Football Thread 2020/2021

[Naysonymous]

4 hours ago, Gotters said:

This Turkey thing is just fucking madness, forget football or the idiots that run it or would actually look to fly out - its utterly irresponsible after the efforts everybody has made to get covid under control. 

 

Turkey entered a nationwide full lockdown last week which will last until May 17 in order to try and reduce the number of COVID-19 cases.

Turkey logged 336 COVID-19-related deaths and 31,891 new cases in the last 24 hours, Health Ministry data showed on Wednesday.

As detailed in The Times on Wednesday, it is believed that the Ataturk Olympic Stadium will host about 25,000 fans — or one-third of its capacity.

 

We're talking about 25,000 spectators with 8,000 flying in only 12 days after a national lockdown may get lifted, a lockdown that has only been on for a few weeks so cases will still be high.

 

Unless you literally cattle in fans on sealed fan only planes and bus them into the ground its insane to have thousands making their own way over

 

Yeah, but some UEFA executives might have to rebook their hotel rooms mate.  

[Disgraced Toblerone]

16 hours ago, Gotters said:

This Turkey thing is just fucking madness, forget football or the idiots that run it or would actually look to fly out - its utterly irresponsible after the efforts everybody has made to get covid under control. 

 

Turkey entered a nationwide full lockdown last week which will last until May 17 in order to try and reduce the number of COVID-19 cases.

Turkey logged 336 COVID-19-related deaths and 31,891 new cases in the last 24 hours, Health Ministry data showed on Wednesday.

As detailed in The Times on Wednesday, it is believed that the Ataturk Olympic Stadium will host about 25,000 fans — or one-third of its capacity.

 

We're talking about 25,000 spectators with 8,000 flying in only 12 days after a national lockdown may get lifted, a lockdown that has only been on for a few weeks so cases will still be high.

 

Unless you literally cattle in fans on sealed fan only planes and bus them into the ground its insane to have thousands making their own way over

I agree and stand corrected.

[Mike1812]

Back to normality

[Gabe]

Nobody thought UEFA were the good guys though (did they?) They were just, in that scenario, less bad than the 12 clubs. 

[Fry Crayola]

21 hours ago, Gotters said:

I'm sure UEFA could bung the Turkish FA a few quid to get the game amicably moved, or give them the next final (or one in the next few years).

 

Indeed, it's worth remembering that the Atatürk was due to host last year's final, before the move to a shortened tournament pushed them back to this year. Really, it's on UEFA to not have sufficient get out clauses to minimise unnecessary travel if the situation demands it.

[Ork1927]

19 hours ago, dr_manhattan^ said:

With regards to covid and football, in hindsight, international travel for football looks like a bloody stupid thing.  Nuno told the press at the weekend what an effect covid has had on the Wolves squad this season.  Apparently the recent Burnley game is where it really caught up with them.  Neves, Saiss, and Boly in particular have all caught it this season I believe, and Boly in particular is really suffering.

 

He's out of action now with long covid, apparently he's in a bad way, suffering heart palpatations and a general lack of energy that's rampant throughout the squad.

 

The players have all picked up the virus on international duty I believe.

 

So yes, going to Turkey seems mental.

At least there isn't a major tournament happening in multiple countries next mont.........

 

I guess a lot of players will have been vaccinated now?  Or maybe not as technically most of them won't be on the list yet due to their age.

[Art Vandelay]

It's a strange quirk of fate that 100% of professional footballers happen to be asthmatic so they may be closer to the front of the queue.

[Gotters]

super league rumblings still going on in the background with Real, Barca and Juve threatening to take legal action against those who signed up then got the wobbles

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/07/sports/soccer/super-league-real-madrid-barcelona.html?referringSource=articleShare

 

state of the finances of those 3 I suspect they are now using either Lionel Hutz or one of those PPI no win no fee lawyers.

[Gigawatt]

As 3 of the 4 European finalists are English clubs this year, maybe they should propose a break-away 'Primo' League where the big 6 compete against 14 invited English clubs to be the Champions of England, with the top 4 going into the following season's play-offs against other elite Euro clubs?

[Gotters]

Turkey going  on that red list at todays press conference by Grant Shapps

[Stoppy2000]

4 hours ago, Art Vandelay said:

It's a strange quirk of fate that 100% of professional footballers happen to be asthmatic so they may be closer to the front of the queue.

Eh? Is this an in joke about those bizarre Liverpool rumours? 

[Plissken]

With fans returning to stadiums, clubs are announcing how they can get tickets.  Spurs have got 10,000 available to season ticket holders, via ballot, at £60 plus £1.75 booking fee.

 

Burnley have got 3,500 available to season ticket holders, via ballot at £0.00 plus £0.00 booking fee, with the chairman asking that fans make a donation to the NHS charities.

