Football 2022/23

[WS_Jack_III]

5 hours ago, thetime said:

Newcastle should be getting top 4 this season. Spurs, Liverpool and Chelsea are shocking.

It's looking good, although now teams are just coming to SJP in the low block we seem to be struggling a bit. 

[thetime]

4 minutes ago, WS_Jack_III said:

It's looking good, although now teams are just coming to SJP in the low block we seem to be struggling a bit. 

It has certainly helped Newcastle and man utd, that chelsea/liverpool/spurs are in free fall. 

[charlierc]

22 hours ago, WS_Jack_III said:

It's looking good, although now teams are just coming to SJP in the low block we seem to be struggling a bit. 

Tbf that's what we did to Arsenal so you'd like to think we'd be as familiar with how to break through a low block as we are at breaking through one. But yeah. Against Leeds it was pretty much set-pieces only, and Fulham proved a challenge to break down until a late gap appeared through which a goal appeared.

I imagine Crystal Palace next week will be a similar test. But Champions League bound teams find a way to decide these kinda games in their favour.

[charlierc]

22 hours ago, pink_triangle said:

I think the owners have links in the ticket office that I don’t!

Typical. Always who you know in these things.

[WS_Jack_III]

3 hours ago, charlierc said:

Tbf that's what we did to Arsenal so you'd like to think we'd be as familiar with how to break through a low block as we are at breaking through one. But yeah. Against Leeds it was pretty much set-pieces only, and Fulham proved a challenge to break down until a late gap appeared through which a goal appeared.

I imagine Crystal Palace next week will be a similar test. But Champions League bound teams find a way to decide these kinda games in their favour.

Trippier has gone off the boil with his set pieces too which isn't helping.

[Skip997]

On 1/15/2023 at 5:08 PM, thetime said:

Newcastle should be getting top 4 this season. Spurs, Liverpool and Chelsea are shocking.

Which will be very bad for football. Last thing needed is another "sports washing" team in the top 4.

[charlierc]

7 hours ago, Skip997 said:

Which will be very bad for football. Last thing needed is another "sports washing" team in the top 4.

Tbf a graphic Sky posted suggests we've spent less this season than Leeds, Wolves, West Ham and Nottingham Forest, none of whom are exactly challenging for the top 4, not to mention also being outspent by Liverpool, who seem to have spent on the wrong parts, or the huge resources Chelsea have thrown at the table in pursuit of really, not a lot.

I respect people don't like Newcastle's owners, but it seems like most of the league can throw down a £100million+ a year budget now, and there's every possibility of another big spender with great players getting things right and cracking the top 6 as well. I thought it would take way longer to crack the top 4, and yet, here we are. Much as I'm aware we won't be popular for how or who is holding the reigns here.

[pink_triangle]

3 minutes ago, charlierc said:

Tbf a graphic Sky posted suggests we've spent less this season than Leeds, Wolves, West Ham and Nottingham Forest, none of whom are exactly challenging for the top 4, not to mention also being outspent by Liverpool, who seem to have spent on the wrong parts, or the huge resources Chelsea have thrown at the table in pursuit of really, not a lot.

 

I think any chart of spending that doesn’t include wages is a flawed representation of spending. I remember one seasons QPR being full of free transfers on huge wages.

[charlierc]

1 minute ago, pink_triangle said:

I think any chart of spending that doesn’t include wages is a flawed representation of spending. I remember one seasons QPR being full of free transfers on huge wages.

Part of that is cultural tbf, given a lot of stuff down the years has primarily fixated just on transfer fees without throwing in agent fees, bonuses and ofc the big whopper that is the actual wage bill. Though I think Newcastle are still a long way from matching the big six, given they've had many a year head-start.

It is basically a cash burning contest, mind. It can be intellectually dissatisfying to fixate on just that. Can't say I blame people for being happier at non-league when it's a bit less about that.

[Neil]

39 minutes ago, pink_triangle said:

 I remember one seasons QPR being full of free transfers on huge wages.

one of harry's many bankruptcies.

