Robbie
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Post by Robbie on May 25, 2024 21:05:04 GMT 1
Man Utd win the FA Cup and in doing so, deny Newcastle from qualifying for Europe. Man City had to win for us to qualify for the (Europa) Conference League. Personally, I'm glad we didn't qualify as it would have meant us having to go through play-off games at the start of the season and playing a large number of games in the first three months of the season with a team that simply isn't equipped for playing three games a week.
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Post by o on May 25, 2024 21:42:51 GMT 1
All that money and you cant have a squad equipped for playing in Europe, bizarre! Fab FA Cup final, City stepped up in the 2nd half but it wasn't enough. Pleased for Ten Hag especially if he now gets the boot.
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Post by raliverpool on May 25, 2024 22:01:19 GMT 1
To think if it was not for Klopp's Liverpool, Guardiola's Man City they would have managed (a Lance Armstrong leveling) 7 successive Premier League titles..
After Man City's performance in the FA Cup Final; after going on the lash after winning the Premier League last Sunday. Then instead of them getting a massive points deduction for their 115 Charges. Their matchday squad should instead be made to drink an alcoholic beverage in the dressing room for each charge they are convicted of before each game. I don't think I've ever supported Man Utd in a football final ever in my life, which say how much I've become an ABC. (Anyone but (Man) City).
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Post by Panda on May 26, 2024 1:37:42 GMT 1
All that money and you cant have a squad equipped for playing in Europe, bizarre! They haven't really spent it though and their league position matches their spending compared to other clubs. They improved the first team a lot during the last two years but the squad depth is severely lacking. The biggest mistake Newcastle made this season was chasing the win against AC Milan and getting caught out in their final Champions League game, trying to stay in a competition they had absolutely no chance of winning, when a draw would've put them in the Europa League, a competition in which they could've gone very far.
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Post by lordmelbury on May 26, 2024 8:22:13 GMT 1
The FA Cup is isn't what it used to be. Teams fielding second strings until it gets to the quarter finals and Man United supporters saying their season is a success now.
That's more because of the lowering of the bar of expectation from the team now I guess, rather than the relevance of the competition. I doubt the prize money will pay for their leaking roof.
It also does not seem to save jobs these days, back in the day winning it would save a managers job, now there is talk that it was decided to sack Ten Haag regardless of the result, just like Louis Van Gaal.
Not a great cup final either, worse one I've seen since the one sided 2004 one.
Man United in my book have had an underachieving season considering how much money was spent on that team and the prize money they got from the cup and finishing 8th in the league, their worse ever in the Premier League era.
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Post by o on May 26, 2024 9:26:24 GMT 1
The top teams dont give a monkeys about the FA Cup, until it's a last chance saloon for a shot at Europe. And this is emphasised by the Premier League voting to do away with replays next season, no consultation with the FL teams, and those other 100s of teams that take part in the FA Cup, the top teams make all the decisions now. The prize pot for lower league teams has been increased to compensate for this potential financial disadvantage, but I've no idea what that means? Have they published what money the clubs will get next season when they make certain rounds compared to this season? And on a sep. note, I'm hoping Panda can help as he's a fountain of footy knowledge especially at lower league level. Retford FC finished 5th in NCEL div 1 and lost in the playoffs, but have moved across to div 1 of the United Combined Leagues. Is this at the same step? Have they done it to save on travelling? 5 teams have moved over from the NCEL, so there's obviously some thinking behind it. But they still have to be promoted from it to the Prem North to get in the FA Cup?
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Post by Earl Purple on May 26, 2024 11:35:46 GMT 1
To think if it was not for Klopp's Liverpool, Guardiola's Man City they would have managed (a Lance Armstrong leveling) 7 successive Premier League titles..
After Man City's performance in the FA Cup Final; after going on the lash after winning the Premier League last Sunday. Then instead of them getting a massive points deduction for their 115 Charges. Their matchday squad should instead be made to drink an alcoholic beverage in the dressing room for each charge they are convicted of before each game. I don't think I've ever supported Man Utd in a football final ever in my life, which say how much I've become an ABC. (Anyone but (Man) City). I have supported Man Utd in 3 FA Cup Finals before, 1990, 2004 and 2016.
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Paddy
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Post by Paddy on May 26, 2024 15:18:19 GMT 1
The top teams dont give a monkeys about the FA Cup, until it's a last chance saloon for a shot at Europe. And this is emphasised by the Premier League voting to do away with replays next season, no consultation with the FL teams, and those other 100s of teams that take part in the FA Cup, the top teams make all the decisions now. The prize pot for lower league teams has been increased to compensate for this potential financial disadvantage, but I've no idea what that means? Have they published what money the clubs will get next season when they make certain rounds compared to this season? And on a sep. note, I'm hoping Panda can help as he's a fountain of footy knowledge especially at lower league level. Retford FC finished 5th in NCEL div 1 and lost in the playoffs, but have moved across to div 1 of the United Combined Leagues. Is this at the same step? Have they done it to save on travelling? 5 teams have moved over from the NCEL, so there's obviously some thinking behind it. But they still have to be promoted from it to the Prem North to get in the FA Cup? Goes on area boundaries. Dereham moved from east Anglia to east midlands 2 seasons ago. Retford won't have asked for it. Just been dumped with it. It'll be the same step of the pyramid.
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Post by Panda on May 26, 2024 16:38:17 GMT 1
Yes, it's still step 6 but the FA often have to shuffle teams around that are close to the border of a catchment area in order to fit everyone in.
The North West Counties Premier would've had 25 teams next season so someone had to move. The FA have decided to move Kendal Town into the Northern League, which typically covers the north east but does have teams from Cumbria too. Kendal have appealed.
