Association Football 2023/2024 Discussion Thread

[NewYorkExpress]

James Milner has signed with Brighton & Hove Albion on a free transfer.

Not a bad deal for Brighton, but he's leaving Liverpool for a good reason. This has a high chance of backfiring for the Seagulls, who really should have replaced Alexis Mac Alister with someone younger, and especially someone younger than the 37 year old Milner.

[NewYorkExpress]

Former Crystal Palace Manager Patrick Vieira expresses interest in managing the US National team

Vieria doesn't have a great track record as a manager, but he does have prior experience in MLS, having previously managed NYCFC, and that might well still be a prerequisite for the USMNT job.

I still think Jesse Marsch, if he's interested, would be the better choice.

[Fight for Trump]

James Milner has signed with Brighton & Hove Albion on a free transfer.

Not a bad deal for Brighton, but he's leaving Liverpool for a good reason. This has a high chance of backfiring for the Seagulls, who really should have replaced Alexis Mac Alister with someone younger, and especially someone younger than the 37 year old Milner.

He is going to be a utility player, as he's been throughout his career, not a replacement for Mac Allister.

[NewYorkExpress]

After a miserable season last year which saw John Heitinga get sacked following a third place finish in the Eridiveise, Ajax has brought in Sparta Rotterdam manager Maurice Stejin as their new manager.

This is an interesting hire. Sparta Rotterdam really overperformed last season, finishing sixth despite being the third best club in Rotterdam, but I feel like Ajax might have been able to grab a manager with a record of working at bigger clubs elsewhere in Europe, given there ambitions are being competitive in European competition.

[JGibson]

James Milner has signed with Brighton & Hove Albion on a free transfer.

Not a bad deal for Brighton, but he's leaving Liverpool for a good reason. This has a high chance of backfiring for the Seagulls, who really should have replaced Alexis Mac Alister with someone younger, and especially someone younger than the 37 year old Milner.

He is going to be a utility player, as he's been throughout his career, not a replacement for Mac Allister.

An acquisition like Milner is a valuable one, especially for the European games that Brighton will play, as most of their roster bar Danny Welbeck and a few others hasn't played a single UEL/UCL/UECL match until now.

[JGibson]

The Premier League fixture list for the 2023/24 season is here. Schedule is subject to further changes due to television partner selections and/or domestic cup or European obligations.


https://twitter.com/premierleague/status/1669253419134074881


Opening weekend:
https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1669254361539571714

[Fight for Trump]

Very mature first Madrid press conference from Jude Bellingham. He definitely looks ready for the big time.

[NewYorkExpress]

Napoli has named Rudi Garcia, recently canned at Al Nassr, as their new manager.

An interesting hire. Garcia has prior success in France, winning both Ligue 1 and the Coupe de France with Lille in the 2010-11 season, but Napoli might have been able to do somewhat better here.

[NewYorkExpress]

CONCACAF Nations League Semifinals tonight.

So far, Canada has defeated Panama 2-0 to advance to finals, with the United States and Mexico's semifinal showdown on deck.

[NewYorkExpress]

Gregg Berhalter to get his job back.

[NewYorkExpress]

USMNT running away with their CONCACAF Nations League semifinal against Mexico 2-0, currently in the 60th minute. Christian Pulisic has a pair of goals tonight.

The winner faces Canada in the final on Sunday.

[LAKISYLVANIA]

Wtf happened in Mexico v. USA

https://twitter.com/OddAlerts/status/1669558937199460353

The entire internet is meming at this match

[NewYorkExpress]

Manchester City to sign Mateo Kovacic for a fee that's expected be about forty million Euros.

This would be a fantastic signing for Manchester City, and it's a lot cheaper than bringing in Declan Rice too.

It does mean that Ilkay Gundogan is almost certainly not renewing his contract, however.

[NewYorkExpress]

Pretty big upset in European Championship Qualifying, as Armenia defeated Wales today 4-2 in Cardiff.

[afleitch]

Two late goals for Scotland as they beat Norway 2-1.

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

Lecco have done it in front of the home crowd in dominating fashion - they will be in Serie B for the first time since 1973, ending a drought of precisely 50 seasons.

[NewYorkExpress]

In what is a major victory for Bayern Munich, they have landed Kim Min-Jae from Napoli, beating out Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Newcastle United and Paris Saint-Germain for his signature.

[NewYorkExpress]

Spain claims the UEFA Nations League, defeating Croatia on penalty kicks, after a scoreless draw.

[NewYorkExpress]

Last night the United States defeated Canada 2-0 to claim the CONCACAF Nations League trophy, as Folarin Balogun scored his first goal for USMNT.

[NewYorkExpress]

What is going on with Mexico? El Tri has fired Diego Cocca, the second manager they've sacked since the World Cup.

[NewYorkExpress]

The season hasn't begun, and we already have a managerial change in the English Premier League, as Gary O'Neil has been sacked at Bournemouth and replaced with Rayo Vallecano manager Andoni Iraola.

What an odd move. Why sack the manager who kept you alive in the Premier League last year for someone who isn't really better than that? Iraola's only success as a manager is winning the Cypriot Super Cup in 2018 with AEK Lacarna, and while Vallecano overperformed in La Liga compared to expectations (they did finish ahead of both Sevilla and Valencia, which is pretty impressive in my opinion), it isn't enough to deserve an English Premier League job in my opinion, even at a lower-tier side like Bournemouth.

[buritobr]

CBF confirmed that Carlo Ancelotti will be the new coach of the Brazilian men's association football squad. He will start his new job in 2024, since his contract with Real Madrid didn't finish yet. Until 2024, the coach of the U20 squa Ramon Menezes will be the acting coach.

The Italian coach will be the first non-Brazilian citizen to have this job for a World Cup. There was a Portuguese in the 1940s and an Argentine in the 1960s for only some friendly matches.

[Fight for Trump]

CBF confirmed that Carlo Ancelotti will be the new coach of the Brazilian men's association football squad. He will start his new job in 2024, since his contract with Real Madrid didn't finish yet. Until 2024, the coach of the U20 squa Ramon Menezes will be the acting coach.

The Italian coach will be the first non-Brazilian citizen to have this job for a World Cup. There was a Portuguese in the 1940s and an Argentine in the 1960s for only some friendly matches.

It will be hard for any manager to top his managerial resume - Madrid, Juventus, Milan, Bayern and soon Brazil. Win the World Cup with Brazil and he can retire having completed football.

[NewYorkExpress]

Carlo Ancelotti might be the best hire for a National Team job by any country since Italy hired Roberto Mancini.

[NewYorkExpress]

Brendan Rodgers is coming back to Celtic.

In his last stint at Celtic, Rodgers won two Domestic trebles, and he later went on to win a pair of trophies with Leicester City (the 2020-21 FA Cup and the 2021 Community Shield) before being sacked this season.

A fantastic hire for Celtic.