Football 2020/2021

[kaosmark2]

3 hours ago, eastynh said:

That woukd be utterly fantastic if they did.

It'll be the funniest thing to happen in football in my lifetime. 

6 minutes ago, squirrelarmy said:

When that team in red crash they will crash harder than Leeds ever did. They are over half a billion in debt. When they lose champions league qualification for multiple seasons then the debts will get called in. 
 

They won’t suffer the same fate as Leeds though, Premier league has things in place now to stop clubs going bust after relegation. They will have to sell pretty much everything though. 

The champions league money is pennies compared to their tv rights in China. I don't know what will trigger it, but that crash will come, and I'll find it hilarious. 

[thetime]

13 minutes ago, kaosmark2 said:

 

The champions league money is pennies compared to their tv rights in China. I don't know what will trigger it, but that crash will come, and I'll find it hilarious. 

What gives you belief that it will come?

[Hugh Jass]

There’s something really satisfying about the fact that no matter how shit we are Wolves can still never beat us.

[squirrelarmy]

19 minutes ago, thetime said:

Even for a leeds fan, you don't half talk a load of bollox.

 

4 minutes ago, thetime said:

What gives you belief that it will come?

Interesting video explaining your clubs financial pickle. 
 

 

[kaosmark2]

16 minutes ago, thetime said:

What gives you belief that it will come?

The debt model. It's not just Man U either, Chelsea are spending out of debt as well. Some owners pump money in from their own pockets (Wolves, Man City, Sheff U), others do it while putting it on the clubs books as a debt to themselves. When the owners stops getting enough money to make a profit, or in Chelsea's case when Abrahamovich gets bored, they can effectively walk out and declare the club bust and unviable, without seeing it hurt their own finances.

It's an incredibly nasty business model, and I think Neil's suggestion that owners should only be allowed to financially dope clubs directly instead of with debt is a good one, but the clubs that have had it done will end up screwed at some point.

[charlierc]

1 hour ago, kaosmark2 said:

Bruce got a hefty transfer budget and the result is Joelinton and kicking the ball at players for corners. Rafa is a defensive manager, but at least the counterattack was great to watch and it was effective. 

I will never be anything but confused by the Joelinton deal, and how Mike Ashley suddenly went from being a very financially tight club owner to splashing out a huge sum of cash on a player that has never seemed to comfortably fit into any tactic. But then he gave Steve McClaren huge sums of money as well, so he's consistently odd at decision making.

See, I'm not sure the comparison hangs as heavy. We allow far more shots now than we did under Benitez, and his teams did fairly well at finding the net. In the second half of 2018-19, we were rather good going forward. Seems to have just all dissipated at present, and can't just blame that all on losing Perez & Rondon. Even if the former doesn't seem to fit in anywhere at Leicester.

[kaosmark2]

2 hours ago, charlierc said:

I will never be anything but confused by the Joelinton deal, and how Mike Ashley suddenly went from being a very financially tight club owner to splashing out a huge sum of cash on a player that has never seemed to comfortably fit into any tactic. But then he gave Steve McClaren huge sums of money as well, so he's consistently odd at decision making.

See, I'm not sure the comparison hangs as heavy. We allow far more shots now than we did under Benitez, and his teams did fairly well at finding the net. In the second half of 2018-19, we were rather good going forward. Seems to have just all dissipated at present, and can't just blame that all on losing Perez & Rondon. Even if the former doesn't seem to fit in anywhere at Leicester.

He gives money to bad managers who'll be yes men for him (Pardew, McClaren, Bruce). When we get a vaguely competent manager (Hughton, Benitez) he doesn't back them. 

The difference in the player Lascelles looked under Rafa and how he looks under Bruce is ridiculous. Before he was an exciting talented defender that could potentially get into the England squad, now he looks like he couldn't defend in the Championship. I know the results/points totals are comparable, but the quality of football and play is utterly dire.

[charlierc]

1 hour ago, kaosmark2 said:

He gives money to bad managers who'll be yes men for him (Pardew, McClaren, Bruce). When we get a vaguely competent manager (Hughton, Benitez) he doesn't back them. 

The difference in the player Lascelles looked under Rafa and how he looks under Bruce is ridiculous. Before he was an exciting talented defender that could potentially get into the England squad, now he looks like he couldn't defend in the Championship. I know the results/points totals are comparable, but the quality of football and play is utterly dire.

Pardew had a weird trajectory - some windows, he'd be backed and some windows, he'd be ignored (2013/14 saw us just get one loan player in each window and sell Cabaye when we didn't really need to, for instance). But yes - he's more likely to back somebody he won't try and argue continually with. The tension in summer 2018 after Benitez felt he wasn't adequately backed in the window was pretty toxic.

It's not just Lascelles - Almiron, Sean Longstaff, Schar and Yedlin are among those who look like they've gone backwards to me. But he's definitely a good example of the backwards steps taken of late. So many of the Newcastle results last season came from defenders scoring at set-pieces and the fact the last 3 games at St James' ended in 0-0 draws isn't great. It's the buzzkill.

