OT: 2024-2025 Football/ Soccer/ Fußball/ Calcio /Futbol Thread

[wc1934]

Originally Posted by echappist

Serie A is a bit wild this year.

Don't think anyone would have thought Napoli would recover enough to do this well. And Pulisic is apparently the joint leading scorer.

Not me, but I loved the Conte signing. I feared it would take time to adapt to the change in personnel. I was hopeful with the Conte/Lukaku relationship. I knew little of McTominay - wow great energy (tracks back to play d) - thank you Man United.
They did shore up the defense, and Lobotka is the anchor/rock (man wish he was Italian).
Forza Napoli!

[echappist]

Originally Posted by wc1934

Not me, but I loved the Conte signing. I feared it would take time to adapt to the change in personnel. I was hopeful with the Conte/Lukaku relationship. I knew little of McTominay - wow great energy (tracks back to play d) - thank you Man United.
They did shore up the defense, and Lobotka is the anchor/rock (man wish he was Italian).
Forza Napoli!

McTominay is an enigma. Can score goal on late runs into the box, but not very good at doing midfielder things. You are right about energy though. Pesky tenacity sums him up well.

Conte/Lukaku has a good working relationship back at Inter; perhaps he could duplicate the same?

[wc1934]

Originally Posted by echappist

Serie A is a bit wild this year.

Don't think anyone would have thought Napoli would recover enough to do this well. And Pulisic is apparently the joint leading scorer.

"Milan suffered a 2-1 loss in Florence on Sunday night, seeing the Tuscans’ keeper David De Gea save two penalty kicks. He denied Theo Hernandez in the first half and Tammy Abraham in the second half.

Milan players decided to change the designated penalty kick taker, given that UMSNT international Pulisic usually shows up from the spot.

Fonseca insists Pulisic must take Milan penalties: ‘Never again’
Fonseca was fuming after the final whistle. He didn’t only complain about referees’ decisions and soft penalty kicks but also raged at his players.

During a press conference attended by Football Italia, Fonseca said: “Of course I am upset [that players changed the penalty kick taker]. Christian [Pulisic] should take penalties. It must never happen again, and I told the players.”

[echappist]

Those Milanese bellends, first Theo, then Timori…

—————

In other news , Ajax and Dutch legend Johan Neeskens passed away a few days ago. The brilliance of Total Football wouldn’t have shone without the steely tenacity exhibited by him. I thought this piece in the Guardian was a nice tribute.

[wc1934]

Klopp is back - head of global soccer for Red Bull.

[echappist]

Ooph, there's something unpleasant about this, sorta like a can of lukewarm Red Bull...

I don't think this bodes well if he wishes to become the Head Coach of the German National Team.

[wc1934]

Originally Posted by echappist

Ooph, there's something unpleasant about this, sorta like a can of lukewarm Red Bull...

I don't think this bodes well if he wishes to become the Head Coach of the German National Team.

H C of GNT would require work - this new gig sounds pretty cushy:
"advising Red Bull’s teams regarding playing philosophy, transfer strategies, and coaching development".

[martl]

Originally Posted by wc1934

Klopp is back - head of global soccer for Red Bull.

I dont know how much that is true for his time at Pool, but in germany, he is sorts of a posterboy, and liked to present himself as such, for traditional, grassroot football, and RBs football adventure is the empire of evil for the hardcore fanbase.

Didnt age well did it.

At this moment i try do decide who is acting more ridiculous, that group of fans pretending there are still top clubs around where it isnt about commercialization, and power, or those wildly defending their darling Klopp for taking a dump on everything they thought he stood for.

[echappist]

Oh my, Maggie Thatcher's lads took a helluva beating, at home no less...

At this rate, England is staying in Tier B of the Nations League...

[echappist]

Holy s***, looks like Barça is back, with a vengeance. I was getting quite used to all the lever pulling, but looks like it'll do just fine...

[wc1934]

Originally Posted by echappist

Holy s***, looks like Barça is back, with a vengeance. I was getting quite used to all the lever pulling, but looks like it'll do just fine...

Those passes over the top were on the money and the 2nd Lewandowsk goal (header) came from beyond the top of the box.

Carlos has work to do.

[wc1934]

Ten Hag is gone! Wow the lies and fairytales were real.
MU had a long leash- 14th place is not going to cut it regardless of your history.

[goonster]

Manchester United have spent over £1.6 billion since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, and that's an incredible amount of money to spend with so little to show for it.

[Fat Cat]

They've shown that they can get it done but they sort of just don't bother

[echappist]

Originally Posted by Fat Cat

They've shown that they can get it done but they sort of just don't bother

The owners (i.e. the Glazers) are fine as long as they can skim the cream off the top (in the form of dividend payments). In the mean time, the club still has big enough of a reputation drawing in sponsorship, but for how long is now a relevant question.

It's all the more delicious of a story, as the vampire owners were let in when the former trade unionist Ferguson got overly greedy over horse studding rights and sued former majority owning entity of Man. Utd. (also primary owners of the horse in question and owner of studding rights). The relationship between the two parties became so untenable that the former majority owning entity decided to sell. Enter stage left the Glazers, who bought the club with debt assigned to the club itself. What Fergy gives, Fergy takes, and it's likely that the ramification of his greediness will saddle the club (pun intended) will all sorts of negative implications for years to come.