Association Football 2023/2024 Discussion Thread

[NewYorkExpress]

We've got two big derby games tomorrow.

The Northwest Derby (Manchester United/Liverpool) and El Clasico (Real Madrid/Barcelona).

[Lechasseur]

We've got two big derby games tomorrow.

The Northwest Derby (Manchester United/Liverpool) and El Clasico (Real Madrid/Barcelona).

I think Liverpool and Real respectively win those matches

[NewYorkExpress]

We've got two big derby games tomorrow.

The Northwest Derby (Manchester United/Liverpool) and El Clasico (Real Madrid/Barcelona).

I think Liverpool and Real respectively win those matches

I agree with you on El Clasico, as Barcelona is a shambles at present, and I'd actually be surprised if they qualified for Europe, but Manchester United might actually win, if things go their way. For one thing, that match is at Old Trafford.

[Lechasseur]

We've got two big derby games tomorrow.

The Northwest Derby (Manchester United/Liverpool) and El Clasico (Real Madrid/Barcelona).

I think Liverpool and Real respectively win those matches

I agree with you on El Clasico, as Barcelona is a shambles at present, and I'd actually be surprised if they qualified for Europe, but Manchester United might actually win, if things go their way. For one thing, that match is at Old Trafford.

I totally agree with this.

Manchester United are a good team, and yeah they have home advantage so they may well end up winning. That game should be quite the contest.

On the other hand, I'd be surprised if Barcelona beat Real. Now this isn't by any means the best Real team ever, but it's still reasonably decent (it will be them or Atletico winning the league this year imo) and they have a good manager in Carlo Ancelotti, while this is easily Barcelona's worst team since at least the 2002-2003 season (and frankly that team was probably better), and I agree with you that I don't think they qualify for Europe this year.

[NewYorkExpress]

As if I couldn't be wrong about anything more on this thread....Liverpool destroyed Manchester United today, 5-0 behind a hat trick by Mohammed Salah.

Also, West Ham United is punching way above their weight, as they beat Tottenham Hotspur 1-0, to climb to fourth.

Keep that position (or improve to third), and a Champions League spot awaits.

[Santander]

Also, West Ham United is punching way above their weight, as they beat Tottenham Hotspur 1-0, to climb to fourth.

lol no. Spurs are just a terrible team. Comparing the two team sheets today, the only Spurs player I would take in a combined XI is Reguilon. Hojbjerg is good, but I wouldn't take him over Rice and Soucek. Not saying West Ham is better than Spurs, but they are better coached and the talent gulf is not very big.

[𝕭𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖆 𝕸𝖎𝖓𝖔𝖑𝖆]

Yesterday Giovanni Simeone, striker for Verona and son of Atlético Madrid coach Diego Simeone, had a moment of glory and destroyed Lazio by scoring four goals - something that I think happens a couple times a year or so in Serie A. The match ended 4-1 as Ciro "clockwork" Immobile did not fail to put his name on the score sheet.

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

Yesterday Giovanni Simeone, striker for Verona and son of Atlético Madrid coach Diego Simeone, had a moment of glory and destroyed Lazio by scoring four goals - something that I think happens a couple times a year or so in Serie A. The match ended 4-1 as Ciro "clockwork" Immobile did not fail to put his name on the score sheet.

What the heck. I missed the 9:00 AM timeslot for mass so I could catch the bigger games after. I saw the score at least three times but until now was certain that it was 4-1 in favor of Lazio. Good for him! Fiorentina back amongst le sette sorelle!? 🙏 Not quite but a boy can dream. WEDNESDAY!

[Lechasseur]

Yesterday Giovanni Simeone, striker for Verona and son of Atlético Madrid coach Diego Simeone, had a moment of glory and destroyed Lazio by scoring four goals - something that I think happens a couple times a year or so in Serie A. The match ended 4-1 as Ciro "clockwork" Immobile did not fail to put his name on the score sheet.

Wasn't Mussolini's great grandson in the Lazio squad for the match?

[Santander]

Yesterday Giovanni Simeone, striker for Verona and son of Atlético Madrid coach Diego Simeone, had a moment of glory and destroyed Lazio by scoring four goals - something that I think happens a couple times a year or so in Serie A. The match ended 4-1 as Ciro "clockwork" Immobile did not fail to put his name on the score sheet.

Wasn't Mussolini's great grandson in the Lazio squad for the match?

Lazio is such a great club.

[NewYorkExpress]

We've got an out-of International Window Friendly between Mexico and Ecuador tomorrow in Charlotte.

Both teams are (presumably) playing all-domestic based sides, which gives a sizable advantage to Mexico, as they have good talents like Tijuana's Jonathan Orozco, Guadalajara's Uriel Antuna and Cruz Azul's Roberto Alvarado, all three of whom are significantly better than anyone Ecuador can currently put on the field.

[JGibson]

Manchester City's streak of 4 consecutive Carabao (EFL) Cup trophies comes to a crashing halt, as West Ham beat them on penalties 5-3 as the game score finished nil-nil. There will be a new Carabao Cup trophy winner this season.

Bayern crashed out of the DFB-Pokal 2nd round, as Borussia Mönchengladbach walloped them good 5-nil.

[NewYorkExpress]

Manchester City's streak of 4 consecutive Carabao (EFL) Cup trophies comes to a crashing halt, as West Ham beat them on penalties 5-3 as the game score finished nil-nil. There will be a new Carabao Cup trophy winner this season.

