Football 16-17

[TheGayTent]

5 hours ago, TheSilence said:

Yeah, also, he'd almost definitely help you shoot up the table and that'd be awful! 

 

 

He can't do that from the physio room.

Something like 75 domestic games he's missed in the last 4 seasons. 

Besides, he wants to come back to a London, he doesn't want to join WHU ! 

[eFestivals]

two stories this morning.

1. Man Utd want Dick Van Dyke, a day after there was a story of Liverpool wanting him.

2. Soton want Sturridge, but don't have the money till the summer so first want a loan.

I wonder where Sturridge is going?

 

[mjsell]

1 hour ago, eFestivals said:

two stories this morning.

1. Man Utd want Dick Van Dyke, a day after there was a story of Liverpool wanting him.

2. Soton want Sturridge, but don't have the money till the summer so first want a loan.

I wonder where Sturridge is going?

 

I think Van Dyke is going to be the most sought after player of 2017. 2nd best centre back in the league on current form, and plays for a 'selling' club. I'd happily have him at Arsenal but yeah can see this being a straight fight between united and liverpool. He can add to the ridiculous number of ex soton players at pool. 

[big__phil]

2 hours ago, eFestivals said:

two stories this morning.

1. Man Utd want Dick Van Dyke, a day after there was a story of Liverpool wanting him.

2. Soton want Sturridge, but don't have the money till the summer so first want a loan.

I wonder where Sturridge is going?

 

van Dyke to a big club makes a lot of sense. A fine defender, in a league which currently has precious few.

Leicester are playing in the knockout stages of the Champions League. Fairytale stuff. Topping the group (!!) might help them get a good draw, but I doubt their fans will mind having to travel to Paris, Munich or Madrid.

[pink_triangle]

6 minutes ago, big__phil said:

van Dyke to a big club makes a lot of sense. A fine defender, in a league which currently has precious few.

Leicester are playing in the knockout stages of the Champions League. Fairytale stuff. Topping the group (!!) might help them get a good draw, but I doubt their fans will mind having to travel to Paris, Munich or Madrid.

Im unsure what is a good draw for Leicester they could end up with Benfica/Leverkeusen and would still have a decent chance of being eliminated, which would mean they went through the whole tournament without playing one of the giants. I hope they get a Madrid or Munich, because they probably will never get the chance again.

[eFestivals]

27 minutes ago, big__phil said:

van Dyke to a big club makes a lot of sense. A fine defender, in a league which currently has precious few.

Yep, he looks great.

On the basis of those paper stories being true (I know, I know), I can't see anything other than Sturridge to Soton and van Dyke to Liverpool.

The only things which might scupper that would be if he has an issue with one of the ex-Soton's already at LFC, or if he's a particularly big fan of Moaniho or Utd.

 

Quote

Leicester are playing in the knockout stages of the Champions League. Fairytale stuff. Topping the group (!!) might help them get a good draw, but I doubt their fans will mind having to travel to Paris, Munich or Madrid.

absolutely cracking, and I couldn't help but smile when I saw Ranieri's glow and smile in the post-match. 

Can we have more managers like him, please?

 

Edited November 23, 2016 by eFestivals

[Hugh Jass]

1 hour ago, pink_triangle said:

Im unsure what is a good draw for Leicester they could end up with Benfica/Leverkeusen and would still have a decent chance of being eliminated, which would mean they went through the whole tournament without playing one of the giants. I hope they get a Madrid or Munich, because they probably will never get the chance again.

There will be some very good teams in the runners up positions this year. City, either Real or Dortmund, Arsenal or PSG, Atletico or Bayern, Juve or Sevilla.

Winning your group doesn't quite have the same advantages this year. 

[mjsell]

13 minutes ago, Hugh Jass said:

There will be some very good teams in the runners up positions this year. City, either Real or Dortmund, Arsenal or PSG, Atletico or Bayern, Juve or Sevilla.

Winning your group doesn't quite have the same advantages this year. 

Yeah I was looking at this the other day. The one year Arsene and Arsenal have clearly realised that not getting top spot in the group has been our undoing for most of the previous CL failures (not including Monaco a couple of years ago - that was just a failure), will be the season it doesnt actually make that much difference. I'm still fairly confident we will draw a big team in the first knockout stage no matter which position we finish.

