The 2023-2024 Football Thread

[Silencio]

United have a proper defensive injury crisis with Raphael Varane set to miss up to 6 weeks, in addition to Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia being out for an extended period of time.

A loan deal for Marc Cucurella is supposedly in the works. He was great at Brighton, but pretty awful at Chelsea amidst a circus of a situation there. I can see him playing better under ETH in a more stable team.

A younger replacement for Varane should be a high priority, as his fitness issues appear to only be getting worse. It now looks like Maguire isn't leaving, which means United can't purchase Jean-Clair Todibo from Nice. And another midfielder is still desperately needed. United's inability to sell on a timely basis has stunted a promising transfer window.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Chelsea - who have spent almost, or, close to, a billion pounds - £1billion - (think about that - an astonishing sum of money) - since being bought by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital last year, and who, in that space of time, have twice broken the British transfer record, have now decided to remove a £10 subsidy (per individual fan) for travel on club coaches to away games.

According to the Guardian, the club has attempted to argue that it is "not financially sustainable to continue to offer subsidised coach travel" to away games.

What is hilarious - in the sort of twisted sense of hilarity informed by irony - is that it is widely rumoured that the coach subsidy budget cost around 250k (to the club), which would be - perhaps, approximately a weekly, or a fortnight's, or a month's salary - for a single Premiership player, depending on the player.

The Chelsea Supporters' Trust made representations to the club (at a meeting with officials from the club) that the removal of this subsidy (in the middle of a cost of living crisis, and for what is a relatively small sum of money from the perspective of a club with a history of jaw-dropping profligate spending), arguing that removing the subsidy would have an adverse impact on the following groups of users (and this is not an exhaustive list):

· Young supporters

· Supporters who use wheelchairs and mobility scooters

· People who are unable to drive due to cost or medical conditions

· Supporters who are ambulant disabled

· Supporters who require to be dropped off very close to the stadium

· Vulnerable supporters

· Supporters who rely on this affordable mode of transport to support the club.


I am lost for words.

But surly Chelsea are doing them a favour? I mean if their supporters don’t get to see them play they will be happier based on the last year or so?

😝

I agree it’s just typical of a club who don’t appreciate what it’s like to not have a string of super cars at one’s disposal.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Chelsea - who have spent almost, or, close to, a billion pounds - £1billion - (think about that - an astonishing sum of money) - since being bought by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital last year, and who, in that space of time, have twice broken the British transfer record, have now decided to remove a £10 subsidy (per individual fan) for travel on club coaches to away games.

According to the Guardian, the club has attempted to argue that it is "not financially sustainable to continue to offer subsidised coach travel" to away games.

It's almost as if they don't care about the fans...

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Virgil can Dijk has been charged by the FA with acting in a 'improper manner' for his effing and jeffing at the refs after his sending off. I expect he'll be serving at least a two-match ban now, possibly more. So that means missing at least the matches against Villa and Wolves. Next after that are West Ham, so I'm sure @Apple fanboy will be taking the view that van Dijk's misbehavior merits a three-match ban. 😂

 

[Apple fanboy]

Virgil can Dijk has been charged by the FA with acting in a 'improper manner' for his effing and jeffing at the refs after his sending off. I expect he'll be serving at least a two-match ban now, possibly more. So that means missing at least the matches against Villa and Wolves. Next after that are West Ham, so I'm sure @Apple fanboy will be taking the view that van Dijk's misbehavior merits a three-match ban. 😂

Absolutely. I also think anyone wearing the same colour shirt at the time of the incident should miss three matches as well! 😜

 

[Sal09]

Does Lamine Yamal have a big moooohasive release clause in his contract to keep the likes of PSG and Chelsea at bay?

 

[Sal09]

 

[Apple fanboy]

Ouch. It’s not even that bad a City! Lots of nice bits.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Ouch. It’s not even that bad a City! Lots of nice bits.

How do you say 'Dirty Leeds' in German?

 

[laptech]

Chelsea - who have spent almost, or, close to, a billion pounds - £1billion - (think about that - an astonishing sum of money) - since being bought by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital last year, and who, in that space of time, have twice broken the British transfer record, have now decided to remove a £10 subsidy (per individual fan) for travel on club coaches to away games.

According to the Guardian, the club has attempted to argue that it is "not financially sustainable to continue to offer subsidised coach travel" to away games.

What is hilarious - in the sort of twisted sense of hilarity informed by irony - is that it is widely rumoured that the coach subsidy budget cost around 250k (to the club), which would be - perhaps, approximately a week's, or a fortnight's, or a month's salary - for a single Premiership player, depending on the player.