Bayern crashed out of the DFB-Pokal 2nd round, as Borussia Mönchengladbach walloped them good 5-nil.

Manchester City is paying the price for not paying full price to sign Harry Kane or Erling Haaland at the moment.

As for Bayern Munich, how on earth do you lose 5-0 to Borussia Monchengladbach?

They were even playing pretty much all of their starters in that match? What on earth went wrong?

In other news, I was wrong about when the Mexico/Ecuador match was, as it was tonight, and the game is in progress, with Ecuador leading 2-1 in the 56th minute.

[Santander]

Manchester City is paying the price for not paying full price to sign Harry Kane or Erling Haaland at the moment.

As for Bayern Munich, how on earth do you lose 5-0 to Borussia Monchengladbach?

Kane was not worth it. If he was actually worth the money Spurs wanted for him, PSG would surely have been interested. Haaland held all the cards last summer, and it was not the right time.

As for Bayern, that's football. Gladbach is a good team, and anything can happen in a cup match.

[NewYorkExpress]

Ronald Koeman sacked as manager of Barcelona.

Former Barcelona Legend, and current manager of the Defending Qatari Stars League Champions, Emir of Qatar Cup, and Qatar Cup, Al Sadd SC, Xavi is the frontrunner to replace Koeman.

[JGibson]

Looks like the 5 subs/3 opportunities rule will become permanent.

Sky Sports:

During a virtual meeting on Wednesday and following a number of requests from confederations, associations, leagues and other key stakeholders to bring in five substitutions permanently, the advisory panels have made the suggestion.

 
An IFAB statement read: "FAP-TAP today recommended that competitions should be able to decide on increasing the number of substitutes according to the needs of their football environment, while the current number of substitution opportunities (three plus half-time) should stay the same."

[Santander]

Looks like the 5 subs/3 opportunities rule will become permanent.

Sky Sports:

During a virtual meeting on Wednesday and following a number of requests from confederations, associations, leagues and other key stakeholders to bring in five substitutions permanently, the advisory panels have made the suggestion.

 
An IFAB statement read: "FAP-TAP today recommended that competitions should be able to decide on increasing the number of substitutes according to the needs of their football environment, while the current number of substitution opportunities (three plus half-time) should stay the same."

Horrible. Teams can literally change half the outfield players.

[JGibson]

Aaron Ramsdale was out of this world today, as he made several clutch saves (including one off the line near the end of the 1st half) in Arsenal's 2-nil win over Leicester City.

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

Still just three goals conceded through 11 matches now. But about to enter a stretch with six of the next seven against the best offenses in Serie A (and Empoli's no slouch). First game will be against Verona (without Koulibaly) following their back-to-back takedowns of the giants. We'll know fairly soon how much of a dogfight we are in for - or if we are even a real player at all.

[NewYorkExpress]

Nuno Espirito Santo out at Tottenham Hotspur, former Juventus/Chelsea/Inter Milan manager Antonio Conte in talks to replace him.

I'm not sure a new manager is what is needed at Tottenham. It seems to me like a brand new roster is needed there, and it starts with selling the very unhappy Harry Kane.

[𝕭𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖆 𝕸𝖎𝖓𝖔𝖑𝖆]

Yesterday Giovanni Simeone, striker for Verona and son of Atlético Madrid coach Diego Simeone, had a moment of glory and destroyed Lazio by scoring four goals - something that I think happens a couple times a year or so in Serie A. The match ended 4-1 as Ciro "clockwork" Immobile did not fail to put his name on the score sheet.

Wasn't Mussolini's great grandson in the Lazio squad for the match?

Lazio is such a great club.

As Al is wont to say, the north end of Rome [spoiler: very much not a leftist place] is full of Lazio fans.

[NewYorkExpress]

Looking ahead to this weekend, we've got another pair of excellent rivalry games ahead, with the Manchester Derby on Saturday at Old Trafford, and a very important Milan Derby on Sunday.

[JGibson]

NBCSN, which airs most of the Premier League games in the US that appear on linear TV, will close down on December 31st. Games that NBCSN normally aired will move to USA, CNBC, Peacock, and even E!.

[Lechasseur]

Nuno Espirito Santo out at Tottenham Hotspur, former Juventus/Chelsea/Inter Milan manager Antonio Conte in talks to replace him.

I'm not sure a new manager is what is needed at Tottenham. It seems to me like a brand new roster is needed there, and it starts with selling the very unhappy Harry Kane.

Agreed

I don't think anyone else would be doing much better at this point with that squad

Tottenham are not what they were even just a couple of years ago. The Manchester clubs, Chelsea, Liverpool, Leicester, West Ham and Arsenal at least are better sides than Tottenham at this point.

[NewYorkExpress]

Norwich City, sitting at the bottom of the Premier League table, has sacked Daniel Farke.

Norwich City have sacked manager Daniel Farke despite the team securing their first win of the season at Brentford earlier on Saturday, the Premier League club said in a statement.

"In continuing to demand the very best for our football club, this decision was not an easy one," said Norwich sporting director Stuart Webber.


"I know how determined Daniel and his staff were to succeed at this level, but we feel that now is the right time for a change to give ourselves the best opportunity of retaining our Premier League status."

Norwich's win meant they remained bottom of the table on goal difference with five points from 11 games.