Football The 2011/2012 Season Thread

[cHodAX]

What a load of bollocks.

Lets see how in pans out for them in the medium term, they were an unknown quantity this time around and won alot of points through sheer force of will. Second season will make or break them.

 

[megadave]

Depends if they retain their best players or how well they replace them.

On the subject of stadia etc; didn't manutd recently announce they were moving the away section and introducing an official singing section? Be interesting see if that resurrects the atmosphere.

 

[cHodAX]

Depends if they retain their best players or how well they replace them.

On the subject of stadia etc; didn't manutd recently announce they were moving the away section and introducing an official singing section? Be interesting see if that resurrects the atmosphere.

Yes, the singing section is probably going to be 3000-4000 strong and will be in the south stand where the roof is lower and acoustics are better. Sadly for the away fans they are being dumped at the top of the north stand where oxygen levels will keep them quiet!

 

[eksdee]

The fact remains that a team is able to stay up playing good football. Outside influences on the team can hardly be attributed to a failure of playstyle in keeping a team safe. The Stoke team doesn't get broken up because no other PL team signs scrum halves.

 

[cHodAX]

They have bought to compliment what they already had, they don't have the finances to gut the side and totally rebuild so they are doing it peicemeal whilst trying to stay in the PL and keep the TV money rolling in to finance thier medium term plans. It is almost exactly what Bolton did and for years it worked, they now play better football and as a business are fairly solid which is what thier fans wanted above all else, security.

 

[eksdee]

They played better football after Allardyce and then Megson left.

Pulis is a cancer upon football. Fuck him and fuck his shit team.

 

[Wazzerphuk]

Pulis said after Stoke were established he'd look to change the style.

Well, they're established now and they've cut their European scouting network. They're not even attempting to look into changing style now they're here. They'll be cloggers until either a) Pulis leaves or b) they get relegated. I reckon B will come first.

 

[cHodAX]

Football is not always about being pretty, it is about winning or at least surviving and that is exactly what he is doing. His bullying style is buying Stoke time to survive and grow, that can only happen if they continue to eat at the top table.

 

[eksdee]

Also, signing Peter Crouch is hardly a step towards a more progressive and attractive style of football is it?

 

[cHodAX]

Pulis said after Stoke were established he'd look to change the style.

Well, they're established now and they've cut their European scouting network. They're not even attempting to look into changing style now they're here. They'll be cloggers until either a) Pulis leaves or b) they get relegated. I reckon B will come first.

For them to buy better and therefore play better they need money, to get that money they need to survive a while, get enough money to expand the stadium and invest in training/youth facilities. We would all love to see them playing free-flowing football but to a man we all know that ends in relegation for them, just like it did for West Brom a few years back. They have a plan, it isn't pretty but they stick to it because it gives the club a future, I admire that even if I hate the style they play.

 

[Raven]

It's far easier to just hack and hoof.

 

[cHodAX]

Borussia Dortmund average 80,000 per home game from a city with a population a shade under 600,000k. That is epic.

 

[Wazzerphuk]

It helps that Bundesliga prices are dirt cheap compared to over here.

 

[cHodAX]

It helps that Bundesliga prices are dirt cheap compared to over here.

Yep and it certainly doesn't hurt merchandise sales.

 

[Wazzerphuk]

Arsenal kits through the years.

 

[DaGaffer]

It helps that Bundesliga prices are dirt cheap compared to over here.

There must be more to it than that. Other big stadia in Germany regularly sell out (the Allianz had 180 sell outs in a row), but Dortmund is a huge stadium in a region with a shitload of local competition. Do wonder why they're particularly popular.

 

[cHodAX]

Arsenal kits through the years.

Identity crisis.

 

[Wazzerphuk]

Can't do a Man Utd one as the .gif file would be too big, you money grabbing bastards.

 

[Billargh]

Still think you need a few seasons in the CL to justify and and expansion, a couple of years of success and 60k max attendance might be viable, especially if they don't get greedy with prices.

Yeah no doubt. I wasn't suggesting we go for the expansion btw, just that I reckon we'd be able to fill it

 

[cHodAX]

Can't do a Man Utd one as the .gif file would be too big, you money grabbing bastards.

Bitter gooner bastard!

 

[Ch3tan]

Battersea is currently a shithole and is in major need of regeneration. It's one of the worst places in London.

Thanks for clearing that up, I did a google street maps and got that impression but I didn't want say it without having been to that part of the city.

Wazz is wrong though, Battersea has some bad estate areas, but no worse than any other parts of London, it's also got great rail connections, as many high end apartments as low end estates.

One stop from Clapham Junction on the train, or one stop from Victoria.

