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On May 25 2025 09:06 WombaT wrote:
Just play Wirtz as a 10 with a bit of license to roam and it works grand
He had a bit of a dip but it doesn’t really matter where you deploy Cole Palmer, he’s still gonna do Cole Palmer things, even if sometimes he’s notionally deployed off the flanks.
Szobozlai as much as he has attacking qualities, he’s not some Riquelme type, he absolutely works his arse off.
I think you can keep that midfield 3 together and still accommodate Wirtz in the same side.
And I think it’d be a super interesting signing. I can’t really think of the last time Liverpool signed a bona fide superstar.
As far as I can tell, Liverpool 10 doesn't have the freedom currently. Part of Szobo's job description is to cover for Salah and let him focus on that record breaking production.
I don't see games often enough to really understand the whole current system, but purely in terms of player quality it does make sense to me that try to offload some parts of Nunez, Diaz or Gakpo trio and bring in Wirtz as false 9. Whether that works tactically is another thing of course.
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On May 27 2025 10:31 WombaT wrote:www.bbc.co.ukFuck me that sucks. Thoughts to everyone affected I’m sure there will be less outrage because it was a white bloke rather than a brown person, but quelle surprise
This is so sad.
Anything else know besides the ethnicity?
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Northern Ireland26492 Posts
On May 27 2025 17:25 Harris1st wrote:Show nested quote +On May 27 2025 10:31 WombaT wrote:www.bbc.co.ukFuck me that sucks. Thoughts to everyone affected I’m sure there will be less outrage because it was a white bloke rather than a brown person, but quelle surprise This is so sad. Anything else know besides the ethnicity?
Nothing much concrete yet. There are only a handful of very serious injuries, and thankfully as yet nobody has lost their life.
It is not currently being treated as a terror offence, although that doesn’t mean there’s any suggestion it wasn’t a deliberate act, merely that there doesn’t appear to be some political or religious motive. The ‘why?’ is still very much an unknown quantity. It would shock me if this individual went to such extremes over mere sporting rivalry and enmity, but stranger things have happened.
From the video footage I’ve seen, a tragic but not malicious event seems exceptionally unlikely. That say of a driver taking a wrong turn, the crowd assuming the worst, the driver then panicking etc. Just doesn’t seem plausible based on the chain of footage I’ve seen anyway.
There have been some questions raised as to how vehicles were able to gain access at all to the parade area once it started. But at least from what I have seen it’s more of the ‘in a perfect world how could this have been prevented?’ form, and not a shocking failure of systems, or gross negligence.
As per my additional commentary earlier, as I had basically suspected, police made the unusual move of publicising his ethnicity to squash the possibility of speculation to the contrary possibly inciting unrest. Quite a good explanatory article with further context below:
www.bbc.co.uk
It’s a move I have to say I agree with, although it’s a crying shame and indictment on our country that such a move may be seen as prudent or necessary in the first place.
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Isn't the problem there that the next time they won't release that info it basically confirms its a foreigner?
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Northern Ireland26492 Posts
On May 28 2025 00:21 sharkie wrote:
Isn't the problem there that the next time they won't release that info it basically confirms its a foreigner?
Aye there is that issue. But hey, if it’s a foreigner it’s a foreigner.
One of the issues with the Southport killing-inspired riots all over the UK wasn’t that the bloke wasn’t native white, but a combination of rampant (inaccurate) social media speculation, combined with ‘the authorities are covering this up because the killer was x’. Which they weren’t as it turned out.
I mean we’ve had much worse, actual Islamist terror attacks in our country that didn’t inspire nationwide riots of reprisal.
As to why, I’m unsure. Perhaps just one of those (im)perfect storm events. Perhaps informed by a growing, festering anger over an (actual) coverup/negligence scandal in Rotherham, but I really couldn’t say I know.
Hopefully this is the last tragedy tangentially related to football we have to discuss for the foreseeable future and we can get back to discussing the football.
