Soccer Thread 2022-2023

[miami_fan]

I can't for the life of me figure out how putting Frank Lampard in charge on a temporary basis benefits Chelsea or Frank Lampard.

[Critch]

Originally Posted by miami_fan

I can't for the life of me figure out how putting Frank Lampard in charge on a temporary basis benefits Chelsea or Frank Lampard.

I'm not saying it's a good move for Chelsea but if the rumors about Chelsea players not listening to Potter because he was never a top level player, Lampard would at least remove that problem. And it's good for Frank Lampard because it's the only way he's getting a job at a big team in the foreseeable future.

Personally I hope it's a disaster.

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by Critch

I'm not saying it's a good move for Chelsea but if the rumors about Chelsea players not listening to Potter because he was never a top level player, Lampard would at least remove that problem. And it's good for Frank Lampard because it's the only way he's getting a job at a big team in the foreseeable future.

Personally I hope it's a disaster.

The club may go on to win the Champions League so it will be a brilliant decision if that happens. But could they really get rid of Lampard if they did win the CL?

I get bowing to the player power of the likes of Terry, Drogba and Lampard. I don't get it for anyone on this current squad. As far as Lampard is concerned, this has the feel of a manager heading down the Sam Allardyce firefighter route and he is way too early in his managerial career to do that.

[HomerSimpson98]

I think Lampard can actually do well at Chelsea - unfortunately. There is lots of attacking talent to work with there, and thats what he wants to do. Couldnt do it at Everton because we have barely any.


BTW, I do love what Dyche is doing with my guys. I reserve the right to change that 2 weeks into next season - if we can manage to stay up. HAVE to get attacking options tho.

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by Critch

I'm not saying it's a good move for Chelsea but if the rumors about Chelsea players not listening to Potter because he was never a top level player, Lampard would at least remove that problem. And it's good for Frank Lampard because it's the only way he's getting a job at a big team in the foreseeable future.

Personally I hope it's a disaster.

That's what you get for paying the jackpot on two dozen of third-tier players. And they'll be stuck with half of them for years to come. Good luck with that.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I don't remember if I've posted this or not, but one of the most interesting soccer things I've seen in a while is a guy I know that's currently enjoying a couple weeks in the UK with his son (age ... 10? 11?).

His youth club is making the rounds training & scrimmaging against various EPL academy (or affiliated?) teams. I've seen pics of them playing & training at WBA, Barnsley, Man City and Leeds. At least one occasion, a player from the main roster came by and watched the kids for a while, eventually giving them a little chat & autographs and such (it didn't seem planned that way, he just happened to be watching was the vibe I got).

Meanwhile, an elementary schoolmate's grandaughter (early teens?) is currently doing a similar training trip through Italy.

Just all strikes me as about as cool as anything youth sports related that I"ve seen in a long while.

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

I don't remember if I've posted this or not, but one of the most interesting soccer things I've seen in a while is a guy I know that's currently enjoying a couple weeks in the UK with his son (age ... 10? 11?).

His youth club is making the rounds training & scrimmaging against various EPL academy (or affiliated?) teams. I've seen pics of them playing & training at WBA, Barnsley, Man City and Leeds. At least one occasion, a player from the main roster came by and watched the kids for a while, eventually giving them a little chat & autographs and such (it didn't seem planned that way, he just happened to be watching was the vibe I got).

Meanwhile, an elementary schoolmate's grandaughter (early teens?) is currently doing a similar training trip through Italy.

Just all strikes me as about as cool as anything youth sports related that I"ve seen in a long while.

Our local club did a similar thing last summer and will do it again this summer. Theirs was much more London based as opposed to the greater UK. Here is some of the details that they sent us for prior to tryouts. It was U12-U17 teams.

TRIP INFORMATION:

Games vs. Premier League Academy Teams
Get Scouted by Pro Scouts from Arsenal, Chelsea, Charlton, Leyton Orient
The opportunity to train with English Youth Academies if selected
Daily Training by UEFA Licensed Coaches
Individual Player Evaluation by UEFA coach
Q&A With Ex-Premier League Players
City of London Sightseeing
Visit major London Soccer Landmarks,
such as the Emirates Stadium and/or Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Olympic village, Wembley, etc.
Marriott Hotel for Players and Parents and 3 Meals per Day
Customized AP Soccer’s Dream Team Full Uniform Package
Transport to and from Airport
Basic Medical Insurance

[HomerSimpson98]

That is absolutely fantastic. if you dont mind my asking, how much is that kind of trip costing you?

[Ksyrup]

We know someone (freshmen girl) who is doing something similar in Spain. I don't know any of the details, but my wife just saw some pictures posted on FB since they are there now on spring break. I assume this is their travel club, not school.

