Futbol Talk

[panda]

The funny thing is that, while it's true that season tickets in England for the EPL are very reasonable, getting tickets to a match as an outsider can be just as expensive as most US sporting events. I've seen Liverpool matches at Stamford Bridge and Selhurst Park and both times ended up paying close to $80 each for decent seats on the secondary market. And that secondary market was a local friend getting them on a Chelsea/Palace ticket exchange.  Looking on a ticketing site was close to double that and if we wanted to sit in the visiting end, closer to 3-4x.

But when Brits complain about US sporting prices (which I'll concede are much pricier, that's undeniable) they make it seem like you can just rock up to an Arsenal or City match on a Saturday for 20 quid each

You used to be able to ! It's hilarious when fans complain about price increases thinking they support a non league team and tickets should never be over £20

[Its DJOver]

What an odd career path for Sergio Reguilon.

[JWags85]

What an odd career path for Sergio Reguilon.

Played for 3 of the 5 biggest clubs in Spain and 2 of the 6 biggest in the Prem all in the last 5 years and still ending up in MLS before he is 30, just wild.

[JWags85]

Amorim sacked by Man U. I can't blame them in totality, but seems wild at a glance when he's gotten them 3 points out of CL qualification after the disaster of last campaign.

So now that he's gone, Maresca left Chelsea (though that was more management disagreement than performance), and Ange getting the boot at Spurs... 3 of Big 6 English clubs have changed managers in 7 months. And Slot is on the hot seat and Pep is rumored to potentially be stepping down at City in the spring.  Even if 1 of those happens, 2/3 of Big 6 managers being replaced within a year is pretty unheard of.

[jesmu84]

Amorim sacked by Man U. I can't blame them in totality, but seems wild at a glance when he's gotten them 3 points out of CL qualification after the disaster of last campaign.

So now that he's gone, Maresca left Chelsea (though that was more management disagreement than performance), and Ange getting the boot at Spurs... 3 of Big 6 English clubs have changed managers in 7 months. And Slot is on the hot seat and Pep is rumored to potentially be stepping down at City in the spring.  Even if 1 of those happens, 2/3 of Big 6 managers being replaced within a year is pretty unheard of.

IMO, Frank is on the hot seat for Spurs as well

[BM1090]

Seems like a good time to reiterate how happy I am to have Marco Silva at Fulham.

[Its DJOver]

London Stadium going to be a Championship venue next season, I love it. You're in the drop zone, you get two massive games that result in 3-0 to Wolves giving them their first win, in a game that was done and dusted by half, get gifted an OG against Forest and still find a way to give the points away. Genuinely don't think that result today would have happened at Upton Park.

[JWags85]

London Stadium going to be a Championship venue next season, I love it. You're in the drop zone, you get two massive games that result in 3-0 to Wolves giving them their first win, in a game that was done and dusted by half, get gifted an OG against Forest and still find a way to give the points away. Genuinely don't think that result today would have happened at Upton Park.

I can't remember the last time I saw a keeper commit a foul resulting in a penalty on a 50/50 aerial ball like that.   But Areola deserved it cause that was beyond clumsy.

[Its DJOver]

Macclesfield in early contention for story of the year. First time in over a century that the holders go out to a non-league side. FA Cup is special.

[Its DJOver]

Xabi Alonso out at Madrid. Interested to see who they go after. Zidane supposedly wants the France job and Deschamps has already said that this WC will be his last. If they try to bring back Ancelotti (again) or any other current NT manager, they're going to have to wait until after the WC, which I don't think they'd want to do. I don't think Klopp would take it, doesn't seem like his kind of job. Maresca maybe, unless you really think that Iraola would be ready (I think he's gonna be too big for Bournemouth soon, but that would be a massive jump).

