Football 2024-25. Pep’s last season?

but if Schar was sent off last week I’m amazed that wasn’t as well

I think that’s the main issue. The lack of consistency. If Schars was a red then so was Jolintons and if Jolintons wasn’t a red then neither was Schars. I did think Schars was harsh, whereas I was amazed Jolinton wasn’t sent off for that today

Did it touch his arm below the armpit?

I didn’t think so. Did I miss something?

yes, came off his outer arm about halfway between shoulder and elbow, and probably the defender’s shoulder as well. Which by a different law wouldn’t be handball, because the defender’s shoulder isn’t in an unnatural position

It’s one of those (daft) laws that doesn’t include intent, or whether there was any power in it, just did it touch the arm and if it does then it has to be disallowed. From my earlier link

immediately after the ball has touched their hand/arm, even if accidental

The only thought in the VAR room is if it did. No point blaming the officials for applying the law as written, there’s no ‘but a slight brush is OK’ and certainly no sleeve length shite that the pundits are still going on about.

And the cartoons in the LOAF are crap too, look at a real human and see where the armpit is. Any touch on the bicep or tricep is arm, not shoulder

yes, came off his outer arm about halfway between shoulder and elbow, and

That wasn’t obvious to me. I only saw it on MoTD2 though.

So have I and also stills from that film and it’s pretty clear for me. Hits about the badge on the sleeve. I’ve got it on catch up now.

I’m not arguing that the law has delivered the ‘morally wrong’ outcome this time, but that’s the issue with laws being strictly interpreted, which is what we want – because the alternative of ‘use your judgement’ then has the officials being blasted for inconsistency.

Next highlights, Man U. Zirkzee’s offside goal. Totally accidental, unintentional, ball was going in anyway….. surely we can ignore the touch there as well then?

Going by this graphic it was handball.

If offside didn’t exist as a rule, Zirkzee would have been credited with a goal, so he “scored” it.  Unfortunately for him he was  in an offside position, so the goal does’t stand.  Actually, he wasn’t unfortunate, just stupid.

Not the heady heights of the PL, but this is a cracker of a goal from Torquay, the scorer was in my son’s class at school. Lirak Hasani. Video is cued up so you don’t need to watch the whole highlights.

Sven RIP

I mentioned it earlier in the thread, but the Sven documentary on Amazon Prime is well worth a viewing. RIP to someone who seemed like a thoroughly lovely and incredibly philosophical human being

He did have a bit of a habit of putting things where he shouldn’t though.

Sven was indirectly responsible for me falling in love with my career as a structural engineer.  His appointment as England manager came with the provisio that a central training facility should be built for the elite teams at what is now known as St George’s Park.  Whilst the project I was on was ill fated, the financial disaster of Wembley put pay to it, I got to immerse myself in timber gridshell design and a host of other interesting topics.

It also coincided with my love of the national team and that 5-1 result against Germany.

Sven, thanks for the memories, there are a couple of colleges in the north west that benefited from that timber design experience 😉

RIP Sven – could teach many a lesson in stoicism. Classy man.

He did have a bit of a habit of putting things where he shouldn’t though.

As the documentary shows, the lad was punching! Fair play! 😀

Looks like I need to watch it tonight then.

While we’re on the subject of things to watch… The Damned United is on BBC1 at 11 tonight, so worth recording as it’s bloody brilliant! I suppose that means it’ll be on iplayer

This was the team labelled Dirty Leeds which has hung about a bit since. But the reality was Revie was looking at how continental teams at the time played (ie Juventus) and modelled Leeds on that. Not dirty but cynical.

Funny that Clough’s later Forest team were also pretty cynical.

That Leeds team were brilliant. My earliest football memory was them being robbed by Bayern in 1975.

Oh yes, the 1970 FA Cup replay at Old Trafford was full of ‘cynicism’. (smiley face winking emoji)

I know it’s a cheap shot at a goal a mile wide but this did make me laugh..

The draw for the Champions League is just mind-boggling.

Designed to have more big name clashes early on whilst ensuring the big names get through.  I think.  I’ll just take in the fixtures as they come

Was meant to let smaller teams have a chance to do more than be whipping boys as well, as a supporter of Celtic it’ll be nice to have a couple of games we have a chance with, instead of just a pot 1 and pot 2 team who will roll us over.

The best thing any sport can do with it’s tournaments is make them super confusing so that the casual viewer has no idea what’s going on.

My team Wrexham are spending pretty big in EFL1 terms but Birmingham are taking it to another level.  They’ve just bid £10m for Fulham’s Jay Stanfield on top of the £16m already spent although they did get £5m for Jordan James this summer.  The whole of the EFL seems to be morphing into a bunch of extremely rich owners but at the moment  you are either with the haves or the have nots, I guess a bit like the UK in general.

As a Shrewsbury town fan, may I say that while I applaud Wrexham’s revival and am quite enjoying the documentary, they’d better not get into the PL, or I’ll cry.

lol at doris5000.  Playing you guys in 8 days and managed to snag a ticket and it’s nice to renew the rivalry I remember from a good many years ago when you were at the old ground in town next to the river.

