Football Season 2017-18

[drahkon]

35 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said:

 If a pundit on Sky Sports can make a decision after seeing one replay then surely profession refs can.

Indeed. This is what I find hilariously ridiculous about the VAR. Fans at home see the first replay and most of the time you can immediately make a decision. There are, of course, occasionally situations where you'd need a closer look from various angles, but for the majority of situations it's stupidly easy to make a call.

The World Cup will be fun

[Fierce_LiNk]

It's hilarious and actually incredible fitting that, somehow, football is able to fuck up such a simple procedure. The technology is there, just fucking use it correctly! It's amazing how badly they've managed to implement such a system. There's clearly not been any foresight given into how the information is communicated to the fans either at the stadium or at home and they've obviously not seen how Rugby have successfully implemented this system.

It IS the future because we can't have a reality where referees make mistakes on a daily/weekly/game-by-game basis, which is what they do. Through no real fault of their own. If they're seeing an incident from one angle, they do not have the benefit of the additional angles like we have, or the ability to slow down the footage. So, they should be given that ability. But man, come oooon, train them how to use it correctly. 

I'm willing to give it the benefit of the doubt and just say that this is the teething stage. But, they need to learn quickly. The World Cup is almost here. You can't be making high profile errors with this technology. Imagine if we had another "Mata squiggly line" incident again in the World Cup Final?!

[drahkon]

Quote

 

VAR will be used at a World Cup for the first time in Russia despite criticism of its use in domestic competition.

One issue has been that fans have been unable to see replays shown on television that referees use to make their decision, leading to confusion.

But this summer the crowd will also be told when a decision is being reviewed and why a decision has been reached.

However the replays will not be shown inside the ground while the referee is making a decision, only afterwards so the official is not influenced by the crowd, football's world governing body Fifa has announced.

 

Source

Good.

[Happenstance]

Wenger has confirmed he's leaving in the summer!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/43834283

[Julius]

8 minutes ago, Happenstance said:

Wenger has confirmed he's leaving in the summer!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/43834283

Considering how they’ve been phasing in backroom staff in anticipation of his leaving for a few years now, I’d have to assume that they’ve already chosen his replacement. 

I hope he gets the send off that he deserves, because he’s a great manager, so I hope fans don’t hold the blemish of the last few years against him.

Should be an interesting summer in London, what with Conte also reportedly on the verge of leaving. 

[Emerald Emblem]

When all is said and done, this news still saddened me when I saw the post on Arsenal's Facebook page, whilst it felt like it needed to happen and seeing the bigger influx of negativity around the club and its supporters, I'm still sad. He's been at the club for so long, that more long time followers of the club who can remember the successful first 9 seasons and all he accomplished in that time, will never be forgotten. The new stadium and the 3 FA cups in recent memory can't be overlooked either. I'm just hoping the fans will return to support the possibility of giving Wenger a proper send off and lifting the Europa League trophy.

[bob]

I wonder if he's going to retire, or continue managing somewhere else?

[Happenstance]

Just now, bob said:

I wonder if he's going to retire, or continue managing somewhere else?

He's going to Chelsea

[bob]

He's going to Chelsea

Straight swap for Conte?

[Happenstance]

Just now, bob said:

1 minute ago, Happenstance said:

He's going to Chelsea

Straight swap for Conte?

Nope. Joey Barton has cancelled his appointment to Fleetwood and will now be managing Arsenal.

[bob]

Nope. Joey Barton has cancelled his appointment to Fleetwood and will now be managing Arsenal.

They'll have to rename it Joesenal of course.

 

[Fierce_LiNk]

Found out the news in work and was shocked that today was finally the day it happened. It had to happen eventually, but it's still sad to see the end of an era. It's extremely rare to see a tenure of this length at a football club, especially with the way that football seems to work these days with managers losing their jobs after a series of losses, etc. Now is the time to celebrate the man and all of his achievements.

