General Football Nonsense

[Marc Overmars]

2 sackings that no one saw coming today. :faint:

[dazthegooner]

Rodger’s to Chelsea anyone? :unsure:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Agent Potter. :bow:

Thank you.

[Letters]

Potter has been sacked.

:haha:

[Mac76]

:haha:

Err not so funny, it means we face another new-manager-bounce scenario...

[McNamara That Ghost...]

It's very funny.

[Letters]

Err not so funny, it means we face another new-manager-bounce scenario...

Depends when they appoint someone. We don’t play them for a few weeks so not necessarily

[GP]

Boelhy is desperatly trying to find Ted Lasso's number.

[GP]

Chelsea have appointed Lampard :lol:

[Mac76]

Chelsea have appointed Lampard :lol:

:haha: :haha:

They're lucky they're fairly clear of the relegation places

[Letters]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwLswJwyYqM

:lol:

[Mac76]

ESPN have a Twitter question on the best PL manager of the season

Options they give are:

Pep
Arteta
De Zerbi
Emery
Eddie Howe
The Bournemouth Guy

for me, depending on which ends the season the best, I'd say Emery or De Zerbi, they've clearly got the best out of their teams with limited resources and got them challenging for Europe

some on there are saying Ten Hag should be there but tbh it was obvious that the first sensible manager to walk in there was always going to get more out of those players and they're very unreliable, last night being a good example

[HCZ_Reborn]

ESPN have a Twitter question on the best PL manager of the season

Options they give are:

Pep
Arteta
De Zerbi
Emery
Eddie Howe
The Bournemouth Guy

for me, depending on which ends the season the best, I'd say Emery or De Zerbi, they've clearly got the best out of their teams with limited resources and got them challenging for Europe

some on there are saying Ten Hag should be there but tbh it was obvious that the first sensible manager to walk in there was always going to get more out of those players and they're very unreliable, last night being a good example

Won’t be a popular opinion I imagine on here but I’d be thinking Eddie Howe. No one but no one expected them to get champions league start of the season. They are now a side, no one wants to play. Yes there’s been money spent but relatively speaking not silly money because they are wary of FFP.

That aside, yes either Unai or De Zerbi would be good choices

[Marc Overmars]

Arteta would have been had we won the league but that ain’t happening now.

De Zerbi has done a very good job too but also inherited something that was already working well. Emery has done a more impressive job than him considering how shit Villa were.

The manager of the season is undoubtedly Eddie Howe though. On the brink of getting Newcastle in the CL and turned them into a very formidable unit.

[Mac76]

all fair, I thought of Howe, I guess they have bought in some very good players but he's also got the best out of what he had already, he's done well, can't deny it

[GP]

Leeds to sack Gracia and appoint Fat Sam :doh:

[Letters]

Napoli champions.

[Letters]

A mate of mine married a lady from Naples and lives there.
He just called me so I could hear all the hullaballoo going on there right now :lol:

[The Wengerbabies]

https://www.premierleague.com/news/3252670

Celtic did it best



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-k_uKIMSwgU

[The Wengerbabies]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jT0GGVkBC2k

[HCZ_Reborn]

A mate of mine married a lady from Naples and lives there.
He just called me so I could hear all the hullaballoo going on there right now :lol:

Whole city letting off fireworks

Naples is mad about its football club, almost as mad as it is about Maradonna.

Some of their fans are dickheads frankly, when they came to london for a champions league game they trashed the Piebury corner shop.

However I know someone who goes to Naples and says the Neapolitans are great people, really passionate

[Letters]

Everywhere they go…

https://twitter.com/JacoCats/status/1655194954619035652

[Mac76]

priceless :haha:

[Marc Overmars]

Luton v Coventry in the play off final

Good to see a relatively fresh name back in the league. I’ve been to Luton’s ground a few times and it’s one of the biggest shitholes I’ve ever seen. Hilarious to see PL football possibly there next season.

[HCZ_Reborn]

Luton v Coventry in the play off final

Good to see a relatively fresh name back in the league. I’ve been to Luton’s ground a few times and it’s one of the biggest shitholes I’ve ever seen. Hilarious to see PL football possibly there next season.

Away fan entry gantry overlooks someone’s back garden

[Marc Overmars]

West Ham in to the Conference League final against Fiorentina.

Good luck to them. Hopefully our boy Rice does good.

[Letters]

Sheffield Wednesday do a Reading vs Arsenal

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65642675

[HCZ_Reborn]

West Ham in to the Conference League final against Fiorentina.

Good luck to them. Hopefully our boy Rice does good.

Ugh don’t (Rice)

I find myself completely indifferent to the Ammers. So given that they won’t be in danger of winning a competition we would care about winning.

I say let a thousand flowers bloom, good luck to them…..I won’t be giving it any thought though

https://content.api.news/v3/images/bin/4ca3233bfa4f5adf9647a5b8bbbcfbbd

[Marc Overmars]

Dortmund are 1 win away from winning the Bundesliga. :faint:

[HCZ_Reborn]

Dortmund are 1 win away from winning the Bundesliga. :faint:

You beat me to this post by one minute

Dortmund didn’t hide behind the excuse of how well funded Bayern are…they relentlessly put pressure on Bayern

[Letters]

You beat me to this post by one minute

Dortmund didn’t hide behind the excuse of how well funded Bayern are…they relentlessly put pressure on Bayern
:lol:

What utter bullshit.

Bayern have W6 D1 L3 of their last 10.
Dortmund have W6 D3 L1.
They have 70 points after 33 games, we had more than that after 29.
Dortmund’s run has been OK, but they didn’t have anyone chasing them winning every game.
The two situations aren’t even remotely the same.

EDIT: that Dortmund run is identical to our 10 game run before Brighton which was apparently a terrible collapse. Dortmund do it and it’s them putting relentless pressure on Bayern :lol:. Dortmund also lost the head to head with Bayern

[HCZ_Reborn]

:lol:

What utter bullshit.

Bayern have W6 D1 L3 of their last 10.
Dortmund have W6 D3 L1.
They have 70 points after 33 games, we had more than that after 29.
Dortmund’s run has been OK, but they didn’t have anyone chasing them winning every game.
The two situations aren’t even remotely the same.

EDIT: that Dortmund run is identical to our 10 game run before Brighton which was apparently a terrible collapse. Dortmund do it and it’s them putting relentless pressure on Bayern :lol:. Dortmund also lost the head to head with Bayern

Dortmund were the chasers, they were the ones who put pressure on Bayern not allowing them to slip up, and have been ready to pounce every time they did. And they are proof that it doesn’t matter how strongly you start a season it’s how you finish that matters.

This is against a Bayern that has won ten titles in a row before this season

And the head to head isn’t important. They kept themselves in the title race by coming from two nil down at home to get a 2-2 draw…and they came back from losing 4-2 at Bayern.

You want to stick your snout up Arteta’s bum hole you go right ahead. But don’t preach to me that he’s anything other than a conceited failure whose borderline autistic character traits meant that our title challenge became little more than a joke in the end. Fuck what City do or don’t do, we are the masters of our own results. The guy instead of chewing the players out for the Brighton game, waxed lyrical about what an amazing season it’s been in an act of figurative Onanism.

Don’t get me wrong I hope we push on next season but don’t see it whilst someone like that is at the helm, and the only positive I can see from what unfortunately I think will be a painful car crash of a season is that he will get chucked out at the end….whilst it won’t be worth seeing us serving more pathetic tripe it will be fun to watch the pinprick let the air out of his ballooned Ego.

Then when he ends up at some other club, I can actually enjoy the mess he makes there

[Letters]

Dortmund were the chasers, they were the ones who put pressure on Bayern not allowing them to slip up,
Dortmund won 8 games in a row in the middle of the season. That did take them from 9 points behind Bayern to level.
So yeah, Dortmund did put the pressure on then but Bayern's run in the same period of W4 D3 L1 isn't exactly stellar.

And since that it's been the exact run I was talking about W6 D3 L1. And the one they lost in that run was the head to head vs Bayern.
That's the "relentless pressure", is it? I was wrong before, our run wasn't quite the same. After we lost to City at home we had an 11 game run of W7 D3 L1, the last of those being the game at the Ethiad. Then we won the next two, so overall it was a run of W9 D3 L1

Dortmund dropped 9 points out of 30 and that took them from level with Bayern to 2 points above them.
We dropped 9 points from 39 and that took us from 3 points ahead of City to 4 points behind.
The difference is that City only dropped 2 points from 39, Bayern dropped 11 points in 30. It wasn't relentless Dortmund pressure, their run was OK but Bayern's was pretty poor for a side with title ambitions.


And they are proof that it doesn’t matter how strongly you start a season it’s how you finish that matters.
Well this is certainly true, but City have now P18 W16 D1 L1. And that includes both head to heads. Now that is relentless pressure. We have certainly lost and drawn stupid games and dropped points we shouldn't have, but I refuse to see 9 points dropped in 39 as a huge failing.


This is against a Bayern that has won ten titles in a row before this season
Their league isn't as competitive as ours. They won it with 77 points last year. That's 86 points if you adjust for a 38 game season and assume the same points per games ratio. That wouldn't have been good enough to win the Premier League in any of the last 6 seasons - there was one year when City "only" got 86, but that was when no-one really pressured them, Utd finished second with 74 points.


