The General Football Thread

It's always annoyed me when we sing "Come in you reds".... I like some of your brunettes too.

 

I'm grey! So let's hear, "Come on you greys!"

 

Good to see Inaki Williams score a brace today. 3-1 up away to Malaga, yet only managed a 3-3 draw. While their policy is admirable, it is holding them back. If they were to relax and open up their doors to players born anywhere in Spain, it could take Athletic to the next level.

 

And so are our county cricketers who still have to play one more match! We are now into the autumn and still the summery sport of cricket is still to finish. I do think the final rounds shoud be played in places like Dubai, Malta, Cyprus, Gibraltar where play would be guaranteed 90% of the time.

 

Maybe they can make space in their team by selling Williams to us.

 

40 million euros, but he is quality. Not really a Manchester United or City quality, but the next step down, certainly!!

 

5 players were sent off in the Fenerbahce v Besiktas match!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/41376265

 

http://news.sky.com/story/fifa-lifts-ban-on-poppies-on-football-kits-11052545

FIFA has indirectly ruled that poppies can be worn on kits. They have changed the rules to allow for symbols important to a particular country to mark an event as long as they are not linked to a particular political party.

 

Good to see Sevilla have taken the lead in their tie against Maribor. And super Tottenham, something that will please the many Tottenham lovers on this site!!!

 

I have no idea what Real Madrid are playing at in La Liga, but tonight they are looking what they are. Soaking up what Borussia are throwing at them, which is limited and then spraying it around at speed. Great second goal scored by Ronaldo with Gareth Bale supplying the assist. And immediately Borussia get a goal back. Good game, and fast!

 

Another Kane hatrick tonight.

Without Kane and Erickson, spurs would be as good as us.

 

I agree but sounds a little like a Gus Poyet quote

 

Can't believe how poor this Moscow lot are against Pool. Maribor are not out of this group yet!

 

Meh. One season wonder

 

"God" has scored his second goal of the night. Through ball to him and quick as a flash he hammered it past the Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper. Typical two-faced team, doing poorly in La Liga, but appear they could be ruling the roost again in the CL. The sting has been taken out of BD's game.

 

Spurs are going to get some very obscene unwelcome massive offers this summer.
The lad is on top form.

 

Real Madrid v Tottenham. Wow!! Real will win both matches as they have that little bit of extra class.

 

So the FA in their infinite wisdom have decided that what women's football needs is a full-time professional tier and from next season, the WSL will now consist of one full-time league consisting of 8-14 teams, a re-branded WSL2 with a bunch of part time teams and the WPL seems to be staying the same. However, this just seems an utterly ridiculous situation of building the entire structure of women's football on foundations of sand. Currently a lot of WSL1 teams are part-time and there's no way teams can suddenly go from part time to full-time without being massively subsidised by men's football. These changes will be fine for the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Man City, but other teams without the backing of the men will no doubt be shunted down to make room for these other sides. It'll be Doncaster Rovers Belles/Man City all over again. Except to see the likes of Yeovil and Bristol City and Reading relegated to make room for Tottenham, Brighton and at least one current non-WSL side who by the twists of fortune happens to have a men's side in the PL (such as West Ham, Newcastle or even Southampton). God forbid teams actually get to the top on merit nowadays, the only thing that seems to matter in women's football is how much money you have, even moreso than in men's football. Remember Notts County... that club that was full-time? They folded like a week before the season... so for clubs living in the real world, going full-time will just cause problems... For the clubs who are billionaire's playthings, then I'm sure for them it'll be a good thing. And after all, the Man City's and Chelski's of the world are the only clubs that matter, no matter how many Notts County's fall on the wayside.

****ing FA, there must be some test to work there given at interviews and whoever gets lowest score is hired, their incompetence is just staggering.

My prediction of which teams will make the new WSL: Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham, Brighton, Everton, West Ham, Man City. If Man U get a senior women's team by March, then replace Brighton.

That means the relegation of Birmingham, Bristol, Yeovil, Sunderland and Reading. After all, the only clubs that can succeed now are those who are millionaire's playthings and/or have the infinite bounty of the PL to bankroll them.

 

Yes, I read about this latest development of the Women's League. My first thought was how much it would skew things towards clubs with money, and away from merit.
Second thought was what you'd [PL] think of it.

 

Womens football is catching up with the mens fast. That's some top heavy money orientated decision making going on there.
Who was that team they relegated so ManCity could jump in?