You can't be serious, surely?
Official Worldwide Football (Soccer) Discussion Thread (5 Viewers)
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BonScot
Straight Flush
Barcelona
Bayern Munich
Man City
All of them loaded with superstars and favourites to win their respective leagues. I honestly don’t get the fuss. Give him a mid table team with a limited budget and see how he does.
I get what you're saying, but by the same thinking, you reckon you could put someone like Sean Dyche in charge of Man City and he'd be hoisting a Champions League trophy as part of a treble tonight?
BonScot
Straight Flush
Give it to Big Sam.
BonScot
Straight Flush
I think there’s better managers out there than Pep. Sean Dyche did remarkably well to keep Burnley up so long but he’s more of a pragmatic survival manager. Compare Pep with what Eddie Howe did at Bournemouth. Brought a bunch of nobodies up and kept them there while playing attractive football. Be interesting to see what he does with a crazy budget.
Pinesol13
Flush
.fuck city
115 charges. When they're found guilty, I hope they strip them of all trophies from the last 10 years
115 charges. When they're found guilty, I hope they strip them of all trophies from the last 10 years
FDLmold
Royal Flush
If you ain't cheatin, you ain't tryin.
JP1984
Flush
I am not quite on team @BonScot, Pep is a tactical genius and has influenced the game right down to grass roots matches. I think the issues can be separated somewhat. Pep can be the greatest coach in history and also be blessed with all the riches in the World. It's not like Shankley, Cruyff, insert whoever you like here, didn't have access to the best players at their respective clubs at the time. What Dyche did at Burnley was great, but he's struggled to repeat that at Everton so far. In my view, Pep's ability to reinvent his style again and again to suit the clubs he is managing makes him way more impressive than the rest.
https://www.skysports.com/football/...-what-could-punishment-be-whats-the-timescale
However, it's a pretty big list of charges (most of which date back to before his arrival at City). The club have consistently been as difficult as possible and refused to provide evidence and engage with the investigation. It's clear as day that they've gamed the system, whether or not it's a technical break of the rules is up for debate. It's certainly not in the spirit of FFP, but that's not enough to prosecute them. It'll be interesting to see how it all plays out. The governing bodies run the risk of being exposed as toothless here and may choose to make an example of City, on the other hand, they won't want to tarnish their own competitions. Money talks, see LIV/PGA, I expect they'll be fined and it'll be swept under the carpet.
I'm conflicted because FFP is a shit set of rules anyway, created to appease the big clubs and try to stop them forming a super league. It means that even a club like Tottenham or Liverpool will struggle to compete with the "richest" clubs now. City just made sure they weren't left behind the likes of United, Real, Bayern and co by gaming the system, a bit like Chelsea are doing right now.
Most of all, I'm just grumpy that my beloved Middlesbrough will never get a chance to compete. I actually think a Super League wouldn't be the worst thing in the World. Let the mega clubs piss off and promote the top 6 from the Championship, it would be more entertaining for the fans who currently have to watch their teams win 8 games a season. We could even invite Celtic and Rangers, though why their fans would want to swap constant trophies for 12th in the Premier League is beyond me
https://www.skysports.com/football/...-what-could-punishment-be-whats-the-timescale
However, it's a pretty big list of charges (most of which date back to before his arrival at City). The club have consistently been as difficult as possible and refused to provide evidence and engage with the investigation. It's clear as day that they've gamed the system, whether or not it's a technical break of the rules is up for debate. It's certainly not in the spirit of FFP, but that's not enough to prosecute them. It'll be interesting to see how it all plays out. The governing bodies run the risk of being exposed as toothless here and may choose to make an example of City, on the other hand, they won't want to tarnish their own competitions. Money talks, see LIV/PGA, I expect they'll be fined and it'll be swept under the carpet.
I'm conflicted because FFP is a shit set of rules anyway, created to appease the big clubs and try to stop them forming a super league. It means that even a club like Tottenham or Liverpool will struggle to compete with the "richest" clubs now. City just made sure they weren't left behind the likes of United, Real, Bayern and co by gaming the system, a bit like Chelsea are doing right now.
Most of all, I'm just grumpy that my beloved Middlesbrough will never get a chance to compete. I actually think a Super League wouldn't be the worst thing in the World. Let the mega clubs piss off and promote the top 6 from the Championship, it would be more entertaining for the fans who currently have to watch their teams win 8 games a season. We could even invite Celtic and Rangers, though why their fans would want to swap constant trophies for 12th in the Premier League is beyond me
BonScot
Straight Flush
In the 60’s 70’s and 80’s teams from small nations such as Scotland regularly got to European finals. Celtic reached 2 European Cup finals in 4 years. There were teams from Eastern Europe that terrified you if you drew them in a cup. If you saw the words Dynamo or Locomotive you shat yourself. You never hear of these teams anymore. Also there were decent teams from the Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal and Austria regularly reaching (and winning) finals.
That all changed in the 90’s with cable and satellite television companies injecting money into countries with large populations. These countries could then massively outbid the traditionally big clubs from smaller nations when it came to buying players. And they took the best players away from the smaller nations.
Look at West Ham winning the other night and being portrayed as underdogs. They spent £200 million last summer. There are National leagues that never spent anywhere near that.
The most expensive signing Celtic has ever made is £8 million and that was 5 years ago. We usually buy players in the £2-£5 million bracket. There are clubs in England’s League 1 who could outbid us.
