2024/25 Soccer Thread

LOL WHAT THE F**K

Prederick wrote:

LOL WHAT THE F**K

Indeed.

Who said this table format isn't fun? PSG is currently sitting in a knockout space and they still play City.

Prederick wrote:

City winning, but still not looking convincing. Has their method been found out?

Also, is Eddie Howe under pressure by now? Like, the new rules are definitely preventing hte PIF from breaking the league as much as they'd like to, but their ambition was not to finish 4th, then 7th, and now be 10th and be a pretty obvious mid-table side.

Howe is very popular on Tyneside, and there is wide acknowledgement that it's a grossly unfair FFP rules that are making Newcastle United not being the primary competition for Manchester City at the moment.

I wish I was being ironic there but I live in this city and I'm not. I was even in the pub last night for the game, and there is no dissent against Howe. "Other factors" are the problem. They've all pretty much sold out now to their owners sportswashing. All I can say is that given how badly Mike Ashley treated them all, I'm not surprised.

My mate's youngest daughter got picked to be the Mascot at the Newcastle Women's match against Southampton last Saturday. She got to spend most of the day with the team (who were fantastic with her and the rest of the mascots), a full kit for free and a load of professional photos taken throughout the day. She got to do that as she's a registered fan and she entered a ballot. It was all completely free. Ashley used to charge thousands just to walk out and have one photo taken, and they had to return the kit.

Obviously I am not new to Brest fandom. I have enjoyed seeing them since adolescence. This is great exposure.

Sheesh. Mbappe really just... isn't fitting in at Madrid, huh?

Like, I get it, to be an athlete of that caliber, you have to have a genuinely insane amount of self-confidence. And I know Madrid was his lifelong dream. But dude, they had a Ballon d'Or-level dude playing in your preferred position! They weren't just going to shift him for you!

Who had Mbappe AND Salah missing penalties?

Red Star Belgrade got their first Champions League win in five years today.

They won the European Cup in 1991 and were the best team in the world at that time. I saw them the summer before in a preseason tour of the UK - playing against Hinckley Town, who were in (IIRC) the eighth tier of English football. One of Town's directors helped them arrange their tour, and they agreed to play a game against Hinckley as part of it.

Absolutely surreal to see the likes of Robert Prosinecki and Darko Pancev and Dejan Savićević playing in front of 1,000 people at a ramshackle ground on the edge of town, with supporters lining the side of the pitch and crammed into the chicken sheds that passed as stands. Red Star won 9-1. Years later, I got to know the bloke who scored Hinckley's goal that night, and it's fair to say that was a cherished memory for him.

A few months later, Red Star won the European Cup. Then Yugoslavia collapsed, the team dissolved, and that was that.

Forgive me the trip down memory lane. Feeling wistful tonight.

The Brazilian party in Argentina

But at club level it is a very different story.

Saturday's final of the Copa Libertadores, which you can watch live on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer, pits Botafogo of Rio against Atletico Mineiro of Belo Horizonte.

It is the fourth all-Brazilian final in the past five years and it will be the sixth consecutive time a Brazilian club has won the trophy. This domination is unprecedented in the competition's 64-year history.

The match takes place in Argentina, in the stadium of Buenos Aires giants River Plate. But it is a Brazilian party.

How to explain the difference? The easy answer is money. The financial gap with the rest of the continent has widened.

Brazil's big clubs can afford to bring players back from Europe - either ones who have not quite met expectations, or veterans looking to wind down their careers.

And like some South American version of the Premier League, Brazil is also sucking in talent from neighbouring nations.

Botafogo's first team includes a World Cup winner from Argentina, internationals from Venezuela and Angola and Paraguayans on the bench. Atletico have players from six South American countries.

Perhaps even more important has been the presence of foreigners on the touchline.

Brazil's dominance of the Libertadores began with a revolutionary Flamengo side of 2019 under Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus. Since then there has been a consistent flow of foreign coaches into the Brazilian game, especially from Portugal and Argentina.

These countries supply the coaches for Saturday's duel: Botafogo boss Artur Jorge is Portuguese, while Atletico are coached by ex-Argentina international defender Gabriel Milito.

The Lampard show is back! The BBC will be happy, now they can ignore all the good teams in the Championship while they worship at the alter of Lampard, who is in charge of Coventry, after they sacked their over achieving manager for not overacheiving anymore.
Stockport's own goal is worth checking out, cool finish from almost his own half way line.

Saka is Arsenals best player but Odergaard is the key that connects everything together.

Maybe it's just West Ham tho.

onewild wrote:

The Lampard show is back! The BBC will be happy, now they can ignore all the good teams in the Championship while they worship at the alter of Lampard, who is in charge of Coventry, after they sacked their over achieving manager for not overacheiving anymore.

As a Coventry fan...

I was as shocked as anyone over the sacking of Mark Robins. However, all the success he had over the last seven years was with Adi Viveash as his assistant. He fell out with Viveash and had him sacked in the summer, and results have tanked since then. Maybe coincidence, maybe not...

I'm open minded about Lampard. Wouldn't have been my choice, but he did well at Derby, and I was impressed by his first spell at Chelsea, under very challenging circumstances. Some critics seem determined to lump him in with Rooney and Gerrard as "Golden Generation footballers who are terrible managers." I think he's a lot better than both of those two. But, time will tell...

