General Football Thread

  • Please bear with us on the new site integration and fixing any known bugs over the coming days. If you can not log in please try resetting your password and check your spam box. If you have tried these steps and are still struggling email [email protected] with your username/registered email address
  • Log in now to remove adverts - no adverts at all to registered members!
Anyone see the Villa v Young Boys game last night.
The Young Boys supporters were unbelievable. Throwing Coins, bottles, seats etc onto the pitch when Villa scored.
Worst crowd I have seen for ages. Apparently this isn't the 1st time they have been involved in serious crowd trouble.
Not much in the press about this, which is rather strange.
If an English team had been involved, the press would be all over it.
One rule for England, another for everyone else.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RiverEndRick
Anyone see the Villa v Young Boys game last night.
The Young Boys supporters were unbelievable. Throwing Coins, bottles, seats etc onto the pitch when Villa scored.
Worst crowd I have seen for ages. Apparently this isn't the 1st time they have been involved in serious crowd trouble.
Not much in the press about this, which is rather strange.
If an English team had been involved, the press would be all over it.
One rule for England, another for everyone else.
There was a fair bit of coverage on the BBC website, Bure, which also references West Hams fans similar behaviour in a European match last year. I don't know about newspaper coverage.
Here's one of the BBC articles:-
Donyell Malen hit by cup as Aston Villa game halted because of crowd trouble - BBC Sport https://share.google/PgKRyIRYfaNlnQiUK
 
There was a fair bit of coverage on the BBC website, Bure, which also references West Hams fans similar behaviour in a European match last year. I don't know about newspaper coverage.
Here's one of the BBC articles:-
Donyell Malen hit by cup as Aston Villa game halted because of crowd trouble - BBC Sport https://share.google/PgKRyIRYfaNlnQiUK
Fair amount of coverage over her based on ' here we go again '
 
FIFA gives Trump "FIFA Peace Prize." <laugh>

I wonder what he threatened them with?

FIFA's credibility is now shot to pieces.
 
Anyone see the Villa v Young Boys game last night.
The Young Boys supporters were unbelievable. Throwing Coins, bottles, seats etc onto the pitch when Villa scored.
Worst crowd I have seen for ages. Apparently this isn't the 1st time they have been involved in serious crowd trouble.
Not much in the press about this, which is rather strange.
If an English team had been involved, the press would be all over it.
One rule for England, another for everyone else.
I think UEFA should ban Villa. It was obviously their fault. Those nice visiting fans were obviously provoked.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RiverEndRick
I'm not sure how many injuries resulting in lay offs we have had since the beginning of last season, but Arsenal have now reached the staggering total of 100. That's in sixteen months, equating to 6.25 per month average.Ben White has had nine of them, and Declan Rice seven.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RiverEndRick
I'm not sure how many injuries resulting in lay offs we have had since the beginning of last season, but Arsenal have now reached the staggering total of 100. That's in sixteen months, equating to 6.25 per month average.Ben White has had nine of them, and Declan Rice seven.
The trouble this season has been th length of the layoffs, most of them have been out for over a month with many longer than that
 
  • Like
Reactions: RiverEndRick
Hasn't the English game gone beyond ridiculous? Over here Nice played their last league game on 14th December with a Cup game on the 21st. They play again tomorrow night. In that time City will have played 6 league games. How can players be expected to perform to their best ability playing every other day?
 
  • Like
Reactions: RiverEndRick
Hasn't the English game gone beyond ridiculous? Over here Nice played their last league game on 14th December with a Cup game on the 21st. They play again tomorrow night. In that time City will have played 6 league games. How can players be expected to perform to their best ability playing every other day?
I know for next year they are changing the international schedule to reduce the number of breaks in the season, I think we have had 2 in Sept and Oct and now there will be one. Hopefully that gives more time for playing matches, because there are now so many internationals that the league gets squashed in
 
  • Like
Reactions: RiverEndRick
I know for next year they are changing the international schedule to reduce the number of breaks in the season, I think we have had 2 in Sept and Oct and now there will be one. Hopefully that gives more time for playing matches, because there are now so many internationals that the league gets squashed in
Isn't it also the structure of the English game? Ligue 1 has 18 teams - the EPL has 20 and the Championship 23. The French have 1 cup competition - the English have 2. More EPL teams than French teams are involved in European competitions. Added to that because of International tournaments the domestic schedule starts later and finishes earlier than it used to. Has the time come to reduce the EPL to 18 teams and the Championship to 20 teams? Cutting out Cup replays has not significantly helped the schedule but has drastically affected the financial possibilities of lower league sides. FIFA and UEFA seem determined to invent more and more competitions so surely something has got to give.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RiverEndRick
So managerial merry-go-round is in full swing for the exceptionalist clubs.
Rosenior agreeing to take over at Chelsea, cushty money for a year or two, if you can get it. Amorim gets a pay-out from debt ridden Manchester & Celtic's revolving door will need greasing with O'Neill MkII returning.
Plenty of lower Prem managers must be looking over their shoulders now (Parker, Nuno, Dyche)
 
So managerial merry-go-round is in full swing for the exceptionalist clubs.
Rosenior agreeing to take over at Chelsea, cushty money for a year or two, if you can get it. Amorim gets a pay-out from debt ridden Manchester & Celtic's revolving door will need greasing with O'Neill MkII returning.
Plenty of lower Prem managers must be looking over their shoulders now (Parker, Nuno, Dyche)
All caused by rich owners thinking they know the game and wanting to intervene in playing matters and do so directly and also indirectly by appointing Sporting Directors who have less experience than the Head Coaches appointed but still have the authority to get involved. Ratcliffe has completely ruined my local Club Nice and is now doing the same to Man Utd. The Chelsea owners are even worse and have now appointed Rosenior whose current team, Strasbourg, were lucky to get a draw last Saturday against a Nice side who, according to a friend who has been going for nearly 50 years, is the worst we have ever had. The problems at Celtic started when Brendan Rodgers left and why did he leave? Because Paul Tisdale, who previously managed Exeter, was interfering and giving orders on team selection and tactics - you couldn't make it up!! Is it just a co-incidence that the EPL top 4 are Clubs where the 'Manager' is in charge and allowed to get on with it. On a local level - Knapper keep your hooter out!!