Football: The Return of the Carabao Cup

[baxus]

32 minutes ago, Spockydog said:

And are you seriously trying to draw some sort of moral equivalence between a man going to work, directly, for MBS, being paid millions to be the face of the Saudi sports-washing project, and an NHS worker trying to save the life of a fellow citizen before popping into the food bank on the way home after a twelve-hour shift?

No, he's going to work for Newcastle United, that is owned by Saudi investment fund. Fun fact - according to UK authorities, that fund and its investors have been deemed to be "fit and proper owners" by relevant authorities in the UK.

[Spockydog]

19 minutes ago, baxus said:

Wow, way to not get what I was saying at all.

I mean, I could say the exact same thing to you.

 

[Spockydog]

2 hours ago, baxus said:

Exactly this. Everyone does business with Saudis, and it's perfectly fine but if Howe does it, he is a terrible person.

Fucking hypocrisy went through the roof!

It would be hypocrisy if I, personally, was doing business with the Saudis.

But I'm not. And you are flailing, because what the fuck can I personally do to influence who does and doesn't do business with the Saudis? (I've never taken an Uber, if that helps...)

To be clear, the English Establishment is one of the most evil institutions on Earth. Has been for hundreds of years. But I am a Scot.

Even so, how can you even begin to try and blame individuals living in 2022 for things that their government did hundreds of years ago? Or even the stuff going on today. Do you think it matters whether I vote Labour or Tory? I have literally no power over our dealings with these cunts. We will trade guns for oil, no matter who's in charge. Can't you see that?

Anyway, if you can show me, Spockydog, one thing, just one meaningful thing, that I can do to personally influence Britain's relationship with Saudi Arabia (apart from writing to my MP, because I've already done that), which then allows me to criticize E$$ie Howe without fear of being labelled a hypocrite, I will shut the fuck up.

As long as it's not just bollocks.

 

Edited January 5 by Spockydog

[polishgenius]

I'm mostly with Spocky on this tbh. There's a difference between participating in society and directly choosing to be employed by someone who you know is a front for a dictator.

[Spockydog]

...and a straight-up murderer.

 

Edited January 5 by Spockydog

[Spockydog]

nvm

Edited January 5 by Spockydog

[Tywin et al.]

17 hours ago, MercenaryChef said:

it was only when berhalter talked shit about their very grownup son regarding his world cup appearances and impact do mom and dad want to say anything. 

20 year olds are not very grown up. We know from cognitive development that it takes until your mid 20s to reach maturity for most people and even then you still may need more life experiences to be "very grown up."

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I'm not a berhalter guy. he was fine for now but ultimately not what the team needs to compete in 2026, but this exit is wild.

Let's be clear here, he's an awful coach and time and again did one of the worst things a coach can do, put his system ahead of his talent. 

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he didn't dump this news out of any other reason to damage berhalter. that is both cowardly and grotesque. while berhalter's acts in 1991 aren't excusable to sit on it and decide it's only worth mentioning cause your little boy's feelings got hurt is despicable. 

They did it because he said their 18 year old son was mature enough and were like, oh really? check your history bud."

I don't think they should have done it, but parents protect their kids and they were pissed off.

Edited January 5 by Tywin et al.

[MercenaryChef]

fortunate that the toon are not currently looking to sign a 45 year old moral and ethical internet persona to round out their attack or midfield. 

[Consigliere]

 

 

 

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The six leading figures in the Premier League, FA and EFL will meet in person for the first time on Friday to thrash out proposals from the top-flight clubs which include scrapping FA Cup replays (from the 3rd round onwards), changing the Carabao Cup so that clubs in European competitions only field junior sides, and moving the Community Shield from its traditional position as the curtain-raiser to the season.

The demands are in return for the Premier League sharing more of its money with the lower leagues — the EFL wants an extra £300 million a year but the top-flight clubs have only agreed to about £160 million. It is understood that the EFL would be open to changing the Carabao Cup — the options are for clubs in Europe to not take part at all or field under-21 sides — but only for what they deem is an acceptable financial settlement.

The future of the Community Shield is also on the table. The bigger clubs believe the timing of it disrupts their pre-season build-up as well as lucrative overseas tours. Suggested alternatives include playing it as part of the opening weekend or mid-season, or for it to be in an international market such as the United States to promote the Premier League globally. At least one club would like it to be an “All Stars” game, with each Premier League team providing a maximum of two players and playing against the top stars from other European leagues.

The FA will go into the talks to try to secure more money for grassroots football, as was recommended by Tracey Crouch’s fan-led review of football, and it will even explore selling its TV rights centrally via the Premier League if that would lead to increased revenues.

 

Edited January 5 by Consigliere

[baxus]

 

1 hour ago, Spockydog said:

To be clear, the English Establishment is one of the most evil institutions on Earth. Has been for hundreds of years. But I am a Scot.

My history is a bit rusty, but haven't Scotland and England united centuries ago?

1 hour ago, Spockydog said:

Even so, how can you even begin to try and blame individuals living in 2022 for things that their government did hundreds of years ago? Or even the stuff going on today. Do you think it matters whether I vote Labour or Tory? I have literally no power over our dealings with these cunts. We will trade guns for oil, no matter who's in charge. Can't you see that?

First of all, I'm not blaming anyone for what their governments did. As you were very quick to point out, there has been some pretty heinous stuff done by my government too and I'm fully aware that there are things you can do nothing about. That was not the point at all.

