Football 2023/24

[Neil]

7 minutes ago, charlierc said:

Clearly FFP/PSR fun and games are going to carry on as before.

unlike everton - at least Leicester got some silver for their big spending.

[Comfy Bean]

Well done 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿👏

Good luck Tuesday.

[charlierc]

59 minutes ago, Neil said:

unlike everton - at least Leicester got some silver for their big spending.

Well, the period of the breach does include them winning the FA Cup in 2021, so yes.

[Neil]

58 minutes ago, charlierc said:

Well, the period of the breach does include them winning the FA Cup in 2021, so yes.

would be good to remove honours won during the breach period - but then you'd only get forever mentions of them having won it, and then had it removed.

[charlierc]

19 hours ago, Neil said:

would be good to remove honours won during the breach period - but then you'd only get forever mentions of them having won it, and then had it removed.

I mean, I'm aware there's a bit of a rabbit hole to go down with all of this and essentially treating FFP like the way cycling kicked out Lance Armstrong or Serie A threw out Juventus and docked them of a pair of titles.

Leicester's situation seems to have all got a bit wild, mind, given the EFL gave them a transfer embargo and the club have taken it well...

 

[Neil]

any great loss utd fans???

[charlierc]

7 hours ago, Neil said:

any great loss utd fans???

I'm bemused that this was even a link to begin with.

[#1SzigetFan]

So it's been more than a year since City was charged with 115 breaches over financial fair-play and they're gonna let them win yet another title, right? So there's proof that with oil money you can buy everything: trophies and no punishments.

[charlierc]

On 3/23/2024 at 4:23 AM, Neil said:

any great loss utd fans???

Presumably they've gone back to going on that Southgate should be fired before Euro 2024, or at least that's for reactionaries on Twitter to go on about.

[charlierc]

3 hours ago, #1SzigetFan said:

So it's been more than a year since City was charged with 115 breaches over financial fair-play and they're gonna let them win yet another title, right? So there's proof that with oil money you can buy everything: trophies and no punishments.

As has been said before, this is a more complex case than just breaking an arbitrary limit set by the Premier League so much as it touches on potential fraudulent accounting, which is a much more complex case to decipher and would need rock-solid evidence. As a result, this is going to take a lot more time to figure out.

Much as I'm aware the racking up of clubs breaking FFP is starting to hurt that argument.

[Neil]

result 😉 

Quote

 Kyle Walker and Harry Maguire ruled out of friendly against Belgium

 

[charlierc]

22 hours ago, Neil said:

result 😉 

 

It's going to give tomorrow a bit of a reserve team look imo. Already having to do something different without Kane & Saka, plus Southgate's best boy Henderson is still absent. Though it is quite something how we seem to have gone from having all of the right-backs to very few with Walker out. Already a bit awkward given Chilwell's lack of fitness on the left has been very apparent.

[Neil]

for the welsh:" gercha"from chas & dave gercha

when the poles knocked england out the cup, gercha

[charlierc]

Maybe one day we'll win games 1-0. But given with 15 to go, we were 3-1 down to West Ham having lost 4 players to injury and looking like the season was over, I'll take a win abso-f**king-lutely.

[kaosmark2]

1 hour ago, charlierc said:

Maybe one day we'll win games 1-0. But given with 15 to go, we were 3-1 down to West Ham having lost 4 players to injury and looking like the season was over, I'll take a win abso-f**king-lutely.

Barnes coming back showing a bit of quality is important with Gordon out of the next game and us clearly needing another rotation option out wide. Hopefully after a stop start season he can play a few games and show some of what he did at Leicester.

[Neil]

feel like i'm getting good value from my now tv subscription, really enjoyed the newc match yesterday, and the liverpool/brighton one just now , hoping arsenal/city in ten minutes is good too.

[DareToDibble]

This title race is genuinely the best I can remember in years. By now Man City tend to run away with it but no signs of that just yet. Although they have a habit of staying 2nd/3rd for large parts of the season then getting to 1st and not letting up.

Interesting that from a bookies perspective we are now favourites. I'm still not convinced, think City win it still.

[charlierc]

On 3/30/2024 at 4:34 PM, kaosmark2 said:

Barnes coming back showing a bit of quality is important with Gordon out of the next game and us clearly needing another rotation option out wide. Hopefully after a stop start season he can play a few games and show some of what he did at Leicester.

I was excited to see Harvey Barnes so was frustrated by his injury problems, but he's already got himself some huge goodwill for that and I think he'll be eager to get it done.

Injuries is perhaps the other factor elsewhere, mind. Losing both Lascelles and Botman to ACL injuries in quick succession is a massive pain in the arse, plus Krafth, Manquillo and Trippier all being unavailable means the defence is now like the midfield in being cut to the bone. Though Lewis Hall's cameo should be a sign that Howe should give him more of a go.

