Football 2024-25. Pep’s last season?

I actually fell asleep during that charity shield, which was the best part.

Awful penalty decision that Birmingham won. 2 metres away and arm by his side.

Yep. I’d have taken a point at the start and we were on the ropes but a sense of feeling robbed and a lot to feel positive about.

We’ve even got 3 decent kits this year, normally one is horrific

Feels very odd that football has restarted while the Olympics is still on.

Feels very odd that football has restarted while the Olympics is still on.

Yea, it’s too early. September would be fine.

^ Agreed; the season didn’t start until you’d got your copy of Shoot with the league ladder and tried not to tear the 92 tabs in setting it up ready for Saturday.

#jumpersforgoalposts

Can anyone tell me what Chelsea’s recruitment strategy is? They can only pick 25 and have 7 loaned? Are they stocking up under 21s that don’t count? How are any of them going to increase in value if they’re only playing every 4th game?

As a Norwich fan I fear this is going to be a very long and depressing season!!

Waves from Portman Road….

At the arse end of the football league, Bradford took an unexpected 3 points from MK Dons today. Been a very long time since Bradford had an opening day win. Happy days 🙂

1-0 down at halftime to the mighty R’s and I think I heard boos as the players left the pitch. After 45 mins…..

I believe you did. Our fans are so classy – the irony of our song being about keeping right on to the end of the road… 🙂

I went to watch Wrexham v Wycombe yesterday which was entertaining. Next 2 away games are Bolton and Birmingham which will be tough.

I expect City to win the league.

But am more interested in the outcome of their case against the prem lge, and the 115 charges against them.

Incisive comment on 5Live this morning:

Reporter: Wayne Rooney has expressed surprised after his new team got hammered in their opening game….

Host: I wonder how surprised Birmingham fans are….

There seems to be a lot of discussion on which of the ‘Golden Generation’ who was a great player has made  the worst manager… Rooney, Lampard or Gerrard?

I kind of liked Rooney for sticking with Derby and what he achieved given the mess they were in as a club at the time, but him and Lampard were definitely managing way out of their ability levels too soon.

They’re the new Pardew/Bruce/Hughes managerial merry go round.  Just waiting for brave John Terry to have a shot at it.

Incisive comment on 5Live this morning:

Reporter: Wayne Rooney has expressed surprised after his new team got hammered in their opening game….

Host: I wonder how surprised Birmingham fans are….

Plymouth are never likely to get the to the Premier league – but appointing Rooney seems that their ambition lies in League One.

Just heard that Keir Starmer is looking at getting Chelsea a transfer ban to help the UK achieve their immigration target!

Plenty of similar memes going about! I’ll give Maresca until November.

Looks like ETH is halfway now to assembling his old Ajax side.

scratchFree Member
Can anyone tell me what Chelsea’s recruitment strategy is? They can only pick 25 and have 7 loaned? Are they stocking up under 21s that don’t count? How are any of them going to increase in value if they’re only playing every 4th game?

It’s an absolute shambles. They’ve let Gallagher go for peanuts*, supposedly are trying to force Chalobah out the door… and are now looking to add Joao Felix to the squad, at great expense. I mean, there’s being the team we can all enjoy laughing it, and then there’s whatever this is.

*sounds like the deal may be at risk, but they desperately need it go through

I’m just enjoying the novelty of having an owner who’s looked at the Glazers totally scattergun recruitment policy over the last ten years and instead of seeing it for the total shambles its been, instead says ‘hold my pint…’

An insight into Chelsea’s squad:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cy4yg422zjpo

wouldn’t it be easier to name professional footballers who are not in the chelsea squad?

They now have a squad of over 50 players and they’re trying to sign more, taking their spending to over 1.5 billion since Ted Lasso turned up.

I can’t see how they conceivably be staying within the FFP rules. What’s the wage bill per week for that lot?

Still, I suppose they could maybe improve on last season and finish 5th? Good luck to any manager trying to put a starting line up together with 50 overpaid prima donnas most of whom have never met each other before.

Absolute insanity. It makes our transfer dealings look sane and rational. Quite an achievement.

Looks like Gallagher move has collapsed.   Time for Levy to have another half baked try.

I know we don’t like twitter links but this has me so excited for the start of the season. And even if you’re a Saudi sportswash hater, it’s a genius bit of marketing. Can you spot all the ex-players…..

Eddie and Jason is particularly brilliant, as is Murphy waving them off (direct copy of the Southampton sending off incident)

Away games just got better ?‍??

Introducing our 2024/25 Newcastle United away kit! pic.twitter.com/liuTrqwtGm

— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) August 13, 2024

binnersFull Member
They now have a squad of over 50 players and they’re trying to sign more, taking their spending to over 1.5 billion since Ted Lasso turned up.

And the fact that they’ve got a Lidl-version Pep is so perfectly in keeping too.

The only vaguely plausible explanation I’ve read for their excessive signings is that they’ve realised a transfer ban is likely for their alleged financial irregularities under Abramovich, and so have bought a huge amount of young talent to carry them through that period.

Either way, Poch clearly knew the chaos that was coming and jumped ship.

Looks like Gallagher is on his way back to London, to club that have told him they don’t want him,  after a few days in a hotel room in Madrid, Alan Partidge style

Isn’t this the point in proceedings where we have an interview with Harry Rednapp, leaning out of the window of a Range Rover?

Peter Odemwingie springs to mind.

Cole Palmer has just signed a contract with Chelsea for 9 years.

Do you reckon players agents are just sending contracts through and they’re just signing them off without reading them?

binnersFull Member
Cole Palmer has just signed a contract with Chelsea for 9 years.

Do you reckon players agents are just sending contracts through and they’re just signing them off without reading them?

Pretty much! the hedge fund clowns (not Boehly, the other guys who binned Poch) basically just see the players as assets, so longer contract = greater asset value, in their minds. How tf you get a squad of 55 players into a manageable team is beyond them

Palmer had a brilliant season, but ultimately his 22 PL goals included 9 penalties (so 13 non Pens, 11 assists). As good a player as he is, in recent years we’ve sadly seen with the likes of Dele (17 non Pens, 8 assists in 16/17) that brilliance at a young age doesn’t always continue for a multitude of reasons. Another massive risk by Chelsea.

Who the hell would want that job?

Heres 50 players you don’t know who’ve never met each other before, the league starts on Saturday, but we may buy a few more before then. If you could pick a starting 11 out of that lot and try and keep the rest of them happy, that’d be great

Are we taking bets on the first manager to be sacked?

What is this wet spam kit?  Are they trying to convince AWB he’s actually signed for Woolwich?

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11685/13194749/aaron-wan-bissaka-west-ham-sign-man-utd-defender-on-seven-year-deal

Looking forward to seeing the squad numbers on the Chelsea shirts, have we reached 3 figures yet?

What on earth is the point of the carry on cup? Season is just a week old and a domestic cup has begun.

Ok here we go.  @binners ? Is your wife fancying Fulham for a fiver?

You know here well @neilnevill. I’m sure she’ll have a punt on them and will enthusistically support them through the course of the match.

We’ve got a few mates coming round for the footy later. Its going to be interesting to see what squad TH puts out. We appear to have a completely borked defence again and no striker 🙁

@binners – apparently ETH said you’re not ready for Fulham

How the mighty have fallen !
?

Spurs have signed a guy from Burnley, Odobert.  I know nothing about him so I look forward to seeing how he does.

Still no sign of Gallagher or Eze..    hmm.