Football thread 23-24 - Ange, Ange, where will you lead us from here?

[Inspector Norse]

Messi making like Will Smith.

Benzema and Ronaldo taking up jobs as supervillains' henchmen.

Zlatan, his rivals vanquished, gracefully and triumphantly stepping aside.

End of an era. Isn't it? Mbappé and Haaland taking over.

City to win everything again next year, then?

[buttgammon]

Hope you're all psyched for the 2023-24 Saudi Professional League!

[Hat FM]

City to win everything again next year, then?

the treble treble will be spoken about soon.

[Inspector Norse]

Do have a little bit of respect for Messi for saying "fuck that" and going elsewhere to collect his indefensibly large retirement fund.

Saudis are now reportedly after Lewandowski, Mahrez, Busquets, Ramos, Modric, Firmino and Marco Boogers.

[dontpaintyourteeth]

I'm sure this has already been said a thousand times on Twitter but it is a shame we didn't get to see Phil Neville managing Lionel Messi. A sliding doors moment for sure.

[Kankurette]

Neville: "Show some fucking respect, midget."
Messi: *staaaaaare*

[BlodwynPig]

Do have a little bit of respect for Messi for saying "fuck that" and going elsewhere to collect his indefensibly large retirement fund.

Saudis are now reportedly after Lewandowski, Mahrez, Busquets, Ramos, Modric, Firmino and Marco Boogers.

Best league in the world.

[bgmnts]

I remember in the long long ago when top tier football was collectively owned and beautiful.

Before the Saudis came...

[mippy]

Friendship ended with Jude Bellingham, now Alexis Mac Allister is my new best friend - Jordan Henderson, probably

[gabrielconroy]

Would be quite funny if all the other clubs in the PL got together and decided to just start a new one without Man City. So they should do that.

[Kankurette]

Friendship ended with Jude Bellingham, now Alexis Mac Allister is my new best friend - Jordan Henderson, probably

He needs a new BFF now Milner's gone.

[kngen]

About 30 seconds after finding out Messi was coming to the MLS, I checked when they were coming to play my local(ish) team, DC United. Next month apparently, but the cheapest tickets were already $200. Half decent ones are in the realm of $500 to a grand each - they are usually $29 (if you were to pay $200 to see, for example, New York Red Bulls come to DC - $200 would get you a front row seat beside the dugout and endless food and booze poured into your mouth for the duration. You could probably get subbed on for the last five minutes if you pay extra $50, I dare say.) Great to see the US truly embracing the People's Game!

As for Ange, as much as it pained me to see him leave (and the duplicity in the manner he did has left a bit of a bad taste), I hope he does well - if only that it will reflect well on Celtic, and make us a more inviting prospect for top-class players and managers with similar ambitions. I'm not exactly happy about us entrenching ourselves as a stepping stone to our financially super-charged neighbours to the south, but this will always be the case unless we're part of some breakaway league, which I have mixed feelings about should that ever arise.

However, he took a while to get up to speed with Celtic, and it demanded a fair bit of patience on the part of the fans, which was mostly due to the absolutely dire football we endured the previous season. I can't see him getting the same leeway from Spurs fans.

Fair play to John Kennedy though - a promising playing career ended at 21 due to a ridiculous tackle on him in a meaningless international friendly, but moved into coaching, quietly moving his way up the ranks. Now he looks like he'll get a shot at the big time, and will be set for life whatever happens. Fairytale stuff, even if it ends in the very Scottish manner of glorious failure.

[ersatz99]

Danny Ings helps Villa to qualify for the Europa Conference league but is sold halfway through the season to another claret and blue team that goes on to win the damn thing. Ingsy.

[The Culture Bunker]

Having played for Burnley, Villa and West Ham - it's surely time for Ings to complete the claret and blue bingo card by moving up to Scunthorpe to spearhead their rise from the ashes.

[kngen]

Just read that the Qataris have spent 1.3 BILLION Euros on transfers since taking over PSG in their bid the win the European Cup. Maybe they'll finally get their hands on it now that Messi isn't holding them back _(LOL)

[BlodwynPig]

Having played for Burnley, Villa and West Ham - it's surely time for Ings to complete the claret and blue bingo card by moving up to Scunthorpe to spearhead their rise from the ashes.

90s Tranmere, but only away games

[DrGreggles]

'No Phil Neville' was so clearly part of the Messi deal.

[boki]

Reckon that Saudi league is just gonna be like a really gaudy version of those Masters tournaments they have in arenas over here.  Think I prefer the fat old journeymen edition tbh.

[jobotic]

But can he doing it on a boiling Tuesday night in al-Hofuf?

[BlodwynPig]

But can he doing it on a boiling Tuesday night in al-Hofuf?

For a million dollars and some dubiously aged escorts, you bet they will

[Kankurette]

Vent: I wish some Rangers fans, and this isn't aimed at any of you, wouldn't assume that just because I'm Jewish I should pick them over Celtic. Yes, I know what Celtic's stance on Israel is. I don't care because guess what, not all Jews love Israel.

[jamiefairlie]

Celtic don't have a stance on Israel, they're a football club

[Kankurette]

No, they don't, but the Rangers fan who messaged me to ask me why I hated his club asked me if I was aware of 'Celtic's stance on Jews and Israel'.

[jamiefairlie]

Rangers fans are Neanderthals so don't try to communicate with them

[Kankurette]

This is what he said:

As a life long Rangers supporter I was wonderIng why the hatred?

I'm not looking for an argument in any way.

I've read a couple of your posts on that thread and surprised that it's Rangers you hate with Celtics views on Palestine , Isreal and Judaism

I know our support are far from perfect. I've travelled near and far for more years than I care to remember. I'm just genuinely curious

I mean, when I say 'I don't want to go into why I hate Rangers', I mean 'I don't want to get into why I hate Rangers'. Not 'please message me'.

[phantom_power]

With Paulo being sacked and his son out on loan this is the first time there hasn't been a Maldini involved in Milan since the late 70s. That is an amazing stat for a family/club bond

Fiorentina graceful in defeat then, with their manager calling West Ham players animals and that they should have won 3-0. Looked to me more like Fiorentina players diving around like a bunch of Italian footballers to me

[Kankurette]

Ah, the Jose Mourinho School of Management.

[Hat FM]

Reckon that Saudi league is just gonna be like a really gaudy version of those Masters tournaments they have in arenas over here.  Think I prefer the fat old journeymen edition tbh.

i used to love this. robbie fowler scoring 8 goals in one game. always a few that were still in tip top condition that would dribble around the whole team. they used to show it on sky years back.

[boki]

Ah, the Jose Mourinho School of Management.

They parked the ark.

[The Culture Bunker]

i used to love this. robbie fowler scoring 8 goals in one game. always a few that were still in tip top condition that would dribble around the whole team. they used to show it on sky years back.

I was always amused at the real obscure players that they would muster to play as Man United. One time, the keeper was a lad who made a few showings between the sticks for the reserve side.