Todays Games

[CambridgeBWFC]

9 hours ago, bolty58 said:

After 3 games? You must be new to football.

Commiserations on the double.

He is a passenger in that Arsenal side as no one wants to play the ball into him. 95th minute yesterday, chasing a goal and he is the one supplying a cross into the box. 

[L/H White]

2 hours ago, CambridgeBWFC said:

He is a passenger in that Arsenal side as no one wants to play the ball into him. 95th minute yesterday, chasing a goal and he is the one supplying a cross into the box. 

Glad theirs someone else who knows his stuff 

[Zico]

9 hours ago, gonzo said:

Watching Brighton on MOTD2 here, the way football should be played.

Ace to watch.

Palace were very good to watch last night as well

[bolty58]

4 hours ago, CambridgeBWFC said:

He is a passenger in that Arsenal side as no one wants to play the ball into him. 95th minute yesterday, chasing a goal and he is the one supplying a cross into the box. 

It's 3 games. Not even had chance to learn all of their nicknames yet.

More evidence of the 'instantaneous society'. Life (nor football teams) doesn't work like that.

Give it a little time. He'll be reet and they will go on a long winning run somewhere along the line. I fancy them to be champions. 

[bolty58]

1 hour ago, L/H White said:

Glad theirs someone else who knows his stuff 

Thanks pal. Shame you and he don't.

[CambridgeBWFC]

34 minutes ago, bolty58 said:

It's 3 games. Not even had chance to learn all of their nicknames yet.

More evidence of the 'instantaneous society'. Life (nor football teams) doesn't work like that.

Give it a little time. He'll be reet and they will go on a long winning run somewhere along the line. I fancy them to be champions. 

Oh I am not criticising the player, but I have watched them twice this season and both times they seem to avoid playing him in nullifying his qualities. Yesterday it was a shite game, but Arsenal just seemed content to not lose and lacked any endeavour. If they are serious about the title they need to show more intent and play to his obvious strengths.

[bolty58]

3 hours ago, CambridgeBWFC said:

Oh I am not criticising the player, but I have watched them twice this season and both times they seem to avoid playing him in nullifying his qualities. Yesterday it was a shite game, but Arsenal just seemed content to not lose and lacked any endeavour. If they are serious about the title they need to show more intent and play to his obvious strengths.

Agree 100% on the highlighted bit.

I think it will take a while for them to realise what they have and how to best utilise him. Give it a few more games yet.

[frank_spencer]

They've played so long without a proper striker it'll take a while to work out what to do.

[deeane Koontz]

Why have Villa decided to make themselves shitter? FFP or something?

[frank_spencer]

Just now, deeane Koontz said:

Why have Villa decided to make themselves shitter? FFP or something?

Yup premier league rules that some how Chelsea seem to be getting around. Having to sell Ramsey to balance their books is just bonkers.

[Tonge moor green jacket]

I see Ten Haag has reportedly been sacked after 2 or 3 games at his new club!

[RONNIE PHILLIPS]

On 31/08/2025 at 03:01, bolty58 said:

Anyone watching the Chelsea v Fulham game can only conclude that the game is well and truly fucked.

I turned it off as soon as they disallowed the goal, I can't believe it's just bad decisions anymore, something more sinister is going on. 

[Pablo]

18 hours ago, frank_spencer said:

Yup premier league rules that some how Chelsea seem to be getting around. Having to sell Ramsey to balance their books is just bonkers.

They are actually on a positive net spend for the window,

Bonkers, seems that their plan is to just use player trading to generate book profits on most players......thats and selling stuff to yourself!!

 

[Dr. Feelgood]

13 hours ago, RONNIE PHILLIPS said:

I turned it off as soon as they disallowed the goal, I can't believe it's just bad decisions anymore, something more sinister is going on. 

I've never been a VAR fan, doubt I ever will be. But I hold into the introductory mantra "clear & obvious". If it takes more than a few seconds it is not clear or obvious.

Never once gave the English authorities followed that promise.

What IS clear & obvious is that some clubs benefit more than others & you don't need long to work out which they are.

