Football - 2023/24 Season

I'd just extend the trophy lease for another year at this point to Citeh.

I reckon Spurs will do us over at the weekend. Still think we are finishing 3rd.

Do they look better without Haaland?

Haaland has been missing chances he took for fun last season. Don't know if he's just a bit knackered, or teams have worked him out a bit.

I think most of the problem has been slightly fewer goalscorer options all round this season. If you don't have Gundogan or Mahrez hovering around, it's slightly easier to set up to defend against a single spearhead player. De Bruyne missing a large chunk of the season again made them both less creative and more reliant on Haaland. It has allowed Foden to develop, though.

Arsenal should be kicking themselves. They are, in my eyes, the team of the season, this is one they should have converted. Still time for City to drop a couple of points though.

You’re a glass half empty kinda guy eh? Arsenal have been great - so solid defensively, which always gives you a chance.

You’re a glass half empty kinda guy eh?

Can you tell? I think glass half empty is being kind. I didn't see us getting this far into the season before collapsing. I just think Spurs and Utd will up their game against us, Spurs moreso. I thought Citehs only chance of dropping points may have been last night.

So Leeds feel apart last night meaning Leicester are back to the Premier League before they'd even played this weekend and Ipswich now need 5 points out of a possible 9. I would have said that was easy but the way all the teams at the top of the Championship have been playing lately who knows. We also have two playoff chasers and a team in a relegation battle as our remaining fixtures.

Also wonder what points Leicester will start next year on...

Leeds looked woeful last night. Another year in the snake pit.

Credit to QPR though, they secure their safety so had something to play for. Not going to pretend I wasn't happy to see the result 😀

I was feeling quite good about the NLD,  as Colin says,  the Derby is special and form rarely a good indication.  However Woolwich's thrashing is Chelsea has me with growing concern.

If we don't win the NLD then I don't see Spurs getting much against Chelsea,  Liverpool or City.  So we won't affect 1st or threaten 4th.  If we do get a win on Saturday then maybe we could carry that forward and do both.

As has been a common feature this season,  we are now without key players with injuries to both fullbacks. That,  the thrashing we got last time out,  and the big gap since last game are adding to my concerns

BTW for those thinking eh? How comes 3, games less played than villa? ts city's fault.   They were in the cup semi when we should have played and their cl games clogs their schedule so it had virtually no where else it could fit.   The other in hand game is Chelsea who were in the league Cup final when we should have met.  Why that has taken so long to reschedule I have no idea..... its as if someone is trying to make it harder for us.   Then of course we get to play nld on Sunday.... there's TV interference there but yes,  it feels wrong to have villa play today and go 3 games ahead.

So Leeds feel apart last night meaning Leicester are back to the Premier League before they’d even played this weekend and Ipswich now need 5 points out of a possible 9. I would have said that was easy but the way all the teams at the top of the Championship have been playing lately who knows. We also have two playoff chasers and a team in a relegation battle as our remaining fixtures.

Also wonder what points Leicester will start next year on…

I'm just surprised they've left it till this late in the season to collapse! I'd have taken the playoffs at the beginning of the season TBH but its disappointing given the position they were in.

Didn’t Leeds do this every season for 15 years?

The championship is absolutely bonkers every year. The teams predicted to go up at the start of the season, never do. Someone always seems to sprint ahead, only for the wheels to fall off at the business end, where someone else puts a run together and crashes the play offs

Unfortunately they're not out of it yet. The way we've been playing lately 5 points is going to be touch and go. We need to get a win at Hull today and I'll start feeling a happier about it but the season has caught up with us too

But as Morecash has said previously, just to entertaining promotion is way beyond what I'd have accepted at the beginning of the season

@caher hope you enjoy this.

All the big time stuff is great but this is for a club that has had points deductions, players and staff going unpaid, threats of going out of business at any time but instead developing a huge team and fan spirit that raised us to the lofty heights of 17th (seventeenth!!) in League One, and many of the players and staff joining the afterparty at the legendary sticky floored Purple Turtle until the early hours.

https://twitter.com/ReadingFC/status/1784507954743452013

Fingers crossed for new owners and the same spirit carrying into 24-25

I have definitely converted to the opinion that VAR needs to go. Even when it is right (technically) it is killing the game. Far too many goals are being chalked off based on marginal decisions. You just can’t celebrate a goal until VAR has examined it in minute detail. Ruins the game.

yeah it needs to go, it's a complete mess, takes too long to changing interpretation mid season and trying to measure toe nails from 200 yards using  a *480p broadcast.

deliberate misinterpretation   misrepresentation 😉

@theotherjonv The Purple Turtle, that brings back fondish memories.

Spurs are going to get mauled here.

Spurs are absolutely all over the shop at the back. To concede the exact same set piece twice?

playimg this high line against Arsenal is mental. They look like they could put another 3 past them in the second half

Who do Arsenal think they are? Us? 😂

Thank goodness for VAR

Bloody hell, Arsenal, that sort of second half is no good for the blood pressure

That Arsenal game at end, had me thinking that City could do their open bus tour next week.

City made heavy weather of that and were fortunate that Wood left his shooting boots at home.

To be fair to Forest they didn’t look like relegation fodder there at all. Created loads of chances and gave Citeh a proper game

I do hope Ange ceases the stubborn 'High-line until we die' attitude. Unless you are as squad blessed as city they'd there are times where you must adapt... surely.

There will be Thursday nights on Azerbaijan for us ro practice it next season.

