18/19 football/soccer discussion

[Tyler 885]

2 minutes ago, Fire Hakstol said:

 

I mean...I guess this is what I'll never understand. Obviously there's no salary cap or anything about any sort of forced parity or leveling of the playing field. Tottenham are not on the same financial level of either of the Manchester clubs or Chelsea, and probably not Arsenal or Liverpool either. I don't really see what's worth bragging when you can spend near unlimited amounts of money (the first three at least) to improve your club. 

 

It's no secret Spurs have been pulling above their financial weight given their shrewd transfers and player development. It's the only way we can hope to compete with the clubs who have even more resources available. Now obviously this is all relative to where you stand in the overall soccer pyramid given Tottenham  buy from other clubs "below" them both foreign and domestic, but this is kind of how I see it. 

  

It's not like the Eagles winning the Super Bowl on a relatively even playing field. Same cap for everyone, no or relatively few owners not willing to spend money on salary, etc...

 

I mean they don't have "unlimited money" unless you're maybe PSG/Monaco/Man City. And even then if a player wants to leave there is very little you can do. Obviously wealthier clubs do have an advantage but it isn't like Spurs are facing administration either. They are in the upper tier of English football and kind of always have been in my eyes. Maybe not in results but certainly in name recognition.

 

Chelsea has had some terrible transfer windows because they won't spend the money (the season Mourinho got fired, Conte last season). And in the end all that matters is trophies. Growing players for Real Madrid isn't really a big accomplishment if you want to be a big club which Spurs want to be. Gotta win a trophy at some point. It's been 10 years now. First time ever they've gone ten years without a trophy assuming they don't win one this season. I see what you're saying but taking it to its logical conclusion you should only support non league sides lol. The Premier League is by far the most competetive league in the world, so you could also suggest Spanish sides have an unfair advantage in Europe. However all the discussion in the world will just come back to trophies and what happens on the pitch.

[Tyler 885]

3 minutes ago, diamond_ace said:

Chelsea for the last few windows have been nowhere near unlimited, saving money to use on the new stadium 

 

This is true. It got Mourinho fired lol.

[Tyler 885]

Chelsea haven't really spent a lot of money in a long time. Kante was a bargain so was Jorginho for what he brings. Hazard they got when he was young.

 

Trying to think of the last time they spent a lot on a player I may have to go back to Torres but I could be wrong?

 

Kepa doesn't count because it was such a weird situation.

 

edit: looked it up totally forgot Morata was 59 million but that's a blip compared to current values. Paying 35 million for Drogba in 2004 is a lot I guess. Schevchenko went for a lot too at the end of his career.

Edited August 18, 2018 by Tyler

[diamond_ace 3,112]

2 minutes ago, Tyler said:

 

I mean they don't have "unlimited money" unless you're maybe PSG/Monaco/Man City. And even then if a player wants to leave there is very little you can do. Obviously wealthier clubs do have an advantage but it isn't like Spurs are facing administration either. They are in the upper tier of English football and kind of always have been in my eyes. Maybe not in results but certainly in name recognition.

 

Chelsea has had some terrible transfer windows because they won't spend the money (the season Mourinho got fired, Conte last season). And in the end all that matters is trophies. Growing players for Real Madrid isn't really a big accomplishment if you want to be a big club which Spurs want to be. Gotta win a trophy at some point. It's been 10 years now. First time ever they've gone ten years without a trophy assuming they don't win one this season. I see what you're saying but taking it to its logical conclusion you should only support non league sides lol. The Premier League is by far the most competetive league in the world, so you could also suggest Spanish sides have an unfair advantage in Europe. However all the discussion in the world will just come back to trophies and what happens on the pitch.

Hashtag United, Thurlow Nunn First Division (10th tier, semi pro)

[Tyler 885]

1 minute ago, diamond_ace said:

Hashtag United, Thurlow Nunn First Division (10th tier, semi pro)

 

Wish there was a non league video game.

[Victor 10,938]

yeah Tyler nailed it. You either support a Premier League team, which especially if it's top six inevitably comes down to success on the pitch, or a team actually outside of the money. Tottenham have to be compared against Chelsea and Arsenal, not QPR or Brentford. West Ham are in the same boat tbh and they're actually wasting money year after year. So it could be worse.

[diamond_ace 3,112]

So yesterday was national Everyone's A Brighton Fan day, and it looks like good triumphed over evil

[Victor 10,938]

20 minutes ago, diamond_ace said:

So yesterday was national Everyone's A Brighton Fan day, and it looks like good triumphed over evil

Mourinho 3rd season and he hasn't even won anything meaningful yet

 

[solas 1,951]

4 hours ago, Victor said:

Mourinho 3rd season and he hasn't even won anything meaningful yet

 

[Victor 10,938]

4 minutes ago, solas said:

That's brilliant, that's almost as good as the Rafa the magician gif.

