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The 2024-2025 Football Thread
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Arsenal losing their sporting director is going to be a huge loss for them because he has done some very good work for the club over the years.
People will question why Edu is leaving Arsenal for a club that has got some serious discipline issues going on with the club owner and the club manager. The club being recently fined £750,000 for making disparaging remarks about a referee relating to their 2-0 loss to Everton last year. Their manager has received a 3 game touchline and a £55,000 fine due to an ill tempered draw with Brighton and the club owner has been recently given a 5 game stadium ban for spitting at the feet of the game referee after the clubs 1-0 loss to Fulham.
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Most unfortunate.
I read about this in the Guardian, and am sorry to see that it seems to be an accurate report.
We were robbed at the weekend, and seeing Dermot Gallagher back up the referee's absolutely awful decision not to award us a penalty is even worse:
We've now been on the wrong end of 4 poor refereeing/VAR decisions which if were different could have gained us 1 or 2 wins.
I can accept not winning games if we haven't played well or have made a mistake to cost us the game, as frustrating as it is. I can't accept not winning a game because an absolutely shocking decision by the referee has changed the outlook of the game and ultimately cost us. It was easier to accept in the Championship/League One because there is no VAR, but how VAR can look at that penalty decision and NOT award it is beyond me. Fatawu has made no attempt to get the ball.
We've now been on the wrong end of 4 poor refereeing/VAR decisions which if were different could have gained us 1 or 2 wins.
I can accept not winning games if we haven't played well or have made a mistake to cost us the game, as frustrating as it is. I can't accept not winning a game because an absolutely shocking decision by the referee has changed the outlook of the game and ultimately cost us. It was easier to accept in the Championship/League One because there is no VAR, but how VAR can look at that penalty decision and NOT award it is beyond me. Fatawu has made no attempt to get the ball.
Problems with VAR only exist if decisions do not go the way fans want them too. The sending off of Bruno when he slipped and went studs high on a Spurs player, the ref sent him off. VAR is supposed to check on red card situations and it did not in this case but actually it turns out VAR should have intervened because the FA have rescinded Bruno's red card because they said the red card decision was wrong. Now in the Chelsea game, another United player does the exact same thing, slips and goes studs high on a player whilst trying to steady himself. This time the ref say's no red. This incensed Chelsea fans who said it was a sending off challenge. The replays show the ref got it right but yet Chelsea fans are still complaining that it was a sending off and VAR should have intervened.
If VAR allows a goal to stand, fans are happy. If VAR disallows a goal, fans want VAR removed. If VAR agrees to a penalty, fans are happy. If VAR sends off one of their players, fans want VAR removed. VAR is doomed no matter what.
If VAR allows a goal to stand, fans are happy. If VAR disallows a goal, fans want VAR removed. If VAR agrees to a penalty, fans are happy. If VAR sends off one of their players, fans want VAR removed. VAR is doomed no matter what.
Consistently get rid, yes, perhaps, but this will only work if proper support systems - and strong protections (and extremely serious sanctions - robustly enforced - for those who transgress) are put in place for match officials.
In any case, I must say that I have always found the threatening behaviour of some footballers, - who are, in the Premier League, at least, invariably exceptionally well paid individuals, and are a lot better paid than match officials - when, for example, a group of them of them surround, shout at, obstruct, and threaten, the referee - in the wake of an action, or decision, that hadn't gone their way - to be utterly repellant, quite repugnant, and actually outrageous.
And I want to point out that I still think this - and have always thought it - even when Arsenal players (and staff) are to be found among such culprits.
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Couldn’t agree more. I believe only the captain should be able to approach the referee to discuss the incident. I believe that’s how they do it in rugby. Makes perfect sense to me.
The 'captain only' approach is being trialed this year apparently. The IFAB who determine and write the laws of the game produced a document in March of this year detailing the trialing of 'Only the Captain can approach'. They then produced an updated document in July of this year.
source: https://www.theifab.com/trials/only-the-captain-can-approach-the-referee/
Apparently in 2023 the EPL brought in a new rule regarding surround the referee
source: https://www.soccereco.com/soccer-ne...rounding-the-referee-results-in-a-yellow-card
Leagues are allowed to set some of their own rules as long as they are approved by the countries FA. Problem is this allows other leagues in other countries to set some their own rules which could be different from other countries. The trial being conducted by the IFAB if becoming successful would mean that every FIFA associated country would have to follow the rule because FIFA (the governing body of football) is a member of IFAB which means anyone associated with FIFA must follow the IFAB's rules of the game.
How long the trial will continue is anyone's guess but it can only be trialed in lower leagues and lesser international competitions that do not involve the top 'A' level international teams as per this line in the document:
'This trial is available only to competitions that do not involve teams from the top two domestic levels or senior ‘A’ international teams.'
source: https://www.theifab.com/trials/only-the-captain-can-approach-the-referee/
Apparently in 2023 the EPL brought in a new rule regarding surround the referee
source: https://www.soccereco.com/soccer-ne...rounding-the-referee-results-in-a-yellow-card
Leagues are allowed to set some of their own rules as long as they are approved by the countries FA. Problem is this allows other leagues in other countries to set some their own rules which could be different from other countries. The trial being conducted by the IFAB if becoming successful would mean that every FIFA associated country would have to follow the rule because FIFA (the governing body of football) is a member of IFAB which means anyone associated with FIFA must follow the IFAB's rules of the game.
