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The 2022-2023 Football Thread

Lord Blackadder said:
I'm relieved Liverpool aren't doing any business with Barca right now...it would be nothing but trouble. They've sold future TV rights to fund current purchases and are flogging Cruyff-branded NFTs. Gross. They still brag about their ownership model but the reality is, when you're in debt your creditors own you. And Barca now have a LOT of creditors.

As for Ronnie, he has painted himself into a bit of a corner. I don't see a destination for him at the moment unless PSG make a complete mockery of all their recent talk of moving away from a Galacticos model and swoop for him. Otherwise it'll be a weekly helping of Grumpy/Disengaged Christiano till at least January.

He would have been better off not making any noises in the press and just trying to get a move done quietly.


..and to be fair Germany were missing a couple of their best players and England were on home soil, so all things considered they did really well. If Popp had started I think she would have buried at least one of the chances Germany missed. That doesn't take anything away from England's win but I agree that Germany will be top contenders at the next women's WC.

Oh, and another reason to support the women's game - they don't do World Cups in Qatar in November. :rolleyes:
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Ronaldo doing something quietly? Not his style!
Agree he’s going to be Mr grumpy. If he doesn’t perform well will they have the stomach to bench him? Could be an interesting drama to watch over the season.
 
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Curtainraiser to the A-League has kicked off properly, with the A-League teams joining the fray in the Australia Cup.
Wellington Phoenix have started well with a 4-0 demolition of the Devonport Strikers.

Still a while away from the league starting, but it's good that there's semi-competitive football being played as a warm up to the season.
 
So...predictions from the first round of games in the EPL?

I can see the following potentially happening

Palace 1 - Arsenal 3
Fulham 0 - Liverpool 3
Bournemouth 1 - Villa 1
Leeds 1 - Wolves 1
Toon 2 - Forest 1
Spurs 2 - Saints 11
Everton 0 - Chelsea 4
Leicester 0 - Brentford 0
Man U 2 - Brighton 2
Hammers 2 - Man City 3


I'd like it on record that I have never ever been wrong before, so this is the time when I could be. ;)
 
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Chelsea's desperation in the market isn't helping anyone. £60m for Cucurella is daylight robbery. Credit to City for walking away. Set to be made worse by 70-80m for Fofana.

The strategy seems to be 'hijack' everything popular

I fear Leicester, Leeds, Burnely, Everton, Fulham, Forrest will struggle. Especially Leicester.
 
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Well that was a good start for Arsenal. I can enjoy the rest of the weekend’s fixtures now.
 
timsutcliffe said:
Well that was a good start for Arsenal. I can enjoy the rest of the weekend’s fixtures now.
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circatee said:
I was nervous around the 60-85th minute. But, seriously how good is Saliba? He is just poised under pressure.

Am expecting brilliant things from us this season.

Oh, we need to get rid of Pepe. Just saying…
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A very good opening match, composed, controlled, and an excellent result against a good Palace team guided and led by an excellent manager.
 
I felt a bit sorry for Palace. I think the score line flattered Arsenal.
Meanwhile Fulham are currently beating Liverpool. Hope they can hold on for the win.
As usual I’ll be supporting West Ham and whoever plays against the greedy six.
 
Apple fanboy said:
I felt a bit sorry for Palace. I think the score line flattered Arsenal.
Meanwhile Fulham are currently beating Liverpool. Hope they can hold on for the win.
As usual I’ll be supporting West Ham and whoever plays against the greedy six.
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Well, Arsenal took their chances, scored goals, defended well, and kept a clean sheet.

Not only did they follow the script, they now have some players who are capable of following some version of the Arteta script.

And, moreover, remember that this was an away fixture.

Furthermore, bear in mind (and I don't, for one minute, think that either Mikel Arteta or Patrick Viera have forgotten this), the corresponding fixture last season was a depressing three nil defeat (and I also think that Viera is an excellent manager), so this is a solid result and a very good opening game to the season.
 
Its early stages but...

Today's early game revealed a few things

Playing newly promoted sides on your first game of the season is usually a PITA.

TAA can't defend, and Liverpool's midfield is slowly starting to show its age.
 
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A shame Fulham couldn’t get the win today. Liverpool were able to bring on four talented substitutes which ultimately made the difference. The fifth substitution is really going to help those teams with the bigger squads this season. But dropped points is better than nothing and I’m sure Fulham would have taken the draw if offered before kick off.
 
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Scepticalscribe said:
Well, Arsenal took their chances, scored goals, defended well, and kept a clean sheet.

Not only did they follow the script, they now have some players who are capable of following some version of the Arteta script.

And, moreover, remember that this was an away fixture.

