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The 2023-2024 Football Thread
- Thread starter Scepticalscribe
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It would seem Man City winning the league again has not gone down well with a large amount of fans because of what appears to be favoritism by the premier league over the handling of the 115 charges against City. The PL were extremely quick in dealing with both Everton and Nottingham Forest. From the initial charge of being found guilty it took the PL only a few weeks to hand down the punishment but with regards to City it has been many many months and still it continues. I've watched fan channels from Liverpool, Arsenal, Man United, Aston Villa, Spurs, Newcastle, West Ham, Chelsea, Wolves and they are all saying the same thing in that the PL is treating City differently in that the PL is giving City time to prepare their defense, something both Everton and Nottingham had little time to prepare for.
The one thing each channel seem to echo is that if the PL have a cast iron case on some of the charges then they should just go with that rather than trying to work out if they can get City for all 115 charges.
The one thing each channel seem to echo is that if the PL have a cast iron case on some of the charges then they should just go with that rather than trying to work out if they can get City for all 115 charges.
Harry Kane again wins the Golden Boot but this time in the German League and yet still fails to win a league title. He won 3 Golden Boot's during his time in the English premier league. What is more astonishing is that Germany's league winners Bayer Leverkusen's, their top goal scorer came in 8th place with 14 goals...14 goals!!!!! and they win the league. Kane scores 36 goals, almost treble that of the league winners top goal scorer Victor Boniface and yet Kane's team ends up in 3rd place in the league.
It just goes to prove that managers wanting a proven striker does not always mean the team is going to win the league. Kane is proof of that, 3 golden boots in the premier league and 1 golden boot in the Bundesliga and still not a league win.
It just goes to prove that managers wanting a proven striker does not always mean the team is going to win the league. Kane is proof of that, 3 golden boots in the premier league and 1 golden boot in the Bundesliga and still not a league win.
I don’t think it’s favouritism.
I think Forest and Everton both cooperated and didn’t contest the charges.
However I suspect City’s army of solicitors are doing anything but.
I think Forest and Everton both cooperated and didn’t contest the charges.
However I suspect City’s army of solicitors are doing anything but.
That could prove to hurt City and the PL because if City lawyered up rather than help the PL it will be seen as City trying to work against the PL, something that can cause penalties to increase. This will be more so if City is not penalised for working against the PL whereas both Everton and Nottingham Forest were both seen to assist the PL in all aspects of the investigation. If the PL is too lenient with City then I could see both Everton and Forest launching legal action against the PL.
Poch leaves Chelsea by mutual consent.
That club is an absolute mess. I don't blame him for splitting the scene. Despite his recent stumbles, I think INEOS should strongly consider him for United.
That club is an absolute mess. I don't blame him for splitting the scene. Despite his recent stumbles, I think INEOS should strongly consider him for United.
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Just as he was getting a tune out of them.
Maybe they’re considering RDZ or Amorim
They should bring in Allegri…mutual destruction or massive success.
Re-City.
Agree its more of City stonewalling than the EPL or council giving them time…although that could also be happening in a two for one discount situation
A lot of people are mentioning the charges. But the evidence for those charges is actually quite damning as explored in this twitter thread (i’m not calling it X). Grab a coffee and a doughnut before going in.
The English media aren’t discussing it because they’re afraid of going against a country’s resources.
But City’s lawyers have their work cut out for them. And if they manage to subvert this then firstly, their lawyers deserve a raise, and secondly, it will further illustrate how FIFA and UEFA are a lost cause.
Plus the fallout will be significant…especially from clubs like Forrest and Everton who thankfully, are still in the league.
Agree its more of City stonewalling than the EPL or council giving them time…although that could also be happening in a two for one discount situation
A lot of people are mentioning the charges. But the evidence for those charges is actually quite damning as explored in this twitter thread (i’m not calling it X). Grab a coffee and a doughnut before going in.
The English media aren’t discussing it because they’re afraid of going against a country’s resources.
But City’s lawyers have their work cut out for them. And if they manage to subvert this then firstly, their lawyers deserve a raise, and secondly, it will further illustrate how FIFA and UEFA are a lost cause.
Plus the fallout will be significant…especially from clubs like Forrest and Everton who thankfully, are still in the league.
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Everton and Forrest were cut and shut cases they submitted accounts to the inland revenue and it was all public knowledge. They couldn’t even deny that they had done it, they just offered crappy reasoning for it.
City are in a totally different scenario. Everyone is frustrated but it’s a totally false equivalency. Pundits not knowing their arse from their elbow isn’t helping the issue either.
In far more important news than whether City are guilty or if the newly announced England squad is merit-worthy, the richest game on earth is being played this weekend.
Saints vs Leeds at Wembley. Should be a cracker, as both teams have hit form at the right time.
Saints vs Leeds at Wembley. Should be a cracker, as both teams have hit form at the right time.
Also Chelsea are a total basket case. You have Liverpool appointing someone with questionable credentials for such a role.
Bayern looking at a manger who just got relegated from the premiership.
Man U keeping a manager for a total lack of better options.
So what do Chelsea do? Sack a manager who appears to shave taken great strides in turning it around when the season is judged from start to finish.
Bayern looking at a manger who just got relegated from the premiership.
Man U keeping a manager for a total lack of better options.
So what do Chelsea do? Sack a manager who appears to shave taken great strides in turning it around when the season is judged from start to finish.
Good luck with it. I know how stressful those games can be. I know who I’ll be rooting for. Especially as my mate is a Leeds fan. Come on you Saints!
