***Official*** English Football Season 2020-21

[Uppercut]

Yeah, I'd actually go further and say it carries over into many aspects of the game. I've watched some utterly terrible performances over the years, and obviously they may include individual players phoning it in. But honestly a lack of effort is so rarely the cause. Relegation to the conference, perhaps, but even then it was a bit of a vicious cycle that caught on from other things.

But anyway to your point. We smashed Grimbsy 5-0 at the weekend and in reality should have scored a few more. Last night we beat Carlisle 1-0. There wasn't a huge difference in the standard of our play, just what the opposition did. And it was really two things. One, Carlisle actually had a bit about them in the final third to keep us on our toes. But secondly, Carlisle's pressing game was very good whereas Grimbsy were hapless. I think you're right and some might watch those two games and put the difference between the two sides as effort but it's really the know how to get that job done and the Grimsby players, bottom end Div 4 players, don't have it in them.

Yeah I think "they should be trying harder" is kind of a way to justify how angry you feel when your team plays like ****. In fairness it does actually matter. I've posted before about a few teams like Spurs under Poch and Atletico 2014 that make everyone else look like they're barely trying. The current Leeds side are a bit like that. But when you get that effort from players who don't know what they're doing you just end up with a turgid mess of a team that burns out after an hour.

People can spot the collective element a lot more now, but the individual skills still aren't really appreciated. It's strange, because when you play against an attacker who you keep losing the ball to, it's always very obviously because he's better than you are - he's thinking quicker, reacting quicker, faster, stronger, more agile. 99% of fans will have experienced this at some level. But when they watch it happen as a supporter it's like "that striker is working hard".

 

[Furball]

It's definitely not work rate anyway... it was repeatedly shown he covered more ground and did more running than anyone else on the park in most games he played.

Yeah, this. Ozil has always been a victim of his style of play, which just looks lazy in a very elegant way. But his game was always about putting a power of offensive running in.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Thank god my lot have sacked the manager.

 

[duffer]

He fell out of favour because he wasn't influencing games a guy of his insane talent level should have.

How he fell off the proverbial cliff performance wise I don't know but coupled with his contract it made him the ideal scapegoat.

Also spoke out against the Chinese government's treatment of Uyghurs and the club immediately distanced themselves from his comments saying they don't involve themselves in politics . Then he pointed out the hypocrisy of the club when they wholeheartedly supported the blm movement.

There is a heap of bad blood there.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Thank god my lot have sacked the manager.

Paul Hurst is available.

 

[Uppercut]

He fell out of favour because he wasn't influencing games a guy of his insane talent level should have.

How he fell off the proverbial cliff performance wise I don't know but coupled with his contract it made him the ideal scapegoat.

Also spoke out against the Chinese government's treatment of Uyghurs and the club immediately distanced themselves from his comments saying they don't involve themselves in politics . Then he pointed out the hypocrisy of the club when they wholeheartedly supported the blm movement.

There is a heap of bad blood there.

I think it must be the pay stuff though because the timing doesn't really fit for either of these explanations. The Uyghurs stuff happened in December last year. Arteta took over after that and I'm pretty sure Ozil played every game under him until lockdown. He looked alright, definitely worth his place. Since lockdown he's not seen a minute.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Paul Hurst is available.

Most of the fans want him. I can't see it happening.

 

[Furball]

Celtic fans out protesting against Neil Lennon.

Inject this season directly into my veins.

 

[GIMH]

We turned him down, apparently. I was keen based on his work at Shrewsbury but my brother said fans of his clubs since then were not keen whatsoever.

Edit - Hurst that is, not that little scrote Neil Lennon

 

[grecian]

That was a lovely goal.

 

[Furball]

Marseille taking a record by losing 13 CL games in a row.

Delightful.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

I don't know where the idea originally came from but it's been suggested down in these parts that the 4,000 crowd should be made up of 50% season ticket holders and 50% pay on the day so that the club gets revenue. Good economics perhaps, but also a good way to pee off people who have paid up to 400 quid for sod all so far.

 

[GIMH]

I don't know where the idea originally came from but it's been suggested down in these parts that the 4,000 crowd should be made up of 50% season ticket holders and 50% pay on the day so that the club gets revenue. Good economics perhaps, but also a good way to pee off people who have paid up to 400 quid for sod all so far.

It's only going to be 2000 allowed here I suspect, which means you can accommodate 65% of season ticket holders. Absolutely zero chance pay on the day is given a sniff in those circumstances.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

It's only going to be 2000 allowed here I suspect, which means you can accommodate 65% of season ticket holders. Absolutely zero chance pay on the day is given a sniff in those circumstances.

We are borderline here whether we’re in tier 1 or 2. But with 6,000 season ticket holders the idea of pay on the day getting preference over any of them wouldn’t be popular.

 

[GIMH]

Season tickets should always get priority for home games where there's limited supply IMO but especially in these circumstances.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Tier 2 for Devon. 2,000 crowd out of 6,000 season ticket holders. Obviously there'll be those that don't won't to go. Not sure what the rules on travel will be, we have a large fan base in Tier 1 Cornwall just over a crappy looking toll bridge.

 

[Uppercut]

Surely it's not legal to refuse access to people who already paid for tickets so you can charge other people for tickets...?

 

[Lillian Thomson]

They’ve decided ours will be done by invitation in order of season ticket purchase for the first game.

 

[GIMH]

They’ve decided ours will be done by invitation in order of season ticket purchase for the first game.

Wish we were doing the same. A nervous wait on the draw awaits...

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Bizarre looking TV line up over Christmas. The BBC are showing their first ever Boxing Day fixture live - Aston Villa v Crystal Palace. At the same time Sky are showing Fulham v Southampton. On 28th, 29th and 30th there's a full PL schedule spread out with all matching only available via Amazon.
The Greens have a nice local derby against Charlton Athletic on Boxing Day. Not that it really matters as there'll be no away fans anyway.