Football The 2020/2021 Season Thread

[Scouse]

Genuinely reads like the ramblings of someone who has never seen a game of football before

You can't follow it. Bless

When they worked as a team, including Kane, then they got better.

 

[Moriath]

Hope for extra time and pens in this game. Might make them more tired for Sat

 

[Raven]

This is part of the problem with England fans imo.

Sterling tries to make something happen - should take the easy option.

Players take the easy option - we need to be more positive.

All I know is Raheem has scored 3 of our 4 goals.

Bit of an over reaction, he can still annoy me when he runs into people, which he does, a lot. Like I said, he was immense. People can have a differing opinion without being lumped into whatever group is trending this week and no player should be immune from criticism.

Also, how many of his 3 out of 4 goals have been mazey little runs where he takes on the entire defence, alone? The issue is the team and always has been. But so far the short arse appears to be the target man, which has somehow worked, it's hardly the result of some previously unheard of wonder tactic. Hopefully whatever has been bothering Kane has resolved itself, and he stops sulking around the half way line.

 

[Raven]

Oof, just turned on to that tackle.

Just saw a copper stood around, someone needs to fetch him over.

 

[Scouse]

Everton set to appoint Rafael Benitez as manager after he agrees three-year deal

Everton are set to appoint former Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez as Carlo Ancelotti's successor after he agrees a three-year deal.

www.bbc.co.uk

@Gray - I think he'll do good if he's allowed to m8.

 

[Moriath]

Oof, just turned on to that tackle.

Just saw a copper stood around, someone needs to fetch him over.

Think they are crippling each other in this game. Wont be anyone left to take pens

 

[Raven]

With the amount of injuries, should we offer to play a combined 11? It would be the British thing to do.

 

[Raven]

offside? Scoring part of the body and all that.

Never mind, just

 

[Raven]

Out of the two, I would rather play Ukraine, but everyone has earned their place in the quarters, hopefully we have lost our arrogance and don't assume a win. One thing I will give Southgate is that he seems to be pretty stable, and maybe he has got it right to win...but I just find winning boring to be a bit of a let-down somehow.

We should be terrifying going forward with the amount of talent we have, the disjoint seems to be coupling a great defence with a great attack, perhaps we can't have both.

 

[caLLous]

Looks like it's Nuno after all. Fuck sake.

 

[Aoami]

Bit of an over reaction, he can still annoy me when he runs into people, which he does, a lot. Like I said, he was immense. People can have a differing opinion without being lumped into whatever group is trending this week and no player should be immune from criticism.

Maybe an over-reaction, I get it's frustrating, but at least he tries to do something unlike Kane et al. Grealish loses the ball more often than not when he takes people on, but apparently that is ok because he is boy wonder. Not a dig at you specially, but English fans in general.

 

[Aoami]

You can't follow it. Bless

When they worked as a team, including Kane, then they got better.

They worked as a team the entire game, and have done the entire tournament, hence why we haven't conceded a goal yet. Southgate is a defence first manager, and Kane needs to play like a traditional centre forward, not lumbering round the halfway line making no runs and not finding any space. Next you'll be telling me he has been worth his weight in gold because "he occupies two defenders" or some bollocks. He has looked massively off the pace, and a shadow of his best self. It's simple as that.

 

[Scouse]

They worked as a team the entire game

Apart from the massive and obvious disconnect between defence and attack (that lots of people have been pointing out).

For the first half I was counting the number of touches Kane had - practically zero - people weren't passing to him. He's not an idiot, he can work in tight spaces but we weren't taking those risks. And yes, I think Southgate is to blame for that - he is indeed a defensively minded manager - and that comes at the expense of an expansive and expressive attack.

So I don't really lie the blame at the team's feet. I blame the manager (always have). He may even win the thing (but it'll have been won boring if he does).

Best striker in the premier league with both assists and goals doesn't turn shit overnight - it's down to the manager playing a system that doesn't or can't take advantage of his strengths. So the "team" is shit - not because of the individuals in it, but because of the system they're running.

Sterling forced it, individual brilliance, kane was on hand to take advantage both times (I think he was waiting behind sterling for the first goal so if sterling had missed then Harry'd have put it away) - he was involved in both goals.

