The Footie Thread

[Neilds]

The comparison with the Scottish league was to highlight the competitiveness of the league and not the actual standard of football. At the beginning of the season, only 3 or 4 out of 20 teams are expected to win the PL, in Scotland this is 2 out of 12 so percentage wise, the level of competitiveness is very similar, if not worse than the SP.

 

[Pin-seeker]

Well if Englands team played in the PL where would they finish.?

Given they would play together all the time and training time I think they would win it after the first season together.

I reckon the City squad is better than Englands.

 

[clubchamp98]

I reckon the City squad is better than Englands.

Yes but they would lose Walker,Foden Grealish and all English players.

Would be tight imo.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

That’s the reality of world cups. Teams like Colombia make themselves hard to beat, the winners generally scrape through with only one or two stellar performances.

I think Southgate is our best manager since Hoddle.

Well it’s not tough to beat but Sven was a better manager

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Wait until you get Saudi owners and start giving City a run for their money.

Just a tip , you better get a better legal team.

With their money behind us we wont be dependent on legal advice from the tea ladies grand daughter who has her knowledge from watching old episodes of Boston Legal and Suits .

 

[Pin-seeker]

Yes but they would lose Walker,Foden Grealish and all English players.

Would be tight imo.

True

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Yes and just how bad the violence was. Shocking!

Rumours the opposition fans on Sunday aided and abetted by the hosts are looking to cause trouble at the weekend. Of course it will be our fans fault. I do agree though and no-one wants those dark days again. It was a plague and when it is kicking off in a mid table clash in division 3 you know there's a massive problem in the game and society

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Rumours the opposition fans on Sunday aided and abetted by the hosts are looking to cause trouble at the weekend. Of course it will be our fans fault. I do agree though and no-one wants those dark days again. It was a plague and when it is kicking off in a mid table clash in division 3 you know there's a massive problem in the game and society

I would say it hasn’t been the English for many years. For a start, it’s the easiest thing in the world for someone to pretend to be English and then you have the countries where their extremist fans actively train to fight the English fans.
I remember watching a program in the Russian extremist fans. They trained like they were Army and took it very seriously. There was no beer bellies and out of shape fat blokes trying to fight, just hardened nutters
looking to cause serious injury.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I would say it hasn’t been the English for many years. For a start, it’s the easiest thing in the world for someone to pretend to be English and then you have the countries where their extremist fans actively train to fight the English fans.
I remember watching a program in the Russian extremist fans. They trained like they were Army and took it very seriously. There was no beer bellies and out of shape fat blokes trying to fight, just hardened nutters
looking to cause serious injury.

It is the same for some German clubs as well and I think their own idiots will be right in the middle of it as well and sadly think they'll be directing the other nations idiots on how, where and when. I saw the programme and it was downright scary and when they had fights against other fans in local derbies it was sickening

 

[Swango1980]

The comparison with the Scottish league was to highlight the competitiveness of the league and not the actual standard of football. At the beginning of the season, only 3 or 4 out of 20 teams are expected to win the PL, in Scotland this is 2 out of 12 so percentage wise, the level of competitiveness is very similar, if not worse than the SP.

Perhaps in percentage terms, it might sound similar with both leagues. But I'm pretty sure that is not what fans get excited about?

For example, in a 2 team league maybe only one club is going to win it (50%). Whereas if 10 clubs could win the Premier league (also 50%), I think the Premier league would be a better product in terms of excitement?

The key thing will be how many teams can genuinely hope of competing at the top, even if they eventually let themselves down by the end. Even adding 1 club to the battle can have a lot of added benefit to fan engagement, let alone having 4 or 5 clubs who think they should be up there at the start of the season. And, if you can still get 2 or 3 clubs in the battle right up to the end of the season, all the better. Taking this season, early on there was a lot of speculation as to how far Spurs and Villa could go. People were still talking about the possibility of Liverpool winning it all on Klopp's farewell tour, before they faded way back end of season. And Man City and Arsenal were still battling up until the end of the season.

