Gallowgate Toon Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 It was lovely technique but the marking was horrific. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MW Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 Slaying barton aren't they. Grabbed him by the throat, fuck off Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 Germany is a really good league in just about every way. Very balanced and competitive, fantastic attendances, always brilliant atmopsheres, lots of good young players both domestically and being imported, sustainable financial model, decent football. It's pretty much spot on except for the fact the teams can't compete at the top level in Europe, honestly think that'll change when the bubble starts to burst for everybody else though. This is the crux isn't it? There has become a desperation, certainly within the Premier League and the people who run it, for as many teams to do well in the Champions League as possible - your average Newcastle/Stoke/Villa fan of course couldn't give a fuck but the majority have to live with it for the benefit of the minority. I'm interested in how the money is divvied up across each major European League, particularly the German one. Presumably their Champions League qualifiers get the same wedge ours do? Are they just not using it as well as ours? The game has badly lost its way in some countries, especially England, to the point where it actually being a sport has been forgotten about. Decent read on PL v BL (year or so old mind) - http://www.goal.com/en/news/9/england/2010/06/26/1996815/the-more-profitable-bundesliga-has-a-brighter-future-than Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
midds Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 Slaying barton aren't they. Grabbed him by the throat, fuck off Got stamped on and slapped in the face yet he's still the villain of the piece. Par for the course. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Snrub Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 MOTD2 is so shit. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sifu Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 Slaying barton aren't they. Grabbed him by the throat, f*** off Standard stuff in the modern media. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ponsaelius Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 Germany is a really good league in just about every way. Very balanced and competitive, fantastic attendances, always brilliant atmopsheres, lots of good young players both domestically and being imported, sustainable financial model, decent football. It's pretty much spot on except for the fact the teams can't compete at the top level in Europe, honestly think that'll change when the bubble starts to burst for everybody else though. This is the crux isn't it? There has become a desperation, certainly within the Premier League and the people who run it, for as many teams to do well in the Champions League as possible - your average Newcastle/Stoke/Villa fan of course couldn't give a fuck but the majority have to live with it for the benefit of the minority. I'm interested in how the money is divvied up across each major European League, particularly the German one. Presumably their Champions League qualifiers get the same wedge ours do? Are they just not using it as well as ours? The game has badly lost its way in some countries, especially England, to the point where it actually being a sport has been forgotten about. The German teams are restricted to spend no more than they earn, so the wages are dictated entirely by how much revenue they make and there are financial restrictions in place stop them from building up debt. Also every single team in Germany is obliged to be fan owned by atleast 51%. If they don't follow these guidlines they can have their membership stripped and kicked out of the league. It's not perfect like, both Dortmund and Schalke (IIRC) have had financial problems recently. But for the most part it's far more sustainable than the English 'model', which like you said is built out of a desperation to succeed at all costs. I honestly think that football in this country (and many others, with regards to the financial side) is intrinsically broken from the ground up. Our youth setup is neglected and corrupted, we aren't producing coaches or managers at the level we should be, the league is built on a mound of debt, ticket prices are going up season on season (another place where Germany wins is with cheap tickets), foreign ownership is completely ripping any sense of identity out of the clubs. For all the hype and marketing power that the league holds everything else is deteriating IMO. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wullie Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 Germany is a really good league in just about every way. Very balanced and competitive, fantastic attendances, always brilliant atmopsheres, lots of good young players both domestically and being imported, sustainable financial model, decent football. It's pretty much spot on except for the fact the teams can't compete at the top level in Europe, honestly think that'll change when the bubble starts to burst for everybody else though. This is the crux isn't it? There has become a desperation, certainly within the Premier League and the people who run it, for as many teams to do well in the Champions League as possible - your average Newcastle/Stoke/Villa fan of course couldn't give a fuck but the majority have to live with it for the benefit of the minority. I'm interested in how the money is divvied up across each major European League, particularly the German one. Presumably their Champions League qualifiers get the same wedge ours do? Are they just not using it as well as ours? The game has badly lost its way in some countries, especially England, to the point where it actually being a sport has been forgotten about. Decent read on PL v BL (year or so old mind) - http://www.goal.com/en/news/9/england/2010/06/26/1996815/the-more-profitable-bundesliga-has-a-brighter-future-than Cheers, interesting. How is the German league so profitable when (I believe) their ticket prices are much lower and their TV income is hugely lower? I guess their much bigger stadia cover the ticketing issue. