The whatever footie that's going on (with actual fans) thread

tim_wand

Stevo 666 wrote:

Great pint in the Railway. That aside, I m actually saddened to see Newcastle go down, unless of course it means that Ashley fecks arf. Searching hard in my 45 years to remember a time when both Newcastle and Villa weren't in the top league. No its a not so irregular occurrence for Newcastle, but Villa gave up without even a whimper. Hopefully the Toon will show some pride and do The Yids and Villa will continue to be the pile of Shite they ve been all season and the Gooners can nick RU.

Flâneur

1 cross 1 goal from us last night. Poor Benteke, I'm not his biggest fan but must suck being in a team that doesn't play to your strengths (that being scoring goals)

my_grandadʹs_bike

Flâneur wrote:

1 cross 1 goal from us last night. Poor Benteke, I'm not his biggest fan but must suck being in a team that doesn't play to your strengths (that being scoring goals)

My daughter has the same problem playing for her team - supposed to be making her a better player but its just cost them one final and will do so again on Sunday if the coach lets the midfield piss around with the ball "Martinez" style.

mr_goo

Martinez gone. I like the bloke. He is clearly a good coach but just hasn't worked out for him at Everton.
Could Frank de Boer be on his way to the blue half of Merseyside? His resignation from Ajax and Martinez sacking all on same day. Coincidence?

Stevo_666

Mr Goo wrote:

Martinez gone. I like the bloke. He is clearly a good coach but just hasn't worked out for him at Everton.
Could Frank de Boer be on his way to the blue half of Merseyside? His resignation from Ajax and Martinez sacking all on same day. Coincidence?

Decisions, decisions...

mr_goo

Just remembered. There is one manager who'll jump at the chance to drag a team down even further.

kingstonian

Mr Goo wrote:

Martinez gone. I like the bloke. He is clearly a good coach but just hasn't worked out for him at Everton.
Could Frank de Boer be on his way to the blue half of Merseyside? His resignation from Ajax and Martinez sacking all on same day. Coincidence?

Seems to have zero clue in how to stop a team leaking goals though

mr_goo

Best quote I've read this season. On a Cherries fans forum, discussing the last home game v Baggies. One fan bemoaning Eddie Howe's experimental forward line up ...... "you're more likely to see a better cross in a mosque"

Brilliant.

mr_goo

Now Flores is leaving Watford. He's done a great job for the club. Must be some internal problems that forces his departure.
Club owners need a reality check, they can't all win the league and get European spot. Being part of the Premier league is an achievement in itself.

pinno

Yep, sometimes I wonder what board expectations really are.

Everton don't have a huge budget and Watford have done well.

lostboysaint

Mr Goo wrote:

Martinez gone. I like the bloke. He is clearly a good coach but just hasn't worked out for him at Everton.
Could Frank de Boer be on his way to the blue half of Merseyside? His resignation from Ajax and Martinez sacking all on same day. Coincidence?

Sorry but how is he clearly a good coach? He lucked into a good Everton squad when Moyes left and they performed, he added to it (with very mixed results!) and they've got worse, despite having an ok budget. His team consistently leak goals and don't score enough. The fact that it's consistent means that he is a fundamentally flawed coach!

The decision by Watford to part with Flores is just bizarre.

Flâneur

not sure de Boer is the right man for everton, more passing still no pressing/forward play.

Well the merry go round will start in a week or so.
Zlatan's tweets were amusing, I'd guess United or Italy for his next team.

mr_goo

lostboysaint wrote:

Mr Goo wrote:

Martinez gone. I like the bloke. He is clearly a good coach but just hasn't worked out for him at Everton.
Could Frank de Boer be on his way to the blue half of Merseyside? His resignation from Ajax and Martinez sacking all on same day. Coincidence?

Sorry but how is he clearly a good coach? He lucked into a good Everton squad when Moyes left and they performed, he added to it (with very mixed results!) and they've got worse, despite having an ok budget. His team consistently leak goals and don't score enough. The fact that it's consistent means that he is a fundamentally flawed coach!

The decision by Watford to part with Flores is just bizarre.

