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The 2020-2021 Football Thread

Scepticalscribe said:
Arsenal never looked remotely like scoring, let alone clawing an ill-deserved victory from the game; they simply weren't good enough.

Actually, I have thought - and have already expressed this opinion on this very thread earlier - that qualification for the Europa Cup did us no favours, and merely served as a distraction from the more pressing task of team building.
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With no European football (if only there was a more convenient way of getting round the rather annoying system of qualifying for say the next 23 years), you will more likely trying to stop the lose of your best players. Possibly a new manager as well.
 
Apple fanboy said:
With no European football (if only there was a more convenient way of getting round the rather annoying system of qualifying for say the next 23 years), you will more likely trying to stop the lose of your best players. Possibly a new manager as well.
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Personally, I'd prefer to step back from Europe for a year or two, - a season or two - and concentrate on - and devote my attention to - re-building the team from the rear, and reconstructing & reviving what used to be superb support systems (scouting, recruitment etc) which have been eviscerated and gutted - quite disgracefully - in recent years.

At this stage, given how consistently underwhelming much of that team are, I think that to describe any of them as "our best players" runs the risk of insulting language.

While Mr Arteta has cleared out some of the deadwood, some still remains.
 
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Scepticalscribe said:
Personally, I'd prefer to step back from Europe for a year or two, - a season or two - and concentrate on - and devote my attention to - re-building the team from the rear, and reconstructing & reviving what used to be superb support systems (scouting, recruitment etc) which have been eviscerated and gutted - quite disgracefully - in recent years.

At this stage, given how consistently underwhelming much of that team are, I think that to describe any of them as "our best players" runs the risk of insulting language.

While Mr Arteta has cleared out some of the deadwood, some still remains.
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Mostly in the boardroom.

Leicester are having quite a game with Newcastle. 2-4 now. It was 0-3 a while ago.
 
Lord Blackadder said:
Squad rotation decisions taken in Manchester could end up substantially influencing who makes the top four. Man Utd can't play their first XI against both Leicester and Liverpool, and both games are competitively meaningless anyway. And Man Utd fans would slaughter OGS if he played a B team against Liverpool, though they will likely win that match in either case. So Leicester will get the easier ride, which is good news for West Ham - though in fact West Ham should be mostly worried about Chelsea, who are clearly better than them on paper, in fourth place, and currently in form. It will be a tough nut to crack.
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Looks like United will get to rotate against Leicester, who have really fallen off track like they did at the end of last season. Might be tough for the Foxes to hold on to a top 4 spot the way they're going now.

Chelsea (City, Arsenal, Leicester, Villa) and Leicester (Utd, Chelsea, Spurs) both have extremely difficult matches to end the season on, whereas West Ham's stiffest remaining competition is Everton at home this weekend. West Ham still has a solid chance of sneaking back into the top 4.
 
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Silencio said:
Looks like United will get to rotate against Leicester, who have really fallen off track like they did at the end of last season. Might be tough for the Foxes to hold on to a top 4 spot the way they're going now.

Chelsea (City, Arsenal, Leicester, Villa) and Leicester (Utd, Chelsea, Spurs) both have extremely difficult matches to end the season on, whereas West Ham's stiffest remaining competition is Everton at home this weekend. West Ham still has a solid chance of sneaking back into the top 4.
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We can lose to anyone on our day. I’d feel more confident if Rice was back. He’s not far away apparently.
Meanwhile OGS is bemoaning his fixture schedule this week. I have little sympathy for anyone in the greedy six, but it’s hardly the PL fault they didn’t manage to play Liverpool last week is it?
 
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Chelsea are in a pretty strong position now. I won't say the top four are sewn up because Leicester are stumbling but unless you're a West Ham fan it's pretty much decided - the Manchester duo, Chelsea, and one "smaller" team will be in the CL next year.

...unless all of the 'big six' get banned from Europe for the ESL fiasco, which would be hilarious though it won't happen.