How long the trial will continue is anyone's guess but it can only be trialed in lower leagues and lesser international competitions that do not involve the top 'A' level international teams as per this line in the document:
'This trial is available only to competitions that do not involve teams from the top two domestic levels or senior ‘A’ international teams.'
college roomie? that means beer on the floor, takeaway food crushed into the floor, popcorn thrown about the place and then tears and sobs when they realize your team lost lolvs
My old college roommate is over there for this one...
City not quite at it. Missed alot of chances tbf but Sporting have taken over. Gyokeres is some player.
City look set to lose 3 in a row which is crazy.
Real Madrid also behind
City look set to lose 3 in a row which is crazy.
Real Madrid also behind
Something is going wrong at City. City have had injuries to a number of players before causing the team to become disjointed and yet Pep has always managed to work something out to keep the team winning but for some reasons this year City have a number of players out injured which has caused the team to become disjointed but Pep is struggling to keep them jointed. According to the stats, the last time City lost 3 games in a row was 6 years ago. Is this a case of clubs finally finding a chink in City's armour or is Pep finally losing it?
I just think losing KDB (still not fit) and Rodri is too much of a hurdle to overcome. This is why i previously said City would miss Rodri in the cup games and tight UCL matches. Lo and behold.
There are some players you can't replace no matter how big your squad is.
There's a reason Rodri and KDB are considered two of the best midfielders on the planet.
Kovacic can't do what Rodri does which is why teams can get at City's backline easier than usual.
The system Pep plays is heavy reliant on an imperious 6s (Busquets/Rodri). Without it, he loses stability defensively.
Similar thing with Arsenal, people saying Odegaard missing shouldn't be that detrimental. He not only creates, but leads the press, and fashions chances from nothing. Something no one else besides Saka can come close to.
Liverpool will have a similar issue if they lose Salah or Trent
Chelsea and Palmer etc etc
There are some players you can't replace no matter how big your squad is.
There's a reason Rodri and KDB are considered two of the best midfielders on the planet.
Kovacic can't do what Rodri does which is why teams can get at City's backline easier than usual.
The system Pep plays is heavy reliant on an imperious 6s (Busquets/Rodri). Without it, he loses stability defensively.
Similar thing with Arsenal, people saying Odegaard missing shouldn't be that detrimental. He not only creates, but leads the press, and fashions chances from nothing. Something no one else besides Saka can come close to.
Liverpool will have a similar issue if they lose Salah or Trent
Chelsea and Palmer etc etc
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Rhodri is a major loss - City's (brief) poor spell last season coincided with his absence through injury - and Odegaard plays a similarly important role for Arsenal, and is missed (by Arsenal, which is unfortunately reflected in their recent poor performances on the pitch) for pretty much the same reason.
A number of you have posted about how much Rhodri is a loss to City and thus is impacting on the team but shouldn't the manager be able to overcome this? For years when manager of United, Ferguson had been ridiculed pillar to post for not being able to get a cohesive team together when one of his key players was out due to injury. At the time critics said he should be able to work through it and find a solution and to therefore stop complaining about his players being injured. I wonder if Pep will receive the same treatment from fans and critics.
Where do you lot stand on this type of thing, a player getting stick from the fans because the manager put him in a place that he is not used to and thus performed poorly.
metro.co.uk
Carlo Ancelotti put Federico Valverde on as a winger. The problem is he is a central midfielder and in the game yesterday against AC Milan he had a very poor first half and was thus subsequently substituted at half time. Valverde's wife came to his defense in being critical of Ancelotti for putting her husband on as a winger only to be taken off at half time due to performing badly. Ancelotti for his part said Valverde was carrying back problems which he thought he had overcome because he trained well the day before.
I have never liked players being told they must have dual roles. Ferguson did this a hell of a lot at United, even to the point of buying in players for the skills of the position they play only to be put in positions that are alien to them. I have always been of the opinion that a team functions well when everyone on the team is a specialist in the position they play
Yes I understand that players will be asked to play in a different position on the pitch but in my opinion that should only be done in extreme circumstances when there is no other option.
I do not know if Ancelotti had this problem because none of the football articles I've read on the issue have indicated that AC Milan are suffering a serious injury list problem resorting in players having to play in other positions on the pitch.
Wife of Real Madrid star blasts Carlo Ancelotti during AC Milan defeat
Ancelotti is under pressure after another heavy Madrid defeat.
metro.co.uk
Carlo Ancelotti put Federico Valverde on as a winger. The problem is he is a central midfielder and in the game yesterday against AC Milan he had a very poor first half and was thus subsequently substituted at half time. Valverde's wife came to his defense in being critical of Ancelotti for putting her husband on as a winger only to be taken off at half time due to performing badly. Ancelotti for his part said Valverde was carrying back problems which he thought he had overcome because he trained well the day before.
I have never liked players being told they must have dual roles. Ferguson did this a hell of a lot at United, even to the point of buying in players for the skills of the position they play only to be put in positions that are alien to them. I have always been of the opinion that a team functions well when everyone on the team is a specialist in the position they play
Yes I understand that players will be asked to play in a different position on the pitch but in my opinion that should only be done in extreme circumstances when there is no other option.
I do not know if Ancelotti had this problem because none of the football articles I've read on the issue have indicated that AC Milan are suffering a serious injury list problem resorting in players having to play in other positions on the pitch.
It was raining beer with you college roomie then lol2 - 0