And the head to head isn’t important. They kept themselves in the title race by coming from two nil down at home to get a 2-2 draw…and they came back from losing 4-2 at Bayern.
We got a late winner vs Utd, we came back from 2-0 down against Bournemouth, we responded to the defeat vs City at home with 7 wins in a row.


You want to stick your snout up Arteta’s bum hole you go right ahead.
Can you seriously not debate like a grown up? Holy shit, dude
This is nothing to do with Arteta. I haven't mentioned him once. You said that Dortmund "relentlessly put pressure on Bayern". That's bullshit. They did have one good run in the middle of the season but Bayern had a pretty poor one during the same period. And after that good run Dortmund's form in the run in has been no better than ours has been. The main difference is Bayern's run has been worse and we've had City winning every bleedin' game.

And this isn't anything to do with City's funding, that's just the mechanism by which they've got to the level they are at. And that level is surely the best side in Europe. They've won the PL, you'd have to back them in both Cup Finals they're in. They look like they're going to cruise to the Treble - when Utd did theirs they rather stumbled over the line, they were a Bergkamp penalty miss away from us beating them in the Cup and that could well have propelled us to the Double instead of what they did.

The only point I'm highlighting is you characterising a run from Dortmund as "relentless" pressure" and our better run than theirs as an unforgiveable collapse. How you resolve that logical inconsistency I'll leave as an exercise for the reader.

[HCZ_Reborn]

But as you seem loathe to understand what city didn’t or didn’t do was irrelevant. You seem to be making a like for like comparison in terms of point acquisition, I’m saying Dortmund never allowed Bayern to pull away from them.

Plus anyway, since the resumption of the Bundesliga post World Cup, Dortmund have played 19 games - 15 wins, three draws, 1 defeat (to Bayern)

That’s up there with the form City have shown post World Cup

[Letters]

But as you seem loathe to understand what city didn’t or didn’t do was irrelevant.
We were 5 points ahead of them (the 8 points thing is oft quoted to promote the "ArSeNaL cOlLaPsEd" narrative, but it's a bit dishonest as City had a game in hand). So yeah, given that we were ahead of them then if we'd kept winning then we'd stayed ahead of them and would have been champions. Obviously. And there are certainly games where we dropped points we shouldn't have. But City's run of P18 W16 D1 L1 - including them winning both head to heads - is hardly irrelevant. It didn't give us any room for error. I don't think it's a awful failing on our part that we didn't win the title. There were moments this season where I started to think it was possible, but that was predicated on City getting side-tracked by the CL, and they just didn't. I am pissed off that we just gave up and handed it to them on a plate, that's disgraceful and a big black mark against Arteta and the team.


I’m saying Dortmund never allowed Bayern to pull away from them.
You say that. Bayern were 9 points clear before the World Cup. Then when games resumed Dortmund won 8 in a row, after which the teams were level on points.
One could argue that Bayern's run of W4 D3 L1 in the same 8 games isn't exactly stellar.
Since then Dortmund have had a decent enough run but they lost the head to head and have dropped 6 points in the other 9 games. If Bayern had gone on a run anything like City's they'd be champions.
Overall yes, Dortmund have done well. I make it W14 D3 L1 since the world Cup vs Bayern's W10 D4 L4.
But that's where the difference is. Bayern kept slipping up which meant that when Dortmund had the occasional slip and lost the head to head they could still overhaul them. City didn't slip up. The mowed us down in the head to heads and won pretty much every other game which meant any slip by us was taken advantage of. Neither Bayern or Dortmund would win the league against this City team.

[HCZ_Reborn]

Again missing the point, Dortmund won 15 out of 19 games post World Cup, we won 13 out of 23. There’s literally no grounds to say it was all about City because we dropped 25 points in that time. As I keep saying, what city or city didn’t do was irrelevant, you simply don’t win the league by dropping over a third of the points (36%) available to you.

Dortmund dropped 9 (16%)

[Letters]

Again missing the point, Dortmund won 15 out of 19 games post World Cup, we won 13 out of 23. There’s literally no grounds to say it was all about City because we dropped 25 points in that time. As I keep saying, what city or city didn’t do was irrelevant, you simply don’t win the league by dropping over a third of the points (36%) available to you.

Dortmund dropped 9 (16%)

We had 2 big wobbles in the season, there was a run of W0 D1 L2 - that was including the City game at The Emirates. That was a big red flag for me. But we responded pretty well, winning 7 in a row after that.
But then we had the other big wobble which was W0 D3 L1 - the loss being the game at The Ethiad.
That took City from 8 points behind us to 4 in front. So I agree that we did drop too many points and slipped up in games where we shouldn't have.
But at the same time, had City just slipped up once or twice we'd have been right in contention - I'm not counting the last two losses as we've clearly given up. It's not acceptable to do that, but it must be dispiriting when you go on a run of 7 wins in a row and the team chasing you just keep winning too. We always knew we had the harder run in, we always knew that squad depth was a concern for us.

So I think Arsenal's slips letting City in AND City's relentless form seeing them overtake us can both be true.

[HCZ_Reborn]

No we’ve had three big wobbles

Game 20, 21 and 22 one draw and two losses

Game 30, 31, 32 and 33, three draws and one loss


Game 36 and 37. Back to back defeats


Nine games where we registered four draws and five defeats


Games for me we dropped 14 points in unnecessarily


Everton should have got a draw from

Brentford should have won

Man City at home I think even with Partey out we should have got a draw from


West Ham and Southampton we should have won


Brighton and Forest we should have won


Add that to Southampton away from home where we carelessly gave away two points


And United away where we should have got at least a draw and that’s 17 points thrown away


Out of those games only Brighton at home were we comprehensively outplayed and even then it was about poor tactical set up.


Now being generous and say of these 17 points we should have picked up half (because you can’t be perfect throughout the season) that’s pushing City all the way. That’s what I’m driving at, you speak about how we faltered against Brighton because we were mentally affected by City beating Everton in the earlier game…well we had the chance to put that mental pressure on city. And they’d buckled before in the season….the draw against Everton at home, the draw away to Forest…losing away at United after being 1-0 ahead.

They certainly wouldn’t have been able to rest half their first team yesterday.

It’s really not hard, we bottled it…pure and simple…what city did or didn’t do isn’t especially that relevant.

[Mac76]

We should have won against Liverpool too, alhtough equally as things turned out it was only Ram that got us a point there

[Letters]

No we’ve had three big wobbles
I'd say we had 2 wobbles and then we just gave up. Which I'm not defending, but I do think that's an important distinction.


Now being generous and say of these 17 points we should have picked up half (because you can’t be perfect throughout the season) that’s pushing City all the way. That’s what I’m driving at
Right. And I don't disagree with that. I'm disappointed that we haven't pushed them to the last day. That's unacceptable. I'm disappointed that we just gave up after City beat Everton. I kinda get it, but it's not good enough, you run to the line. If they're going to win it then make them win it, don't just hand it to them. That has pissed me off. But I'd also suggest for all the games where we've dropped silly points you can point to games where we've won well, come back from losing positions, won games after City won to put pressure on us. Which is why I don't really by the "bottled it" narrative.

For all our wobbles, points we dropped which we shouldn't. The end result was we had 81 points after 35 games. I imagine that's only second to The Invincibles in terms of Arsenal at that stage of the season. And we could have finished on the same points as The Invincibles had we not just given up.
Given where we were last season it's not been a bad effort. The important thing for me is how we push on from here. Can Arteta push us on? I'm not sure, but he's certainly earned the right to try.

[HCZ_Reborn]

We should have won against Liverpool too, alhtough equally as things turned out it was only Ram that got us a point there

Yeah I’m more looking at the fixtures themselves rather than what happened in the match. On the basis of the game we absolutely deserved to get thumped by Brighton, the better team throughout….but going into it I think we could and should have won but we fell into their trap…played too high a line and didn’t try to double up on Mitoma who caused most of the difficulties.
Playing just the one way is what Wenger did, and whilst you obviously want a general system of playing that has to come with adaptation to who you’re playing.
There’s many things I like about the system, the last two games aside the most positive thing about this season has been the goal return…and generally quite consistently been good and I think the system facilitates that.
And you’re right in that whoever you’re playing to lose a two goal lead is disappointing but to get a draw from Anfield after six heavy defeats there in the league was whilst not great in the context of the season was a good suture to the profuse bleeding that has marked our recent experiences there

[Letters]

There were a few games this season where I thought "if we win this then i think we're going to do it", or "If City drop points here then I think we're going to do it". And every single time the result went the other way. Anfield was one of those, City at home was another. Bah.

[HCZ_Reborn]

Can anyone explain to me why Vinicius Jnr seems to be targeted for racial abuse

He’s far from the only black player in Spain yet he seems to be being prolifically targeted

[Marc Overmars]

Can anyone explain to me why Vinicius Jnr seems to be targeted for racial abuse

He’s far from the only black player in Spain yet he seems to be being prolifically targeted

He’s a bit of a wind up merchant.

The issue though is that for some reason in Spain racial abuse is seen as fair game. Bit of banter if you like. You troll us for scoring a goal and we mock the colour of your skin? Weird.

[HCZ_Reborn]

He’s a bit of a wind up merchant.

The issue though is that for some reason in Spain racial abuse is seen as fair game. Bit of banter if you like. You troll us for scoring a goal and we mock the colour of your skin? Weird.

