British Football Thread (all divisions)

[mapuc]

I was about to write

I hope your favorite football team in P.L. Will be the best team in the end of the 21/22 season...This can't happen, because only one football team can be best and it will be my team

Markus

[Jimbuna]

[Threadfin]

I want to agree with what Moonlight wrote. I think United are several players (and a manager?) away from a title. But then they finished second. They finished second on goal difference too. In a sense, their results don't dovetail with my assessment of their squad. Did they overperform? Or am I underestimating them?

Champion's League qualification will help with recruitment, so let's see who they bring in, and who is leaving. I'd look to move Pogba and De Gea if I were them. One issue is they give contract extensions to players who maybe haven't earned them, and which were not pressing needs, such as Matic. But Woodward's gone (or going soon).

Their rivals will strengthen, Liverpool already did with Konate, which is a good signing, and assuming Van Dijk returns to his best, is a big improvement across the back. All teams will be affected by comings and goings, so let's see how the window goes.

[Moonlight]

Another live game on youtube, are city going to come out fighting this time or will they get sucker punched........again.
Last game I watched between these two teams was a bleeding bore fest which Chelsea won 1-0, unless Man city up their game it'll be the same again.

Prediction, two of them.
Manchester City win if they come out firing on all cylinders.
Chelsea win if they play as defensive as the last time these two met.

Manchester City vs Chelsea | UEFA Champions League Final 2020-21 | Live stream

All going to plan for Chelsea, one change that has to be made is Sterling needs to be subbed.

Manchester City 0-1 Chelsea

That was the full time result as well.
Excellent teamwork by Chelsea they had the City players tied up in knots for long periods.
Biggest plonker of the night was Pep Gladioli, one of the best players of the premier league era started on the bench, absolute bloody madness by Pep.

Biggest failure on the pitch tonight was Sterling, should never have been on the pitch, Pep needs to get rid of it.

[Jimbuna]

It didn't really matter who won because at the end of the day it was as simple as oil money v shady money.

[Threadfin]

Remarkable triumph for Chelsea. Not so much for the game, cup finals are a one-off and you never know. But it is remarkable considering where they were 6 months ago.

Chelsea have won two Champion's League titles, and both were during seasons where they sacked the gaffer half-way through. That's pretty remarkable too.

When they hired Tuchel I was skeptical. He had a pedigree, but he always struck me as a systems specialist, who maybe shrunk in charge of the biggest names and personalities. Tactically sharp, but meek, in a sense. But the effect he has had on Chelsea is massive. It was easy to see that Lampard was out of his depth, although I reckon he will come good as a manager with more experience. And to compare Tuchel's results with Frank's is night and day. After his arrival, they've barely conceded. More cohesive, better shape, and this is down to Tuchel.

On the other side, when I saw the team sheets my very first reaction is that (not for the first time) Guardiola was being too clever. De Bruyne as a false nine? No holding midefielder? I haven't seen every City match this season, but I do not recall a single match where either Fernandinho or Rodri wasn't slotted in front of the backline.

It all backfrired as City lacked any cutting edge. You cannot say this was entirely down to his selection and tactics -- like what has happened to Sterling? -- but I think he outfoxed himself and got it wrong.

I'm no Chelsea fan, but I was happy for Havertz who has had a tough season. That goal seals his spot in Blues' lore. It will be a massive lift for him and I expect next season he will be rampant. Chelsea have an imbalanced quad, and if they get it right with incoming and outgoing transfers they will be hard to beat next year. They will go hard for a big name striker this summer like Kane, Lukaku or Haaland. No guarantee they land one, but if they can convert their midfield riches (and Kepa) in to a world class striker and maybe a top centerback I like their chances to challenge for the league with Tuchel pulling the strings

[Moonlight]

^Yep, I wonder how many more seasons the owners are going to give him to win the CL, me thinks the heat is going to be ramped up on Gladioli.

As for Chelsea, a central defender and a striker is a must have, I still haven't seen Werner at his best, that's if he's got a best in him. Anyone else that Tuchel buys to improve the midfield will be a bonus, if they get those 2 or 3 players I'm expecting Chelsea to be a major force to be reckoned with next season.