[Art Vandelay]

1 minute ago, Stoppy2000 said:

Eh? Is this an in joke about those bizarre Liverpool rumours? 

 

I think Liverpool were apparently on the old Pro Plus weren't they? Nah, it's just lots of professional sports people have pretty dubious asthma exemptions. Apologies, this is one of those 'well, my mate says' things, but my mate literally does the tests and he says it's abused beyond belief by people we all know and that I probably shouldn't repeat on here. It's pretty naughty I guess but they could be doing worse I suppose.

[Stoppy2000]

1 minute ago, Art Vandelay said:

 

I think Liverpool were apparently on the old Pro Plus weren't they? Nah, it's just lots of professional sports people have pretty dubious asthma exemptions. Apologies, this is one of those 'well, my mate says' things, but my mate literally does the tests and he says it's abused beyond belief by people we all know and that I probably shouldn't repeat on here. It's pretty naughty I guess but they could be doing worse I suppose.

I think it's mostly in professional cycling isn't it? I think by now the story would be out there if it was happening a lot in football. 

[layten]

1 minute ago, Stoppy2000 said:

I think it's mostly in professional cycling isn't it? I think by now the story would be out there if it was happening a lot in football. 

No cycling this past year, I wonder how that could have had an effect. 

[Art Vandelay]

11 minutes ago, Stoppy2000 said:

I think it's mostly in professional cycling isn't it? I think by now the story would be out there if it was happening a lot in football. 

 

This dude works across a lot of sports and yeah, cycling is the worst apparently. Football isn't exempt at all though and it happens a lot. It's a bending of the rules really so I wonder if people just don't care. I've no inside information, but I'd say drug use in football is or was probably more prevalent than anyone wants to admit. Some of those Spanish clubs that were running other teams into the ground and jumping over the north stand when celebrating spring to mind. Look at what Barca did to poor Cesc's hairline. He left us a callow youth with a mullet and looked like a bald 60 year old dock worker within six months. 

 

Sorry, heavy topic for Friday night. Was a wee joke.

[Plissken]

A surprising number of substitutes do have a crafty puff on an inhaler before running onto the pitch.

[Oh Danny Boy]

2 hours ago, Art Vandelay said:

 

This dude works across a lot of sports and yeah, cycling is the worst apparently. Football isn't exempt at all though and it happens a lot. It's a bending of the rules really so I wonder if people just don't care. I've no inside information, but I'd say drug use in football is or was probably more prevalent than anyone wants to admit. Some of those Spanish clubs that were running other teams into the ground and jumping over the north stand when celebrating spring to mind. Look at what Barca did to poor Cesc's hairline. He left us a callow youth with a mullet and looked like a bald 60 year old dock worker within six months. 

 

Sorry, heavy topic for Friday night. Was a wee joke.

Apologies for my ignorance but does that stuff age people then? Would explain why so many professional footballers look like middle aged men by their mid 20s. 

[layten]

17 minutes ago, Oh Danny Boy said:

Apologies for my ignorance but died that stuff age people then? Would explain why so many professional footballers look like middle aged men by their mid 20s. 

Footballers ageing badly is not new.

(probably the 20 a day and 5 pints a night back then)

[Stopharage]

Oh good. Leicester are imploding. 

[neoELITE]

Leicester to win is the first game in my weekend accumulator. 

[Stopharage]

We've been diabolical. Evans getting injured before the start was less than ideal. 

[cowfields]

Beautiful assist from the goalpost there

[ryodi]

Leicester are getting thrashed by Newcastle.

[Naysonymous]

So to 1up last season's heartbreak of blowing the Champions League on the last day of the season, they'll blow the Champions League and lose the cup final this year.  

[Scruff]

I, as a West Ham fan, fully embrace Leicester shitting the bed.

 

Sorry Stopharage but it's mercenary at the top  

[Stopharage]

Maddison has been pretty poor since he came back from injury and his COVID party. Vardy looks like he'll never score again. Soyuncu and Fofana looked utterly lost without Evans to marshall them. Perreira still looks like he's on wis way back from injury. Tielemans is probably planning to get his agent on the blower to City or Barca tomorrow. A really naive performance. 

 

We may still get a Champions' League place and/or the FA Cup. I'd have taken a European place and a final appearance at the start of the season. We tend to do quite well against the top 6, so I'm hopeful. 

[Stopharage]

1 minute ago, Scruff said:

I, as a West Ham fan, fully embrace Leicester shitting the bed.

 

Sorry Stopharage but it's mercenary at the top  

Rather you guys get a Top 4 place over us, than ESL wooden spoon competitors, Spurs and Arsenal. 

 

TBF we've deserved the sum total of fuck all from this game. And we weren't much better against 10 men Southampton. 

[MikeBeaver]

Leicester are almost guaranteed a win on Tuesday though, playing United reserves

[Mike1812]

Spurs will be in for Bruce at this rate