Wonder what the powers behind the scenes are thinking about ETH at Utd this morning following their plucky draw against the mighty Burnley.

I mean it's one thing to have one of those days, but to have less possession than a team that is 2nd bottom & the bottom 3 are a long way back this season when you are a team of Utd's stature must be embarrassing.

Not sure I have recovered after that NLD. I thoughts Spurs were unlucky, they had chances. Granted we pretty much gave them their two goals, but on another day the result goes against us. Again, me being pessimistic, I don't think we will win this now. Citeh aren't dropping points. Thankfully Bournemouth and Everton have nothing to play for, so I hope we can at least win 2 out of the remaining 3. Utd though, who knows.

I mean it’s one thing to have one of those days, but to have less possession than a team that is 2nd bottom & the bottom 3 are a long way back this season when you are a team of Utd’s stature must be embarrassing.

Have you not watched us this season? It’s beyond dire! Our position and points tally actually flatters us. We’ve picked up points while playing absolutely atrociously.

Its difficult to see what Ten Hag is actually trying to do, but we’ve gone backwards from last season and more worryingly, there’s not a single member of the squad who look they even care

Have you not watched us this season? It’s beyond dire! Our position and points tally actually flatters us. We’ve picked up points while playing absolutely atrociously.

Its difficult to see what Ten Hag is actually trying to do, but we’ve gone backwards from last season and more worryingly, there’s not a single member of the squad who look they even care

Yup if Arsenal, Liverpool or City, hell even Spurs, Villa or Newcastle had the same levels of luck they would've won the league by now...

We’ve got 5 games left this season including, somewhat unbelievably, an FA Cup final.

The general consensus among United fans is that on present ‘form’ we’ll probably lose them all, no doubt involving a couple of absolute spankings!

We’ve got Palace, Arsenal, Newcastle, Brighton then Citeh and the players look like they gave up even their usual pitiful efforts a long time ago.

Does anyone know what the record is for goals conceded in an FA Cup final? Whatever it is, I can see that going this year

God only knows what Dave Brailsford makes of this shambles

Think positive thoughts Binners, stop with the negative waves 😁

As said many times though, i just haven't a clue what is going on at ManU, with most teams you kind of understand why they get the outcome and numbers they do, the way they set up, the players they have, the movement of their players and so on, ManU are just a mystery as much now as they were a year ago, why do they allow so many shots at their goal, why do they struggle in possession, why do they have gaps in the middle, etc, etc, it's a proper head scratcher with the players that they have available, even at the weekend, you'd have thought 'Burnley must have had a lucky penalty to get a point', but it wasn't, they had more possession, several shots on goal and Onana was MoTM for ManU!

Well looks like the whole Utd squad is up for sale...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/ce96wzkgzpgo

I’ve drawn up a list of those I’d want to keep…

Well Brightons season has gone to the dogs 🤷‍♂️

We really can’t expect to improve if we continue to be a talent feeder for the more wealthy teams.
Frustrating.

Possibly but maybe de Zerbi isn’t the messiah after all?

de Zerbi at ManYoo would be interesting but I suspect he's too clever to pick up the poisoned chalice

I think De Zerbi or Frank are perfect fits for Utd. If  anything has been proven over the last few years it's that 'a way' of playing beats bottomless pockets any day. Having both a la City ( and Utd) is even better.

That Sancho bloke looked alright tonight!

Sports psychologists all over the world be booking flights to Dortmund / Cologne to pick Sancho’s mind.

Spurs were poor last night.

Will Big Ange still be their next season?

9 games in and some on here were talking about the title.

Foden wins FWA player of the year and Bunny Shaw wins womens award

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cglxez9pyejo

Can’t disagree but Odegaard not even in the top three?!

Rice (second) has been more consistent than Odegaard who has had a couple of injury-related off games to go alongside the sublime performances

Yeah, I can't argue with Rice and Rodri being ahead of Odegaard, although to be honest I don't think there was much of a gap between the top 5 this year, there are probably arguments that could be made for all of them. I don't know when the vote was held, but there seams to have been a bit of a "media campaign" for Foden over the past month, I wonder if that was an influence on the vote, or if that was because the result was known.

Goal scoring forwards/attacking midfielders are always going to get more votes than defenders or defensively minded midfielders. I think Foden is a worthy winner but there were lots of very strong contenders this season.

Tonali gets another 2 month ban - but suspended this time after voluntarily admitting another 50 incidents while at Newcastle.

I mean, silly ****er, albeit seems like an addiction thing and knows it was wrong and getting help. The bit that's making me 'hmmm' is the (anti-Newcastle, TBF) twitterers that say the bans's too light because he was actually betting on Newcastle games. Which I get but he was betting on Newcastle to win!! In a game he has a chance to influence - the horror - I should bloody hope he was trying to influence a Newcastle win.

I should bloody hope he was trying to influence a Newcastle win.

"OK lads, we need to up our work rate, put pressure on tbe centrebacks and we can win this game! Plus I've got a tenner on it at 4 to 1."

I see Clattenburg has left his role at Forest as a referee analyst or whatever it was. Always thought the whole thing was a bit weird

Guardian article reports that Radcliffe was disgusted by the untidy IT department on his tour of Manu facilities. ZX spectrums containing training plans everywhere.

How on earth is that a penalty? Havertz trailed his keg looking for contact.

Had enough, going out on my bike.

Decisions going Arsenal’s way today for sure.

I'll take that, can't quite believe we managed to hang on at the end of the season. See you in the premier league!