Real lack of activity at City, I wonder if they are building a war chest in the expectation of a big (200 million +) fine.

or it could be that they’ve already got a very talented squad and don’t need the extra players

Remember the last few years where they sold Sterling, Zinchenko, Jesus, Laporte, Mahrez, Brahim Diaz, Torres, Gundogan etc. etc, and nothing really changed.

No proper left back, no proper cover for Rodri, Harland the only proper striker. City are not a complete team, they have the best 1st team in most some important positions IMO, but I think that the gooners are probably going into the season with a better strength squad.

City have shown in the past that they want the right deal, and will walk away if they don’t feel they are getting the right value, but this feels different, there aren’t even any strong rumours of deals that they couldn’t get done or fell apart.

lol at doris5000. Playing you guys in 8 days and managed to snag a ticket and it’s nice to renew the rivalry I remember from a good many years ago when you were at the old ground in town next to the river.

I loved that old ground! Even though it was a complete shed, and despite the fact that every visiting team found it hilarious that it was called ‘the Gay Meadow’.  All the stuff with the bloke retrieving balls from the river in a coracle just exemplified the endearing crapness of lower league footy that makes it what it is.

I (really) hate to say it, but i think you’re gonna give us a pasting.  We haven’t won a league match since March, and we’re plum last. It’s going to be a long old season…

My team Wrexham are spending pretty big in EFL1 terms but Birmingham are taking it to another level.  They’ve just bid £10m for Fulham’s Jay Stanfield on top of the £16m already spent although they did get £5m for Jordan James this summer.  

It’s insane what Knighthead have done/are doing at Birmingham – never in the history of football has a fan base been less bothered about relegation. If we get Stanno back it’ll be massive.

I see Toney looks like he might be taking early retirement in the Saudi league

That’s really disappointing. Probably means he’s not too fussed about getting picked for England, either…

Toney has found success a little later than most,  only been on good money for a few years, and even that is still probably on the lower side of PL earnings. Also given that he just been barely used in the England set-up, and if the new manager has indicated that will probably continue, I can see why he would be tempted to feather his nest in SA.

It is a shame that he doesn’t have any decent offers from PL or Europaplan teams, I personally think he could do a really good job for a team on the cusp of champions league qualification. But I don’t think he is in the same situation as someone who has been at a big club for most of his playing career, he is someone who is earning at a level where he has to think more about his lifelong financial situation, in a few years his savings pot may be all he has to live on till the end of his life, he really doesn’t have the superstar power to use his football past to earn in the future IMO.

 I can see why he would be tempted to feather his nest in SA

For one last payday, sure. But he’s got several years left at the top level of he wants it.

he’s not on crazy money, though as a normal human I feel like having earned some £5 million plus bonuses plus sponsorships plus whatever else by the age of 28 is enough to get your pension in good shape.  (i do accept that he might have lost a fair chunk on what appears to be a gambling problem though)

but…. as a guaranteed starter at Brentford, and as some teammates earn almost triple his salary, he was surely well set for a contract renegotiation (only had one year left) if he wanted good money and regular PL football.

i dunno, good luck to him and all that.  I can see why he was agitating for a move away from Brentford – he’s been excellent and no doubt deserves to be at a club that plays in Europe, at least. I just always think it’s a bit sad when players do one to Saudi, (just like 10 years ago with China). Especially considering you have to live in Bahrain anyway so your wife and kids don’t get stoned to death for wearing jeans and a t-shirt.

Tricky move for Toney given betting in Saudi is illegal.  Or perhaps the best thing for him, removing temptation.

My team Wrexham are spending pretty big in EFL1 terms but Birmingham are taking it to another level.  They’ve just bid £10m for Fulham’s Jay Stanfield on top of the £16m already spent although they did get £5m for Jordan James this summer.  The whole of the EFL seems to be morphing into a bunch of extremely rich owners but at the moment  you are either with the haves or the have nots, I guess a bit like the UK in general.

Speaking of have-nots; my team hasn’t been allowed to buy anyone, while other clubs pick off our best talent at will, because the EFL’s decision on who’s a fit and proper person to own a football club has turned out to be the worst one since someone said ‘maybe camera technology would help with ref’s decisions’

I know it’s a competition and I’m wired to the moon but this could happen to about 80% of the league; wouldn’t it be nice if the other clubs didn’t asset strip, or at the very least not bash down knowing it’s a firesale and at least offer a fair rate for the talent they’re poaching.

The scary thing is that this whole FFP thing is starting to cause a lot more damage to some clubs, and do the opposite of what it was meant to do, we see teams doing a boom or bust approach in the hopes of achieving promotion, or winning something, to offset their transfer splurges, but if they don’t get promotion, they are having to have a fire sale, and everyone exploits it.

It’s also providing a safety net for some big teams, i see ManU are spending big again, same as always, Chelsea as well, but the teams who want to challenge, like Newcastle, or Villa, have to toe the line as they’re getting close to the limits, so they have funds, but can’t spend to compete against teams who finished below them last year?!

I see ManU are spending big again, same as always

No doubt on another batch of overpriced Donkey’s. I wouldn’t worry. We’ll still finish 7th. If we’re lucky.