titusbramble
Footballguy
They should surely be billing this derby as a resistable force against a moveable object
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***Official Soccer Discussion Thread*** (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Ramsay Hunt Experience
- Start date
Dinsy Ejotuz
Footballguy
Yeah, that Ballon d'Or choice doesn't look too shabby right about now.
Pep's legacy, OTOH... I know it can be hard to tell when I'm goofing and when I'm not, but I'm serious about that one. He's solved the puzzle for how you win when you have the better team -- and that's not a knock. Lots of managers have struggled to do it, and he's arguably been better at it than anyone else. But promoting Mainz twice and winning with Dortmund twice or taking a moribund giant and making them a top five team in the world? Or beating the Old Firm to a couple titles and then taking down Real Madrid with Aberdeen? Or doing a Leicester? Or winning a CL with Porto? ZERO CHANCE. And all those times he overthought his tactics when faced with an equal team look even more obvious and glaring in hindsight. He's a one-trick pony (admittedly it's a hell of a trick).
Dinsy Ejotuz
Footballguy
CletiusMaximus
Footballguy
The funny thing is that Chelsea's opponent today, FC Astana, has a heated stadium that has a retractable roof, but for whatever reason that's unavailable today so they are playing outdoors in Almaty where its something like 15 degrees f. I think its the offseason for their league.
Jaysus
Good times!
#ConferenceLeagueThings
B Maverick
Footballguy
Awfully quiet in here with so much going on....
MLS Expansion Draft for SDFC
San Diego FC selected five players in the 2024 MLS Expansion Draft on Wednesday evening, further building their inaugural roster before their 2025 debut.
Of the players chosen, three are slated to remain with San Diego and two were traded for assets. Clubs that have a player selected receive $50,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM).
NAME POSITION PREVIOUS CLUB
Heine Gikling Bruseth Midfielder Orlando City SC
Jasper Löffelsend Midfielder Colorado Rapids
Hamady Diop Defender Charlotte FC
Thiago Andrade^ Forward Toronto FC
Hosei Kijima^ Midfielder St. Louis CITY SC
^ Traded after being selected (details below)
2026 FIFA World Cup European Qualifiers
Group A: Germany/Italy winners, Slovakia, Northern Ireland, Luxembourg
Group B: Switzerland, Sweden, Slovenia, Kosovo
Group C: Portugal/Denmark losers, Greece, Scotland, Belarus
Group D: France/Croatia winners, Ukraine, Iceland, Azerbaijan
Group E: Spain/Netherlands winners, Türkiye, Georgia, Bulgaria
Group F: Portugal/Denmark winners, Hungary, Republic of Ireland, Armenia
Group G: Spain/Netherlands losers, Poland, Finland, Lithuania, Malta
Group H: Austria, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus, San Marino
Group I: Germany/Italy losers, Norway, Israel, Estonia, Moldova
Group J: Belgium, Wales, North Macedonia, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein
Group K: England, Serbia, Albania, Latvia, Andorra
Group L: France/Croatia losers, Czechia, Montenegro, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar
England with the easiest group.
MLS Expansion Draft for SDFC
San Diego FC selected five players in the 2024 MLS Expansion Draft on Wednesday evening, further building their inaugural roster before their 2025 debut.
Of the players chosen, three are slated to remain with San Diego and two were traded for assets. Clubs that have a player selected receive $50,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM).
NAME POSITION PREVIOUS CLUB
Heine Gikling Bruseth Midfielder Orlando City SC
Jasper Löffelsend Midfielder Colorado Rapids
Hamady Diop Defender Charlotte FC
Thiago Andrade^ Forward Toronto FC
Hosei Kijima^ Midfielder St. Louis CITY SC
^ Traded after being selected (details below)
2026 FIFA World Cup European Qualifiers
Group A: Germany/Italy winners, Slovakia, Northern Ireland, Luxembourg
Group B: Switzerland, Sweden, Slovenia, Kosovo
Group C: Portugal/Denmark losers, Greece, Scotland, Belarus
Group D: France/Croatia winners, Ukraine, Iceland, Azerbaijan
Group E: Spain/Netherlands winners, Türkiye, Georgia, Bulgaria
Group F: Portugal/Denmark winners, Hungary, Republic of Ireland, Armenia
Group G: Spain/Netherlands losers, Poland, Finland, Lithuania, Malta
Group H: Austria, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus, San Marino
Group I: Germany/Italy losers, Norway, Israel, Estonia, Moldova
Group J: Belgium, Wales, North Macedonia, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein
Group K: England, Serbia, Albania, Latvia, Andorra
Group L: France/Croatia losers, Czechia, Montenegro, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar
England with the easiest group.
