Football 2023/24

[charlierc]

The Premier League announced its fixtures earlier this week, so in accordance with last year's version, here we go. The next thread.

Even if it's still 2 months until they return and we'll have to amuse ourselves with internationals, friendlies and the seemingly never-ending whirl that is transfer rumours.

[Comfy Bean]

Hopefully an interesting season ahead then we’ve got Scotland almost certainly winning the euros in Germany next summer.

Nations League final on channel 4 tonight.

[pink_triangle]

33 minutes ago, Comfy Bean said:

Hopefully an interesting season ahead then we’ve got Scotland almost certainly winning the euros in Germany next summer.

Nations League final on channel 4 tonight.

I do wonder if the nations league final will ever really mean anything. As it starts to build up a legacy will people start caring about it? I can’t remember a single thing that has ever happened in a nations league and didn’t care at all when wales got relegated.

[Comfy Bean]

41 minutes ago, pink_triangle said:

I do wonder if the nations league final will ever really mean anything. As it starts to build up a legacy will people start caring about it? I can’t remember a single thing that has ever happened in a nations league and didn’t care at all when wales got relegated.

It means more than a friendly and is obviously more useful to the smaller countries but I take your point.

Same with the 3rd European competition but tell that to West Ham fans 😀

[pink_triangle]

1 minute ago, Comfy Bean said:

It means more than a friendly and is obviously more useful to the smaller countries but I take your point.

Same with the 3rd European competition but tell that to West Ham fans 😀

If players lose a World Cup final or Euro championship final they are gutted. I don’t think either side would lose sleep about losing this one. I think it’s different from the conference league as the format means it’s likely the bigger teams will always win it.

[Punksnotdead]

The season hasn't started & there's already been an extraordinary decision - Bournemouth sacking the manager who guided them to comfortable safety!

[lost]

There was a prem manager questioned by the police yesterday according to the tabloids so a lot of people are putting two and two together.

[lost]

Don't know how reliable the site is but there are suggestions the Saudi's may own Chelsea as well as Newcastle:

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/soccer/news/are-chelsea-owned-saudi-arabia-pif-clearlake-capital-boehly/npbfqj9f4kuw1gskjr6gutgl

Seems to be pointing towards unusual transfer activity between Chelsea and clubs owned by PiF.

[Punksnotdead]

36 minutes ago, lost said:

There was a prem manager questioned by the police yesterday according to the tabloids so a lot of people are putting two and two together.

They've already appointed a new manager, so it seems unlikely - unless it's something that's been brewing for a while?

[charlierc]

3 hours ago, lost said:

Don't know how reliable the site is but there are suggestions the Saudi's may own Chelsea as well as Newcastle:

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/soccer/news/are-chelsea-owned-saudi-arabia-pif-clearlake-capital-boehly/npbfqj9f4kuw1gskjr6gutgl

Seems to be pointing towards unusual transfer activity between Chelsea and clubs owned by PiF.

I'm aware my position as a Newcastle fan means I can't go massively boot-in on this given the club is 80% PiF-owned, and it doesn't seem like we've been roped in suddenly compelled to spend £100million on someone Chelsea are trying to shift (even if we have been linked with Pulisic in the past), but it is going to cause questions.

It's weird multi-club ownership has been allowed to take off in the way it has been in general, before this or before the idea of two different branches of Qatar owning both PSG and Man Utd.

Edited June 19, 2023 by charlierc

[thetime]

21 hours ago, charlierc said:

I'm aware my position as a Newcastle fan means I can't go massively boot-in on this given the club is 80% PiF-owned, and it doesn't seem like we've been roped in suddenly compelled to spend £100million on someone Chelsea are trying to shift (even if we have been linked with Pulisic in the past), but it is going to cause questions.

It's weird multi-club ownership has been allowed to take off in the way it has been in general, before this or before the idea of two different branches of Qatar owning both PSG and Man Utd.

 

On 6/19/2023 at 3:07 PM, lost said:

Don't know how reliable the site is but there are suggestions the Saudi's may own Chelsea as well as Newcastle:

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/soccer/news/are-chelsea-owned-saudi-arabia-pif-clearlake-capital-boehly/npbfqj9f4kuw1gskjr6gutgl

Seems to be pointing towards unusual transfer activity between Chelsea and clubs owned by PiF.

Football is just a bit sh*t, they just need to change the rules on ownership.

Hopefully the folk from Qatar don't end up owning man united, be a sad day. 

[thetime]

Neves to Newcastle? To get round FFP. 

[charlierc]

32 minutes ago, thetime said:

Neves to Newcastle? To get round FFP. 

