Board 8 > 2024 Premier League(/Football general?) Topic

(+) Yeah! (+)

City case is 115 charges. No surprises it's taking forever to figure it out.

I also kinda agree acting on them mid-season is weird, it leaves teams not knowing where the hell they stand in the table, possibly even after the final day. Although the alternative is only punishing teams after their breaches, and directly hindering the teams they were competing against closer to the time of the breaches. Not sure that sits right with me either.

You should only be able to apply them at the start of a season, no alterations.

So Everton knew they were starting at minus 10 and had the whole season to operate like that. Same with Forest. This mid-season thing, and now Luton not knowing if Forest will be able to appeal or not is just ludicrous.

Luton would just be screwed in this scenario, because they only finalised the charges this season and so would be applied in 24/25. Feels a bit unfair to reward whoever is in trouble next season with an easier task, when it's this season and last where Forest have had an advantage.

These things we can agree with.

It also must be annoying for Leicester and Leeds who probably feel like they got cheates to relegation now.

I don't know what is going on with these international training camps, but hide your goalkeepers, because the injury bug has taken both Courtois and Neuer... Again.

Neuer at least seems to be somewhat minor?

Courtois is another big one. Wonder if he will get back to the same level again. He probably was the best keeper in the world. Benzema rightfully got a lot of credit last time Real won CL but Madrid gets crushed in every single knock out match there if Courtois didn't bring the absolute A game every single match.

his performance in that final against Liverpool was SO SO SO good.

Don't know how many of you care, but today the fight for the last three Euro spots begin. We will go from 12 possible teams to 6.

Denmark and England drew none of those spots so it's probably only if you have a player somewhere there you really like that you care.

I care about both Poland and Wales and will be simultaneously watching them lose tonight. Particularly looking forward to the embarrassment of struggling against Estonia.

They're both getting the job done as they should.

Glad one of the two will qualify for Euros (I suspect Wales if only due to home advantage) but the final will be horrible.

I'm happy Iceland won, hope they get the spot.

I can't think of anything I hate more than international football

I know everyone loves it and players are blessed to represent their country and yada yada

But it's beyond disgusting that with ten league games to go, in the tightest three horse title race ever, we interrupt the league season with a round of pointless international matches. If a team loses its star player for the run in and it costs them the title, or top four, or they get relegated because of it, will the international bodies even apologize to them, let alone compensate them financially for it?

These international sides don't pay the wages for these players. It's a fucking joke that we've got to stop everything for friendlies and qualifiers and all this useless international football every couple of months it seems like. I absolutely LOATHE it and it's why I find myself not caring about the Euros or the World Cup. It's basically a shambolic side show that you sit and cross your fingers hoping no Arsenal players get injured.

You mean to tell me they couldn't have held these ones off until May when the league season is over? It's a joke.

Timing has issues for sure, that definitely comes down to economic questions more than anything.

The big international tournaments are more popular than anything else, it's also not those you are directly criticizing but yet you say it's a reason you don't care for them. I think most fans would agree about your point about friendlies and breaks, not the part about Euros and World Cup.

They should straight up cut things like League Cup imi, no need to have two cups. A lot of countries play non pointless matches now ans it wouldn't make sense to just have half the players gone either. And friendlies too have their purposes, it's all an injury worry.

I would much prefer to have these matches later (or earlier, just not in between things), but it's financially better to have them spread more out than that for smaller FAs that the biggest.

As for international football in general, absolutely nothing beats the atmosphere of standing in the national shirts all club fans together. The closest thing to being a unified country we can become is whenever Denmark plays football, especially if it goes well. That's just how it works over here.

If the players don't want to play internationals they can simply refuse. They're there because they want to be.

