The Real Football Thread

[Brullnux]

Really good derby fell a Madonnina once again. Milan actually looked very good in the second half so it's a shame they lost. Bonucci and Biglia were poor, in fact most the new signings were. Suso and Bona were good, and Andre Silva was ok. Icardi is just really good, and thats an issue.

[Robert5091]

England ladies inquiry gets under way
http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/digital-culture-media-and-sport-committee/news/governance-fa-evidence/

Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee questions England footballers and the Football Association on sport governance.
Witnesses

Wednesday 18 October 2017, Grimond Room, Portcullis House

At 2.30pm

Eniola Aluko, England Women's Football Player

At 3.30pm

Lianne Sanderson, England Women's Football Player

At 4.00pm

Martin Glenn, Chief Executive, The Football Association
Greg Clarke, Chairman, The Football Association
Dan Ashworth, Technical Director, The Football Association
Rachel Brace, Human Resources Director, The Football Association

Football Association investigations

In recent months, the Football Association's ability to conduct internal investigations has come under considerable public scrutiny. Earlier this year, questions were raised over the handling of complaints made by Eniola Aluko, the England Women's star who is alleged to have been bullied and harassed by figures in the England camp. Just days ago, the subject of those complaints, England Women's manager Mark Sampson, was fired following different safeguarding allegations at a previous club.

In response to this, the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee takes evidence on how the FA carries out internal investigations, and asks whether the FA has acted adequately when faced with internal complaints. The Committee also considers whether the FA's current governance structures and the attitudes of senior officials enable players to report instances of abuse.

The Committee is to take evidence from England Women's stars, Eniola Aluko and Lianne Sanderson, as well as from FA representatives. The session is part of the Committee's inquiry into sports governance.

Details of Sampson's sacking etc at https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/sep/20/mark-sampson-leave-england-womens-manager

[jsem94]

Really good derby fell a Madonnina once again. Milan actually looked very good in the second half so it's a shame they lost. Bonucci and Biglia were poor, in fact most the new signings were. Suso and Bona were good, and Andre Silva was ok. Icardi is just really good, and thats an issue.

Really lucky to get away with that victory in the end. Still lucky though, could just as well have lost this game just like with Roma and Bologna. Sloppy Inter lucky to be second behind an outstanding Napoli team. Three points is three points though, and it was a terrible penalty to give away by Rodriguez. As an Interista I'm happy but still concerned.

Wtf is happening with Bonucci also? Maybe he needs Chiellini.

Valencia now second after thrashing Betis 6-3 away. Ahead of Atleti and RMA and only 4 points behind Barcelona. A lot can happen in a short amount of time in both directions for a football team. Hope they stay up there fighting, it's good for a club of that stature.

City will run away with the league now and KDB is firmly in my World XI right now. On par with Modric & Kroos and the best player in the PL by a country mile. Also, wtf is Koeman doing? Should have bought a striker as soon as Lukaku was sold.

edit: Not by a country mile. On par with De Gea I'd say. De Gea has to be in the top 10 players in the world atm, what a player. Those two are easily the standout world class players in England atm.

[Robert5091]

Scathing article - worth a read!
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/oct/18/fa-apologises-eni-aluko-drew-spence-mark-sampson-racial-remarks

The failings of the Football Association’s senior management in the Mark Sampson affair were brutally exposed on a calamitous day for the people running the sport and the chief executive, Martin Glenn, was accused of behaviour “bordering on blackmail” by one of the England Women’s footballers whose complaints of racial remarks have finally been proven.

In a remarkable day of evidence before the digital, culture, sport and media committee, the FA issued a full apology to Eni Aluko and Drew Spence after a third inquiry, instigated on the back of the Guardian’s investigation into the previous two investigations, concluded that Sampson, the now-deposed manager, had made discriminatory remarks to both players.

[Robert5091]

After taking on Sky & British Cycling, MP Damian Collins takes on the FA -
http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/41673969

There are "serious doubts" whether FA bosses are fit to stay on after a "shambolic" performance at a hearing in parliament, MP Damian Collins says.

FA chairman Greg Clarke and chief executive Martin Glenn were answering questions after discrimination claims against ex-England boss Mark Sampson.

"What the FA wouldn't do was acknowledge their failings," Collins told BBC sports editor Dan Roan.

"It raises doubts about whether they are right to take the FA forward."

