The Footie Thread

[Lord Tyrion]

Having watched AWB a lot this year, I’d say when he’s played he’s been one of our best players on the pitch. He’d be even better with a good cb next to him. Dalots had a decent season aswell , mostly as a makeshift LB.

I think a decent CM and CB are absolutely required. Plus a second striker.

Teams seem to be able to walk through your midfield at will, even average teams. The number of shots you concede every game show this, as well as our own eyes. Do you think that is how you set up, the players? Which of the midfield should survive, play alongside the new CM you are looking for?

 

[Swango1980]

He offers little to nothing going forward though, I do agree he's a very solid player but he could be improved upon.

Dalot has done very well at times but neither of these guys compare to a Frimpong type of player.

Agree with Wan Bissaka. He is one of the best tacklers in the game I think (but still makes mistakes, like the Liverpool game). And he has probably improved in possession, and tries hard. But, he will never quite be anywhere near the level you'd want if you hope to be one of the best sides in the world. At best a squad player, or a player who will do very well in a side that defends a lot and doesn't require much creativity from him.

Dalot has pleasantly surprised me this year, and I certainly do think he could now be capable playing in a top side. Not saying he would ever be the best right back in the world, but no top team really has 11 players in their first team that are all the best in the world in their position.

 

[PaulMdj]

By that logic, no defender should try to make a tackle in the area so they don't give a way a penalty.

Not saying that, Saka was obviously cheating as Neuer made no movement towards him, how many times have we seen attackers given the benefit of doubt when players come together.

 

[PaulMdj]

There will be a minimum standard required. They will not be equal. Otherwise you could say all Premier League referees are equal as they have a standard to meet.

Of that list of 21, maybe the Estonian referee would be the best of the lot (again, all other variables being equal). But, it is odds on that around 10 of the Spanish referees will be better (if the Estonian ranks 11-21 in the list). Yet, we are not going to have 10 Spanish referees selected, but the Estonian will be selected. What works in their favour is simply being a different nationality. Obviously, it's important for UEFA to select from a wide range of countries, especially as many of the biggest games in the final stages (and majority of teams) will be located in the big football nations, and referees need to be neutral.

I really suggest you go back and see what you posted to @Hobbit below

I'd agree if they used the top referees from the biggest leagues in the world. But, they have the best referees from the minnow countries. It is questionable whether the best referees in Estonia, Iceland, Malta, Nort Macedonia and Slovenia are at even at the level of League 2 referees in England?

Our League 2 Referees will not be anywhere near FIFA or UEFA lists.

Try sticking to the points you raised!

 

[Bdill93]

Agree with Wan Bissaka. He is one of the best tacklers in the game I think (but still makes mistakes, like the Liverpool game). And he has probably improved in possession, and tries hard. But, he will never quite be anywhere near the level you'd want if you hope to be one of the best sides in the world. At best a squad player, or a player who will do very well in a side that defends a lot and doesn't require much creativity from him.

Dalot has pleasantly surprised me this year, and I certainly do think he could now be capable playing in a top side. Not saying he would ever be the best right back in the world, but no top team really has 11 players in their first team that are all the best in the world in their position.

Oh absolutely not, I just think one of your LB or RB should be a higher goal contribution type guy. I don't think you have that quite like Liverpool or City do. Could help with maybe 6-9 more goals a season.

Every little helps and all that

 

[Swango1980]

I really suggest you go back and see what you posted to @Hobbit below

Our League 2 Referees will not be anywhere near FIFA or UEFA lists.

Try sticking to the points you raised!

You implied that all will be equal in terms of being chosen for FIFA/UEFA list. In that case, they must all be horrific, judging by some of the comments made about Antony Taylor on this forum

"good to see Anthony Taylor playing on until Leverkusen beat Qarabag"
"Typical Anthony Taylor though, loses control early, gets worse and worse and then every offense becomes a yellow card"
"a mistake is a mistake and Anthony Taylor made one there...amongst 50 or so others yesterday"
"Anthony Taylor at his utter worst again lol, hows that not a card"
"Any truth in the rumours that Anthony Taylor actually saw a red card offence that was right under his nose and actually dealt with it?"
"I don't care for Chelsea or spurs particularly.... But Anthony Taylor is absolutely useless."

So, Maybe the Estonian referees are just as garbage as we believe the Premier League referees are

 

[ColchesterFC]

Our League 2 Referees will not be anywhere near FIFA or UEFA lists.

