Football Thread 2021/22 Part 2 - Matt Le Tosser, Dejan Moron and Thickie Lambert

[The Culture Bunker]

But it's such a wilfully stupid political move. It doesn't make him look tough and uncompromising, it makes him look like a weirdo.

I gather he actually is a bit of weirdo. Van der Sar called him as such during a "farewell" speech on the pitch at Ajax the other week.

[jamiefairlie]

Even I can't watch it. Obviously I want England to do well but the whole thing leaves me cold.

That's my view, with the obvious addition of 'don't' before 'want' that is.

[jamiefairlie]

Chelsea, City, Man Utd, Arsenal, Leicester is 5 teams in the last what, 15 years? Blackburn 25 years ago makes it 6.

Yeah, maybe not great. It's been a 2 horse race for 5 years or so but Man Utd will probably come back in the next couple of years to add a third horse.

It's becoming more like Scotland where the focus is not on winning games but on the games you don't win being the difference between the top two.

[jamiefairlie]

I'd say the haircut comes into it, yeah. The cunt ratio among middle-aged men that choose to look like D'Artagnan must be off the charts.

1:1

[The Culture Bunker]

Chelsea, City, Man Utd, Arsenal, Leicester is 5 teams in the last what, 15 years? Blackburn 25 years ago makes it 6.

Yeah, maybe not great. It's been a 2 horse race for 5 years or so but Man Utd will probably come back in the next couple of years to add a third horse.

Think I've mentioned this before, but there was a nice few years in the late 60s/early 70s where it was a different champion every year and both domestic cups moved around a bit too.

1967 - Champions: Man United/FA Cup: Spurs/League Cup: QPR
1968 - Man City/West Brom/Leeds
1969 - Leeds/Man City/Swindon (!)
1970 - Everton/Chelsea/Man City
1971 - Arsenal/Arsenal/Spurs
1972 - Derby/Leeds/Stoke
1973 - Liverpool/Sunderland/Spurs

So over seven seasons, eleven different teams taking the prizes. By contrast, the last seven seasons have seen the pots carved up between six (Man City, Chelsea, Man United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Leicester).

[Norton Canes]

Just noticed one of the National League play-off quarter finals is taking place tonight. Jesus, how much interest can there be?

Hang on, there's a different thread for little football now, isn't there...

[king_tubby]

1972 - Derby

The good old days.

[Poobum]

Hamburg continue to be the uber Spurs of Germany. Back to Bundesliga 2 with you.

[Gurke and Hare]

Especially as his final parting gift was to basically tell the fanbase that their best player and captain was a shitebag.

Rooney was nowhere near the best player by then, he only scored 12 league goals in Ferguson's last season and was miles behind Robin van Persie who was only 29 and in a well run team should have had two or three more good seasons. For a player who at one point looked like he should easily break both the United and England scoring records Rooney staggered over both lines. Ferguson's actual final parting gift was Wilfried Zaha, who Moyes selected four times ever. *slow handclap* It wasn't that bad a squad that he left behind, but for whatever reason Moyes couldn't do a thing right with it. It's also worth noting that that was also the year Edward fucking Woodward took over, and started out by screwing Moyes in the summer only managing to get one player, and that was Fellaini so it wasn't any help at all really.

As for giving Fernandes a new contract, that was clearly the right thing to do. Yes, he's had a poor season, but in doing so he's still cleared the admittedly low hurdle of being one of the team's best players, and more importantly is one of the very few who hasn't stopped trying at any point. He's shown in the past that he's got more ability than anyone else there, and in a team that needs so much rebuilding the last thing you want is for his contract to run down.

[The Culture Bunker]

As for giving Fernandes a new contract, that was clearly the right thing to do. Yes, he's had a poor season, but in doing so he's still cleared the admittedly low hurdle of being one of the team's best players, and more importantly is one of the very few who hasn't stopped trying at any point. He's shown in the past that he's got more ability than anyone else there, and in a team that needs so much rebuilding the last thing you want is for his contract to run down.

