English Football 2023/24

[Lorric]

Astonishingly, Cole Palmer, with his 4 goals against Everton, is now tied with Erling Haaland on 20 goals at the top of the Golden Boot scoring chart! He also has 9 assists to Haaland's 5! At that awful Chelsea team with all the problems they have scoring goals!

Ollie Watkins is just 1 behind.

[Lorric]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/68844583

FA Cup replays will be scrapped from the first round onwards in the 2024-25 competition.

All rounds of the Emirates FA Cup will also be played on weekends, including the fifth round which has been played in midweek for the past five seasons.

The changes come as part of a new six-year agreement between the Football Association (FA) and the Premier League.

The Premier League has also removed its mid-season break from the calendar.

Matches will start in mid-August following a consecutive three-week summer break instead of a shorter spell of rest in the winter, with the decision coming from "expert advice from medical and technical departments".

In its current format, the FA Cup has no replays from the fifth round onwards, but the FA says the move to eliminate them from an earlier stage has been made "in light of changes to the calendar driven by the expanded Uefa competitions".

But the qualifying rounds - where teams from the fifth to the 10th tiers of English football compete for 32 spots in the first round - will still have replays.

The first round of the FA Cup sees professional teams from League One and League Two enter, with Championship and Premier League teams joining from the third round.

Other changes will see the fourth and fifth rounds, and the quarter-finals, played without clashing with any Premier League fixtures for the first time.

The fourth round will be played in an extended window from Friday to Wednesday.

The FA Cup final has also been moved to the penultimate weekend of the Premier League season.

It will be played on a Saturday, and will also be independent of any Premier League matches, as will the Friday before the final "to allow focus on the build-up to the showpiece event".

The agreement also sees the Premier League increasing its funding to grassroots football, with an additional £33m being provided.

"The FA Cup is our biggest asset," said FA chief executive Mark Bullingham.

"This new agreement between the FA and the Premier League strengthens the FA Cup and gives this very special tournament exclusive weekends in an increasingly busy calendar.

"We have also agreed new funding for the grassroots game, disability football and the women's and girls' game.

"All football begins at the grassroots, and this is recognised by the Premier League with very welcome additional financial support."

[bugylibicska]

Man Utd wages: Top 11 earners at Old Trafford revealed as Ratcliffe prepares to shred colossal wage bill

"Manchester United have the highest wage bill in the Premier League. The total yearly sum they pay their players, according to Fbref.com, is £205,756,000.

That’s more than reigning Treble champions Manchester City (£200,668,000), title challengers Arsenal (£166,036,000) and Liverpool (£136,240,000) and significantly more than Chelsea (£155,324,000), the side former United captain Gary Neville labelled “billion-pound bottle jobs.”

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/sports/other/ ... 7739&ei=30

[Greyn]

Almost 11 years have passed since Ferguson's departure and there is still one big mess in this club. How many years more they need to clean up this mess and stop wasting tons of money? I expected that it won't be easy to continue at the very top level for United after Ferguson retired, but we have 2024 and they are still a joke instead of a football giant

[bugylibicska]

Almost 11 years have passed since Ferguson's departure and there is still one big mess in this club. How many years more they need to clean up this mess and stop wasting tons of money? I expected that it won't be easy to continue at the very top level for United after Ferguson retired, but we have 2024 and they are still a joke instead of a football giant

And it could get even worse before getting better - if ever. They want to appoint Southgate? No other country has a bigger talent pool than England and he won nothing.(They've called the Lampards, Gerrards, Rooneys, Terrys as the golden generation, none of them comes even close to this generation.) After Ferguson left hubris took over - "we are MU" you heard after every corner. They hired huge egos, but not good managers. They've spent over a billion in the last decade, the most among all teams in the whole world. Some of their players earn more than the whole Kobenhavn team together and they're beaten by them. United are rotten from top to bottom, the owners, the board, the manager, the players - incompetence, no accountability, arrogance are the rule at Old Trafford. Yes, they're a joke, nothing changed from "Ole at the wheel" they went to "wacko at the wheel".

[mspm89]

And "billion-pound bottle-job" Chelsea at least had a CL title to show for it.

BTW, it's getting increasingly clear, in case it wasn't before, that if Luton or Burnley (Sheffield are dead men walking whatever the case) are to be saved, it can't be on merit, but by the league relegating Nottingham or Everton for them.

[mspm89]

And it could get even worse before getting better - if ever. They want to appoint Southgate? No other country has a bigger talent pool than England and he won nothing.(They've called the Lampards, Gerrards, Rooneys, Terrys as the golden generation, none of them comes even close to this generation.) After Ferguson left hubris took over - "we are MU" you heard after every corner. They hired huge egos, but not good managers. They've spent over a billion in the last decade, the most among all teams in the whole world. Some of their players earn more than the whole Kobenhavn team together and they're beaten by them. United are rotten from top to bottom, the owners, the board, the manager, the players - incompetence, no accountability, arrogance are the rule at Old Trafford. Yes, they're a joke, nothing changed from "Ole at the wheel" they went to "wacko at the wheel".

You know I disagree with your assessment of calling Van Gaal a hack (well, a wacko he is, but not a hack), and I don't agree that this generation of England is better than the one with Lampard and Gerrard (who are these new guys? Kane is the only one that shines, at least compared to those others from the past). But yes, I agree with the rest. They make the Barça situation look acceptable in comparison.

