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Do the decent thing, Jurgen
If Jurgen Klopp was smart, he would take the noble high ground by forfeiting the EPL title via nulling and voiding the season. Citing “lives over football”, he would forever be revered as a “Martyr in Sports” by the world. He would be immortalised as a “Saint”. That title alone is worth much more than an overdue 30 yrs EPL title.
He should then resign from Liverpool to create more impact.
So Saith Sovereign King Darren
Scrap next season
I’ve listened long enough to fans, players, club owners who are calling for the 19/20 season to be ditched and I can’t listen anymore; its the 20/21 season that should be amended or scrapped over anything else, and here’s why:
We have no real idea as to when football is going to be able to properly start up again. It might be June, it might be August, it might be November, it might not be until January 2021. This uncertainty is a fact and, depending on who you listen to, when we can get back to normality is completely up in the air. And a key word here is ‘properly’: confidently starting football again knowing the pandemic is over. This is likely to be some time.
As such, what are we going to do with the 20/21 season if it starts in November? What about January? There are far too many unknowns and questions regarding how to fit a whole league season, European campaigns and international fixtures in an, as of yet, undefined time period and one that is likely to be significantly shorter that normal. But you know what would be easier to fit into an as of yet undefined and likely shorter time period? Yes: less than a quarter of a season aka the remainder of the 19/20 campaign.
It’s always fairer to complete a season under the rules that all clubs were working with at the start, rather than change them or scrap them some of the way through. If we do alter the 20/21 season – perhaps agreeing the season will have less games overall – at least everybody knows the score right from the start?
So to me the solution is simple: we move forward planning to finish the 19.20 campaign when it is completely safe to do so, and it is done at some point during the 20/21 calendar, August to May. If there then isn’t enough time for a proper season to then be played? Clubs can organise their own little money spinning tournaments, arrange their own games against whoever they like, travel the world, play football as often or as little as they like: all in preparation for the Euros and then the start of a normal 21/22 season. Think of the creativity that could be involved, for a small period of time, for every club across England and much of Europe, and we can also say that we did the right thing by finding a way to not cancel any competitions that we have already started.
Finally, let’s be clear about what the ‘right thing’ to do is: the right thing to do is to stop playing football as we have done, and we probably should have stopped sooner. The right thing to do is waiting until the pandemic has passed and it is safe to continue playing football, likely without more interruption. The right thing to do is to do what we can to finish the current competitions, whenever that may be and however far into the future that is. All of these can be done, and so therefore, why shouldn’t they?
Yes, I am a Liverpool fan.
Jay, I can’t remember the last time we won it!
…The talk of what to do with the league season when it eventually starts has naturally reduced given people have begun to realise the seriousness of the situation we are all in.
I’ve have had a feeling the last few days and it’s a feeling that a lot of people I’m sure haven’t given a moments thought.
I am getting a feeling the season may well carry on where it finished but a year later on the 13th March 2021.
When we eventually come through this, life will be very different from how it was before for the world.
Lives will need the-building, our country will need re-building and of course way down the list of national priorities of that football will need re-building.
Don’t anybody think that it will be a quick task to just start up as quickly as it finished.
Who’d of thought that 3 weeks ago?
Ken. Ireland.
Home Internationals Championships
A couple of memories of that competition – the big thing was the games were televised when I was growing up in the 60’s, and that was a big deal. I’m pretty sure not all of them were screened live, but I seem to recall watching the England v Scotland games in full. Other than that the only live game you saw was the FA Cup Final.
The big rivalry was, obviously, England and Scotland. The Sweaties appointed themselves “Unofficial World Champions” in 1967 as they were the first team to beat England since their 1966 World Cup win. When the game was at Wembley (every other year) and I think most of Scotland got on a train to come south, and Trafalgar Square and the area around it was packed with the Tartan Army. You went there at your peril if you weren’t wearing tartan. I recall a couple of bad accidents when fans were diving into the fountains not realizing the water was only about 6″ deep.
I’m pretty sure most of the games during my time were played at the respective “national” stadiums, Ibrox, Wembley & Windsor Park although Wales spread the wealth around a little more.
I don’t remember being particularly bothered about who won the tournament, it was all about beating Scotland to my mind.
The jocks did dig up Wembley after the 1977 win, but I read that the pitch was going to be relaid anyway, so it wasn’t so much a big deal. Breaking the crossbar, however, was so blown out of proportion you’d have think the fans burned the stadium down. Reading the articles in the Glasgow Herald is fun, especially the hand-wringing from Secretary of State Frank McElhone who wasn’t impressed by the chant “If you all hate the English clap your hands”. That seems quite mild compared to the mayhem in the 70’s at a regular league game.
Happy days
Steve, Los Angeles
Poor Paolo
In the same vein as my Players Who Never Won the World Cup but Lost in The Final, here’s one for the European Championship:
Buffon (2012), Lahm (2008), Cannavaro (2000), Maldini (2000), Brehme (1992), Schweinsteiger (2008), Pirlo (2012), Nedved (1996), Ceulemans (1980), Belanov (1988), Figo (2004).
It brings a tear to the eye to see Maldini in both of these teams for the World Cup and the Euros ?
Matthew, Belfast
Irritating XI
After seeing few worst XI of all time, can we have a new challenge:
What is your most irritating XI of all time? You know – that XI that you would want Meteor to drop on the field if you saw them playing. And why? It does not have to be connected to performance or EPL.