Always been the way not just in Spain but in South America too

[HCZ_Reborn]

Garry O’Neil given the push

That makes sense, the guy with by far the weakest squad in the premier league keeps them up and is “suitably” rewarded

So Wolves and Bournemouth are my certs to go down


Who joins them? Between Sheffield United, Luton, Everton and Forest

[Mac76]

Garry O’Neil given the push

That makes sense, the guy with by far the weakest squad in the premier league keeps them up and is “suitably” rewarded

So Wolves and Bournemouth are my certs to go down


Who joins them? Between Sheffield United, Luton, Everton and Forest

agree, a bit of a kick in the teeth for O'Neill

the replacement is Andoni Iraola, who accoridng to this "spent three years at Rayo Vallecano, guiding them to 11th in the Spanish top flight last season." - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65954183

heady heights indeed

[HCZ_Reborn]

Oh I thought they got relegated, clearly mistaken them for Vallodolid (who is owned by Brazillian Ronaldo)

[Niall_Quinn]

Can anyone explain to me why Vinicius Jnr seems to be targeted for racial abuse

He’s far from the only black player in Spain yet he seems to be being prolifically targeted

But first, can somebody tell me who he is? Never heard of him.

[Niall_Quinn]

He’s a bit of a wind up merchant.

The issue though is that for some reason in Spain racial abuse is seen as fair game. Bit of banter if you like. You troll us for scoring a goal and we mock the colour of your skin? Weird.

Not weird at all. Football fans have always targeted the obvious. Black, fat, ginger, with tits. Anyone who takes it seriously is queer. Of course if they all took to the pitch and strung him up, simply for the colour of his skin, that would be racist (but who cares?) but also murder - actually important.

We all have to be a bit less gay I think. The the world would get back to normality.

I'm glad the Spanish still have a few balls between them. The English certainly don't.

BTW, half of the shit you see on TV these days is all about how awful white people are. Imagine if white people got wound up over that? Luckily there's virtully no such thing as racism in the west. It's mainly in Africa and Asia you'll find all that.

[LDG]

Uefa “no more long term contracts”

Chelsea

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66007461

yes, I know….before some cunt points it out

[Mac76]

"12 months of filming" - really? Who TF do they think wants to watch 90 minutes about Kalvin Phillips?! A half-hour documentary would be 29 minutes too many

https://advanced-television.com/2023/07/05/kalvin-phillips-the-road-to-city-to-debut-on-prime-video/

[Marc Overmars]

"12 months of filming" - really? Who TF do they think wants to watch 90 minutes about Kalvin Phillips?! A half-hour documentary would be 29 minutes too many

https://advanced-television.com/2023/07/05/kalvin-phillips-the-road-to-city-to-debut-on-prime-video/

They must have a lot of footage of the bench.

[HCZ_Reborn]

Edwin Van der Sar is in intensive care after a bleed on the brain

That’s terrible, I hope he recovers

[HCZ_Reborn]

And on the subject of former Man United goalkeepers. David De Gea has left

[HCZ_Reborn]

Not generally inclined to get soppy over hard luck stories from footballers, but I did spend some time counselling people with substance abuse problems and in a lot of cases they are trying to block out some emotional trauma they’ve suffered. Which seems consistent with Dele Ali’s career taking a nose dive, sometimes you think you’re ok and then it can just hit you and you’re in free fall.

May be an ex spurs player but certainly bear him no Ill will and hope that he’s able to get help and maybe pick up his career where he left off

[Marc Overmars]

Pretty horrific story. Hopefully he can still have a career because he was a decent player before it all fell apart.

[HCZ_Reborn]

Pretty horrific story. Hopefully he can still have a career because he was a decent player before it all fell apart.

Hard to say, he may of course decide that actually the best thing for him would be to walk away from the sport. And if he genuinely feels that’s the right move for him, no bad thing. But if he’s able to get the support he needs, I think Everton will be the massive beneficiaries of it

[Mac76]

all fair, I did think he was a bit of a cheat though, I realise all Spuds players are but he was one of the worse ones - still hope he recovers ok

[Letters]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-66201526

An innocent man :bow:

[Marc Overmars]

Hopefully the women involved in this case are named and shamed.

[Globalgunner]

Hopefully the women involved in this case are named and shamed.

Believe all women/birthing people

[HCZ_Reborn]

At the risk of sounding serious, Rape convictions tend to be low…the reason for it is because unless there are witnesses it’s hard to prove beyond a reasonable doubt. I don’t know whether Mendy denied the assaults happened full stop or whether he claimed they were consensual.

The binary generally isn’t - the man is guilty or the women are liars. Believe women mantra means you’d eliminate any need for a trial, and that’s why the Metoo movement was a big load of shit, and I do believe in innocent until proven guilty.

However there’s a metric fuck ton of stuff that goes unreported. Friend of mine was assaulted (bloke assaulted her despite her telling him to stop and was stalking her afterwards). She went to police but ultimately didn’t want to take the witness stand (which with cross examination and what have you I can’t say I blame her) but as luck would have it, wasn’t her assailant’s debut at that kind of behaviour - police even commented that he didn’t even seem to realise there was anything wrong with what he was doing (retard or something?)

But it’s a sticky old wicket. You want to try and find a balance between maintaining a high bar for conviction and actually protecting women from rape/sexual assault.

[HCZ_Reborn]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66207080


Don’t get this. Well obviously I do, it was obvious the upgrades to Kenilworth Road wouldn’t be completed in time for the start of the season. But why not just play the match at Turf Moor and then play the game scheduled for Turf Moor at Kenilworth Road. Or failing that play at a neutral venue like Vicarage Road which is 15 miles down the road (and Watford are playing away on that weekend) and it would still count as a home fixture for Luton. Rather than let fixture congestion occur

[Globalgunner]

At the risk of sounding serious, Rape convictions tend to be low…the reason for it is because unless there are witnesses it’s hard to prove beyond a reasonable doubt. I don’t know whether Mendy denied the assaults happened full stop or whether he claimed they were consensual.

The binary generally isn’t - the man is guilty or the women are liars. Believe women mantra means you’d eliminate any need for a trial, and that’s why the Metoo movement was a big load of shit, and I do believe in innocent until proven guilty.

However there’s a metric fuck ton of stuff that goes unreported. Friend of mine was assaulted (bloke assaulted her despite her telling him to stop and was stalking her afterwards). She went to police but ultimately didn’t want to take the witness stand (which with cross examination and what have you I can’t say I blame her) but as luck would have it, wasn’t her assailant’s debut at that kind of behaviour - police even commented that he didn’t even seem to realise there was anything wrong with what he was doing (retard or something?)

But it’s a sticky old wicket. You want to try and find a balance between maintaining a high bar for conviction and actually protecting women from rape/sexual assault.

Agreed but most of the high profile cases are usually at the end found to be all BS or a simple money scam. Way back we had the Sheffield United guy (name escapes me) Not guilty. Mason Greenwood (Not guilty) Now Mendy (Not guilty). When you are high profile nowadays its really walking a minefield. Best part is to have hidden cameras installed all over your house. A woman that blows you a kiss as she leaves your house in the morning is gonna have a hard time proving you spent the whole night molesting her

The part that pisses me off the most is 3rd parties who know little about the details or only what the Sun tells them will start shouting GUILTY at the top of their lungs, even on this board here. A couple of melts were wishing the death penalty on Greenwood even while the bint was still sleeping with him during his trial. Some sorry individuals are just gleeful about other (more successful) peoples imminent demise. You know who you are.

[HCZ_Reborn]

Agreed but most of the high profile cases are usually at the end found to be all BS or a simple money scam. Way back we had the Sheffield United guy (name escapes me) Not guilty. Mason Greenwood (Not guilty) Now Mendy (Not guilty). When you are high profile nowadays its really walking a minefield. Best part is to have hidden cameras installed all over your house. A woman that blows you a kiss as she leaves your house in the morning is gonna have a hard time proving you spent the whole night molesting her

The part that pisses me off the most is 3rd parties who know little about the details or only what the Sun tells them will start shouting GUILTY at the top of their lungs, even on this board here. A couple of melts were wishing the death penalty on Greenwood even while the bint was still sleeping with him during his trial. Some sorry individuals are just gleeful about other (more successful) peoples imminent demise. You know who you are.


Mason Greenwood wasn’t found not guilty, the CPS dropped the charges at the behest of the partner (clearly paid off) there’s clear evidence of what he did to his girlfriend.

Whatever one says about her character, the guy is a wretched cunt…and anyone who threatens to hit a woman because she won’t open her legs for him deserves several kinds of shit kicked out of him.

The only thing I’d say positive about Metoo (given it was an online witch hunt) is that it proves if you get money or fame you get the impression you can behave how the fuck you like. Ched Evans was found not to have behaved criminally (and I think rightly so) but you shouldn’t put your dick in anyone that’s barely conscious so he clearly is a scummy little prick (but being a scummy prick isn’t a criminal offence).

Yes that these guys are rich does leave them open to false accusations of course, but it also allows them to behave with impunity and hire the best lawyers where as it’s likely if they were residing in the filthy council estates they were dragged from they’d have gone down.