[charlierc]

7 hours ago, DareToDibble said:

This title race is genuinely the best I can remember in years. By now Man City tend to run away with it but no signs of that just yet. Although they have a habit of staying 2nd/3rd for large parts of the season then getting to 1st and not letting up.

Interesting that from a bookies perspective we are now favourites. I'm still not convinced, think City win it still.

The Man City-Arsenal game yesterday was flat but it was interesting, given there's a definite evolution by Arsenal as they usually get pummelled at the Etihad so taking 4 points from their meetings with City is an improvement on the side.

Man City seem to have made errors in player recruitment last season so I'm not convinced their squad is stronger than last season's, but they still have super talents capable of winning every game remaining and prizing the title. But it will be an interesting one. Arsenal and Liverpool have marginally more difficult fixtures on paper imo.

[kaosmark2]

2 hours ago, charlierc said:

I was excited to see Harvey Barnes so was frustrated by his injury problems, but he's already got himself some huge goodwill for that and I think he'll be eager to get it done.

Injuries is perhaps the other factor elsewhere, mind. Losing both Lascelles and Botman to ACL injuries in quick succession is a massive pain in the arse, plus Krafth, Manquillo and Trippier all being unavailable means the defence is now like the midfield in being cut to the bone. Though Lewis Hall's cameo should be a sign that Howe should give him more of a go.

I'd have thought Burn will play centrally and Ritchie/Murphy will rotate into fullback positions? It's tough though. Our defence hasn't been settled all season and it shows.

Wasn't Manquillo sold? To be honest I don't think he was ever any good, just not quite bad enough to ship out with a thin squad.

How long is Trippier out for?

[charlierc]

2 hours ago, kaosmark2 said:

I'd have thought Burn will play centrally and Ritchie/Murphy will rotate into fullback positions? It's tough though. Our defence hasn't been settled all season and it shows.

Wasn't Manquillo sold? To be honest I don't think he was ever any good, just not quite bad enough to ship out with a thin squad.

How long is Trippier out for?

Trippier may be fit enough for the bench for Everton tomorrow. Initial instinct was Burn back at CB, where he was in his first 6/7 months, and Hall at left-back, though if all of Trippier, Krafth and Livramento are injured, it's a job to know who gets the right-back role. Murphy out of position was played there but he may be the only RW option as well, even moreso if Almiron is also out.

It's turning into a thing where you fix problem only for another to appear. So it's being tricky to figure out.

Presumably Everton may yet see our depleted ranks as a good chance to end their winless run. Either that or they'll just continue to be terrible goalscorers as they have been all season.

[Neil]

18 hours ago, charlierc said:

Man City seem to have made errors in player recruitment 

how come, pep is the best manager ever, just a great manager who can't improve players.

[DareToDibble]

Huge day of football in the title race tomorrow. Massively unlikely to happen but if by some miracle Arsenal and City lose/draw we have an opportunity to go 4/5 points ahead.

Had a proper look at the remaining fixtures again and @charliercis right, City's are definitely easier. I would still have them as favourites.

As for the rest of the league. Top 3 is done, last CL spot will be exciting to see if Villa or Spurs get... feel like Spurs will end up there.

Pains me to say it but you'd fancy United for the other Europa spot.

But that Conference league spot has serious competition, depending on how teams do there are 7 that could potentially get it. Boring as it would be I think it might be Chelsea.

Edited April 2 by DareToDibble

[thetime]

6 hours ago, DareToDibble said:

Huge day of football in the title race tomorrow. Massively unlikely to happen but if by some miracle Arsenal and City lose/draw we have an opportunity to go 4/5 points ahead.

Had a proper look at the remaining fixtures again and @charliercis right, City's are definitely easier. I would still have them as favourites.

As for the rest of the league. Top 3 is done, last CL spot will be exciting to see if Villa or Spurs get... feel like Spurs will end up there.

Pains me to say it but you'd fancy United for the other Europa spot.

But that Conference league spot has serious competition, depending on how teams do there are 7 that could potentially get it. Boring as it would be I think it might be Chelsea.

More than likely, England will get the 5th place champions league spot. 

If only utd could muster a bit of form. As both villa and spurs have to play the top 3. 

[charlierc]

14 hours ago, DareToDibble said:

But that Conference league spot has serious competition, depending on how teams do there are 7 that could potentially get it. Boring as it would be I think it might be Chelsea.

I don't. Chelsea look so erratic and dropping points at home to 10 man Burnley was a terrible look.

I'd fancy our chances more as a Mag if we could stop with the injuries. We had 11 players out last night which lead to us resorting to using Paul Dummett, who duly gave away a ridiculous penalty.

Though as noted, 8th might be good enough for Conference League. I guess we'll see what happens with the UEFA coefficient thing.

Edited April 3 by charlierc