2023-2024 European Football Thread

[dawg]

Burnley I expected. Everton I kinda expected, cause Dyche, you know. But the finality of Everton just fully set it in for me, bye bye trophy.

Should still qualify for the Champions League though, I hope.

After yesterday, I've been telling myself "it's ok, we're ahead of schedule, top 4 was the goal and push for next year, etc, etc." All of those are true, but the hurt hasn't and won't lessen. I allowed myself to believe. Four matches, two goals, three losses. That ain't gonna win the league, let alone sustain a top 4 place. Eight league points dropped from three matches after after dropping seven in the first 19. An injury-hit squad is still too thin, too many first-choice players playing too many matches, and now those players are suffering a dip in form but we have no options. The league is gone; wouldn't surprise me if City win out. The only silver lining is this dip in form occurred in February and not April. Gabriel Jesus and ESR will return with 2 1/2 months still to play, and we can still recover to ensure a top 4finish.

But still.... I can't help but feel a real chance has gone. Liverpool and Chelsea will recover next year, Ten Hag is improving ManUre, Newcastle are vastly improved and Saudi money will continue their ascent, and City will always be City.

Sigh.

 

[Purp]

After yesterday, I've been telling myself "it's ok, we're ahead of schedule, top 4 was the goal and push for next year, etc, etc." All of those are true, but the hurt hasn't and won't lessen. I allowed myself to believe. Four matches, two goals, three losses. That ain't gonna win the league, let alone sustain a top 4 place. Eight league points dropped from three matches after after dropping seven in the first 19. An injury-hit squad is still too thin, too many first-choice players playing too many matches, and now those players are suffering a dip in form but we have no options. The league is gone; wouldn't surprise me if City win out. The only silver lining is this dip in form occurred in February and not April. Gabriel Jesus and ESR will return with 2 1/2 months still to play, and we can still recover to ensure a top 4finish.

But still.... I can't help but feel a real chance has gone. Liverpool and Chelsea will recover next year, Ten Hag is improving ManUre, Newcastle are vastly improved and Saudi money will continue their ascent, and City will always be City.

Sigh.

I think ARSEnal may be been the single most affected side by the WC. They haven't been the same dominant group since the break. They lost their momentum and it's come to a screeching halt.

 

[Chongo94]

After yesterday, I've been telling myself "it's ok, we're ahead of schedule, top 4 was the goal and push for next year, etc, etc." All of those are true, but the hurt hasn't and won't lessen. I allowed myself to believe. Four matches, two goals, three losses. That ain't gonna win the league, let alone sustain a top 4 place. Eight league points dropped from three matches after after dropping seven in the first 19. An injury-hit squad is still too thin, too many first-choice players playing too many matches, and now those players are suffering a dip in form but we have no options. The league is gone; wouldn't surprise me if City win out. The only silver lining is this dip in form occurred in February and not April. Gabriel Jesus and ESR will return with 2 1/2 months still to play, and we can still recover to ensure a top 4finish.

But still.... I can't help but feel a real chance has gone. Liverpool and Chelsea will recover next year, Ten Hag is improving ManUre, Newcastle are vastly improved and Saudi money will continue their ascent, and City will always be City.

Sigh.

Exactly, nailed it.

 

[dawg]

I think ARSEnal may be been the single most affected side by the WC. They haven't been the same dominant group since the break. They lost their momentum and it's come to a screeching halt.

Which is odd, given we really didn’t have many players outside of Saka actually play. Most of our dudes who went were subs or out early.

We would’ve been gassed, WC break or not, and I think it’s more down to Arteta picking the same XI more often than any other PL squad’s XI. From Dec 26 - Jan 22, we went P6, W5, D1 L0. It’s just in the past two weeks where that workload has seemingly caught up with us. City subbed Grealish with Foden; that’s an embarrassment of riches most clubs just don’t have. We certainly don’t.

I do think we were unlucky to have yesterday’s match postponed due to the Queen’s passing; had we played it in early October when we were rolling… Maybe a different result? Or maybe City just have our number.

 

[Purp]

 

[Purp]

View attachment 13788

The little kid one came with shorts and socks too. Pretty damned sweet. Birthday gifts for February, March, and May birthdays. Really stoked about these.

 

[dawg]

View attachment 13788

 

[dawg]

 

[dawg]

Leeds should have hired [ profanity ] Sean Dyche.

 

[Eight]

pretty solid finish from coleman of everton versus leeds.......

 

[dawg]

Come on, Leeds

 

[Chongo94]

Azpilicueta got absolutely Chuck Norris’d on the jaw…yikes that was bad. Full on foot flat to the whole left cheek/jaw.

 

[Chongo94]

Episode 3 of Clarkson’s Farm has some excellent soccer commentary by Caleb.

 

[dawg]

Modric running away from a player young enough to be his son to create Madrid's 5th.... insane that he's almost better at 37 than 27.

