Todays fitba

[manc_don]

4 hours ago, BigAl said:

Believe in terms of trophies won over the last ten years St Johnstone are probably the second most successful club in Scotland 

Thoroughly embarrassing. Don’t get me wrong, I’m pleased for them, but absolutely jealous given the investment this team has received over the years 

[wokinginashearerwonderland]

Interesting view point above.  I don't see it at all as embarrassing.  It is an incredible achievement for anyone outside the old firm to win a trophy given the investment in their teams over the last 30 years.  Our league is no different to England, Spain or Germany in that a provincial side winning something nowadays is becoming rarer and rarer.  If you look at England, only 4 of their non "big six" teams have won their league cup in the last 20 years and their FA Cup is even worse with only 2 of the provincial sides winning it.  That is 6 trophies out of 40.  The gulf in cash between our top 2 sides and the rest is far greater than it is in England.  The idea that our club should just be able to rock up and collect a bit of silverware every few years just because we spend a wee bit more on wages that some other clubs is massively underestimating how difficult it is to win something.   

 

 

[BigAl]

There is little doubt that as a provinical club in Scotland to win a trophy you need the luck of the draw and that during the McInnes years we have consistantly been paired against Celtic. Of course our failure to lay a glove on them is another point altogether.

Looking at St Johnstone's Scottish Cup victory, they played three lower league clubs and two top league clubs (Livingston, Forfar, Raith, Us and The Arabs)

In this season's League Cup they played Kelty Hearts, Brechin, Peterhead & The Arabs in the group stages. Knockout ties were against Motherwell, Dunfermline, Hibs & Livingston.

Now not wishing to take anything away from their achievement, not once did they have to play against either of the arse cheeks. In 2014, Der Hun were struggling against the Like of Albion Rovers and of course we defeated The Victims at Parkhead. 

This year's League Cup, obviously fresher in everyone's memory St Mirren dispatched Der Hun and Ross County took care of the other mob. Ok so they still beat three top division teams in winning the cup but, Motherwell not the team they were, Hibs well most of us predicted they would "Hibs it" in the semi just as they did in the Scottish semi, and Livingston, I reckon just ran out of momentum from the new manger bounce Martindale brought them. Play it four weeks earlier and I doubt many of us would have fancied Saints.

Guess it in a way just goes to prove there is no such thing as an unlucky winner in life

[manc_don]

7 hours ago, wokinginashearerwonderland said:

Interesting view point above.  I don't see it at all as embarrassing.  It is an incredible achievement for anyone outside the old firm to win a trophy given the investment in their teams over the last 30 years.  Our league is no different to England, Spain or Germany in that a provincial side winning something nowadays is becoming rarer and rarer.  If you look at England, only 4 of their non "big six" teams have won their league cup in the last 20 years and their FA Cup is even worse with only 2 of the provincial sides winning it.  That is 6 trophies out of 40.  The gulf in cash between our top 2 sides and the rest is far greater than it is in England.  The idea that our club should just be able to rock up and collect a bit of silverware every few years just because we spend a wee bit more on wages that some other clubs is massively underestimating how difficult it is to win something.   

 

 

I think you might have misunderstood what I was getting at. It’s brilliant for st. Johnstone, I’m jealous of their feat. It’s more embarrassing for us that despite us being Scotland’s “second club” during this period (obviously not in the last three years) despite the investment, it has shown that we have very little to show for it. This is a criticism of DM and the club. I don’t for one second think that we deserve anything, but I don’t think we’ve wanted it enough. There has been bad luck (Rodgers years) but the last few seasons it feels like we’ve just not had the desire, skill or nous to win. Luck plays a part (as al alluded to) but winning does not not appear to be in the clubs mentality at the mo.

 

in terms of variety, it’s also good for the country. 

[RicoS321]

10 minutes ago, manc_don said:

I think you might have misunderstood what I was getting at. It’s brilliant for st. Johnstone, I’m jealous of their feat. It’s more embarrassing for us that despite us being Scotland’s “second club” during this period (obviously not in the last three years) despite the investment, it has shown that we have very little to show for it. This is a criticism of DM and the club. I don’t for one second think that we deserve anything, but I don’t think we’ve wanted it enough. There has been bad luck (Rodgers years) but the last few seasons it feels like we’ve just not had the desire, skill or nous to win. Luck plays a part (as al alluded to) but winning does not not appear to be in the clubs mentality at the mo.