[kaosmark2]

58 minutes ago, charlierc said:

Pardew had a weird trajectory - some windows, he'd be backed and some windows, he'd be ignored (2013/14 saw us just get one loan player in each window and sell Cabaye when we didn't really need to, for instance). But yes - he's more likely to back somebody he won't try and argue continually with. The tension in summer 2018 after Benitez felt he wasn't adequately backed in the window was pretty toxic.

It's not just Lascelles - Almiron, Sean Longstaff, Schar and Yedlin are among those who look like they've gone backwards to me. But he's definitely a good example of the backwards steps taken of late. So many of the Newcastle results last season came from defenders scoring at set-pieces and the fact the last 3 games at St James' ended in 0-0 draws isn't great. It's the buzzkill.

Yeah, I agree with all that. Lascelles was just the prime example that most came to mind. It's gutting.

[eFestivals]

16 hours ago, kaosmark2 said:

The debt model. It's not just Man U either, Chelsea are spending out of debt as well.

the difference is: Roman is doing that when he has the money to pay the loans (mostly to himself anyway), and because it's tax efficient.

The Glazers are doing it because it's the only option they have. They don't have any cash in the bank.

Utd are in a precarious position financially, yet as someone who's been expecting them to crash ever since the Glazers have owned them I don't think they will. They've probably just been thru the worst years by being shit and managed to survive.

 

[charlierc]

I thought the moment where Manchester United imploded would've come by now but they've got to this point fine financially so far. But this was before we really see what is the impact of covid and having to play in empty stadiums, much as the same as every football club in this weird arse time right now.

[Hugh Jass]

Well that was one of the worst 45 minutes of football I’ve seen in a long time.

[Hugh Jass]

Seriously, this match is fucking dogshit.

[pink_triangle]

For such an obvious 0-0 draw, I can't believe I didn't put my money where my mouth was!

[Hugh Jass]

5 minutes ago, pink_triangle said:

For such an obvious 0-0 draw, I can't believe I didn't put my money where my mouth was!

I filled my FF team with United and Liverpool defenders and made Robertson captain.

Edited January 17, 2021 by Hugh Jass

[Comfy Bean]

27 minutes ago, Hugh Jass said:

Seriously, this match is fucking dogshit.

Agreed. Horrendous stuff.

[Hugh Jass]

59 minutes ago, Comfy Bean said:

Agreed. Horrendous stuff.

Two of the best teams in the country apparently.

[thetime]

19 minutes ago, Hugh Jass said:

Two of the best teams in the country apparently.

Liverpool's front 3 are unrecognisable from last season.

[DareToDibble]

4 hours ago, Hugh Jass said:

Seriously, this match is fucking dogshit.

As a fan of one of the teams I thought it was fucking dogshit. For you neutrals we probably need to invent a new saying to properly explain the levels of boredom you must have experienced. 

[CG31]

13 hours ago, thetime said:

Liverpool's front 3 are unrecognisable from last season.

It’s a game Diogo Jota would’ve changed. I know they said that on Sky Sports last night but it’s so obvious. Gives a completely different dynamic to the Liverpool attack and would’ve perfect to exploit Ole choosing not to play Bailly (who has been class recently)

[eFestivals]

13 hours ago, thetime said:

Liverpool's front 3 are unrecognisable from last season.

i think it's mostly due to a dip in form from Bobby. Mane and Salah still seem to tuck away any decent chances they get but they're getting far fewer decent chances.

[pink_triangle]

I don't know what I find harder about watching a chelsea match on tv at the moment. The monumental arse licking that the commentators give Mason Mount or this false narrative that this is such an amazing squad it's impossible to pick 11 players.

[Hugh Jass]

Chelsea are going for an unprecedented 1-2-3 for Flop of the Season with Havertz, Werner and Ziyech.

[DareToDibble]

11 hours ago, pink_triangle said:

I don't know what I find harder about watching a chelsea match on tv at the moment. The monumental arse licking that the commentators give Mason Mount or this false narrative that this is such an amazing squad it's impossible to pick 11 players.

This blows my mind. I was listening to a podcast the other day and they were discussing which one you would take to the Euros for England (if you could only take one) between Jack Grealish, Phil Foden and Mason Mount. Someone picked Mason Mount which absolutely blew my mind. What am I not seeing?

Edited January 20, 2021 by DareToDibble

[rock the clock]

Mount has been the best player in this Chelsea team and has been all season, but the convos about him/Grealish/Foden are mainly stupid is because he's a completely different player to those two. Since Chelsea have settled into this three man midfield he's been a b2b workhorse midfielder whose role isn't necessarily to create/score (though despite this his progressive passing and willingness to get forward also essential to the team). He is played more like one of Liverpool's midfielders and he's great at it? There's no way I'd pick Mount ahead of Grealish or Foden as a winger/10... But as a CM? I'm picking Mason.