The British & Irish Football Thread

[CV19]

Originally Posted by NARMAK

I hope we see a really special season of football for Liverpool. They're not even hitting max throttle yet.

I have to take my hat off to Liverpool, they've been awesome so far this season. Man City have lost games they should really have won, and can't see them catching up to be honest.....but you never know - unless Klopp suffers a major disaster, it looks like the title is his.

Man Utd are up and down performance-wise. They beat Tottenham and Man City, yet lose against Watford. (no disrespect to Watford by the way)

[NARMAK]

Originally Posted by CV19

I have to take my hat off to Liverpool, they've been awesome so far this season. Man City have lost games they should really have won, and can't see them catching up to be honest.....but you never know - unless Klopp suffers a major disaster, it looks like the title is his.

Man Utd are up and down performance-wise. They beat Tottenham and Man City, yet lose against Watford. (no disrespect to Watford by the way)

There's no disrespect there at all. Although i could use choice words to describe Manchester United i think its just sufficient to say they've fallen down significantly and maybe spending their way out of the problems won't work. You can even see how Manchester City even with all that spending have hit harder times but i'd trust Pep Guardiola to right the ship over Ole.

Liverpool are even more special when you consider Jurgen Klopp hasn't really had an opportunity to spend as much money as the other clubs if you go by the net spend other clubs have actually done. He's actually transformed the team from the inside out with developing mostly who was there and anybody that is bought now isn't really an over the top diva in the making with an ego. They're hard working versatile attack minded players like Takumi Minamino. When evwrybody was chasing Haaland who is on the score sheets for like £76 million, Liverpool scouts were identifying Minamino as the guy who really helped create a lot of chances and damn, what a bargain for 10x less what Haaland would cost.

I think if this period is starting to become as special as it is, Liverpool could clean up trophies this season. Long may it continue.

[David LFC]

Up the reds!!!

[cipher]

The first time in 30 years I can book a trip back home to England to witness the title celebration. Those previous few years we had a chance obviously never worked out and always went down to the wire anyway which would have made trip planning difficult. This time I'll have months to plan ahead and fully enjoy the end of the season in England.

[dublinbluray108]

Former Sunderland FC player & chairman Niall Quinn has been appointed as the new interim deputy chief executive of the Football Association of Ireland.

https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2020...ty-ceo-at-fai/

"In addressing the current challenges facing the FAI, the executive team want to ensure that the organisation's core objective of the promotion and development of the game of football in Ireland is prioritised.

"Niall’s role with the team will focus on leading a future League of Ireland strategy, the overall development of the game in Ireland, including supporting grassroots and community initiatives together with our player pathway programmes.

"Niall will also focus on helping restoring and building key relationships and trust with key peer groups and the media."

He doesn't say anything at all about how long his role will last with the association. It appears that his new role will go on for an unspecified length of time. He is also currently a football pundit on Virgin Media Sport's Euro 2020 Qualifier & Champions League TV coverage from VM's Ballymount studios in Dublin. How does this new position affect his role at VM Ireland in future? Does he still stay in that job or does he have to leave it as per his new contract with the FAI?

[HillSprinter]

Had no idea there was a sports section on this forum til now!

Anyway, I’ve been a Liverpool supporter for 40 years...hopefully the 30 year wait will be over soon!

Also I voted for Mexico ‘86 in the poll above.

[dublinbluray108]

I heard on the news that Manchester City have been banned from the UFEA Champions League, subject to appeal, for 2 seasons.

[NARMAK]

All PL & EFL postponed till April 3rd & 4th. All UEFA matches such as Europa and Champions League also postponed.

Well, looks like this is going to cause havok and tbh, it's probably the saddest ever 30 year wait for Liverpool right now when there's a chance that a LOT of this could potentially have huge ramifications including a cancelled season. I don't want that as a fan who's just watched them do the amazing feat of finally getting to such a position and 25 points clear. The fact the postponed matches also mean they cannot now finish with the earliest PL win in history must sting too and if they get the PL trophy but the rest of season was scrapped, they still couldn't even try get the PL points record.

