Football 2023/24

[Roger]

Clubs returning to training and here we go again   

I've seen 3 games already - Melksham Town FC, v Bristol Rovers 0-9, v Forest Green 1-1 and v. Swindon Town 0-5 

Bristol Rovers came out and just took over, Melksham hardly got out of their own half. Forest Green were absolutely dismal and disorganised despite their trumpeted temporary female Manager and Swindon played well, a couple of exciting black wing backs and the venerable Charlie Austin returning to the fold. Despite the results, every credit to Melksham's players who fought from start to finish in every game   

Man City have lost one or two so - rumours of Bernado Silva leaving. Liverpool in transition - how will that go ? Changes at Arsenal, Man Utd reinforced and Chelsea, who knows ?

I expect Spurs to limp on and hope desperately that Harry Kane escapes their clutches somehow.

For relegation here's a first guess - Luton, Bournemouth and Palace for me 

It's concerning to see Players deserting for Saudi Arabia - maybe good riddance to Ronaldo, but Silva, Henderson and others will be missed. The money being paid IS absurd, Henderson £700K a week ?? It's madness - these Guys already have more dosh than they know what to do with   

Anyway, it will be fun for all but TUFC fans !! Bring it on . . . .

[Alfie]

Anyway, it will be fun for all but TUFC fans !! Bring it on . . . .

TUFC back in the National League south with Gary Johnson still as manager. Do you think he'll get you back up, Roger?

As for your new kit, I don't like the home kit but despite the away kit being the same design, the colours work better IMO. Yeovil's home and away kit look good this year (last year's away kit was awful) and I think that at the moment YTFC's team is looking quite strong for this season. What did you think of Yeovil's Frank Nouble when he was at Torquay last season?   

[Roger]

Alfie - IMO Johnson should have gone but we might do OK. The Fans seemed to like Frank    Broadly it's encouraging that we managed to retain some of the better Players . . . . . we'll see !

[Roger]

Nice link from Football 365 - there's gonna be a few decent teams in this Saudi League   

""Done deals

Karim Benzema (Real Madrid to Al-Ittihad, free) – three-year contract worth £172m a year (£14.3m a month; £3.3m a week)
Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City to Al-Ahli, £30m) – four-year contract worth £39m a year (£3.25m a month; £750,000 a week)
Jordan Henderson (Liverpool to Al-Ettifaq, £12m) – two-year contract worth £36m a year (£3m a month; £700,000 a week)
N’Golo Kante (Chelsea to Al-Ittihad, free) – four-year contract worth £21.5m a year (£1.79m a month; £413,461 a week)
Marcelo Brozovic (Inter to Al-Nassr, £15.4m) – three-year contract worth £21m a year (£1.75m a month; £403,846 a week)
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (Lazio to Al-Hilal, £34m) – three-year contract worth £17.1m a year (£1.43m a month; £328,846 a week)
Roberto Firmino (Liverpool to Al-Ahli, free) – three-year contract worth £17m a year (£1.42m a month; £326,923 a week)
Kalidou Koulibaly (Chelsea to Al-Hilal, £18m) – three-year contract worth £15.6m a year (£1.3m a month; £300,000 a week)
Malcom (Zenit to Al-Hilal, £51.4m) – four-year contract worth £15.4m a year (£1.28m a month; £296,153 a week)
Steven Gerrard (appointed as Al-Ettifaq manager) – two-year contract worth £15.2m a year (£1.26m a month; £292,307 a week)
Seko Fofana (Lens to Al-Nassr, £21.5m) – three-year contract worth £13m a year (£1.08m a month; £250,000 a week)
Ruben Neves (Wolves to Al-Hilal, £47m) – three-year contract worth £12m a year (£1m a month; £230,769 a week)
Edouard Mendy (Chelsea to Al-Ahli, £16m) – three-year contract worth £12m a year (£1m a month; £230,769 a week)
Allan Saint-Maximin (Newcastle to Al-Ahli, £23m) – three-year contract worth £10.2m a year (£850,000 a month; £196,153 a week)
Jota (Celtic to Al-Ittihad, £25m) – three-year contract worth £10m a year (£833,333 a month; £192,307 a week)
Alex Telles (Man Utd to Al-Nassr, £4m) – two-year contract worth £7m a year (£583,333 a month; £134,615 a week)
Jack Hendry (Club Brugge to Al-Ettifaq, £6.5m) – unknown contract length and salary.
Moussa Dembele (Lyon to Al-Ettifaq, free) – unknown contract length and salary.
Matthias Jaissle (Leipzig manager, appointed by Al-Ahli) – three-year contract, unknown salary."