El Floppo
Footballguy
Not sure if it was posted somewhere...
Mickael Antonio was in a horrific car accident a week or so ago. After seeing the pictures, he's lucky it wasn't worse... But as it's hes had surgery on lower extremities and will be out a long while. Feel for the guy and for JAM- always been a fan of his
Mickael Antonio was in a horrific car accident a week or so ago. After seeing the pictures, he's lucky it wasn't worse... But as it's hes had surgery on lower extremities and will be out a long while. Feel for the guy and for JAM- always been a fan of his
B Maverick
Footballguy
Some Sunday League fun...
My team takes a corner, ball comes in hits a player and slowly rolls into the goal. We celebrate. AR takes a second then meekly puts up his flag to call something. Calls the ref over, they talk and chalk off the goal. No one can understand why. Someone even says it was offside, which you can't have on an offside.
After the game, the ref is over by our team and we ask what the call was. He says interference with the goal keeper. He says he didn't see the foul but backed his AR. I told him to have his AR watch every Arsenal corner and then tell me what interference is. Ref laughed and said he is an Arsenal supporter and knows they get away with things.
Later, one of the players on the field said he was told that the call was for interference because our player had his hands up and the keeper couldn't see. No contact with the keeper. Basically called face guarding.
That would have put us up 3-1. Luckily we scored shortly after that and won the game 3-1 anyway.
Also in the game, we were up and their forward kept trying to shoot from midfield. He had like 10 shots from that far including the opening kick. One was close, but mostly so bad. One particularly bad hook toward the corner and our keeper lets it run for a goal kick wasting time. Our player was getting mad at both the guy for shooting it and our keeper for wasting time. I told our guy "we are winning let them shoot from mf and let our keeper take all the time he wants!"
My team takes a corner, ball comes in hits a player and slowly rolls into the goal. We celebrate. AR takes a second then meekly puts up his flag to call something. Calls the ref over, they talk and chalk off the goal. No one can understand why. Someone even says it was offside, which you can't have on an offside.
After the game, the ref is over by our team and we ask what the call was. He says interference with the goal keeper. He says he didn't see the foul but backed his AR. I told him to have his AR watch every Arsenal corner and then tell me what interference is. Ref laughed and said he is an Arsenal supporter and knows they get away with things.
Later, one of the players on the field said he was told that the call was for interference because our player had his hands up and the keeper couldn't see. No contact with the keeper. Basically called face guarding.
That would have put us up 3-1. Luckily we scored shortly after that and won the game 3-1 anyway. Also in the game, we were up and their forward kept trying to shoot from midfield. He had like 10 shots from that far including the opening kick. One was close, but mostly so bad. One particularly bad hook toward the corner and our keeper lets it run for a goal kick wasting time. Our player was getting mad at both the guy for shooting it and our keeper for wasting time. I told our guy "we are winning let them shoot from mf and let our keeper take all the time he wants!"
titusbramble
Footballguy
You wouldn't have got this on your coverage of yesterday's game (or at least I hope you didn't), but the Sky pundit team did a bit of a "best PL forward" feature, and Carragher's list was bad. Like laughably bad. We're talking Hazard > Bergkamp and no Kane in top 10 bad
CletiusMaximus
Footballguy
The Football Ramble pod is hilarious this week, moreso than usual. I was laughing out loud several times on my bike commute in and out yesterday.
B Maverick
Footballguy
It's Carragher, most of the time his lists are bad.
Desert_Power
Footballguy
AS Roma is buying 1860 Munich
B Maverick
Footballguy
2034 WC in Saudi to not allow alcohol in the stadiums. Wonder if their buy in was enough to include this exception. Was it Brazil that tried the same and caved?
El Floppo
Footballguy
Qatar, no? They had drinking areas or something?
B Maverick
Footballguy
I think they allowed some. Don't remember. One of them was saying no and then said ok.
NewlyRetired
Footballguy
oh this is very interesting. As you may know, FIFA has decided to split selling the rights to the mens and womens world cup tv rights instead of bundling them like in the past.
Netflix has acquired the US rights for the 2027 and 2031 Womens World Cup. The article I read did not specify if they won both the English and Spanish rights but I am going to assume they have both.
Netflix has acquired the US rights for the 2027 and 2031 Womens World Cup. The article I read did not specify if they won both the English and Spanish rights but I am going to assume they have both.
CletiusMaximus
Footballguy
- YouTube
Auf YouTube findest du die angesagtesten Videos und Tracks. Außerdem kannst du eigene Inhalte hochladen und mit Freunden oder gleich der ganzen Welt teilen.youtu.be
Congrats man. This is awesome and I think good for the club.
