The Football Thread.

guitars4you · April 2023

Reports are that Gracia has been sacked - Another interim manager looses his job - What the hell is going on with clubs/boards etc these days - Chelsea, Spurs, Leeds, Leicester - All fire their manager but can't find a replacement - Joke

joneve · April 2023

mikeyrob73 said:

Well results have gone perfectly for Everton today, massive HUGE game tomorrow night which is a must win now,

oh and spurs are off to their usual fast start

Having thrown away the lead with 10 mins to go yesterday (that’s 23 points dropped from winning positions this season), Forest gave you a massive gift too. I mean this as nicely as possible when I say, I hope leicester batter you tomorrow. At least then it’s us, Leeds and you and we aren’t playing too bad. If we beat Southampton Monday i think we might need 2 points from 3 games at most. Literally so stressful haha

menamestom · May 2023

swiller said:

Another dodgy first half but world class second half from the toon.
Gordon is a wrongun for us. He should not start. Feels like a new joey barton.
A shame manure won, thought villa might have done them. Unconvincing win mind. So 3rd still deffo on the cards.
Looking forward to the arse next week at St James. Think they will undoubtedly be trembling at st james and see it as another demolition job in second half.
HOWAY THE LADS.

Unconvincing win?

Villa have been in great form as most Newcastle fans know. This was the first game they have not scored in since October - 23 consecutive games. Considering we had 3rd choice CB and a LB in central defence I take that as a very good victory.

I think Newcastle will finish 3rd though, I don’t think we will win on Thursday.

I don’t mind either way, 4th and league cup will do. FA cup would be great but I don’t give us much chance against City.

mrkb · May 2023

swiller said:

Another dodgy first half but world class second half from the toon.
Gordon is a wrongun for us. He should not start. Feels like a new joey barton.
A shame manure won, thought villa might have done them. Unconvincing win mind. So 3rd still deffo on the cards.
Looking forward to the arse next week at St James. Think they will undoubtedly be trembling at st james and see it as another demolition job in second half.
HOWAY THE Saudi State funded Investments

FTFY

axisus · May 2023

Small news around here but I'm very proud of Luton achieving 3rd in the Championship. Out of 24 teams only 6 have a lower value, and three of them are less that a million different to Luton's £31.5m. We will probably fall over in the play offs but it is still a dream of mine to see them in the Prem - even if we suffer the inevitable tonking every week.

TeleMaster · May 2023

axisus said:

Small news around here but I'm very proud of Luton achieving 3rd in the Championship. Out of 24 teams only 6 have a lower value, and three of them are less that a million different to Luton's £31.5m. We will probably fall over in the play offs but it is still a dream of mine to see them in the Prem - even if we suffer the inevitable tonking every week.

You could buy 77 players like Forest and give it a proper go?

RaymondLin · May 2023

On paper I think it’ll be Southampton, Everton and Leeds to go down. Both Leeds and Everton have really tough upcoming matches.

axisus · May 2023

menamestom said:

Well, final bids in for Man U.

Looking like the Jim Radcliffe bid is leading the race, as it’s worth more, proportionally, but means the Glazers will stay. Radcliffe owns Nice also, but fortunately he will avoid champions league complications as Nice are currently 10th. They have not been great since his arrival, and the Nice fans are not happy with his ownership. The bid will have elements of debt and no clear stadium / facilities overhaul.

The Glazers set the price at £6 billion - because the are businessmen and want to squeeze every drop out of their ownership. Had they set the price more realistically no doubt more bids would have been received.

Personally all I want is infrastructure investment, debt free ownership and decent management.
I’m not sure we’ll get that if this goes ahead.

Although Saudi owners are far less desirable a concept than a Brit who is also a fan, I worry that maybe Jim isn't rich enough. Sounds an insane thing to say, but if he's dishing out £5bn is he going to have enough for the stadium rebuild plus ongoing transfers etc. Also it means that the parasitic vermin will still be there, although they won't be able to suck the life out of the club in the same way.

Glazers - worst owners in the history of football ...

TeleMaster · May 2023

axisus said:

menamestom said:

Well, final bids in for Man U.

Looking like the Jim Radcliffe bid is leading the race, as it’s worth more, proportionally, but means the Glazers will stay. Radcliffe owns Nice also, but fortunately he will avoid champions league complications as Nice are currently 10th. They have not been great since his arrival, and the Nice fans are not happy with his ownership. The bid will have elements of debt and no clear stadium / facilities overhaul.

The Glazers set the price at £6 billion - because the are businessmen and want to squeeze every drop out of their ownership. Had they set the price more realistically no doubt more bids would have been received.

Personally all I want is infrastructure investment, debt free ownership and decent management.
I’m not sure we’ll get that if this goes ahead.

