The Footie Thread

[Arthur Wedge]

Stupid self-imposed rules. Obviously it resulted in a red card so I don't see why they wouldn't check it. Literally tying their own hands behind their backs.

It’s one of the most ridiculous parts of VAR

Neither of his challenges were yellow card worthy

And there is also no appeal against it etc

There wasn’t a nasty tackle in the match but he was blowing up anytime a Barce player fell to the floor

 

[nickjdavis]

Nick Pope looked very Peter Schmiechel last night

He looked like me with the ball at his feet. And for context, let’s just say my first touch wasn’t silky. Meaning I rarely got a second one.

Was going to say that he looked like Bambi on ice with the ball at his feet at times. It showed in his team mates as well because there were times when a ball to pope was on and they preferred not to play it.

He's a great shot stopper but I'm beginning to come round to the point of view that he needs to be replaced if Newcastle are really going to be regular challengers for European places and other honours. Like it or not, the modern keeper is and needs to be more than just a goalkeeper. Pope is 33 now, I know goalkeepers can go on playing for a long time and we have got Ramsdale who is only 27, but he is only on loan until next summer....and Popes contract expires summer 2027....so I expect some moves to be made in the next two transfer windows to identify and secure Popes long term replacement.

 

[4LEX]

I was privileged to be there that night. Unbelievable performance. People often ask me who the star performer was in that game, and are surprised by the response. Darren Fletcher. He was absolutely immense.

I’d love to have nights like that back again.

That was an unbelievable night. I happened to be there as that was when my mates had season tickets (with automatic cup scheme) and spent a fair bit of time in Manchester. Fletcher was immense but Alan Smith also led from the front. Throw in Rooney and Ronaldo running amok....Roma were literally blown away. One of the best performances I've ever seen from any team in person.

Lot of needle and trouble outside too after the stabbings and Police violence in Rome. Recall many Roma fans getting attacked and deciding not to actually go to the game.

 

[nickjdavis]

Thought i'd watch the Athletic Club v Qarabag match as Newcastle play Athletic in a few weeks time.

Keystone Cops defending by Athletic have gifted a goal to Qarabag in 51 seconds!!!

6 mins in and you can easily see from the way they play why Qarabag dispatched Copenhagen at home and Benfica away in previous games.

13 mins in and it should be 2-1 to Qarabag but both sides missed good chances. Athletic beginning to dominate and should score a couple against this team but I wouldnt bet against Qarabag getting another. Now the wife tells me its dinner time so I'll miss the rest of the first half!!

 

[Arthur Wedge]

This is more like a basketball match

 

[Lucifer MorningStar]

This is more like a basketball match

Are Frankfurt even trying to defend they’re wide open

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Are Frankfurt even trying to defend they’re wide open

Who cares
I like the lineup

 

[Lucifer MorningStar]

Who cares
I like the lineup

Fair comment
Some on here might moan if your score to many and say the CL standards dropped

Looks a much better line up more balanced and fluid.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Are Frankfurt even trying to defend they’re wide open

Wide enough for even Isak to score?

 

[Lucifer MorningStar]

Wide enough for even Isak to score?

Maybe the maybe Frankfurt should borrow the Pied Piper from Hameln so they can drive the rat out

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Fair comment
Some on here might moan if your score to many and say the CL standards dropped

Looks a much better line up more balanced and fluid.

I dont care what people say, Im not one to get drawn into tribal ping pong
I leave that to others
Its about time Salah was on the bench, his best days are gone.

 

[BrianM]

Robertson still Liverpools best left back, some amount of goals the last 2 nights in the Champions League.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

This is a match that’s showing how good Wirtz can be , some incredible vision tonight with his passing

 

[Bunkermagnet]

This is a match that’s showing how good Wirtz can be , some incredible vision tonight with his passing

I agree, but its much closer to Bundesliga pace and not the PL.
Once he's used to the pace of the PL he will show why wr bought him.

 

[nickjdavis]

Frankfurt fans were superb.

 

[clubchamp98]

Think the big difference was the effort we put in.

We took our chances when they came.
Salah is greedy ,he only had to square it to Wirtz and it’s six. But he hit the keeper instead!

Good display and just what we needed.

Isak looks like he’s carrying a niggle he’s just not on his game at all.

Our midfield was wide open again for the first goal.
I couldn’t belive how much space the lad had in the centre circle, that needs sorting !

 

[road2ruin]

Saw Chelsea's result last night, double checked the line up to see how our old friend Garnacho is getting on. Unused sub. Got loads of game time at United but left to further his career.....apparently from the bench.....

 

[Steve Wilkes]

Highlight of last night was watching Emerson being sent off for Marseille. He conned the ref into giving a penalty, but VAR asked him to have look. A clear dive and second yellow and off, but even if he hadn't already been booked, I would have given him a yellow for the dive and a 2nd yellow making the ref look silly, I cheered the Sporting winner as much if not more than the Liverpool & Chelsea goals

 

[nickjdavis]

Think the big difference was the effort we put in.

We took our chances when they came.
Salah is greedy ,he only had to square it to Wirtz and it’s six. But he hit the keeper instead!

Good display and just what we needed.

Isak looks like he’s carrying a niggle he’s just not on his game at all.

Our midfield was wide open again for the first goal.
I couldn’t belive how much space the lad had in the centre circle, that needs sorting !

Unfortunately, Isak hasn't been on his game since the League Cup final.

2 goals from open play in 10 subsequent games for Newcastle (plus 2 pens), just one goal in 5 Sweden appearances (his record at international level is not stellar...all of his goals have come against so called lesser nations, it also doesn't help that Sweden seem to have suddenly become an awful side all round) and his Liverpool record is what it is.

Going on strike whilst trying to manage a thigh injury during the close season probably wasn't the best idea in the world in terms of preparation for the new season and a total lack of pre-season is currently showing in his lack of sharpness both of body and mind, and picking up an injury (I believe it is a recurrence of a groin injury that he has previously suffered) perhaps isn't the biggest surprise in the world.

Although I dont watch Liverpool every week (and I know he's only got a handful of games under his belt) from what I've seen, Liverpool have not yet been able to integrate Isak into their style of play and do not seem to be looking to change significantly, in order to accommodate Isak's skills with the the ball at his feet. He seems to struggle finding the space that he was previously so adept at identifying and exploiting...maybe with all the attacking pace that Liverpool have, that space gets eaten up quickly and Isak then struggles to find the positions where he can receive the ball in tight areas and use his nimble footwork to create opportunities.

He is not our player any more but its a shame to see him struggling...I'm sure he will come good if he can stay injury free and get a good consistent run of games under his belt.

Now Ekitike....looks like a superstar in the making. I wonder if he had his own "sliding doors" moment when he turned down a move to Newcastle back in January 2022, in favour of a move to PSG where he spent most of 2 years on the bench? I wonder where he would be now if he had joined Newcastle when we were struggling to extract ourselves from the Premier League basement, because there's no guarantee at the time that Howe would have turned around the club like he has.

 

[Billysboots]

Saw Chelsea's result last night, double checked the line up to see how our old friend Garnacho is getting on. Unused sub. Got loads of game time at United but left to further his career.....apparently from the bench.....

Being an unused sub in a 5-1 win is a fairly poor indictment of his fledgling Chelsea career. It will be genuinely interesting to see where he is in five years.