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by HomerSimpson98

That is absolutely fantastic. if you dont mind my asking, how much is that kind of trip costing you?

My son did not go. He played for the club when he was younger but decided to play travel baseball instead. We are still on the mailing list just in case baseball does not work out.

I did ask but I don't remember the exact numbers from last year. It was somewhere in the $3500+ range for sure.

EDIT- Last year's was $4494 for the kid. and $4944 for adults for a 10-day trip.

[HomerSimpson98]

Nice - thanks.


We are doing our first ever trip this summer to Spain through my son's club team. I'm taking the whole family over, as I'll likely never have another good reason to do something like this. The kids are old enough to at least remember it, if not enjoy it. Having said, that, it is definitely costing us a pretty penny, but not too far off of the approximate $5K per that you posted above so thats good to know.

[Ksyrup]

I don't have a creative bone in my body, but I think even I could write an effective South Park spoof of Ted Lasso/Wrexham in which Leicester is relegated and hires RANDY Marsh as coach and he brings Tegridy Farms in as the new sponsor. Because this team could use a whole lot of 'tegridy.

[Critch]

The ref and VAR at the Spurs v Brighton today had to really work to make sure one of the small teams didnt get too close to a precious Champions League place.

Brighton had two goals questionably disallowed and VAR also somehow missed an obvious penalty.

[SirFozzie]

​Now, I understand banter and trying to put someone off their game.

This is beyond the pale, and I fully support the reaction,

https://twitter.com/ESPNFC/status/1644857644228722688


In this case, Valverde's "punishment" should be that he gets to kick Baena in the groin. Twice, and then get to stand on what's left of Baena's groin with his cleats. Sharpened.

​

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by Critch

The ref and VAR at the Spurs v Brighton today had to really work to make sure one of the small teams didnt get too close to a precious Champions League place.

Brighton had two goals questionably disallowed and VAR also somehow missed an obvious penalty.

Brighton should not have any complaints. Human error is part of the game and these things balance out over a season.

Or, Brighton has received the third apology this season from the PGMOL for officiating errors. They are also have been the worst-affected club in the Premier League this season, with only two VAR overturns in their favor and eight against.

It really would be nice to see and hear the explanation from the match officials in cases like this. I know there is the school of thought that says that doing so would undermine the match officials. I don't think they could say anything that would undermine them more that what is said about them when they are silent.

[bhlloy]

Whether consciously or subconsciously, VAR has made the problem of the big teams getting all the calls worse. It sounds like a conspiracy theory, but when you look at what's actually happened the last couple of seasons t's hard to come to any other conclusion.

Time to get rid of it for all judgement calls IMO. It's clear that it's just replacing the opinion of the referee on the field with the opinion of the referee in the booth. Offsides, ball out of play and serious foul play that the referee misses sure, the rest of it doesn't feel like it's taken a single step forward and hasn't reduced the controversy in the slightest.

[flere-imsaho]

Originally Posted by miami_fan

I know there is the school of thought that says that doing so would undermine the match officials. I don't think they could say anything that would undermine them more that what is said about them when they are silent.

Exactly. And that school of thought is undermined by the fact that this is how it's done in Rugby and it definitely helps to make things more clear & understandable.

[Critch]

A chunk of the problem is also how the press and EPL react to mistakes against "big" teams compared with how they react for smaller teams. The week VAR made a mistake in the Brentford v Brighton game there was also a mistake in the Arsenal game. Press went crazy about the call against Arsenal and the VAR operator was removed from games. The VAR operator in the Brentford v Brighton game was mentioned in passing in the press and he got "lol, these things happen, see you next week" from the league.

So the message is always err in favor of the big team.

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

Rodgers finally let go. Possibly too little too late.

Dean Smith? Thoughts?

[Ksyrup]

He's so old he's dead.

Oh wait, the other guy. I don't know English soccer, I just know that there are apparently 30 managers for 20 teams and if you fire your guy you have to pick from the approved list. I'm surprised Kevin Loughery and Dick Motta weren't called.

I'd say Leicester is fucked. Two home games after Rodgers was let go, they blew a win and definitely a sure point against AV and then lost to the team right ahead of them. Marsch doesn't want the job because he knows they're going down and sure to sell off Madison, Barnes and whoever else has any value (and Tielemans is gone for free). If they go down, I suspect it'll take some time to build back up but I've never followed a relegated team before so I don't know much about how all that works.

[sovereignstar v2]

Love me some Thomas Tuchel

[sovereignstar v2]

Originally Posted by sovereignstar v2

hey jude

don't make it bad

[flere-imsaho]

If Leicester go down, I predict they'll come right back up. Compared to most Championship sides, they just have too much revenue, even before the parachute payments.

