bobzy

Blues goal

1 minute ago, jacketspuds said:

He’s a United fan isn’t he? Would certainly explain his decisions today.

If it's Anthony Taylor, he supports Altrincham.

2 minutes ago, Lochheads twin said:

He has been guilty of a few nasty challenges and amazingly got away with them.

That’s big 6 bias for you. 

10 minutes ago, stewiek2 said:

Dare I say they actually miss Henderson.

Not even slightly? They’ve had 76% of the ball but (looks like) their finishing has let them down. 

13 minutes ago, Django_Zooms said:

Leicester & Ipswich up, then. Both wear blue shirts & white shorts. Adidas designers panic?

Ipswich have 2 tough games next - by no means up. 

2 hours ago, osmark86 said:

Good little read about the doom & gloom of modern football:

https://luketmurphy.medium.com/nottingham-forest-the-end-of-history-and-the-last-fan-cd380863c74e

That’s really good, actually, and succinctly covers a lot of what I feel about the modern game. 

18 hours ago, Davkaus said:

They've just bought the world cup in plain sight and nobody seems to care

Aren't they the only "bidder" anyway?

Same with the Qatar World Cup.  There'll be some fuss, but basically everyone will watch it because no-one really cares at all.

Don't know if this link works properly - only place I can find it "on it's own".  Bologna played away at Roma in a huge game for top 4 in Serie A - the opening goal?

https://streamin.me/v/5f1a8772/o

5 minutes ago, villa4europe said:

But that said for as good as Brighton have been and for how much climbing they've done are they really in a position where a drop off to say 10th this season is something to sharpen the pitch forks over? 

No, but football is ridiculous.

We could easily finish 8th or something next season and not get to a quarter final in any competition - it's just how football is when you're not the absolute elite.  If that happened, pitch forks shouldn't be out for Emery either.

1 hour ago, Genie said:

There’s a great video I cannot link here as it was on facebook where TAA makes absolutely no effort to compete for the header when DLC scores Everton’s second goal.

Absolutely pathetic from him.

Watched the game and sent this to my Dad (we always discuss the games watching etc):  "Alexander-Arnold did NOT WANT to defend that "

He's such a weird player because he's technically brilliant, has a phenomenal passing range, great crossing ability and has a good shot on him... but defensively he's just so weak.  He's pretty much one of Liverpool's best players but doesn't really work in the position he plays - it's so odd.

Just now, duke313 said:

The media, linking him with Liverpool, United, Bayern, Barca jobs etc.

That doesn't equate to someone being an elite manager - it's just where the links are being made.  Is Arne Slot an elite manager?  No.  But he might be well suited to Liverpool.

5 hours ago, villa4europe said:

after all that i still think they just need a goalscorer, welbeck being their starting striker is a problem they need to fix

Joao Pedro is presumably meant to be that player?  He's done relatively well this season (from memory), but is still young and improving etc.

17 minutes ago, duke313 said:

Yet i'm told RDZ is an elite manager. 

Who told you this?  

13 hours ago, Zatman said:

Again they only finished 2nd twice to City and never lost a cup final to them. Actually City only knocked them out once in a cup game

So what you’re saying is they’d have 3 PL titles instead of 1?

It feels like a fairly significant difference. 

1 hour ago, Zatman said:

and net spend is flawed as I said because of them ridiculous deals

Football is played on the pitch not the balance sheet and Liverpool had a team to win more trophies and didnt

I imagine if it wasn’t for a certain Manchester City…

Sheff Utd take the lead at Old Trafford. 

33 minutes ago, T-Dog said:

I have too. I don't think he's 'shit' by any stretch, but I expected a lot more from him this season, although I think he might be finding a bit more form again now. 

The settling in at a club is such a massive deal. We absolutely live in a world whereby if a transfer doesn’t immediately pay dividends on the pitch, then a player is shit.

