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The 2023-2024 Football Thread
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Ambitious? Probably justified yes? You don't pay a new manager millions of £££ just to languish in the bottom half of the table.
That and other clubs need to get worse.
Think of the PL. to finish above 7th you need to finish above one of these (in no particular order).
Manchester City
Manchester United
Chelsea
Arsenal
Spurs
Liverpool
Newcastle.
But clubs like
Brighton
Aston Villa
West Ham
Fulham
Brentford
Are probably all in front of Wolves
Some years one or two of them might have bad years. But unlikely 4 or 5 of them will.
Exactly.
One pays a manager in order for them to try to get the best from a (sometimes) limited squad, people whom you have not recruited yourself, and sometimes, to try to form a coherent team playing style (one that is compatible with the players you have at your disposal) and, perhaps, philosophy.
Additionally, the manager must be able to scout out (or recruit individuals to do this) good options for future purchase (who will fit into what you are trying to do), discreetly get rid of (sell, or encourage to depart), non-performers, or disruptive individuals, manage the expectations of directors, the squad, and fans; manage - with people skills - the team, and the squad, that is, encourage, mentor, steer, advise, - and try not to lose your best players to injury or to other teams, when they come knocking or poaching.
Attempting to argue that because simply Nuno had successfully steered Wolves (with a far better squad) to seventh, that this is a realistic aim, or ambition, or goal, for Forest, is unrealistic, certainly, for a season or two.
It takes both time and money (and no small luck), plus planning, to be able to achieve such an optimistic outcome.
Looking at this, it really starts to show how strong the Premier League is becoming in terms of not just the "top 4" or "greedy 6", but the whole top half of the table through to about 12th or 13th now.
It really does have a strength and depth where it once perhaps didn't. Once upon a time it was really only the top 4 who were really strong. Now it's a good portion of the league.
It can be done.
Koeman and Pochettino both did it at Southampton with limited investment and the need to constantly sell off the best performing players.
We had consecutive seasons where we finished 6th, 7th, 8th or thereabouts.
It's the long-term consistency that is hard.
West Ham B team get knocked out of the league cup by Liverpool 5-1.
Not a good night.
But ultimately this is our least important competition.
Not a good night.
But ultimately this is our least important competition.
I saw that.
Not a good night for West Ham, even if circumstances decreed that they were compelled to field something other than their strongest team.
I suspect that Liverpool may have felt that they had a point to prove, and possibly have set themselves the task of attempting to secure a trophy.
The least hotly contested trophy is still a trophy - just ask any Spurs fan. They've all heard of these fabled trophies.
Klopp put out a quite strong team and the Reds played with much more energy than I have seen in a little while. Good to see Jones looking confident.
All six goals were great strikes, including Bowen’s.
I think a couple of those goals were intended for last weekend’s derby and got misallocated. 🤣
I was reading a news article on the Liverpool v West Ham game after I seen the post about West Ham putting out a 'B' team. The football article stated that both teams made the same amount of changes to their teams. So, whilst West Ham put out a 'B' team, Liverpool technically put out a 'B' team as well, it was still vastly stronger than West Hams though.
If Liverpool can put out such a team with so many changes to it and win like that (it wasn't their strongest team), they are certainly good contenders to win the cup.
If Liverpool can put out such a team with so many changes to it and win like that (it wasn't their strongest team), they are certainly good contenders to win the cup.
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Hhhmmm, this could have ramifications for an introduction of a EU Super League. The EU court of justice has just ruled against FIFA and UEFA saying what they tried to do to clubs and players was against EU law
metro.co.uk
This could also affect individual nations FA because I remember the English FA saying they would revoke the professional license of any player that played in a Super League meaning they would be prevented from working as a professional footballer in England.
European Super League gets major boost as EU court rules against FIFA and UEFA
Six Premier League clubs attempted to join the breakaway league.
metro.co.uk
This could also affect individual nations FA because I remember the English FA saying they would revoke the professional license of any player that played in a Super League meaning they would be prevented from working as a professional footballer in England.
ughHhhmmm, this could have ramifications for an introduction of a EU Super League. The EU court of justice has just ruled against FIFA and UEFA saying what they tried to do to clubs and players was against EU law
European Super League gets major boost as EU court rules against FIFA and UEFA
Six Premier League clubs attempted to join the breakaway league.
This could also affect individual nations FA because I remember the English FA saying they would revoke the professional license of any player that played in a Super League meaning they would be prevented from working as a professional footballer in England.
Not this crap again!
Well the beauty is UEFA can certainly stop teams from a Super League from taking part in the 3 club European competitions because entry to those competitions comes from recognized club leagues. All UEFA has to do is not recognize a Super League and bang goes clubs entry in the European club competitions. UEFA are not legally bound to recognize an unsanctioned league.
