Football 2024/25

[charlierc]

9 hours ago, Gnomicide said:

Drawing teams seems completely unnecessary, when they can only face 1 of 2 teams. 

 

Yeah this does seem to be making a meal of it.

[charlierc]

Sometimes I think the "Dr Tottenham" meme is overplayed, then I see them lose at home to a Leicester side that had lost seven games in a row despite leading at half-time and think maybe not.

 

I'm not one for the "sack manager now!" hyperbole anymore but surely Ange is in trouble.

[lost]

45 minutes ago, charlierc said:

I'm not one for the "sack manager now!" hyperbole anymore but surely Ange is in trouble.

 

A few weeks ago you would of thought they would of been in for someone like Irola, the longer they leave it you start wondering if he'd actually want to go there now.

[charlierc]

22 hours ago, lost said:

 

A few weeks ago you would of thought they would of been in for someone like Irola, the longer they leave it you start wondering if he'd actually want to go there now.

If Iraola can get Bournemouth into Europe, that would be much likelier to keep him there for another year imo.

 

I don't really know if Spurs stick or twist at this point. The problem is as much with them and their refusal to invest in a squad that's clearly worn out and having to rely on kids or players they wanted to discard like Spence or Reguilon, although even then, Ange's insistence on full-backs functioning as extra wingers does leave chasms on the flanks for counter-attacking wingers to chase down.

 

Clearly, yesterday was a crisis moment. I'm not convinced they'll be sucked into the dropzone battle but it's remarkable they're doing their best to be an at-least outside contender in that fight.

[thetime]

3 hours ago, charlierc said:

If Iraola can get Bournemouth into Europe, that would be much likelier to keep him there for another year imo.

 

I don't really know if Spurs stick or twist at this point. The problem is as much with them and their refusal to invest in a squad that's clearly worn out and having to rely on kids or players they wanted to discard like Spence or Reguilon, although even then, Ange's insistence on full-backs functioning as extra wingers does leave chasms on the flanks for counter-attacking wingers to chase down.

 

Clearly, yesterday was a crisis moment. I'm not convinced they'll be sucked into the dropzone battle but it's remarkable they're doing their best to be an at-least outside contender in that fight.

 

They have a tricky schedule coming up in feb. Potentially a europa league double header in February, if they don't win on Thursday. 

 

 

 

[kaosmark2]

I am sick and tired of people who get doing wrongdoing then "coming out" as gay and blaming that. Coote having a cocaine-fuelled rant isn't to do with his sexuality.

[charlierc]

There's a fascinating maelstrom here to have 18 Champions League games at the same time and the table being such an ever-changing animal.

[mattiloy]

On 1/19/2025 at 11:45 AM, charlierc said:

I'm expecting a competitive squabble for a European place with the teams around us, especially that close together cluster directly below us tbf. But that would be in keeping with the season to this point.

 

It is a fascinating scenario though. I'm sure there's a few twisty bits yet to come. In a way, it's almost like being back in the Championship where there were paper thin gaps in quality between teams and there is always the capacity to drop a bollock out of nowhere.

 

Actually, as a Man Utd fan, did van Nistlerooy's run as caretaker manager suggest he would do better than his current run of 7 defeats in a row at Leicester?

 

You’re not a Man Utd fan

[charlierc]

6 minutes ago, mattiloy said:

 

You’re not a Man Utd fan

Bit late to pick me up on a question I was asking ten days ago to a Manchester United fan as I wanted their take on Leicester's manager a few months on from his time as Man Utd's caretaker.

 

I'd like to think I'm aware that the team I support wear different colours to red.

[thetime]

7 minutes ago, mattiloy said:

 

You’re not a Utd fan

 

Fixed

[thetime]

Enjoyed tonight's champions league last night. They should of changed it years ago.

 

City v Bayern/Madrid 😀

[charlierc]

36 minutes ago, thetime said:

City v Bayern/Madrid 😀

Will be a good tie regardless of which way that spins. And probably more of a contest than the other one of Bayern or Real playing Celtic - no disrespect to Glasgow's green & white gang, but you know. It's not a game they've done well with in days of yore.

 

I guess we'll see in the upcoming draw who plays who in what and where.

[kaosmark2]

What's the point of this draw? Is it just so they can have a big ceremony where they pay themselves loads of bonuses for televised appearance fees?

[Gnomicide]

18 hours ago, kaosmark2 said:

What's the point of this draw? Is it just so they can have a big ceremony where they pay themselves loads of bonuses for televised appearance fees?

 

Apparently it lessens the chance of teams manipulating their last mach to get or avoid specific teams. How that would actually work, given the movement in the table last night, I've no idea.

[kaosmark2]

22 minutes ago, Gnomicide said:

 

Apparently it lessens the chance of teams manipulating their last mach to get or avoid specific teams. How that would actually work, given the movement in the table last night, I've no idea.