The likelihood is that false allegations are likely to get dismissed early on, because the CPS won’t even go to trial with very convincing victims if they don’t think there’s at least a good chance of conviction

[Mac76]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66207080


Don’t get this. Well obviously I do, it was obvious the upgrades to Kenilworth Road wouldn’t be completed in time for the start of the season. But why not just play the match at Turf Moor and then play the game scheduled for Turf Moor at Kenilworth Road. Or failing that play at a neutral venue like Vicarage Road which is 15 miles down the road (and Watford are playing away on that weekend) and it would still count as a home fixture for Luton. Rather than let fixture congestion occur

because that would require much more sense than the PL is able to muster

[HCZ_Reborn]

because that would require much more sense than the PL is able to muster

True

[HCZ_Reborn]

Ammers beating Spurs 2-0 down under :haha:

[HCZ_Reborn]

Spurs got back to 2-2, only to lose 3-2…marvellous :haha:

Sky sports website has taken to calling Postecoglu Ange

I hope it’s done with the same emphasis as Leslie Grantham in Eastenders

[Letters]

:lol: Don't generally pay much heed to pre-season results, but always worth a good old chuckle at Spurs.

[HCZ_Reborn]

:lol: Don't generally pay much heed to pre-season results, but always worth a good old chuckle at Spurs.

Oh same with non Arsenal games, I only saw it because I was browsing the sky sports website

I am interested to see how we get on against United and Barcelona when we play them in the US (playing Barca in LA Rams stadium that was built in Compton with Kroenke’s funding)

[The Wengerbabies]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YQyXF-plk4

Safe and EffectiveTM

[Letters]

Why the utter fuck would you try and make that about the vaccine?
You really are a dick.

[HCZ_Reborn]

Why the utter fuck would you try and make that about the vaccine?
You really are a dick.

It’s part of the grift, everything is attributable to the vaccine

Fall over after slipping on a banana skin it’s the vaccine

Faint due to record heat in California it’s the vaccine

Live to the age of 110 and die in your sleep it’s the vaccine

[Letters]

In other news...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66291108

:wacko:

[Mac76]

Why the utter fuck would you try and make that about the vaccine?
You really are a dick.

:haha:

[Letters]

Trevor Francis :rose:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66287307

[HCZ_Reborn]

Trevor Francis :rose:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66287307

Can’t remember last time I saw him on telly outside of Cloughie documentaries

Very young (especially in this day and age) in fact same age as Clough himself when he died

[HCZ_Reborn]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-66290174

I love that the article begins with Rapist David Goodwillie (highly inappropriate surname) based on the findings of a civil case. Which technically means you could call Donald Trump a rapist to his face and not be sued for defamation.


“The civil case was judged on the balance of probabilities and did not need corroboration of evidence, unlike in a Scottish criminal case“


So actually the bbc should cover its bases and say probably a Rapist David Goodwillie

[Mac76]

Trevor Francis :rose:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66287307

RIP

[The Wengerbabies]

Can’t remember last time I saw him on telly outside of Cloughie documentaries

Very young (especially in this day and age) in fact same age as Clough himself when he died

Indeed, fairly young and a heart attack no less.

:rose:

[Letters]

No, you daren't. Seriously. Fuck off with that shit. If you want to argue stuff like that using data and evidence then find some and use the right thread.
Otherwise, stop it :good:

[Letters]

Indeed, fairly young and a heart attack no less.

:rose:

While we're here, he'd already had a heart attack some years back. So the link you're trying to make doesn't even make sense.

[GP]

I once bought a job lot of Trevor Francis tracksuits.

[Mac76]

:lol:

https://twitter.com/OfficialShots/status/1683939257625321472

[Letters]

:lol:

https://twitter.com/OfficialShots/status/1683939257625321472

:haha: Amazing.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Bayern Munich 0-2 RB Leipzig in the German Super Cup.

:haha:

Kane. :bow:

[GP]

Bayern Munich 0-2 RB Leipzig in the German Super Cup.

:haha:

Kane. :bow:

0-3 now

[McNamara That Ghost...]

It's the history of the Tottenham.

Also, :haha:

[Marc Overmars]

You can take the boy out of Spurs…

[Letters]

You can take the boy out of Spurs…

Literally just posted that to a Spurs supporting friend on FB :lol:

[Mac76]

It's the history of the Tottenham.

Also, :haha:

Total quality :haha:

[Mac76]

You can take the boy out of Spuds…

:lol:

(Corrected the team name, naturally...;))

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Man City v Sevilla on in the Super Cup currently.

Couldn't be arsed making a match thread for it.

[HCZ_Reborn]

Man City v Sevilla on in the Super Cup currently.

Couldn't be arsed making a match thread for it.

Let’s call it what it is, the European equivalent of the charity shield

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Man City 0-1 Sevilla, En Nesyri! Great header.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Perhaps but you can't get in it for winning jack shit.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Man City 0-1 Sevilla, HT.

[HCZ_Reborn]

Perhaps but you can't get in it for winning jack shit.

Well in European terms, the Europa league is the fa cup to the Champions leagues league title in terms of prestige.

The difference is no you can’t get in for winning nothing because you can’t win both the champions league and Europa league

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Ederson denies En Nesyri!

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Man City 1-1 Sevilla, Palmer.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Ederson denies En Nesyri again!

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Good intervention from Bono.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

1-1 FT, on to pelanties!

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Haaland and Ocampos, 1-1.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

2-1 Alvarez. What a pel.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

2-2, that was like a replay of Alvarez's.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

3-2 Kovacic.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

3-3 Rakitic!

[McNamara That Ghost...]

4-3 Grealish.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

4-4 Montiel!

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Walker just sneaks it in. 5-4.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

He hits the bar, Man City win it.

[Globalgunner]

Since we beat City last week, I think that rightly makes us the best team in Europe if not the world:scarf::scarf:

[Letters]

Since we beat City last week, I think that rightly makes us the best team in Europe if not the world:scarf::scarf:

:lol:

The maths checks out.


Us :bow:

[Letters]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66540492

I’m sure Rachel Riley’s stance on this is the thing which make the difference here

[HCZ_Reborn]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66540492

I’m sure Rachel Riley’s stance on this is the thing which make the difference here

United need to make a decision

Really I can’t see how they can keep him, he’s better off going abroad although I wouldn’t hold out too much hope for his missus if she went with him. He’s clearly a piece of shit and probably has knocked the girl about as well as threatened her for not wanting sex with him. But what can you do if she dropped the charges

[Mac76]

Yes if she's dropped the charges it makes it difficult, I don't follow these tabloid-type stories but ultimately people have to be assumed innocent until proven guilty

[Letters]

Yes if she's dropped the charges it makes it difficult, I don't follow these tabloid-type stories but ultimately people have to be assumed innocent until proven guilty
I do agree in general, but I would note that there’s literally an audio recording of him committing the offence. So the fact that this didn’t go to trial because she dropped the charges doesn’t really equate to him being acquitted. He’s a piece of shit, clearly.

[Marc Overmars]

She dropped the charges because she fell pregnant and apparently her family wanted to keep living the good life mooching off a footballer.

He’s about as guilty as you can get without being legally convicted. There’s absolutely no doubt what a piece of shit Greenwood is and United should toss him to the kerb.

[Globalgunner]

Lots of wailing louder than the bereaved going on in here

[HCZ_Reborn]

Yes if she's dropped the charges it makes it difficult, I don't follow these tabloid-type stories but ultimately people have to be assumed innocent until proven guilty

Ordinarily I’d agree, but there is clear audio evidence of him threatening her if she doesn’t open her legs.

[Letters]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66554874

Greenwood to leave Utd

[dazthegooner]

See Rachel Riley does have an influence at Manure :unsure:

[Letters]

See Rachel Riley does have an influence at Manure :unsure:

:haha:

1 from the top and 5 from anywhere else :d

[HCZ_Reborn]

https://x.com/manutd/status/1699384741911294422?s=46&t=n1tnxEg6k_DvSqUkaQFrjw


Evidently something about playing for United that makes you want to knock your girlfriend about

[dazthegooner]

Suppose it's one way play in Spain...

[Letters]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-66728843

Never understand how people who are paid this well end up in financial bother. Idiocy I guess.

[Marc Overmars]

Probably just entrusted his accountants to find tax loopholes amongst his various investments. That’s how the wealthy are usually caught out, most of the time they don’t have a clue.

[Mac76]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-66728843

Never understand how people who are paid this well end up in financial bother. Idiocy I guess.

How dare they? Don't they remember that goal against Brazil?

[HCZ_Reborn]

https://x.com/football__tweet/status/1703688287607476401?s=46&t=n1tnxEg6k_DvSqUkaQFrjw


Never understood this obsession Neville has to defend managers. They are given the job to pick the team, implement a tactical plan of their making and they clearly influence the players that come into the club.


There’s no doubt the ownership isn’t great at United, but ultimately most owners are not football people. There needs to be more day to day oversight, the kind of oversight that has been clearly lacking with United that has led to them having the largest wage bill in the premier league. This is the biggest barrier to them recruiting not the owners being parsimonious.


Plus Ten Haag is coming out with the most ridiculous excuses, blaming everyone but himself for the fact that players like Antony and Casemiro were players he chose to sign. No one made him fall out with Jadon Sancho. No one made him bring back Johnny Evans to the club.


When he gets sacked, You’ll get Neville and Keane opining how the players get away with not performing for the manager. Failing to recognise that, this is the manager’s responsibility he picks these players based on what he sees in training.


Not only that but the recruitment is often desperate.