[JWags85]

Xabi Alonso out at Madrid. Interested to see who they go after. Zidane supposedly wants the France job and Deschamps has already said that this WC will be his last. If they try to bring back Ancelotti (again) or any other current NT manager, they're going to have to wait until after the WC, which I don't think they'd want to do. I don't think Klopp would take it, doesn't seem like his kind of job. Maresca maybe, unless you really think that Iraola would be ready (I think he's gonna be too big for Bournemouth soon, but that would be a massive jump).

Yeah it doesn't feel like Klopp at all.  Otherwise, it's kind of amazing how many of the "top" names you'd quickly think of for a marquee position are tied to national teams right now...Nagelsmann, Tuchel, Ancellotti, Bielsa.

Marcelino at Villareal would make a lot of sense if they stay local, but that doesn't seem flashy and big enough for them.  An interesting name for me would be Inzaghi.  He was fantastic at Inter and very good at Lazio before that.  I don't think it would be too hard to lure him away from Al-Hilal for Real Madrid, but I doubt he's on their radar.

[Its DJOver]

So that AFCON Final, craziest/most WTF moments since the 06' WC Final?  The more details I see about it, the more Morocco look bad/incredibly petty. It's rare to get almost the entire world to see you as the bad guys, but they're doing a good job of it.

[MU82]

Good for Trinity Rodman, and good for the NWSL.

[Its DJOver]

Surely Raheem Sterling to Spurs now.  He wants to stay in London and he's got to finish collecting the "Big 6-finity Stones".

[Billy Hoyle]

So that AFCON Final, craziest/most WTF moments since the 06' WC Final?  The more details I see about it, the more Morocco look bad/incredibly petty. It's rare to get almost the entire world to see you as the bad guys, but they're doing a good job of it.

It's given Spain a lot of ammunition in its lobbying to hold the 2030 final at the Bernabéu or Camp Nou, rather than at the 115,000-capacity stadium being built in Casablanca.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7000501/2026/01/27/world-cup-2030-final-spain-morocco/

And on the topic of World Cups, does anyone think the threat of European fans boycotting travel to the US will actually happen?

[Its DJOver]

It's given Spain a lot of ammunition in its lobbying to hold the 2030 final at the Bernabéu or Camp Nou, rather than at the 115,000-capacity stadium being built in Casablanca.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7000501/2026/01/27/world-cup-2030-final-spain-morocco/

And on the topic of World Cups, does anyone think the threat of European fans boycotting travel to the US will actually happen?

It's going to be the Bernabeu, it always was going to the Bernabeu.  There's zero chance Spain would put the final in Catalonia, and there's zero percent chance that Morocco would have gotten it over Spain.

As for the boycott. 6 months ago I would have said zero percent. Now, I'd put it at around 5%. Still don't think it's going to happen, but the odds have certainly increased.

[Billy Hoyle]

It's going to be the Bernabeu, it always was going to the Bernabeu.  There's zero chance Spain would put the final in Catalonia, and there's zero percent chance that Morocco would have gotten it over Spain.

As for the boycott. 6 months ago I would have said zero percent. Now, I'd put it at around 5%. Still don't think it's going to happen, but the odds have certainly increased.

I wasn't sure if Spain was going to have the option, or if FIFA was going to force the final to be in Casablanca

[JWags85]

As for the boycott. 6 months ago I would have said zero percent. Now, I'd put it at around 5%. Still don't think it's going to happen, but the odds have certainly increased.

Yea not a chance.  Its not an endorsement or lessening of anything that caused the sentiment, but all the people that claimed they are no longer going to travel...never were going to anyways.  Same as the people who claim they no longer will attend cause of the ticket cost.  Its still the World Cup and going to a WC in the US was never an inexpensive endeavor.

[Its DJOver]

Yea not a chance.  Its not an endorsement or lessening of anything that caused the sentiment, but all the people that claimed they are no longer going to travel...never were going to anyways.  Same as the people who claim they no longer will attend cause of the ticket cost.  Its still the World Cup and going to a WC in the US was never an inexpensive endeavor.