 

in terms of variety, it’s also good for the country. 

It's not embarrassing though, that's the point. It's probably not even embarrassing for the Huns, who are only now getting a return on their couple of hundred million in a decade. St Johnstone haven't done anything noteworthy, they're a statistical blip. If they were running away with three or four trophies then you'd likely ascribe it to something worth talking about. There had to be one team picking up a second trophy at some point, it just happened to be them.

It's a catch 22 as I see it. McInnes isn't a great cup manager, in that he doesn't react to situations quickly enough and is too cautious in his approach, but his consistent ability to win league games puts us in Europe and gives us the money to compete in the cup with any degree of significance. Our budget isn't enough to guarantee us cup success, because as soon as we get two or three injuries we're at the level of a Motherwell, killie or saints and then it becomes the lottery that saints have won twice. I actually quite like that degree of balance, that's how it should be, not the abomination that is the cheeks and what is about to happen after Europe in the next season or so. If everything aligned for us with injuries and the draw, we'd likely win in any given season. Just as it will for every other team.

[Jute]

Liverpool lose 5th straight home game at Anfield game to slip to 7th following 1-0 defeat by Chelsea. Nice goal from Mount for Chelsea. 

[BigAl]

Fuck sake Staggies

Took the lead against Hibs and conceded within two minutes.

Mind you the penalty they were given by Beaton could at best be described as soft.

Now 2-1 Hibs 

[Kowalski]

Salford have won the EFL trophy. 
 

Meanwhile Adam Rooney is now playing for “Solihull Moors”. 

[Jute]

3 hours ago, Kowalski said:

Salford have won the EFL trophy. 
 

Meanwhile Adam Rooney is now playing for “Solihull Moors”. 

Salford only get the trophy for tonight as 2021 final is tomorrow. 

[Jute]

Champions League draw very kind to Liverpool and Chelsea.

[Jute]

Some game between West Ham and Arsenal. West Ham were 3-0 up but Arsenal have fought back to 3-3 with 10 left. End to end stuff.
 

ETA: finished 3-3. Probably one of best games watched in a while.

[Jute]

Ireland lose 1-0 to Luxembourg. Got to think Stephen Kenny will be emptied after this. Not won in 8 and only score 2 goals.

[tom_widdows]

Worse than than apparenlty

Last win was a friendly against New Zealand in November 2019

Record since then is 10 games, 4 draws (5 if you include the 0-0 with slovakia when they lost on penalties), 6 defeats, Goals for 4  Goals against 9

Their last 'competitive' win was against Gibraltar in June 2019

[Jute]

6 minutes ago, tom_widdows said:

Worse than than apparenlty

Last win was a friendly against New Zealand in November 2019

Record since then is 10 games, 4 draws (5 if you include the 0-0 with slovakia when they lost on penalties), 6 defeats, Goals for 4  Goals against 9

Their last 'competitive' win was against Gibraltar in June 2019

That’s brutal. Would be surprised if he survives past this weekend.

[Jute]

PSG eliminate Bayern on away goals in Champions league quarter finals. Really good game.

[tom_widdows]

15 minutes ago, Jute said:

PSG eliminate Bayern on away goals in Champions league quarter finals. Really good game.

Came in on this late but Im sure I saw the PSG goalie run into the back of his own defender and end up getting a free kick despite there been no munich players near either of them.

Loathesome club and I won't be surprised to if I see Tic & Sevco goalies adopting this tactic

[Jute]

38 minutes ago, tom_widdows said:

Came in on this late but Im sure I saw the PSG goalie run into the back of his own defender and end up getting a free kick despite there been no munich players near either of them.

Loathesome club and I won't be surprised to if I see Tic & Sevco goalies adopting this tactic

He did. Farce of a decision. 

[manc_don]

On 28/03/2021 at 10:59, Jute said:

That’s brutal. Would be surprised if he survives past this weekend.

Which is actually even funnier, as that was the first All Whites game in something like two years from memory. They as a national team, never seem to have any games.

 

Dortmund beating shitty at the mo, red scum and franco scum 0-0.