It’s madness! Bailey, Watkins and Konsa should all hold as examples of players who adapt, settle and then improve. Diaby has the skill set to absolutely fall into this (and he’s had a good season in any case). 

1 hour ago, paul514 said:

Actually in FFP/PSR terms no.

He would sell for the equal of his book value so no FFP loss and we need to lower the wage bill for PSR along side increasing revenue.

No one really cares what it costs NSWE for the fee as they have always just stumped up the money - so far.

I’m not convinced that’s the one for FFP/PSR. He’ll probably have around, what, £10m “left” in terms of book value… you’re saying we get a left back in who is fine being a rotation option but offers as much as Digne does (and immediately, as well) for £50m absolute tops?

I don’t see it. It’s such a big risk. 

I like the round badge with the upside down lion. 

1 minute ago, Killeen30 said:

Purely down to his wage I imagine.  Yes he would be closer to the end of his career than he would to the start but it's really all down to the contract.  He's had a fine season, like the rest of the team.

But surely it would cost more money to replace him than it would to cover his £120k/wk (or £45m/wk, whatever it is) wage for the remaining 2 years he has on his contract?

5 hours ago, duke313 said:

What on earth has Emery created?

Not to nitpick, but "vs midfielders"?  Is that Leon Bailey compared to the likes of Youri Tielemans rather than, say, "Att Mid/Wingers" which would be more Phil Foden or, rather, where Bailey actually plays?

(He's still playing fantastically well, though).

Just now, Tom13 said:

You sure?

MOTD commentator called him "Mohammed Diaby" accidentally  

1 hour ago, Davkaus said:

I don't tend to mind for Villa matches as when they're not broadcast in the UK we all tend to be in the same boat so match threads don't suffer too much (except for @rjw63 listening on the **** radio like it's 1996 and coming in with all the spoilers )

Pisses me off more in world cups/euros when half the country is watching the match and you hear the cheers before you see the goal

@rjw63 and @JAMAICAN-VILLAN enjoying the Villa goals 2 minutes before everyone else  

2 hours ago, tomav84 said:

getting bored of my zilina save. players just don't want to be here at the first sniff of interest from elsewhere, even if they only were signed a few months ago. got a good side that qualifies from the league phase of the CL every year but only twice have i made it past the playoff round.

the league and team reputation just isn't progressing quick enough and it's getting annoying.

If it offers any crumb of encouragement with my FM2023 Latvia save, the board have (finally) upgraded my youth facilities to "Excellent" and I've had a couple of Latvian kids come through who look handy (both are strikers which is a bit annoying as I play with 1; PSG rumoured to be interested in one of them though which is a great sign).  So "the nation" is going to improve.

The Latvian league is still sat 8th in terms of ranking and I got knocked out of the CL in the Round of 16 for the first time in about 8 seasons which has pissed off the board .  Players still want to leave for the massive clubs, but I always go for the talk with them, they didn't meet the valuation, enter high valuation loop.  A few times it gets met and I just refuse it leading to an unhappy player... but they still perform well.  I actually had a reputation amongst my squad of "not keeping promises" which was an actual problem, so had to sell a few players and re-invest.

Overall, though, the side is still very strong and, more importantly, the league is getting better.  Valmiera qualified from the Europa League group again, won in their playoff but lost to Leipzig in the Round of 16.  Other sides (RFS, Riga, Auda) are picking up some random very good players on free transfers.  I think it's because every club is rich so they offer silly wages but they're getting players who are causing my side some (small) problems and should see those sides do better in Europe.

Definitely a bit of a slog, but it does get better once you get past the stage you're at.

1 hour ago, nick76 said:

Take it a step further because the question needs more context…
 

Question to Villa fans

Would you rather

• get to play in the Champions League and not win but keep all key players and get CL place next season as well.

Or

• sell Watkins for £100m to Arsenal this summer, win the Europa League Trophy, and finish 10th.

That's not "more context" though, it's a different question