My gripe is with Southgate - he needs to figure out how to get him on the ball more, rather than Kane having to reinvent himself halfway through a competition.

 

[Raven]

He is also under a huge amount of pressure to deliver and with everything going on off the field at Spurs, and whether he will even be there next season. I'll cut him some slack now he has scored, and I will give Southgate the benefit of the doubt. It's obviously working, boring or not. Hopefully he has got his spark back now, with him and Sterling firing on all cylinders, I can't see anyone but Italy or Belgium that can stand in our way and except for flashes of brilliance neither has been super impressive.

I know England though and our habit of doing something stupid at the wrong time, hopefully that won't be the case this time around, the discipline levels are very high.

 

[Gray]

Everton set to appoint Rafael Benitez as manager after he agrees three-year deal

Everton are set to appoint former Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez as Carlo Ancelotti's successor after he agrees a three-year deal.

www.bbc.co.uk

@Gray - I think he'll do good if he's allowed to m8.

I am just glad this is finally going to be a closed matter now rather than endless speculation. Whatever the case he will need a strong start (Lucky against the first few opponents) - Anything less could well set up a poor season and already have the wolves baying for him.

He could do well for us, he's had history. He did okay at Newcastle and that was with Ashley so...

 

[Aoami]

He is also under a huge amount of pressure to deliver and with everything going on off the field at Spurs, and whether he will even be there next season. I'll cut him some slack now he has scored, and I will give Southgate the benefit of the doubt. It's obviously working, boring or not. Hopefully he has got his spark back now, with him and Sterling firing on all cylinders, I can't see anyone but Italy or Belgium that can stand in our way and except for flashes of brilliance neither has been super impressive.

I know England though and our habit of doing something stupid at the wrong time, hopefully that won't be the case this time around, the discipline levels are very high.

Kane is a great great player, I don't doubt it. But the fact of the matter is that he is having a shit tournament, no point beating around the bush. I hope the goal gives him a bit of confidence and he goes back to looking himself again.

 

[Scouse]

Kane is a great great player, I don't doubt it. But the fact of the matter is that he is having a shit tournament, no point beating around the bush. I hope the goal gives him a bit of confidence and he goes back to looking himself again.

Agree. It's why he's having a shit tourney for me.

 

[Gray]

A new era begins.... (Again for the 6-7th time?)

 

[Moriath]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/57673463

only 72 million or so more than city paid for him at 15 hehe

 

[Aoami]

£73m seems about right imo. Lookin forward to seeing him in the prem. His record in Germany is superb for his age so will be interesting to see how he does against a slightly higher level of competition.

 

[Billargh]

Emre Can

More like Emre Can't.

 

[Raven]

Messi out of contract.

 

[Aoami]

Messi out of contract.

Expected to sign for Barca. I except PSG and City have been in contact tho, just in case.

 

[gunner440]

Tonight we will destroy the Swiss.

Just saying.

 

[Aoami]

I've got the Swiss on penalties. Dunno why, just got a feeling after their performance against France.

 

[Raven]

I think Spain will pip it. Hopefully extra time in both games

 

[DaGaffer]

I've got the Swiss on penalties. Dunno why, just got a feeling after their performance against France.

Well you'll get good odds.

Can't see it myself. Spain have grown into the tournament and I think if you could rerun the France v Switzerland game, 99 times out of 100 France would have won in normal time.

Italy v. Belgium on the other hand, no fucking idea. I'm expecting Italy to win, but that's based on nothing substantive. Even their impressive win record isn't meaningful (they only played one "top tier" team in the last 31 games) but they do look slick.

 

[Wij]

I kinda think Belgium will win. More quality (in my less than expert opinion.)

 

[Raven]

Bit early, but fantasy football squad builder is up and running now.

 

[Aoami]

I've got a tenner on Ronaldo for the golden boot @ 12/1. Rules are if goals are tied, then it goes to assists, and then lowest amount of time played.

Ronaldo has 5 goals and 1 assist. Schick has 4 goals, Lukaku & Sterling 3. None of them have any assists.

Can cash out for £50 - thoughts?