The Real Football Thread

[Rob5091]

Sir Jim's reign at Old Trafford starts off with getting the men he wants ... at the top!
https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/68708898

Southampton say they have "reluctantly agreed" to let director of football Jason Wilcox join Manchester United.

The two clubs came to an agreement on an "acceptable compensation fee" to allow him to complete the move.
...
Manchester United are also looking to hire Newcastle United sporting director Dan Ashworth.

He was placed on gardening leave after telling his club he wanted to join the Old Trafford outfit.

Gardening leave?! Really?!

 

[Rob5091]

Sir Jim is not waiting until season's end to fire the manager - Bayern's Tuchel is apparently the fav to take over. Good luck with that!
https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...-erik-ten-hag-regardless-of-cup-final-outcome

The ruthless decision to change manager will be the most significant move made by Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his allies since Ineos agreed to take a minority stake in the club last December and assumed control of football operations. United, who appointed Ten Hag two years ago, have felt compelled to act after ending a fraught campaign eighth in the Premier League, their lowest finish since 1990.

The team’s struggles this season have caused faith in Ten Hag to dwindle. United will have a last shot at qualifying for Europe when they face City – causing an upset against the champions would earn a place in the Europa League – but the hierarchy do not want to make a decision based on one game.

The challenge for Ten Hag, who has said he has already met with Ratcliffe and the minority owner’s advisers to review the season, will be ensuring his players are not distracted by the noise around his position. For United, the focus will soon switch to picking a replacement for the former Ajax manager.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Jim already overseeing a complete ****show at United, leaking that the manager is getting the chop a day before a cup final is prime nutcasery. As for me? I hope it's Jose. I miss the special ones antics, call it Stockholm Syndrome, most of England is trapped in an abusive relationship with him, though maybe he could take over Gareth's role if the Euros go badly.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Meanwhile Bayern apparently has an agreement with Vincent Kompany as their new coach.
Who the hell signs a coach who just got relegated with his current team to coach a top team? I know than coaching the FC Hollywood is always an ungrateful job, you can with the Bundesliga and the DFB-Pokal and people will still moan, but still...

 

[Red Rick]

The one time I root for United they win.

This is like reverse cycling wtf I love football now

 

[ice&fire]

Gary Lineker is about to update his definition of the game: at the end Real Madrid always wins. But what a boring game that was.

Now, onto the Eurocup.

 

[Rob5091]

Sir Jim puts his hand into his pocket for a new training ground.
https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...-revamp-training-ground-world-class-ratcliffe
Manchester United will start a £50m revamp of the men’s first-team building at their Carrington training complex next week, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe stating this will transform it into a “world-class” facility and improve performance.

The project, led by the renowned architect Norman Foster, starts on Monday and is expected to continue throughout next season.

Ratcliffe said: “We want to create a world-class environment for our teams to win. When we conducted a thorough review of the Carrington training facilities and met with our men’s first-team players, it was clear the standards had fallen below some of our peers.

(no muddy boots allowed in there!)

 

[Rob5091]

Talking soccer, the Euros kick off today in Germany (which is normally an excuse for hooligans across Europe to get together, drink lots of beer and have a good punch up.) I pity the German police.

 

[ZamlinusYoutubeious]

Anyone knows any good free stream to watch The Euros

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

My highlight of the Euros so far, next to nice goals and that win in the opener, has been Tom Bartels first literally talking the equalizer into existence for Italy, and than proceed to call an Albanian player Jim Shitty all game.
Not that he called him Jim Shitty on purpose (I hope) but he really made the impression of rooting for the Italians.

 

[Rob5091]

Soccer is not soccer without a gold tinted pickaxe and a molotov cocktail ... what?!

https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...-in-hamburg-hours-before-poland-v-netherlands
A man wielding a pickaxe and carrying an incendiary device has been shot by police near a Euro 2024 fan park in Hamburg. The unnamed suspect was said to have been shot in the leg after he emerged out of a kebab shop with a gold-tinted pickaxe and started to threaten those around him.

He was surrounded by officers who used pepper spray and fired a warning shot but witnesses said the suspect was downed after he sought to run away among the crowds. Witnesses said he also appeared to be carrying a molotov cocktail.

 

[Rob5091]

Worried about doping in sports? How about amongst the fans?!
https://news.sky.com/story/tensions...o-take-on-serbia-in-euro-2024-opener-13153944

Amid concerns over potential violence between England and Serbia supporters in Germany, English police have also travelled to the country to support local officers.

PC Stuart Dickerson from the UK football policing unit tells Sky News: "We have seen people openly taking cocaine off the back of their hands.