Oh yeah, and Bayern won the Bundesliga title again, if anyone cares. An entire generation of German children are beginning to grow up under Bayern's tiresome dominance.
 
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Lord Blackadder said:
Chelsea are in a pretty strong position now. I won't say the top four are sewn up because Leicester are stumbling but unless you're a West Ham fan it's pretty much decided - the Manchester duo, Chelsea, and one "smaller" team will be in the CL next year.

...unless all of the 'big six' get banned from Europe for the ESL fiasco, which would be hilarious though it won't happen.

Oh yeah, and Bayern won the Bundesliga title again, if anyone cares. An entire generation of German children are beginning to grow up under Bayern's tiresome dominance.
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I was hoping City would keep Chelsea within reach, but agree if any of the current four stumble your money would be on Leicester given their form and run in.
Hopefully Southampton can pull of a shock against Liverpool shortly to keep a bit of breathing space between us and them.
 
Apple fanboy said:
Hopefully Southampton can pull of a shock against Liverpool shortly to keep a bit of breathing space between us and them.
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I can't say I'm much concerned what happens, happy to see this tragically depressing Premier League campaign pass into history. Our future under the current ownership is even more unsettling. I don't trust them but there is still a small amount of hope that if some of the fans' key demands for representation/consultation are met, and the owners are serious about mending burned bridges, we can move on. Not holding my breath but the alternative is too disheartening to dwell on.

In better news, currently watching Columbus win 3-1 at home against their old enemy DC United. Despite a few injuries Columbus look better than they did against Monterrey, though there is still a bit of late game sloppiness on show.
 
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Hi,

Just to add that 9 of the 12 teams that were in the ESL (and since left) have been handed financial punishments by UEFA - BBC link

Summary:
  • A fine - total of €15m across the nine teams to be redistributed across grassroots football and children's football.
  • In the 2023-24 season, 5% of UEFA competition revenues to also be redistributed for grassroots football across Europe.
  • If the clubs decide to break away in the future, they will be slapped with a €100m fine.
  • If any other breaches are made from the declaration, a €50m fine will be dished out.
Some of the club owners will be paying the fines out of their own pocket, rather than from club revenues.

UEFA are looking to punish the remaining teams (Real Madrid, Barcalona & Juventus) more harshly, but haven't decided what to do yet.

PS. Thanks for all the past comments - I've been a long time lurker and enjoy keeping up to date with the football here too.
 
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DoM-i-NiC said:
Summary:
  • A fine - total of €15m across the nine teams to be redistributed across grassroots football and children's football.
  • In the 2023-24 season, 5% of UEFA competition revenues to also be redistributed for grassroots football across Europe.
  • If the clubs decide to break away in the future, they will be slapped with a €100m fine.
  • If any other breaches are made from the declaration, a €50m fine will be dished out.
Some of the club owners will be paying the fines out of their own pocket, rather than from club revenues.

UEFA are looking to punish the remaining teams (Real Madrid, Barcalona & Juventus) more harshly, but haven't decided what to do yet.
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The problem with fines is that they're never allowed to really hurt. When have you seen fine be anything other than a slap on the wrist? And that's what the €15 million fine is. It certainly won't scare any of the big clubs. €50-€100 million fines right off the bat would be appropriate but UEFA are far too cowardly to hit clubs hard enough.

Big fines are the most powerful weapon against the 'super' clubs because their owners are all about money, it's the only language they understand.

DoM-i-NiC said:
PS. Thanks for all the past comments - I've been a long time lurker and enjoy keeping up to date with the football here too.
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Welcome!
 
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DoM-i-NiC said:
Hi,

Just to add that 9 of the 12 teams that were in the ESL (and since left) have been handed financial punishments by UEFA - BBC link

Summary:
  • A fine - total of €15m across the nine teams to be redistributed across grassroots football and children's football.
  • In the 2023-24 season, 5% of UEFA competition revenues to also be redistributed for grassroots football across Europe.
  • If the clubs decide to break away in the future, they will be slapped with a €100m fine.
  • If any other breaches are made from the declaration, a €50m fine will be dished out.
Some of the club owners will be paying the fines out of their own pocket, rather than from club revenues.

