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The 2023-2024 Football Thread

Six minutes of extra time are being played, which will have given Spurs around 25, to 27, minutes with Liverpool at nine men, to find a winner.

This is exactly the kind of situation where they will miss (will have missed) Harry Kane, - and miss him terribly - who was a ruthless - and exemplary - finisher of chances, half chances, quarter chances, and obscure opportunities.
 
Didn't look particularly convincing against 9 men and needed an own goal. The level and quality has increased but they're still open and lack depth. Plus a number of the big 6 now have scores to settle and will be hunting them.

But at least Spurs fan can enjoy their football again.

WhatsApp Image 2023-09-30 at 8.31.34 pm.jpeg
 
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Scepticalscribe said:
Hammers are still two nil up, while Manchester United are trailing Crystal Palace, who lead by a gaol to nil.
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Freudian slip there? Sometimes, watching this United team makes me feel like I've been incarcerated for some sort of diabolical crime.

Despite all the decimating injuries, ETH has to have some words with himself about player selection and being more pragmatic with his tactics to accommodate the players he has available. With his tactical rigidity, he risks going down the same road Louis van Gaal did before him. With his apparent favoritism towards some players (looking at you, Marcus Rashford: you ought to see the bench for your current poor output), he risks stepping in the same potholes that tripped up Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

I expected city to struggle without Rodri, but not this badly.
 
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I see an apology has been made to Liverpool for their disallowed goal actually not being offside.
Funny that other clubs don’t seem to get the same courtesy when decisions are incorrect? I wonder if it’s because Klopp is always so vocal about it?

No one likes the wrong decision being made, but it happens. VAR doesn’t stop it. Just breaks up the game.
 
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What a travesty. I’m too angry to comment coherently but the offside call on Diaz was stupefying, and while I think Jones’ red should be rescinded on appeal, PMGOL may very well circle the wagons on that one and reject Liverpool’s appeal to save face. They can’t hide about the offside but they won’t want to admit they made further mistakes.

As for the PMGOL apology…pfft. Who cares? I’d like to hear their rationale in bothering to make apologies, because it clearly just enrages fans and managers even further. If only the ‘big’ clubs are being ‘favored’ with apologies it’s the most pointless ‘advantage’ I’ve ever heard of. I doubt it’s because if Klopp. If clubs win trophies based on managerial tantrums Liverpool would win the league every season.🤣

If anything the incidents highlight the issues I was just posting about here the other day - fans can’t hear refs thought processes, so decisions are arbitrary and when they get it wrong - as they obviously did here - it just erodes confidence in the process.

VAR utterly, completely, abjectly failed at correcting a linesman’s mistake that was, at least in freeze frame, blindingly obvious.

In the tiny part of my brain that isn’t burning with indignation, I think it was shaping up to be a fantastic match. Spurs had a very energetic press going and Liverpool were getting behind them with long passes. It would have been a great game.

I think we’ll take them at Anfield, and while that won’t rectify this debacle, I hope what whatever happens in the return fixture it’s decided by the players and not the officials.

Edit: and yes, previously I was also arguing that reffing mistakes are part of the game and we have to accept that. They are, and I do. But fans are also entitled to be upset about them 😉….as long as they keep within the bounds of civilized behavior.

Spurs are very good this season, and if they finish in a league position ahead of Liverpool by three points or less…..well….
 
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@Lord Blackadder: Re Jones's red card: I have no doubt whatsoever that there was no intent - let alone ill-intent - but there were studs placed just above an opponent's ankle, which, given velocity and impact, could have led to a serious and nasty injury.

I'd feel the same (but be annoyed) had this - studs on a vulnerable part of a body - happened if an Arsenal player was the (inadvertent) culprit; because of the impact with studs, I feel the red card was justified, if somewhat unfortunate, and yes, unfair.

As for the rest, Liverpool have an excellent forward line, and, on yesterday's performance, an outstanding defence, and a coach/manager well able to adapt the shape of his team to his immediate needs (and available resources) at short notice in response to pressing events.
 
Scepticalscribe said:
@Lord Blackadder: Re Jones's red card: I have no doubt whatsoever that there was no intent - let alone ill-intent - but there were studs placed just above an opponent's ankle, which, given velocity and impact, could have led to a serious and nasty injury.

I'd feel the same (but be annoyed) had this - studs on a vulnerable part of a body - happened if an Arsenal player was the (inadvertent) culprit; because of the impact with studs, I feel the red card was justified, if somewhat unfortunate, and yes, unfair.
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The ref was technically within the laws of the game to call it ‘serious foul play’ on the *subjective* grounds that Jones was ‘careless,’ ‘reckless,’ or used ‘excessive force.’ Those. All hinge on the ref’s determination of intent.

But I also have seen similar fouls merely awarded yellows or even just an freekick and those calls were ALSO within the laws of the game. It’s an ‘orange’ card foul.

I don’t want to dwell on it, these calls happen because it’s a contact sport. Like the Mac Allister red, this was unlucky rather than an example of malice or indiscipline.
 
The red cards whilst harsh were technically correct.

Jones may not have been deliberate but his studs caught the player. The onus is on the tackling player to get the ball without digging his studs in

Jota shouldn’t be swinging his leg whilst on a yellow. Even if the first yellow was laughable.

