Premier League

[Blow-in]

They need to offload 8-9 players, they have consistently bought badly over the last 10 years, There is basically nothing salvageable from the current first team maybe Mainoo, Bruno (would need a team built around him).

 

Not sure this is something that can be fixed in the next 10 years no matter the manager, short of rovers getting promoted this is the main source of foolball pleasure I see for myself on the horizon.

[riverholmes]

  On 23/11/2024 at 19:43, RoverDom said:

City have a squad where you could put out two starting 11s and both should compete for the title. There's no hiding behind injuries when you have the squad thay City have and the money they have spent. 

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There could well have been financial imperatives to it but letting Palmer and Delap go is increasingly looking like something like (but not on the level) of Mourinho letting Salah and De Bruyne go at Chelsea. (Again, don't know the precise reasons that they went).

Away from any financial issues that might've affected player dealing, my complete guess is that Guardiola is not being challenged by pragmatic voices at the club. He wants cosmopolitan aesthetes but also needs rugged players, which he seems to overlook often. Moreover, just maybe, the thrall of negative possession football is waning, and his team are being challenged with more direct football these days.

The paradox of Guardiola teams, I think, is that they are based on his rigid collectivist vision and micromanagement - but the times they come alive, is when players like De Bruyne or Foden, have got into a roll and started to express themselves as individuals. There is a balance to a system and individualism and my guess is that City have got lost. But, of course, because of the players they have - and the manager - they will surely bounce back with avengeance.

Edited November 24, 2024 by riverholmes

[RoverDom]

  On 24/11/2024 at 21:17, riverholmes said:

Moreover, just maybe, the thrall of negative possession football is waning

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It's dull isn't it. I saw a clip on Facebook of one of their forest goals where they did 4000 passes in a row, the first 80% of the clip was being shown at 2x speed and I was still bored. 

[simongarnerisgod]

  On 24/11/2024 at 21:54, RoverDom said:

It's dull isn't it. I saw a clip on Facebook of one of their forest goals where they did 4000 passes in a row, the first 80% of the clip was being shown at 2x speed and I was still bored. 

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if you watch the big match revisited on a saturday morning,football from the past is far more enjoyable

[USABlue]

  On 24/11/2024 at 16:18, DeeCee said:

Cooper sacked by Leicester.

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Hardly surprising after what I saw in their last game they were horrible.  Players looked like they could care less, Vardy excepted.  No hustle, plodding around and so so toothless.

[riverholmes]

  On 27/11/2024 at 11:11, USABlue said:

Hardly surprising after what I saw in their last game they were horrible.  Players looked like they could care less, Vardy excepted.  No hustle, plodding around and so so toothless.

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Imagine Rovers getting promoted back in the early 2000s and losing Souness and Damien Duff before kicking a ball in the Premier League. It happened to Leicester, effectively, with Chelsea taking Maresca and Dewsbury-Hall. Even with the compensation and bringing in big-money signings, it makes it nigh on impossible these days, I believe. We saw it last season with Sheff Utd selling Berge and Ndiaye before kicking off in the Premier League.

[chaddyrovers]

  On 27/11/2024 at 11:56, riverholmes said:

We saw it last season with Sheff Utd selling Berge and Ndiaye before kicking off in the Premier League.

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they had to be sold by Sheffield United for financial reasons 

[K-Hod]

  On 27/11/2024 at 11:56, riverholmes said:

Imagine Rovers getting promoted back in the early 2000s and losing Souness and Damien Duff before kicking a ball in the Premier League. It happened to Leicester, effectively, with Chelsea taking Maresca and Dewsbury-Hall. Even with the compensation and bringing in big-money signings, it makes it nigh on impossible these days, I believe. We saw it last season with Sheff Utd selling Berge and Ndiaye before kicking off in the Premier League.

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Maresca has barely played KDH either.

Granted, he’s some good options in there, but still….

[chaddyrovers]

Ruud van Nistelrooy set to be appoint manager of Leicester City.

Ruud van Nistelrooy to be named new Leicester City manager

[Blow-in]

  On 27/11/2024 at 20:35, chaddyrovers said:

Ruud van Nistelrooy set to be appoint manager of Leicester City.

Ruud van Nistelrooy to be named new Leicester City manager

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Talk about failing upwards...

[Upside Down]

  On 27/11/2024 at 21:03, Blow-in said:

Talk about failing upwards...

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Airs of Bryan Kidd

[RoverDom]

  On 24/11/2024 at 22:16, simongarnerisgod said:

if you watch the big match revisited on a saturday morning,football from the past is far more enjoyable

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What channel? 

[arbitro]

  On 29/11/2024 at 08:16, RoverDom said:

What channel? 

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It's on ITV 4 on Saturday mornings but not every week. I just checked and it's not on tomorrow so just look at the TV listings a day or two before.

[JC4LAB]

Have an old video  of Elton Welbys Team of the week matches I recorded back in the day..Very funny.Just as good as the Big match..

Edited November 29, 2024 by JC4LAB

[wilsdenrover]

  On 29/11/2024 at 09:25, arbitro said:

It's on ITV 4 on Saturday mornings but not every week. I just checked and it's not on tomorrow so just look at the TV listings a day or two before.

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It is on tomorrow (10:30)

Another blind (ex) ref… 😁😁😁😁

Edited November 29, 2024 by wilsdenrover

[rigger]

  On 29/11/2024 at 13:00, wilsdenrover said:

It is on tomorrow (10:30)

Another blind (ex) ref… 😁😁😁😁

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Should have gone to specsavers

[simongarnerisgod]

man city resemble an old racehorse who has had enough and is knackered  after 2 furlongs🙂

[RoverDom]

They could be 3 or 4 down. Good to see 

[roversfan99]

Vinjay will be an adopted scouser next year at this rate.

[USABlue]

  On 12/11/2024 at 23:32, AllRoverAsia said:

So, so true.

The overall standard of referees in the PL and EFL, their assistants including VAR is somewhere south of pathetic. 

They make Courtney look decent.

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It's bent.

[USABlue]

  On 27/11/2024 at 20:35, chaddyrovers said:

Ruud van Nistelrooy set to be appoint manager of Leicester City.

Ruud van Nistelrooy to be named new Leicester City manager

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Bit of a gamble init?  Hope he does well, I kind of like Leicester.

[chaddyrovers]

  On 02/12/2024 at 11:31, USABlue said:

Bit of a gamble init?  Hope he does well, I kind of like Leicester.

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Deffo. But we see what he is made off 

[speeeeeeedie]

Liverpool tore City apart yesterday. They looked as good as City looked bad. 

Guardiola signed a new deal last week, on the face of it he has a lot of work to do as the core of his successful team are rapidly aging. Walker, De Bruyne, Gundogan, Bernardo Silva, Ederson, and John Stones are all 30+. Haaland is a phenomenal goal scorer but needs people to give him the ball. Maybe they should have kept Cole Palmer.

van Nistelrooy is a big gamble. His only previous stint in management was unremarkable. He has a tough job on his hands. 

[Ianrally]

At least RvN is having a go, unlike some of the so called expert pundits who constantly criticise and tell us how it should be done. The wage thief Danny Murphy being a prime example.

Whether RvN is successful or not remains to be seen. 

[speeeeeeedie]

  On 02/12/2024 at 18:54, Ianrally said:

At least RvN is having a go, unlike some of the so called expert pundits who constantly criticise and tell us how it should be done. The wage thief Danny Murphy being a prime example.

Whether RvN is successful or not remains to be seen. 

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He started well last night. I'll temper it with the fact that it was against West Ham whose players look like they've had enough of their manager.