[Lorric]

Almost 11 years have passed since Ferguson's departure and there is still one big mess in this club. How many years more they need to clean up this mess and stop wasting tons of money? I expected that it won't be easy to continue at the very top level for United after Ferguson retired, but we have 2024 and they are still a joke instead of a football giant

And it could get even worse before getting better - if ever. They want to appoint Southgate? No other country has a bigger talent pool than England and he won nothing.(They've called the Lampards, Gerrards, Rooneys, Terrys as the golden generation, none of them comes even close to this generation.) After Ferguson left hubris took over - "we are MU" you heard after every corner. They hired huge egos, but not good managers. They've spent over a billion in the last decade, the most among all teams in the whole world. Some of their players earn more than the whole Kobenhavn team together and they're beaten by them. United are rotten from top to bottom, the owners, the board, the manager, the players - incompetence, no accountability, arrogance are the rule at Old Trafford. Yes, they're a joke, nothing changed from "Ole at the wheel" they went to "wacko at the wheel".

Not sure where you get that idea. Player for player the "Golden" generation is better.

[bugylibicska]

And it could get even worse before getting better - if ever. They want to appoint Southgate? No other country has a bigger talent pool than England and he won nothing.(They've called the Lampards, Gerrards, Rooneys, Terrys as the golden generation, none of them comes even close to this generation.) After Ferguson left hubris took over - "we are MU" you heard after every corner. They hired huge egos, but not good managers. They've spent over a billion in the last decade, the most among all teams in the whole world. Some of their players earn more than the whole Kobenhavn team together and they're beaten by them. United are rotten from top to bottom, the owners, the board, the manager, the players - incompetence, no accountability, arrogance are the rule at Old Trafford. Yes, they're a joke, nothing changed from "Ole at the wheel" they went to "wacko at the wheel".

You know I disagree with your assessment of calling Van Gaal a hack (well, a wacko he is, but not a hack), and I don't agree that this generation of England is better than the one with Lampard and Gerrard (who are these new guys? Kane is the only one that shines, at least compared to those others from the past). But yes, I agree with the rest. They make the Barça situation look acceptable in comparison.

Never called Van Gaal a hack (don't even know the real meaning in this context), wacko yes. Bellingham, Sancho, Saka, Grealish etc.

[bugylibicska]

Almost 11 years have passed since Ferguson's departure and there is still one big mess in this club. How many years more they need to clean up this mess and stop wasting tons of money? I expected that it won't be easy to continue at the very top level for United after Ferguson retired, but we have 2024 and they are still a joke instead of a football giant

And it could get even worse before getting better - if ever. They want to appoint Southgate? No other country has a bigger talent pool than England and he won nothing.(They've called the Lampards, Gerrards, Rooneys, Terrys as the golden generation, none of them comes even close to this generation.) After Ferguson left hubris took over - "we are MU" you heard after every corner. They hired huge egos, but not good managers. They've spent over a billion in the last decade, the most among all teams in the whole world. Some of their players earn more than the whole Kobenhavn team together and they're beaten by them. United are rotten from top to bottom, the owners, the board, the manager, the players - incompetence, no accountability, arrogance are the rule at Old Trafford. Yes, they're a joke, nothing changed from "Ole at the wheel" they went to "wacko at the wheel".

Not sure where you get that idea. Player for player the "Golden" generation is better.

They've failed every time when the push came to shove. For me Bellingham, Sancho, Saka, Grealish are bigger talents, but they need a good manager.

[Lorric]

And it could get even worse before getting better - if ever. They want to appoint Southgate? No other country has a bigger talent pool than England and he won nothing.(They've called the Lampards, Gerrards, Rooneys, Terrys as the golden generation, none of them comes even close to this generation.) After Ferguson left hubris took over - "we are MU" you heard after every corner. They hired huge egos, but not good managers. They've spent over a billion in the last decade, the most among all teams in the whole world. Some of their players earn more than the whole Kobenhavn team together and they're beaten by them. United are rotten from top to bottom, the owners, the board, the manager, the players - incompetence, no accountability, arrogance are the rule at Old Trafford. Yes, they're a joke, nothing changed from "Ole at the wheel" they went to "wacko at the wheel".

Not sure where you get that idea. Player for player the "Golden" generation is better.

They've failed every time when the push came to shove. For me Bellingham, Sancho, Saka, Grealish are bigger talents, but they need a good manager.

Some interesting names you picked there. First on my list would be Kane. Surprised you mentioned Sancho.

Don't get me wrong, the current England team has done better, but I think the Golden Generation was better. It's possible the current team rises above by being greater than the sum of their parts, while the Golden Generation were less, but not individually.

[Lorric]

0-0 HT. Is it just me or do Chelsea look more dangerous?

[bugylibicska]

Not sure where you get that idea. Player for player the "Golden" generation is better.

They've failed every time when the push came to shove. For me Bellingham, Sancho, Saka, Grealish are bigger talents, but they need a good manager.

Some interesting names you picked there. First on my list would be Kane. Surprised you mentioned Sancho.

Don't get me wrong, the current England team has done better, but I think the Golden Generation was better. It's possible the current team rises above by being greater than the sum of their parts, while the Golden Generation were less, but not individually.

Somehow I've missed Kane just like I've missed Beckham from the other list. Why? Sancho is a big talent, too big the wacko would be able to tolerate. Could be the case of "de gustibus non est disputandum'. I've never rated Beckham, Lampard or Terry, only Gerrard and Rooney.

[Lorric]

Silva scores a rebound for City in a game they've been struggling in. 6mins left.

[Lorric]

City win 1-0.