think there are finally shoots of recovery with the Netherlands. the attack is starting to look like something fluid. Zirkzee with a Chicharito header to score the opener. generally i liked what i saw today. Gravenberch was good. if we had this version of him in our team we'd be solid
i love and support the ladies but goals like the last one Nigeria scored against Venezuela today in the U20 is why people don't take the women's game seriously
i genuinely don't know why Rice bothered to come out and say celebrating in Ireland would be disrespectful as if he's some saint. he has to know forsaking them was unforgivable and the most disrespectful thing he could have done. far worse than any celebration. might as well celebrate anyway instead of hoping for forgiveness or whatever. just shut up and play. i'm not even sure how he managed to switch anyway since i recall him making appearances for the Irish senior team?
I think it’s because his grandparents are Irish dunno why any of it bothers people, just football really
Cleary shows there is spending and then there is spending wisely Costliest squads* 🌐🥇 #ChelseaFC 🏴 €1.263 billion (record)🥈 #ManUtd 🏴 €1.038 bn🥉 #ManCity 🏴 €1.017 bn* Transfer fees to sign current squad members (with add-ons regardless of effective payment)Top 💯 in @CIES_Football ⚽️ Weekly Post 👉 https://t.co/Rnb8fd4pI3 pic.twitter.com/wXsnSXEK8K— CIES Football Obs (@CIES_Football) September 4, 2024
Both played underage for Ireland, Ireland does a good job of finding the U-15, U-16, U-17 etc players in England with Irish roots and then call them up. They're either originally ignored by England or haven't developed enough yet at youth level to be called up by England. Grealish was courted by Martin O'Neill many times for the senior side but he was on the fence and eventually rejected Ireland. Rice on the other hand was capped 3 times I think at senior level but only in friendlies before switching to England. The traitorish part is done already but I appreciate somewhat Rice not celebrating given he still has Irish relatives etc. FWIW, Kane's father is from my county(Galway) and also Bellingham, Maddison, Maguire and Gallagher all could have played for Ireland...
oh, if they were friendlies i guess that is the technicality. still don't get why he bothered to say anything. would it be OK to celebrate if the game was at Wembley? just struck me as odd given the milk has already been spilt
You have to understand, we destroyed the childhood of several people as we dominated under SAF. Winning titles while leeds were relegated, Liverpool were in the wilderness, Arsenal came and went, so too Chelsea. From 7 to 17, are important years and to know United denied your team success stays with people like when the family pet dies.
Yeah u guys ruined my teen years to be honest but at least u did it through your academy and great buys Chelsea and city are abhorrent
I’ve been thinking of this for a while and where I’ve landed is I think they will impose a very large fine, 2 year transfer ban, and a very large poor deduction, but not enough to demote them, 50 points would bout them likely in the area just above the relegation zone. This results in not challenging for the title, lose of Europe and prize money, but not having them demoted which certainly would be a legal challenge. My thought it that this is eventually reached via a settlement. PL can save face buy saying this is the largest sanction ever imposed while avoiding further protracted litigation. City can put it behind them and essentially just lose 1 year.
unless they are magically innocent of all the 115 - 130 charges (some are duplicates) then nothing less than title stripping and demotion will suffice. voiding of transfers is welcomed as well although that is tricky. what i think will happen is city will try to use an exhaust strategy and tie this up in legal matters for years with their effectively limitless resources and use political leverage to get out of it after that
Agreed which is why I think the FA will negotiate and settle this. No one will be happy with the outcome but it will be more than nothing but not much.
whatever happens, for the good of football the FA cannot cave and let them off lightly or at all. a lot of people have been blasé about this not realising that being OK with city winning is no different than being OK with the destruction of fair competition. if city beat this then the blueprint will be there for anyone else with enough resources to do it as well regardless of any "fair play" or sustainability rules. UEFA already chickened out so the FA needs to be strong. then again, their rulings are so sporadic anyway who knows what to expect. i'm not hopeful