Football The 2025-26 Football Thread

[Raven]

2 bald men fighting over a comb.

Northampton Town rely on free transfers, for the most part.

 

[Scouse]

Daniel Levy: Tottenham executive chairman exits role after 24 years in charge

Daniel Levy has left Tottenham after almost 25 years as executive chairman of the Premier League club.

www.bbc.co.uk

Fans might regret this.

 

[Scouse]

This puts Isak's behaviour in context:

Raheem Sterling & Chelsea: What is going on?

BBC Sport analyses Raheem Sterling's situation at Chelsea after he failed to find a new club before the transfer deadline.

www.bbc.co.uk

So, Chelski have 30m in wages left to pay Sterling, but they're freezing him out and they don't want to pay him his contract value to let him walk.

Isak got vilified for treating Newcastle like he did. But clubs do that to their players all the time. But that's somehow OK.

What's good for the goose is good for the gander.

 

[Raven]

Well, he should have lowered his salary expectations to his ability. A 30-year-old bang average player, on 350k a week?

As it is, Chelsea have shot themselves in the foot by taking him on. He was average and over paid long before he signed for them, he had a good few seasons, years ago. I don't think any player has had CROSS! FOR THE LOVE OF FUCKING GOD CROSS THE FUCKING BALL shouted at them, before running straight into a tackle, as many times as he has.

 

[Scouse]

Well, he should have lowered his salary expectations to his ability. A 30-year-old bang average player, on 350k a week?

Why? Chelski agreed to the contract. Whatever happened to the "you've signed a contract, you have to stick to it" - shit that Isak got in the neck?

Sterling made salary demands that Chelski were happy to pay. They've signed a contract - they should stick to it, no?


I'm not a fan of Sterling. But the double standard is ridiculous. People jealous and raging when players act like Isak, but nobody blinks when clubs act like cunts. And it's the clubs with all the money.

 

[DaGaffer]

Well, he should have lowered his salary expectations to his ability. A 30-year-old bang average player, on 350k a week?

Literally not his problem. Chelsea took him on at that salary and he gets paid as long as he's in contract. If they want to get him off the books (for FFP reasons etc.) it's their problem to solve. Everyone knew Chelsea were facing this when Todd whatsisface came in and bought loads of players on mad long-term deals; they're really lucky that Sterling and couple of others are the only ones they haven't managed to unload without too much pain; it could have been a lot worse.

 

[Embattle]

He has every right to take his money, I just don't want to hear the pathetic excuses footballers/agents use when they do so instead of playing football elsewhere.

 

[Scouse]

I aer skeptical:

 

[Embattle]

Ex-Premier League referee David Coote admits child image offence

David Coote was charged on 12 August following an investigation by Nottinghamshire Police.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Scouse]

So, police want to ban violent Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from the Aston Villa game on safety grounds.

Starmer the Zionist wants it to go ahead regardless. Fuck safety, Israel is prime:

Government officials seek to lift ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans at Aston Villa tie

Culture secretary to speak to Home Office as minister says barring Israeli supporters is ‘utterly unacceptable’

www.theguardian.com

 

[Raven]

They shouldn't even be allowed in the competition. We should not encourage state terrorism.

 

[Deebs]

They should watch that documentary Football Factory as that shows what will happen if they come here.

 

[Embattle]

I think disappearing after the second goal went in was a clear sign:

Ange Postecoglou: Nottingham Forest sack manager after just 39 days in charge

Ange Postecoglou is sacked by Nottingham Forest after a 3-0 defeat by Chelsea just 39 days after being appointed as head coach.

www.bbc.co.uk

Certainly a good amount of money.

 

[caLLous]

The whole thing was a disaster and it was always going to be. He should've done punditry for a year, riding on the coat-tails of the EL victory, or gone to a less-good league where his football isn't so easy to play against. Nevermind the fact that him and Nuno practically couldn't be further apart in terms of philosophy, he was a fool to think he could come into a team in mid-season and implement his style. I don't believe he was in it for the quick payout, I think his arrogance and ego got the better of him and he genuinely believed he could make it work and all the evidence of the last 2 years could be explained away. You only know how to play one way, Ange, and everyone and their dog knows how to set up against it. If ever there was an example of a coach being found out it's him. He said in his press conference yesterday that his style of football always brings trophies but whatever we played in the Europa League final was a country mile away from Ange ball.

