Futbol Talk

[JWags85]

Writing had been on the wall for weeks, just figuring out compensation behind closed doors.  I think Nagelsmann becoming available sped the process along immensely.

I'm wondering if there is something going on behind the scenes with Nagelsmann.  I know its Bayern, but that was messy even from them.  And they aren't ones to dump a news drop on a random day during the International Break like that.

[Its DJOver]

As much as City Liverpool has been The Game the last few years, this one kinda disappointed. First half was great in terms of entertainment value. Second, not so much, although City had a few beautiful team goals. Liverpool need serious reinforcements in the midfield and I don’t think they’re going to get Bellingham.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

Chelsea onto their 3rd manager this year.

[Hards Alumni]

COYG

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Kinda think Arsenal is managed by Wojo.

[Hards Alumni]

Kinda think Arsenal is managed by Wojo.

Nah.

[brewcity77]

Kinda think Arsenal is managed by Wojo.

Feels apt. Right now City is a freight train in league and Arsenal is a deer tied to the tracks. Wednesday really feels like the last chance for Arsenal. Lose that and it's all over but the crying.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

Kinda think Arsenal is managed by Wojo.

Arteta is Wojo with a touch of Buzz.

-former player.
-long time assistant to a legend
-little charisma, what is there is forced and learned from a "leadership book.

Buzz touch:  letting known rapists play for the team, with no consequences.

[Golden Avalanche]

Arteta is Wojo with a touch of Buzz.

-former player.
-long time assistant to a legend
-little charisma, what is there is forced and learned from a "leadership book.

Buzz touch:  letting known rapists play for the team, with no consequences.

2/3 wrong but trying in life is the important lesson.

[jesmu84]

https://twitter.com/barstoolsports/status/1649862980585095169?t=vEQyTYm8XJ8gs34B09F9Zw&s=19

[panda]

2/3 wrong but trying in life is the important lesson.

Which two are wrong

[jesmu84]

Spurs are done.

Time to start over

[Pakuni]

Southampton director of football operations Matt Crocker is set to be named the U.S. Soccer Federation’s sporting director, multiple sources familiar with the hiring process told The Athletic on Sunday. Those sources requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the hire.

https://theathletic.com/4442343/2023/04/23/ussf-matt-crocker-sporting-director?source=user-shared-article

[JWags85]

Southampton director of football operations Matt Crocker is set to be named the U.S. Soccer Federation’s sporting director, multiple sources familiar with the hiring process told The Athletic on Sunday. Those sources requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the hire.

https://theathletic.com/4442343/2023/04/23/ussf-matt-crocker-sporting-director?source=user-shared-article

I appreciate the outside the box nature of the hire for once.  On one hand, I dont LOVE hiring a guy who was helming a club that has finished 15th, 15th, and now will be relegated over the last 3 years he was there.  But at the same time, he has done good work with the England FA and youth teams and when he was running the academy at Southhampton, they CHURNED out elite talent that moved on.  Both those are probably more important for his role at US Soccer than what he did for the big club

https://twitter.com/barstoolsports/status/1649862980585095169?t=vEQyTYm8XJ8gs34B09F9Zw&s=19

The Wrexham story is really fun and Ive enjoyed it, but the only thing that makes me slightly cynical is they are basically PSG without the oil money.  The 5 highest paid players in the National League all play for Wrexham, making 2-3 times what most players in the league make.  So they've acquired and paid for a League Two/borderline League One side based on salaries but its still framed as little humble Wrexham.

Of course the town and the club don't care, which is awesome, so good for them.

[brewcity77]

The Wrexham story is really fun and Ive enjoyed it, but the only thing that makes me slightly cynical is they are basically PSG without the oil money.  The 5 highest paid players in the National League all play for Wrexham, making 2-3 times what most players in the league make.  So they've acquired and paid for a League Two/borderline League One side based on salaries but its still framed as little humble Wrexham.

Of course the town and the club don't care, which is awesome, so good for them.

They can probably do that one more time, but once you get to League One, there are good players and other well-funded teams. A number of teams currently in League One have been in the Premier League. Derby, Portsmouth, Charlton, and others have been in the top flight. It will be interesting to see what happens once they start coming up against other clubs that are similarly funded.

[21Jumpstreet]

They can probably do that one more time, but once you get to League One, there are good players and other well-funded teams. A number of teams currently in League One have been in the Premier League. Derby, Portsmouth, Charlton, and others have been in the top flight. It will be interesting to see what happens once they start coming up against other clubs that are similarly funded.

Exactly. Also, aren’t there more laid out financial rules like salary caps and fair play in League Two vs National League?