[Threadfin]

Agreed. I suspect that Guardiola can stay as long as he wants to. But then you look over at Abramovich's ruthlessness and maybe start to think this could work at City too, and get them over the line. I suspect though, if Guardiola had just stuck to what had won them the title at a canter it may have seen them lift the trophy? It's all speculation for the wardroom at this point.

I'm guilty of this too, but for the longest time there has been a sentiment that in order to build success you NEED continuity. A manager in place for a long time, back room staff too. I mean it worked for Fergie right?

But Chelsea buck this trend and they have an enormous haul of silverware since Abramovich took over. And they change managers on average of one per season, seventeen since 2004. Even the 2008 CL final, when they lost to United, was a third CL-final year they changed managers during the season. It helps of course when the purse strings are so loose. I won't argue that they have not purchased their success, but they are hardly alone with big spending. Chelsea have been rewarded for their cutthroat approach and lack of manager sentimentality and perhaps there are other sides where this would pay off as well.

[Jimbuna]

England boss Gareth Southgate to announce final 26-man squad at 5pm tonight.

It may prove interesting to see who he leaves out.

[Moonlight]

England's 26-man squad in full
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Man Utd), Sam Johnstone (West Brom), Jordan Pickford (Everton)

Defenders: John Stones (Man City), Luke Shaw (Man Utd), Harry Maguire (Man Utd), Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Kyle Walker (Man City), Tyrone Mings (Aston Villa), Reece James (Chelsea), Conor Coady (Wolves), Ben Chilwell (Chelsea), Kieran Trippier (Atletico Madrid)

Midfielders: Mason Mount (Chelsea), Declan Rice (West Ham), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund), Kalvin Phillips (Leeds)

Forwards: Harry Kane (Tottenham), Marcus Rashford (Man Utd), Raheem Sterling (Man City), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton), Phil Foden (Man City), Jack Grealish (Aston Villa), Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)

This is probably the weakest England team I've seen in a long time, based on fitness and form both Sterling and Rashford shouldn't have been picked and that cripple Harry Maguire should have been left at home as well.
The midfield are a bunch of lightweights, they're going to be torn to bloody shreds and what's with Southgate picking 4 rightbacks, what the hell is that all about. Remember the golden generation, well this lot are the brass tack generation who will come running back home to mummy quicker than Rooney's mob did.

[mapuc]

^ I think England will not be the only country with a weak team.

There are many players who hasn't been playing or practicing as much as they wished, due to this Corona.

Markus

[Jimbuna]

Worst squad in my living memory yet.....the richest in terms of salary

[Threadfin]

Good point about the rightbacks Moonlight. Although I have to say, were I TAA's manager I would be looking to convert him to a winger, a similar trajectory to how Bale's career progressed. Southgate won't want to be running such an experiment in a major tournament, or would he?

This is a pretty good England squad, depending on formation perhaps. But I agree too about that midfield. I think England will struggle against sides running more midfielders, such as 4-5-1 and variants (4-3-2-1, 4-4-1-1, 3-5-2, etc). England's midfield has potential to be overrun. Rice can be the destroyer I suppose, but that will be quite the load as I don't see much help from his midfield partners when off the ball.

Remember the golden generation, well this lot are the brass tack generation who will come running back home to mummy quicker than Rooney's mob did.

This is the sort of analysis that is all too missing 'round here. Quite right mate.

[Jimbuna]

The Police are now reporting that the banner threatening Rafa and his family (allegedly) was left at the wrong house in Caldy by the Scouse Mackems

[mapuc]

To my British friends

Is this true ?
Edit
Could those of you who was either Man U fan or TOON fan not see this match ?
End edit

Uefa rules allow countries to have a two-and-a-half-hour window on a weekend when games cannot be shown live on TV.

England has 14:45-17:15 BST as its blackout.

Sky Sports and BT Sport had to pick which September games would be moved for TV on 5 July - long before anyone thought Ronaldo would re-join United on deadline day.

Both broadcasters reportedly decided against trying to change their TV pick at late notice - if it would even have been possible to do so.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/58503185.amp

Markus