 

[cHodAX]

Yeah no doubt. I wasn't suggesting we go for the expansion btw, just that I reckon we'd be able to fill it

Maybe, most of the growth will have to come from the north east though and I am not sure how much headroom there is there. For Manchester United we have population of about 7.5 million in the north west, compared to 2.5 million for the north east which Newcastle draw thier core support from. Then you have the national and international draw, areas where Newcastle really need to expand if they want to become a major player one day. City face a similair issue, they can't fill 48,000 on a regular basis and had Champions League matches with 29,000 in attendance which really does show the size of thier core support. They need to grow the need a national and international fanbase but to expand the stadium and fill it they need to suck up a sizeable amount of glory hunting floaters like Adaa and Fast!

 

[cHodAX]

Wazz is wrong though, Battersea has some bad estate areas, but no worse than any other parts of London, it's also got great rail connections, as many high end apartments as low end estates.

One stop from Clapham Junction on the train, or one stop from Victoria.

It's not Kensington or Knightsbridge though is it? That was my point really, the allure of those places already drags alot of tourists in but how many walk past the Bridge and think 'hmm I might spend £40 and go watch Chelsea tonight'? Few if any. Really, thepeople who want to see football already know they want to go, they don't walk past a place and suddenly decide. Moving to Battersea doesn't change that, it just makes it less likely unless the rest of the development is top notch.

 

[Ch3tan]

It's not Kensington or Knightsbridge though is it? That was my point really, the allure of those places already drags alot of tourists in but how many walk past the Bridge and think 'hmm I might spend £40 and go watch Chelsea tonight'? Few if any. Really, thepeople who want to see football already know they want to go, they don't walk past a place and suddenly decide. Moving to Battersea doesn't change that, it just makes it less likely unless the rest of the development is top notch.

Knightsbridge and Kensington are worse for transport links and are just high end living and shops. Hardly the place for a football stadium.

Battersea park is a big tourist draw, and just over the bridge from the richer areas of Chelsea and Fulham, it's a short bus ride to Knightsbridge and Kensington. It also has a massive local population, as I said previously, lots of lots of apartments, both cheap and expensive. Wazz's description of it is misleading.

 

[DaGaffer]

It's not Kensington or Knightsbridge though is it? That was my point really, the allure of those places already drags alot of tourists in but how many walk past the Bridge and think 'hmm I might spend £40 and go watch Chelsea tonight'? Few if any, people who want to see football already know they want to go, they don't walk past a place and suddenly decide. Moving to Battersea doesn't change that, it just makes it less likely unless the rest of the development is top notch.

Stamford Bridge is nowhere near the tourist areas of Chelsea; its the wrong end of the Kings Road. Like I said, its not ambient traffic Chelsea would go for, its all those tourists milling around Leicester Square looking for stuff to do; flogging them a ticket for the match in the afternoon and a west-end show in the evening.

 

[Keitanz]

Hmm... ESPN FA Cup Final coverage starts at 8am tomorrow, that's insanely early, what are they going to fill that time up with :O

 

[Shagrat]

Hmm... ESPN FA Cup Final coverage starts at 8am tomorrow, that's insanely early, what are they going to fill that time up with :O

A 6 hour montage called of Liverpool doing the crossbar challenge, theyve had enough practice....:

 

[Reno]

Hmm... ESPN FA Cup Final coverage starts at 8am tomorrow, that's insanely early, what are they going to fill that time up with :O

Obviously not showing all of Lollerpools screwups of this season, or they'd already started.
It is probably an almost complete replay of the road to the Disneyworld Cup Final for both teams.

 

[gohan]

Obviously not showing all of Lollerpools screwups of this season, or they'd already started.
It is probably an almost complete replay of the road to the Disneyworld Cup Final for both teams.

have a laugh? League cup may be a bit micky mouse but FA cup is still a massive cup that the big teams go for, it's still an achievement to win it and anyone that says otherwise is just bitter and jealous

 

[Wazzerphuk]

Knightsbridge and Kensington are worse for transport links and are just high end living and shops. Hardly the place for a football stadium.

Battersea park is a big tourist draw, and just over the bridge from the richer areas of Chelsea and Fulham, it's a short bus ride to Knightsbridge and Kensington. It also has a massive local population, as I said previously, lots of lots of apartments, both cheap and expensive. Wazz's description of it is misleading.

I wouldn't say that. They've only just started on the upgrades. It's well regarded as being a deprived ignored area that desperately needs regeneration. Yes it has a few nice new builds but the structure of the place is pretty poor. Transport links are not good - only buses serve the area. There's 1 decaying train station with very few trains running to it, which is significant as it lies between clapham junction and waterloo - hundreds of trains pass through it every day without stopping. There's no underground close by.

Yes, it's not Hull or Stoke but for South London it's significantly behind it's neighbouring towns. It's on the up but it's still far from what it should be.