Furthermore, bear in mind (and I don't, for one minute, think that either Mikel Arteta or Patrick Viera have forgotten this), the corresponding fixture last season was a depressing three nil defeat (and I also think that Viera is an excellent manager), so this is a solid result and a very good opening game to the season.
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It was a pretty even game. But as you say you took your chances where as Palace didn’t.
C4F1F2DA-1F6E-48DE-8F7F-6D40B7435E34.jpeg
 
Alphazoid said:
TAA can't defend, and Liverpool's midfield is slowly starting to show its age.
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I think that’s a pessimistic take. First game of the seaon, and Fulham were very good.

I categorically disagree that TAA can’t defend. It’s a talking point that will never go away but a cool-headed analysis of his game will reveal that he is an average-to-good defender with world class wingback skills. He will always be criticized for not being good enough in defense but his entire game is based on the calculated risk that is the wingback position. He may have been beaten on Mitrovich’s header but the whole team was at fault for that move. After all, Virgil got a little bamboozled by Mitrovich throwing himself to the floor but nobody would suggest HE can’t defend.

Liverpool were not at their best and didn’t do enough to beat a hugely motivated Fulham side who did a fantastic job of harrying ‘Pool at every opportunity. Mitrovich looked like. 40-goal striker and I was disappointed that American Tim Ream didn’t bury his chance (though he is emphatically not a goal scorer).

Mo had a relatively quiet day overall, yet he popped up twice when it mattered, assuring and scoring. Diaz hit the post. Nunez had a cute flick saved and then later scored with an almost identical flick. The midfield struggled at times but again Fulham did a lot of hard pressing and it’s the first game of the season.

Man City won the title by one point last season and Liverpool will already probably be two points behind by the end of the weekend. But of course both teams dropped more points than that last season. Liverpool looked below their best though, and are starting a little sluggishly - just like they did last season and it cost them in the end. I have assumed all along Man City will win the league again but I hope they don’t run away with it.

As for Fulham, can they perform like that 37 more times? Mitrovich scored six goals in his previous (very stroppy and jaded) PL campaign. He has the tools but he often didn’t apply them. The championship reinvigorated him but this seaon will be a much bigger challenge. Silva will have a job on his hands keeping him motivated but the potential is there. I think Fulham should stay up, with the important caveat that they need to avoid any serious injury crises.
 
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I do agree its very early. And newly promoted teams are often especially motivated with opening games.

For me though Robertson is a better defender and is arguably just as good offensively. Ultimately it won't be a massive detriment to Liverpool but there will be moments like today where the topic gets brought up. Because there have been recurring episodes over the last few seasons.

City still have work to do. They've lost one or two important players and bringing in Haaland means they have to play differently to how they've set up for the past few years which will take some work
 
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Alphazoid said:
Its early stages but...

Today's early game revealed a few things

Playing newly promoted sides on your first game of the season is usually a PITA.

TAA can't defend, and Liverpool's midfield is slowly starting to show its age.
Click to expand...

I have long thought that the "easiest" possible points that a newly promoted club could receive take place in the first few weeks of the season, when they are still a surprise, and something of an unknown quantity, and the established teams have yet to settle to a pattern, and to adapt, or integrate new players to their team system, those either bought in or recruited internally (especially if they have changed, expanded, or renewed their team over summer transfer window).

Those first ten points are far "easier" to obtain than the subsequent twenty or thirty, which often have to be eked out.

Having said that, achieving a draw (and secured a point) against Liverpool is an exceptional result for Fulham; even though I quite like Liverpool, and would love to see them claim the title (not least because it would be at Manchester City's expense), I am in accord with @Apple fanboy, and would have liked to have seen Fulham take all three points today with a victory against Liverpool.
 
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Lord Blackadder said:
I think that’s a pessimistic take. First game of the seaon, and Fulham were very good.

I categorically disagree that TAA can’t defend. It’s a talking point that will never go away but a cool-headed analysis of his game will reveal that he is an average-to-good defender with world class wingback skills. He will always be criticized for not being good enough in defense but his entire game is based on the calculated risk that is the wingback position. He may have been beaten on Mitrovich’s header but the whole team was at fault for that move. After all, Virgil got a little bamboozled by Mitrovich throwing himself to the floor but nobody would suggest HE can’t defend.

Liverpool were not at their best and didn’t do enough to beat a hugely motivated Fulham side who did a fantastic job of harrying ‘Pool at every opportunity. Mitrovich looked like. 40-goal striker and I was disappointed that American Tim Ream didn’t bury his chance (though he is emphatically not a goal scorer).