The point is that Eddie Howe is an easy target and the one that can't really fight back so let's pile on him while saying "oh, we can't do anything about all this other stuff so why bother?"

1 hour ago, Spockydog said:

Anyway, if you can show me, Spockydog, one thing, just one meaningful thing, that I can do to personally influence Britain's relationship with Saudi Arabia (apart from writing to my MP, because I've already done that), which allows me to then criticize E$$ie Howe without fear of being labelled a hypocrite, I will shut the fuck up.

What do you think you can do about Saudis buying Newcastle? Honestly, what would you do so that doesn't happen again? I'm guessing, try to change laws and regulations and stuff like that. There's some procedure for that, you get a petition started, get some signatures, state your case with the powers that be and all that. I'm guessing it's not that different from the procedure to change the laws and implement a better regulation of weapons sales. So, if you could do only one, which one would you go for?

Once again, it's not about anyone expecting you (or anyone else on this board) to lead the revolution and right the world's wrongs, it's about not treating a football manager as if he's the one who got rid of Khashoggi's body.

[Spockydog]

33 minutes ago, baxus said:

 

My history is a bit rusty, but haven't Scotland and England united centuries ago?

Yup. And we're still trying to get free of the cunts. 

And are you really still trying to pin the sins of Pitt the fucking Younger on me and mine? GTFOH. 

Edited January 5 by Spockydog

[Spockydog]

I am genuinely struggling to think of a worse individual than MBS who you could willingly go to work for.

Maybe the Russian bloke who runs Wagner. Or Kim Jong Un? Putin? A Mexican drug cartel boss? I dunno, it's tough coming up with anyone quite as appalling as MBS. 

So what I want to know is where people like @baxusdraw the line concerning the rights and wrongs of willingly going to work for some enormously evil cunt. 

Vlad the Impaler? Hitler? Ming the fucking Merciless? What about Donald Trump? Or Thanos?

I wonder, is there anyone Baxus wouldn't go to work for? 

 

Edited January 5 by Spockydog

[Spockydog]

26 minutes ago, baxus said:

What do you think you can do about Saudis buying Newcastle? Honestly, what would you do so that doesn't happen again? I'm guessing, try to change laws and regulations and stuff like that. There's some procedure for that, you get a petition started, get some signatures, state your case with the powers that be and all that. I'm guessing it's not that different from the procedure to change the laws and implement a better regulation of weapons sales. 

Lol. I asked for meaningful suggestions. You're either being deliberately obtuse, or your naivety is off the charts. 

Edited January 5 by Spockydog

[Raja]

On 1/4/2023 at 4:28 PM, Rorschach - 2 said:

 but I find for me that the presence of shady money to reduce my interest in the PL. Now, in my heyday that interest was yuuuuuuge, so there's still a bit left, but between murky owners and that total sh*thead Infantio I am questioning how much longer I'll keep up watching.

Defo agree with this.

I'm more with Spocky on this, but I think it would be rare for managers to say anything against ownership and I'm not surprised that Howe hasn't, I think most managers wouldn't say anything and get on with the job.

There's a lot of whataboutism in these few pages, and I get that but I think we all have our own barometer of things that we find palatable.

City, Newcastle, it's all sportswashing and Newcastle's success this season is only going to help it be successful, it's the way the sport is now and it's not something I can personally celebrate at all. If someone can ignore all of it and get on with their lives? That's fair, but I personally find that difficult.

[A Horse Named Stranger]

Moving on from two disgusting clubs (UAE FC and Saudi Arabia FC) to another (Chelsea FC).

Boehly and his new toy are really on a successful good will mission to make new friends.

Roger Schmidt's (Headcoach at Benfica) press conference was really something. This is about Enzo Fernandez

"There's a club that wants out player. They know we don't want to sell the player." "They try to drive the player crazy and draw him onto their side. They know they'll only get the player, when they pay the fixed fee [120m € release fee]" 

Then Schmidt got really mad: "What this club, that wants to buy Enzo, does is absolutely disrespectful - towards all of us. I can't accept what they are doing. They drive the player insane by pretending to be able to pay the fee. And then they want to negotiate. That's not how the relationship between two clubs, who want to enter talks about player should look like." 

So the message is clear, pay up or shut up.

[Spockydog]

1 hour ago, Raja said:

Defo agree with this.

I'm more with Spocky on this, but I think it would be rare for managers to say anything against ownership and I'm not surprised that Howe hasn't, I think most managers wouldn't say anything and get on with the job.

Of course, I don't expect him to speak against his employers.

Having said that, everything he has said on the subject has been mealy mouthed and pathetic.

But that is to be entirely expected from someone who has obviously thought long and hard about whether or not to take this job, before going on to take it. Remember, we are talking about a man who has previously boasted about turning up to training as a player with a copy of The Times under his arm, prompting funny looks from his contemporaries.

So when he was offered the chance to front the Saudi Sportswashing Project, I'm pretty sure the fate of Jamal Khashoggi was at the forefront of his deliberations. What happened to that guy, and the subsequent lack of action, was an affront to decent people all around the world.

That Eddie Howe chose to put it all aside and agree to work for this monster is just abhorrent and should shame him forever.

 

Edited January 5 by Spockydog

[Spockydog]

Chelsea giving a good account of themselves here. Just hit the post. 

[polishgenius]

The Haaland Backup Dancers not looking so strong today.

[ljkeane]

Wait Aubameyang’s at Chelsea? I really haven’t paid much attention this season.

Nice goal.

[polishgenius]

Aubameyang is so bad.