Although Saudi owners are far less desirable a concept than a Brit who is also a fan, I worry that maybe Jim isn't rich enough. Sounds an insane thing to say, but if he's dishing out £5bn is he going to have enough for the stadium rebuild plus ongoing transfers etc. Also it means that the parasitic vermin will still be there, although they won't be able to suck the life out of the club in the same way.

Glazers - worst owners in the history of football ...

Yea, this deal seems have infuriated the fans.

axisus · May 2023

RaymondLin said:

On paper I think it’ll be Southampton, Everton and Leeds to go down. Both Leeds and Everton have really tough upcoming matches.

I'd really like Forest to make the cut. Also, I have no vested interest in the club, but I hope Everton stay up. I'd choose Leics to go down with Southampton and Leeds personally.

UnclePsychosis · May 2023

axisus said:

menamestom said:

Well, final bids in for Man U.

Looking like the Jim Radcliffe bid is leading the race, as it’s worth more, proportionally, but means the Glazers will stay. Radcliffe owns Nice also, but fortunately he will avoid champions league complications as Nice are currently 10th. They have not been great since his arrival, and the Nice fans are not happy with his ownership. The bid will have elements of debt and no clear stadium / facilities overhaul.

The Glazers set the price at £6 billion - because the are businessmen and want to squeeze every drop out of their ownership. Had they set the price more realistically no doubt more bids would have been received.

Personally all I want is infrastructure investment, debt free ownership and decent management.
I’m not sure we’ll get that if this goes ahead.

Although Saudi owners are far less desirable a concept than a Brit who is also a fan, I worry that maybe Jim isn't rich enough. Sounds an insane thing to say, but if he's dishing out £5bn is he going to have enough for the stadium rebuild plus ongoing transfers etc. Also it means that the parasitic vermin will still be there, although they won't be able to suck the life out of the club in the same way.

Glazers - worst owners in the history of football ...

They're not though, are they. Not in the slightest.

tony99 · May 2023

UnclePsychosis said:

axisus said:

menamestom said:

Well, final bids in for Man U.

Looking like the Jim Radcliffe bid is leading the race, as it’s worth more, proportionally, but means the Glazers will stay. Radcliffe owns Nice also, but fortunately he will avoid champions league complications as Nice are currently 10th. They have not been great since his arrival, and the Nice fans are not happy with his ownership. The bid will have elements of debt and no clear stadium / facilities overhaul.

The Glazers set the price at £6 billion - because the are businessmen and want to squeeze every drop out of their ownership. Had they set the price more realistically no doubt more bids would have been received.

Personally all I want is infrastructure investment, debt free ownership and decent management.
I’m not sure we’ll get that if this goes ahead.

Although Saudi owners are far less desirable a concept than a Brit who is also a fan, I worry that maybe Jim isn't rich enough. Sounds an insane thing to say, but if he's dishing out £5bn is he going to have enough for the stadium rebuild plus ongoing transfers etc. Also it means that the parasitic vermin will still be there, although they won't be able to suck the life out of the club in the same way.

Glazers - worst owners in the history of football ...

They're not though, are they. Not in the slightest.

Agreed, although Man Utd fans may not like their operating procedures, they should take into account what they have won under their tenure.

There exists far, far worse owners at every level of the football pyramid

menamestom · May 2023

Have any owners ever taken more out of a club than the Glazers?

What they have taken could easily buy most premier league clubs. Some estimates are up to a billion, in debt and dividends.

The stadium and training facilities have had no investment at all in 20 years.

Basically they have bled a club on a scale that has never seen before, using the clubs global appeal and marketing potential to get as rich as they can. Then over value to club, which needs massive investment, and stifles the bidding process.

Do whether they are the worst owners ever depends on the metric you use.

As for Sir Jim, he’s not got the funds to make the investments required. He’s not done well at Nice. Plus one owner can’t have 2 clubs in the Champions league so presumably he’ll have to deal with that.

Snap · May 2023

axisus said:

Small news around here but I'm very proud of Luton achieving 3rd in the Championship. Out of 24 teams only 6 have a lower value, and three of them are less that a million different to Luton's £31.5m. We will probably fall over in the play offs but it is still a dream of mine to see them in the Prem - even if we suffer the inevitable tonking every week.

Fantastic story at Luton. As Blackburn fan I was watching yesterday's match and wincing. Our season has ended appallingly. talk about throwing it all away.

Don't Luton have a tiny ground? What will that mean if you get promoted?

RaymondLin · May 2023

Luton in the Premier League would be a sight to behold...my friend is a Millwall fan though so he disagrees and prefers his team to go up, but he thinks Middlesbrough will out of the teams in the playoffs.