The Chelsea Supporters' Trust made representations to the club (at a meeting with officials from the club) about the removal of this subsidy (in the middle of a cost of living crisis, and for what is a relatively small sum of money from the perspective of a club with a history of jaw-dropping profligate spending), and argued that removing the subsidy would have an adverse impact on the following groups of users (and this is not an exhaustive list):

· Young supporters

· Supporters who use wheelchairs and mobility scooters

· People who are unable to drive due to cost or medical conditions

· Supporters who are ambulant disabled

· Supporters who require to be dropped off very close to the stadium

· Vulnerable supporters

· Supporters who rely on this affordable mode of transport to support the club.


I am lost for words.

Just goes to show what is more important to Chelsea, being able to afford stupid money for players or being able to afford to help pay for fans to get to games.

Man United suffered similar but it was with being able to afford players. It only stopped last year but the Glazers would pay themselves dividends every year and then complain they did not have enough money to pay for players.

 

[Silencio]

How do you say 'Dirty Leeds' in German?

SCHMUTZIG LEEDS! Immer so schmutzig!

 

[Lord Blackadder]

SCHMUTZIG LEEDS! Immer so schmutzig!

Maybe he heard the term and applied it literally to the city rather than the team...

 

[Sal09]

FFP and Chelsea FC 🤔🤫

 

[daneoni]

With Cole Palmer, they've formally crossed the £1bn line
And i think they will get away with it FFP wise.

Meanwhile, PFA's team of the season



Spurs fans raising eyebrow at Ange resting the first 11 after only game 3, with an international break pending. Consequently going out of the Carabao cup in the second round. Joined by Sheff Utd.
Chelsea and Everton edge through.

Rangers out of UCL

Matheus Nunes gets his move to City for £47.3m
And Balogun gets his move to Monaco for £40m
Lenglet loaned off to Villa
Ansu Fati going to Brighton after saying he'd stay at Barca
Amrabat still on for Utd
And Liverpool looking at Gravenberch

 

[HandsomeDanNZ]

Some interesting (and some not-unexpected) results in CL qualifying today.
Group Stage participants now all confirmed.
Some unusual names in there, like Young Boys, Antwerp, Newcastle, Braga etc.
And of course there's the usual suspects: Manchester, Manchester, Milan, Milan, Madrid, Madrid, Barca etc.
Good to see Arsenal in the group stage though...they were such an ever-present every season up to the quarter-finals stage.

The energy drink (League) cup has also concluded its latest round.
Not a lot of giant killing going on this year. Third round draw sees a lot of Premier League sides face others in their league.
Man U vs Palace, Brentford vs Arsenal, Toon vs Citeh, Villa vs Everton.
Could be some tasty ties there...

 

[Lioness~]

Some notes in the press here before the Men’s UEFA European Championship qualification.
We have a few not so bad ones….in the English league,
Hope the guys advance to some decent place, we hope 🇸🇪✨
I will keep 1 eye 👁️ on it at least.

Robin Olsen, Aston Villa, goalkeeper

Victor Nilsson Lindelöf, Manchester United
Hjalmar Ekdal, Burnley
Ken Sema, Watford
Carl Starfelt, Celtic
Linus Wahlqvist Egnell, Pogon Szczecin

Jens Cajuste, Reims
Viktor Claesson, FC Köpenhamn
Albin Ekdal, Spezia
Anthony Elanga, Manchester United
Emil Forsberg, RB Leipzig
Samuel Gustafson, BK Häcken

Viktor Gyökeres, Coventry
Alexander Isak, Newcastle
Jesper Karlsson, AZ Alkmaar
Jesper Karlström, Lech Poznan

Dejan Kulusevski, Tottenham Hotspur
Kristoffer Olsson, Midtjylland
Robin Quaison, Al-Ettifaq, Arabia
Marcus Rohdén, Fatih Karagümrük
Mattias Svanberg, VfL Wolfsburg

 

[Lioness~]

The Swedish’s Pia Sundhage got fired, with all right as the Brazilian coach.
She have her best day’s behind her perhaps. See where her services are welcome and wanted now. She have plenty of experience though.See if she returns home again?

Brazil fires coach Pia Sundhage after a disappointing Women's World Cup

Pia Sundhage has been fired as coach of the Brazilian women’s soccer team in the wake of a disappointing performance at the Women’s World Cup

www.washingtonpost.com

 

[laptech]

The Swedish’s Pia Sundhage got fired, with all right as the Brazilian coach.
She have her best day’s behind her perhaps. See where her services are welcome and wanted now. She have plenty of experience though.See if she returns home again?