 

[Purp]

Modric running away from a player young enough to be his son to create Madrid's 5th.... insane that he's almost better at 37 than 27.

I think I said during the WC that de Bruyne was making the case to be the best midfielders ever and Modric came on and one-upped him. Modric is like Zlatan in terms of his durability. Zlatan isn't human. The dude is my age and is still remarkable.

 

[Chongo94]

MLS starts this weekend with only 2 televised games on a non-steaming option.

I don’t care how much Apple paid the league, this just seems like a horrendously stupid idea. Really think their profile in the states will diminish a lot this year.

 

[Eight]

MLS starts this weekend with only 2 televised games on a non-steaming option.

I don’t care how much Apple paid the league, this just seems like a horrendously stupid idea. Really think their profile in the states will diminish a lot this year.

this year? the only time i think about the houston team is when i am looking for parking for an astros game

heck, they won multiple mls titles, the mexican league matches played in houston draw crowds, and the only team that draws less mention is the dash

 

[MAcFroggy]

MLS starts this weekend with only 2 televised games on a non-steaming option.

I don’t care how much Apple paid the league, this just seems like a horrendously stupid idea. Really think their profile in the states will diminish a lot this year.

Hardly anybody watched the games on TV anyway. The only people that tuned in were diehard fans, and they will continue to do so with AppleTV+. MLS is a developmental league and really needs to focus on the in game experience. Most people in the USA view MLS like they view minor league baseball. It is a great/cheap day out with the family or a nice place to have a couple beers outside with some friends.

MLS will probably continue to develop and sell their best talent to European clubs. As an American soccer fan, I have stopped thinking MLS ever has a chance to become any sort of top tier league and started appreciating when the best young players get sold. It shows that the future is bright for USA soccer if more and more players are playing in Europe.

 

[Chongo94]

this year? the only time i think about the houston team is when i am looking for parking for an astros game

heck, they won multiple mls titles, the mexican league matches played in houston draw crowds, and the only team that draws less mention is the dash

Hardly anybody watched the games on TV anyway. The only people that tuned in were diehard fans, and they will continue to do so with AppleTV+. MLS is a developmental league and really needs to focus on the in game experience. Most people in the USA view MLS like they view minor league baseball. It is a great/cheap day out with the family or a nice place to have a couple beers outside with some friends.

MLS will probably continue to develop and sell their best talent to European clubs. As an American soccer fan, I have stopped thinking MLS ever has a chance to become any sort of top tier league and started appreciating when the best young players get sold. It shows that the future is bright for USA soccer if more and more players are playing in Europe.

Actually, if I remember correctly, figures as a whole pointed to an increase of awareness and engagement in the league. The league itself just signed a huge sponsor agreement with adidas again.

So signs were there of some more positive momentum. But not being wholly regularly accessible on non-streaming tv will hinder that.

Also, as an edit to my previous post, apparently every match this weekend will be available on Apple plus for free though not exactly sure how that works.

 

[Purp]

Hardly anybody watched the games on TV anyway. The only people that tuned in were diehard fans, and they will continue to do so with AppleTV+. MLS is a developmental league and really needs to focus on the in game experience. Most people in the USA view MLS like they view minor league baseball. It is a great/cheap day out with the family or a nice place to have a couple beers outside with some friends.

MLS will probably continue to develop and sell their best talent to European clubs. As an American soccer fan, I have stopped thinking MLS ever has a chance to become any sort of top tier league and started appreciating when the best young players get sold. It shows that the future is bright for USA soccer if more and more players are playing in Europe.

I'm one of the people who watched regularly on traditional TV channels who won't be getting Apple+ to watch MLS games. I will lose touch with FCD and the league in general as a result. I'm with @Chongo that this wasn't a smart move unless Apple makes a free viewing option on their app for MLS only with tons of commercials and ads. I'm really disappointed by this.

I also disagree that MLS will never be more than it is right now. The profile of the league has risen steadily since its inception almost 30 years ago. I think it's already as good or better than all of the European leagues below the top 5 and it's also pretty equal to Liga MX. We'll probably continue to see top end talent go to the big 5 leagues in Europe at young ages, but we're already seeing some of those guys come back in their mid-20s when it doesn't pan out. Rather than playing in Belgium, Portugal, or the Dutch league they're coming back to MLS b/c the money and competition are pretty much the same.

I'm worried this move to Apple may be what turns the steadily rising trajectory over the last 25ish years down in the wrong direction.

Maybe I'm unique b/c, as an FCD fan, it's impracticable for me to make any games from the southwestern part of the metroplex to the northeastern part. Perhaps other clubs don't have the same issues with their stadiums being so far from large swaths of their fan bases. Mansfield to Frisco doesn't make sense so we'll watch on TV if it's available. If FCD were in Arlington or even in downtown Dallas like every other professional sports franchise in this area I'd go to more games. But that distance has relegated me to a TV watcher because I'm an out-of-town fan.