Football (Soccer) Thread

[Josquius]

On Newcastle its amazing/not at all surprising, that nothing seems to have happened after the US court revelations.

[Tamas]

One thing Lampard has probably achieved is resurrecting Potter's career. Under that article I am starting to see comments like "steady progress under Potter" lol as if. I mean, sure, give me Potter back over Lampard but there was no progress under Potter at all, no apparent vision of what the team is supposed to look like. What is apparent now is that he was good enough to contain the overbloated and undermotivated disaster that is the Chelsea squad. They still sucked and were inept but it was a controlled descent. Under Lampard it is a freefall into a violent crash.

[Sheilbh]

Sam Allardyce has just got a job, Potter's career was never dead

[FunkMonk]

Potter would be good for Spurs I think, as long as he was given a couple years to rebuild it post-Kane. He's a good coach. This Chelsea club was not the right job for him at all.

Pochettino at Chelsea I don't know what to think but at this point anyone is better than the lamp shade currently in the Chelsea dugout.

[Sheilbh]

Yeah I think he'd make a lot of sense for Spurs.

Not sure if Poch is right for Chelsea either. But yeah certainly better than Lampard

[Tamas]

Yeah I think he'd make a lot of sense for Spurs.

Not sure if Poch is right for Chelsea either. But yeah certainly better than Lampard

I think what Chelsea needs now is somebody who can handle egos and have a vision of a team, so the culling can begin. How good that vision is, is kind of secondary at the moment. As long as it results in a team with a fighting chance for some kind of a European cup that's going to be good enough for now.

[Sheilbh]

I agree on the handling egos - which is key for all the big clubs. But Chelsea (of the big English clubs) feel closest too PSG in terms of player power.

I'm not sure Poch got on well at PSG and he has a very clear idea of how a team should play and expects everyone to do it - again I'm not sure if that fits with Chelsea especially with a coach whose only trophies are with PSG.

I really like him but I wonder if he is better suited to teams like Spurs which are just outside the top, because they're more willing to buy into him.

Not sure on vision of the team or culling because it's not clear to me who is in charge of that at Chelsea. I hope I'm wrong but Boehly's spending reminds me of Moshiri at Everton (with a vastly bigger budget) where I can't really see what they're trying to do and I would worry that maybe agents/other players in the transfer world have the owner's ear...

[FunkMonk]

There has to be some level of chaos behind the scenes at Chelsea. Didn't a lot of Roman's people leave after he sold or did Boehly just fire them? It feels like there is no leadership at all in the team and in the club organization as a whole.

[Tamas]

There has to be some level of chaos behind the scenes at Chelsea. Didn't a lot of Roman's people leave after he sold or did Boehly just fire them? It feels like there is no leadership at all in the team and in the club organization as a whole.

It's a good indication that the physio Bohley fired has been recently re-hired back from Italy.

[Duque de Bragança]

Speaking of PSG, Messi got a suspension for two weeks from the club after going to Saudi Arabia:

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/65461978

Argentina captain Lionel Messi has been suspended by Paris St-Germain for two weeks after travelling to Saudi Arabia without the club's permission this week.

The trip followed the French club's home defeat by Lorient on Sunday, in which Messi played the full 90 minutes.

Messi will not train or play for PSG during the period of his suspension.

It is understood the 35-year-old asked permission to make the journey to carry out commercial work but was refused.

Messi believes he did originally have permission to travel to Saudi, but that was then withdrawn due to a change in the club's training schedule.

Lionel Messi: Why dream return to Barcelona looks very unlikely
Messi, who has also been fined by the club, has a role as a tourism ambassador for Saudi Arabia.

The World Cup winner's two-year contract with PSG expires this summer.

Barcelona vice-president Rafael Yuste claimed in March that the Spanish club were in contact with Messi about a return to the Nou Camp.

Messi has scored 31 goals and contributed 34 assists in 71 games in all competitions for PSG, and won the Ligue 1 title last season.

He is set to miss matches against Troyes and Ajaccio as PSG, five points clear with five games to go, look to clinch a ninth league title in 11 seasons.

'Messi's PSG career effectively over' - Analysis

Simon Stone, BBC Sport

Lionel Messi has taken a decision that effectively calls time on his Paris St-Germain career.

Yes, they have three games left after Messi's suspension has been completed and there is work remaining to secure another Ligue 1 title, but PSG are on a different course now - and it does not involve Messi, who less than five months ago achieved the crowning glory of his stellar career by lifting the World Cup.

PSG do not view their actions as being anything extraordinary. In their minds they are effectively punishing an employee who has gone somewhere else on a work day miles away from where he is supposed to be.

But they also feel it is a statement about the future direction of the club, which they are adamant will be around younger players. It is also confirmation of their zero-tolerance approach to discipline.

PSG's fans don't want Messi any more. It is certain his contract will not be renewed.

Player control went out of control from the signing of Neymar, I would say.

[Syt]

I'm sure financially he's coming out ahead, and maybe at 35 he plans to join CR in the desert for a year or two to play for the Saudis' entertainment before hanging up the boots?

[Duque de Bragança]

I'm sure financially he's coming out ahead, and maybe at 35 he plans to join CR in the desert for a year or two to play for the Saudis' entertainment before hanging up the boots?

He has a better reason than CR7 to be in Saudia Arabia: after all, he is already an ambassador for Saudi tourism:

https://english.alarabiya.net/News/saudi-arabia/2023/05/01/Football-star-Lionel-Messi-shares-Saudi-Arabia-s-unexpected-wonders-on-Instagram



https://www.instagram.com/p/CroFd89NIen/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=3b59ef8a-e314-4976-90a1-bef4146c1ab6

[Syt]

I know, but one doesn't preclude the other.

[Duque de Bragança]

I know, but one doesn't preclude the other.

PSG seems to disagree, however. 

[Tamas]

Now don't tell me a foreign coach would get the same treatment: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/may/03/frank-lampard-chelsea-foundations-crumbling-hard-work

The whole article is about "Lampard is the bedrock of morality at the team, but is being let down by the players". WTF.

As a commenter points out, we played far better during the Liverpool match, coached by Whatshisname interim guy who never coached a first time in his life before. And under Potter, a trainwreck as that was, we didn't sink THIS low. The only difference between those weak and disappointing games and the utter disgrace of the last 6 games is Lampard.