Football 2023/24

[thetime]

13 minutes ago, charlierc said:

We're still in the FA Cup so don't jump the gun just yet.

That usually goes to one of the big boys. 

This was your best chance to break that 70 year duck. 

Edited December 19, 2023 by thetime

[Neil]

someone should grab Mary Earps quickly - she's a keeper! 😛 

[charlierc]

10 hours ago, Comfy Bean said:

Trippier does pretty much anything else with that cross at the end and you’re through 🙇‍♂️

I know, I know. I don't know if he thought Mudryk was further away or that the ball was easier to control or whatever, but it's ultimately his error. And coming so soon after what happened against Everton and Spurs, it's not ideal.

[charlierc]

9 hours ago, thetime said:

That usually goes to one of the big boys. 

This was your best chance to break that 70 year duck. 

Objectively, our best chance was last season when we made the Carabao Cup final but lost to a team that managed the game better, and who we've beaten three times since. It's football - it happens. Although given our run in cup draws this season, I wouldn't have been surprised if we'd got Liverpool in the semis.

... assuming Liverpool beat West Ham tonight. Although I guess now Newcastle are out I care less.

[thetime]

29 minutes ago, charlierc said:

Objectively, our best chance was last season when we made the Carabao Cup final but lost to a team that managed the game better, and who we've beaten three times since. It's football - it happens. Although given our run in cup draws this season, I wouldn't have been surprised if we'd got Liverpool in the semis.

... assuming Liverpool beat West Ham tonight. Although I guess now Newcastle are out I care less.

You would have to say going out of the carabao and europe, will be a blessing for Newcastle for the rest of the season. You would not have coped with the Europa and premier league, certainly would not of got top 4. Which seems to be way off for Newcastle and United. 

[balti-pie]

I know this is going to seem a bit mean, but Trippier was absolutely bloody dreadful for his last 18 months at spurs, and its kind of annoyed me how lauded and how decent he's been at Newcastle.

This Trippier, the one we're seeing now who's knackered and making errors all over the shop, this is the one i recognise! 

[charlierc]

27 minutes ago, balti-pie said:

I know this is going to seem a bit mean, but Trippier was absolutely bloody dreadful for his last 18 months at spurs, and its kind of annoyed me how lauded and how decent he's been at Newcastle.

This Trippier, the one we're seeing now who's knackered and making errors all over the shop, this is the one i recognise! 

Until now he'd seemed to have got that out of his system, like 2 1/2 years under the tutelage of Simeone had fixed up errors. It's only really been in the last month but it's not gone well of late.

Personally I think he should sit out Luton & Forest, and in fairness full-back is one of the few areas where we aren't missing everyone.

[charlierc]

1 hour ago, thetime said:

You would have to say going out of the carabao and europe, will be a blessing for Newcastle for the rest of the season. You would not have coped with the Europa and premier league, certainly would not of got top 4. Which seems to be way off for Newcastle and United. 

I mean, we were coping well at first but since early October the balloon's been popped. It'll be a strange one tbf as when we get to that stage, it'll be useful for us to have less of a workload but there'll be that disappointment of wondering "What would be if we were still there?"

I'm ok with a top 6 finish tbf. We're still a work in progress towards being at supposed big club level and if we're resorting to using Matt Ritchie as our only attacking sub, it's clear we're not quite there yet.

[thetime]

5 minutes ago, charlierc said:

I mean, we were coping well at first but since early October the balloon's been popped. It'll be a strange one tbf as when we get to that stage, it'll be useful for us to have less of a workload but there'll be that disappointment of wondering "What would be if we were still there?"

I'm ok with a top 6 finish tbf. We're still a work in progress towards being at supposed big club level and if we're resorting to using Matt Ritchie as our only attacking sub, it's clear we're not quite there yet.

Going to be much tougher for Newcastle, than say when Chelsea and City got new money. Tighter controls with FFP, also there is 6 or 7 clubs going for the champions league places every year. 

I personally don't expect Newcastle to challenge for titles in the next few years. They will be at the level of say the ring below, some seasons they will get top 4 and some seasons below that level. Which is fair enough, there is really only City you could say are guaranteed top 4 year in year out. 

[balti-pie]

2 hours ago, charlierc said:

Until now he'd seemed to have got that out of his system, like 2 1/2 years under the tutelage of Simeone had fixed up errors. It's only really been in the last month but it's not gone well of late.

Personally I think he should sit out Luton & Forest, and in fairness full-back is one of the few areas where we aren't missing everyone.

He definitely needs a couple of weeks off, the poor bugger. He's got that harassed, frazzled look that i can really recognise around my workplace with the christmas break coming up! Get him on the sofa with a pile of twiglets and some tea, he needs a doze and a cheese board or two. 

actually, so do i 

[charlierc]

1 hour ago, balti-pie said:

He definitely needs a couple of weeks off, the poor bugger. He's got that harassed, frazzled look that i can really recognise around my workplace with the christmas break coming up! Get him on the sofa with a pile of twiglets and some tea, he needs a doze and a cheese board or two. 

actually, so do i 

Eating a whole box of Quality Street or Roses in my case. But yeah. During the Chelsea game yesterday he looked visibly worn out when he stepped up to take the penalty, which was a very high risk move to put him that early in the shootout so quickly after his error.