Complete nightmare for sports right now globally and i know people will say "Lives matter more" which i 100% agree with, nobody can argue this hasn't been a horrendous turn of events.

[Penton-Man]

not sure how much of this is accurate - https://www.netflix.com/title/80244928
nevertheless, I really enjoyed it and thee episodes helped me learn more about the history of the different parts of the country

[dublinbluray108]

News has just broke this evening that Stephen Kenny has been appointed as the new Republic of Ireland manager ending Mick McCarthy's current run in the job. The FAI had made the decision to formerly appoint Kenny today after the UFEA European Qualifier play-offs for the now delayed European Championships have currently been postponed due to the Coronavirus.

[CV19]

Originally Posted by NARMAK

I don't want that as a fan who's just watched them do the amazing feat of finally getting to such a position and 25 points clear. The fact the postponed matches also mean they cannot now finish with the earliest PL win in history must sting too and if they get the PL trophy but the rest of season was scrapped, they still couldn't even try get the PL points record.

It would indeed have been interesting had the season finished as scheduled. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think there are still 9 games left with a potential 27 points available. This would take Liverpool well over the 100 points achieved by Man City a couple of seasons ago.

I completely agree with you when saying lives are more important - absolutely no question about that whatsoever. However were it not for this tragic virus, there's no doubt it would have been an exciting conclusion to the season.

[Penton-Man]

Well, for me, this weekend, the Bundesliga is better than nothing.

[Penton-Man]

I’m hoping that when the Prem resumes that the broadcasts will at least have some canned audience noise, chants, singing, etc. because watching the Bundesliga on TV with only the audio of commentators, I found wanting more.

[CV19]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

I’m hoping that when the Prem resumes that the broadcasts will at least have some canned audience noise, chants, singing, etc. because watching the Bundesliga on TV with only the audio of commentators, I found wanting more.

You're right. In the case of some commentators, I'd rather silence them instead and just have the crowd noise alone for atmosphere.

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by CV19

You're right. In the case of some commentators, I'd rather silence them instead and just have the crowd noise alone for atmosphere.

I don’t know about your guys, but this is the one ‘magisterial’ commentator I have to turn off whenever he’s doing a match on my local cable feed….

YouTube

[CV19]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

I don’t know about your guys, but this is the one ‘magisterial’ commentator I have to turn off whenever he’s doing a match on my local cable feed….

Wow, that's one commentator I don't think I could listen to for long - I'm with you on that one. To be honest, I barely take any notice of the commentators we have here on TV, such as Sky Sports and BT Sport. They basically just waffle on and tell you what you can already see for yourself anyway, and if that's not enough, at the end of the match you'll have pundits in the studio analysing key moments of the game giving us all the benefit of their experience as to what a player should or shouldn't have done. Now, you'd think one pundit would be sufficient, but oh no, there has to be three of them generally - not counting the presenter.

I’m hoping that when the Prem resumes that the broadcasts will at least have some canned audience noise

I've just watched the Man City v Arsenal match and Sky showed it on two channels - one with a canned audience noise, and the other channel without it. I didn't see the earlier Aston Villa v Sheffield Utd match, but this was on two channels as well, so I'm going to assume you had the same choice for this game.

[HillSprinter]

Ray Hudson is the most entertaining commentator there is! I’m bummed our cable operator dropped bein sports recently so no more Spanish football for us.

That goal denial for Sheff Utd today was an absolute joke. Shockin’.

[CV19]

Originally Posted by HillSprinter

That goal denial for Sheff Utd today was an absolute joke. Shockin’.

I agree. That was the only clip I saw when they were reviewing it when the game finished. It seems ridiculous to disallow the goal just on the basis that the referee's watch didn't bleep, when it was obvious from camera replays that the ball had crossed the line. I would have expected VAR to pick this up, unless it wasn't in operation for this match.

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by CV19

I've just watched the Man City v Arsenal match and Sky....

after a long day, finally sitting down to watch the first half and happy that our NBCSN broadcast has recorded fan noise….I think it should be better than the dry, quiet Bundeslega match I watched last week

later

[dublinbluray108]

The UFEA Super Cup will be played at Windsor Park in Belfast for 2021.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/49813960