Football 2024/25

[charlierc]

On Football Manager games for years, it would have big six clubs in the bottom half in season one or two and I'd dismiss it as unrealistic. Yet here we are with Spurs on a truly abject run leaving them stranded in the bottom half and Man United somehow down in 15th (admittedly they haven't yet played their midweek game and you'd imagine a largely hopeless Southampton will offer no resistance when they meet later).

 

I haven't minded Ange and as I get older, I find myself less enamoured with the idea sacking the manager fixes everything, but it does feel fairly unsustainable with how much Spurs look to be in a mess right now. You'd imagine someday, someone will go somewhere with them and yet here we are.

[charlierc]

8 hours ago, kaosmark2 said:

Really good summary. It felt positive and he was the owner for the formative memories, but he was doing a lot of financial trickery that f**ked over fans, which is largely only overshadowed because of how bad things got and felt under Ashley.

I think it's easy to forget that many fans were happy to see Hall & Shepherd leave in 2007 given the sense that a lot of negative vibes were building up in the latter year or two of their ownership and a sense they'd been using the club as a cash machine. It's only that we got the wished for new owner and it was Mike Ashley, who didn't exactly improve the feeling around the place.

 

Still, I'm aware football is an ever-changing tapestry. Right now, with a run of 9 wins in a row and Isak being in one of the Premier League era's best ever runs of consecutive games scored in, it's not a bad place to be at all.

[thetime]

4 hours ago, charlierc said:

On Football Manager games for years, it would have big six clubs in the bottom half in season one or two and I'd dismiss it as unrealistic. Yet here we are with Spurs on a truly abject run leaving them stranded in the bottom half and Man United somehow down in 15th (admittedly they haven't yet played their midweek game and you'd imagine a largely hopeless Southampton will offer no resistance when they meet later).

 

I haven't minded Ange and as I get older, I find myself less enamoured with the idea sacking the manager fixes everything, but it does feel fairly unsustainable with how much Spurs look to be in a mess right now. You'd imagine someday, someone will go somewhere with them and yet here we are.

 

Steady on, utd will be in the giddy heights of 12th if we win tonight. 

[charlierc]

1 hour ago, thetime said:

 

Steady on, utd will be in the giddy heights of 12th if we win tonight. 

Be a bit much if you didn't given how abject Southampton have looked of late.

[thetime]

7 hours ago, charlierc said:

I think it's easy to forget that many fans were happy to see Hall & Shepherd leave in 2007 given the sense that a lot of negative vibes were building up in the latter year or two of their ownership and a sense they'd been using the club as a cash machine. It's only that we got the wished for new owner and it was Mike Ashley, who didn't exactly improve the feeling around the place.

 

Still, I'm aware football is an ever-changing tapestry. Right now, with a run of 9 wins in a row and Isak being in one of the Premier League era's best ever runs of consecutive games scored in, it's not a bad place to be at all.

 

Leagues is ultra competitive this season, a fair few teams could finish in the top 4 or down in the bottom half. No team is running away with it or that impressive. Same with down the bottom. 

 

After 14 games and now.is interesting. 

 

[charlierc]

1 hour ago, thetime said:

 

Leagues is ultra competitive this season, a fair few teams could finish in the top 4 or down in the bottom half. No team is running away with it or that impressive. Same with down the bottom. 

 

After 14 games and now.is interesting. 

 

It's certainly turning into a more interesting season than it was threatening too tbf. A few weeks back ,it seemed to be settling into a pattern of an easy title win out front and the 3 promoted teams going back down, but a few runs all over the shop have upset the narrative. Which is a good thing as that keeps it interesting.

[charlierc]

5 hours ago, charlierc said:

Be a bit much if you didn't given how abject Southampton have looked of late.

... and at half-time Southampton are in front having missed chances to be ahead by a bigger margin.

 

Crikey.

[charlierc]

1 hour ago, charlierc said:

... and at half-time Southampton are in front having missed chances to be ahead by a bigger margin.

 

Crikey.

Well... it ended the way I thought it would.

[thetime]

Officials having a mare last couple of days. 

 

Edited January 16, 2025 by thetime

[Skip997]

10 hours ago, thetime said:

Officials having a mare last couple of days. 

 

Last couple of decades 

[lost]

12 hours ago, thetime said:

Officials having a mare last couple of days. 

 

 

I've pretty much stopped watching football due to the constant rule changes and VAR and I only see games now if its on in the pub normally., I thought I'd give Arsenal vs Man U a go as it was on terrestrial tv and we are never rid of VAR are we? the standard of ref's now when they don't have it appear to have taken another leg down.

[thetime]

Just now, lost said:

 

I've pretty much stopped watching football due to the constant rule changes and VAR and I only see games now if its on in the pub normally., I thought I'd give Arsenal vs Man U a go as it was on terrestrial tv and we are never rid of VAR are we? the standard of ref's now when they don't have it appear to have taken another leg down.