Plus, excitement in generated into who can get into the various European places. Who misses out. And who gets relegated. Having more clubs in the league adds a lot more, as there will be a lot more movement up and down the table

 

[AmandaJR]

Rumours the opposition fans on Sunday aided and abetted by the hosts are looking to cause trouble at the weekend. Of course it will be our fans fault. I do agree though and no-one wants those dark days again. It was a plague and when it is kicking off in a mid table clash in division 3 you know there's a massive problem in the game and society

I went when Germany hosted in 1988. It was terrifying, especially when it came to the final group game and we were already out. Not so many English fans left. Trying to get back to our campsite was the most scary thing I've even experienced. German gangs on every street corner shouting out to see if they got a response in German. We were in a group with some lads from Bolton who pretty much saved us a beating by splitting up and tempting a gang to follow them and not us. I wasn't in an England shirt but had bought some shorts and a t-shirt out there as it was roasting hot. The lads around is laughed and said I looked like a local. Thank goodness. Stayed up with our tent mallet all night and left the next day despite having semi final and final tickets and a place booked in Munich.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I went when Germany hosted in 1988. It was terrifying, especially when it came to the final group game and we were already out. Not so many English fans left. Trying to get back to our campsite was the most scary thing I've even experienced. German gangs on every street corner shouting out to see if they got a response in German. We were in a group with some lads from Bolton who pretty much saved us a beating by splitting up and tempting a gang to follow them and not us. I wasn't in an England shirt but had bought some shorts and a t-shirt out there as it was roasting hot. The lads around is laughed and said I looked like a local. Thank goodness. Stayed up with our tent mallet all night and left the next day despite having semi final and final tickets and a place booked in Munich.

That's so sad that you felt that scared and intimidated to miss out on a great sporting occasion. I had a mate in Italy in 1990 and the locals in Sardinia broke into the camp and literally shredded every tent in the campsite so the fans had no option but to sleep in the open and then came back and were nicking rucksacks for money, passports valuables. The police were outside the campsite and did nothing

 

[Bdill93]

Got Trent in there but no Palmer

Palmers had one good season and bagged a hatful of penalties which make his numbers look better... Do it for the next 3 seasons and he's in the conversation.

 

[sunshine]

Was watching a re-run of Italia 90 on Sky documentaries and I had forgotten just how much the press had the knives out for Robson and how morale in the camp was so low going into the tournament. It seems to almost echo the build up to this tournament and hopefully this side can find a similar way to rally as a unit and perform.

And the football was so dull. Pass it across the back four, then back to the keeper as soon as someone tries to press the full back. Keeper picks it up, passes to the other full back, then it goes across the back four and back to the keeper. the back pass rule was such a brilliant addition, a rare example of tinkering with the laws enhanceing the game.

 

[Pin-seeker]

Palmers had one good season and bagged a hatful of penalties which make his numbers look better... Do it for the next 3 seasons and he's in the conversation.

Missed my point

 

[Arthur Wedge]

With Foden not playing that well for England

Is there a case that it’s a choice between Foden and Bellingham for that role in front of a midfield two

And who gets the pick


Bellingham for me all day

But should it be both with Bellingham next to Rice and Foden ahead of them

 

[PaulMdj]

Again, fair enough if that is how you want to view things. It is a comforting way to look at it, when you can just ignore a load of views without any critique at all on why the person may have that view. I also find it extremely flawed as well, because some of the most anti-English people I know are actually English people. Guys who support an English club, but hate international football and really hate England. Often feels funny in one of my whatsapp groups, where I seem to be the one who sometimes needs to give England a bit of credit after a barrage of abuse dished out by a couple of the English chaps in the group.

And then there are English people who don't really like football at all, but like other sports like rugby. I think 100% of the guys like that I know hate the England football team without question. Although I can be a lot more dismissive of them, as they don't really know much about football at all.

You’re missing the point, if they are English and despise football or love football, great, they are entitled to their opinion on the England football team.

Anyone not English…I don’t care what their opinion is, good, bad or indifferent.

 

[PaulMdj]

With Foden not playing that well for England

Is there a case that it’s a choice between Foden and Bellingham for that role in front of a midfield two

And who gets the pick


Bellingham for me all day

But should it be both with Bellingham next to Rice and Foden ahead of them

I’d start with Bellingham, Rice & Foden and hope they all perform.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

If you are going to play Foden, and 100% we should, then play him in the role he has for City, give him a degree of freedom. Anything else and it's a compromise and we are back to the days of Scholes, Gerrard, Lampard all under performing in an England shirt.

Foden is class, he should be one of the first names on the sheet.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

If you are going to play Foden, and 100% we should, then play him in the role he has for City, give him a degree of freedom. Anything else and it's a compromise and we are back to the days of Scholes, Gerrard, Lampard all under performing in an England shirt.

Foden is class, he should be one of the first names on the sheet.

But what about Bellingham who has done it for England in that free role