You know the rules at Chelsea though. No trophy. No keeping your job.
Even one trophy isn’t always enough.
I think if I was Bayern I’d be meeting down his door.
I rated Kompany as a player but he’s been a terrible manager at Burnley. How do you go from that to a top European side?
I’m clearly in the wrong profession!
That was back when they were fairly good. That’s not been the case for sometime now. Suits me as a Newcastle fan to have Man U and Chelsea in disarray so I’m not complaining.
Anyway I get to watch Newcastle Spurs tonight at a reasonable time and I’m flying down to Melbourne tomorrow to watch them play the A league all stars so life is good.
Man United have finished in 8th place in the league, their worst finish in 34 years which has started talks of whether the club will sack ETH after the FAC cup regardless if they win. United have got rid of far better managers for so much less. Chelsea have now parted ways with Pochettino and with Tuchel leaving Bayern Munich, I think United will struggle to find a decent manager knowing both Chelsea and Bayern Munich are looking for managers. Reading the sports pages of the papers it would appear United are being linked to every manager on the planet. It would appear the sporting press have very little to report on so they are doing the usual, take a big club name and link them to any manager they can just so they have something to print.
I hope Man Utd keep ten Hag for another season so that he gets an extended chance to show what he can really do. I think he could be good for United in the longer term but we'll never know if we get another quick managerial turnaround. If the rest of the club's inner workings are improved too, and we must wait and see for that also, then a less-severe injury list next season, others focusing on incoming players etc, and ten Hag with a point to prove could collectively turn out way better than this season has done so far. Meanwhile we have an FA Cup final and an opportunity to spoil City's party. Will we rise to the occasion? Let's hope so.
Last years FA Cup between the two, United literally gave City the cup because United did not play, they just limped and whimped. This year is different because the United's women's team won their version of the FA Cup and I feel it would be extremely embarrassing for the men's team if they fail to win the FA Cup hence they will not want that embarrassment.
It makes me laugh seeing these news articles about Rashford not being picked for the England team for the Euro's (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cd11e0v7rlgo), the authors of the articles basically saying it is due to Rashfords poor club form which is why he's been dropped and yet Southgate has picked a United player who has also played poorly this season, Harry Maguire. Rashford has a bad season, he gets dropped, Maguire also has a bad season but he is picked. It's like Maguire has got one of these 'get out of jail' free cards because no matter how badly he performs for United, Southgate always picks him.
To be fair - and just to make it clear, I think Maguire is a very overrated player - he hasn't had an awful season, and as so far as Sofascore is trustworhty, this kind of shows that:
Also, looking at this, you see why Rashford was dropped.
And another little sidenote: Casemiro has been ridiculed now towards the end of the season, and many punters says "he's lost it", but that was (mostly) in matches where he played out of position as a defender, because every central defender they had (except Evans, who shouldn't feature anywhere above League 2 at this point in his career) was injured.
Now, why they didn't play Wan-Bissaka in central, I have no idea...but it's these kind of things that make me feel Ten Hag just don't have the skills to manage at this level...
Honestly think Kompany could do better at a bigger club with more resources. He had Burnley absolutely flying in the Championship, but he stuck to his guns a bit too much in the PL and his squad was found out for their overall lack of talent at the top level.
Maguire has honestly not been terrible this season, and Southgate always knows how to get a tune out of him. Makes sense for him to get selected IMO. There were too many other English attackers who had strong seasons to bring Rashford — he needs to rest, recover, and reflect this summer.
Wan-Bissaka as a CB would never have worked — he's so bad in the air. ETH was dealt a very poor hand, but he didn't play it very well, either. Not all of United's failures can be blamed on him, but enough of them can, so a clean slate is needed now.
Maguire has honestly not been terrible this season, and Southgate always knows how to get a tune out of him. Makes sense for him to get selected IMO. There were too many other English attackers who had strong seasons to bring Rashford — he needs to rest, recover, and reflect this summer.
Wan-Bissaka as a CB would never have worked — he's so bad in the air. ETH was dealt a very poor hand, but he didn't play it very well, either. Not all of United's failures can be blamed on him, but enough of them can, so a clean slate is needed now.
Well if Kompany was a decent manager he would have recognised he didn’t have players skilful enough to pass it across their own 18 yard line and not end up conceding possession time and time again.
Very poor decision maker in my opinion.
Agree Southgate will get better performances from McGuire than ETH did.
As for yet another clean slate at Utd? I mean how many more do they need?
One thing I do have to be fair with ETH on is the way transfers were dealt with. He learnt the hard way that transfer dealings with a club such as United is in a total different stratosphere than with his previous club Ajax. With ETH we saw he was extremely stubborn when it came to players that he wanted. He knew what players he wanted for the system he wanted to use at United, the problem was because it was United that came calling for the players, both Barcelona and Ajax decided to play hard ball. They wanted to squeeze United for every penny they could purely for the fact that it was United they were dealing with and when it comes to United, everything goes through the roof, transfer price, wage price and agent price. Now he is familiar with how things work at United, I say give him another year, let him try to get his A players first and if not then his B players because he knows now with United, when it comes to transfer you need to have sights on players A, B, C and D. Let him give the list of players he wants to the chairman then watch to see if United screw up with the transfers like they usually do which will force ETH to go for players in his B bracket and players in his C & D bracket. This will then be the season fans will truly see what ETH is capable of with all the transfers he wanted. If the club screw up in the transfer like they did last time then it will be very difficult to put blame on ETH if the team does not do very well because he would have to put a team together of players he does not want.