Match Day Thread Premier League, Cups & Euro Watch

"Football is a simple game made complicated by people who should know better." - A great man once said and it's never been more apt to both the football on the field and off the field.

We invented a game which has been arguably our greatest cultural success. It reached every corner of the nation while capturing the attention of young and old, rich and poor, village and city dwellers alike. Somewhere along the way we sold out or lost control of our national game as organisations like FIFA and UEFA rose up and took it from us.

The takeovers of clubs by oil states remind us that if our game was once slowly slipping away, it's now accelerating at a rate of knots. Our game, our culture stolen from us while those who are supposed to be protecting and preserving it are not only complicit in the theft but are trying to convince us that it's a good thing.

 

So.... the Champions League, but as a league

 

Its either yank franchises or middle east ego trips.

the logical final outcome of this is newcastle upon Riyadh based out there v madrid all stars and qatar city v miami beckhams.

 

Tbh the idea is never going to die down no matter what everyone says
Been saying this all along
The second the breakaway group formed the prem this was always on the cards
It will happen the only question is whether I will be around to see it or not

 

Why,? Where are you going next year?

Mars?

 

Some think I am already there…..

 

Men are from Mars dontcha know.

 

Bruce finally been sacked. Obviously felt like giving him his 1000th game before getting rid

 

He was never going to survive, rightly so as he's a ****e manager.

 

wish they would have said that. it was clear from the performance they all knew the score.

In the end if they just leave his assistant in now they are a bunch of jokers. they had the international window to get a guy in but i suppose there's another international window coming soon.

this call on the new appointment will tell us about their ambitions.

 

Newcastle have approached Rafa Benitez and he has turned them down.

 

Fonseca was approached earlier in the season apparently and they have made further contact.

 

As Rafa ever left a job early?

 

I hope he told them he wouldn't work for a bunch of ruthless despots and their tame local fixer.

 

Remember Mike Ashley is out.

 

I honestly don't get the vitriol aimed at Bruce, in spite of him being an ex-Man U skipper.

He's not a terrible manager, he's won promotion to the PL 3 times. He kept Newcastle, a club that was actively being sold when he joined, up finishing in 13th and 12 position (i think?). The players he had/has are no better than that placing.

He always seems to act in good grace and has never thrown his toys out, even though he was given "B7mrucie out" chants by his home-town club's supporters from day one, before a ball had even been kicked, mainly because he wasn't Rafa and seen as Ashley's man. It was his dream job and the fans turned it into a nightmare for him.

I supposed the £7m pay-out will sweeten the bitter pill, but he negotiated that deal when coming in and knowing that when the club was sold, the new owners would want their own appointee.

 

The Beeb has a list of possible replacements, including this:

Hmmm...

 

What vitriol are you talking about? Newcastle fans?

 

Yes, Newcastle fans.


In other news, Barca Vs Dynamo Kiev on now. The stadium is half empty.