[brewcity77]

Exactly. Also, aren’t there more laid out financial rules like salary caps and fair play in League Two vs National League?

Yes, and they are monitored and enforced more regularly when you're in the Football League but below the Premier League. I support Reading, and we went from safely staying in the Championship to the relegation zone in a matter of days because of a 6-point penalty assessed earlier this month with just a handful of games left in the season. Now RFC is in a position where they have to take six points in their final two games to feel safe.

That said, it could make for some great storylines. Wrexham storms to the top of League 2, seems on the verge of promotion or at least playoffs, only for a mid-April points deduction to take them out of the running because Rob & Ryan tried to just spend their way up the table like they did in the National League.

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

This strikes me as some sort of St Louis rule about doing it the right way. 

How else are you getting out of the worst league if getting better players isn’t an option?  Wouldn’t the teams that were just relegated to national league also have league 2 salaries too?

[JWags85]

This strikes me as some sort of St Louis rule about doing it the right way. 

How else are you getting out of the worst league if getting better players isn’t an option?  Wouldn’t the teams that were just relegated to national league also have league 2 salaries too?

I don't have any qualms about doing it the "right way" other than the whole narrative is elevating this beleaguered town and their plucky underdog club.  And its not that they are a well run club who is out-evaluating and out-managing others, its that they are literally buying promotion.

And yes, but its not just League 2 salaries.  The average weekly wage in the National League is £1,500 on the higher side.  The average weekly wage in League 2 is around £2,220-2,500.  If you make over £3,000 a week in League 2, you're in the top 30-40 salaries in the whole league...Wrexham is paying half their starting 11 over £3,000 a week.  Their top 3 guys (Foster, Mullin, and Palmer) all make over £4,000 a week.  The only people making that much in League 2, outside of 1-2 guys, are on loan from a Premier League or Championship club and the big club is paying their wages.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

This strikes me as some sort of St Louis rule about doing it the right way. 

How else are you getting out of the worst league if getting better players isn’t an option?  Wouldn’t the teams that were just relegated to national league also have league 2 salaries too?

The problem is that owners were signing players well beyond their projected revenue, and well it failed to work, were saddling teams with debt and they would free fall down the league pyramid.

Salary caps would be nice but it's not happening.

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

I don't have any qualms about doing it the "right way" other than the whole narrative is elevating this beleaguered town and their plucky underdog club.  And its not that they are a well run club who is out-evaluating and out-managing others, its that they are literally buying promotion.

I guess I'm not offended by the narrative since it was literally the situation you describe at the beginning of their first season of ownership (and prior to - its only been 2 years).  The 360 documentary wrap around this that also revealed the club strategy was to lose money and pay for players capable of playing at the higher level to get promotion.  I even think they talk about how they will monetize it beyond the gate/club.  I don't think its being represented as the owners being some sort managerial genius or anything but a fun resurrection story for this town. 

Now they have an investible asset and can potentially put more into talent.  It's sports so buying talent usually works.  Also its sports so building an eventual team sale price is the model to make money.

I'm not trying to be argumentative as much as just say why it doesn't bother me.  It's very consistent in a lot of ways for me. 

[panda]

Teams in the championship and prem need to “abide” by FFP (ask any of the big 6 how easy it is to cook the books to avoid any penalties), but there is no hard league wide salary cap for league 1/2.

Teams in 1/2 can only spend a certain percentage of their total profit on player salaries.

[panda]

This strikes me as some sort of St Louis rule about doing it the right way. 

How else are you getting out of the worst league if getting better players isn’t an option?  Wouldn’t the teams that were just relegated to national league also have league 2 salaries too?

That’s the rub about relegation. Most of your best players opt to leave the club after dropping down a division. Which is why it’s so detrimental to some teams which we’re not built for relegation scraps (hello Everton).

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

That’s the rub about relegation. Most of your best players opt to leave the club after dropping down a division. Which is why it’s so detrimental to some teams which we’re not built for relegation scraps (hello Everton).

Apparently if Everton is relegated, they have a $150 million loan that's due immediately.  Obviously that will need to be refinanced, but there is a great fear they may face something similar to what Sunderland has gone through the last decade.

[panda]

Apparently if Everton is relegated, they have a $150 million loan that's due immediately.  Obviously that will need to be refinanced, but there is a great fear they may face something similar to what Sunderland has gone through the last decade.

Yep - it’s too bad for their fans. Incredibly loyal and well run club until a total buffoon takes over and recklessly spends money to the point where they’re at now.

If they go down, most of their players will leave because they’re high paid premiership level guys and as you said, will encounter immediate crippling debt. They’ll receive maybe half of the debt due in parachute payments, but that means they won’t be able to spend much on new championship level recruitment.