Football

You know it'll be just 2 games?

I was sceptical about the Nations League but if it produces more games like that then I think it can stay.

It's how it was engineered, with only 3 teams (each playing 4 matches) and only one 'safe' spot, it's much impossible to have any dead rubbers.

(If team A win all 4 games then relegation/safety will be battled between B and C. If B win the first encounter then C can overtake them with a better win in the return leg, if the BvC game is a draw then CvB is all to play for, etc. If team A drop some points then the battle can be for the top of the table, or all 3 possible outcomes on the last game like today)

Same number of international games as before, just these two will be meaningless tournie games instead of even more meaningless friendlies.

Actually, the two Nations League finals games will replace two Euro 2020 qualifying games which would normally be played in June (and England will be in a group of 5 instead of 6 to facilitate this). So two meaningless competition games will replace two qualifying games for another competition (which some consider meaningless).

After 17 minutes, Switzerland 0 - 2 Belgium, leaving the Swiss needing four goals...

Two weeks ago you posted this in response to Joe mentioning the Salah-Ramos incident:

You really don't stop do you?

How many times have you brought it up since? Liverpool fans, the least self-aware on the planet.

Perhaps Salah shouldn’t have grabbed his arm in the first place...

After 17 minutes, Switzerland 0 - 2 Belgium, leaving the Swiss needing four goals...

And they got five.

Well done to Real Madrid's No2 goal keeper.

Mark, I think it is rather unfair to suggest that Mike behind a keyboard is a reflection on any persona other than that of Mike behind a keyboard.

My comments are always in response to Kopites puffing their pitiful sunken chests...

Unless I see something funny on the internetz...

An interview with ex Burnley and Middlesbrough fullback Gary Parkinson who has been suffering from locked-in for the past eight years following a stroke. It sounds absolutely terrible. https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/17232114.turf-hero-gary-parkinson-there-are-people-worse-off-than-me/?ref=mac

https://www.taz.de/Katar-gegen-Island-im-belgischen-Eupen/!5548788/

I hate to admit it but the Nations League has actually served up some decent football.

Van Dijk/De Ligt pairing is shaping up well and with De Jong and Wijnaldum in midfield there’s some real potential there. Depay looks a different player as well.

liverpool inserted a clause in the coutihno contract stating barca would have to pay a E/£100mn premium for any player they sign from us before 2020 to stop them poaching our players

quite clever

trying to think of any of your players they'd want, apart from Salah?

Henderson, obviously.

Hah!

https://www.theguardian.com/football/who-scored-blog/2018/nov/22/premier-league-analysing-when-teams-score-their-goals
actually vaguely interesting

actually vaguely interesting

good enough

So apparently, in another trophy grab, we learn that three Spurs players (Kane, Son and Alli) have scored more goals at Wembley since is was rebuilt than any other player. Drogba comes a pitiful fourth on the list.

Well isn’t that simply amazing. It is not as though Spurs have played all their home games there for a season and a half.

Liverpool joint top (i.e. 2nd) in the run up to Christmas first 30 minutes. Then 1st (joint with Citeh) in early new year middle third and then the roller coaster comes crashing down to 7th by the end of the season 90 minutes.

Prophetic.

three 30-minute intervals

Why not 4 quarters? the 2nd 3rd has a big fucking hole in it.

Boro are joint top of the champ with 47.1% possession and 72% pass completion. but 18th in the league for long balls.

If we go up we are going to stink the premershit right out

Proper lol @joint top.
Now is when it gets interesting. A few weeks of midweek games and it all changes. If there is a good bit about being in the champo, this is it.

Kante signs for five more years and is now Chelsea’s highest paid player.

Is he still driving a Mini?