Much more in the link     https://uk.yahoo.com/sports/news/every-player-linked-saudi-arabia-063217469.html

[Alfie]

^ Add Sadio Mane to that list. He has left Bayern Munich to join Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr.

[Roger]

And Willian has finally succumbed and gone to Saudi too     Fulham will miss him, and maybe Mitrovic !

Anyway, the Season begins today - Charity Shield Man City v Arsenal and Championship, Div's 1 and 2 PLUS the National League.

Come on Torquay  !!     

[Roger]

Whoops ! Charity Shield is Sunday 4pm kick off.

Man City v Arsenal, should be a cracker.

ITV 1 at 10 pm Thai time

[Teessider]

Whoops ! Charity Shield is Sunday 4pm kick off.

Man City v Arsenal, should be a cracker.

ITV 1 at 10 pm Thai time

Unfortunately the 2nd half of the Charity Shield clashes with the first half of the game at the SoL Sunderland v Ipswich.

[Roger]

Ah. Teess please let me know how Walton in goal for Ipswich plays - (I've met his Mum several times and know his 'Stepdad'). He was well regarded at Wigan in the Championship and saved a penalty against Man City in the FA Cup but not rated much at Blackburn, (on season long loans). Did well at Ipswich last season after cutting Brighton ties.

[Teessider]

Christian Walton is injured so didn't play. His replacement, Vaclav Hladky, didn't have a lot to do until Sunderland went down to 10 men. They staged a late rally pulling 1 back and Hladky deflected a late Jack Clarke shot onto the post. There were 13 minutes of added time!

[Roger]

Thanks Teess. I see Luton were after Walton again until his injury.

In the Charity shield, the Ref, gave 8 mins of added time in the 2nd half - came from nowhere.

At times I was forgetting which way City were playing - they spent SO much time playing the ball backwards.

Well done, but lucky Arsenal.

[Roger]

Guardiola, unsurprisingly but correctly in my view, comments in the DT on yesterday's extra time - I agree with him :-

"Guardiola has warned to expect the longest matches in the history of the Premier League next season after new referee directives on added time for stoppages. Officials will add exact time lost to celebrations, substitutions, injuries, penalties and red cards, which was brought in during the World Cup last season when matches regularly went past the 100-minute mark.

City conceded in the 101st minute when Leandro Trossard’s shot deflected in off Manuel Akanji. “It was annoying but we have to get used to it,” said Guardiola. “I had the feeling, not because we were winning 1-0, but that not much happened to extend it for eight minutes. “It's a good question for the international board and people because they don't consult with managers and players and we have to accept it with this amount of games. “Now the games will be 100 minutes. Nothing happened today and there was eight minutes. They extend for goals. If the score is 4-3 and you put 45 seconds for seven goals, tomorrow morning at 9am I am [still] here playing.”

Slight exaggeration but IMO the Football 'powers that be' have got this wrong again . . . .

A report in the DM too https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-12378787/Man-City-boss-Pep-Guardiola-slams-new-approach-stoppage-time-Arsenal-lift-Community-Shield-Leandro-Trossards.html

[Roger]

Anyone watching the Women's World Cup ?

England were lucky to get to penalties against Nigeria yesterday - they were quicker, stronger and better overall than England, who were very disappointing. Re. the non-penalty, for me foot was alongside foot, whereupon the English player took the opportunity to make a salmon leap !! I agree with the refs, NO penalty.