UEFA are looking to punish the remaining teams (Real Madrid, Barcalona & Juventus) more harshly, but haven't decided what to do yet.

PS. Thanks for all the past comments - I've been a long time lurker and enjoy keeping up to date with the football here too.
Click to expand...
Welcome a board. Do you have a football club you support?

As for the fines, clearly they aren’t enough. Points deduction would be the way to go. But that’s not going to happen.
 
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Lord Blackadder said:
The problem with fines is that they're never allowed to really hurt. When have you seen fine be anything other than a slap on the wrist? And that's what the €15 million fine is. It certainly won't scare any of the big clubs. €50-€100 million fines right off the bat would be appropriate but UEFA are far too cowardly to hit clubs hard enough.

Big fines are the most powerful weapon against the 'super' clubs because their owners are all about money, it's the only language they understand.



Welcome!
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Agreed. It’s the same as you or I getting a £50 fine. It’s annoying, but isn’t going to impact your lifestyle.
 
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Hi,

Thanks for the welcome.

I agree that the "fines" are just that - a slap in the wrist - I previously just gave a summary of what was on the BBC website.

The €15m fine is divided among the 9 clubs (I'm not sure if it's equally), but that would still be peanuts to those teams. For example, in any of those 9 teams, €2m in most cases wouldn't buy a decent player (out of contract), and it wouldn't even cover the wage of their highest paid team member for a year.

To my knowledge, the domestic leagues (Premier League, La Liga etc) have not yet given a punishment to the teams that have either left the ESL or to the 3 teams that are still in it - which may include point deductions etc.

The only issue I have with point deductions or bans is that it affects the players, team managers and fans (all of which had no say in initially joining the ESL) more than the financial directors (whom made the decision to join the ESL). Therefore, I would say it makes more sense for effective financial punishments to be issued. That said, creative accounting can occur, which may mitigate the financial punishment on the owners of the clubs, weakening its effect.

However, I would expect UEFA to issue harsher punishments for the 3 teams that are still part of the ESL.

I don't think this is the last we will hear of punishments for any of the 12 teams involved.
 
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DoM-i-NiC said:
Hi,

Just to add that 9 of the 12 teams that were in the ESL (and since left) have been handed financial punishments by UEFA - BBC link

Summary:
  • A fine - total of €15m across the nine teams to be redistributed across grassroots football and children's football.
  • In the 2023-24 season, 5% of UEFA competition revenues to also be redistributed for grassroots football across Europe.
  • If the clubs decide to break away in the future, they will be slapped with a €100m fine.
  • If any other breaches are made from the declaration, a €50m fine will be dished out.
Some of the club owners will be paying the fines out of their own pocket, rather than from club revenues.

UEFA are looking to punish the remaining teams (Real Madrid, Barcalona & Juventus) more harshly, but haven't decided what to do yet.

PS. Thanks for all the past comments - I've been a long time lurker and enjoy keeping up to date with the football here too.
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You are very welcome, and terrific to see you join us, here.

Agree that the sum of the fines are the equivalent of a proverbial slap on the wrist - personally, I'd prefer to see the imposition of far larger fines, and yes, along with a points deduction, for such would hurt, and might persuade the clubs in question to to attempt such a thing in the near future - but, in the absence of other richly merited penalties - far better to impose fines than to impose no fines, or penalty whatsoever.
 
Apple fanboy said:
I'm more concerned how they get on in the PL this week. With 3 games it could be a make or break for my fantasy football team. Just thrown in McGuire and Wan-Bissake.

@JamesMike Do you and a few of your mates fancy doing security at Old Trafford this week? Just to make sure the games go ahead!
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I might be a part of the peaceful protesters!
 
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