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Northern Ireland26492 Posts
Speaking of football!
I’m in the unfortunately timed position of being mid-flight (to Italy of all places) at the same time my beloved Inter are playing the CL final. Hopefully the plane Wi-Fi can cut it!
In other news, apparently Ronaldo’s contract is up before the Club World Cup. Speculation as to where his next destination will be.
I can’t say I’m super excited for it, although I do like the idea of the competition. I think for me a lot of it is just rhythm, fatigue, a lack of history of the competition and a skepticism about how many teams will take it seriously. Or should I say, even can take it seriously.
If I’m say, an Inter player. League went to the final day. Semis of a domestic cup, and one that has two-legged ties at that. And a CL final, in a new format with even more matches. Even just physically, how do you sustain your level for yet another tournament. And even if you can, are you going to feel that effect and burn out next campaign?
Mentally too? Whoever wins between Inter and PSG, surely they’ll be mentally at the beach, even if they don’t go full Jack Grealish in their celebrations. And whoever loses, are they going to be able to pick themselves back up? If it’s PSG, they’ve blown another chance to win the prize they most covet, and they cake the league most years so it’s not like say, Liverpool who ‘only’ won the league. If it’s Inter, you’ve had one of the best seasons in your century+ of existence, only to actually win nothing.
It’s too much football, I think we’re hitting diminishing returns territory, and that’s just with the CL expansion, never mind the Club World Cup.
As a fan, not sweeping the board should be because it’s bloody hard, there are good teams about. It shouldn’t be because your team is knackered.
Increasingly I’m finding that is becoming more and more of a factor, and it impacts all sorts of competitions.
I thought we had a pretty good FA Cup this year, and it was fantastic to see Palace get their first trophy, but it’s a trophy that in recent times is absolutely impacted by teams rotating to (understandably) prioritise the league.
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Pandemona
Charlie Sheens House51493 Posts
Chelsea having a good week so far, beat Yanited, got the win over Forest away in a good hard fought game which we needed to show some balls in for this extremely young squad. Now onto Betis for a cup to seal the season before the club world cup, which we want a striker in before it begins supposedly!!
Positive vibes ahead???
Champs league final gets closer and closer too, think its going to be absolute fire!!!!!!!!
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On May 28 2025 03:29 Pandemona wrote:
Chelsea having a good week so far, beat Yanited, got the win over Forest away in a good hard fought game which we needed to show some balls in for this extremely young squad. Now onto Betis for a cup to seal the season before the club world cup, which we want a striker in before it begins supposedly!!
Positive vibes ahead???
Champs league final gets closer and closer too, think its going to be absolute fire!!!!!!!!
Congrats that was a good game, but you deserved the win.
Kept us at arms length the way we have done to so many teams this season. We couldn't even make chances.
I thought we deserved better than Conference League over the season, but I'll take it.
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Pandemona
Charlie Sheens House51493 Posts
Well if Wood was in his december form, he might have put a chance away and made it really interesting too.
Still you got European football, should make you be able to keep your players too which is key fur stability!
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Noone has mentioned yet that Forest refused to allow Gary Neville to enter the press boxes because he has criticised Marinakis.
As nice as it's been to see Forest do well, the owner is still an enormous piece of shit. He's been a more successful sportswasher than any petrostate.
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On May 28 2025 13:24 DropBear wrote:
Noone has mentioned yet that Forest refused to allow Gary Neville to enter the press boxes because he has criticised Marinakis.
As nice as it's been to see Forest do well, the owner is still an enormous piece of shit. He's been a more successful sportswasher than any petrostate.
He's trying to clear his name in a UK court case. The results should be interesting. He's taken his enemies in Greece to court accusing them of inventing an absolutely boatload of crazy stories about him that everyone believes.
I want to believe him because he's such a damn good football club owner (one of the best imo), but then he's also an incredibly rich man with ties to Putin and such so he's probably just a huge piece of shit.