The typical way that relegated clubs fuck up the return back to the EPL are:

1. You got so far out over your skis, financially, that you couldn't even afford a Championship-caliber team once you got done selling people off, and then spiralled into debt. E.g. Blackpool.

2. You couldn't pick a competent manager, or picked a series of managers but never supported them.

3. The owner said "fuck it" and didn't invest while looking to sell, but wasn't able to sell fast enough.

I don't think Leicester will suffer from any of those. On the other hand, they do have a chance to become a yo-yo team.

[sovereignstar v2]

It's mid-April and Haaland still has more goals than the entirety of Chelsea.

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

If they go down, I suspect it'll take some time to build back up but I've never followed a relegated team before so I don't know much about how all that works.

It does not have to take some time to come back up. Burnley were in similar financial problems last year and came right back up with arguably a better squad of players with room to grow over the next few years.

Relegation sucks but the road back up can be fun if for no other reason but you get to see your club win matches. The club also can bring through a few young players instead of feeling the pressure to bring in EPL talent. Unfortunately, that does not guarantee they won't overspend if they are not careful.

[Critch]

When you're playing Football Manager, you can take over a new team and put in a downloaded, vaguely exploit-y tactic and suddenly your ordinary team beats everybody. That's what Unai Emery at Villa is like.

[miami_fan]

It may come back to bite me but Dean Smith should probably pull Leicester City off the pitch and take the 3-0 forfeit. Goal difference matters.

[sovereignstar v2]

.

[Ksyrup]

As my kids would say, they're goin' down, I'm yellin' timber.

[sovereignstar v2]

Another week and Arsenal still at the top

Sent from my CPH2451 using Tapatalk

[miami_fan]

It is starting to sound a bit squeaky in the Gunners' camp.

[kingfc22]

Four dropped points in two weeks is not good. Feels like we’re going to need Man City to slip up once or twice to finish in first

[miami_fan]

Did Chelsea decide to retrain Kante as a striker without telling anyone?

[sovereignstar v2]

Southampton up 1-2 against 12 man Arsenal.

[miami_fan]

Arsenal saved a point?

[sovereignstar v2]

Premier League Predictions | FiveThirtyEight

[Ksyrup]

If Leicester is going down, they ought to do it with Tielemans off the roster. What a garbage game from a guy who knows he's moving on regardless of the club's status next year.

[JonInMiddleGA]

The Wrexham story I read also noted Rochdale's departure from League play ... after 102 years.

From L1 to out in 3 years, that's pretty rough.

[21C]

Much like the stories of Yeovil Town and Scunthorpe United who had both played in the Championship as recently as 2014 and 2011 respectively. They have just been relegated from the National League into North/South leagues.

[flere-imsaho]

OK, this is a fun clip of the moment Wrexham gains promotion to the EFL as champions, and the emotion from Rob is nice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcwiPM1G8fY

However, I'd like to point your attention to the referee, who waits until the action has taken him close to the tunnel, who then blows his whistle and sprints off and down the tunnel before the inevitable pitch invasion overcomes him. I hope the assistant refs found a safe way to exit.

[Ksyrup]

If Tottenham would take the field now, it would greatly improve their chances in this game.

[Ksyrup]

Nevermind. They should just get back on the bus.

[Ghost Econ]

If each Manchester plays like they have for the past month, the FA Cup is going to be a bloodbath for the ages.

[flere-imsaho]

It's impossible to tell which Manchester United team is going to show up for a given game. Are they the side that handled Man City (in January), Barcelona, and Newcastle (in the Cup Final), or the side that self-destructed at Sevilla, Liverpool, and Newcastle (in the League)? No one knows.

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

The Wrexham story I read also noted Rochdale's departure from League play ... after 102 years.

From L1 to out in 3 years, that's pretty rough.

There is a definite price to pay from bad club management and leadership. There can be hope though if they can get those things right.

On 22 April 2017 Leyton Orient was relegated to the National League after a 112- year stay in the Football League. On 22 April 2023 Leyton Orient won the League Two title.

[sovereignstar v2]

[miami_fan]

Welp. At least there is Champions League for the Gunners. Maybe.

[bhlloy]

If Haaland hadn't had an off night in front of goal this genuinely could be in danger of being double digits. Sadly all too predictable after the wobble Arsenal have had in the last couple of weeks.

[flere-imsaho]

City are 2 points behind, have 2 games in hand, and are +13 in GD over Arsenal. Their remaining league opponents are Fulham, West Ham, Everton, Leeds, Chelsea (twice?), Brentford. It's over.

[miami_fan]

The sad part is Arsenal is probably going to finish in the top 4 for the first time in seven years losing the title to this City team with one of if not the the youngest team in the league. And have a failure of a season.

RINGZZZ