The worst part of it is that Forest were actually in a really good place before, in terms of results. There was just a bit of grumbling about the style of football they were playing but in Europe for the first time in decades and they were just a solid, well-coached side. They were good at defending before but Ange just totally destroyed that aspect of their game overnight. All 3 of Chelsea's goals today were from set pieces, something that plagued him all the way through his time at Spurs and that he was regularly asked about in press conferences but refused to address. In contrast, Spurs under Frank (with a, whisper it, set-piece coach) are already so much better at defending set pieces than we were under Ange.

Marinakis, because of his own ego, sacked Nuno for seemingly no good reason and tore it all down. Now it'll probably be Dyche, swinging right back around to more-Nuno-than-Ange in terms of philosophy.

I'll always be grateful to Ange for ending the trophy drought but he's done himself no favours at all (other than financially) by jumping straight back in to a PL job.

 

[Raven]

Mickey Mouse owner, basket case club.

 

[Gray]

For the past few weeks, at least post Nunez, this story kept cropping into my head Evangelos Marinakis: Who is Greek businessman has he always been in control of Nottingham Forest?

The way it talks of diluting his control, yet every dismissal and appointment has had Marinakis' stamp all over it, so I feel as if he does actually control everything one way or another.

Yet the ones who were worthy, Crystal Palace got ubershafted for the same thing pretty much.

 

[Embattle]

For the past few weeks, at least post Nunez, this story kept cropping into my head Evangelos Marinakis: Who is Greek businessman has he always been in control of Nottingham Forest?

The way it talks of diluting his control, yet every dismissal and appointment has had Marinakis' stamp all over it, so I feel as if he does actually control everything one way or another.

Yet the ones who were worthy, Crystal Palace got ubershafted for the same thing pretty much.

It was just a legal requirement, it didn't really change who controlled the club.

 

[Scouse]

We're antisemitic, says Labour:

Tel Aviv football derby between Hapoel and Maccabi called off after rioting

Israeli police make nine arrests, citing ‘disorderly conduct, riots, injured police officers’ and infrastructure damage

www.theguardian.com

We're not just trying to protect ourselves from hooligans.

We could rename Britain "Little Israel"?

 

[DaGaffer]

We're antisemitic, says Labour:

Tel Aviv football derby between Hapoel and Maccabi called off after rioting

Israeli police make nine arrests, citing ‘disorderly conduct, riots, injured police officers’ and infrastructure damage

www.theguardian.com

We're not just trying to protect ourselves from hooligans.

We could rename Britain "Little Israel"?

Sure. That's the reason. It's extremely rare that foreign fans are banned from football matches in England as a group. In fact it's only happened twice before (Roma and Galatasaray) and in the case of Galatasaray it was as much for their protection as anything after a Leeds fan had been killed in Instanbul. This is the same. It's not about the Maccabi fans, it's about the local meatheads, just as it was in Amsterdam and Frankfurt.

 

[Gwadien]

Sure. That's the reason. It's extremely rare that foreign fans are banned from football matches in England as a group. In fact it's only happened twice before (Roma and Galatasaray) and in the case of Galatasaray it was as much for their protection as anything after a Leeds fan had been killed in Instanbul. This is the same. It's not about the Maccabi fans, it's about the local meatheads, just as it was in Amsterdam and Frankfurt.

I'm confused are you suggesting they did it for the protection of the tel aviv fans? Cos i don't think so.

It won't be said openly but they're pretty hardcore ultras plus a bunch of them have spent a fair whack of time in the past 2 years told to shoot people who look like a large chunk of the Brummie population.

 

[Scouse]

Sure. That's the reason. It's extremely rare that foreign fans are banned from football matches in England as a group. In fact it's only happened twice before (Roma and Galatasaray) and in the case of Galatasaray it was as much for their protection as anything after a Leeds fan had been killed in Instanbul. This is the same. It's not about the Maccabi fans, it's about the local meatheads, just as it was in Amsterdam and Frankfurt.

I disagree with your assertion - it's clearly the Maccabi fans that are a bunch of rabid hooligans. Their actions demonstrate it.

However, even if it is the police subverting process (which would of course be de rigeur) and banning Israeli teams because of the genocide - sort of a football-related BDS - then that's still not antisemitic.

Anti-Israel <> Antisemitic.

I'm angry that Israel pulls that shit routinely - despite it being transparently bullshit. We all should be apoplectic that our own government are acting like Israeli shills or an owned proxy mouthpiece and is calling it's own citizens antisemitic when they're acting, perhaps dishonestly (but I reject that), against a genocidal state.

