Football 20/21

[Manoverboard]

Glad I wasn't able to resist the tempation of getting my leg over after a few beers when I was 18 going on 20

All part of growing up and overly high levels of testosterone, they let themselves down but it'll pass.

[towny44]

Glad I wasn't able to resist the tempation of getting my leg over after a few beers when I was 18 going on 20

All part of growing up and overly high levels of testosterone, they let themselves down but it'll pass.

I doubt that your leg over antics would have been of interest to the tabloid press Moby.

[oldbluefox]

Glad I wasn't able to resist the tempation of getting my leg over after a few beers when I was 18 going on 20

All part of growing up and overly high levels of testosterone, they let themselves down but it'll pass.

Plenty of opportunity to get their legs over but not when you're on England duty during a pandemic in a secure hotel in another country. I feel sure it could have waited. Pair of plonkers!!!

[Manoverboard]

Glad I wasn't able to resist the tempation of getting my leg over after a few beers when I was 18 going on 20

All part of growing up and overly high levels of testosterone, they let themselves down but it'll pass.

Plenty of opportunity to get their legs over but not when you're on England duty during a pandemic in a secure hotel in another country. I feel sure it could have waited. Pair of plonkers!!!

I thought you had Viking blood coursing through your veins ..... imagine a couple of BIG blond Icelandic girls ready to go ....

But you would say " No thank you, I am playing for England "

[oldbluefox]

Give me northern lasses any day!!!
Sounds like another drab performance from England. Pleased to say I haven't wasted two hours watching them.

[barney]

Massive win for the mighty Gills tonight in the tin pot trophy against Creepy Crawley.
Totally bossed it up to 20 mins to go when numerous changes were made. Finished 2-1.
Competitive games so far
Played two
Won two
We are surely going up as champions

[Manoverboard]

0 : 0 ... another Englamd footy recording to delete this morning

ps .... Good to hear that the Gills are on a roll
.

[towny44]

??????
.

I watched about the last half hour of Watfords inaugural Championship game, how on earth you had managed to score I really don't know, your goal seemed under perpetual siege and 'Boro were unfortunate not to equalise. But with that sort of luck you will probably get promoted.

[barney]

Luck is what is needed in bucketfuls .

That fine line between going in and not.

I remember playing Wallsall a few years back and they played us off the park but we won 4-0 with about 30% possession.

It's now clear that Watford are going to be champions by Xmas

I shall be plomping myself down at 3 o'clock to see if the Gills are actually any good.
Home to Hull is a tough start but fortunately for us, Tom Eaves, who was prolific for us is out injured.

football is back

[Manoverboard]

It seems that 17, albeit I only counted 15, of our last season's Premiership first team players were not available for selection for this match so those that did play were a mix of a rookie 18 year old, two that had never played at this level before and three more who were playing in their Watford debuts. Even I hadn't heard of some of them

Rubbish or lucky matters not to me nor the Manager cos we kept a clean sheet and got three points

[barney]

Maybe the model of signing Carlos Kickaball from unknown foreign clubs is about to change.
I’m all for big clubs signing up the best players in the world for big bucks, but the policy of signing journeymen should be looked at.
There are loads of good English players in the championship that could easily step up to the top league.
You’ll see that this season.

[oldbluefox]

There are loads of good English players in the championship that could easily step up to the top league.
You’ll see that this season.

I think the problem lies in clubs wanting so much for them and it becomes risky whether they can adapt to the pace of the Premiership or not. Instead clubs scan Europe, and in particular players with experience of Champions League football or who are already capped by their country who are cheaper. When I look at how much clubs are asking for their players (and I don't blame them!) it appears there may be safer options elsewhere.
To think Watford turned down a bid of £30,000,000 from the Foxes for Troy Deeney not so long ago.

[oldbluefox]

PS Good luck to all our teams for the forthcoming season. Hope it's a good one fellas (and lasses)

[barney]

There are loads of good English players in the championship that could easily step up to the top league.
You’ll see that this season.