Going to the game tonight, neither team with first choice RBs which isnt a bad thing as Aurier was their best player aginst us in the away game - should be a good game hopefully.

Also, what has happened to Spurs? they are a shadow of the team that played city of the park a month or so ago. Looked so ragged last night and seems like the players can't be arsed to cover the ground like they did at the start of the season.

[The Nal]

34 minutes ago, Hugh Jass said:

There will be some very good teams in the runners up positions this year. City, either Real or Dortmund, Arsenal or PSG, Atletico or Bayern, Juve or Sevilla.

Winning your group doesn't quite have the same advantages this year. 

Equally, Benfica, Napoli or Leverkusen, 

[Hugh Jass]

29 minutes ago, mjsell said:

Yeah I was looking at this the other day. The one year Arsene and Arsenal have clearly realised that not getting top spot in the group has been our undoing for most of the previous CL failures (not including Monaco a couple of years ago - that was just a failure), will be the season it doesnt actually make that much difference. I'm still fairly confident we will draw a big team in the first knockout stage no matter which position we finish.

Going to the game tonight, neither team with first choice RBs which isnt a bad thing as Aurier was their best player aginst us in the away game - should be a good game hopefully.

Also, what has happened to Spurs? they are a shadow of the team that played city of the park a month or so ago. Looked so ragged last night and seems like the players can't be arsed to cover the ground like they did at the start of the season.

It would be typical Arsenal to finally win their group and then draw Real Madrid in the second round.

[TheGayTent]

I see Paul Stewart is the biggest name yet to come out about being abused by a coach in his youth days. Not a surprise it goes on, but still not pleasant to read. 

[pink_triangle]

8 minutes ago, TheGayTent said:

I see Paul Stewart is the biggest name yet to come out about being abused by a coach in his youth days. Not a surprise it goes on, but still not pleasant to read. 

Im sure the cases reported are a tiny proportion of those who have suffered, hopefully it will encourage more to come forward. Paul Stewart is one of those players i had completely forgotten, I remeber him signing for liverpool in an era where they seemed to exclusively sign poor players.

[Hugh Jass]

5 hours ago, eFestivals said:

two stories this morning.

1. Man Utd want Dick Van Dyke, a day after there was a story of Liverpool wanting him.

2. Soton want Sturridge, but don't have the money till the summer so first want a loan.

I wonder where Sturridge is going?

 

Liverpool trying to dign a Southampton player?!? Would have thought it?

The XI that Southampton have sold in the last 10 years would challenge for the title:

GK - Boruc (ok, keeper was a struggle)

RB - Clyne

CB - Lovren

CB - Alderweireld (a loan, but they had the chance to make it permanent)

LB - Shaw

CM -Schneiderlin

CM - Wanyama

RM - Walcott

CAM - Lallana

LM - Bale

ST - Mane

Bench includes Pelle, Oxlade Chamberlain, Chambers,

[TheGayTent]

3 minutes ago, pink_triangle said:

Im sure the cases reported are a tiny proportion of those who have suffered, hopefully it will encourage more to come forward. Paul Stewart is one of those players i had completely forgotten, I remeber him signing for liverpool in an era where they seemed to exclusively sign poor players.

Harsh. 

Stewart wasn't a poor player, he just wasn't a player that was as good as the world class players that preceded him. 

[pink_triangle]

6 minutes ago, TheGayTent said:

Harsh. 

Stewart wasn't a poor player, he just wasn't a player that was as good as the world class players that preceded him. 

Well it's all relative, as you say he was a significant downgrade on what had come before and looked completely out of his depth at a club with their aspirations.

[TheGayTent]

7 minutes ago, pink_triangle said:

Well it's all relative, as you say he was a significant downgrade on what had come before and looked completely out of his depth at a club with their aspirations.

Agreed. He was a lot better at Tottenham than he was at Liverpool. 

[eFestivals]

39 minutes ago, TheGayTent said:

I see Paul Stewart is the biggest name yet to come out about being abused by a coach in his youth days. Not a surprise it goes on, but still not pleasant to read. 