I don't really care about friendlies but international tournaments get way more viewers, and people globally care more about them (especially for the World Cup, but even the average Euros game outstrips the average weekly viewing of all ten Premier League games - roughly 100m per Euros game, 80m per Prem gameweek). While I kinda dislike that breaks are so frequent (it's moreso in early season that I feel disrupts the flow), they need to play the qualifiers at some point. No space for them to be played in May, that makes it basically impossible for fans to make arrangements for major tournaments or teams to prepare. And international tournaments themselves are typically far less soulless than the Prem or CL. I loved Swansea being in the Premier League and Europe but it was nothing compared to watching Wales make the Euros semis.

I agree that extra fixtures (particularly the League Cup) should probably go, in the English system. The big clubs are so far ahead of others in terms of depth and finances these days that it's not even like we get interesting underdog stories anymore, and most fans of those teams don't care anyway, so may as well chop it.

In the UK the Euros (increasingly, especially with the issues around the last couple of World Cups) and the World Cup are by far the biggest sporting events. Probably the biggest events for drawing simulatenous attention other than Royal Weddings/Coronations/Funerals. Since the PL games are on pay to view TV they are a much smaller deal, even when there's a great title race. The Ashes being on pay to view means the rugby is probably the next biggest event.

So even though the level of play is clearly a step (or three) lower than the CL, the atmosphere and interest from people and the media is totally different during international competitions and makes them good fun.

There isn't a tournament or a league in the world that can come close to matching the general excitement and hype of an international tournament.

obviously the major international tournaments are great fun and all that, but it's the nonstop grind of international friendlies and qualifiers that I've grown so tired of and it's soured me on international football as a whole because of it.

I'm so sick and tired of Tomiyasu coming back crocked from Japan duty. Watching Rice play 90 full minutes of a friendly today absolutely sent me into hysterics. It's just so fuckin unnecessary.

If they're boring on TV gotta go there live

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/3/3815fef1.jpg

Hope you had a good time at the match!

It begins soon, so we'll see! I'm standing in the should be most fun part of stadium.

Somewhat full now, except for away section

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/5/57025c3f.jpg

Wales/Poland feels horrid. Think Wales will win at this point, Polish defense is so slow and already looking shaky, they might crumble when Dan James and David Brooks come on and got very lucky to have that goal ruled out. Lewy might still pull something out of the hat but he is not as scary as he was a few years back. Wish Poland even attempted to have a style of play.

The crowd cheered more when Hjlund was subbed in late than when we scored either goal lol.

ctesjbuvf posted...

The crowd cheered more when Hjlund was subbed in late than when we scored either goal lol.

Could that be... he plays for one of the biggest clubs in the world...

...and club football is bigger than international football?

Nah we don't have to have this argument, I'm glad you had a good time at the match. I'm happy to see other people enjoy football no matter what the setting.

We definitely have big expectations for him, but also Faroe Islands is a team where you know you have to win big. Denmark has also been unsatisfied with the team since the World Cup and that was before Hjlund was on the national team.

Penalties are so horribly stressful. Not too disappointed by the result despite hoping Wales would win, I think that both teams would be embarrassed in the groups regardless. Poland are more able to drag teams down to their level, at least. Hopefully there's a new manager incoming for Wales.

Lewandowski hopefully manages to give a good performance in what should be his last dance. I feel like that's a bigger name to miss out on as a neutral.

Kind of shocked that Xabi Alonso decided to stay another year at Leverkusen. But I think that's great for football.

Amazing that Barcelona, Liverpool, and Bayern Munich are all gonna have empty posts here in a few months...

also, Stones and Walker confirmed to miss the match Sunday.

Looking like everyone with doubts gonna be fit for us...

We have to do it, don't we. We have to go there and win.

Yeah strong decision for Alonso, pleasantly surprised he's staying there another year

I can understand the frustration with friendlies, players are expected to play far too many games as is. But without them, how does a national team coach know how his players work together and what tactics are going to be successful?

We haven't won here since 2015.

Let's do it again today, lads. COME ON ARSENAL

I'm sure you will be keeping an eye on the current match as well. Brighton got an early lead.

with a great goal from DAT GUY WELBZ

but yeah, just keeping an eye. For my mental health I will not hate watch either of those teams if they aren't playing us.

It feels like it's been forever since City have played...

3-1 Arsenal. They get an early goal then another before halftime. City quickly get one back after the break but cant find the equalizer. Arsenal score a late one to clinch.

I'd call City slight favorites if just for the home advantage. Could go either way for sure, but yeah.

But City having now a third of their 4 most used defenders (at least when fully fit) out now might give Arsenal the edge I suppose.

Still think this is Arsenal's game. City really NEED to go and win this game to have any chance of staying in the title race, because I don't think both Liverpool and Arsenal will drop enough for City to pass both.

If there's anything City should have taught people it would be to absolutely not rule them out of a title race where they are 4 points behind with 9 matches to go lmao.

Actually it's just small enough in general to rule any team out of but in particular the champions of what 5 of the last 6. It's unfavorable of course by to say they would not have any chance if just flat out wrong.

ctesjbuvf posted...

If there's anything City should have taught people it would be to absolutely not rule them out of a title race where they are 4 points behind with 9 matches to go lmao.

Actually it's just small enough in general to rule any team out of but in particular the champions of what 5 of the last 6. It's unfavorable of course by to say they would not have any chance if just flat out wrong.

Yes, technically they wouldnt be done, even with a loss. But I think trying to chase down 2 teams is a much tougher proposition. Arsenal are improved from last season and Liverpool are going to want to send Klopp away a winner. Meanwhile City are fighting injuries and while Pep will always motivate them, losing the league wouldnt be the end of the world for them.

It's not just mathematically possible, it would literally just take a single loss/draw from each of them for City to be able to take first again with the current result. If it can be done in a single round, it's very very close.

That assumes City win out. Also, City are at a disadvantage with goal difference (which is usually not the case), so thats like an extra point.

Woeful ref (for both sides) and Arteta should've taken off Havertz at around 70 mins in I think, he didn't add anything for the latter half of the game.

Seanchan posted...

That assumes City win out. Also, City are at a disadvantage with goal difference (which is usually not the case), so thats like an extra point.

Not by enough that it can't be changed either, it's 5 goals now, would be less if they did catch up. Yes, it assumes they still win that round, but still, if you can still take first in a single round you definitely don't "NEED to go and win this game to have any chance of staying in the title race". It would be nothing compared to some comebacks we've seen, including City's own last year.

undefeated in the league against both City and Liverpool. Don't think they'll win it this season, but would expect Arsenal to win one soonish. They've got the hardest bit down.

8 points from 12 against City and Liverpool both

1 point from 6 against Fulham -_-

I am absolutely astounded at the amount of anger toward our pragmatic approach to yesterday.

This was the first time in 52 games at home that City didn't score. In two league games against Arsenal this season, they registered just TWO shots on goal. This is the best team in Europe, treble winners, with the greatest manager of all time.

And yet we have a small club mentality because we're happy we took 4 out of 6 points from them this season?

There is simply not a club on this planet as hated as Arsenal. There is no one even close. Only we could provoke this sort of reaction for going to the hardest place to win in England and defending well.

I cannot imagine the level of angst we're gonna generate when we finally do win something with this team and this manager. Because the hatred we get now for not going there and spreading our legs for City is ludicrous.

Sorry we didn't rock up to the Etihad with some combination of Holding or Mustafi to get abused. And by the way, even though we played defensively, we still had the best chances. That Saka cross that Jesus missed will haunt me for the rest of the week :(

Also another thing I saw is Haaland getting buried for his performance yesterday

What was he supposed to do? He's being man marked out of the game by one of the best CB pairings in world football, while his midfield is being given absolutely NO SPACE to create centrally. What is he supposed to do? Coming deep for the ball is hardly his strong suit. I'd argue that he was set up to fail by those around him.

Flinging himself to the ground against Big Gabi there at the end was a bit of a disgrace but I didn't find anything else majorly wrong with how he played yesterday. I thought KDB was worse.