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Post by o on May 26, 2024 21:15:13 GMT 1
Yes they said the division was moving away from being a Leicester based league to a Notts/Derby based league now.
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Pablo
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Post by Pablo on May 26, 2024 21:48:20 GMT 1
The FA Cup is isn't what it used to be. Teams fielding second strings until it gets to the quarter finals and Man United supporters saying their season is a success now. Isn't it always been the case that teams would field second teams in cup competitions if they can? Probably why it makes the FA Cup retains some magic because most top teams don't give a toss at the beginning and the lower leagues will do what they can to win.
That's the problem with the top teams right now - just corporate and reputational greed. Van Gaal's sacking was harsh but his style of football was boring. Fans also didn't like him either and also you had Mourinho lurking in the background.
I hope Ten Hag does stay, I'm not sure why the media have got it bad for him. 2 trophies in 2 season is something to be celebrated but suppose it depends if Mr Ratcliffe has future plans already pre-arranged. I like his interview that there is a long term plan and revolving around the youth players. There's no denying this season has been poor by their standard but I think it's still a team transitioning. Goals are their main problem, followed by not having a winning mentality so hope he (or whoever replaces him) gets that sorted.
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Post by lordmelbury on May 27, 2024 0:05:41 GMT 1
I can see why there are people in this thread who disagree with me on my FA Cup opinions. It's because it's a British tradition to love the FA Cup as the whole thing is caked in cultural tradition as well, while knock out domestic cups in other countries don't have that same sort of vibe about them. The competition is seen as a national icon and English symbol although I don't see it that way.
I put that down to the Bob Lord invented TV rights in this country; the only football match you could see live on the TV every year when it came to watching club teams play. In mainland Europe TV rules were nowhere as strict back then and even today, so it's like rubbed off on generation to generation and the phrase "Cup Final Wembley Day".
You only have to look at the fact that you don't see build up stuff on the box anymore to notice it's relative irrelevance these days. No more breakfast from the teams hotels, no more supporters on busses being interviewed, no more local butchers talking about their Cup Final Edition sausages, that's all in the past despite the tame effort a few years ago with TOTP 2 FA Cup and an episode of Pointless.
Winning the FA Cup these days only means a successful season based on whoever wins it. If it was the only thing Man City won this season, it would be considered a disappointment of a season, but because of how low the bar has been lowered for Man United (why neutrals want to see them do well, I just don't get), it's suddenly seen by their supporters and the media as a good season. With Wigan it was seen as a massive deal due to the relatively small size of the club in comparison to the Big Six and I've never undermined their achievement due to the relative success involved.
So yes, back in the day winning it was a big thing no matter who won it or how big they were, while it was their only trophy of the season, but these days it's judged by the expectations of the club if it's their only trophy.
I personally think United had a poor season, as winning that cup and nothing else does not make up for their 8th place finish. Even Van Gaal's sacking was decided behind his back before the final as their board didn't see it as good enough to see their season as a success considering the value of the team and same again yesterday.
Give me Premier League over anything. You have to play everyone and there's no avoiding teams you don't want to play, while it requires stamina without wilting. Look at Arsenal..... winning the FA Cup isn't seen as good enough by many supporters including myself due to the money involved, we should be aiming higher and I always felt some sort of empty feeling during our last few wins. Ending our 20 years since we last won the league still plays on in my mind, no matter how many FA Cups we won since.
Ten Haag has been given a hard time by the media because his team should be winning more than just knock out domestic trophies, it's like falling behind expectations. If the only trophy Arsenal have ever won in the Premier League era being the League Cup, it would have been considered a relative disaster, for Spurs definitely not.
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Robbie
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Post by Robbie on May 28, 2024 21:34:36 GMT 1
I forgot to post on Sunday that Southampton won promotion to the Premier League, beating Leeds 1-0 last Sunday afternoon. Like many play-off finals, it wasn't very good, or at least the latter part of the match which is all I got to watch. I kept thinking it was on Bank Holiday Monday (as the play-off final to the Premier League used to be at one time) and only caught it while flicking through the sports channels.
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Post by o on May 29, 2024 9:37:03 GMT 1
I'll start a new thread on sunday, once the last two european cup finals are over this week.
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Post by o on Jun 1, 2024 21:00:41 GMT 1
Dortmund should be ahead, but sadly aren't and you just know Madrid will get better!
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Post by Earl Purple on Jun 2, 2024 10:08:41 GMT 1
For lower league clubs, cup runs can produce revenue, even if we have virtually no chance of winning it. We reached the last 8 of the FA Cup last in 2014 and of the league cup in 2023. In the latter run, we knocked out Brighton on the way in the season they finished 6th in the league, and lost away at Manchester United, who beat us 3-0 but were only 1-0 up going into stoppage team. That league season was relatively disappointing for us, albeit we finished higher than we did in either 2022 or 2024. 2013-14 was a poor league season for us one division higher where we finished lower than we did in either 2013 or 2015. That FA Cup also ended badly, losing away at Sheffield United who were a division lower than us at the time. In spite of that cup run, Sheffield United were not promoted that season, being stuck in League One for 6 seasons that being the 3rd one.
Of course in the cups also often field weaker teams and have been knocked out by League Two opposition most of the last few seasons. In the most recent FA Cup we were held 1-1 at home by lowly Cray Valley Paper Mill and were 1-1 away in the replay (which they want to scrap) before steamrolling them in the second half to win 6-1. We then went on to get knocked out 2-0 away at League Two Gillingham in the next round, a team who did not even reach the playoffs in that division, but some of them consider us their main rivals (others consider it to be Southend and not sure how Bromley will fit in).
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