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wullie Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 Germany is a really good league in just about every way. Very balanced and competitive, fantastic attendances, always brilliant atmopsheres, lots of good young players both domestically and being imported, sustainable financial model, decent football. It's pretty much spot on except for the fact the teams can't compete at the top level in Europe, honestly think that'll change when the bubble starts to burst for everybody else though. This is the crux isn't it? There has become a desperation, certainly within the Premier League and the people who run it, for as many teams to do well in the Champions League as possible - your average Newcastle/Stoke/Villa fan of course couldn't give a fuck but the majority have to live with it for the benefit of the minority. I'm interested in how the money is divvied up across each major European League, particularly the German one. Presumably their Champions League qualifiers get the same wedge ours do? Are they just not using it as well as ours? The game has badly lost its way in some countries, especially England, to the point where it actually being a sport has been forgotten about. The German teams are restricted to spend no more than they earn, so the wages are dictated entirely by how much revenue they make and there are financial restrictions in place stop them from building up debt. Also every single team in Germany is obliged to be fan owned by atleast 51%. If they don't follow these guidlines they can have their membership stripped and kicked out of the league. It's not perfect like, both Dortmund and Schalke (IIRC) have had financial problems recently. But for the most part it's far more sustainable than the English 'model', which like you said is built out of a desperation to succeed at all costs. I honestly think that football in this country (and many others, with regards to the financial side) is intrinsically broken from the ground up. Our youth setup is neglected and corrupted, we aren't producing coaches or managers at the level we should be, the league is built on a mound of debt, ticket prices are going up season on season (another place where Germany wins is with cheap tickets), foreign ownership is completely ripping any sense of identity out of the clubs. For all the hype and marketing power that the league holds everything else is deteriating IMO. I would tend to agree with that. It would be much better for the game if UEFA were to standardize the positive aspects of leagues like Germany right across the board, but that is highly unlikely to ever happen, they don't realistically have the power for a start, even the FFP rules are a joke. The foreign ownership issue is the biggest threat to the English game at the moment, in fact issues of private ownership in general when clubs are being run for the benefit of cunts like the one who owns us. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ponsaelius Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 Germany is a really good league in just about every way. Very balanced and competitive, fantastic attendances, always brilliant atmopsheres, lots of good young players both domestically and being imported, sustainable financial model, decent football. It's pretty much spot on except for the fact the teams can't compete at the top level in Europe, honestly think that'll change when the bubble starts to burst for everybody else though. This is the crux isn't it? There has become a desperation, certainly within the Premier League and the people who run it, for as many teams to do well in the Champions League as possible - your average Newcastle/Stoke/Villa fan of course couldn't give a fuck but the majority have to live with it for the benefit of the minority. I'm interested in how the money is divvied up across each major European League, particularly the German one. Presumably their Champions League qualifiers get the same wedge ours do? Are they just not using it as well as ours? The game has badly lost its way in some countries, especially England, to the point where it actually being a sport has been forgotten about. The German teams are restricted to spend no more than they earn, so the wages are dictated entirely by how much revenue they make and there are financial restrictions in place stop them from building up debt. Also every single team in Germany is obliged to be fan owned by atleast 51%. If they don't follow these guidlines they can have their membership stripped and kicked out of the league. It's not perfect like, both Dortmund and Schalke (IIRC) have had financial problems recently. But for the most part it's far more sustainable than the English 'model', which like you said is built out of a desperation to succeed at all costs. I honestly think that football in this country (and many others, with regards to the financial side) is intrinsically broken from the ground up. Our youth setup is neglected and corrupted, we aren't producing coaches or managers at the level we should be, the league is built on a mound of debt, ticket prices are going up season on season (another place where Germany wins is with cheap tickets), foreign ownership is completely ripping any sense of identity out of the clubs. For all the hype and marketing power that the league holds everything else is deteriating IMO. I would tend to agree with that. It would be much better for the game if UEFA were to standardize the positive aspects of leagues like Germany right across the board, but that is highly unlikely to ever happen. The foreign ownership issue is the biggest threat to the English game at the moment, in fact issues of private ownership in general when clubs are being run for the benefit of cunts like the one who owns us. The problem is though if UEFA try to implement financial restrictions like that across the board, you get the big guns all saying 'well fuck that' and toddling off and setting up a Super League. That simply cannot happen, it'll ruin football IMO. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ponsaelius Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 The foreign ownership issue is the biggest threat to the English game at the moment, in fact issues of private ownership in general when clubs are being run for the benefit of cunts like the one who owns us. Exactly. The only real 'profit' in a football club is ultimately the success on the football pitch, which is why they can't be compared to other businesses. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wullie Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 The foreign ownership issue is the biggest threat to the English game at the moment, in fact issues of private ownership in general when clubs are being run for the benefit of cunts like the one who owns us. Exactly. The only real 'profit' in a football club is ultimately the success on the football pitch, which is why they can't be compared to other businesses. Yep. I hate it when I hear people say "well football's still a business...", it's not a fucking business, it's a sport, nobody ever says golf or tennis or other team sports like cricket or rugby are a business. If football is a business, that should not be a cue to the people in charge, whether it be FIFA/UEFA/FA/Premier League to start treating it as a business and telling clubs how to manage that business, it should be a cue to them ripping the whole thing up and starting again because something's gone badly wrong somewhere. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ponsaelius Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 The foreign ownership issue is the biggest threat to the English game at the moment, in fact issues of private ownership in general when clubs are being run for the benefit of cunts like the one who owns us. Exactly. The only real 'profit' in a football club is ultimately the success on the football pitch, which is why they can't be compared to other businesses. Yep. I hate it when I hear people say "well football's still a business...", it's not a fucking business, it's a sport, nobody ever says golf or tennis or other team sports like cricket or rugby are a business. If football is a business, that should not be a cue to the people in charge, whether it be FIFA/UEFA/FA/Premier League to start treating it as a business and telling clubs how to manage that business, it should be a cue to them ripping the whole thing up and starting again because something's gone badly wrong somewhere. I was having this argument with my Dad the other day. He was saying that Ashley is free to do what he wants because he owns the club and that if he wants to run it like a business then it's up to him, and I quote "fair play to him". He wouldn't comprehend that this argument is fundamentally wrong. It's not fucking right that people can come in and have free reign like this so long as they have the money in their back pocket. For all intents and purposes football clubs are businesses, but in reality they are anything but. They're sporting institutions, with thousands of fans who's lives are built around what happens with the team. It's far too simplistic to just say, 'football is a business just like Sports Direct or ASDA'. The other argument I had was he said 'people are upset but they'll still turn up every week and lap it up, in any other business people wouldn't buy the product'. Utterly incomparable tbh, people love following their team and it's impossible to simply 'not buy the product' (calling football a product FFS). There's not a set of fans in the world that would do that. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wullie Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 Sounds like the sort of argumentative tosh my Dad would come out with just cos he knows it'll wind me up. Just reading about Germany's fan-ownership rules on Wikipedia, I would love that to be the case in England, unfortunately we're obviously a long way past that ever being a workable option. Fans having no power or say over what happens at their club is a fundamental problem and essentially goes against everything that football should be about. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ponsaelius Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 Yeah he's a prick and disagrees for the sake of it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stottie Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 In business terms, perhaps the City of Newcastle (i.e., the people) could trademark "Newcastle" and only licence the name to the club if it operated in the interests of the people. Ashley and those before him may own the club but none of them have ever owned what the club represents. They are getting a free ride on tradition and regional pride. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cubaricho Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 Why are there American football lines on the Houston Dynamo field? I thought it was soccer-specific? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 High School? edit: "American football"? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cubaricho Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 They actually play at a college stadium now. Their new stadium will be next season. My bust. Their new stadium actually looks pretty slick. Like an actual European stadium: http://www.houstondynamo.com/stadium http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/2049/stadium1630wide.jpg Glad to see more US soccer-specific stadiums taking to the roofing. Keeps whatever atmosphere there is in the stadium. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cubaricho Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 Everyone's first touch in MLS looks like they have cinderblock boots. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sifu Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 Just seen Lampard's dive from the Stoke game. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 Just seen Lampard's dive from the Stoke game. Bloody foreigners! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronaldo Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 For all intensive purposes Bollock dropped. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Village Idiot Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 Pretty satisfied with the Supercopa result yesterday, Madrid were all over us but we will get much better than that, and still managed to get a good result from the game. I liked a lot of what I saw from Alexis, given that he's been with us for a week. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dokko Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 They actually play at a college stadium now. Their new stadium will be next season. My bust. Their new stadium actually looks pretty slick. Like an actual European stadium: http://www.houstondynamo.com/stadium http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/2049/stadium1630wide.jpg Glad to see more US soccer-specific stadiums taking to the roofing. Keeps whatever atmosphere there is in the stadium. Very strange. Why the tiny roof over the goal area and not for the rest of the stand, yet no cover on the opposite side at all? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts