English football 2023-24

[sussexpob]

I'd argue that the point of FFP is to keep European football a closed shop where the traditional big clubs (you know who they are because they tried to form a breakaway closed shop league to protect their revenue streams) don't have to worry about upstart clubs acquired by wealthy owners buying their way into the football money making pie, Man City stylee

It will surely surprise no-one that it was first discussed a year after Man City was bought by Qatar and introduced just a couple of years later

Totally. The way they decided to fight against wanton overspending and football clubs bankrupting themselves happened to consolidate the power in the top teams, that is absolutely true. But to begin with, it was very much a necessary measure to fight what was becoming an epidemic of football clubs going under. I think Portsmouth's situation was what really made it clear changes needed to be made - I think a lot of people, including the government, were horrified when the mismanagement and over spending of that club was laid bare for all to see.

Italy was the worst... they had something ridiculous like 150 professional clubs enter administration at one point.

[sussexpob]

Man United have had a really forgettable few days.

They lost Greenwood when it became clear he wouldn't be accepted by his fellow players or fans. The Manager then decides to single out Sancho for not working hard enough to be picked, with the player then responding on social media that he felt it was unfair.... then a few hours later, it emerges that Antony is being investigated in two countries by police for some very serious accusations that he beat his pregnant girlfriend to a pulp, and was physically abusive on a regular basis.

Antony has been sent home from the Brazil squad understandably while these accusations are floating over him, and I guess that sets a precedent for United - surely they cannot play him with such accusations being made? It would be a terrible look for the club if he were to subsequently be charged, and the feedback on Greenwood was it would lose them support to have taken him back.

Ten Hag has some problems to fix. It would be pretty funny for him to have to play Sancho a few days after he said he wouldnt

[Durhamfootman]

Sancho went from being a star in Germany to looking like a very average player at Man Utd. He isn’t a very average player, but there’s something about the recent couple of regimes that seem to push players backwards. Maguire isn’t a poor defender, but he looks it every time he pulls on the red shirt

I don’t think much of ten hag at all

[sussexpob]

Agree about Ten Hag. Man United fans seem to love him, but he seems to be a tough manager to work for, and the football is so negative... also, the players he insisted on buying havent proven to be that great.

[sussexpob]

Meanwhile, Jordan Henderson made me giggle today with his rather bizarre interview about going to Saudi Arabia.

His point seems to be Saudi is awesome, but he hasn't forgotten his advocacy for human rights and gay people, which is still a main cause he wants to promote.... but he wont be doing that, because we also have to respect homophobia and people who think beig gay should be punishable by death....

Definitely not about the money. He'd have gone for free, seemingly. Yeah right...

[sussexpob]

I say that as no insult to him. I imagine most people in the world when offered 700k tax free a week, would be happy to ignore the bad stuff, and just get on with it. I am sure given that same decision, I probably would....

[sussexpob]

The FA release the VAR dicussion on the Arsenal overturned penalty, and have rallied all the ex-referees to explain in the press why it shows they got the decision right....

Actually, it shows the counter. The referee asks VAR if there "is contact" with the VAR operator does not answer. He then says he saw "Wan Bassaka tripped him".... the VAR operator responds by saying he will then ignore the Casemiro contact which occurred almost simultaneously, and was blatantly a penalty. One has to ask why, before he has even seen a replay of it, the VAR operator is already happy to disregard that so easily? Of course, its because he doesnt wan to give the penalty.

In the end the referee gets a look at only the Wan Bassaka part just as Casemiro finished Havertz off... then inexplicably decides that Wan Bassaka missing the ball and initiating contact that bundles Havertz over is Havertz fault? So defenders can now challenge while missing the ball, but if the attacker is then taken out, its the attackers fault?? Of course not, if its not United or Liverpool, different rule.

I mean, its a bit like a cricket umpire saying he thinks the batsman has inside edged a ball that thunders into the pad, is then caught.... but the DRS ignoring the fact that after the edge is deemed non-existent, the ball hits the batsman plum in front. Of course, it doesnt happen... they check the lbw and hes given out... they dont just ignore the blatant dismissal.

[Durhamfootman]

well, thank goodness for that.