[pink_triangle]

49 minutes ago, charlierc said:

It is basically a cash burning contest, mind. It can be intellectually dissatisfying to fixate on just that. Can't say I blame people for being happier at non-league when it's a bit less about that.

I’m not convinced it’s much different. The top 3 teams in the national league are the 3 richest.

[charlierc]

1 minute ago, pink_triangle said:

I’m not convinced it’s much different. The top 3 teams in the national league are the 3 richest.

Oh I was thinking lower down than that level, as in even below the National League, maybe even NLN/NLS.

[zahidf]

Lol.wtf

 

 

[Gnomicide]

On 1/17/2023 at 12:28 PM, Skip997 said:

Which will be very bad for football. Last thing needed is another "sports washing" team in the top 4.

Good chance Liverpool will be one of them next season.

[Skip997]

5 minutes ago, Gnomicide said:

Good chance Liverpool will be one of them next season.

Yea and it's going to give me a big headache.

Not sure I could keep following them

[The Nal]

3 hours ago, Skip997 said:

Yea and it's going to give me a big headache.

Not sure I could keep following them

Have a feeling in 5-10 years all the top clubs will be in a similar situation.

[pink_triangle]

2 hours ago, The Nal said:

Have a feeling in 5-10 years all the top clubs will be in a similar situation.

I fear people will focus on the sportswashing teams so much they could lose sight of the increasing influence of Americans owners who I think could be a far bigger threat to our game.

[charlierc]

11 hours ago, zahidf said:

Lol.wtf

 

 

I mean many of these comments should be disqualifying from being a professional football manager in and of themselves, nevermind as part of a sustained managerial style that seems more consistent with a 70's insult comic.

[zahidf]

15 hours ago, charlierc said:

I mean many of these comments should be disqualifying from being a professional football manager in and of themselves, nevermind as part of a sustained managerial style that seems more consistent with a 70's insult comic.

Hes just been on talkradio saying how hes the victim and how people need to be apologising to HIM....

[The Nal]

[charlierc]

6 hours ago, zahidf said:

Hes just been on talkradio saying how hes the victim and how people need to be apologising to HIM....

Saw that, yeah. I mean for fuck's sake.

[charlierc]

23 hours ago, pink_triangle said:

I fear people will focus on the sportswashing teams so much they could lose sight of the increasing influence of Americans owners who I think could be a far bigger threat to our game.

If you believe some in Europe, the Premier League as a whole is seen as a threat to the game, judging by their reactions to today's Deloitte Money League revealing 11 of the top 20 richest clubs in the world by annual revenue play in the Premier League.

[charlierc]

On 1/18/2023 at 12:38 PM, Gnomicide said:

Good chance Liverpool will be one of them next season.

I'm surprised QSI buying a minority stake in Liverpool, Spurs or any PL club could be cleared by UEFA given the high possibility of them playing PSG in the Champions League and their rules about multi-club ownership.

Then again they cleared RB Leipzig v RB Salzburg in the Europa League a few seasons back.

[pink_triangle]

1 hour ago, charlierc said:

If you believe some in Europe, the Premier League as a whole is seen as a threat to the game, judging by their reactions to today's Deloitte Money League revealing 11 of the top 20 richest clubs in the world by annual revenue play in the Premier League.

I think the premiership could potentially ruin the competition at champions league level, the fact we have had 2 all premiership finals in recent years is worrying.

What worries me more is Americans taking over enough teams to get a voting bloc and changing the rules to  make it a closed shop. 

 

 

[charlierc]

45 minutes ago, pink_triangle said:

I think the premiership could potentially ruin the competition at champions league level, the fact we have had 2 all premiership finals in recent years is worrying.

What worries me more is Americans taking over enough teams to get a voting bloc and changing the rules to  make it a closed shop. 

 

 

Could go either way. The uproar over the European Super League forcing various American club owners into a climbdown means there's every possibility it could be resisted, but the cosy relationship between the top six that lead to more revenue being hoarded by them means that it could spiral that way too.

As for the UCL, it's a curious one. We had a phase of La Liga being a dominant force for much of the 2010's, but their star seems to be fading. As agreed though, it's bad for the variety of the competition (along with the Europa League) if we suddenly get a stream of all-English finals.