The fact that we were able to draw 3-3 and 1-1 with Man City in the Champions League was a small miracle.
Perennial underachievers like Spurs being able to lure our manager away would never have happened 20 years ago.
TV money has ruined football for a lot of nations outside of the big 4 or 5. We know that we’ll never see a European Final again. Automatic qualification for 16 teams from 4 leagues is a joke. Calling it the “champions” league is not accurate.
When you add in the Sports Washing that we’re now seeing with the likes of City, PSG and now Newcastle not to mention Qatar being given a World Cup the whole thing stinks.
When Celtic won the European Cup 10 of the players were born within 10 miles of Celtic Park (Bobby Lennox was born 30 miles away). We’ll never see anything like that again.
The English FA’s so called “fit and proper” test for club owners is a joke. That’s why fans from Germany, Italy and Spain were all rooting for Inter last night. These owners wouldn’t be allowed to own a club in those countries. We’re going to start seeing English teams winning more often and not because of better managers like you saw in the 80’s but purely because they can outspend everyone else.
As an example Chelsea spent more in the January transfer window than the Spanish, Italian and German leagues combined.
Feel like I’m ranting but the game is gone. Don’t know how we ever get it back because there are so many money grabbers at the top of the governing bodies.
That all changed in the 90’s with cable and satellite television companies injecting money into countries with large populations. These countries could then massively outbid the traditionally big clubs from smaller nations when it came to buying players. And they took the best players away from the smaller nations.
Look at West Ham winning the other night and being portrayed as underdogs. They spent £200 million last summer. There are National leagues that never spent anywhere near that.
The most expensive signing Celtic has ever made is £8 million and that was 5 years ago. We usually buy players in the £2-£5 million bracket. There are clubs in England’s League 1 who could outbid us.
The fact that we were able to draw 3-3 and 1-1 with Man City in the Champions League was a small miracle.
Perennial underachievers like Spurs being able to lure our manager away would never have happened 20 years ago.
TV money has ruined football for a lot of nations outside of the big 4 or 5. We know that we’ll never see a European Final again. Automatic qualification for 16 teams from 4 leagues is a joke. Calling it the “champions” league is not accurate.
When you add in the Sports Washing that we’re now seeing with the likes of City, PSG and now Newcastle not to mention Qatar being given a World Cup the whole thing stinks.
When Celtic won the European Cup 10 of the players were born within 10 miles of Celtic Park (Bobby Lennox was born 30 miles away). We’ll never see anything like that again.
The English FA’s so called “fit and proper” test for club owners is a joke. That’s why fans from Germany, Italy and Spain were all rooting for Inter last night. These owners wouldn’t be allowed to own a club in those countries. We’re going to start seeing English teams winning more often and not because of better managers like you saw in the 80’s but purely because they can outspend everyone else.
As an example Chelsea spent more in the January transfer window than the Spanish, Italian and German leagues combined.
Feel like I’m ranting but the game is gone. Don’t know how we ever get it back because there are so many money grabbers at the top of the governing bodies.
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JP1984
Flush
I agree with you mate. It’s shit. That’s why I’d let the state backed clubs fuck off and start again.
BonScot
Straight Flush
Yup. Let them go and form a NFL type franchise competition that all the glory hunters can fuck off and watch.
JP1984
Flush
I’ve loved Boro being in the championship. Especially this season under Carrick. I’m not all that excited about being promoted then trying to scrape 10th place.
BonScot
Straight Flush
The English league used to be competitive with one of 5 or 6 teams having a chance. That’s no longer the case. Fast forward ten years and City and Newcastle might be swapping titles with nobody else having a look in. Of course if Man Utd get an Arab sugar daddy they could join them.
The English championship is like the old English top flight used to be. It’s probably one of the best leagues in Europe.
BonScot
Straight Flush
Here’s the thoughts of an ex-pro
JP1984
Flush
Haha! Shame it’s Stan…
“Football just isn’t the same, these lads don’t even go home after a game and smack the wife about.”
“Football just isn’t the same, these lads don’t even go home after a game and smack the wife about.”
BonScot
Straight Flush
yeah maybe should have cropped his name off
BonScot
Straight Flush
Oh and still only one team has done the quadruple…
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BonScot
Straight Flush
I’m guessing that Matt O’Riley is next up for a random drugs test
RocAFella1
Royal Flush
BonScot
Straight Flush
Haaland is a diving c*nt
BonScot
Straight Flush
Get it right round you Haaland ya big diving cheating bastard!!!
Pinesol13
Flush
McGinn is a player
BonScot
Straight Flush
He’s decent. Big Celtic fan as well so I’m hoping we can persuade him to join us soon.McGinn is a player
Two dives… but also, a no call when pulled down in the box so…
BonScot
Straight Flush
The referee was getting bribed in pickled herring or something. Obviously he didn’t fancy some haggis
MilouPilou1
Flush
BonScot
Straight Flush
See you at the final in Berlin on 14th July 2024. Sorry in advance for your defeat in extra time
MilouPilou1
Flush
If only...See you at the final in Berlin on 14th July 2024. Sorry in advance for your defeat in extra time
No comment...
BonScot
Straight Flush
Played 4, won 4. WTF is going on Scotland?!?!
I suspect that any Scottish players who are drug tested are going to fail
I suspect that any Scottish players who are drug tested are going to fail
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