by Gary O'Neill. Interesting choice and will remain to be seen how long that lasts...
Moyes unrest is terrible for Hammers - although there will be plenty of fans who will rejoice. He's not popular despite the relative success that the European adventure brought to the club...some are calling Hammers "European Champions". I think that's a stretch - Europa Conference League Champions, absolutely, but a long way from "European Champions".
Meanwhile in the WWC - France hammered Morocco 4-0 while the Colombians edged out Jamaica 1-0.
Quarterfinals are shaping up to be pretty exciting.
Friday night's games (NZT) will be epic:
Japan vs Sweden will be particularly tasty, while Spain vs Netherlands could go either way.
Australia have to be a little apprehensive, facing a strong French side, while the England vs Colombia match should see England as the misfiring favourites.
The WWC certainly has delivered!
Newcastle made an offer that Saints could not refuse - £40million for a 20 year old that has only played in two competitive matches since busting his ACL - not bad business to be honest. If he carries on like he was, he'll end up being worth significantly more in the future.
Lopetegui being replaced swiftly by Gary O'Neill. Interesting choice and will remain to be seen how long that lasts...
Moyes unrest is terrible for Hammers - although there will be plenty of fans who will rejoice. He's not popular despite the relative success that the European adventure brought to the club...some are calling Hammers "European Champions". I think that's a stretch - Europa Conference League Champions, absolutely, but a long way from "European Champions".
Meanwhile in the WWC - France hammered Morocco 4-0 while the Colombians edged out Jamaica 1-0.
Quarterfinals are shaping up to be pretty exciting.
Friday night's games (NZT) will be epic:
Japan vs Sweden will be particularly tasty, while Spain vs Netherlands could go either way.
Australia have to be a little apprehensive, facing a strong French side, while the England vs Colombia match should see England as the misfiring favourites.
The WWC certainly has delivered!
Truth is we have had European football for three years now. Not something any other West Ham manager delivered.
We were close to winning the Europa League the year before which would have given us CL football.
The trouble with a successful European run is the amount of games. We played 53 last year. That hurt our PL form for sure.
We need a few players if we are to play anything like that this year. We have had a number of squad players leave, and that puts more pressure on those that remain.
I wonder what the odds would have been if I had placed a bet on my predictions on who was going to win and go through to the quarter finals because all the teams I predicated to win did win 
. As I said in one of my posts, I am not a betting person but knowing what the odds were for such a bet would have been interesting
There is some very tough games ahead for all now. Very very difficult to predict who is going to go through to the semi finals.
. As I said in one of my posts, I am not a betting person but knowing what the odds were for such a bet would have been interesting There is some very tough games ahead for all now. Very very difficult to predict who is going to go through to the semi finals.
Just read that Bayern are going to put in a 4th bid for Kane of approx. £94 million. The club value Kane at £100 million.
This article I read is interesting https://uk.yahoo.com/news/harry-kane-tottenham-handed-potential-111627918.html because Kane has said he does not want to move once the season starts and there is also the issue of his wife currently being pregnant with their 4th child. I doubt Kane is going to want to move abroad whilst his wife is currently pregnant because he would want to be there for her for sure and it would be much much easier for him if he moved to another club in the UK rather than one abroad.
He only has 1 year of his contract left and if the club's chairman carries on playing hardball, the club could end up getting nothing for him because I doubt he will want to move in the January transfer window knowing he only has a few months left of his contract which once ended he can have his pick of which team he would like to join.
they say Levy is a very shrewd business man but if he does not accept Bayern's potential 4th bid then he be a fool in my opinion.
This article I read is interesting https://uk.yahoo.com/news/harry-kane-tottenham-handed-potential-111627918.html because Kane has said he does not want to move once the season starts and there is also the issue of his wife currently being pregnant with their 4th child. I doubt Kane is going to want to move abroad whilst his wife is currently pregnant because he would want to be there for her for sure and it would be much much easier for him if he moved to another club in the UK rather than one abroad.
He only has 1 year of his contract left and if the club's chairman carries on playing hardball, the club could end up getting nothing for him because I doubt he will want to move in the January transfer window knowing he only has a few months left of his contract which once ended he can have his pick of which team he would like to join.
they say Levy is a very shrewd business man but if he does not accept Bayern's potential 4th bid then he be a fool in my opinion.
What value would a years worth of Kane’s goals be worth to Spurs though? If the qualify for Europe with him that helps offset the lack of sale value no?
Japan - Sweden, I don't dare to guess.
They have good statistic against us, but we won last time.
Just give us a lot of corner and free-kicks in the Japanese penalty-area, that will do it.
Tall Swedes against smaller Japanese. Miyazawa is dangerous, but our goalkeeper is warmed up.
![quaterfinals_WWC2023.png]( "quaterfinals_WWC2023.png")
![Sweden-Japan.png]( "Sweden-Japan.png")
They have good statistic against us, but we won last time.
Just give us a lot of corner and free-kicks in the Japanese penalty-area, that will do it.
Tall Swedes against smaller Japanese. Miyazawa is dangerous, but our goalkeeper is warmed up.
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