The 2023-2024 Football Thread

[laptech]

I do not think Real Madrid are going to be fooled by Mbappe's agent/team trying to make it appear that other teams are seriously interested in him as a way to frighten Madrid in to giving him what wants because Madrid knows there are very very few clubs that can afford him (money bags Man City and Newcastle come to mind) and possibly Bayern Munich. Saudi clubs are out of the picture because even though they could easily afford him I do not think he would want to go because he would be worried his place in the French national team would be under threat (Henderson gave that as a reason for leaving his Saudi club, plus other reasons). Nope, I think Madrid hold all the cards at the moment. I am just for the obvious to happen which is some reporter saying that Man United are thinking of making a move for him because every time a player wants a better wage or a higher transfer price, Man United always get mention, even if they cannot afford the player.

Now, things could be much much different if Mbappe was to reduce his wage demands because that could mean other clubs could be able to afford him.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Re players leaving Saudi clubs: It is a face saving, diplomatic, tactful reason (and could well also have some truth) that the (main) reason Henderson left was because he feared for his place on the national team.

However, I think that there is more to it than that.

Now, I think that there may well be some truth in that, but I also think that there are other reasons for wishing to quit the country, irrespective of how handsomely well paid you are.

My sense is that the wives, partners and girlfriends (not to mention boyfriends) of players will have found trying to live in Saudi Arabia an especially egregious, an absolutely awful, experience.

I've known quite a few people who worked in Saudi, - medics, doctors, geologists, etc - and their wives - without exception - described it as the most appalling place they had ever attempted to cope with, endure, or suffer; in some cases, the female partners flat out refused to travel there, and their male partners basically commuted to and from Saudi while they worked there.

Re Mbappe: I think that this is both click bait, and, as @laptech suggests, a bit of kite-flying, or fishing, (on the part of Mbappe and his people) with a view to extracting further concessions.

 

[laptech]

......

I've known quite a few people who worked in Saudi, - medics, doctors, geologists, etc - and their wives - without exception - described it as the most appalling place they had ever attempted to cope with, endure, or suffer; in some cases, the female partners flat out refused to travel there, and their male partners basically commuted to and from Saudi while they worked there.

.....

I used to work with a guy who used to be an electrician installing electrical sub stations in the country. He said he would stay in his room when not working because it was very difficult for him to drink alcohol and to smoke. He had to be careful how he dressed and how he spoke because it is very easy for the locals to misunderstand what you are saying than thus take it as an insult and then have you arrested. All of this was 30 years ago and I have no doubt a lot of what he talked about it very relevant to day.

So when there is talk of players joining Saudi clubs, players who have lived in countries where they have the freedoms to do as they please (within confines of the law) I knew it would be very difficult for them to adapt. Henderson didn't even last 9 months and I believe there was another high profile player who has also recently left their Saudi club as well siting the same reasons for leaving as Henderson did. Ronaldo seems to be doing ok over there though.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

For the players, it would be bad enough, but at least, they have their job, and they have some sort of (professional) activity with which to fill (some of) their day, or days.

For their partners, or spouses, - who cannot work, who cannot do anything, - and who, if they are female, are almost uniquely limited, constricted and restricted, in what they can do and where they can go, (and, if they are male, well, this is a further source of stress, as such relationships, are, of course, illegal in KSA) - it must be a soul-destroying, difficult, distressing and profoundly stressful experience.

I would imagine that the players would find that their personal support systems (i.e. their families) are coming under unprecedented stress by the experience of attempting to endure the conditions of trying to live in Saudi Arabia.

 

[timber]

I do not think Real Madrid are going to be fooled by Mbappe's agent/team trying to make it appear that other teams are seriously interested in him as a way to frighten Madrid in to giving him what wants because Madrid knows there are very very few clubs that can afford him (money bags Man City and Newcastle come to mind) and possibly Bayern Munich. Saudi clubs are out of the picture because even though they could easily afford him I do not think he would want to go because he would be worried his place in the French national team would be under threat (Henderson gave that as a reason for leaving his Saudi club, plus other reasons). Nope, I think Madrid hold all the cards at the moment. I am just for the obvious to happen which is some reporter saying that Man United are thinking of making a move for him because every time a player wants a better wage or a higher transfer price, Man United always get mention, even if they cannot afford the player.

Now, things could be much much different if Mbappe was to reduce his wage demands because that could mean other clubs could be able to afford him.

