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The 2024-2025 Football Thread

it wasnt me said:
Meanwhile, here in Germany, we see once again why the 2nd Bundesliga (in which my favourite club plays, and so does my second favourite club) seems so much more exciting than the Bundesliga: Bayern Munich, last time only in third place, are once again almost uncatchable. How incredibly boring that must be for the fans...
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Nah, it was more exciting last season, when Bayer Leverkusen seemed to be able to walk on water, and even Stuttgart managed to sneak past Bayern München. It seemed the Harry Kane-curse had done them in...

But this year it looks to be "back to normal", with Bayern winning comfortably, and - weird as it may seem - Harry Kane will finally get his first major title just a month or so before his 32nd birthday...
 
Open letter to the powers that be….
PLEASE remove paramont un_plus from all euro sports for evah!
I had the Villa match on mute after 2:06 for lip-glossing PSG.
Give Henri a better home!
 
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Does he mean in defence? 😝
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Unexpected win for Everton away at Nottingham today.

It's quite surprising (nice, but still quite unexpected), how much better Everton has been after Moyes came back. I'd honestly expected them to be much the same. It's not like he could spend anything in the last transfer window, so he's basically just got the same (somewhat lacking) squad to become much, much more compatible.

So, if Chelsea beat Ipswich tomorrow, we're safe in practice, and one point away from mathematical safety. I didn't see us in that situation three (short) months ago.
 
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Silencio said:
Andre Onana, bloody hell.

Worst keeper I've seen at United by a good distance now.

Replacing him has to be priority #1 in the summer transfer window.
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And this from a club that used to boast - in recent times (the Premiership era, some of us recall the days before that) - legends such as David de Gea, or, even earlier, Peter Schmeichel between the sticks for the club.
 
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Mitthrawnuruodo said:
Shouldn't rested be in heavy quotation marks here?

www.theguardian.com

Manchester United keeper Onana rested for Premier League trip to Newcastle

Ruben Amorim is keen to protect André Onana after he was culpable for both goals against Lyon in Europe and had some off-field problems, too
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com
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Indeed.

One error during a match can be over-looked, but two, of the sort that lead to the opposition scoring twice, can be a career ending, or a confidence eroding experience.

Confidence erosion - on the part of the player himself, can also be felt by the defenders playing in front of him (for, if they lack confidence in the judgment of the goalie who plays behind them, this can have a serious impact on a game), and by a manager who no longer trusts the judgment of the keeper, or who has come to question it.

And while the career of goalies tends to last longer than for outfield players, once their judgment (and not just their competence and confidence) is called into question, their career can enter a steep trajectory of decline as opposing teams will most certainly be aware of this, and play to it.

I doubt that anyone will forget the two catastrophic errors on the part of Loris Karius, in the Champions' League final (which had been preceded by a number of poor judgment calls in some of the earlier games) which - very possibly, perhaps probably - cost Liverpool a trophy, but which also ended his career as a serious goal-keeper competing for a place in a top team.
 
Apple fanboy said:
Wins for Wolves and Ipswich leaving me feeling nervous.
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Chelsea clawed back two goals against Ipswich, leading to a two all draw.

Thus, Ipswich gained one point, not three.

In truth, with six games remaining, you are fourteen points ahead of Ipswich, - which strikes me as a reasonably comfortable cushion at this stage of the season, and one that I cannot see either of Wolves or Ipswich successfully closing.

Besides, Ipswich have only won four games all season, and are vanishingly unlikely to win all of their remaining games, and, even if they do, it is also extremely unlikely that West Ham will fail to add a few more points to their current tally for the remainder of the season.
 
Scepticalscribe said:
Chelsea clawed back two goals against Ipswich, leading to a two all draw.

Thus, Ipswich gained one point, not three.

In truth, with six games remaining, you are fourteen points ahead of Ipswich, - which strikes me as a reasonably comfortable cushion at this stage of the season, and one that I cannot see either of Wolves or Ipswich successfully closing.

Besides, Ipswich have only won four games all season, and are vanishingly unlikely to win all of their remaining games, and, even if they do, it is also extremely unlikely that West Ham will fail to add a few more points to their current tally for the remainder of the season.
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I missed Chelsea got a drawer. Disappointing really as I don’t want them to get a CL spot.

Yes I know in reality we are most likely safe, but I’d still be happier if we could get a win or two under our belts.

Should have kept Moyes. Probably be in a European spot if we had.
 
Apple fanboy said:
I missed Chelsea got a drawer. Disappointing really as I don’t want them to get a CL spot.
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Agreed.
Apple fanboy said:
Yes I know in reality we are most likely safe, but I’d still be happier if we could get a win or two under our belts.
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I understand where you are coming from, but I really think that West Ham are safe.

The gap (currently 14 points - essentially five wins, and none of the teams below, or beneath them have managed five wins all season - it is not going to happen now) between West Ham and the bottom three is too great to be bridged between now and season's end, even if, yes, theoretically, Wolves and Ipswich might manage it if everything went right for them - and that is only assuming that two teams above them completely implode between now and the end of the season.