[Wanderlust]

The current system has been invented to distinguish it from other perfectly good and proven systems like in rugby for example and I don't know why unless it's "not invented here" syndrome.

In rugby, the ref gives his decision and only asks VAR to check if he has a specific inkling of a doubt about something and they only check that specific thing. The ref makes the decision.

In football you have refs in a van 200 miles away chipping in with everything they can see wrong so everything gets flagged up right, wrong or irrelevant - crucially whether they've been asked to look into it by the ref or not -  so in effect there are more refs involved, more time wasted, less flow to the game, more contentious decisions.

Frustrating, because the technology if fine - it's just the procedure that's shite - too many cooks all wanting their say.

[Traf]

19 hours ago, frank_spencer said:

Yup premier league rules that some how Chelsea seem to be getting around. Having to sell Ramsey to balance their books is just bonkers.

Isn't it something to do with spreading the outlay over the term of the contract, which is why they sign a lot of players on 7+ year deals?

[meanderson93]

12 minutes ago, Traf said:

Isn't it something to do with spreading the outlay over the term of the contract, which is why they sign a lot of players on 7+ year deals?

Yeah, they amortise the initial fee over the length of the contract. Most teams were doing that any way I believe but Chelsea have taken the leap and the risk to offer lots of these long term contracts, whereas most teams don't want to lumber themselves with the risk of the contracts. 

Although, I thought I read recently that the rules had change so that fees can only be spread over a maximum of 5 years, but they're still offering deals longer than that so who knows. 

[Rival Son]

39 minutes ago, Wanderlust said:

The current system has been invented to distinguish it from other perfectly good and proven systems like in rugby for example and I don't know why unless it's "not invented here" syndrome.

In rugby, the ref gives his decision and only asks VAR to check if he has a specific inkling of a doubt about something and they only check that specific thing. The ref makes the decision.

In football you have refs in a van 200 miles away chipping in with everything they can see wrong so everything gets flagged up right, wrong or irrelevant - crucially whether they've been asked to look into it by the ref or not -  so in effect there are more refs involved, more time wasted, less flow to the game, more contentious decisions.

Frustrating, because the technology if fine - it's just the procedure that's shite - too many cooks all wanting their say.

Any comparison to Rugby … or cricket or tennis, is a moot point.

They are all stop-start sports that facilitate such interventions and checks, whereas football is a continuously flowing sport (unless a team are 1-0 up at the Toughsheet!).

I do need to correct you on your assertion that the ref in rugby league only asks VAR to review if he has a doubt. While this is true for the award of tries, VAR can alert the referee to other things that have happened, and which the referee has missed or not given, without a referral from the referee.

Edited September 2, 2025 by Rival Son

[Eddie]

1 hour ago, Pablo said:

They are actually on a positive net spend for the window,

Bonkers, seems that their plan is to just use player trading to generate book profits on most players......thats and selling stuff to yourself!!

 

It’s becoming farcical. The money management to get around / stay within the rules is becoming more of a story than the actual football being played.

I understand why FFP rules were set up, and likely with good intention, but clubs will always find ways to circumvent. The problem is that by doing so, the rules aren’t really being followed but clubs are having to make a mockery of them to get around them.

They’d be better just getting rid of them and letting it be a free for all again. No prem team is going bust, there’s too much value in just being in the prem that means someone will always snap them up. The problem would be dropping out of the prem, but as far as I understand it FFP doesn’t really solve that anyway, so it’s just same old same old.

[deeane Koontz]

 

[tomski]

1 hour ago, deeane Koontz said:

 

Do they replace LR as the ‘Bolton’ team now.

[Tonge moor green jacket]

[frank_spencer]

14 hours ago, deeane Koontz said:

 

'The Lad From Daisy Hill' returns home.

[ianofcleveleys]

Sheehan had a solid game for Wales, played the full 90+, Wales on top and led first half, had to withstand a lot of pressure second half

[gonzo]

18 minutes ago, ianofcleveleys said:

Sheehan had a solid game for Wales, played the full 90+, Wales on top and led first half, had to withstand a lot of pressure second half

Did he play 6,8 or 10?