[HCZ_Reborn]

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/12964405/barry-bennell-paedophile-former-football-coach-dies-in-prison

Hope he felt desperate and alone in his final moments, I’ve listened to the testimony of some of the boys he abused and it’s harrowing the trauma they went through as a result. Some of the victims have claimed that they think poor Gary Speed was abused by him, and that it affected him (though has to be said that’s purely speculative)

[Letters]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66932993

Only one thing for it. Play in skins :shrug:

[HCZ_Reborn]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66932993

Only one thing for it. Play in skins :shrug:

Is that you Sepp Blatter? :lol:

[Mac76]

Seriously, how much money and time is put into developing these materials etc and they make a messup like this, unbelievable

[HCZ_Reborn]

https://www.getfootballnewsfrance.com/2023/ogc-nice-player-threatening-to-commit-suicide/


Blimey this is apparently happening right now. Just took a look at the Magnan viaduct, if he jumps that’s a one way ticket to oblivion. However if he was going to jump he’d have done so…people that commit suicide don’t threaten to jump they jump. This guy just seems desperate and looking for help

[Mac76]

https://www.getfootballnewsfrance.com/2023/ogc-nice-player-threatening-to-commit-suicide/


Blimey this is apparently happening right now. Just took a look at the Magnan viaduct, if he jumps that’s a one way ticket to oblivion. However if he was going to jump he’d have done so…people that commit suicide don’t threaten to jump they jump. This guy just seems desperate and looking for help

can I suggest you don't offer your psychology services, I think that's the last thing they need right now...

[HCZ_Reborn]

can I suggest you don't offer your psychology services, I think that's the last thing they need right now...

:lol:

It’s fair to say at the risk of being serious that I would never say things to a client the way I say things on here….I’m essentially unconstrained here.

Wouldn’t do the whole Dirty Harry thing trying to talk someone down.

[Letters]

https://www.independent.co.uk/tv/sport/nantes-football-mascot-injured-tackle-rennes-rival-b2422230.html

[HCZ_Reborn]

https://www.independent.co.uk/tv/sport/nantes-football-mascot-injured-tackle-rennes-rival-b2422230.html

Who on earth has a Stoat for a club mascot ?

Bloody French. Been far too long since we went to war with them.

[Letters]

:lol:

Also:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kF5Skmb6p1o

[HCZ_Reborn]

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/12976468/euro-2028-uk-ireland-only-bid-left-for-european-championships-as-turkey-withdraw

I think we were favourites even before the Turkish bid was withdrawn but good news anyway, only shame is that the Emirates won’t be one of the tournament venues which I’d have liked to see.

[Letters]

https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/04/jurgen-klopp-wants-liverpool-vs-tottenham-should-be-replayed-after-var-error-19604354

Oh shut up Klopp you tart :doh:

[Mac76]

Why?

I'd be quite happy to see it replayed - maybe Spuds wouldn't win the next time and also it wodl give both teams an extra fixture - what's not to like?

[Letters]

Why?
You know why.

On this occasion sure, an extra fixture for them both could do us a favour (although I also agree when mandela said that Liverpool dropping points is arguably better for us longer term). But the precedent it would set is a ridiculous one. We replayed that Sheffield Utd Cup tie, but that was a bit different as it was our mistake and we offered the do-over. How many games are you going to have to reply if you start going down this road?

[Mac76]

You know why.

On this occasion sure, an extra fixture for them both could do us a favour (although I also agree when mandela said that Liverpool dropping points is arguably better for us longer term). But the precedent it would set is a ridiculous one. We replayed that Sheffield Utd Cup tie, but that was a bit different as it was our mistake and we offered the do-over. How many games are you going to have to reply if you start going down this road?

as many as it takes before those useless sods learn to get it right ?

I'd have been happy to play that Brentford game again last season after we got robbed by VAR

[Letters]

Mistakes have always been part of the game. But it is somewhat galling that it's the thing which is supposed to prevent them which is now causing the controversy :doh:
Is basic competence really so much to ask?

Years ago a mate and myself had an disagreement about whether making referees professional would improve things - his stance was no it wouldn't, mine was of course it would and that it was ridiculous that in such a big game the refs were still amateur. Well, I think we can all agree I was wrong :lol:

[HCZ_Reborn]

Why?

I'd be quite happy to see it replayed - maybe Spuds wouldn't win the next time and also it wodl give both teams an extra fixture - what's not to like?


As Letters has said you know why. Even take away the practicalities, it’s bullshit….it’s totally antithetical to even the basic lessons we teach our children about life. Sometimes it’s unfair, sometimes bad things will happen of no fault of your own. But more important than that, where do you draw the line? Do we get a replay of the Brentford match, a replay of the man United game at old Trafford last season and then if we win those games do we retrospectively win the title? Where does it end, it’s a charter for sore losers.

The thing about football is that it’s fine to be annoyed by poor decisions by officials but you’re never going to eliminate human error so where does it end?

I like Klopp both as a manager and a person, but he can go fuck himself with this. The fact that he lost that game is far more indicative of his own players Indiscipline.

[Mac76]

Do we get a replay of the Brentford match, a replay of the man United game at old Trafford last season and then if we win those games do we retrospectively win the title?

sounds good to me so again, why not?

[HCZ_Reborn]

sounds good to me so again, why not?

How far back do you want to go?. 2004 old Trafford game, 2011 champions league match against Barcelona where Van Persie was sent off for no reason?. 2001 fa cup final where we were denied at least two stonewall penalties?

Fuck it, let’s scrub all future fixtures in all sports and have a do over of every single fucking game where someone feels slightly aggrieved by the result

Or we could get serious and actually address ways in which we can find to improve officiating in the future?

[Mac76]

Or we could get serious and actually address ways in which we can find to improve officiating in the future?

Which is exactly how making a game be replayed would help, if the officials knew they couldn't just get away with apologising after a match and then everyone just moves on it might focus their mnds a bit

[Marc Overmars]

Spain, Portugal and Morocco will host the 2030 World Cup. There will also be 3 opening games played in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay to celebrate the 100th anniversary.

[Letters]

Which is exactly how making a game be replayed would help, if the officials knew they couldn't just get away with apologising after a match and then everyone just moves on it might focus their mnds a bit

Replaying the game and them saying "oops, soz" aren't the only two options.
There could be proper consequences for poor performance, like in most other professions.

[HCZ_Reborn]

Which is exactly how making a game be replayed would help, if the officials knew they couldn't just get away with apologising after a match and then everyone just moves on it might focus their mnds a bit

I’m not sure how replaying games would sharpen their minds

In fact surely it would be, well fuck it if we don’t get it right this time the team will ask for a replay

You can approach this anyway you like it doesn’t make it a better idea. If you want people dismissed from post for big fuck ups like Saturday? Absolutely fine I’m all for it. I think that would do far more to “sharpen their minds” rather than replays which would be open season for every shit Cunt of a manager to overlook his own failures because they get do overs.

[Mac76]

I’m not sure how replaying games would sharpen their minds

In fact surely it would be, well fuck it if we don’t get it right this time the team will ask for a replay

You can approach this anyway you like it doesn’t make it a better idea. If you want people dismissed from post for big fuck ups like Saturday? Absolutely fine I’m all for it. I think that would do far more to “sharpen their minds” rather than replays which would be open season for every shit Cunt of a manager to overlook his own failures because they get do overs.

To be clear, i know replays won't happen and I agree it would be very difficult to draw the line as to what deserved one and what didn't - plus there are very significant practicalities

however it does amuse me that both you and Letters said 'do you want to go back and have a chance to to win the League last year?' 'do you watn us to have won the CL?' as though that's a question to which there's more than one sane answer...

so fine let's find another way of making these people make the kind of simple clear and common-sense decision that any old idiot off the street could make in one of thoes situations - I honestly think they need to sack everyone and bring in younger more clear-minded people, we're still working with the crap officials we've had for decades in some cases

[HCZ_Reborn]

Reverse Ferret (I googled Ferret because I wasn’t 100% sure whether it was one or two t’s :lol:)

[HCZ_Reborn]

Spain, Portugal and Morocco will host the 2030 World Cup. There will also be 3 opening games played in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay to celebrate the 100th anniversary.

What an absolute dog’s breakfast

Personally I’d have given it to the South Americans (because I like watching football games late at night and I think if FIFA are doing the whole rotation thing, Europe has hosted a tournament more recently than South America. Giving the opening three games to one continent and then having the rest of the tournament straddled between two completely separate continents is rather than fair a sign that FIFA is more out of touch than it ever was.

How would it work, you’ve got six teams whose fans play in South America for one game and then have to fly to Europe/North Africa for the remaining games….and that’s not even considering the effect on players.


If you wanted to be fair, make the 2030 World Cup the centenary tournament and allow it to be co hosted by Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Chile…I think that would have been good.


Give Morocco 2034….it’s a big enough country to host it by itself (well certainly if Fucking Qatar is)


And then give it to the Iberian countries in 2038. Not this utter shit show

[Mac76]

Reverse Ferret (I googled Ferret because I wasn’t 100% sure whether it was one or two t’s :lol:)

no reversal in that post, I stand by everything I said above it - you're just too binary to realise - and sorry my pointing out you were mispronouncing Tomiyasu's name is still hurting

[HCZ_Reborn]

no reversal in that post, I stand by everything I said above it - you're just too binary to realise - and sorry my pointing out you were mispronouncing Tomiyasu's name is still hurting

No you completely conceded my point (whether you realise that or not I couldn’t say)

It’s a bit like a snooker player shaking hands with their opponent after a frame and then arguing that they weren’t conceding the frame.