It's like calling anti-apartheid protestors racist. It's transparent bullshit. And shows a shocking level of government-level capture by the Israeli state.


Edit: Just to be clear - the linked article was a story about the Israeli police calling off a match between Maccabi and Happoel because of rioting and threat to life.

It's their supporters.

 

[Gwadien]

I disagree with your assertion - it's clearly the Maccabi fans that are a bunch of rabid hooligans. Their actions demonstrate it.

However, even if it is the police subverting process (which would of course be de rigeur) and banning Israeli teams because of the genocide - sort of a football-related BDS - then that's still not antisemitic.

Anti-Israel <> Antisemitic.

I'm angry that Israel pulls that shit routinely - despite it being transparently bullshit. We all should be apoplectic that our own government are acting like Israeli shills or an owned proxy mouthpiece and is calling it's own citizens antisemitic when they're acting, perhaps dishonestly (but I reject that), against a genocidal state.

It's like calling anti-apartheid protestors racist. It's transparent bullshit. And shows a shocking level of government-level capture by the Israeli state.


Edit: Just to be clear - the linked article was a story about the Israeli police calling off a match between Maccabi and Happoel because of rioting and threat to life.

It's their supporters.

I mean if you took Tel Aviv from the headlines it would read as 'UK government undermines safety guidance from safety people, suggesting they should allow violent fans in a county with a strong history of hooliganism'

How did we get here.

 

[Scouse]

How did we get here.

Zionism and a zionist PM.

Like I said - we rightly abhor white supremacism. But zionism is just another disgusting form of supremacism. And in their eyes the ability for Israeli fans to enjoy uninhibited travel > anyone else's safety.

 

[Deebs]

Spoiler

Israel = Nazis of the 21st century.

Wrong thread so spoilered it

 

[Gwadien]

Spoiler

Israel = Nazis of the 21st century.

Wrong thread so spoilered it

Careful, you don't wanna upset the mods.

I heard one of them has an extreme case of small man syndrome too

 

[Deebs]

Careful, you don't wanna upset the mods.

I heard one of them has an extreme case of small man syndrome too

Calling a mod a fucking small dwarf is fine, i give you our very own @Jupitus after whom the hobbits are based on.

 

[DaGaffer]

I disagree with your assertion - it's clearly the Maccabi fans that are a bunch of rabid hooligans. Their actions demonstrate it.

However, even if it is the police subverting process (which would of course be de rigeur) and banning Israeli teams because of the genocide - sort of a football-related BDS - then that's still not antisemitic.

Anti-Israel <> Antisemitic.

I'm angry that Israel pulls that shit routinely - despite it being transparently bullshit. We all should be apoplectic that our own government are acting like Israeli shills or an owned proxy mouthpiece and is calling it's own citizens antisemitic when they're acting, perhaps dishonestly (but I reject that), against a genocidal state.

It's like calling anti-apartheid protestors racist. It's transparent bullshit. And shows a shocking level of government-level capture by the Israeli state.


Edit: Just to be clear - the linked article was a story about the Israeli police calling off a match between Maccabi and Happoel because of rioting and threat to life.

It's their supporters.

The police have a massive and sophisticated vetting structure to ban individuals from entering the UK, and they use it all the time for football hooligans. As I said, they almost never do this en masse.

I don't really give a shit about Israeli football fans one way or another, but I'm also not going to pretend there aren't huge numbers of people in Birmingham waiting to give them a good kicking, which is what happened in Amsterdam and Frankfurt, and is why the police have recommended a ban.

Is it anti-semitism? No, not really (not by the police anyway). Is it giving in to the mob? Oh yeah, fucking definitely.

 

[Scouse]

Be really hard for the po-po to figure out exactly which individuals were involved in recent mob violence eh? It's probably trivial to ban people with criminal convictions, but mob violence is tricky.

Either way - to nail my colours even higher to the mast it's a (small) result. I'd ban Israel wholesale, so not letting a bunch of their thugs come over is the least we should be doing.

The thing I really object to is the accusation that it's antisemitism being the prime driver for the decision. But it's safety that is the prime driver.

 

[Jupitus]

Calling a mod a fucking small dwarf is fine, i give you our very own @Jupitus after whom the hobbits are based on.

 

[Raven]

Maccabi Tel Aviv will not accept Aston Villa Europa League tickets

Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv say they will not accept any ticket allocation from Aston Villa should the decision to ban their supporters from next month's Europa League match be overturned.

www.bbc.co.uk

Victim card, played to perfection.