This tackle - and red card - happened 30 seconds into the Copa Liberatores today

Despite being down to 10 men for pretty much the entire game, Botafogo still ran out 3 -1 winners against Atletico-MG.

Never change, South American football...

So.

I’ve been sat commenting on Liverpool for a week or two, not least because cause I didn’t want to jinx anything, and because I’m not entirely sure I believe what I’m watching.

What I am watching is Kloppball without the heavy metal - it’s Arne Slotball with a very much calmer, measured and, well intellectual feel to it all.

It’s amazing. I loved Jurgen, but never in a million years would I see him walk away from consecutive games against Real Madrid and Manchester City comfortably the best team, winning 2-0 on each occasion.

There is still a long long way to go before the end of the season but my god, right now if this was City everyone else would have packed up and gone home.

Long may it continue.

Tottenham droppig points after kicking City's ass was just the most obvious thing in the world, wasn't it?

Meanwhile, I want to give Amorim credit but... y'know, Everton.

Well it's over now, unless Liverpool pull off a choke for the ages or you know Man City do that thing where they just win every game from Christmas onwards.

Also when Liverpool win the title, Leeds get promoted

Prederick wrote:

Tottenham droppig points after kicking City's ass was just the most obvious thing in the world, wasn't it?

Meanwhile, I want to give Amorim credit but... y'know, Everton.

Yes and yes.

onewild wrote:

Well it's over now, unless Liverpool pull off a choke for the ages or you know Man City do that thing where they just win every game from Christmas onwards.

Also when Liverpool win the title, Leeds get promoted ;)

I'd rate Arsenal to give a better push to Liverpool at this point vs City but not even.

Compared to similar games last year Arsenal are -1 point off their pace. Tricky part is looking at their next 7~ games they went 6 wins 1 loss last year. To put any kind of pressure on Liverpool they would need to go 7/7 and that takes us to just after first week of Jan.

Not even upset really with the weird start Arsenal had with red cards + injuries. Sitting tied for 2nd and in the top 8 of the CL table.

Pretty much Liverpools to lose until they come back to earth. I'm sure there will be some slow down or else they are on pace for a 98-99pt season. It's been done before but ya #1 story of the season is Slot sliding in and blowing expectations away.

That's saying something also considering the #2 story is City full imploding. They are only 2 points back of Arsenal/Chelsea but even if they beat Forrest next I'm not sure they will just snap figure it out in December where the games are coming fast.

Speaking of which there's midweek games. Surprise! United Arsenal Wednesday. Was 3 points last year needs to be again. Hopefully catching Amorim before he turns them around.

Liverpool will probably slip against Newcastle on Wednesday night now.

None of my Newcastle supporting mates are interested in coming to the pub with me to watch the game either.

Cowards.

Our Egyptian King, Mo Salah, has now tied Wayne Rooney for most Premier League games with both a goal and an assist.

Truly weird place for the USWNT right now.

They just got comprehensively outplayed by the Netherlands, but somehow ground out a 2-1 win. which frankly sounds like parts of their Olympic win.

Unbeaten in 20 playing some fairly "agricultural" stuff, and still getting the W's.

Genuinely surprised that Julen Loputegui is still in a job so far this morning.

Frankly, I'm not surprised that we're having an increase in incidents RE: the PL's attempts at LGBTQ+ acceptance.

Rainbow Devils said it has received “great support” from United and the fan engagement team around the Rainbow Laces campaign but expressed its disappointment about Mazraoui’s decision not to wear the jacket.

“We are aware of who the player concerned is, but we feel it isn’t our role to single him out, and risk spoiling all the other positive things that the majority of those at the club have done,” the supporters’ group said in a statement.

It added: “We respect the right of this player to have his own views, whilst also feeling disappointed that he put the rest of the squad into a position where they felt that they couldn’t wear their jackets.

“We also worry what kind of negative effect this incident might have on any player at the club who may be struggling with their sexuality.”

There have been other issues around participation during this year’s Rainbow Laces campaign. Ipswich captain Sam Morsy chose not to wear a rainbow armband in the two matches covered by the initiative owing to his religious beliefs.

The Football Association did not get involved in that case and is not taking action against Crystal Palace skipper Marc Guéhi after he twice wore an adapted rainbow armband.

The England international and the club had been reminded of FA kit regulations after he wore an armband saying ‘I love Jesus’ in Saturday’s match against Newcastle. Guéhi then wore one stating ‘Jesus loves you’ against Ipswich on Tuesday night.

Sorbicol wrote:

Liverpool will probably slip against Newcastle on Wednesday night now.

None of my Newcastle supporting mates are interested in coming to the pub with me to watch the game either.

Cowards.

Well they might have enjoyed the first half

Quick equalizer already. Feels like go ahead is coming any minute.

Salah hot streak continues.

Stele wrote:

Salah hot streak continues.

And another one. Holy crap

Salah: "You're gonna give me a new goddamn contract, or the fans are going to riot."

Shades of that year with Keegan and collymore?

My heart! I can't!

Mixolyde wrote:

Our Egyptian King, Mo Salah, has now tied Wayne Rooney for most Premier League games with both a goal and an assist.

Record broken!