Football 2011-2012

[kaosmark2]

If gate receipts have a significant impact on revenue and ability to attract players and be a succesful club, then why haven't Newcastle and Sunderland done better over the last 10 years? They've got more capacity than Chelsea and Liverpool do and Arsenal did pre-Emirates. Goodison park isn't much smaller than Stamford Bridge and is larger than White Hart Lane.

Gate/match-day receipts matter jack-all compared to TV revenue, particularly Champs Lge TV revenue. And ability to attract players isn't based on wages alone. 3 of the 6 most successful clubs in the Prem atm are in London, which isn't a coincidence. I can't remember who, but I'm sure there's some player who decided he didn't want to live in Manchester so turned down a move to Man U, that'd be far far more true of Glasgow, which as a location to appeal to rich footballers, would probably be on a par with the North East clubs.

They would struggle in the Prem as well. Remember, Birmingham won convincingly against Maribor, who convincingly knocked Rangers out of Europe, and they're only a Championship team this season. Playing a challenging game week-in, week-out would be too much of an ask, particularly given the increased travel time the squad would have to do to get to games in London or Birmingham. If they did join, then I can't imagine how they'd get a Europa League spot consistently, even it was extended to top 6 in Champs Lge and 7-10th in EuL. I'd be quite happy putting a fiver on each of them to get relegated. The standards in the SPL are dogshit, players move south from the Old Firm and often struggle at mid-table Prem teams.

They'd have to spend their entire first season's TV revenue in the summer before they joined in order to remain vaguely competitive, which would leave their massive debts unpaid for another year. It'd be pointless for them, and pointless for the Premiership in general.

[pink_triangle]

I heard on radio that west ham are paying almunia 50 k a week. Absolute madness if true.

[kaosmark2]

First red card already in the Merseyside derby. Who bet Rodwell?

[pink_triangle]

Disgusting decision, maybe the officials aren't as against Liverpool as kenny claims! There's not many players I enjoy watching as much as suarez but I do find his level of cheating hard to stomach.

[Langdale Wolf]

Worst decision so far this season. Dreadful - it was a good tackle. Atkinson has ruined the game. Fucking disgraceful refereeing.

[lost]

come to expect it in this tie now sadly..

[strummer77]

Atkinson is a terrible ref. Said it on here before and proved right again today.

Don't mind a bit of luck in the derby though.

[kaosmark2]

Shocking decision for the red card aside, I thought Atkinson had a good game. Unlike the ref for our game, who we have to thank for that win at Wolves. Great to see us 3rd in the table, but with Spurs (H), Wigan (H), Stoke (A), Everton (H), Man City (A), Man U(A) and Chelsea(H) our next 7 prem games, we'll fall quite rapidly. We'll be lucky if we get more than 4 points from them.

[thetime]

who thinks hernandez has been found out this season a little bit. defenders now know he just plays on there shoulders and just step up on him, seems to get offside an awful lot this season.

[TheGayTent]

Largely because though the two NE clubs have fairly decent sized grounds, they often don't sell out. Added to which, ticket prices are low compared to others.

[TheGayTent]

Wally with brolly resigned

[pink_triangle]

Arsenal are in danger of being caught adrift in the battle for 4th if they dont pick up soon. Have been very impressed with spurs since the first 2 tough games. If it ends up being a battle for 4th between spurs and liverpool for 4th I would fancy spurs as having a slightly better squad with more matchwinners. However liverpool (unlike spurs)nhave 1 true top class player and I trust kenny far more than harry not to due something really stupid.

It was funny a week ago seeing the two faced tabloids writing off lampards chelsea career and then tomorrow they will be licking his arse. I still think he is a top premiership player. Also glad to see swansea start picking up points.

[TheGayTent]

I heard on radio that west ham are paying almunia 50 k a week. Absolute madness if true.

[pink_triangle]

I remember last summer villa getting slated by a lot of the media for bowing to fans pressure on mclaren. It looks like for once the fans were right!

[Wooderson]

Arsenal are in danger of being caught adrift in the battle for 4th if they dont pick up soon. Have been very impressed with spurs since the first 2 tough games. If it ends up being a battle for 4th between spurs and liverpool for 4th I would fancy spurs as having a slightly better squad with more matchwinners. However liverpool (unlike spurs)nhave 1 true top class player and I trust kenny far more than harry not to due something really stupid.

It was funny a week ago seeing the two faced tabloids writing off lampards chelsea career and then tomorrow they will be licking his arse. I still think he is a top premiership player. Also glad to see swansea start picking up points.

[eFestivals]

Disgusting decision, maybe the officials aren't as against Liverpool as kenny claims! There's not many players I enjoy watching as much as suarez but I do find his level of cheating hard to stomach.

Worst decision so far this season. Dreadful - it was a good tackle. Atkinson has ruined the game. Fucking disgraceful refereeing.

Terrible decision, but I sort of get why.

The ref only had his own view, and Rodwell went in two footed with studs up - and that's probably how he saw it as Rodwell went past him. He possibly didn't have a view of what actually happened at the point of contact cos Rodwell's body was between the ref and Rodwell's feet.