As for banning Neville, loads of owners ban journalists all the time. Simon Jordan was onTALKSport yesterday talking about the journalists that he banned from his stadium. Neville stepped over the line, and Marinakis overreacted because he's an incredibly wealthy dude who snaps his fingers and gets his own way. Neville shouldn't have told our manager to resign. Probably other pundits might have gotten away with it, but given Neville and Marinakis have been sniping at each other for a year I would say his comments were a personal attack on Marinakis and in that context why not ban him?
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its literally nevilles job to talk about football related things in public. banning him just makes you look petty and vindictive. at worst its an attempt to oppress free speech.
nevilles said far worse things about the glazers than any other owner in the world of football and you dont see the glazers trying to censor him
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On May 28 2025 15:25 evilfatsh1t wrote:
its literally nevilles job to talk about football related things in public. banning him just makes you look petty and vindictive. at worst its an attempt to oppress free speech.
nevilles said far worse things about the glazers than any other owner in the world of football and you dont see the glazers trying to censor him
True, you don't.
Then again, Neville wasn't named in a court case involving the Glazers either.
Put it this way, if you were to apply to take part in a boxing match in this country, you would have to be licensed.
If you went to the press a few days before the panel decided on your license and blasted every single member of the panel with personal attacks you wouldn't be surprised if you got rejected. It might be unprofessional, but its understandable too.
Neville made a personal attack on the owner of the City Ground and then asked for journalist accreditation please so he can get in for free and carry on his attacks. It might be petty and unreasonable, but billionaires are petty and unreasonable - people should know that by now.
Anyway, since when has freedom of speech been a thing in football?
Footballers and managers etc. are constantly being fined, banned etc. for saying the wrong thing. Gary Lineker got taken off the air the other day for saying the wrong thing on Twitter.
All of a sudden Gary Neville is special and gets extra super strong freedom of speech guarantees? Why?
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for the record i dont condone players/managers being forced to comply with certain political agendas (taking a knee for blm, rainbow armband etc.), or being unable to voice their independent opinions on matters that would be considered to be against the position of the respective FAs. that said, theyre not the press.
gary linekers situations a shame imo, but unsurprising in the politically correct world we live in. however, in principle, the idea of free press is valuable and something that needs to be protected. so far the main exceptions to this have all been politically charged statements. nevilles statements are not at all related to political agendas. you cant treat what his problem is with forest's owner to be in the same vein as things like what happened to gary lineker.
besides, itd be one thing to ban neville from coming to the grounds to ask questions or conduct interviews about the affairs of the club, but if i recall correctly he was banned from a match commentary gig? thats just pathetic.
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On May 28 2025 17:49 evilfatsh1t wrote:
for the record i dont condone players/managers being forced to comply with certain political agendas (taking a knee for blm, rainbow armband etc.), or being unable to voice their independent opinions on matters that would be considered to be against the position of the respective FAs. that said, theyre not the press.
gary linekers situations a shame imo, but unsurprising in the politically correct world we live in. however, in principle, the idea of free press is valuable and something that needs to be protected. so far the main exceptions to this have all been politically charged statements. nevilles statements are not at all related to political agendas. you cant treat what his problem is with forest's owner to be in the same vein as things like what happened to gary lineker.
besides, itd be one thing to ban neville from coming to the grounds to ask questions or conduct interviews about the affairs of the club, but if i recall correctly he was banned from a match commentary gig? thats just pathetic.
Id care more if it was someone else, but Neville is an absolute fucking prick so I don't really care at all tbh.
People going on about precedent etc. are just wrong. Owners have been banning journalists they don't like from stadia all over Europe for decades.
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On May 28 2025 01:04 WombaT wrote:
Speaking of football!
I’m in the unfortunately timed position of being mid-flight (to Italy of all places) at the same time my beloved Inter are playing the CL final. Hopefully the plane Wi-Fi can cut it!