The Diaz offside call though…my word. FOUR officials failed to arrive at the correct decision despite access to all the camera angles and lines available. Reminds me of Lee Mason and Arsenal/Brentford last season who forgot to draw lines.

it’s not that hard a job surely? Freeze frame, draw lines. This should be bread and butter.

Technology is not the problem, the refs categorically are. They appear to check their brains before entering the VAR room. And there's no incentive to improve because there aren’t any repercussions. No fines or meaty suspensions. Just “sorry” and move on...till next screw up.
 
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daneoni said:
The red cards whilst harsh were technically correct.

Jones may not have been deliberate but his studs caught the player. The onus is on the tackling player to get the ball without digging his studs in
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It was a foul but wasn’t an automatic red, unless you assume that all stud-to-leg contact must always be a red - but that interpretation is not part of the laws of the game, nor is it part of premier league referees’ instructions in determining serious foul play. But I agree that a ref is within their remit to interpret the serious foul play rule that way if he or she chooses.

So while I think it is a legitimately debatable call I am, after cooling down this afternoon, backing away from the position it should not have happened and should be rescinded. But I doubt any fan on the receiving end of this call would call it anything other than harsh.

And yes, the VAR call was….words fail me. I don’t think I’ve been this angry after a match since the Beach Ball incident.
 
Remember the admission from a VAR ref that he failed to give a VAR incident because he did not want to give his 'friend' (on field ref) any more difficulties than he already had. What is the betting it is the same here, or something to that effect.
 
laptech said:
Remember the admission from a VAR ref that he failed to give a VAR incident because he did not want to give his 'friend' (on field ref) any more difficulties than he already had. What is the betting it is the same here, or something to that effect.
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Mike Dean who epitomises everything wrong with the profession.
 
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I am betting the majority of people in the UK jumped for joy at seeing both Manchester clubs losing at the weekend.

Regarding Barca, I read an interesting online article at the weekend that put forward a hypothetical scenario of Arsenal being awarded the 2006 Champions league title and Man United being awarded the 2009 and 2011 Champions league title if Barca are found guilty of bribery because UEFA have the power to strip Barca of any European awards won during the time bribes were meant to have started which is from 2001 to 2018.
 
laptech said:
I am betting the majority of people in the UK jumped for joy at seeing both Manchester clubs losing at the weekend.

Regarding Barca, I read an interesting online article at the weekend that put forward a hypothetical scenario of Arsenal being awarded the 2006 Champions league title and Man United being awarded the 2009 and 2011 Champions league title if Barca are found guilty of bribery because UEFA have the power to strip Barca of any European awards won during the time bribes were meant to have started which is from 2001 to 2018.
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I didn’t shed any tears for either Manchester club. But then I always support my team first, then whoever is playing the greedy six.
 
I cannot remember where I read it but do remember reading an article by a football pundit (think it was an ex united player) that he was basically saying that due to City losing, Arsenal is now going to win the league. It made me laugh because it was City's first loss and now here is someone saying that Arsenal is now going to win the league due to City losing their fist game lol
 
laptech said:
I am betting the majority of people in the UK jumped for joy at seeing both Manchester clubs losing at the weekend.

Regarding Barca, I read an interesting online article at the weekend that put forward a hypothetical scenario of Arsenal being awarded the 2006 Champions league title and Man United being awarded the 2009 and 2011 Champions league title if Barca are found guilty of bribery because UEFA have the power to strip Barca of any European awards won during the time bribes were meant to have started which is from 2001 to 2018.
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UEFA is too corrupt for that to happen. Best case scenario is a temporary exclusion which will subsequently be rescinded after some bogus 'new evidence' is revealed.

laptech said:
I cannot remember where I read it but do remember reading an article by a football pundit (think it was an ex united player) that he was basically saying that due to City losing, Arsenal is now going to win the league. It made me laugh because it was City's first loss and now here is someone saying that Arsenal is now going to win the league due to City losing their fist game lol
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Gary neville. His argument is that City will have a treble hangover. Having also been part of a treble winning side himself.
 
daneoni said:
UEFA is too corrupt for that to happen. Best case scenario is a temporary exclusion which will subsequently be rescinded after some bogus 'new evidence' is revealed.


Gary neville. His argument is that City will have a treble hangover. Having also been part of a treble winning side himself.
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Not sure where Neville is getting the 'treble hangover' from because United did retain the league title the following season after their treble. I would have thought if United had suffered from a 'treble hangover' they would have won nothing the following season due to the hangover but that did not happen.

I can only assume it is bias that is showing through as to why he thinks Arsenal will now win the league due to City losing their first game because United lost games the season following on from their own treble but no one was saying the team would struggle but yet here is is saying City will struggle. Maybe he is hoping for bragging rights in that him not wanting City to emulate United in retaining the league title after a treble he can say 'Well, United did retain the league title after winning the treble'
 
City's (most welcome) defeat at the week-end does not mean that Arsenal will win the league.

Arsenal aren't yet good enough, although they are improving.

However, it does transform what had begun to resemble a depressing canter (to everyone who wasn't a City supporter) to the inevitable coronation of yet another League title, into a genuine contest.
 
Sal09 said:
We need to beat City on Sunday.

It will do us good big time in every possible way.
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Without Rodri and KDB this is probably your best chance by a country mile. Last season off by 5 pts. Accounting for Lee Mason, taking points of one of the City matches would've been huge. Instead City got 6pts off Arsenal and that was that.

Meanwhile Chelsea get their second win with Mudryk scoring his first league goal...before going off injured.
 
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