It's more than just fans that are being priced out that are causing the chatter though.  Nobody with the actual power has publicly talked about a boycott, but it's not like the vice president of DFL is a random fan who was never going to go anyways. Again, I think it's very unlikely, hence the 5% chance, but it is higher than it was 6 months ago.  Also, not to take the thread political, but if suggested activity concerning a large island in the North Atlantic actually comes to fruition (also unlikely IMO), the calls will only get louder.

[Hards Alumni]

Yea not a chance.  Its not an endorsement or lessening of anything that caused the sentiment, but all the people that claimed they are no longer going to travel...never were going to anyways.  Same as the people who claim they no longer will attend cause of the ticket cost.  Its still the World Cup and going to a WC in the US was never an inexpensive endeavor.

Personally, I'd love to go.  Especially since Chicago isn't very far.

But I cannot justify the ticket price when I can just watch it on TV.   

[JWags85]

Personally, I'd love to go.  Especially since Chicago isn't very far.

But I cannot justify the ticket price when I can just watch it on TV.   

Well played 

[JWags85]

I like how half their window was signing washed up former Premier League players...Conor Coady, Danny Ward, Jay Rodriguez...

Honestly, finishing in the top 15 would be a big win

Hand up, thus far Ive been wrong about Wrexham.  They've been really good since November, 8 wins, 6 draws, and 3 losses in the last 3 months.  Currently sit on 6th, barely into the final playoff spot.  That being said, there are still 16 matches left, a full third of the Championship season, and the spread between 6th (where they currently sit with 47 points) and 16th (where Swansea sits with 39 points) is only 8 points.  So there are HUGE swings in the table to be had.  I still would put money on them finishing outside the top 8, and they'd be way outclassed if they finished 6th and made the playoff, but full marks to Parkinson for getting this much out of them.

I will say, continuing on with my pushing back on their plucky underdog narrative that has persisted well past its expiration date 3-4 seasons ago.  I hadn't looked at the transfer window spend since we talked Wrexham and the Championship back in August...

Wrexham spent $40MM in the window, with no sales.  The only clubs to spend more were Ipswich and Southampton with $62MM and 59MM, respectively.  (However, obviously both were relegated so they had huge sells, naturally, and actually ended up with net profits from the window of $30MM and $87MM.) 

If you take out the 3 relegated clubs with their naturally inflated transfer dealings, the average Championship window spend was $12.6MM.  The other promoted clubs, Birmingham City and Charlton spent $32MM and $14MM.  But of note, Birmingham City sold a good chunk so their net spend was only $20MM.

So Wrexham more than tripled the pure spend of the rest of the championship, more than doubled the net spend of their closest in promotion (Birmingham City), and if you look at net spend, their next spend was about 20x that of the rest of the Championship.

Crazy stuff.  Their perception is different, but they really are no different in action and strategy than Man City, PSG, and the other petro clubs

[Pakuni]

Hot take from the weekend ... VAR in its current format has made the EPL nearly unwatchable.

A quick review of a play that leads to a goal to see if was onside makes sense. Reviewing the play that led to the play that led to the play that led to the goal is insane.

[BM1090]

Hot take from the weekend ... VAR in its current format has made the EPL nearly unwatchable.

A quick review of a play that leads to a goal to see if was onside makes sense. Reviewing the play that led to the play that led to the play that led to the goal is insane.

I was thinking about this too. On the other hand, I do think it's infinitely better in it's current state than it was a few years ago. In a few years I'm hopeful we'll get to the point where it's pretty seamless and useful like it is in tennis.

[Pakuni]

I was thinking about this too. On the other hand, I do think it's infinitely better in it's current state than it was a few years ago. In a few years I'm hopeful we'll get to the point where it's pretty seamless and useful like it is in tennis.

I'm not sure it's possible to do away with it entirely, so instead I would get rid of automatic reviews and create a challenge system. Give managers two challenges per game. First losing challenge costs you a substitution. A second is a yellow card to the manager. Used up all your subs and lose a first challenge = yellow card. Win your first challenge, you still have two.