Candidly, I just cannot see that happening - there is no way that either Wolves or Ipswich - who have only won four games apiece all season - can now each (or, either of them), actually manage to win five games (with six remaining) merely to make up the current gap between their current position and safety.

Now, I could see them winning one or two games (not five) - as that often happens at season's end, sometimes to a top team that has secured what it needed and has become either tired or complacent - when the outcome is no longer in doubt, and would have no effect whatsoever on who is to be relegated.
Apple fanboy said:
Should have kept Moyes. Probably be in a European spot if we had.
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Agreed.

Moyes (because he is neither cool nor fashionable) has never received the recognition for - let alone respect for - what he actually is good at.
 
Well, I decided to leave the Newcastle v Manchester United game (as in no longer bother paying it much - or any - heed) at half time - when it was one all, as I had assumed that nothing much would subsequently happen.

How wrong I was.

Now, Newcastle - currently leading by four goals to one - are destroying Manchester United.
 
Looks like Amorim isn't the answer either. I know the Utd team are dire but it doesn't seem likes he's managing to get any tune out of them.
I'm not sure how much he'll get in terms of funds, cos it seems he needs basically a new first 11.
 
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daneoni said:
Looks like Amorim isn't the answer either. I know the Utd team are dire but it doesn't seem likes he's managing to get any tune out of them.
I'm not sure how much he'll get in terms of funds, cos it seems he needs basically a new first 11.
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Yes, it is always easier to fire one person (usually, the manager, or head coach), than to fire (and/or sell) eleven (or more), in other words, the players and the squad.

Even if Amorim was the answer, this is a resurrection and restoration project that will take several seasons.

Manchester United have been unbalanced (and possibly unmotivated) as a team for ages, and the their ownership model, - between the really unpleasant, ugly and quite petty cost-cutting measures, not to mention the parasitic practice of loading debt onto the club while simultaneously extracting everything of worth, and failing to actually invest in the club (the physical state of Old Trafford is not just a disgrace, but an embarrassment, or, it ought to be) - really leaves an awful lot to be desired.

The trouble is that the commercial success of "the brand" does not seem to be necessarily related to success on the football field; thus, it would seem that the whole idea of competing for, and actually winning trophies is an optional extra, a nice but quite unnecessary luxury, to those who own the club.
 
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Scepticalscribe said:
Yes, it is always easier to fire one person (usually, the manager, or head coach), than to fire (and/or sell) eleven (or more), in other words, the players and the squad.

Even if Amorim was the answer, this is a resurrection and restoration project that will take several seasons.

Manchester United have been unbalanced (and possibly unmotivated) as a team for ages, and the their ownership model, - between the really unpleasant, ugly and quite petty cost-cutting measures, not to mention the parasitic practice of loading debt onto the club while simultaneously extracting everything of worth, and failing to actually invest in the club (the physical state of Old Trafford is not just a disgrace, but an embarrassment, or, it ought to be) - really leaves an awful lot to be desired.

The trouble is that the commercial success of "the brand" does not seem to be necessarily related to success on the football field; thus, it would seem that the whole idea of competing for, and actually winning trophies is an optional extra, a nice but quite unnecessary luxury, to those who own the club.
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For many years football critics have said that since the days of Ole Gunnar Solskjær being sacked as manager, the club have been on a 'rebuild' project and that this rebuild project is going to take at least 5 years (provided the club get the right manager in). This 'rebuild' project idea came about due to interim manager Ralf Rangnick speaking his mind by telling the media just how bad it was at United, from boardroom level all the way down to the players. Even still today football critics talk about United being on a 'rebuild' with at least 4-6 of rebuild required before they can challenge for the league again. Many ex united players also have this view and yet, since Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, not a single manager has lasted 3 years at the club. The only one coming close was Ole Gunnar Solskjær (2 years 11 months).

If football critics are saying the club is in the process of 'rebuilding' and it is is going to take at least 4-6 years to do so, how is that ever going to be possible if United sack their managers within 3 years? Doing so means it sets back the club more years in trying to rebuild. Good news for none United fans but terrible for United fans. Could be 20-30 years before they win the league again the way the club is going.
 
Also what makes me laugh regarding United and the tabloid press is that the recent loss to Newcastle the tabloid press are trying to put into the minds of the readers that United could get relegated because as they put it 'United are not mathematically safe from relegation'.

I had a look at the table. It would require United to lose all their remaining games and Ipswich to win all of their remaining games for United to get relegated. Come on tabloid press, do you honestly think Ipswich is going to win all of their remaining games and United lose all of theirs?
 
Villa and Dortmund had a good go and actually revealed PSG and Barca to be beatable.

Emery didn't have quality enough from the bench and Watkins for me is not a UCL forward.

Also credit to PSG who managed the game well enough.

Close but no cigar.
 
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