[Jute]

34 minutes ago, manc_don said:

Which is actually even funnier, as that was the first All Whites game in something like two years from memory. They as a national team, never seem to have any games.

 

Dortmund beating shitty at the mo, red scum and franco scum 0-0.

Man City now 2-1 up. Madrid looking very comfortable.

[manc_don]

Shame, red shite are out 

City through in the end.

[tom_widdows]

Arsenal showing SEVCO how its done

[Jute]

2 hours ago, tom_widdows said:

Arsenal showing SEVCO how its done

Arsenal won 4-0 in the end. Very comfortable victory joining Manchester United, Villarreal and Roma in last 4. 

[tom_widdows]

I know im not the most avid football fan but this premise sounds so fucking boring.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56794673
 

Quote

Senior Uefa figures are furious that 12 major European clubs, including the 'big six' from England, have signed up to a breakaway European Super League.

Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham are part of the group.

La Liga's Atletico Madrid, Barcelona and Real Madrid and Serie A's AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus are involved.

Uefa said it will use "all measures available" to stop the "cynical project" of a breakaway Super League.

BBC Sport was told last week of plans for some sort of confirmation about a European Super League.

Uefa had hoped to head off plans with a new-look 36-team Champions League set to be confirmed on Monday.

The European governing body released a joint statement together with the English Football Association, Premier League Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), La Liga, and the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) as well as Serie A on Sunday.

They said they will "remain united" in trying to stop the breakaway, using both judicial and sporting measures if required.

They also reiterated Fifa's stance that players taking part in the Super League would be banned from all other competitions at domestic, European or world level and could be prevented from representing their national teams.

In a separate statement, the Premier League said it condemned the proposal as it "attacks the principles of open competition and sporting merit which are at the heart" of domestic and European football.

Juventus owner Andrea Agnelli, Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward and AC Milan chief executive Ivan Gazidis would all have had a significant input into the Champions League discussions on Friday.

Juventus and AC Milan have signed up to the breakaway league plans

However, those clubs are among those to have broken ranks, to the fury of Uefa, whose president Aleksander Ceferin wanted to stave off a Super League threat.

None of the clubs concerned have responded to questions about the proposals.

The Premier League said a European Super League would "destroy" the dream of fans that "their team may climb to the top and play against the best".

It added such a league would "undermine the appeal of the whole game" and that they would work with the FA, the English Football League, Professional Footballers' Association, League Managers Association and fans to "defend the integrity and future prospects of English football".

The FA said it will "not provide permission to any competition that would be damaging to English football" and will "take any legal and/or regulatory action necessary" to stop it.

Bundesliga sides are opposed to the plans because the German model means commercial investors cannot have more than a 49% stake in clubs, so fans hold a majority of their own voting rights.

It is understood French Ligue 1 side Paris St-Germain are not part of the group.

Uefa said it thanked "those clubs in other countries, especially the French and German clubs, who have refused to sign up" to the breakaway league.

"We call on all lovers of football, supporters and politicians, to join us in fighting against such a project if it were to be announced," they added.

"This persistent self-interest of a few has been going on for too long. Enough is enough."

Quite when the European Super League would start is unclear.

However, world governing body Fifa has already said it would not recognise such a competition and any players involved in it would be denied the chance to play at a World Cup.

Serie A have called an emergency board meeting to discuss the matter.

The Football Supporters' Association said it is "totally opposed" to the plans, which it said were "motivated by nothing but cynical greed".

They added: "This competition is being created behind our backs by billionaire club owners who have zero regard for the game's traditions and continue to treat football as their personal fiefdom."

It has been agreed the new-look Champions League will involve an initial phase where every club plays 10 matches each rather than the current group phase.

In addition there would be play-offs, followed by a knockout phase.

The most controversial aspect of the proposals surround the allocation of the four additional places, with two being reserved for the clubs ranked highest in Uefa's co-efficient table who fail to qualify for the Champions League through their domestic competition, but do secure some kind of European football.

At the moment, Liverpool and Chelsea would be the clubs who benefited from that system if it was in place this season.

Edited April 18, 2021 by tom_widdows

[Jute]

Gary Neville’s response to new super league proposal.

[RicoS321]

It's just a logical extension to the existing model, I'm failing to see what their issue is. Are they seriously trying to suggest that the leagues of Europe aren't already available to the highest bidder?