I was hoping for a bigger win that that, but frankly I'll take any sort of win atm

At least it means our start to the season is no longer worse than Man Utd's

[Durhamfootman]

Controversy over Newcastle's penalty award. Defender makes a hash of the back pass, sells his keeper short who rushes across to clear it as Gordon comes steaming in and gets clipped by the keeper right on the goal line near the edge of the box. Gordon quickly spotted the opportunity to win a pen at a part of the box where there is no threat to the goal really, got himself between the keeper and the ball just as the keeper was about to clear the ball leaving no time for the keeper to pull out. The way the rules are written it's a definite penalty, in a time where even a butterflies wing brushing across a players bootlace is deemed sufficient to say there was enough contact for a penalty to be awarded, this had all the contact anyone could possibly want, but should it have been a penalty? I'm less sure about that. Gordon knew that if he got there first he'd win a penalty and there wasn't much the keeper could do about that, so in that regard the rules are harsh, perhaps too harsh

Wilson's disallowed goal should have stood, for me. The keeper makes a right @rse of the clearance in a packed box, the balls drops down and Wilson pokes it in. The goal gets ruled out by VAR for a Wilson foul on the keeper. The keeper was claiming handball, which shows how much he thought he'd been fouled. All Wilson does is stand his ground in the box facing away from the goal, the keeper comes out just as a defender shoves Wilson backwards towards the keeper and then the keeper shoves him forwards. He puts the ball in the net anyway and then gets told he's fouled the keeper.... ludicrous. Something similar happened even more dramatically with Willock last year when, as he jumped to put the ball in the net, the defender behind him just shoved him into the keeper and the goal was ruled out. I think Howard Webb apologised for that one. It's a decent enough tactic for a defender in a packed box to try and shove the striker into the keeper, because there's a fair chance he'll get away with it, just as it's a good tactic for a keeper to make sure he thumps into the striker whenever he makes a hash of a cross

There was another penalty shout when the Brentford defender headed a crossed ball onto his hand under pressure from the attacker. That was overturned by VAR, rightly enough, but his arm was sticking right out and I could easily see the usual teams with the loudest managers getting that decision on another day if they were at home and a goal down

So I think Newcastle were a shade lucky with the penalty decision, but I'm happy that 1-0 was the right result in the end

[sussexpob]

I thought both decisions were utterly bizarre.

The Wilson disallowed goal, I struggle to understand what the referee is suggesting. Is it now illegal for a player to simply stand his ground against a keeper? The keeper unsuccessfully attempts to clear Wilson out the way by pushing him, then misses the ball, then falls over... Wilson simply stands still with his back to the keeper. Where is the foul? You telling me two professional referees given 5 minutes can't see thats not a foul? Last time I checked, an attacker didn't have to move out the way so a keeper can save the ball... a frankly ludicrous decision.

And the penalty - I cant help but feel the referee knows the Wilson one is a dud, and makes up for it with a lot of generosity. Gordon sees the opportunity and runs into the keeper - the ball is already bounced out, he's got no chance of getting there, he just cuts in and throws himself at the keeper. I fear if a 90 minute football match can be decided on that, the game is heading to dark places.... the keeper is pulling out, the contact is minimal, the keeper cant do anything, he's not exactly done much wrong....

Rewarding that will lead in the near future to a keeper getting seriously injured. If a player can initiate contact like that as he dives, it wont take long for a keeper to wrap a bad one to the head as strikers throw themselves into contact.

[sussexpob]

As for the Brighton game, I took great delight in seeing a side composed of a total transfer fee of 7.8 million quid put Man United's billion quid team on the wrack.

United looks very poor, and recent events at the club with Antony and Sancho leave serious questions about Ten Hag's grip on his side. I thought it was outrageous for the manager to criticise Sancho in public for his level of training, and even more outrageous that the player has then been binned off to train on his own. United just lost Antony for the foreseeable future after allegations of violent, sexual assault were made by the mother of his child - and Ten Hag then takes out his replacement over some petty nonsense that he allowed to go public?

A couple of bad results in September and October, and Ten Hag will be looking for a new job.

[Durhamfootman]

and good riddance

Brighton this year are having the same impact that Newcastle had last year and Brighton were able to cash in on some of their players in the summer, which could have weakened them, but doesn't appear to have done so. Fair play to them

[Durhamfootman]

once upon a time players signing for Man Utd more often than not became better players. The reverse seems to be true these days... certainly under the last two regimes

[mikesiva]

Chelsea lost again. This time at home to Aston villa.

This after spending £1 billion on transfers this calendar year.

[sussexpob]

Chelsea lost again. This time at home to Aston villa.

This after spending £1 billion on transfers this calendar year.

Its hilarious isnt it....