"I think we need to see a real acknowledgement from the FA on their own failings, their internal failings, not just the failings in relation to Mark Sampson," added committee chair Collins.

Football Association technical director Dan Ashworth and human resources director Rachel Brace also appeared alongside the pair in front of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee on Wednesday.

[Robert5091]

Seems like heads will roll.
http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/41688871

The Football Association is to investigate England women's coach Lee Kendall's alleged "unacceptable behaviour towards Eni Aluko".

The announcement comes a day after the FA apologised to striker Aluko for racially discriminatory remarks by former England boss Mark Sampson.

Nigeria-born Aluko accused goalkeeping coach Kendall of speaking to her in a fake Caribbean accent.

[jsem94]

Valencia on a roll. Simone Zaza looks like a new man and completely reinvented himself. Appointing Marcelino as a coach was an excellent move. He did well with Villarreal before and they're playing a simple 4-4-2 with two blocks of four defensively.

Handanovic is a boss, keeping the match level at 0-0 in Naples. Inter and Napoli have both only let in five goals in nine games. Serie A is looking really interesting.

Not so much in England. City are running away with the league and I don't see anyone stopping them. I love Spurs right now under Pochettino and I'm anticipating a great match between them and Liverpool.

[jsem94]

Lmao Lovren was horrible. Klopp should have bought Manolas or De Vrij or Davinson Sanchez or whomever. There were plenty of options out there besides Van Dijk. Terrible transfer window. #kloppout is getting stronger. The most away goals conceded in the league by a considerable margin, that's just embarrassing for a club of that stature.

[The Hitch]

I saw Fifa had their player of the year award yesterday.

Why is that taking place in October with 2 full on football months still to play?
European leagues still have 1/4 of their 2017 games left to play

And why is Iniesta in the world xi

[Brullnux]

It's more of a best player of the season award I'd say. Ohterwise Bonucci would not have been in the world xi, not even near it. And Ronaldo has done extremely little this season so Messi would have won it. Mind you, Messi was objectively better last season (goals scored, chances created, assists) yet since Real won more trophies, Ronaldo won it; so the award is really just best-player-on-best-team of the season.

And I have no idea why Iniesta was on the world xi. Reputation?

[The Hitch]

TBF Ronaldo, once we take Champions League into account, was pretty awesome as well. Hatrick in the quarter and Semi finals. 2 goals in the final. And that was against the real opposition (whereas La liga is against a lot of easy teams)

[Brullnux]

TBF Ronaldo, once we take Champions League into account, was pretty awesome as well. Hatrick in the quarter and Semi finals. 2 goals in the final. And that was against the real opposition (whereas La liga is against a lot of easy teams)

I included champions league when I compared the two. Messi has very similar stats, just didn't get as far. Ronaldo also had most impact towards the end of the year so it's fresher in the memory.

[jsem94]

Not sure if the new World Player OTY is supposed to be of the calendar year but it can't be. CR7 was garbage all autumn and only really showed up in spring. He was the best player for about 2-3 months, but come on, isn't it supposed to be how one measures up the whole season? Modric was IMO more deserving than CR7 of the award.

FIFPro is a bit of a joke anyway. Ugh.

[Brullnux]

Great games today, Tottenham thrashing Real and City beating Napoli away. It's a shame that Napoli, a genuinely very good side who really pushed City (4-2 is flattering - City were more clinical and their goals came from set pieces superiority and counter attacks, not pure domination; there was also a couple of miracle saves from Ederson and a crossbar from Insigne) will very probably be knocked out now. Even weirder that Dortmund and Monaco will join them.

[del1962]

Nice to see the spurs beaitng Real, actually nice to see pretty much anyone beating Real.

[jsem94]

Some really weird early exits actually. But Napoli shot themselves in the foot by losing away in Ukraine.

[Tonton]

I don't like Evra, he's a punk, he betrayed the national team, and as much as I think that his reaction was unprofessional, that he deserves a sanction, I feel no sympathy for the thug who got kicked in the head.

[Maaaaaaaarten]

Hahahaha

Don't worry my Italian friends, we can weep together over the downfall of our national football teams.

At least now us Dutch can have a holiday somewhere in southern Europe this summer without being laughed at everywhere.

Congrats Sweden. Please do well in the World Cup so we look less silly in hindsight losing to you guys.

[jsem94]

Ventura should probably flee Italy. What a heroic performance over two legs to get us to the WC. Italy will be missed though.

[bob.a.feet]

At least Italy still have cycling