Hmmmm.... Ok...

[charlierc]

On 1/25/2025 at 12:11 PM, Gnomicide said:

Drawing teams seems completely unnecessary, when they can only face 1 of 2 teams. 

 

Tbf one of these pathways will contain three French sides as two of Monaco, Brest and PSG will be playing one another.

[Sparticus]

On 1/29/2025 at 9:28 PM, charlierc said:

There's a fascinating maelstrom here to have 18 Champions League games at the same time and the table being such an ever-changing animal.

I was cynical, but the new format has fixed the old match day 6 being a non event, so I'm all for it.

[charlierc]

1 hour ago, Sparticus said:

I was cynical, but the new format has fixed the old match day 6 being a non event, so I'm all for it.

I mean, last season's matchday 6 had a fair bit on it given it was the final round that saw Newcastle & Man Utd knocked out. I'm aware that was an exception though and that more often than not, it was not much.

 

There's certainly a contrast tbf between a lot of meh football and then the spectacle both in the CL and in the Europa League last night where it's everything everywhere all at once football with an ever-changing table. I would argue the Europa League was more dramatic looking at how the lower end of that table changed repeatedly.

[thetime]

2 hours ago, charlierc said:

I mean, last season's matchday 6 had a fair bit on it given it was the final round that saw Newcastle & Man Utd knocked out. I'm aware that was an exception though and that more often than not, it was not much.

 

There's certainly a contrast tbf between a lot of meh football and then the spectacle both in the CL and in the Europa League last night where it's everything everywhere all at once football with an ever-changing table. I would argue the Europa League was more dramatic looking at how the lower end of that table changed repeatedly.

 

I'd be surprised if the likes of City, Real Madrid, PSG, Bayern will take it so lightly next season. I'm sure next seasons top 8 will look a bit different. 

 

They probably thought they could take it lightly and sail through. 

[kaosmark2]

22 minutes ago, thetime said:

 

I'd be surprised if the likes of City, Real Madrid, PSG, Bayern will take it so lightly next season. I'm sure next seasons top 8 will look a bit different. 

 

They probably thought they could take it lightly and sail through. 

Well City or Madrid, arguably the 2 favourites going in, will be facing one another here. That's a spectacularly juicy tie.

 

I don't think City took it lightly though, their CL form dropped just after their domestic form crashed.

Edited January 31, 2025 by kaosmark2

[kaosmark2]

Gotta say, I'm quite confused why the Jan transfer window ends on Feb 3rd. Feb 1st I could understand, 3rd just feels.... silly.

[charlierc]

20 hours ago, thetime said:

 

I'd be surprised if the likes of City, Real Madrid, PSG, Bayern will take it so lightly next season. I'm sure next seasons top 8 will look a bit different. 

 

They probably thought they could take it lightly and sail through. 

I don't think they did - Man City's domestic and international form simultaneously imploded, Real Madrid had teething problems when they lost multiple defenders at the same time, PSG had a very difficult fixture list and Bayern Munich's away form has been pretty poor.

 

Man City & Real Madrid might well feel like they'll have to do better next year given the consequence of it this time around. They do seem to be getting quite acquainted tbf given this is the fourth season in a row of facing each other.

 

One thing that bemused me about the draw is that I thought they were going to pre-draw the next stage and allocate which sides of the bracket the top 8 will be slipping into. But apparently not. Apparently that also requires its own glitzy drawing antics.

[charlierc]

10 hours ago, kaosmark2 said:

Gotta say, I'm quite confused why the Jan transfer window ends on Feb 3rd. Feb 1st I could understand, 3rd just feels.... silly.

Presumably there was some kind of agreement for that given most European leagues also have their windows ending on Monday.

 

Maybe it being a Friday meant it could've been deemed a distraction from preparing for matches? Only excuse I can think of tbh.

[kaosmark2]

2 hours ago, charlierc said:

I don't think they did - Man City's domestic and international form simultaneously imploded, Real Madrid had teething problems when they lost multiple defenders at the same time, PSG had a very difficult fixture list and Bayern Munich's away form has been pretty poor.

 

Man City & Real Madrid might well feel like they'll have to do better next year given the consequence of it this time around. They do seem to be getting quite acquainted tbf given this is the fourth season in a row of facing each other.

 

One thing that bemused me about the draw is that I thought they were going to pre-draw the next stage and allocate which sides of the bracket the top 8 will be slipping into. But apparently not. Apparently that also requires its own glitzy drawing antics.

And Real were struggling to integrate Mbappe into the team as well, and retirement of Kroos.

 

Glitzy drawing antics seem to be very popular atm. Means they can give themselves attention and bonuses. Call me cynical, but it is about Uefa!

[charlierc]

Crikey. Not often you get a scenario like Forest losing 5-0 one week then winning 7-0 the next.