You accepted that it would be almost impossible to determine what deserved a replay or not. So I’m not sure at all what argument you think I was making other than where do you draw the line and how do you determine what is deserving

However yes you haven’t conceded my argument that it’s a sore losers charter, but as you are a sore loser yourself….I completely understand that

[Mac76]

No you completely conceded my point (whether you realise that or not I couldn’t say)

It’s a bit like a snooker player shaking hands with their opponent after a frame and then arguing that they weren’t conceding the frame.

You accepted that it would be almost impossible to determine what deserved a replay or not. So I’m not sure at all what argument you think I was making other than where do you draw the line and how do you determine what is deserving

However yes you haven’t conceded my argument that it’s a sore losers charter, but as you are a sore loser yourself….I completely understand that

My argument was that Liverpool should pursue their case, not because it made 100% sense (though it makes more sense than you pretend) or because they would adchieve it, but to get up and make people listen through showing that clubs weren't going to put up with it any more

but I'd day again yours and Letters laughable question about whether i''d like replays in teh past which would have won us the PL or CL - well is there really another answer except "yes"?

[HCZ_Reborn]

My argument was that Liverpool should pursue their case, not because it made 100% sense (though it makes more sense than you pretend) or because they would adchieve it, but to get up and make people listen through showing that clubs weren't going to put up with it any more

but I'd day again yours and Letters laughable question about whether i''d like replays in teh past which would have won us the PL or CL - well is there really another answer except "yes"?

Yes - there’s no of course not don’t be stupid, what’s done is done.

And if Liverpool were to succeed it does by definition open up that can of worms, because why favour Liverpool in this instance and not everyone else.

If you do it for one, it’s only fair to do it for everyone

So I’ll accept that you thought about it, and realised what a stupid idea it was and leave it at that :)

It won’t be the first stupid thing you’ve supported and it won’t be the last, so it’s all good

[Mac76]

I haven't said it was a stupid idea, i think it should be taken seriously, I just agreed it had problems

Like I said you are binary, either it's yes or no, black or white with you

look up the word 'nuance' sometime
#

[HCZ_Reborn]

I haven't said it was a stupid idea, i think it should be taken seriously, I just agreed it had problems

Like I said you are binary, either it's yes or no, black or white with you

look up the word 'nuance' sometime
#

I find with silly and inadequate people it’s best to be unequivocal

Plus really There’s absolutely nothing that makes it remotely tenable or desirable

You’ve conceded the main reason - that deciding what should get replayed would be totally arbitrary. So whether you realise it or not you’ve accepted that it’s stupid.

There’s plenty of things one could have nuance over. But in the instance of this or say giving heroin to children…not so much

But as I’ve said, it won’t be the first stupid viewpoint you’ve taken so it’s all good :d

[Letters]

Sir Alex’s wife :rose:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/67032729

[HCZ_Reborn]

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11675/12978392/ange-postecoglou-tottenham-boss-says-var-should-be-scrapped-because-technology-is-not-suitable-for-football

I’m generally a fan of VAR (in principle more than how it’s been implemented) but it’s hard not to argue that he’s spot on when he talks about football as being different from sports where it is far more stop and start.

As I’ve said before I do like the guy (not really speaking as a coach, he’s managed Spurs for seven games and I’d say given the games he’s played it’s hard to divine a particular style, though I think we should have beaten them and I think Liverpool were better than them last weekend), I just think there’s a refreshing honesty in how he engages with the media rather than the more prosaic pre-prepared PR that comes out of the mouth of most managers. I’d say definitely someone the BBC should look to bring in for their commentary team for the next international tournament as I think he offers the kind of insight that would bring people back watching.
In that respect, I like listening to Wenger as a pundit because away from Arsenal he’s far more open and provides more interesting analysis than the blandishments of people like Shearer, Sutton and Jermaine Jenas.

[HCZ_Reborn]

Going to say it again, Bellingham…wow

He’s taken La Liga by storm hasn’t he. Shame in a way because can’t stand Real Madrid…but absolutely fair play to him, he’s exceptional.

[Marc Overmars]

Eden Hazard has retired.

Crazy how he just fell off a cliff when he joined Real Madrid considering how good he was at Chelsea.

[Mac76]

Eden Hazard has retired.

Crazy how he just fell off a cliff when he joined Real Madrid considering how good he was at Chelsea.

He was excellent at Chelsea, I don't know what happened at RM but I guess some players just run out of steam

[HCZ_Reborn]

He was excellent at Chelsea, I don't know what happened at RM but I guess some players just run out of steam

That’s an irony, a player ruined after leaving Chelsea

[HCZ_Reborn]

Rooney been appointed as manager of Birmingham City. From my recollection he didn’t do a terrible job at Derby, just obviously the club’s financial problems didn’t really help him out much.

[Mac76]

Rooney been appointed as manager of Birmingham City. From my recollection he didn’t do a terrible job at Derby, just obviously the club’s financial problems didn’t really help him out much.

He's still a little tosser though, right?

[HCZ_Reborn]

He's still a little tosser though, right?

Little?

Yeah he’s a tosser but let’s be fair, take away the sanitised view presented on social media most are. I’ve no doubt if Rooney hadn’t had immense football talent he’d have ended up in Walton prison either for GBH or selling bootleg DVDs

[Mac76]

Little?



Isn't he quite short?

[HCZ_Reborn]

One inch below average male height, but I was more thinking of the width rather than height :lol:

That’s why during his playing career….I often referred to him by the name Burger Boy

[Mac76]

One inch below average male height, but I was more thinking of the width rather than height :lol:

That’s why during his playing career….I often referred to him by the name Burger Boy

Oh ok, I often referred to him as f****** little c*** ...

[HCZ_Reborn]

Oh ok, I often referred to him as f****** little c*** ...

Possibly might have passed my lips after he scored against us in that Everton game

[HCZ_Reborn]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/67108583?fbclid=IwAR3VswD6MebhTy0boNqCpIEZFczb7LqV uuh5Aqg-n5sGDgNYnSABiH_lJPQ

It’s an interesting one, because Henderson is a massive hypocrite. But his hypocrisy only reflects our own. We take Saudi and UAE money all the time, tolerate their appalling human rights record and sponsorship of terrorism.

Big businesses sponsor Pride in countries where it’s safe to do so but don’t when it’s inconvenient. Don’t get me wrong not our place at all to lecture countries on their views on things like homosexuality but if we consider LGBT rights to be human rights, then they are universal or nothing.
And maybe we should stop trying to show our own moral virtue with displays when we think it’s safe and uncontroversial

And if we didn’t, maybe I’d be a lot less pissed off over the failure to show the Israeli flag in solidarity.

[The Wengerbabies]

Belgium vs Sweden abandoned at half time due to a peaceful incident involving an aspiring young doctor/engineer from Tunisia and a couple of Swedish fans.

[Letters]

That bloke from Bayern Munich isn’t bad.

[WMUG]

San Marino scored a goal!

[Mac76]

San Marino scored a goal!

It's happened before...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/19900296

[HCZ_Reborn]

This isn’t a new argument I know, but literally can’t see any benefit of sides like Lichtenstein, Andorra, Gibraltar, San Marino etc competing at that level. They don’t gain anything from it (perhaps financially but it hasn’t helped them attract people to sign up as full internationals). I do think they should have their own preliminary tournament where they play each other and the winner of that group gets to play the full qualifiers personally.

[WMUG]

This isn’t a new argument I know, but literally can’t see any benefit of sides like Lichtenstein, Andorra, Gibraltar, San Marino etc competing at that level. They don’t gain anything from it (perhaps financially but it hasn’t helped them attract people to sign up as full internationals). I do think they should have their own preliminary tournament where they play each other and the winner of that group gets to play the full qualifiers personally.

The Nations League is similar to what you're describing.

[HCZ_Reborn]

The Nations League is similar to what you're describing.

Yeah it is, but it’s not exactly that format. I know winning certain nations league groups means you get a potential play off spot, but I guess what I’m saying is unless you win the preliminary round you don’t play in the qualifiers full stop

[Letters]

It's happened before...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/19900296
I remember it well. Actually laughed out loud it was so ridiculous :lol:

[Mac76]

I remember it well. Actually laughed out loud it was so ridiculous :lol:

likewise :)

[Mac76]

oh dear what a shame...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-67168083

:wave:

:haha:

[HCZ_Reborn]

Bobby Charlton has died

RIP

Quite possibly a minutes silence/applause in our game this evening, absolutely will be one in the United game

[Letters]

:rose:

Actually seemed like a decent bloke, he says with admittedly very little evidence

[Marc Overmars]

Neverton could be facing a 12 point deduction for an FFP breach.

So what about City?

[Marc Overmars]

Tonali banned for 10 months.

Barcodes. :lol:

[Mac76]

Is Tonali deaf?

[HCZ_Reborn]

I have to say it’s a bit confusing to me. It doesn’t seem to say whether there is evidence of him betting in matches he would himself be involved in or any connection to match fixing scandal. I suppose they are arguing that in Series A, he’s betting on fixtures in a league he was directly participating in…but ultimately i think that’s tenuous.

But I guess the rules are the rules. Don’t get this having to attend gamblers anonymous meetings. Unless he was spaffing ridiculous amounts of his wages up the wall, and he was in debt to Neapolitan mobsters…it’s hard to really suggest he has a problem.

