Football (Soccer) Thread

[clandestino]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/jun/30/tottenham-appoint-nuno-espirito-santo-as-manager-on-two-year-deal

It seems Spurs have finally signed a new manager.

I like NES, he's a beard aficionado like one should.

Seriously, not quite sure how he'll be received by the fans. Do we have someone around here?

Thinking about it, even if the fans are ok with it, not sure what kind of authority a 10th pick will have on that team. Is he the guy that is supposed to convince Kane to stay?

[Sheilbh]

From what I see they're not wildly thrilled about it - but I think a big part of that is that after about three months of searching for a new coach and being linked with everyone, they've ended up with someone who was talked as a likely candidate on day one.

I think there's also a slight question of how it matches what Levy said they were looking for. I think Levy said something like they'd be getting a coach who was going to get the "Tottenham DNA" which is, apparently, quick attacking play and bringing in sort of home-grown talent like Kane and Dele. None of which naturally matches Nuno.

Plus with Spurs and when he was linked with Everton - I think there is a fear in clubs of becoming part of a Jorge Mendes operation. I think it works for clubs at a certain level and can offer a quick route to improvement, but I think this season's transfers at Wolves especially have raised the question of whether these transfers are actually good for the clubs or just a way of keeping Mendes' assets on the move. I think that's a slight fear for Spurs - but I can't imagine Levy giving into that given his reputation on transfers.

[celedhring]

Sheilbh, you've never come across as a vindictive fellow, but it might please you to know that the Spanish taxman has embargoed Ancelotti's wages since he owed a lot of money from his last stint as Real Madrid manager.

[Sheilbh]

Sheilbh, you've never come across as a vindictive fellow, but it might please you to know that the Spanish taxman has embargoed Ancelotti's wages since he owed a lot of money from his last stint as Real Madrid manager.

This seems to happen a lot in Spain....why?

Also I'm sure the Spanish posters will be glad to know that since the Hazard moment and the Super League - in the UK we are now aware of El Chiringuito and the bit on Messi's contract expiring has gone very viral.

[celedhring]

Sheilbh, you've never come across as a vindictive fellow, but it might please you to know that the Spanish taxman has embargoed Ancelotti's wages since he owed a lot of money from his last stint as Real Madrid manager.

This seems to happen a lot in Spain....why?

Also I'm sure the Spanish posters will be glad to know that since the Hazard moment and the Super League - in the UK we are now aware of El Chiringuito and the bit on Messi's contract expiring has gone very viral.

He used a tax avoidance scheme (half his wages were paid to an overseas company that then paid him) that is very common among footballers, and which the Spanish taxman declared non-kosher years ago.

[clandestino]

I think there's also a slight question of how it matches what Levy said they were looking for. I think Levy said something like they'd be getting a coach who was going to get the "Tottenham DNA" which is, apparently, quick attacking play and bringing in sort of home-grown talent like Kane and Dele. None of which naturally matches Nuno.

That was my exact thought in the beginning, but then I'm not sure if it's a good idea to use Wolves stats as a reference, maybe we should look to his previous stints. Valencia seems the most similar club to Spurs (strong 2nd tier club in top league), where he finished 4th (in 2014/15), managed 1,81 points per game, 1,68 goals for and 0,97 against average. Poch, the archetypal Spurs DNA manager got the roughly the same ppg in 1,84, although with better offence (1,91) and worst defence (1,10). For comparison, Mourinho at Spurs got 1,77/2,01/1,28 which seems odd and against common sense.

About home grown talent I think he's a good choice, having given plenty of time to youngsters to play, either from the cantera or from outside. If those outside youngsters are overpriced flops...

Plus with Spurs and when he was linked with Everton - I think there is a fear in clubs of becoming part of a Jorge Mendes operation. I think it works for clubs at a certain level and can offer a quick route to improvement, but I think this season's transfers at Wolves especially have raised the question of whether these transfers are actually good for the clubs or just a way of keeping Mendes' assets on the move. I think that's a slight fear for Spurs - but I can't imagine Levy giving into that given his reputation on transfers.

Yes, this is a problem, but from what I can see from his time at Porto (where the board is similarly ruthless in transfers) Mendes didn't seem to play a great role that season. But yes, it's best to avoid the Mendes carousel (unless buying players from Sporting )

[Sheilbh]

That was my exact thought in the beginning, but then I'm not sure if it's a good idea to use Wolves stats as a reference, maybe we should look to his previous stints. Valencia seems the most similar club to Spurs (strong 2nd tier club in top league), where he finished 4th (in 2014/15), managed 1,81 points per game, 1,68 goals for and 0,97 against average. Poch, the archetypal Spurs DNA manager got the roughly the same ppg in 1,84, although with better offence (1,91) and worst defence (1,10). For comparison, Mourinho at Spurs got 1,77/2,01/1,28 which seems odd and against common sense.

About home grown talent I think he's a good choice, having given plenty of time to youngsters to play, either from the cantera or from outside. If those outside youngsters are overpriced flops...

That's fair - and I also think there is huge recency bias in views on Nuno at Wolves. I think his first seasons in the Premier League they were excellent and enjoyable to watch - if primarily a counter-attacking team. That only stopped when the sold Jota, then had a season long injury to Jimenez etc (plus some dodgy Mendes signings) - but last season they were pretty torrid.

[The Larch]

Real Madrid has just poached an U-12 player from my team.  Gotta get them younger each time, I guess...

[Josquius]

I've only just become aware lazio and Rome share a stadium.
It's well known the Milans also do this.
Anyone know, just why is that so common in Italy?
It's only really seen in very exceptional and dire circumstances over here.

[Liep]

I've only just become aware lazio and Rome share a stadium.
It's well known the Milans also do this.
Anyone know, just why is that so common in Italy?
It's only really seen in very exceptional and dire circumstances over here.

Genoa and Sampdoria share one too I think

[The Larch]

Italian teams don't tend to own their stadiums, they're usually public, belonging to the municipality.

[Duque de Bragança]

I've only just become aware lazio and Rome share a stadium.
It's well known the Milans also do this.
Anyone know, just why is that so common in Italy?
It's only really seen in very exceptional and dire circumstances over here.

Genoa and Sampdoria share one too I think

As Roma has had plans for quite a while to build their own stadium and leave the old Olimpico to Lazio. New excuse for going forward is the Covid crisis.
So far, only Juventus got its own stadium, leaving the old one to Torino.

[celedhring]

I recall Languish being a fan of roster unveiling videos. Here's Germany for the Olympics:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxlitKZAaYk&ab_channel=GermanFootball

No Karl-Heinz Schneider 

[Sheilbh]

Love that

Not football specific - but I am a big fan of the BBC ad for the Olympics
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qrym1Lk3c1Q

[Sheilbh]

Cel - reading the chaos of Barca's finances.

The comparison being made in England is Leeds - are things really that bad?