It's only the "right" thing to do if the new manager wants to work with him. And I'd question his effort in the last few months - too many 'Hollywood' passes going nowhere, getting caught in possession (often followed by lying on the ground pretending to be injured while the oppo team bears down on goal) and general dummy-spitting behaviour.

His first 18 months or so, he was exceptional but something seemed to go awry when Ronaldo arrived. That may be just coincidence, as I could easily believe - like Rashford - he's got infected with the same malaise that has seen the likes of Rashford, Lingard and Maguire turn into absolute carthorses.

As I said earlier, not one single first team player merits their place on the basis of the last few months. Fernandes should have been made to work for the extension under the new man, but the United way seems to be to hand out the deals to keep a player's "paper value" high.

[TrenterPercenter]

Think I've mentioned this before, but there was a nice few years in the late 60s/early 70s where it was a different champion every year and both domestic cups moved around a bit too.

1967 - Champions: Man United/FA Cup: Spurs/League Cup: QPR
1968 - Man City/West Brom/Leeds
1969 - Leeds/Man City/Swindon (!)
1970 - Everton/Chelsea/Man City
1971 - Arsenal/Arsenal/Spurs
1972 - Derby/Leeds/Stoke
1973 - Liverpool/Sunderland/Spurs

So over seven seasons, eleven different teams taking the prizes. By contrast, the last seven seasons have seen the pots carved up between six (Man City, Chelsea, Man United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Leicester).

14 teams from your list innit?

[The Culture Bunker]

So it is - so even more impressive!

Could also add that in the same period, Man United (European Cup), Leeds (Fairs Cup x2), Arsenal (Fairs Cup), Newcastle (Fairs Cup), Liverpool (UEFA Cup), Spurs (UEFA Cup, playing Wolves in the final) Chelsea (CWC) and City (CWC) won on the continent too.

[jamiefairlie]

Think I've mentioned this before, but there was a nice few years in the late 60s/early 70s where it was a different champion every year and both domestic cups moved around a bit too.

1967 - Champions: Man United/FA Cup: Spurs/League Cup: QPR
1968 - Man City/West Brom/Leeds
1969 - Leeds/Man City/Swindon (!)
1970 - Everton/Chelsea/Man City
1971 - Arsenal/Arsenal/Spurs
1972 - Derby/Leeds/Stoke
1973 - Liverpool/Sunderland/Spurs

So over seven seasons, eleven different teams taking the prizes. By contrast, the last seven seasons have seen the pots carved up between six (Man City, Chelsea, Man United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Leicester).

Man utd, Chelsea and Spurs all in Div 2 for stretches too. Carlisle top of Div 1.

[Gurke and Hare]

I'd question his effort in the last few months - too many 'Hollywood' passes going nowhere, getting caught in possession (often followed by lying on the ground pretending to be injured while the oppo team bears down on goal) and general dummy-spitting behaviour.

Nonsense from start to finish. "Hollywood passes", as you call them are the only instance of anyone in the team trying to get the team on the attack - at least when he gives the ball away, he's trying to do something, unlike when the midfielders who constantly give the ball away trying to play a 5 yard pass. It's also totally unfair to suggest he doesn't do his bit in running back, he does so far more than any other attacking player and there was barely a game this season where he didn't bail the defence out once or twice. If he's looked angry from time to time it's because the rest of them give him nothing to work with.

[AllisonSays]

Looks a promising signing although hotly-touted box-to-box midfielders from Ligue 1 are ten-a-penny: as much chance of landing a Seri or M'Vila as an Ndidi or Fabinho.

Assuming you're referring to Yann M'Villa here I'd just like to emphasise that he was absolutely class and one of the best players I've seen at Sunderland for 20 years or so!