[HCZ_Reborn]

So in addition to the UK and Ireland hosting Euro 2028 (im good with that), Euro 32 will be hosted by Turkey and Italy (odd partnership given they neither share a land border or have any historical tie)

[Marc Overmars]

Bellingham scored twice in El Clasico including one from 30 yards. :wacko:

What a talent.

[HCZ_Reborn]

Bellingham scored twice in El Clasico including one from 30 yards. :wacko:

What a talent.

Yep it almost feels like there’s nothing to say about him that’s not already been said. Yet at the same time he seems to set the bar higher for himself. Exceptional talent. If we had a decent coach, I’d really fancy us for the European championships next year

[Letters]

This bloke isn’t bad either


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaJrXe6dOcI

#oneoftheirown

(Although has to be said, Rayaesque positioning from the ‘keeper

[Letters]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/67271423

Saudi Arabia to host the 2034 World Cup :lol:

[Marc Overmars]

Everton have been deducted 10 points. :lol:

They do plan to appeal though.

I imagine they’ll still stay up because of how shite the promoted teams are.

[Letters]

:haha:

Although yes, this could be the one bloody season of late when that won't relegate them :doh:

[HCZ_Reborn]

If City don’t get the same at a minimum, we know the game is corrupted beyond repair

[Letters]

If City don’t get the same at a minimum, we know the game is corrupted beyond repair

:gp:

I think we know that anyway, deep down. But it would be another nail in the "sport"'s coffin.

[Mac76]

:gp:

I think we know that anyway, deep down. But it would be another nail in the "sport"'s coffin.

If they did get deducted points we'd be under massive pressure to stop Spuds from winning the league

[HCZ_Reborn]

If they did get deducted points we'd be under massive pressure to stop Spuds from winning the league

Given the huge unexpected bowel movement that was Spurs’ last two games. Not currently seeing a title run in their future. If City were ruled against this season…it would be between us and Liverpool

[HCZ_Reborn]

https://x.com/johnhyde1982/status/1725497442378961026?s=46&t=n1tnxEg6k_DvSqUkaQFrjw

[Marc Overmars]

Given the huge unexpected bowel movement that was Spurs’ last two games. Not currently seeing a title run in their future. If City were ruled against this season…it would be between us and Liverpool

Let’s face it City would still be very close to the title even with a 10 point deduction.

[HCZ_Reborn]

Let’s face it City would still be very close to the title even with a 10 point deduction.

Yeah I think it probably would be enough to deny them the title, but not conclusive

But like with Everton, they wouldn’t be comprehensively screwed

[Mac76]

https://x.com/johnhyde1982/status/1725497442378961026?s=46&t=n1tnxEg6k_DvSqUkaQFrjw

nice :)

[Letters]

If they do get deducted 10 points too then either:
1) They still beat us to the title, which would be pretty embarrassing or
2) We "win" it, but it'll forever have an asterisk by it - unless we win it by more than 10 points I suppose.

Or someone else wins it instead of either of us of course.

[Mac76]

1) They still beat us to the title, which would be pretty embarrassing

yes although also quite funny :haha:

[WMUG]

A single 10 point deduction is nowhere near enough for what City and, of course, Chelsea have done to the game.

They've utterly destroyed it by setting the precedent that buying trophies is the only viable strategy for success.

They're the antithesis of what football's supposed to be about, and no punishment will come close to reparing the damage that they've inflicted on the sport because they've opened the door to the likes of Newcastle in the PL and (at a smaller scale) Salford, Wrexham, AFC Fylde and others.

Even relegation from the PL would be too good for them, because they'd just come straight back up (in the place of a Championship team that would otherwise have got promoted) and be able to say that they'd served their punishment and wiped the slate clean, at which point it's effectively "as you were".

I want both of them to be expelled from the football pyramid entirely.

The legal entities of Manchester City FC and Chelsea FC need to die.

It's not like those clubs would stop existing. Their fans would inevitably start phoenix clubs, as has happened with countless clubs with far smaller fanbases who've gone bankrupt or been stolen. Wimbledon, Bury, Macclesfield, Hereford, Chester and so on all had to start again at the bottom, and they're all the better for it because they're owned and run by their fans with their interests at heart.

Their phoenix clubs could play at their current stadiums, claim all the history of the previous incarnations (other than the trophies they can be proven to have cheated to win, of course) and their fans could sing all the same songs.

This would be the starkest warning possible to send out the warning to anyone who might try and follow in their footsteps.

But best of all, City and Chelsea wouldn't merely be the sportswashing arm of a dictatorship or the cock extension of an oligarch any more.

They'd be football clubs again.

[Letters]

There’s a lot to agree with there, but one thing I would say - Chelsea didn’t create the situation which meant that money and success were so highly correlated. Nor did they set the rules which meant a billionaire could come in and spunk money until they bought their way to the top.
Any more than Trump created the post-truth world which allowed him to become president (and is looking increasingly like he’ll be so again next year, unless he’s in prison).

Money and success have always been correlated up to a point. I think Sky are complicit - their subscription model massively inflated the money in the game. They promised “a whole new ball game” and boy did they deliver.
Before that Jimmy Hill pushed to abolish the maximum wage. Now, one could argue that a maximum wage isn’t really viable, but it at least levelled the playing field a great deal.

The money has spiralled out of control and I don’t see any way of reigning it in. Ultimately, we have the power to do it. Stop going to games, subscribing to the sports channels, buying the merch. If people did that on mass then the money would dry up. But too many people are willing to pay £100 and more to watch games, buy the kits and subscribe to the channels. So… :shrug:

But it’s not the game I grew up with. I sometimes go to Enfield Town these days. They’re a fan owned club and sure the quality isn’t as good but it just feels more fun.
More like the game I grew up with

[WMUG]

You're right, of course, and even in Germany where pretty much all clubs are fan-owned, there are some with more money and some with less, and the ones with more are the ones that are at the top.

And of course Chelsea didn't create the rules allowing a billionaire to buy trophies the way you and me would buy a TV, but they were the first to exploit them to such a blatant degree (possible exception of Blackburn here, but I don't think it's quite the same) and there needs to be some recognition of and consequences for that.

[Letters]

My general feeling is you need to deal with the illness rather than the symptoms. Chelsea and City are the latter. I don’t know if minimum wage would work. Probably not. But I like the draft system in the US NFL where the lowest teams from the previous season get the first pick in the draft. They surely helps level the field (does it? I don’t know anything about American Football, but the principle seems sound). Proper FFP that has teeth. Make clubs live within their means so some billionaire can’t swoop in and declare his assets the club’s assets.

The trouble is the whole way football is structured means that money brings success and success brings money. It’s a positive feedback loop designed to keep the top few big clubs up there and the rest in their place. It seems impossible to resolve while the gap between the PL and the rest, in terms of money, is so huge. And even within the PL you now have the expanded CL which keeps a group of clubs at the top where they are. Back in the day only the champions qualified which meant you didn’t get a group of clubs who qualified year on year.

Ultimately it’s all being driven by supply and demand. The PL has very successfully marketed itself worldwide. Pre season tours are now little more than pandering to that global fan base.

[WMUG]

Yup fully agreed about illness vs symptoms, and I don't pretend that expelling City and Chelsea would immediately fix everything wrong with the game.

What I do think is that it would act as a deterrent to any other would be Abramoviches or Abu Dhabis, and trek then that we're serious about FFP and it has teeth.

I don't think the NFL draft thing can really be applied or here because it doesn't really work if you have relegation and academies. That and I'm just opposed to it on sporting merit grounds, because it means teams are actively rewarded for failure.

I don't have the solutions to rid football of all its structural issues, though fan ownership of all clubs would go a long way.

I was a bit disappointed in the aftermath of the Super League fiasco that we didn't keep pushing for that, honestly. We just stopped once they pulled out. I was in the mood for a revolution and we had the fuckers on the run, I don't know if we'll ever have an opportunity like that again.

Oh well, I'll just keep going to watch AFC Wimbledon too remind myself that final can be done the right way :lol:

[Letters]

In other news, France beat Gibraltar 14-0 in the Euro qualifiers :lol:

[HCZ_Reborn]

In other news, France beat Gibraltar 14-0 in the Euro qualifiers :lol:

Actually their first loss by double figures in their nine year history, which isn’t bad when you consider it’s a place with the population of Billericay (showing my Essexness)

I think there should be an international tournament for dependent territories, principalities etc. Actually could be reasonably entertaining, especially given almost no one globally will have much in the way of vested interest in an outcome and may just adopt a team for shits and giggles.

It also wouldn’t have a massive impact on the existing football calendar. The nations league is kind of half way there but a) make it global and b) make it completely separate from other competitions involving the big boys

[Letters]

I’d missed that they had a player sent off quite early doors.
The idea of a separate tournament for this sort of “country” is a good one.

[WMUG]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_at_the_Island_Games

That's basically what this is.

[HCZ_Reborn]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_at_the_Island_Games

That's basically what this is.

Needs to be more inclusive of land locked silly countries :sulk:

[Letters]

North Macedonia 1 - England 1

Rubbish. But enough for us to go into Pot 1

[Letters]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/67477576

:popcorn:

I mean, he's got a point.

[Mac76]

North Macedonia 1 - England 1

Rubbish. But enough for us to go into Pot 1

How shit are England, I'm really glad I don't bother with these games

[Letters]

I mean, not that shit.
We lost in the final of the Euros last time, we lost to eventual finalists in the last World Cup and we qualified without losing a game.
Last couple of games we've not been playing well but I can forgive them for taking their foot off the gas a bit when we'd already qualified and it's in the middle of a league season.