If that is some kind of tactic from Mbappé agent then it is really poor.
Nobody will pay him more than PSG. No EPL club excluding City offers him a clear path to a CL win.
That is what Real Madrid has to offer him, glory and immortality. And supposedly that's what he wants.
So Real Madrid has all the advantage. Take it or leave it.

I used to work with a guy who used to be an electrician installing electrical sub stations in the country. He said he would stay in his room when not working because it was very difficult for him to drink alcohol and to smoke. He had to be careful how he dressed and how he spoke because it is very easy for the locals to misunderstand what you are saying than thus take it as an insult and then have you arrested. All of this was 30 years ago and I have no doubt a lot of what he talked about it very relevant to day.

So when there is talk of players joining Saudi clubs, players who have lived in countries where they have the freedoms to do as they please (within confines of the law) I knew it would be very difficult for them to adapt. Henderson didn't even last 9 months and I believe there was another high profile player who has also recently left their Saudi club as well siting the same reasons for leaving as Henderson did. Ronaldo seems to be doing ok over there though.

For all his faults Ronaldo is an extremely disciplined and focused individual. He probably isn't a very good exemple for anyone to judge or try to base future experiences on.

 

[laptech]

....
Nobody will pay him more than PSG. No EPL club excluding City offers him a clear path to a CL win.
.....

Makes me wonder if that is what many top rated players want so they can stamp their name in the history books as one of Europe's greats. Eusebio, Cruyff, Best, Platini, Maldini, Rossi, Muller, Ronaldo, Zidane to name a few, names that persistently get mentioned when talking about the best European players past and present and they all have one thing in common, they have all won the European Cup/Champions league.

 

[timber]

He already is a WC winner so I would say he could be worse.

Personally I find his supposed goal somewhat obsessive particularly considering he's French and is playing in Paris receiving obscene amounts of money. What he should be doing is trying to convince PSG to get a proper manager and at the same time confine himself to playing football.

But hey Hamilton just changed to Ferrari for no reasonable reason (my opinion).

Your brain probably starts operating differently after a few hundred million.

 

[laptech]

He already is a WC winner so I would say he could be worse.

Personally I find his supposed goal somewhat obsessive particularly considering he's French and is playing in Paris receiving obscene amounts of money. What he should be doing is trying to convince PSG to get a proper manager and at the same time confine himself to playing football.

But hey Hamilton just changed to Ferrari for no reasonable reason (my opinion).

Your brain probably starts operating differently after a few hundred million.

Thing is, Mbappe has won numerous trophies already, with Monoco, PSG and the French national team and yet even though still young, his achievements in the game are never talked about when discussion of the topic of top European players is brought up because all the players that get talked about have at one time in their career won the European Cup/Champions league. Yes he is a WC winner but even that does not seem to help him when the discussion of top European players comes up. Who are the two the footballing media are looking at right now? Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane, both doing wonders with their respective clubs with Mbappe no where to be seen.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Real Madrid’s annual campaign to buy the current world’s flashiest player is the most boring ‘story’ in football….and it happens over and over again.

People act like it’s a momentous event, yet all it does is represent the reinforcement of the status quo.

It’s only interesting when Real fail to land their target, and their clown of a president has to deploy his extensive collection of smoke and mirrors to explain why. With his favorite approach being to blame everyone in the whole word apart from himself.

Bread and circuses.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Chelsea are destroying Aston Villa in the cup. 0-3 now at Villa Park.
Not many would have predicted that.

 

[daneoni]

People are starting to figure out how to play against Emery me thinks.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Chelsea are destroying Aston Villa in the cup. 0-3 now at Villa Park.

Gosh.

And from three different goal-scorers, at that.

Not many would have predicted that.

No, not I.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

People are starting to figure out how to play against Emery me thinks.

Emery has done extremely well - thus far - with the players at his disposal, and managed to obtain some superb performances from them..

If anything, they have over-performed, and have over-performed for quite a stretch of the season, and, moreover, have also played exceptionally well together, as a team, and are committed, and focussed, and a fine example of what excellent coaching can achieve.

However, apart from an outstanding goal-keeper (and, yes, I still regret that sale, and did, at the time), I'm not so sure that most of the rest of the team are quite at that standard, at least, not just yet.

 

[Silencio]

People are starting to figure out how to play against Emery me thinks.

Hope ETH is taking notes for this weekend, then.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Villa did pull a goal back at the end, but they largely didn’t turn up.

 

[HandsomeDanNZ]

Hope ETH is taking notes for this weekend, then.

I have a feeling that notes or not, Villa will be out to prove that this result was simply a blip.
I would not like to be playing them this weekend.

 

[Don Quixote]

Come on Pachy!

vs

Feb 8th...