In other news, apparently Ronaldo’s contract is up before the Club World Cup. Speculation as to where his next destination will be.
I can’t say I’m super excited for it, although I do like the idea of the competition. I think for me a lot of it is just rhythm, fatigue, a lack of history of the competition and a skepticism about how many teams will take it seriously. Or should I say, even can take it seriously.
If I’m say, an Inter player. League went to the final day. Semis of a domestic cup, and one that has two-legged ties at that. And a CL final, in a new format with even more matches. Even just physically, how do you sustain your level for yet another tournament. And even if you can, are you going to feel that effect and burn out next campaign?
Mentally too? Whoever wins between Inter and PSG, surely they’ll be mentally at the beach, even if they don’t go full Jack Grealish in their celebrations. And whoever loses, are they going to be able to pick themselves back up? If it’s PSG, they’ve blown another chance to win the prize they most covet, and they cake the league most years so it’s not like say, Liverpool who ‘only’ won the league. If it’s Inter, you’ve had one of the best seasons in your century+ of existence, only to actually win nothing.
It’s too much football, I think we’re hitting diminishing returns territory, and that’s just with the CL expansion, never mind the Club World Cup.
As a fan, not sweeping the board should be because it’s bloody hard, there are good teams about. It shouldn’t be because your team is knackered.
Increasingly I’m finding that is becoming more and more of a factor, and it impacts all sorts of competitions.
I thought we had a pretty good FA Cup this year, and it was fantastic to see Palace get their first trophy, but it’s a trophy that in recent times is absolutely impacted by teams rotating to (understandably) prioritise the league.
As long as people are watching and paying, football will grow bigger. National and international. More and more games until the stick breaks. What do you guys pay for sport streaming services per months these days? I have cancelled all sport subs and only watch whats on Prime or FreeTV these days. Was just getting too much, too complicated
EDIT: To the Neville discussion. I think you have to differ between free speech and slandering/ bad mouthing people. Not sure exactly what happened but that's what it sounds like.
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regardless of how bad Neville spoke about the owner, banning him just speaks of weak character...
so what if he spoke badly? Take it like a man
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51574 Posts
i know it was a meaningless post-season friendly but we lost to a team of ASEAN all-stars lol
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Northern Ireland26492 Posts
On May 29 2025 04:07 sharkie wrote:
regardless of how bad Neville spoke about the owner, banning him just speaks of weak character...
so what if he spoke badly? Take it like a man
Agreed, also IIRC they were said at the time, where Neville assumed Marinakis popped down to berate the manager.
If subsequent testimonies are to be believed, it was just frustration over the medical team. Neville didn’t know that
I usually agree with Jock, I can’t here.
The TV spectacle is where the money comes from, which includes those obligations.
If Marinakis wants to turf out media, well forfeit your TV money from that game.
If he hypothetically had an interview planned, and he pulled out, I wouldn’t have an objection.
I don’t consider owners as owners either. Might be rich cunts, they’re custodians of embedded social institutions, often with a century+ of tradition. You don’t own shit. Not your club. You can’t behave as if it is.
You can try, you’re not the club. And the amount of owners who could maybe claim that historically is now vanishingly small. The Morattis at Inter, the Agnelli dynasty at Juventus are some examples to the contrary that spring to mind. But there’s not many now.
All Neville did was criticise Marinakis. If he’d shit on Nottingham Forest as a club and called them a bunch of cheats then maybe it’s an appropriate response. Which incidentally Marinakis has done consistently to various bodies.
Giving a pass to his behaviour here, well ok you love Forest, I’m quite positive about them too. You can’t really complain the next time a billionaire does something shitty
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On May 29 2025 06:15 GTR wrote:
i know it was a meaningless post-season friendly but we lost to a team of ASEAN all-stars lol
Group of people who really don't want to be there lose game to group of people who really do want to be there.
No shock really.
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EPT