We were bloody awful last night, but we did rest a few players. Not Saka of course :doh:

[Mac76]

Not Saka of course :doh:

of course not, that's not allowed - in fact Arteta probably insisted Southgate played him because Saka's not allowed a rest at any point

as for them being shit, they are always shit except in the latter stages of tournaments, where they raise themselves to be something approaching OK and then pub their way through as far as they can

[Letters]

Arteta probably insisted Southgate played him because Saka's not allowed a rest at any point
:lol:

England are probably better now than they've been for a while, but the last Euro final "broke" me - if we can't win a home final then when will we ever?
Overall we're a decent side, generally I'd think we're contenders in major tournaments but never quite feel we're going to win them.

[Mac76]

:lol:

England are probably better now than they've been for a while, but the last Euro final "broke" me - if we can't win a home final then when will we ever?
Overall we're a decent side, generally I'd think we're contenders in major tournaments but never quite feel we're going to win them.

the only tournament we ever won was down to dodgy officiating, take that away and there's nothing, not that I care, this country is already drowning in arrogance and false superiority, the last thing it needs is to win something to perpetuate the myth

[Marc Overmars]

Only France have a better squad than England IMO.

However the difference maker will be the fact we’ve got such a basic coach who offers up no innovation or inspiration. This group of players should absolutely be considered amongst the favourites next summer but as always I anticipate that we’ll come up short in some kind of tame and avoidable manner.

[Letters]

Enfield Town FC 4 - Whitehawk 4

Bother. We contrived to let a 3-1 and then a 4-2 lead slip to slump to a disappointing draw.

:(

[WMUG]

Enfield Town FC 4 - Whitehawk 4

Bother. We contrived to let a 3-1 and then a 4-2 lead slip to slump to a disappointing draw.

:(

Cough, that one game against Spurs, cough

[HCZ_Reborn]

the only tournament we ever won was down to dodgy officiating, take that away and there's nothing, not that I care, this country is already drowning in arrogance and false superiority, the last thing it needs is to win something to perpetuate the myth

Funny, because although I wasn’t born in 1966, I could swear we won 4-2 not 3-2

I’m sorry our country is arrogant and has a sense of false superiority? Compared to who? France?, Germany?, United States (where American exceptionalism is often a platform speech for aspiring presidential candidates)

Orwell remarked that one of the reasons socialism failed to materialise in this country, is that most leftist movements in other countries centred around a sense of patriotism. But here the left (as has always been the case) were largely middle class and found the idea of love of country quaint and embarrassing.

That and the working class had enough about them to realise that they didn’t want to be manipulated into cannon fodder by a bunch of smug, superior political hobbyists who presumed to see themselves as the vanguard

[Mac76]

it was 2-2 when that goal was scored to make it 3-2 and as we all know, that completely alters the context of the game, with Germany then chasing

and yes lots of other countries are bad too and not everyone in England is a flag-waving moron, but there's certainly enough of them

as for socialism, I don't disagree with what your;e saying, but I didn't say patriotism was necessarily right-wing - i agree it's often the right which wraps itself in the flag, but New Labour did it '97 and Starmer's doing it now

[Letters]

Cough, that one game against Spurs, cough

:(

Yes. I was absolutely bloody livid after that one :fury:
Which is another good thing about going to Enfield. I was mildly irritated last night but that was about it. Much less stressful! :lol:

[HCZ_Reborn]

it was 2-2 when that goal was scored to make it 3-2 and as we all know, that completely alters the context of the game, with Germany then chasing

and yes lots of other countries are bad too and not everyone in England is a flag-waving moron, but there's certainly enough of them

as for socialism, I don't disagree with what your;e saying, but I didn't say patriotism was necessarily right-wing - i agree it's often the right which wraps itself in the flag, but New Labour did it '97 and Starmer's doing it now

What I’m saying is I don’t think the game hinged on that decision, I think would have won anyway. Both of Germany’s goals came against the run of play. And they only beat us four years later because many of our players came down with the Aztec two step.
Patriotism isn’t left or right wing, but it clearly makes sense that if you want to govern a country it would help that you don’t talk it down. It’s not just Blair and Starmer that understood that, but Wilson and Atlee as well. I find it arbitrary personally, Britain’s history and achievements are not mine…I’m a UK citizen by accident of birth. But I see no problem with people who are patriotic, and if right wingers adopt the flag as a kind of blood and soil nationalism…well first it happens everywhere and two patriotism is fostered by a sense of togetherness and shared cultural values…rather than bloodlines which with most people never lasts more than a few generations anyway.

But you see so much of this “Rainy Fascist island” talk from snobs who aren’t especially nuanced or bright themselves

[WMUG]

But here the left (as has always been the case) were largely middle class and found the idea of love of country quaint and embarrassing.


For the love of God, get your cameras out of my house.

[WMUG]

:(

Yes. I was absolutely bloody livid after that one :fury:
Which is another good thing about going to Enfield. I was mildly irritated last night but that was about it. Much less stressful! :lol:

Ah, but you don't get the highs of a big win either, which are basically my heroin and the whole reason to watch football. Goes both ways.

[Letters]

But I see no problem with people who are patriotic

Personally, I have a certain pride in our achievements as a nation, and a certain embarrassment at our misdeeds. But neither feeling is particularly strong. The achievements weren't mine, neither were the bad things.

It's the line between patriotism and jingoism which is the difficult one not to cross. Some do, but not that many and as you say we're nowhere near the worst offenders.

[HCZ_Reborn]

Personally, I have a certain pride in our achievements as a nation, and a certain embarrassment at our misdeeds. But neither feeling is particularly strong. The achievements weren't mine, neither were the bad things.

It's the line between patriotism and jingoism which is the difficult one not to cross. Some do, but not that many and as you say we're nowhere near the worst offenders.


Some of our misdeeds are hilarious

Take the opium wars, we had a massive trade imbalance with China because they would sell things to us but didn’t want to buy anything from us…well that was until we started exporting opium from the areas of the Middle East we colonised. The Chinese loved opium, a bit too much in fact and led to high levels of narcotic addiction and crime. So they formed a blockade against our ships, which our navy promptly fired upon and sank. On one hand that’s absolutely diabolical behaviour, on the other hand it was almost 200 years ago so fuck it…why not laugh it up.

We are also in no small way responsible for the spread of fundamentalist Islam in the sub continent, we thought that if we had all the scholarly Muslims killed that would just leave the thickos who would be leaderless. Unfortunately the ones we denounced as thickos were the more hardline, violent and less likely to compromise and their descendants make up the populace and culture of Pakistan and Bengal.

Not the brightest move we ever made. About the only progressive value we brought to India was to outlaw the practice of Satee, the practice of immolation of a widow (because her value as a person was tied up in her husband) although many of them continued the practice themselves because the death of their spouse left them destitute.

[Letters]

I was in India one time with work during their independence day.
Kept my head down in the office that day :lol:

Funny thing is, they still seem to think we're in charge over there. They're very deferential to us whities.

[Marc Overmars]

Personally, I have a certain pride in our achievements as a nation, and a certain embarrassment at our misdeeds. But neither feeling is particularly strong. The achievements weren't mine, neither were the bad things.

It's the line between patriotism and jingoism which is the difficult one not to cross. Some do, but not that many and as you say we're nowhere near the worst offenders.

I quite like how patriotic Americans are, even those who live there but have roots elsewhere tend to speak of their affection for the country.

Sadly for us patriotism has been hijacked by a certain section of society, to the point where many wouldn’t feel welcome entering venues proudly display English flags, even if the display is innocent.

[Letters]

They veer too much towards jingoism for my liking.
A lot of them seem to genuinely believe they're the greatest nation on earth which is bollocks.
I mean, it's a great place but all the flag-waving and "U-S-A, U-S-A" bollox. Give me a break.

[WMUG]

Yeah the problem with US nationalism is that - as a nation - they're so utterly convinced that they're the gratest cuntry evar that the very idea that another country might do something better isn't ever considered. The American way is the best way by definition.

Any proposed improvements are often dismissed out of hand, because acknowledging that something needs improving would require admitting that the way things are done now isn't the best it could be. That would be unamerican and therefore traiterous.

It's a dangerous mindset, IMO.

[HCZ_Reborn]

I was in India one time with work during their independence day.
Kept my head down in the office that day :lol:

Funny thing is, they still seem to think we're in charge over there. They're very deferential to us whities.

Mainly because they want to sell us something

“Hello boss”

Ok what is it and how much is it going to cost me?

[Letters]

Terry Venables :rose:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/67536465

[HCZ_Reborn]

Yep Rest in Peace El Tel, and although we didn’t win…will always hold fond memories of Euro 96

[Mac76]

RIP - really sorry to hear it, I felt as a manager he wanted his teams to play in the right way and was actually a very tidy footballer as well in his day

[Letters]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-67508310

"Premier League clubs have continued to play two footballers, and kept a boss in post, while knowing they are under police investigation for sexual or domestic violence."


It's almost like we operate under a principle of innocent until proven guilty.

:shrug:

[WMUG]

Due to some weird quirk of the rules involving qualification for the Olympics, Scotland's women are now directly incentivised to lose by as many goals as possible to England on Tuesday :lol:

[The Wengerbabies]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/67619756

Come on FFS every game should be available for legitimate broadcast in the home country of the league ffs

footybite.to for the uninitiated