Looks like you may have a reunion with an old friend soon per Fabrizio. https://x.com/fabrizioromano/status/1870019623254462906?s=46
titusbramble
Footballguy
Alright, tomorrow will see my last new ground of the season (unless I can really, really convince my old man that he really wants to drive down to Stoke on Boxing Day when the pub would likely be able to get our game on the pub on the TV), so for the purposes of the thread, here's where I've been that's new in 2024: (levels indicated are what they were at the time)
You want to get more interested in English football? Don't have a team, or want something else to root for outside your main team? Just random a number, if you get an actual big team, reroll, but otherwise just follow them on social media and get behind them for the banter
1 - Maine Road (1/13 v Alsager Town, level 10)
2 - Sandbach United (1/20 v Droylsden, level 10)
3 - Crystal Palace (1/30 v Sheffield United, level 1)
4 - Handsworth (2/3 v Rossington Main, level 9)
5 - Ilkeston Town (2/10 v Lancaster City, level 7)
6 - Irlam (2/17 v Padiham, level 9)
7 - Worksop Town (2/24 v Bamber Bridge, level 7)
8 - Stocksbridge Park Steels (3/2 v Hebburn Town, level 8)
9 - Worcester City (3/9 v Emley, level 9)
10 - Stafford Rangers (3/16 v Radcliffe, level 7)
11 - Guiseley (3/23 v Ilkeston Town, level 7)
12 - Bootle (3/29 v Trafford, level 8)
13 - Liverpool (4/4 v Sheffield United, level 1)
14 - Atherton Laburnum Rovers (4/6 v Garstang, level 10)
15 - Brentford (4/13 v Sheffield United, level 1)
16 - Matlock Town (4/27 v Bradford (Park Avenue), level 7)
17 - Airbus UK (6/29 v 1874 Northwich, level 2 in Wales)
18 - Daisy Hill (7/13 v Ruthin Town, level 10)
19 - Solihull Moors (7/20 v Oxford United, level 5)
20 - Stafford Town (8/3 v Stockport Georgians, level 10)
21 - Clitheroe (8/10 v Chasetown, level 8)
22 - Leeds United (8/14 v Middlesbrough, level 2)
23 - Abbey Hulton United (8/19 v Stockport Georgians, level 10)
24 - Whitby Town (8/20 v FC United of Manchester, level 7)
25 - Ashton Athletic (8/24 v Stockport Georgians, level 10)
26 - Bromley (8/31 v Crewe Alexandra, level 4)
27 - Runcorn Town (9/7 v Stockport Georgians, level 10)
28 - Tamworth (9/14 v Maidenhead United, level 5)
29 - Portsmouth (9/28 v Sheffield United, level 2)
30 - Ramsbottom United (10/12 v Cheadle Town, level 9)
31 - Heart of Midlothian (10/19 v St Mirren, level 1 in Scotland)
32 - Hebburn Town (11/2 v FC United of Manchester, level 7)
33 - Coventry Sphinx (11/9 v Worcester City, level 8)
34 - FC Isle of Man (11/16 v Burscough, level 9, technically in the English league system)
35 - Hanley Town (11/23 v Wythenshawe, level 8)
36 - Basford United (12/7 v FC Halifax Town, level 7)
37 - City of Liverpool FC (12/22 v Witton Albion, level 8, technically Widnes' ground)
2 - Sandbach United (1/20 v Droylsden, level 10)
3 - Crystal Palace (1/30 v Sheffield United, level 1)
4 - Handsworth (2/3 v Rossington Main, level 9)
5 - Ilkeston Town (2/10 v Lancaster City, level 7)
6 - Irlam (2/17 v Padiham, level 9)
7 - Worksop Town (2/24 v Bamber Bridge, level 7)
8 - Stocksbridge Park Steels (3/2 v Hebburn Town, level 8)
9 - Worcester City (3/9 v Emley, level 9)
10 - Stafford Rangers (3/16 v Radcliffe, level 7)
11 - Guiseley (3/23 v Ilkeston Town, level 7)
12 - Bootle (3/29 v Trafford, level 8)
13 - Liverpool (4/4 v Sheffield United, level 1)
14 - Atherton Laburnum Rovers (4/6 v Garstang, level 10)
15 - Brentford (4/13 v Sheffield United, level 1)
16 - Matlock Town (4/27 v Bradford (Park Avenue), level 7)
17 - Airbus UK (6/29 v 1874 Northwich, level 2 in Wales)
18 - Daisy Hill (7/13 v Ruthin Town, level 10)
19 - Solihull Moors (7/20 v Oxford United, level 5)
20 - Stafford Town (8/3 v Stockport Georgians, level 10)
21 - Clitheroe (8/10 v Chasetown, level 8)
22 - Leeds United (8/14 v Middlesbrough, level 2)
23 - Abbey Hulton United (8/19 v Stockport Georgians, level 10)
24 - Whitby Town (8/20 v FC United of Manchester, level 7)
25 - Ashton Athletic (8/24 v Stockport Georgians, level 10)
26 - Bromley (8/31 v Crewe Alexandra, level 4)
27 - Runcorn Town (9/7 v Stockport Georgians, level 10)
28 - Tamworth (9/14 v Maidenhead United, level 5)