 

[laptech]

This story is turning into a very problematic one for Inter Miami with regards to Messi.

Lionel Messi: Chinese fury as superstar plays in Japan after missing Hong Kong match

The superstar sat out a Hong Kong match just days before, sparking anger and conspiracy theories.

www.bbc.co.uk

He was expected to play, thousands upon thousands of Chinese fans paid very expensive tickets for that privilege but on the day (Sunday) he just sits on the bench. The Chinese fan's are not happy. After the game the club say Messi is injured and that is why he could not play. Messi himself makes a social media post saying he is sorry he could not play because he is suffering from a swollen and very painful groin injury but then come Wednesday when the club are in Japan playing a friendly, he comes on part way through the game to the dismay of many many Chinese fan's who are now doubting his injury saying there was no injury and that the club just did not want him playing in China (even though he has before).

Somehow I do not think the Chinese fan's are going to let this go.

 

[Silencio]

I have a feeling that notes or not, Villa will be out to prove that this result was simply a blip.
I would not like to be playing them this weekend.

Indeed.

Man Utd feel ripe for that inevitable regression after a run of decent to good results, and the loss of Lisandro doesn't help at all.

 

[HandsomeDanNZ]

This story is turning into a very problematic one for Inter Miami with regards to Messi.

Lionel Messi: Chinese fury as superstar plays in Japan after missing Hong Kong match

The superstar sat out a Hong Kong match just days before, sparking anger and conspiracy theories.

www.bbc.co.uk

He was expected to play, thousands upon thousands of Chinese fans paid very expensive tickets for that privilege but on the day (Sunday) he just sits on the bench. The Chinese fan's are not happy. After the game the club say Messi is injured and that is why he could not play. Messi himself makes a social media post saying he is sorry he could not play because he is suffering from a swollen and very painful groin injury but then come Wednesday when the club are in Japan playing a friendly, he comes on part way through the game to the dismay of many many Chinese fan's who are now doubting his injury saying there was no injury and that the club just did not want him playing in China (even though he has before).

Somehow I do not think the Chinese fan's are going to let this go.

A great way to not sell hundreds of thousands of bootleg shirts.

 

[daneoni]

This story is turning into a very problematic one for Inter Miami with regards to Messi.

Lionel Messi: Chinese fury as superstar plays in Japan after missing Hong Kong match

The superstar sat out a Hong Kong match just days before, sparking anger and conspiracy theories.

www.bbc.co.uk

He was expected to play, thousands upon thousands of Chinese fans paid very expensive tickets for that privilege but on the day (Sunday) he just sits on the bench. The Chinese fan's are not happy. After the game the club say Messi is injured and that is why he could not play. Messi himself makes a social media post saying he is sorry he could not play because he is suffering from a swollen and very painful groin injury but then come Wednesday when the club are in Japan playing a friendly, he comes on part way through the game to the dismay of many many Chinese fan's who are now doubting his injury saying there was no injury and that the club just did not want him playing in China (even though he has before).

Somehow I do not think the Chinese fan's are going to let this go.

Damned if you do damned if you don't. Can understand both sides.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

IFAB is trialing 10-minute sin-bin 'blue cards' in what would be the biggest change to the rules of the game since the early 1970s.

My initial reaction is this is a good idea - and easier to implement properly than VAR when it comes to improving rule enforcement. Losing a player for 10 minutes won't change a game as radically as red card will, but it bites harder than a yellow.

The key, as always, will be implementation. The blue card will be shown in many circumstances that result in a yellow right now, so establishing those boundaries effectively will determine how well the system works.

Get ready for decades of 'that was a blue all day, never a yellow.'

Somehow I do not think the Chinese fan's are going to let this go.

There really isn't much they can do about it.

Football is more business than sport now. I can sympathize with people wanting to see Messi in person, but they also need to understand that it's all a cynical money-spinning 'experience' tour and the ticket prices are not modest.

You don't get what you pay for.

 

[pachyderm]

2 - 0

With 15 matches left to play, surely we have enough to stave off relegation... right?

IF we can muster points...

We are 23rd with 26pts...

 

[Apple fanboy]

2 - 0

With 15 matches left to play, surely we have enough to stave off relegation... right?

IF we can muster points...

We are 23rd with 26pts...

I’ll have everything crossed for you. But you’ve played more games so it comes down to what the teams around you do and if you can win against your relegation rivals.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

2 - 0

With 15 matches left to play, surely we have enough to stave off relegation... right?

IF we can muster points...

We are 23rd with 26pts...

Best of luck.