[Tyler 885]

so does anyone understand the new international break thing in Europe? I've read about it watched videos on it and I'm still confused lol

 

that said if it leads to Belarus qualifying for the Euros I am here for it

Edited September 6, 2018 by Tyler

[diamond_ace 3,112]

Each Nations League level will have a 4 team playoff with the winner getting a berth, but it excludes teams who got in anyway. So let's say of the 12 level A teams, 10 get in anyway:

 

Level A playoffs would include the other 2 level A teams, and I'd presume the 5th and 6th level B teams

Level B playoffs would include the top 4 non-auto level B teams (I'd assume they'd incentivize the B teams to want to finish 1 through 4, by sticking 5 and 6 in the harder bracket)

Level C playoffs would include the top 4 level C teams (assuming none auto-qualify)

Level D playoffs would include the top 4 level D teams (assuming none auto-qualify)

 

So yes, as Belarus are a level D side, if they can finish top of their group (with Luxembourg, San Marino, and Moldova) then they'd be in the playoffs against the winners of the other groups in level D. Beat Luxembourg/San Marino/Moldova and Belarus would have a 1/4 shot at it

 

[diamond_ace 3,112]

Groups by FIFA rankings - not that it's really that accurate, but it gives you an idea.

Level D Group 1

Georgia (96), Kazakhstan (116), Latvia (129), Andorra (130)

Level D Group 2

Belarus (78), Luxembourg (85), Moldova (175), San Marino (203)

Level D Group 3

Faroe Islands (90), Azerbaijan (105), Kosovo (141), Malta (184)

Level D Group 4

Macedonia (70), Armenia (100), Liechtenstein (180), Gibraltar (195)

 

Weird groups - 1 is all clustered around the same point, 2 has 2 of the best 3 teams and also 2 of the worst 5.

 

If all goes according to FIFA rankings, the D playoffs would be Belarus (78) vs Faroe Islands (90) vs Georgia (96) vs Macedonia (70). If it further seeded the semis based on that, Belarus would have a one off match with Macedonia, the winner of which would make the Euro. Probably the best shot Belarus has ever had, tbh.

Edited September 6, 2018 by diamond_ace

[diamond_ace 3,112]

I also just noticed quite how bad Canada are. Seriously, 2 spots ahead of fucking Curacao? Worse than Belarus, Luxembourg, UAE, and Zambia? Yes, I know, FIFA rankings are shit - the top 20ish or so anyway, but they're still generally a good ballpark. How does a country with 36 million people even get in the ballpark of Curacao...

[Baozi 1,658]

Canadian grassroots football has been so corrupt for several generations.

 

So much politics and favouritism.

[Victor 10,938]

On 9/6/2018 at 4:14 AM, Tyler said:

so does anyone understand the new international break thing in Europe? I've read about it watched videos on it and I'm still confused lol

 

that said if it leads to Belarus qualifying for the Euros I am here for it

Was this post before games started being played? As I personally think that made it much easier to follow when it was actually happening and not in theory.

 

On 9/6/2018 at 5:58 AM, diamond_ace said:

Groups by FIFA rankings - n

Were you using FIFA rankings here as an additional way of explaining it? Because its by UEFA ranking which is much less shit than FIFA.

 

On 9/6/2018 at 5:49 AM, diamond_ace said:

Level A playoffs would include the other 2 level A teams, and I'd presume the 5th and 6th level B teams

Level A playoffs will still be the group winners. Its just in all likelihood they'll be playing to just win the league, not for a qualifying spot.

 

Its 1. An additional tournament and only then 2. An addition to qualifying.

 

The Nations League finals are next summer while qualifying ends next November - they can't possibly base the finals on qualifying results.

 

Anyway, aside from the slightly convoluted impact on qualifying (and I still don't know the impact on World Cup spots as opposed to the Euros which I'm less fussed about shittier teams making at this point), I do like it at is makes the qualifying less of a drag being March-November and gets rid of some friendlies. And adds a fun little summer tournament.

[diamond_ace 3,112]

1 minute ago, Victor said:

Were you using FIFA rankings here as an additional way of explaining it? Because its by UEFA ranking which is much less shit than FIFA.

 

Yes

[Fire Tortorella 2,653]

One of the worst performances by Spurs I've seen in a long time @solas

[solas 1,951]

7 hours ago, Fire Hakstol said:

One of the worst performances by Spurs I've seen in a long time @solas

Don't really have anything else to add other than that I agree.  Disappointing.

[Tyler 885]

https://twitter.com/nomifooty/status/1041033278218756096

 

Madrid shoulda taken him for 200M now the price is higher.

[Tyler 885]

So no posts in a month. Ronaldo is a rapist and Mourinho is a pussy.

Edited October 20, 2018 by Tyler

[hedgehog337 3,483]

6 minutes ago, Tyler said:

So no posts in a month. Ronaldo is a rapist and Mourinho is a pussy.

 

And Real Madrid generates a shit ton of chances and still losing 

 

brb Perez searching for a new Zidane

[Fire Tortorella 2,653]

21 minutes ago, Tyler said:

So no posts in a month. Ronaldo is a rapist and Mourinho is a pussy.

 

...I actually don't think I blame him for his reaction on that one.

[Tyler 885]

1 hour ago, Fire Hakstol said:

 

...I actually don't think I blame him for his reaction on that one.

 

I do. Your team time wastes and loses two valuable points you deserve to get made fun of. If United doesn't waste time there's no 6 minutes added. And it's not as if Mou hasn't done much worse in the past lol. Fwiw I still love him but he's thin skinned.

[Tyler 885]

1 hour ago, hedgehog337 said:

 

And Real Madrid generates a shit ton of chances and still losing 

 

brb Perez searching for a new Zidane

 

Courtois takes an L for sure.