UnclePsychosis · May 2023

It gives you some visibility of the lack of perspective that (some) fans have that owners who have seen their club win 12 trophies and whose lowest league position is 7th in the Premier League are even being mentioned as candidates for "worst owners ever".

Its an absolutely laughable assertion.

mudslide73 · May 2023

Snap said:

axisus said:

Small news around here but I'm very proud of Luton achieving 3rd in the Championship. Out of 24 teams only 6 have a lower value, and three of them are less that a million different to Luton's £31.5m. We will probably fall over in the play offs but it is still a dream of mine to see them in the Prem - even if we suffer the inevitable tonking every week.

Fantastic story at Luton. As Blackburn fan I was watching yesterday's match and wincing. Our season has ended appallingly. talk about throwing it all away.

Don't Luton have a tiny ground? What will that mean if you get promoted?

You've still a chance - there are a few permutations to line up but it's still doable. We (WBA) were bottom of the Prem in 2005 at the start of the last day with a more unlikely set of results needed but stayed up. I'm blown away that we're still slightly involved on the last day despite Steve Bruce having us bottom at the end of October.

Luton have been brilliant. Only their ground holding them back - a great away day entering through those houses and walking above the gardens!

guitars4you · May 2023

So Orta has gone - ditto Gracia - But hard to agree with big Sam coming in for 3/4 games - What a mess - No forward thinking

Orta has taken most of the recent dissent from the fans as 'director of football' - Plus points are obviously bringing in Bielsa - But was that him, or the board asking him to look after the appropriate package etc after he was asked to join LUFC - But Gnonto and the likes of Raphinha, at such prices, have been a good move after Orta identified them - Made a good profit on Raph and Gnonto will be a great profit as/when - But a few disasters in their as well

Credit to the likes of Brighton + Fulham + Brentford for getting so much right with forward thinking policies - And we get so much wrong - From the re-build and joy of Bielsa to potential downfall in 4-5 seasons - Certainly frustrating - But I'll still be there, as always

joneve · May 2023

guitars4you said:

So Orta has gone - ditto Gracia - But hard to agree with big Sam coming in for 3/4 games - What a mess - No forward thinking

Orta has taken most of the recent dissent from the fans as 'director of football' - Plus points are obviously bringing in Bielsa - But was that him, or the board asking him to look after the appropriate package etc after he was asked to join LUFC - But Gnonto and the likes of Raphinha, at such prices, have been a good move after Orta identified them - Made a good profit on Raph and Gnonto will be a great profit as/when - But a few disasters in their as well

Credit to the likes of Brighton + Fulham + Brentford for getting so much right with forward thinking policies - And we get so much wrong - From the re-build and joy of Bielsa to potential downfall in 4-5 seasons - Certainly frustrating - But I'll still be there, as always

Hopefully the Leeds car crash continues and they carry on leaking goals and not picking up points for the final 4 games. One less team to contend with.

I've never been so fucking stressed out about anything in my life

joeyowen · May 2023

UnclePsychosis said:

It gives you some visibility of the lack of perspective that (some) fans have that owners who have seen their club win 12 trophies and whose lowest league position is 7th in the Premier League are even being mentioned as candidates for "worst owners ever".

Its an absolutely laughable assertion.

It's a tricky one. You have clubs who have ended up much worse, bled to bankruptcy etc... It's shocking that it is allowed to happen. However, on a big scale, the Glazers have managed to riddle the club with the debt, claim scary money, now profit over 5 billion and leave the debt behind.

So United have not suffered as much, but the owners have defo got away with far worse than any others I can think of.

I guess the club are lucky they have such a global brand etc... but it is clear to most fans that football is second place to the business. I'll never forget the big announcement teaser during a transfer window that turned out to be an official tractor partnership during out lowest league position in years haha.

Overall though, I'm not trying to compare as fans. I feel for many of the smaller clubs who have had their livelihoods taken from them, it's a disgrace.

menamestom · May 2023

UnclePsychosis said:

It gives you some visibility of the lack of perspective that (some) fans have that owners who have seen their club win 12 trophies and whose lowest league position is 7th in the Premier League are even being mentioned as candidates for "worst owners ever".

Its an absolutely laughable assertion.

'worst owners ever' doesn't really have a definition and like I said it really depends on what metric you are using to assess.

By the metric I mentioned, which is how much have they syphoned from the club, they are certainly top of the list.
They have taken more from a football club than any other owner, whilst at the same time invested hardly anything into infrastructure.