I really miss the old Fergie/Wenger rivalries, but they are in the past now and are part of footballing history. It'll be exciting in a way to see who is now linked to the job, and there will of course be time to scrutinise Wenger's career at the club, especially the last decade. But, for now, it should be about honouring the man and the values that he has held and what he has done for the football club. He should have the opportunity to be celebrated, just as Sir Alex had his. 

[Julius]

11 hours ago, bob said:

I wonder if he's going to retire, or continue managing somewhere else?

He’s said that he wants to move into the next thing fast, whether it be a role as sporting director or as manager of another club. I think it would be great to see him manage the French national team, or, adversely, return to Monaco or take over from Emery at PSG, because it feels a bit too soon for the curtain to fall on his career, at least to me.

[Hero-of-Time]

So happy for Danny Ings right now. He looked so excited to score again.  

[nekunando]

1 hour ago, Hero-of-Time said:

So happy for Danny Ings right now. He looked so excited to score again.  

I'm just hoping we hold on to the 3 points. We'll almost be certain of top 4 with a win and can focus on the Champions League rather than having any slight concern about Chelsea somehow sneaking in!

[Hero-of-Time]

2 minutes ago, nekunando said:

I'm just hoping we hold on to the 3 points. We'll almost be certain of top 4 with a win and can focus on the Champions League rather than having any slight concern about Chelsea somehow sneaking in!

WBA are pushing hard for a second. Wouldn't be surprised if they manage to sneak one in as we are sitting pretty deep.

[Hero-of-Time]

Like clockwork there it is! Hell of a header.

[Happenstance]

8 minutes ago, nekunando said:

I'm just hoping we hold on to the 3 points. We'll almost be certain of top 4 with a win and can focus on the Champions League rather than having any slight concern about Chelsea somehow sneaking in!

You realise this is your fault now right?

[Hero-of-Time]

Fair result. We completely switched off after the second goal. I think we really missed having Robertson on the left and TAA on the right. 

[Happenstance]

At least Salah managed to add to his goal tally.

[Fierce_LiNk]

It's really, reeeeeally stupid that this match is being played at Wembley. I know that the FA Cup has been criticised for that feeling of being devalued in recent years, but playing the semi-final at Wembley is stupid. It's even more absurd considering that this is the same stadium that Spurs have been playing all of their home fixtures at! This should have been played at a neutral venue. Why couldn't this have been played in Cardiff, for example, or at the Emirates stadium? 

[Hero-of-Time]

Totally agree, Flinky. It's essentially a home game for Spurs which is huge advantage.

[Fierce_LiNk]

5 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said:

Totally agree, Flinky. It's essentially a home game for Spurs which is huge advantage.

It's an utter joke. Who makes these decisions?

Rubbish team defending for the goal. Pogba walking back when he should have been tracking the run, Young completely out of position (hilariously so...don't think he was even in the shot when the ball was crossed!) and Smalling and Jones basically did nothing. Smalling and Jones must be awesome in training to continue starting under four different Man Utd managers (Fergie, Moyes, Van Gaal and Mourinho). It's bizarre.

[killthenet]

Sunderland relegated to League One, I think I'm right in thinking they're the first team to have successive relegations from the Premier League. I said when Chris Coleman left Wales to take the job that his career was over, doesn't look like he's going to be able to repair the damage this will do to his career.

Villa keep slim hopes of automatic promotion alive but I think we'd have to win our remaining games and hope that Fulham and Cardiff completely collapse and don't get any more wins. I'm really nervous about the play offs, we're finishing the season strongly which bodes well but very rarely do a team that finish 3rd or 4th manage to win at Wembley.

As far as the FA Cup goes I really want Spurs to win it. Pochettino deserves a trophy for all the great work he's done for them and it'll be nice for Kane, Alli and Eriksen to get a trophy on their honours lists.

@Fierce_LiNk Even with Spurs playing at Wembley this season most of the United team have probably played there more times than the Spurs players.

[Hero-of-Time]

1 minute ago, Fierce_LiNk said:

It's an utter joke. Who makes these decisions?

Probably the same morons who award Kane that goal the other week.