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The 2024-2025 Football Thread
- Thread starter Scepticalscribe
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If that was their C team I hate to think what the score line could have been with their A team, 10-1, 15-1?
Man City losing Rodri for most if not the whole season according to reports because he needs surgery. Now here's the thing, I keep reading articles about how important Rodri is to City and even Pep has mentioned how important he is to the team but yet I've just read this news article about Rodri and I was stunned at what I read.
https://uk.yahoo.com/sports/news/man-city-confirm-rodri-knee-095359691.html
Rodri miss City's complete preseason and the start of 4 games into the season to recover from his Euro win with Spain. No very important then is he. He is not league match fit, is put into a champions league game and then his first league game against Arsenal and gets badly injured. He clearly was not match fit according to many football commentators and yet Pep decided to play him and now they are going to be without him for possibly the rest of the season.
Having him missing all preseason and the first 4 league games did not appear to affect the team that much in my opinion. Yes he makes the team better but it has been shown the club can operate without him.
https://uk.yahoo.com/sports/news/man-city-confirm-rodri-knee-095359691.html
Rodri miss City's complete preseason and the start of 4 games into the season to recover from his Euro win with Spain. No very important then is he. He is not league match fit, is put into a champions league game and then his first league game against Arsenal and gets badly injured. He clearly was not match fit according to many football commentators and yet Pep decided to play him and now they are going to be without him for possibly the rest of the season.
Having him missing all preseason and the first 4 league games did not appear to affect the team that much in my opinion. Yes he makes the team better but it has been shown the club can operate without him.
I'm one of the few Man City fans on this chat (ducks)... You're right that City can win without Rodri in the short term. We've had such a deep squad for years that we've been able to win trophies even with long absences (DeBruyne, Haaland and others...) Not having Rodri for the whole season is a big blow, and when the margins are so tight, this could tip the balance towards Arsenal or Liverpool for the title. It feels to me like Arsenal has the upper hand right now; their wins have been more convincing than City's, and they deserved to win last weekend (we must have paid the ref!) Definitely makes it more fun when there is a real race to the finish... and City has to lose its run sooner or later!
Cough.
But, thank you for this post, and not just because I am inclined to agree with you.
More seriously, re the loss to injury of Rodri, I am mindful of how his absence affected City last season (the co-relation between poor results for the club and his absence from the team was quite marked).
Waiting for the endsignal....4 - 0
Arsenal raised their game in this meeting against Häcken, and they did not play the earlier Häcken-star until very late. Häcken have lost too much to compete on any high WCL now.
I am happy with any really good Women's Football, anywy.
I bet Barça will win WCL regardless of this game.
Arsenal raised their game in this meeting against Häcken, and they did not play the earlier Häcken-star until very late. Häcken have lost too much to compete on any high WCL now.
I am happy with any really good Women's Football, anywy.
I bet Barça will win WCL regardless of this game.
Read this about ex United player Donny Van Der Beek
metro.co.uk
Basically he is struggling to fit in because of the managers tactics. Something he struggled with when at United.
Further down in the news article it is mentioned that Donny's agent is at fault for pushing through the transfer from Ajax to United because Donny was not ready for such a big move.
Do you agree that Donny's move to United was ill advised? or do you feel that Donny failed at United and is struggling at new side Girona because the managers are not playing him in the correct positions and thus has nothing to do with Donny's agent or the man himself?
Manchester United's £40,000,000 flop 'struggling to adapt' to new club
Physical and tactical issues.
metro.co.uk
Basically he is struggling to fit in because of the managers tactics. Something he struggled with when at United.
Further down in the news article it is mentioned that Donny's agent is at fault for pushing through the transfer from Ajax to United because Donny was not ready for such a big move.
Do you agree that Donny's move to United was ill advised? or do you feel that Donny failed at United and is struggling at new side Girona because the managers are not playing him in the correct positions and thus has nothing to do with Donny's agent or the man himself?
The last 6 in my opinion will be Lyon, Chelsea, Arsenal, Bayern, Barca and Man City.