We are in a privileged position compared to most clubs, most fans realise that, but that doesn't mean the Glazers have been anything but bad owners, it's just masked by the massive commercial position of the club.

mikeyrob73 · May 2023

i will take your Glazers and swap you for Kenwright and Moshiri

absolute shambles

joneve · May 2023

mikeyrob73 said:

i will take your Glazers and swap you for Kenwright and Moshiri
absolute shambles

Hopefully the shambles continues for another 4 games, at least

jellyroll · May 2023

City fan here but trying to be balanced...whilst the Glazers haven't covered themselves in glory, United have had plenty of funds made available for new players. The criticism of the owners would be much quieter if managerial appointments had worked out and that same team had won (more) trophies. And most of the managerial appointments they've made looked reasonable at the time. (And managerial appointments do seem to be something of a roll of the dice - look at Graham Potter and Unai Emery).

joeyowen · May 2023

jellyroll said:

City fan here but trying to be balanced...whilst the Glazers haven't covered themselves in glory, United have had plenty of funds made available for new players. The criticism of the owners would be much quieter if managerial appointments had worked out and that same team had won (more) trophies. And most of the managerial appointments they've made looked reasonable at the time. (And managerial appointments do seem to be something of a roll of the dice - look at Graham Potter and Unai Emery).

Fair points, and I'm not too mad about transfers etc.... hindsight is wonderful

However, the leaks at the stadium which took literally years to resolve are an issue. Also look at City's training/youth development areas. I know there is a sports washing debate, but a club of ManUtds stature, could and should be doing more. City are looking at a stadium expansion too. Man Utd as an infrastructure hasn't moved in a decade

UnclePsychosis · May 2023

menamestom said:

UnclePsychosis said:

It gives you some visibility of the lack of perspective that (some) fans have that owners who have seen their club win 12 trophies and whose lowest league position is 7th in the Premier League are even being mentioned as candidates for "worst owners ever".

Its an absolutely laughable assertion.

'worst owners ever' doesn't really have a definition and like I said it really depends on what metric you are using to assess.

By the metric I mentioned, which is how much have they syphoned from the club, they are certainly top of the list.
They have taken more from a football club than any other owner, whilst at the same time invested hardly anything into infrastructure.

We are in a privileged position compared to most clubs, most fans realise that, but that doesn't mean the Glazers have been anything but bad owners, it's just masked by the massive commercial position of the club.

"worst owners ever" has enough of a definition to absolutely and unequivocally remove the Glazers from the discussion.

Are they particularly great owners? No.

Is "the worst owners ever" ridiculous hyperbole and a complete loss of perspective? Absolutely.

TTony · May 2023

joeyowen said:

However, the leaks at the stadium which took literally years to resolve are an issue. Also look at City's training/youth development areas. I know there is a sports washing debate, but a club of ManUtds stature, could and should be doing more. City are looking at a stadium expansion too. Man Utd as an infrastructure hasn't moved in a decade

Over the past few seasons, ManU chose to spend their cash on the players rather than the stadium/facilities.

Spurs spent theirs on the stadium/facilities rather than players.

Neither did particularly well in choosing managers or building teams.

Boromedic · May 2023

axisus said:

Small news around here but I'm very proud of Luton achieving 3rd in the Championship. Out of 24 teams only 6 have a lower value, and three of them are less that a million different to Luton's £31.5m. We will probably fall over in the play offs but it is still a dream of mine to see them in the Prem - even if we suffer the inevitable tonking every week.

Should be a good playoff competition, Luton did well to overhaul everyone and take third. I'm hoping (obviously) that we can win the playoffs but it's always a lottery and we've dropped form at a bad time. Hopefully it's really a tactical masterstroke and all will be well.

axisus · May 2023

Snap said:

axisus said:

Small news around here but I'm very proud of Luton achieving 3rd in the Championship. Out of 24 teams only 6 have a lower value, and three of them are less that a million different to Luton's £31.5m. We will probably fall over in the play offs but it is still a dream of mine to see them in the Prem - even if we suffer the inevitable tonking every week.

Fantastic story at Luton. As Blackburn fan I was watching yesterday's match and wincing. Our season has ended appallingly. talk about throwing it all away.

Don't Luton have a tiny ground? What will that mean if you get promoted?

Yeah, pretty tiny! you can get in virtually through some people's back gardens! They have been decades trying to get a new stadium built, The owners of the hideous shopping centre have been instrumental in trying to block it for a great many years.

axisus · May 2023

Boromedic said:

axisus said:

Small news around here but I'm very proud of Luton achieving 3rd in the Championship. Out of 24 teams only 6 have a lower value, and three of them are less that a million different to Luton's £31.5m. We will probably fall over in the play offs but it is still a dream of mine to see them in the Prem - even if we suffer the inevitable tonking every week.

Should be a good playoff competition, Luton did well to overhaul everyone and take third. I'm hoping (obviously) that we can win the playoffs but it's always a lottery and we've dropped form at a bad time. Hopefully it's really a tactical masterstroke and all will be well.

Whoever wins on the day wins. I just hope that no one suffers disgraceful decisions. May the best team win!

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