Rodwell was fast enough and good enough to get the ball and pull back his feet (something most other players doing that tackle would have failed at, for at least one or other). But his shin on one leg and foot on the other followed thru, both of which clobbered Suarez (tho perhaps not very hard) and took him down.

The reaction of some of the Liverpool players showed that they (wrongly, of course) also thought it was an awful challenge with the view they had of it.

In 90%+ of incidents that started with the sort of lunge that Rodwell did probably would have justified a red.

Moyes said it wasn't even a foul, but I'm not so sure (tho with the view I've had from replays, I'd say no). After all, there's no rule that says kicking the other player is permissible if you retrieve the ball.

Anyway, my point is that there was plenty about it that made it look like it could have been dangerous play - even tho replays said it wasn't. The ref got it wrong, but a big part of why was Rodwell's skill above plenty of other players.

[eFestivals]

Have been very impressed with spurs

they still look to me like they're going to struggle to score goals no different to last season.

It was a great strike for their second goal yesterday, but they're not going to have luck keep falling in their favour as it did again yesterday for that to hit the back of the net.

[pink_triangle]

Im sorry may I say that Gerrard aint too shabby.

[ralph250]

He's hardly gone in two footed, or left the ground at any stage, or with studs up really for that matter bar when he plays the ball and then immediately brings them lower again. The pace of the challenge has made him follow through, but his other leg is tucked underneath him. He's pulled his feet down & away from the player after playing it and its his knee of the leading leg that catches Suarez. Rodwell had enough control that I don't think it was in any way a reckless or dangerous challenge.

[eFestivals]

He's hardly gone in two footed, or left the ground at any stage, or with studs up really for that matter bar when he plays the ball and then immediately brings them lower again. The pace of the challenge has made him follow through, but his other leg is tucked underneath him. He's pulled his feet down & away from the player after playing it and its his knee of the leading leg that catches Suarez. Rodwell had enough control that I don't think it was in any way a reckless or dangerous challenge.

picture 2 clearly shows his studs were up on his left foot.

picture three shows that his right foot was also up a little at a later point in the incident.

It's his knee/shin that catches one of Suarez's legs (a moment after what pic 3 shows), but his left foot also catches Suarez's left foot a moment later than that photo shows, and his left foot was higher in the air at the point that contact was made.

I agree that it was the speed of the challenge that caused him to follow thru - and the fact that he followed thru means that it could certainly have been a foul within the rules irregardless of him getting the ball.

I don't think the ref saw that Rodwell got the ball as cleanly as he did. That becomes clear in replays, but it would have been easy to miss at the time and was obviously also missed by at least two Liverpool players who reacted to that as tho it was a red card tackle.

Just to be clear: I'm not trying to say the ref got it right, I'm merely saying that I can see how he got it wrong. He got it wrong mostly because Rodwell was more skilled in what he did than the vast majority of Prem players would have managed.

Edited October 3, 2011 by eFestivals

[eFestivals]

PS: don't forget that between pic 2 and 3 his foot went over the top of the ball to get between it and Suarez, and hook it away.

[The Nal]

Rodwells red was silly, he passed it with the bottom of his foot and then his chin pad tapped Suarez's calf two feet later. Saurez went down like Jurgen Klinsmann with the hand up in the air, like he does every time. Thats the only reason it was a red.

[eFestivals]

Rodwells red was silly, he passed it with the bottom of his foot and then his chin pad tapped Suarez's calf two feet later. Saurez went down like Jurgen Klinsmann with the hand up in the air, like he does every time. Thats the only reason it was a red.

The only reason you think that so solidly is because you have had a view that wasn't available to the ref at the time.

There was more than enough about it at first view to look like it might have deserved a red.

[ralph250]

If gate receipts have a significant impact on revenue and ability to attract players and be a succesful club, then why haven't Newcastle and Sunderland done better over the last 10 years? They've got more capacity than Chelsea and Liverpool do and Arsenal did pre-Emirates. Goodison park isn't much smaller than Stamford Bridge and is larger than White Hart Lane.

Gate/match-day receipts matter jack-all compared to TV revenue, particularly Champs Lge TV revenue. And ability to attract players isn't based on wages alone. 3 of the 6 most successful clubs in the Prem atm are in London, which isn't a coincidence. I can't remember who, but I'm sure there's some player who decided he didn't want to live in Manchester so turned down a move to Man U, that'd be far far more true of Glasgow, which as a location to appeal to rich footballers, would probably be on a par with the North East clubs.

[eFestivals]

Speaking theoretically if they were admitted, I'm not saying Celtic/Rangers would pull up trees or challenge for the league or anything, and agree they would probably struggle initially but I think they'd have the financial capacity to consolidate themselves to do more than Wigan who are limited to pretty much just fight for survival.

absolutely, they would - but they'd simply move a Wigan-type out of the league, and drop another team into that Wigan-ish 'fight for survival' position.

Would it improve the Prem or cause there to be much more interest in the Prem? Nope, I don't think so.