[Inspector Norse]

Assuming you're referring to Yann M'Villa here I'd just like to emphasise that he was absolutely class and one of the best players I've seen at Sunderland for 20 years or so!

Not a lot of competition though is there! Don't remember his time at Sunderland to be honest but assumed he'd been a flop because he didn't get signed up and has just bounced around B-list leagues since. But OK, swap him out for Bakayoko if we're talking crap midfield imports from Ligue 1...

[AllisonSays]

Sunderland signed a lad called N'Domg to replace him - also a rangy, mobile midfielder- who was utterly hopeless, so add him to the list, haha.

[Joe Qunt]

Mad to think just how many brilliant footballers came from that 2016-17 Monaco squad:

• Mbappe
• Bernardo Silva
• Fabinho
• Benjamin Mendy
• Joao Moutinho
• Thomas Lemar
• Falcao
• Saint-Maximin (admittedly he was on loan)
• Bakayoko (he was good at one point)

[Inspector Norse]

Benjamin Mendy, brilliant footballer.

[Joe Qunt]

Benjamin Mendy, brilliant footballer.

He was pretty good when he played, he is of course a purported scumbag. Best not forget that.

[Kankurette]

Edouard is best Mendy.

Everyone's favourite Channel Islander fuckwit conspiracy theorist is on GB News again, according to a video I watched of the Chelsea v Watford game. Talking about BLM, media conformity and lockdown. I know this is a deeply stupid and/or rhetorical question but I cannot get my head around Matt Le Tissier being massively against the government and authority...and also opposing Black Lives Matter. 

I wish I could hold the cunt down and cough in his face. I got COVID last week and although I'm in the clear, I still feel like utter shite, not to mention it seems to have set my tooth infection off again (I'm not getting root canal, just getting it yanked out because the dentist basically said that root canal is too risky and has a chance of failure).

[Inspector Norse]

BBC intern has fun

Can understand people getting angry about this. It's hardly news after all.

[DrGreggles]

Mad to think just how many brilliant footballers came from that 2016-17 Monaco squad:

• Mbappe
• Bernardo Silva
• Fabinho
• Benjamin Mendy
• Joao Moutinho
• Thomas Lemar
• Falcao
• Saint-Maximin (admittedly he was on loan)
• Bakayoko (he was good at one point)

This happens every so often, but the teams don't stay together for long once the ESL mob throw big money at them.
Ajax in the mid 90s and Porto 2004 spring to mind.

[Utter Shit]

Mad to think just how many brilliant footballers came from that 2016-17 Monaco squad:

• Mbappe
• Bernardo Silva
• Fabinho
• Benjamin Mendy
• Joao Moutinho
• Thomas Lemar
• Falcao
• Saint-Maximin (admittedly he was on loan)
• Bakayoko (he was good at one point)

That was really depressing even at the time. Monaco were fantastic, ripped through so many teams in the CL (they absolutely BATTERED us, and Mbappe didn't even play) and it was immediately obvious that Mbappe and Bernardo in particular were superstars. But it was equally obvious that they would just get asset stripped the moment that season ended. Teams like that are only allowed to exist for a limited amount of time.

[JamesTC]

BBC intern has fun

Can understand people getting angry about this. It's hardly news after all.

Love the "Weather rain everywhere". It reminds me of a time I was processing a loan rating for a wealthy business and the start date entered on the application form was "ages ago".

[holyzombiejesus]

As shitty as Zouma was with that cat, this (from the prosecutor at the court case) is laughable bollocks.

"Since this footage was put in the public domain there has been a spate of people hitting cats and posting it on various social media sites."

[Kankurette]

As if anyone would be stupid enough to do that after the backlash Zouma got.

[holyzombiejesus]

Just fucking idiotic, isn't it

[jobotic]

If he played for my team I'd have hoofed my cat over the roof.

We're so stoopid, football fans.

[Kankurette]

Besides, if I tried to do a Zouma on Gary he'd put me in hospital.