I read the two pieces the Guardian has published in the last few days, and like all these case it's desperately sad.

There shouldn't be an aspect an around it related to fame, but all the same I can't help feeling progress has been made by someone more recognisable like Stewart speaking about it. While none of it is about gays, it probably brings the day a little closer when one of the many gay players I know to exist feels able to go public.

 

21 minutes ago, pink_triangle said:

Well it's all relative, as you say he was a significant downgrade on what had come before and looked completely out of his depth at a club with their aspirations.

Really? I can't argue with Liverpool being comparatively shit around the time he played for them, but my memory is that he was one of the more-special players they had around that time. He looked like he was the guy who might change the game in their favour.

Maybe my memory is just shit tho.

 

[eFestivals]

1 hour ago, Scruffylovemonster said:

Unfortunately I think that's a very very long way off. Maybe not or retired footballers, but for current players. And mainly due to the terraces more than the clubs/players/managers etc. 

it may still be a long way off, but I do think this different issue being aired in public still brings it a little closer.

In many ways it's about the same thing, a fear of the public reaction causing people to keep quiet. That's been broken down a little more, i'd say, by this different issue being spoken of.

I know of one (very well known, played for England) player who wanted to come out but who was talked out of it by his club, who told him they wouldn't support him if he did. That was less than a decade ago, and while I wouldn't be surprised if clubs still tell players not to do it, I think I would be surprised if they're still threatening to cut players loose if they did.

 

Edited November 23, 2016 by eFestivals

[eFestivals]

Just now, Scruffylovemonster said:

Yeah, I can't see a club publicly not backing a player. The PR would be shocking for a start. How do you know that story? Obviously don't answer if it gives too much away, but is it 100% definite?

a friend knows his (ex?) partner.

I'm not going to name names but I reckon most of us posting here wouldn't have much surprise. I think it was hinted at in the papers at one point (there were very definitely some stories around the edge of it).

[eFestivals]

Just now, Scruffylovemonster said:

Was just wondering. I very deliberately didn't ask for details as I knew that was out of order.

I didn't think you were.

[pink_triangle]

I think most football fans would have no problem with a gay player on their (or the oppositions) team. However a vocal minority would make sure they were heard.

[eFestivals]

13 minutes ago, pink_triangle said:

I think most football fans would have no problem with a gay player on their (or the oppositions) team. However a vocal minority would make sure they were heard.

I see where your coming from, and i agree that attitudes would be split like that.

But I thought that - mostly, anyway - the good guys have got the better of the bad guys over stuff like racism from the terraces, and i'm finding it hard to see why it might be different with homophobia.

They'd be some initial stuff and particularly around the first player but hopefully it would be stamped on and stop.

[zahidf]

2 minutes ago, eFestivals said:

I see where your coming from, and i agree that attitudes would be split like that.

But I thought that - mostly, anyway - the good guys have got the better of the bad guys over stuff like racism from the terraces, and i'm finding it hard to see why it might be different with homophobia.

They'd be some initial stuff and particularly around the first player but hopefully it would be stamped on and stop.

Yeah. I think players/manager reactions may also prevent it. Proper football men and all that crap...

[big__phil]

Football crowds are always a weird one. In groups they will call players/managers/referees rapists, pedophiles and such, but surely wouldn't dream of doing this outside of a match (although I'm sure there are always a few).

I'd love to think that players could come out and not have a problem, but sadly we still live in an age where blokes with shaved heads and their tops off still love to throw plastic furniture around or stop blokes getting on metro trains because of their skin colour.

Having said that, it IS going the right way, and attitudes are slowly changing. Just a shame FIFA - for all their 'say no to racism' stuff - still don't properly punish clubs/countries for their fans spreading hate. Proper leadership from the top would be nice, rather than just running stupid TV adverts and posing for photos before a game, which don't make any difference whatsoever.

[eFestivals]

20 minutes ago, zahidf said:

Yeah. I think players/manager reactions may also prevent it. Proper football men and all that crap...

do you think the other players don't know who (some of) the gay ones are?