 

FA Cup game didn't have VAR. 

 

I think VAR have calmed down quite a bit this season. 

[lost]

43 minutes ago, thetime said:

 

FA Cup game didn't have VAR. 

 

 

Yes thats what I mean't. The standard without VAR now is even worse than before VAR was introduced.

 

In other news I'm guessing City's punishment isn't going to be too bad with Haalands new contract.

[thetime]

Legend is over used in football, all the holy trinity gone now. 

 

RIP Denis Law. 

Edited January 17, 2025 by thetime

[charlierc]

21 hours ago, thetime said:

Officials having a mare last couple of days. 

 

This wasn't in the highlights I saw on Sky's YouTube. What's going on here?

[Punksnotdead]

2 hours ago, thetime said:

Legend is over used in football, all the holy trinity gone now. 

 

RIP Denis Law. 

The King is dead. Long live the King. 😥

[Punksnotdead]

We'll drink a drink a drink, to Denis the King the King the King, he's the greatest centre forward that the world has ever seen. 

[charlierc]

I had a feeling some Newcastle fans and pro-Toon pundits were getting carried away in claiming we could claw our way into the title race and indeed was aware our winning/unbeaten run couldn't last forever but a 4-1 demolition at home to Bournemouth? Bruh.

 

Not beaten the club where Eddie Howe made his name with Howe in charge of Newcastle. Some super weird jinx they have over us.

 

At the rate of progress with 10 games unbeaten despite injuries ruling out several key players, Bournemouth could be a shout for a European place at this rate.

[thetime]

1 hour ago, charlierc said:

I had a feeling some Newcastle fans and pro-Toon pundits were getting carried away in claiming we could claw our way into the title race and indeed was aware our winning/unbeaten run couldn't last forever but a 4-1 demolition at home to Bournemouth? Bruh.

 

Not beaten the club where Eddie Howe made his name with Howe in charge of Newcastle. Some super weird jinx they have over us.

 

At the rate of progress with 10 games unbeaten despite injuries ruling out several key players, Bournemouth could be a shout for a European place at this rate.

 

Wasn't expecting that result after going for a nap at 1-1. 

 

This season is a bit crazy, no result should be surprising. Jockey for a position, then a team that goes on a winning run last 5 games could nick a top 4/Europa place. 

 

 

[Skip997]

PL table looking a bit better after a few weeks of nonsense 

[charlierc]

3 hours ago, thetime said:

Wasn't expecting that result after going for a nap at 1-1. 

 

This season is a bit crazy, no result should be surprising. Jockey for a position, then a team that goes on a winning run last 5 games could nick a top 4/Europa place. 

 

You can't have an off game this season and expect to get away with it. Clearly, we had one against Bournemouth and got the reward it deserved. And this even with Bournemouth having multiple starting 11-worthy players injured so they didn't feel confident using the bench.

 

Come back with wins over Southampton & Fulham in the next 2 and can just brush it off as an off day. But gotta do the job if nowt else.

[thetime]

2 minutes ago, charlierc said:

 

 

Come back with wins over Southampton & Fulham in the next 2 and can just brush it off as an off day. But gotta do the job if nowt else.

 

You will need maximum points in those to keep the pressure on for a top 4 place. Liverpool and City away, forest at home sandwiched after those games in the league. 

 

Will be interesting if you will be in top 4 or mid table come end of Feb. 

 

As someone that isn't just a utd fan but a football one, finding this season fascinating. 

[Gnomicide]

1 hour ago, nayahai said:

For the Euros, France seems like a strong contender with their depth. Still, Portugal’s exciting squad and winnable path to the final make them an intriguing pick, even if Roberto Martinez’s managerial record raises questions. England’s defensive frailties worry me, especially against a powerhouse like France. In the Premier League, Manchester City remains the team to beat, while the scramble for Champions League spots looks like a thrilling battle. Newcastle’s potential to crack the top four excites me, but it hinges on smart recruitment within FFP limits. The unpredictable nature of teams like Chelsea, Liverpool, and Spurs keeps the race wide open, and as always, the love for the game keeps the conversations engaging!

 

As far as AI created posts go, that one was really sh*t.

[thetime]

31 minutes ago, Gnomicide said:

 

As far as AI created posts go, that one was really sh*t.

 

Yeah he lost me with Spurs 

[charlierc]

15 hours ago, Skip997 said:

PL table looking a bit better after a few weeks of nonsense 

Not far off closing up even more tbf, given Liverpool were drawing at Brentford as last as 90+1 while Arsenal really shouldn't have ballsed up their 2-0 lead against Aston Villa.

 

But eh. That's football. As it is, the universe did that and that's where we now go from.