29 - Portsmouth (9/28 v Sheffield United, level 2)
30 - Ramsbottom United (10/12 v Cheadle Town, level 9)
31 - Heart of Midlothian (10/19 v St Mirren, level 1 in Scotland)
32 - Hebburn Town (11/2 v FC United of Manchester, level 7)
33 - Coventry Sphinx (11/9 v Worcester City, level 8)
34 - FC Isle of Man (11/16 v Burscough, level 9, technically in the English league system)
35 - Hanley Town (11/23 v Wythenshawe, level 8)
36 - Basford United (12/7 v FC Halifax Town, level 7)
37 - City of Liverpool FC (12/22 v Witton Albion, level 8, technically Widnes' ground)
You want to get more interested in English football? Don't have a team, or want something else to root for outside your main team? Just random a number, if you get an actual big team, reroll, but otherwise just follow them on social media and get behind them for the banter
Last edited:
Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
Meeting Totti was cool and all, but you'll really get me jealous if you get to meet Yakubu.- YouTube
Auf YouTube findest du die angesagtesten Videos und Tracks. Außerdem kannst du eigene Inhalte hochladen und mit Freunden oder gleich der ganzen Welt teilen.
Jaysus
Good times!
Hypothetically, if Pep gets sacked in the morning, who's available to take his job?
The Z Machine
Footballguy
Atleti had no right to get 3 points today. But I can't help admit I was laughing at the kick in the nuts that 96th minute goal was. Suck it, Barça
titusbramble
Footballguy
Quote from our new owners:
Sheffield United is a historic Club that represents the passion of the great, hardworking city it embodies. It's also one that resonates with our own background - being similar to the great midwestern US city of Cleveland, where Steven is from.
Just don't bring your cities' professional sports teams records with you thanks
Sheffield United is a historic Club that represents the passion of the great, hardworking city it embodies. It's also one that resonates with our own background - being similar to the great midwestern US city of Cleveland, where Steven is from.
Just don't bring your cities' professional sports teams records with you thanks
encaitar
Footballguy
Qatar wanted to do it, then InBev said "Ok FIFA, give us back our sponsorship money", then FIFA freaked out and had "emergency meetings" with Qatar officials that ended up with the compromise of "designated drinking areas."
encaitar
Footballguy
Sheffield United signing Mason Greenwood incoming....
CletiusMaximus
Footballguy
I may be a billionaire American hedge fund manager but I'm really just like you hardworking blue collar folks in Sheffield!
B Maverick
Footballguy
Absolutely abysmal United team. No work rate, easily outmuscled. No passion. They do not have to play well to keep starting. ETH was not the full problem there and Amorim has got a huge task to change the culture and mindset. Too many selfish players not playing for/with the team.
I know you can't change the whole team, but still....
Build around Maz, De Ligt, Yoro, Ugarte, Mainoo, Amad
Martinez, Hojlund need to be given a chance to fit the system.
See how Collyer and Amass do fitting in. (Put Collyer in next to Ugarte in the cm, mainoo up to the 10)
Dalot does not fit and is not good enough at either defending or attacking. (his best attribute is being available, hence last year's POY) Goodbye.
Erikson, Casemiro, Evans, Shaw had long/great careers they can go.
Zirkzee, Mount, Malacia, Antony, Lindelof all average and can go.
Onana? Saw flashes and wanted to back him but he is not a shot stopper. He's how I play GK on Sundays, a striker masquerading as a GK. He may need to go.
Bayindir too. Yeah he never really got a chance, but the couple times he did he didn't look like he wanted to take it.
Rashford probably needs to go. Classic needs a change of scenery to restart a career. PSG or somewhere not in the EPL.
Garnacho is tough. He has his moments and is still young but he might not fit this formation. He doesn't track back enough to be a wing back. He isn't creative enough for one of the 10s. Biggest thing for me is he is not developing that clinical side in front of goal. Too many chances go wasted. Not a pure goal scorer.