My team the Cherries have consistently leaked goals all season and not scored too many and survived. Everton are in the Premiership for another season. I cannot even remember the last time they played European football, so that in itself speaks volumes.
I think the days of dynasties in the English Prem are over. The money slushing around always means that one or two teams will get it right for a season and do well. I do not expect Leicester or Spurs to be as elevated next season.

lostboysaint

Leicester won't be, unfortunately Spurs probably will.

And survival isn't the mark of a good coach

Flâneur

And the chelsea players have to keep an eye on where Terry is for another year

Stevo_666

Flâneur wrote:

And the chelsea players have to keep an eye on where Terry is for another year

Good. He's not just a winner on the field (a great influence in the dressing room as well)

As the song goes,
"Chelsea, wherever you may be
Don't let you wife near John Te-rry"

Flâneur

Prob a good bit of business, my only concern is that does he have too much power compared to a manager? It appears the owner doesnt care or Conte feels he doesn't

lostboysaint

Why's it good business? He's yet another example of the failure of certain clubs (and Chelsea are amongst the worst) to move on ageing players and progress and evolve their squad. This season should have been a proper wake up call that there's plenty of talent around that is being ignored or overlooked (have they done any decent scouting for years now? Where's the latest academy graduate to cement a place in the first team etc.etc.) and that other teams have moved on - regardless of whether you play like Leicester or like Spurs. If there isn't a decent CB in amongst the 30+ players that Chelsea have out on loan then there should be some very serious questions asked of Michael Emenalo and his scouting team.

Flâneur

because they haven't replace him yet have they? the scouting team/development team currently feel that nobody else is able to fulfil the role as either first choice or a reserve.

Chelsea along with other rich teams often buy the ready made CB rather than develop their own, and so with that business model this deal fits and works (on form, not a definite)

Should it be better than that? yes, but this isnt a a defender who was never any good and as each season gets past gets more worrying but a defender with the ability to view the game. As an observer it would be ideal that he only plays as 3rd choice or to come shore up something if it isn't going well however nothing plays out perfectly, one injury one suspension and suddenly playing the 18 year old who the other CB doesn't know may not be the best thing.

Chelsea's loan system is a different debate and of something rich/successful clubs have done for decades, they just seem to have let inflation take hold

lostboysaint

They have. Statistically they were much better off when he was out earlier in the season but in true fashion they overlooked that and shoehorned him back into the side on the basis of being a "club legend and leader". They did the same thing with Ashley Cole for years and lost one of the best LBs in the PL as a result whilst when they eventually moved him on it was found (as most non-Chelsea/England fans had already known for two seasons) that he wasn't good enough for reserve team football in Italy, let alone 1st team football in the PL. They're repeating the mistake now.

The loan system isn't a different debate. It's about getting players in early and IF they are deemed to need experience then put them out to get that before then assimilating the improved player into the first team squad on their return. I'm sure Stevo would be delighted to tell us when that last happened as opposed to the suspicion that they just bulk buy "talent" on the basis of keeping it out of the PL oppositions hands and then cutting their losses on it later.

cornerblock

There is no guarantee that Terry will even accept the offer of an extra year, probably at a drastically reduced wage. I get the feeling that this decision is as much to placate the fans before Sunday. The rumblings of discontent were growing from fans as to why there had been no decision on his future and now the club have put the ball firmly back in JT's court after he came out earlier in the season and announced this would be his final season as the club had made him no offer.

His going public on the matter I believe annoyed people at the club who maybe felt that JT was being hasty in his statement and merely doing so to gain as much sympathy from the fans. I'll be treating the game on Sunday as his farewell as I think if he gets a ridiculous offer from China or the US for a couple of years he'd be crazy to turn it down. And he knows and we know that even if he does hang around for another year his first team chances will be limited. All good things come to an end.

As for Chelsea holding onto players too long. Eh? Who? Ashley Cole? CL winner. Didier Drogba CL winner and yet another Premiership title. Frank Lampard? Another one who won a CL in the 'twighlight' of his Chelsea career. No we didn't keep them too long, we got the most from them. FYI Lostboysaint we have a policy of only offering players over 30 I believe one year deals. I'd love to think that some of this current mob would hang around long enough to do something similar but there's no chance. More's the pity.