James - I didn't see a stamp but a 'tread upon' - a soft red card IMO - or a hard yellow. In the DT picture, you can see the Nigerian player has a great big smile on her face as she appeals for the foul. Evenso, James was stupid but NO red for me. MMMmmmm.

The Nigerians were stronger, faster and better than England but they did hassle and play dirty at times.

*************

I think the Aussies may run out winners   

[Roger]

The Football Authorities continue their decades of expertise in effing up the game !!

"Premier League players are in revolt over 100-minute matches, fearing physical and mental damage from the new referee directives on adding time for stoppages. Kevin De Bruyne says Manchester City and Arsenal players were against the changes introduced by the International FA Board (IFAB) ahead of the Community Shield at the weekend, with even the match officials themselves questioning the latest guidelines. Manchester United centre-back Raphael Varane has also angrily condemned the directives to add exact time lost to celebrations, substitutions, injuries, penalties and red cards, with fears  of injury and a harm to mental health as a result.

It led to matches lasting beyond 100 minutes at the World Cup and Arsenal scoring a 101st-minute equaliser at Wembley on Sunday. The Professional Footballers’ Association union has voiced its concerns over the matter, while fan  groups are monitoring the disruption it will cause to travel after matches." https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2023/08/07/100-minute-matches-dangerous-physical-mental-health-varane/

[Alfie]

I support the clampdown on time wasting. Players know what to do (or what not to do) if they want to be on the pitch for only 90 minutes.

I also think there should be a clampdown on the shenanigans that go on in the box when there's a set piece such as a corner - players physically holding on to other players to prevent them moving, and multiple players surrounding the goalkeeper so the keeper cannot move to get to the ball. It's gamesmanship gone too far in my opinion.

[Roger]

Bob sent this . . . .

🚨 The list of all the benefits Neymar will receive in Saudi Arabia:

▫️ A house with 25 bedrooms 🏠

▫️ A 40 x10 meter swimming pool and three saunas 🏊‍♂️

▫️ Bentley Continental GT 🚗
▫️ Aston Martin DBX 🚗
▫️ Lamborghini Huracán 🚗

▫️ A 24-hour driver 👨‍✈️

▫️ 5 full-time staff for his house 👨‍💼

▫️ All bills for hotels, restaurants and various services during his OFF days will be sent to the club headquarters to be paid 🧾

▫️ A private plane at his disposal for his travels 🛩️

▫️ €500,000 for each social media post that promotes Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦

▫️ Not to mention his €100m a year salary 🤑

[caller]

I know that has been reported as 'his' demands, but I don't believe it. His star is well and truly on the wane.

[Roger]

Sorry to see that Mitrovic has gone to Saudi now. For me Mahrez and St-Maximin are the biggest losses, leaving the EPL as top players. There are many others in discussion, including Bernardo Silva 

Cant blame these Guys I suppose but what will they do with all that money ?

[Roger]

ATM it looks like Mason Greenwood's career and life will be reduced to a shadow of what it might have been - as another virtuous witch hunt gets underway. Charges were laid against him and then dropped - for whatever reason. At the core of it, he has no doubt behaved like a sleazebag but does he deserve an all-life sentence ?

Let's face it, few of us are perfect and with alcohol and youngster's hormones running wild, these sort of things happen. But whatever, he has not been proven guilty of anything. So why should he be prevented from earning his living by hysterical witch hunters stoked up by virtue signalling Rachel Riley and others. FGS give him a chance to learn from his troubles and live his life in a better way ?

This saga mirrors that of Ched Evans of Sheffield United some years ago, when a virtue signalling witch hunt was led by the saintly Jessica Ennis - I wonder if she ever had the decency to apologise to Evans after his conviction was eventually overturned on appeal. When he was able to start playing football again, he was no doubt past his best but still played well for Chesterfield and Fleetwood, who showed a lot more guts than the present Man Utd management.

Innocent until proven guilty please - NOT life sentences imposed, whether proven guilty OR 'innocent'.