The difference with the above and what they tried to do before is that before, they was going to prevent players from being able to play football, effectively taking their job away and that is something a business cannot do. Players who play in a super league would still be able to play football, they would just be barred from playing in the champions league and such. Yes clubs in the super league can go to court and complain but the court would not be able to force UEFA to give them entry into the European club competitions.
It's no different to what the PGA tour are doing to golfers who play in this new Saudi created golf tournament. They are saying they cannot play in both as it's not an officially recognized tournament and thus they whilst they have a right to play in the new tournament, they do not have the right to continue being part of the PGA tour thus their tour license is revoked.
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Not if UEFA and the FA nations of each EU country say they do not recognize a Super League. This would stop teams in the Super League from being able to participate in FA sanctioned competitions, so no FA cup or league cup.
Breakaway competitions/leagues happen all the time. It's happened in snooker, golf, darts and I believe Rugby clubs are looking into something new as well and each time it's been a case of one association not recognizing the other thus preventing players/sports persons from competing in both or more.
If a Super League is created, it will be interesting to see if UEFA and the FA of each EU country will be forced to recognize the super league so clubs can participate in FA sanctioned competitions.
FIFA and UEFA just need to be a bit more tactful about this because before, they went in hardcore and said players would be prevented from playing football, have their playing licenses revoked which would have effectively prevented them from working as a player again. Employment lawyers spoke up and said this would be against the law in numerous countries and they were right. As the EU court said, the idea of a Super League is not banned, only how FIFA and UEFA were going to approach it.
The way to kill of any prospect of a Super League is to not recognize it. To be able to play in a countries FA sanctioned competitions, the clubs need to be in FA approved leagues. It would also mean players in a Super League would be barred from being able to play for their country because players need to play in FA sanctioned leagues. Take a look at the current rules on illegible players, they cannot play for a club or a national team unless certain criteria are met. How many times have we seen clubs and national teams penalized because they fielded and illegible player? All the FA's of each EU country, FIFA and UEFA would need to do is make a short amendment to the section of the rules on illegible players where the definition of an illegible player is one who participles in unsanctioned leagues. Job done. The super league would be an unsanctioned league thus any player taking part in it will be deemed 'illegible'. Clubs would obviously get their lawyers to look into it but I don't think they would be successful.
The way to kill of any prospect of a Super League is to not recognize it. To be able to play in a countries FA sanctioned competitions, the clubs need to be in FA approved leagues. It would also mean players in a Super League would be barred from being able to play for their country because players need to play in FA sanctioned leagues. Take a look at the current rules on illegible players, they cannot play for a club or a national team unless certain criteria are met. How many times have we seen clubs and national teams penalized because they fielded and illegible player? All the FA's of each EU country, FIFA and UEFA would need to do is make a short amendment to the section of the rules on illegible players where the definition of an illegible player is one who participles in unsanctioned leagues. Job done. The super league would be an unsanctioned league thus any player taking part in it will be deemed 'illegible'. Clubs would obviously get their lawyers to look into it but I don't think they would be successful.
Also thinking about it, clubs leaving their league to join a super league could cause a fundamental change in job role/job description which under EU law means the clubs would be required by law to offer redundancy to those that did not want to accept the changes. This could mean club staff asking to leave and players asking to be put on the transfer list.
I have no doubt the club owners who wanted the super league will be rubbing their hands in glee at the courts ruling but deep down it could create one huge mess for them if FIFA, UEFA and countries FA play cool about it and follow the rules of employment law properly.
I have no doubt the club owners who wanted the super league will be rubbing their hands in glee at the courts ruling but deep down it could create one huge mess for them if FIFA, UEFA and countries FA play cool about it and follow the rules of employment law properly.
The national leagues also have to fight he Super League. They are effectively cartels of professional clubs and are self-regulating. The court ruling doesn’t apply to them. They can prevent clubs from joining.
And most importantly, fans. If villains like Florentino Perez are right, and fans actually want a super league, there’s no stopping it.
I still loathe the idea and I won’t be part of it. The whole thing is a greedy hubristic fever dream by aging rich men who still want more.
And most importantly, fans. If villains like Florentino Perez are right, and fans actually want a super league, there’s no stopping it.
I still loathe the idea and I won’t be part of it. The whole thing is a greedy hubristic fever dream by aging rich men who still want more.
I bet the Glazers will be thanking themselves for not selling the club because they will be thinking the Super League will make them and other club owners even more rich than they already are, way more rich than the £6 billion the Qatar bidders offered.