Believe me, they're not. I've lost count of the number of games I've watched in League 2 where the ref seems utterly incompetent. It's not that they've been biased against my team, they've been giving decisions that absolutely no-one else in the stadium can understand and just as many have gone in our favour as have gone against us.

 

[Swango1980]

Oh absolutely not, I just think one of your LB or RB should be a higher goal contribution type guy. I don't think you have that quite like Liverpool or City do. Could help with maybe 6-9 more goals a season.

Every little helps and all that

I'd love that. But, it would be nice that on our way towards that, we could actually get to a position where our striker (and God forbid having more than one striker), attacking midfielder and wingers could actually score some goals

 

[Bdill93]

I'd love that. But, it would be nice that on our way towards that, we could actually get to a position where our striker (and God forbid having more than one striker), attacking midfielder and wingers could actually score some goals

Nah thats a step too far! Strikers scoring goals!

Hojland has a lot of talent, much like Nunez at Liverpool I think he will get better year on year.

 

[Hobbit]

Don’t know the truth in it as it’s a social media post but very interesting…

Manchester United have given nearly three times the amount of minutes (3,637) to teenagers in the Premier League this season than the rest of the Top 6 combined (1,245):

MAN UTD (3,637)

Man City (698)

Aston Villa (360)

Liverpool (117)

Spurs (56)

Arsenal (14)

 

[AmandaJR]

Don’t know the truth in it as it’s a social media post but very interesting…

Manchester United have given nearly three times the amount of minutes (3,637) to teenagers in the Premier League this season than the rest of the Top 6 combined (1,245):

MAN UTD (3,637)

Man City (698)

Aston Villa (360)

Liverpool (117)

Spurs (56)

Arsenal (14)

I guess Mainoo will be responsible for the majority of those minutes?

 

[Tashyboy]

I guess Mainoo will be responsible for the majority of those minutes?

And yet City for all its superstars is second in the list

 

[Swango1980]

I guess Mainoo will be responsible for the majority of those minutes?

Him and Garnacho mainly

 

[clubchamp98]

And yet City for all its superstars is second in the list

Get used to that.

 

[HampshireHog]

Don’t know the truth in it as it’s a social media post but very interesting…

Manchester United have given nearly three times the amount of minutes (3,637) to teenagers in the Premier League this season than the rest of the Top 6 combined (1,245):

MAN UTD (3,637)

Man City (698)

Aston Villa (360)

Liverpool (117)

Spurs (56)

Arsenal (14)

I didn’t believe it.
So I checked and…

Man Utd are on the top 6

 

[Golfmmad]

Very true. Great first half . Shame arsenal going spursy

I’d be very surprised if the referees used for Champion’s League matches aren’t, on balance, better than most referees used for domestic matches, Prem or the other European leagues. It’s just common sense that UEFA would use the best from each country.

Some refs will be better than others, and some of those good refs will have indifferent games just as average refs will have good games. Refs, of any standard will, make mistakes, the better ones will hopefully make less mistakes and certainly less serious mistakes than the not so good refs. There’s no getting away from the fact that some serious mistakes will happen.

Looking at those mistakes and saying the ref cost us the game, a penalty not given, a penalty given etc, etc, etc… how about if the striker hadn’t skewed a shot or the winger had laid the ball off earlier or the defender hadn’t put the ball in row Z or even how many misplaced passes there are. Refs do make mistakes that can cost games but players make way more mistakes that cost games.

It’s a little sad that we focus way more on a ref’s mistakes and barely on the guy that blazes it over the bar or slices it into his own goal. Why can’t we just enjoy a match warts and all?

Post of the month there Mr Hobbit!

 

[ColchesterFC]

All this discussion about Premier League refs being rubbish and then there's this from the Championship.......

https://twitter.com/x/status/1778149314486747615

 

[ColchesterFC]

Proper use of VAR.......

https://twitter.com/x/status/1778112582219342108

 

[Junior]

Teams seem to be able to walk through your midfield at will, even average teams. The number of shots you concede every game show this, as well as our own eyes. Do you think that is how you set up, the players? Which of the midfield should survive, play alongside the new CM you are looking for?

I think it’s how we set up. Especially when we don’t have the ball. The gap between the line of our defence and midfield has been huge at times and opposition exploit it by as you say waltzing through or getting players in-between.

It’s not so bad if you’re city or Liverpool when you have 80% possession but we are not there yet.

 

[Junior]

Do you think you have a decent leader on the pitch? Not impressed with Fernandez as captain…or am I missing something?

I agree. Quality player, passionate, but looks like he’s about to burst into tears far too often. Not a leader imo.