I get the feeling that if we tried that, we would be hit with a lot of protests. Maybe not from Wolves themselves given they've banked a chunky fee from Neves (it was more than Barcelona were prepared to pay) but unquestionably a lot of others would not be happy.

Hell we're spending a huge fee on Milan's Sandro Tonali and apparently still wish to sign James Maddison, so we might be occupied anyway.

[kaosmark2]

On 6/23/2023 at 9:43 PM, thetime said:

Neves to Newcastle? To get round FFP. 

That'd be stupidly sketchy and I really hope it's not even attempted.

 

On 6/23/2023 at 10:17 PM, charlierc said:

Hell we're spending a huge fee on Milan's Sandro Tonali and apparently still wish to sign James Maddison, so we might be occupied anyway.

Tonali is one hell of a signing assuming it goes through, Guimares + Tonali sounds like one hell of a midfield. Rumour mill suggests we're not interested in a bidding war with Spurs over Maddison. Good player, but not sure he's worth the figures being thrown around.

[charlierc]

22 hours ago, kaosmark2 said:

Tonali is one hell of a signing assuming it goes through, Guimares + Tonali sounds like one hell of a midfield. Rumour mill suggests we're not interested in a bidding war with Spurs over Maddison. Good player, but not sure he's worth the figures being thrown around.

Looks like Spurs are going to get Maddison with Newcastle ultimately deciding he didn't really fit what we were looking for according to the rumours. Ho hum.

Tonali looks set to join and if he delivers on his potential would be an excellent signing.

I think we will need some defenders at some point - Burn did well at left back but will need competition, while although Schar and Botman were an excellent CB partnership last season, the depth to those two is just Jamaal Lascelles, who seems to be on the way out. Plus an extra winger if ASM goes.

[thetime]

Crazy to think Arsenal net spend since 19/20 is nearly 600m.

 

[philipsteak]

 

[charlierc]

I mean, I did wonder if catapulting a young keeper straight from L1 to Premier League was a wise idea given how badly Gavin Bazunu did at Southampton in the season just gone, but talk about James Trafford going for the big occasions straight away.

[charlierc]

On 6/23/2023 at 9:43 PM, thetime said:

Neves to Newcastle? To get round FFP. 

There's a rumour going round that to pay for Harvey Barnes, we're trying to sell Saint-Maximin to the Saudi league. Something which I suspect would go down like a similar lead balloon to this rumour. Even if other rumours are suggesting that Everton and Crystal Palace made inquiries and I suspect others might also be interested.

Nature of the beast mind. I don't like multi-club ownership but UEFA seem oddly OK with allowing it, not least given all the shite with Watford-Udinese or the Red Bull clubs swapping players, much as I'm aware the symbolism of who exactly Newcastle's owners are invites different questions.

[pink_triangle]

30 minutes ago, charlierc said:

I mean, I did wonder if catapulting a young keeper straight from L1 to Premier League was a wise idea given how badly Gavin Bazunu did at Southampton in the season just gone, but talk about James Trafford going for the big occasions straight away.

Im always wary about reading too much into these tournaments. I remember many years seeing Hugo Viana and thought he was on his way to being one of the best players in the world!

[charlierc]

3 minutes ago, pink_triangle said:

Im always wary about reading too much into these tournaments. I remember many years seeing Hugo Viana and thought he was on his way to being one of the best players in the world!

... oh yeah. To think we could've signed Cristiano Ronaldo as we scouted him as well but got Viana instead.

[thetime]

On 7/8/2023 at 10:21 PM, charlierc said:

... oh yeah. To think we could've signed Cristiano Ronaldo as we scouted him as well but got Viana instead.

 

On 7/8/2023 at 10:17 PM, pink_triangle said:

Im always wary about reading too much into these tournaments. I remember many years seeing Hugo Viana and thought he was on his way to being one of the best players in the world!

I was reading about the 2009 u21 final, majority of the team have had good careers at the highest level and done pretty well in the game. 

[zahidf]

Sounds like hypocrite Jordan Henderson will be taking the Saudi blood money

So much for his support of LGBTQ rights. Guess principles do have a price!

[pink_triangle]

9 hours ago, zahidf said:

Sounds like hypocrite Jordan Henderson will be taking the Saudi blood money

So much for his support of LGBTQ rights. Guess principles do have a price!

It’s bad for Henderson, but it’s also a massive waste of money by the Saudis!

[Ryan1984]

I thought Henderson would have stayed on for a season in the Premier League to preserve his space in the Euros squad next year and then chase that last blood money deal.