Some are suggesting this might be connected to him leaving England's most recent squad early due to what was described as a personal issue. I don't want to speculate like that though because it just seems like a sequence of too much football and too many errors in that football creating a concertina effect where it's all too much.

[charlierc]

3 hours ago, thetime said:

Going to be much tougher for Newcastle, than say when Chelsea and City got new money. Tighter controls with FFP, also there is 6 or 7 clubs going for the champions league places every year. 

I personally don't expect Newcastle to challenge for titles in the next few years. They will be at the level of say the ring below, some seasons they will get top 4 and some seasons below that level. Which is fair enough, there is really only City you could say are guaranteed top 4 year in year out. 

Well, we'll see. I'm aware FFP and increased competition means it won't be straight-forward, even if the PL regularly gets 5 CL places going forward thanks to UEFA's new Champions League format.

This is a step-by-step process I guess. I like to think Newcastle are on a path to being able to win the title, but I'm aware it won't be straight-forward. Although if Aston Villa won it this season, I would change my tune about how achievable it is.

Imo it's good for the Premier League to have more than just a big 4 monopolising the CL monies as was the case in the 2000's. But I'm aware work is needed to ensure we're at the front of the queue.

[Skip997]

2 hours ago, balti-pie said:

He definitely needs a couple of weeks off, the poor bugger. He's got that harassed, frazzled look that i can really recognise around my workplace with the christmas break coming up! Get him on the sofa with a pile of twiglets and some tea, he needs a doze and a cheese board or two. 

actually, so do i 

Yea I feel so sorry for him, after all it's not as if he's already "earned" enough cash for several lifetimes, nor could he retire now and not have to worry.

[balti-pie]

23 minutes ago, Skip997 said:

Yea I feel so sorry for him, after all it's not as if he's already "earned" enough cash for several lifetimes, nor could he retire now and not have to worry.

i don't tend to withhold my sympathy for people based on their bank account - even spectacularly rich people can have life problems and professional crises. 

[Skip997]

1 minute ago, balti-pie said:

i don't tend to withhold my sympathy for people based on their bank account - even spectacularly rich people can have life problems and professional crises. 

While true, at least they don't have to worry about food, accommodation, bills etc

[thetime]

21 minutes ago, balti-pie said:

i don't tend to withhold my sympathy for people based on their bank account - even spectacularly rich people can have life problems and professional crises. 

One would say trippiers problems were of his own making, cheating on his wife for example. 

[pink_triangle]

It’s really not fair Earps  winning sports personality of the year. You would never see Beckham winning for scoring a free kick to get England into a tournament or Owen for scoring a goal in the last 16.

[Skip997]

1 minute ago, pink_triangle said:

It’s really not fair Earps  winning sports personality of the year. You would never see Beckham winning for scoring a free kick to get England into a tournament or Owen for scoring a goal in the last 16.

Sports personality of the year is complete nonsense.

They never make the choice based on personality.

[charlierc]

 

[thetime]

Klopp coming out, what we all knew. 

Edited December 21, 2023 by thetime

[balti-pie]

Sports personality of the year is obviously a nonsense (Michael Owen having a personality ffs 😄 he's genuinely the biggest dullard on the planet) but if Mary Earps getting it annoys Barton, then i'm all for it. She seems like a good egg and he's an absolute throbber of the worst possible kind, its so easy to take a side in this one

[lost]

Super league back on? The European Court of Justice has ruled that UEFA and FIFA acted against competition law by blocking the formation of the Super League.

[thetime]

1 hour ago, lost said:

Super league back on? The European Court of Justice has ruled that UEFA and FIFA acted against competition law by blocking the formation of the Super League.

Big proposal being shown live now.

[charlierc]

7 hours ago, lost said:

Super league back on? The European Court of Justice has ruled that UEFA and FIFA acted against competition law by blocking the formation of the Super League.

Well, the leagues all reject it, as do several clubs including many who had backed the ESL proposal when it was first revealed 2 1/2 years ago, and the ECJ ruling itself says further down in the legalese generated that any future ESL would have to receive UEFA approval, essentially meaning that for it to work, it would need to be a UEFA Super League.

So, realistically, it'll be a challenge to pull it off.

[Neil]

8 hours ago, lost said:

Super league back on? The European Court of Justice has ruled that UEFA and FIFA acted against competition law by blocking the formation of the Super League.

restraint of trade same as the  bosman ruling, was obvious which way this'd go.hope the fans can derail this. everyone should cancel sky subscriptions (i would but i've never funded murdoch).