Mo had a relatively quiet day overall, yet he popped up twice when it mattered, assuring and scoring. Diaz hit the post. Nunez had a cute flick saved and then later scored with an almost identical flick. The midfield struggled at times but again Fulham did a lot of hard pressing and it’s the first game of the season.

Man City won the title by one point last season and Liverpool will already probably be two points behind by the end of the weekend. But of course both teams dropped more points than that last season. Liverpool looked below their best though, and are starting a little sluggishly - just like they did last season and it cost them in the end. I have assumed all along Man City will win the league again but I hope they don’t run away with it.

As for Fulham, can they perform like that 37 more times? Mitrovich scored six goals in his previous (very stroppy and jaded) PL campaign. He has the tools but he often didn’t apply them. The championship reinvigorated him but this seaon will be a much bigger challenge. Silva will have a job on his hands keeping him motivated but the potential is there. I think Fulham should stay up, with the important caveat that they need to avoid any serious injury crises.
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I really hope your not two points behind at the end of the weekend!
Come on you Irons!
 
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Apple fanboy said:
A shame Fulham couldn’t get the win today. Liverpool were able to bring on four talented substitutes which ultimately made the difference. The fifth substitution is really going to help those teams with the bigger squads this season. But dropped points is better than nothing and I’m sure Fulham would have taken the draw if offered before kick off.
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Agree completely.

While the five substitutes rule is a good one, unfortunately, I think that it will be of greater benefit for teams with larger squads, teams that already come to a game with greater strength in depth.
 
Scepticalscribe said:
Agree completely.

While the five substitutes rule is a good one, unfortunately, I think that it will be of greater benefit for teams with larger squads, teams that already come to a game with greater strength in depth.
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I have to disagree it’s a good rule. Klopp pushed for it and it is clearly just going to be another barrier for smaller clubs to compete with those with more resources.
What next? Six? Seven? It’s just silly.
 
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Apple fanboy said:
I have to disagree it’s a good rule. Klopp pushed for it and it is clearly just going to be another barrier for smaller clubs to compete with those with more resources.
What next? Six? Seven? It’s just silly.
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I see - and largely agree with you, in fact, completely agree with you - on the "fairness" question.

No argument there.

My concerns are more with the issue of player welfare: It is clear to me that the risk of players suffering from injuries as a season progresses, and increasingly serious injuries at that, are themselves increasing; lengthy modern seasons, - which are growing ever longer, in pursuit of profit - while the (physical) demands this places on players (yes, they are well rewarded financially, especially at the top of the game) means that the toll their career can take on their bodies can be considerable, and occasionally catastrophic.

Already, we are seeing some of the effects (such as an extraordinary number of cases where early onset dementia seems to be a feature) from the sort of football played in earlier eras (heading those heavy, leather balls).

Obviously, the quality of care (diet, fitness, etc) extended to footballers today (again, especially at the top, where resources range from vast to almost bottomless) is vastly improved from what it used to be (when care consisted of that infamous "rub of a sponge" days) , but, so, too, are the demands on their bodies, above all, the cumulative demands on a (yes, well trained, honed) body already playing through pain and discomfort over the course of a season, because profit and ambition both brutally intersect and the player is sacrificed (or, is encouraged to sacrifice himself or herself) for this.
 
Scepticalscribe said:
I see - and largely agree with you, in fact, completely agree with you - on the "fairness" question.

No argument there.

My concerns are more with the issue of player welfare: It is clear to me that the risk of players suffering from injuries as a season progresses, and increasingly serious injuries at that, are themselves increasing; lengthy modern seasons, - which are growing ever longer, in pursuit of profit - while the (physical) demands this places on players (yes, they are well rewarded financially, especially at the top of the game) means that the toll their career can take on their bodies can be considerable, and occasionally catastrophic.

Already, we are seeing some of the effects (such as an extraordinary number of cases where early onset dementia seems to be a feature) from the sort of football played in earlier eras (heading those heavy, leather balls).

Obviously, the quality of care (diet, fitness, etc) extended to footballers today (again, especially at the top, where resources range from vast to almost bottomless) is vastly improved from what it used to be (when care consisted of that infamous "rub of a sponge" days) , but, so, too, are the demands on their bodies, above all, the cumulative demands on a (yes, well trained, honed) body already playing through pain and discomfort over the course of a season, because profit and ambition both brutally intersect and the player is sacrificed (or, is encouraged to sacrifice himself or herself) for this.
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This I understand. But substitutions are made to change things up or to rest players far more than they are to prevent injuries.
The smaller clubs will end up struggling to find subs to bring on as the season progresses.
Where as the top teams can bring on a spare international.

Meanwhile another of the greedy six managed a win against Everton. I feel Everton may struggle this season.
 
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