I think the problem lies in clubs wanting so much for them and it becomes risky whether they can adapt to the pace of the Premiership or not. Instead clubs scan Europe, and in particular players with experience of Champions League football or who are already capped by their country who are cheaper. When I look at how much clubs are asking for their players (and I don't blame them!) it appears there may be safer options elsewhere.
To think Watford turned down a bid of £30,000,000 from the Foxes for Troy Deeney not so long ago.

That’s a fair point Foxy but think how many average foreign players have been bought by clubs only to rarely see the light of day.
Even the Foxes have had quite a few.
You often read about Liverpool or Chelsea moving players on, back to the continent and you have never heard of them let alone seen them play.
Quite a lot of Premier clubs sign a player on the back of a good tournament only to find they are not up to scratch.
Hopefully, if work permits are needed after December, the tide may turn.

[Manoverboard]

Work permits are already required so Carlos Kickaball has to be of a high standard to be contracted here in the UK. It's not easy to get good English players either because they are hoovered up by the major City Clubs like Cheslsea who own them but put them out on loan. Change is in the air however because some of these players are not renewing their contracts and head off in the direction they wish to go. The very best are going to Germany but the Hornets had two such lads playing last night who signed for Watford rather than extending their West Ham contracts.

[barney]

Most of the African players hold French or Italian passports so don’t need permits.
Many of the Brazilian hold Portuguese and South Americans hold Spanish .
That’s what may change.
European passport holders should need work permits after the transition is over.

I worked in Spain before they joined the EU and had to get a work permit.
It wasn’t a big deal to get it, just a bit of form filling.
The difference in football is there is already a limit to foreign players that currently excludes EU holders.

[oldbluefox]

That’s a fair point Foxy but think how many average foreign players have been bought by clubs only to rarely see the light of day.
Even the Foxes have had quite a few.
You often read about Liverpool or Chelsea moving players on, back to the continent and you have never heard of them let alone seen them play.
Quite a lot of Premier clubs sign a player on the back of a good tournament only to find they are not up to scratch.
Hopefully, if work permits are needed after December, the tide may turn.

I would agree barney. We've had one or two deadlegs who just did not adapt to our style of play in this country so it is a gamble whichever way you look at it.
I would like to see an end to the big clubs hoovering up all the young talent who then never see the light of day again.

[Manoverboard]

First game of the Championship season and Watford, Bournemouth and Norwich all scrape home win

[barney]

We were..... pretty cr*p to be honest.
Silly sloppy first goal conceded early and an unopposed header late on.
Nothing to see here.
Move on.

[Manoverboard]

Leeds were good but the Prem teams may get their measure like wot they did with Norwich last season ... or maybe not ?

[towny44]

Leeds were good but the Prem teams may get their measure like wot they did with Norwich last season ... or maybe not ?

It pains me to agree Moby, it will be interesting to see how they progress. What was even more interesting was a list of pundit forecasts in the Mail yesterday, not one listed Leeds as a relegation candidate.

[Manoverboard]

Leeds were good but the Prem teams may get their measure like wot they did with Norwich last season ... or maybe not ?

It pains me to agree Moby, it will be interesting to see how they progress. What was even more interesting was a list of pundit forecasts in the Mail yesterday, not one listed Leeds as a relegation candidate.

I read, also in the Mail, that your new Manager was until recently the Leeds Manager's assistant

Relegation candidates from the Prem are, for me .. West Brom, Fulham plus Villa if Greelish moves on.

[barney]

Don’t ya just lurve penalties

[Manoverboard]

Last night the Cherries beat Palace 11 : 10 on penalties x 21 goals

The Hornets back-up goalie saved the first three from Oxford so after scoring ours we won 3 : 0
.

[towny44]

Totally different topic , when did the kick off rule change from the ball having to be played forward, which was certainly how our sports master taught us to kick off, and why you always needed 2 players on the halfway line in the centre circle?