*Official* English Football Season 2015-16

[Ikki]

Big fan of Götze's agent angling for a move to Liverpool and getting promptly sacked by the player because of it.

From what I've read it was that his agent wanted him to go back to Dortmund.

http://www.sueddeutsche.de/sport/fc-bayern-will-mario-goetze-wirklich-in-muenchen-bleiben-1.3004379

 

[Scaly piscine]

For the millionth time I'm going to propose changing the clock to 2 35 minute halves and stopping the clock when the ball is out of play.

You'd get more football played (in really dire games the ball's in play for less than an hour) and makes timewasting impossible.

The offside change is more interesting. I've long been of the belief that it would disincentivise passing football because I could just park myself in the opposition's 6 yard box. I'd be interested to see what's happened in field hockey, which had the same offside rule as football up until the late 80s and abolished it altogether in 1992, and what the consequences for the game has been. Instinctively, if forwards can stay higher up the pitch, then defenders have to stay further back which frees up space in midfield. Quick tempo, fast transition football would instinctively seem to be the way to go if you had no offside (pretty much favouring the Bundesliga as things stand), which I suppose would be more attractive to watch, but there's still no disincentive to teams just parking the bus. Van Basten seems to be most frustrated by teams that defend deep and in numbers and I don't see how abolishing offside alleviates that.

Funny you should mention field hockey. I have always thought football would be better with the ice hockey offside rule. Which is essentially a zonal offside - attacking players are not allowed into the zone until the ball is in it. Apart from anything else the current offside rule invariably leads to important decisions being made incorrectly. Ice hockey offsides are easily adjudicated and mistakes are rarely made - when they are made they don't directly lead to a goal being scored or chalked off.

I would have the line about 30 yards out from goal. Once the ball crosses it attacking players are allowed in. In ice hockey attacks one team boxes another inside this zone (once the ball leaves it then all the attackers have to exit the area - so keeping the puck under control in that zone is a big deal if you want to score). It would also actually help to keep attacks interesting instead of passing at the back and going nowhere, as well as the fact that you have plenty of space to play in once you actually get into that part of the field.

What you would see is the defence trying to hold the perimeter of the zone, then once inside the ball would pinged about much more quickly because players are spread out more and you don't want the opposition to get a foot in and disrupt the attack. There would also be more space upfield from a defensive position because a forward can linger 30 yards out from goal. One big hoof should hardly ever lead to a 1 on 1 though, because the defender can stand wherever they want (like a full back in rugby). But there'd be plenty of through balls to break into that 30 yard zone, you'd just have to rely on good support play to make those breaks count.

 

[GIMH]

Breaking news, Van Gaal sacked

 

[grecian]

Ahhh, finally I can get over this disconcerting feeling of not always wanting United to lose, and even on many occasions wanting them to win. Jose and United are the perfect hate-duo, all is right with the World again.

 

[GIMH]

Why on earth had you wavered????

 

[Pothas]

Wavered a good deal myself, in fact I don't really care either way about United anymore. Despise Chelsea so much more, and I said before even Mourinho doing well would kind of be ok because Chelsea fans will hate it so much.

 

[grecian]

Why on earth had you wavered????

I no longer had my main hate-figure Ferguson, it felt a bit empty, I didn't like Moyes either, but he was just so laughably under-qualified for the job it was quite funny. Loopy has also caused me amusement, whilst driving United fans to distraction, which is good.

I still loved in when they got knocked out of the Champions League early though, that can never not be fun.

 

[Cabinet96]

Have won Upper's avatar for a month. Suggestions welcome. Early contenders...

 

[GIMH]

What was the bet?

 

[sledger]

Haha ,Edu, always forget about him. A strange player.

 

[sledger]

Anyone else (especially Arsenal fans, I guess) irritated by Wilshere whining in the press about how Wenger is playing him out of position? Bloke is lucky he is being picked at all given his record over the last few years. What does he ****ing expect, to be picked over Mesut ****ing Ozil?

 

[Uppercut]

What was the bet?

Ander Herrera to score 5 league goals this season.

 

[Furball]

Anyone else (especially Arsenal fans, I guess) irritated by Wilshere whining in the press about how Wenger is playing him out of position? Bloke is lucky he is being picked at all given his record over the last few years. What does he ****ing expect, to be picked over Mesut ****ing Ozil?

Wilshere's an arsehole. Should be sold ASAP.

 

[cpr]

Anyone else (especially Arsenal fans, I guess) irritated by Wilshere whining in the press about how Wenger is playing him out of position? Bloke is lucky he is being picked at all given his record over the last few years. What does he ****ing expect, to be picked over Mesut ****ing Ozil?

How can a guy who's missed 35 league games this season complain about being played out of position?

 

[Jarquis]

Go for Wenger after he'd been sent to the stands...

Wilshere probably wants to be playing as part of the deepest 2 but most of his best performances have come from the right

 

[Furball]

How can a guy who's missed 35 league games this season complain about being played out of position?

Presumably he's miffed as to what that green area with white lines is and doesn't understand why he has to run about on it.

 

[wpdavid]

How can a guy who's missed 35 league games this season complain about being played out of position?

Good job he didn't. Wilshere simply said he preferred to pay in the centre, which isn't the same thing at all, imo. More of an appreciative nod toward Hodgson than a moan about Wenger, as I read it.

I'm not adverse to seeing him in the squad actually. And I would think that Hodgson is to some extent persuaded by his performance and twin strikes in Slovenia just before his injury, which isn't unreasonable.

 

[GIMH]

Good job he didn't. Wilshere simply said he preferred to pay in the centre, which isn't the same thing at all, imo. More of an appreciative nod toward Hodgson than a moan about Wenger, as I read it.

I'm not adverse to seeing him in the squad actually. And I would think that Hodgson is to some extent persuaded by his performance and twin strikes in Slovenia just before his injury, which isn't unreasonable.

I'm not a Wilshere fan but there's no doubt he's been more effective under Hodgson than Wenger in recent times, so you can understand his comments.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Wonder if Arsenal will sell Wilshere this summer? Plenty more money around for a club outside the established big 6 to take a punt on him and he is never fit anyway so do Arsenal need him?

 

[Furball]

No and hopefully.