Stevo_666

Like I said above, he's one of the senior players and by all accounts a big influence in the dressing room, so almost worth keeping him for that reason alone in what will be a transition year, plus he will be good for a fair few games/parts of games in the season as well despite his best playing years being behind him. That said, looked at the news and he hasn't accepted the offer - just considering it.

In other news, Koeman appears to be in the picture for the Everton job. He's a good manager, so why he would want to swap one team that wins sweet FA for another one that also wins sweet FA, isn't totally clear to me

tim_wand

Happy St Totteringhams Day! Unbelievable Jeff. you couldn't make it up, Its as if Levy wants Wenger to have a job for life.

Stevo_666

tim wand wrote:

Happy St Totteringhams Day! Unbelievable Jeff. you couldn't make it up, Its as if Levy wants Wenger to have a job for life.

You bammy jastards Tim, I owe you a tenner: how do you want paying?

tim_wand

No worries Stevo, Put it in the Charity tin of your choice or Conscience, there must be a Charity somewhere for the Broken Children of the Lanes of North London!

I was hoping I could get you to put in JT's leaving card

Stevo_666

tim wand wrote:

No worries Stevo, Put it in the Charity tin of your choice or Conscience, there must be a Charity somewhere for the Broken Children of the Lanes of North London!

I was hoping I could get you to put in JT's leaving card

Not sure what charity that would constitute If I see a worthy cause with a collection tin before Thurs will put into that: if not then an extra tenner goes to cancer research at my Godfathers funeral that day as the 'Big C' got him two weeks ago.

tim_wand

Stevo 666 wrote:

tim wand wrote:

No worries Stevo, Put it in the Charity tin of your choice or Conscience, there must be a Charity somewhere for the Broken Children of the Lanes of North London!

I was hoping I could get you to put in JT's leaving card

Not sure what charity that would constitute If I see a worthy cause with a collection tin before Thurs will put into that: if not then an extra tenner goes to cancer research at my Godfathers funeral that day as the 'Big C' got him two weeks ago.

Put it in the Collection Thursday please Stevo, and if you let me know what Cancer Charity I ll match it myself for him.
Sorry to hear that, Lost both my Mum and Dad to the big C a few years ago in the space of 10 days of Each other, If theres one thing I could wish for in mine or my childs lifetime , its that one day we beat that senseless and devastating disease.

ballysmate

Stevo 666 wrote:

Like I said above, he's one of the senior players and by all accounts a big influence in the dressing room, so almost worth keeping him for that reason alone in what will be a transition year, plus he will be good for a fair few games/parts of games in the season as well despite his best playing years being behind him. That said, looked at the news and he hasn't accepted the offer - just considering it.

In other news, Koeman appears to be in the picture for the Everton job. He's a good manager, so why he would want to swap one team that wins sweet FA for another one that also wins sweet FA, isn't totally clear to me

You could keep him just in case you win a trophy and need someone to don a strip to collect it.

Stevo_666

tim wand wrote:

Stevo 666 wrote:

tim wand wrote:

No worries Stevo, Put it in the Charity tin of your choice or Conscience, there must be a Charity somewhere for the Broken Children of the Lanes of North London!

I was hoping I could get you to put in JT's leaving card

Not sure what charity that would constitute If I see a worthy cause with a collection tin before Thurs will put into that: if not then an extra tenner goes to cancer research at my Godfathers funeral that day as the 'Big C' got him two weeks ago.

Put it in the Collection Thursday please Stevo, and if you let me know what Cancer Charity I ll match it myself for him.
Sorry to hear that, Lost both my Mum and Dad to the big C a few years ago in the space of 10 days of Each other, If theres one thing I could wish for in mine or my childs lifetime , its that one day we beat that senseless and devastating disease.

Thanks, will do Tim. It's Cancer Research UK.

Sorry to hear about your folks, that's awful.

pinno

Well that was a surprise. Can we have 3 world class defenders, a world class striker and 2 ball winning midfielders with presence please?
Rosicky and Arteta are going. Walcott can f*ck off unless he actually agrees to playing out wide. Giroud can go, Mertesacker can go...