Here is mine (ignore positions)
-GK: Oliver Kahn (couldn’t stand him)
– DC: Marco matterazzi (his presence is enough ti turn off tv)
– DC: Sergio Ramos (i would give him red Card 15 minitues before kick off)
– DC: Pepe (I would give him red card 2 days before kick off and he would have to be in police station during Match)
– MR: Dani Alves (maybe it is just me, but can’t stand the guy)
– MC: Nani (his theatrics and High opinion of his own ability does not Match performance. Most annoying time: after Ronaldo departure)
– MC: Francisco Totti (this is personal. In CM0102 his Roma was unbeatable team and he was always MOM)
– ML: Ryan Babbel (that rap “song” should be enough to ban him for lifetime from speaking/wispering/thinking/singing
– FR: Cristiano Ronaldo (great player, but too much theatricities and waving)
– FC: Nicklas Bendtner (he needs 1000 hours of individual psychotherapy)
– FL: Mario Balotelli (when you think you’re cool but in reality you are Mario Balotelli)
Honourable mention:
– Benzema
– Diego Costa
– Neymar
– John Terry
– Anelka
– Adebayor
– Giroud
– Jordi Alba
I thought this would be easier…
Adlan
United get a raw deal
I do not buy that F365 are ABUs. I do, however, think that like other commercial outfits you understand that United sell. And that saying things about them, taking a position, being provocative is a sensible commercial strategy. And regardless of if you mean to, that creeps out.
Man City are as close to 14th as they are 1st. Leicester are as close to 1st as they are 19th. Man City have lost more games than Arsenal and Wolves. City have let in more goals than United.
Yet I do not see any mention of these facts when commenting on these clubs. You do not deem it necessary to add snide remarks such as ‘A seemingly necessary reminder that City have meekly surrendered their League title while losing the same number of games as a promoted team,’ or ‘…but a seemingly necessary reminder that Brendan Rodgers has as many points over the last 5 games as Steve Bruce’s 13th placed Newcastle United…’.
You do not apply the same treatment to other clubs and that may not be overt bias, but it is clear and obvious. Pack it in.
Andreas (glad this is the only thing I have to moan about right now) Hunter, St Albans
More fan mail
Was going to send in a mail, telling you lot to just F….k off .
Instead I have to applaud your commitment to the cause , Of making Ole look inept while trolling Man United fans ,goading us to write in.Right after people complained ,about him not being in the top 5, you’ve doubled down and put him at the top of the worst list, wow just wow.
First of all 17 points against the dominant sides should make any manager above criticism , This website’s preferred choice for manager of United , never achieved that amount of points against similar opposition, In any year ,in charge of Spurs and this was with well rounded teams.
Simply extrapolating 14 points works both ways .Applied to city this season. and they fail to qualify for the champions league in Pep’s 1st season (they actually finish 6th) . There is an argument for Arsenal getting less than 1/2 the points left based on their fixtures, which would make this the season one of the worst since before Wenger took over, Hardly justifying why there new man , is 2nd on the other list .
You can rave about the low number of points,and claim this is a weak league, I can point tp the fact ,that unlike La Liga the premiership is stacked with money and show you a champions league winner in charge of Everton, or a guy with the reputation of Hassenhutl ,managing teams in the botton half, Talk -less of the two former title winners who have been sacked in the last 2 seasons, For practically relegating teams (Ranieri and Pellegrini).
For all the talk of losing because they can’t manage properly , Ole is still 3rd (for points) since he took over, and has had to play the equivalent of at least half a season with the creative void that is Perreira and Lingard .Last year when this was less of an issue,The manager had, Pogba and Lukaku. Lukaku wanted out, and Pogba has downed tools since , the PSG 1st leg .
Unlike at the beginning of the season, when as much as half of the teams total points , Would have gotten ,would have been against the top 6 , It’s closer to 1/3 right now, and will probably drop even further , as the team improves in terms of personnel.
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The two teams you believe he should be better than already, Have been built over several years on an array of talented players in Pep’s case and on Firmino keeping the other from killing themselves in the other, (oh and great wing-back)s . Utd is not suddenly going to play exactly like that just because Bruno showed up it will take at least a few more players.
If there is a tactical mistake Ole made, It was believing Pogba would actually be an adult and show up the first half of the season , Unlike the rest of the list, he has at least seen most of his mistakes and is doing something to rectify them.Portraying this manager in the worst possible light, is however just what you do.
So yeah F…k Off
Shayd
…On Alex Keble’s latest piece – when VVD comes in and fundamentally alters Liverpool’s defence, he’s ‘the piece Klopp was missing’, ‘the best in the business’ and so on. When Bruno comes in and fundamentally alters United’s attack, ‘he is evidence of the individualism at United’, ‘Solsjkaer doesn’t teach tactics’ and so on. At least be consistent, F365. You make it sound like beating City and other big clubs involves no tactical thinking beyond launching counter attacks. If it were that easy, wouldn’t everyone do it? Not saying Solsjkaer is the second coming of Pep, but he definitely isn’t as bad as you constantly try to make him out to be
Shubham (first-time writer, WFH leaves me with a lot of free time), India
The F365 Show is on hiatus until the football returns. Subscribe now ready for its glorious comeback. In the meantime, listen to the latest episode of Planet Football’s 2000s podcast, The Broken Metatarsal.