Barca are favorite's but I think any one of them could be winners
He was quite underwhelming during the short loan stint at Everton.Read this about ex United player Donny Van Der Beek
Manchester United's £40,000,000 flop 'struggling to adapt' to new club
Physical and tactical issues.
Basically he is struggling to fit in because of the managers tactics. Something he struggled with when at United.
Further down in the news article it is mentioned that Donny's agent is at fault for pushing through the transfer from Ajax to United because Donny was not ready for such a big move.
Do you agree that Donny's move to United was ill advised? or do you feel that Donny failed at United and is struggling at new side Girona because the managers are not playing him in the correct positions and thus has nothing to do with Donny's agent or the man himself?
Some player has a certain level, and as long as they stay at that level they excel (and can be among the very best at that level), but it they step (too high) up they fall through. I think Donny is one of those players.
Anyone know how he's doing in Spain? I suspect he'll fall through there, too. At least in the top matches...
The thing is though you are right in what you said in your other post, some players are only able to play at a certain level and be the best at that level but when they try to step up to the next level they fail. The thing is though, managers need to see if players can step up to the next level and they usually give them a contract of 3 years to find out. The first year is all about fitness, training and learning football tactics at the next level, how to be quicker on the ball than your opponent, how to move your body faster than your opponent, how to think faster than your opponent, learning how to predict where your team mates will be ready for the pass. The 2nd year is putting all of that into practice, seeing if what they have learnt has stayed in their head. If it has you will see the player do well but if it hasn't you will see them struggle. This is when the manager and coaches will get together to talk to see if the player has the potential to give more or if the player has reached their limit and thus will be put on the transfer list.
City will be fine without him against the lesser teams. Its the Cups (quarters, semi, and final) and games against the big 6 and title run-in where they'll feel his absence.
If it wasn't for him City probably wouldn't be UCL winners.
As Pep has stated he is irreplaceable because he's currently the best on the planet in that position and is crucial to how City play especially the big games.
Pep teams have always thrived on a technical, ball playing 6. Busquet -> Fernandinho -> Rodri.
No one in that city squad comes close. Kovacic not as mobile, Gundogan ageing, unless he plays Stones or enters the transfer market...
But we'll see
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Well according to the news Rodri is out for the whole season and probably longer. I have not doubt the wheels are already turning to find a replacement in the January transfer window.
Hopefully they have a transfer ban by then!
Probably happy with our draw today with the way we have been playing.
The football press have been saying the premier league will make their findings in early 2025. I think we have read press articles enough over the years to know when they say 'early xxx' that means sometime between February and May. I personally think the PL will give their verdict after the January transfer window because the legal minds advise the PL will tell them that as soon as they give a verdict and it goes against City, City will immediately lodge an appeal because whilst appeals are active any action against City will be temporarily on hold meaning City will be able to carry on as normal whist the appeal process it ongoing. A transfer ban would be one of the potential punishments that could be handed out and because it is one of the punishments the PL cannot use it against City in any way whilst an appeal has been lodged.
If the PL find against City, the charges against them would have to be read out and then what punishment is to be handed out. Once that has taken place City would then be allowed to appeal. This is when we would see how good the PL legal team and the Judging panel are because if one of the punishments against City was a transfer ban, an appeal would stop the transfer ban because City can not be punished whilst an appeal is ongoing. The PL could ask the Judge for a temporary injunction against City preventing them from buying and selling players whilst the appeal process is ongoing. City would want to make darn sure this does not happen.
This is why companies and people appeal their punishments because an appeal halts all punishments against them meaning it's business as usual until the appeal is over. If City were to get their way, they could keep on appealing and carry on as normal for the next few years because that is how the UK's legal process works.
- Furlong9' (OG) Can't we call that one a deflection? If you'd seen the highlight you might agree...
- Windass23'
- Musaba86'
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Went to the Forest v Fulham game. A dreadful game in which neither goalkeeper had a shot of note to make, decided by a ref/VAR giving a soft penalty while ignoring equally soft penalty claims. Reffering decisons in the EPL are just a lottery. See the Everton player cleaning out the Crystal Palace player and some how a penalty is not given and the Arsenal player somehow avoiding a second yellow card despite a bad foul. The inconstancy is running games.