Maguire. Only one strong in the air, seems to be better in a back 3. But even that doesn't overcome his weaknesses and still not good enough for a team with title aspirations.
And then there's Bruno. When he is on there is no matching his energy, creativity and value to the team. G/A contributions are second to none. When he isn't he is easily dispossessed or gives it away cheap and isn't disciplined in a formation. From the outside he is to whiney and goes down to easy to be captain. Not sure people will run through a wall for him like they would for Keane or Vidic. Might also be time to cash in on the 29 year old.
I know you can't change the whole team, but still....
Build around Maz, De Ligt, Yoro, Ugarte, Mainoo, Amad
Martinez, Hojlund need to be given a chance to fit the system.
See how Collyer and Amass do fitting in. (Put Collyer in next to Ugarte in the cm, mainoo up to the 10)
Dalot does not fit and is not good enough at either defending or attacking. (his best attribute is being available, hence last year's POY) Goodbye.
Erikson, Casemiro, Evans, Shaw had long/great careers they can go.
Zirkzee, Mount, Malacia, Antony, Lindelof all average and can go.
Onana? Saw flashes and wanted to back him but he is not a shot stopper. He's how I play GK on Sundays, a striker masquerading as a GK. He may need to go.
Bayindir too. Yeah he never really got a chance, but the couple times he did he didn't look like he wanted to take it.
Rashford probably needs to go. Classic needs a change of scenery to restart a career. PSG or somewhere not in the EPL.
Garnacho is tough. He has his moments and is still young but he might not fit this formation. He doesn't track back enough to be a wing back. He isn't creative enough for one of the 10s. Biggest thing for me is he is not developing that clinical side in front of goal. Too many chances go wasted. Not a pure goal scorer.
Maguire. Only one strong in the air, seems to be better in a back 3. But even that doesn't overcome his weaknesses and still not good enough for a team with title aspirations.
And then there's Bruno. When he is on there is no matching his energy, creativity and value to the team. G/A contributions are second to none. When he isn't he is easily dispossessed or gives it away cheap and isn't disciplined in a formation. From the outside he is to whiney and goes down to easy to be captain. Not sure people will run through a wall for him like they would for Keane or Vidic. Might also be time to cash in on the 29 year old.
titusbramble
Footballguy
It might just be down to the seasonal schedule, what games are on here is a bit funky so could easily be the case your side of the pond
bigbottom
Footballguy
El Floppo
Footballguy
Had to google hybrid sis... 95% natural grass woven with 5% pure ganj.
Desert_Power
Footballguy
:reported:
McBokonon
Footballguy
HAPPY TRANSFER WINDOW IS OPEN DAY!!!
The one Newcastle rumor I think might really happen is Miggy to Charlotte. I’ve been looking for a reason to pick an MLS team and this might do it for me, @Desert_Power
Desert_Power
Footballguy
I've read this is still likely as well.HAPPY TRANSFER WINDOW IS OPEN DAY!!!
The one Newcastle rumor I think might really happen is Miggy to Charlotte. I’ve been looking for a reason to pick an MLS team and this might do it for me, @Desert_Power
TennesseeJed
Footballguy
This is what's wrong with soccer journalism in the USA:
Headline on ESPN.
Now, I realize outside of Premier League clubs, Wrexham is probably the most widely known club from England - so I get the interest in having a story. But the season is just now at the half-way point, and no clubs hopes are dented by a single loss. And, in fact, Wrexham remain in 3rd just 2 points out of the automatic promotion slots, with 24 matches (or 72 more potential points). There is a lot of football/soccer to be played - and nobody is making promotion/relegation plans based on the table today.
Wrexham's League One promotion hopes dented after defeat
Headline on ESPN.
Now, I realize outside of Premier League clubs, Wrexham is probably the most widely known club from England - so I get the interest in having a story. But the season is just now at the half-way point, and no clubs hopes are dented by a single loss. And, in fact, Wrexham remain in 3rd just 2 points out of the automatic promotion slots, with 24 matches (or 72 more potential points). There is a lot of football/soccer to be played - and nobody is making promotion/relegation plans based on the table today.
NewlyRetired
Footballguy
Desert_Power
Footballguy
Sebowski is excited somewhere.
El Floppo
Footballguy
Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
KDB is one of my very favorite players of the last decade, but I think that KDB in MLS after his body had kind of broken down will show us all what Absolute Zero looks like on the ****s Given scale. Can you imagine this guy playing in Orlando in August on the third game of an East Coast swing?
El Floppo
Footballguy
I had the exact same thought. Would love to be wrong on that and see him "trying", but my gut says no.