Police swarmed a bar near the Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen earlier this afternoon after tables and chairs were thrown by fans. Sky's sports correspondent Rob Harris witnessed the incident, which he says took place where lots of Serbia fans were gathered.

"It's the first sign of any issues we've seen here during the day.

"We saw chairs being flung, tables being thrown, and various fans running around the corner. It's led to a lot of bottles being thrown," he says.

 

[BullsFan22]

Typical English.

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

Soccer is not soccer without a gold tinted pickaxe and a molotov cocktail ... what?!

Trust me, it was because someone insisted to call it soccer, that justifies the axe AND the molotow cocktail after three repetitions. This is not extreme, that's just Europe. It should be in the broshures issued before the tournament.

Also if you say soccer three times in front of a mirror Vinnie Jones will appear and and tackle you, but not in a nice way.

It's true, don't look at me like that, I don't make the rules!

 

[Rackham]

I'm convinced football is one of the absolute worst forms of entertainment when the viewer has zero emotional attachment to any of the proceedings on screen.

As an experiment, I recommend watching a match without the sound on. It's hilarious. Especially when someone puts the ball in the net & everyone runs around with their arms in air celebrating whilst tens of thousand of balding men with red faces scream their enraged pseudo 'joy' (aka dopamine rush) in the stands.

Rinse repeat, year after year, tournament after tournament.

 

[kingjr]

Cycling fans feeling more sophisticated than football fans, never gets old

 

[Rackham]

Cycling fans feeling more sophisticated than football fans, never gets old

Vive le cycling fan sophistication:

 

[Rob5091]

So the police chief thinks that things went better then expected (to be honest, it sounds like a normal Saturday in one of England's major cities).
https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...charges-after-clashes-euro-2024-gelsenkirchen

One England fan and seven Serbs are facing criminal charges and tournament bans after the brawl involving 150 people before Sunday’s game between the two countries. One English fan was treated at hospital but discharged himself to attend the game ... The fighting at 3.45pm local time led to chairs and tables being upended, and several fans and at least one police officer were left with heavy head wounds.

Let's hope things don't get any worse. At least cycling fans just throw beer and caps at the riders.

 

[Tim Cahill]

7 Serbs arrested, 50+ Italian fans ultras arrested with knives and other weapons, about 100 Albanians charging police last night, some Scottish fans arrested for beating up a woman, loads more minor skirmishes going on on social media.

Only 1 England fan arrested so far I think, and we had 0 arrests in Qatar, not bad tbh.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Only Remco can save Belgium now.

 

[Rob5091]

Did not have Mbappe geting a broken nose on my bingo card.

 

[Rob5091]

As if the German Police have n't got enough to do, in the middle of the ongoing Euros punch-up, the trial of the "Reichsbürgers" begins in Munich today ...
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other/germany-s-far-right-reichsbürger-movement/ar-AA1nYMoe

also, today's word, "oomancy" ...
https://www.theguardian.com/world/a...accused-of-plotting-to-overthrow-german-state

Among those on trial in Munich are Hildegard Leiding, 60, a member of the rightwing AfD party and an astrologer, who was allegedly destined to become the group’s “trans-communications minister”. ... The woman, who is said to have become radicalised during the pandemic and specialised in a method of predicting the future through reading eggs, known as oomancy, was expected to become the health minister. She had donated €47,000 of her own money to the plot, most of which went towards arms training, prosecutors say.

Back to the footie, Ronaldo is still going at the ripe old age of 39?! Wow! (I could make some "clinic" inspired comments but that's for another place). The man himself could well be on the pitch today for Portugal v Czech Republic.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

As if the German Police have n't got enough to do, in the middle of the ongoing Euros punch-up, the trial of the "Reichsbürgers" begins in Munich today ...
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other/germany-s-far-right-reichsbürger-movement/ar-AA1nYMoe

also, today's word, "oomancy" ...
https://www.theguardian.com/world/a...accused-of-plotting-to-overthrow-german-state

Back to the footie, Ronaldo is still going at the ripe old age of 39?! Wow! (I could make some "clinic" inspired comments but that's for another place). The man himself could well be on the pitch today for Portugal v Czech Republic.

Ok, thanks, but this has literally nothing to do with the Euros?

 

[Rob5091]

Ok, thanks, but this has literally nothing to do with the Euros?

Apart from the fact it's happening in Munich (and two other cities) the trails are just more headaches for the German Police. Ronaldo does not, as far as I know, have any connections with the "Reichbürgers".

 

[ZamlinusYoutubeious]

The Belgian teams can be so frustrating. even their so called "golden generation" were such a disappointment. I know they came third in Russia Something is missing..i feel. Can it be pride playing for Belgium?..i dont know..