Brazil fires coach Pia Sundhage after a disappointing Women's World Cup

Pia Sundhage has been fired as coach of the Brazilian women’s soccer team in the wake of a disappointing performance at the Women’s World Cup

www.washingtonpost.com

Her credential's are not bad, double Olympic winning manager with the United states, runner up in the world cup 2011 with the United states, Olympic silver medal with Sweden in 2016, Women's Copa America in 2022.

I do not think she is past it, I just think that in the past year, 2 years the level of women's football has increased much much faster than has been expected because teams that are normally expected to do well haven't and those that are normally bad haven't been. The world cup gone has opened a lot of people's eyes at the increase of football the women's game is rising too. The Brazilian female players just need to up their skill level.

 

[laptech]

United have a proper defensive injury crisis with Raphael Varane set to miss up to 6 weeks, in addition to Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia being out for an extended period of time.

A loan deal for Marc Cucurella is supposedly in the works. He was great at Brighton, but pretty awful at Chelsea amidst a circus of a situation there. I can see him playing better under ETH in a more stable team.

A younger replacement for Varane should be a high priority, as his fitness issues appear to only be getting worse. It now looks like Maguire isn't leaving, which means United can't purchase Jean-Clair Todibo from Nice. And another midfielder is still desperately needed. United's inability to sell on a timely basis has stunted a promising transfer window.

That is going to be the clubs excuse when they lose game after game, that it is due to having a depleted defense due to injuries.

 

[timber]

Some notes in the press here before the Men’s UEFA European Championship qualification.
We have a few not so bad ones….in the English league,
Hope the guys advance to some decent place, we hope 🇸🇪✨
I will keep 1 eye 👁️ on it at least.

Robin Olsen, Aston Villa, goalkeeper

Victor Nilsson Lindelöf, Manchester United
Hjalmar Ekdal, Burnley
Ken Sema, Watford
Carl Starfelt, Celtic
Linus Wahlqvist Egnell, Pogon Szczecin

Jens Cajuste, Reims
Viktor Claesson, FC Köpenhamn
Albin Ekdal, Spezia
Anthony Elanga, Manchester United
Emil Forsberg, RB Leipzig
Samuel Gustafson, BK Häcken

Viktor Gyökeres, Coventry
Alexander Isak, Newcastle
Jesper Karlsson, AZ Alkmaar
Jesper Karlström, Lech Poznan

Dejan Kulusevski, Tottenham Hotspur
Kristoffer Olsson, Midtjylland
Robin Quaison, Al-Ettifaq, Arabia
Marcus Rohdén, Fatih Karagümrük
Mattias Svanberg, VfL Wolfsburg

Viktor Gyökeres is currently playing at Sporting CP (Lisbon, Portugal).
Good season start with two nice goals on the first match.

 

[Lioness~]

Viktor Gyökeres is currently playing at Sporting CP (Lisbon, Portugal).
Good season start with two nice goals on the first match.

Ok, thank you - bad informed newspapers here. My own info about the guys is nothing to brag about either. But obviously they are better than in my imagination, which is just great..

 

[Silencio]

Anthony Elanga, Manchester United

Elanga was recently sold to Nottingham Forest. He even came off the bench against United at Old Trafford this past weekend.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Elanga was recently sold to Nottingham Forest. He even came off the bench against United at Old Trafford this past weekend.

Funny how quickly things can sometimes move, when other transfers drag on seemingly forever.

 

[Silencio]

UCL draw summary​

• Group A: Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Copenhagen, Galatasaray
• Group B: Sevilla, Arsenal, PSV, Lens
• Group C: Napoli, Real Madrid, Braga, Union Berlin
• Group D; Benfica, Inter, Salzburg, Real Sociedad
• Group E: Feyenoord, Atlético Madrid, Lazio, Celtic
• Group F: PSG, Dortmund, Milan, Newcastle
• Group G: Manchester City, RB Leipzig, Crevna Zvezda, Young Boys
• Group H: Barcelona, Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk, Antwerp

city get just about the easiest draw imaginable.

Group F is going to be spectacular — all four teams pretty strong and evenly matched.

Not a good draw for Man Utd, but if they can't get past Copenhagen and Galatasaray... could say the same for Arsenal.

 

[daneoni]

City as usual get a laughably easy group. Could play the B team for all those games. Except maybe Leipzig away
Utd should be fine
Celtic can actually do well if they play their cards right
Group F is the tricky group and i worry for Newcastle but they have the squad to do well. Dortmund haven't replaced Bellingham and Milan have lost Tonali. They can probably navigate PSG too
Decent group for Arsenal. They should be able to beat all those. Sevilla will probably be the trickiest.
Barca and Madrid should be fine
Inter and Benfica too.