The General Football Thread

So come on, come on... do the no promotion with me!

That one’s for you, @fatletiss

 

Oops

 

Looks like the Italian Football Federation have made their position to Juventus crystal clear: withdraw from the ESL or you're out of our leagues.

 

Even if they withdraw, that shouldn't be the end of it. Just like it shouldn't be for the English traitors.

 

I think traitors is a bit of a harsh word though. At the end of the day it was a publicity stunt by the twelve concerned who must have anticipated such a reaction from their own fan base. Anyhow you and I being Pompey fans, the ESL is the last thing we shoud be concerned about. We need to think how to get promotion next season.

 

I think that that the failure of Portsmouth to get to the play-offs this season is a salutary lesson for clubs dropping in to the third tier. It is not an easy league to be getting out of, even if you are one of the bugger clubs in it. Paul Cook did an excellent job taking you out of Division 2 and I think missing out on the initial play-off after the bright start in Division 1 has probably robbed Portsmouth of the momentum they were building.

I would be curious to see how Portsmouth feel about the American owners now that 3 attempts at promotion have failed. Each season, Portsmouth seem to have been going slightly backwards. All four clubs in the play-offs look decent and I would imagine Portsmouth fans are hoping that Sunderland get promoted. With Wednesday joining your league next season, it does not look to be getting any easier for you although I think getting the Cowley brothers in is something of a coup.

 

No, what's harsh is the level of arrogance shown by these clubs, what's harsh is their utter greed and selfishness, what's harsh is their not giving a damn about any club out of their 'elite' clique. Traitors is an apt word. While the super league does not affect Portsmouth directly, firstly football of any level is not in a vacuum and secondly the principle of it is my major beef with it.

 

I don't want them punished. I want Barca, Real Madrid and Juve to keep searching for teams desperate enough for a payday that they'll risk being kicked out of their national leagues. I want a sweaty press conference where they announce FC Emmen, Cwmbran Town, and Shakhtyor Soligorsk as the newest entrants in the Super League.

The punishment for nine of the teams is that they humiliated themselves. The punishment for the three remaining teams is that they get to continue humiliating themselves.

 

Of course I realise there are differences, and the the Chauvin/Floyd case was the realisation of a wider, endemic issue in the States, but is anyone else following the Dalian Atkinson case and finding it equally shocking?

 

Levante did that to Barcelona last night with a 3-3 draw!!

 

Just for fun I had a go at creating an all time Guardiola XI.

That midfield!

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It is shocking but no I don't think equally shocking is quite fair. Floyd had enough police around him to control him but they knelt on his neck for 9 minutes long after he was subdued. Typically for England a large man having a psychotic episode is dealt with by two police officers who evidently struggled to subdue him. What happened was wrong but seems possible to be born out of panic. The decision to taser him that long should not have happened but it is harder to judge being in dangerous situations with little backup. The kick to the head which seems to have occurred is the bit that worries me most and seems the most likely to be racist in motivation. It is very wrong but again is indicative of heat of the moment anger and not prolonged cruelty as in the Floyd case.

So yes it is shocking, but no not equally as shocking. We need to start get more police on our streets.

 

Christ, that midfield is bloody impressive. It would almost give Schneiderlin, Hammond and Chaplow a run for their money!

 

Yes indeed, more police, nurses, doctors and their support staff, firemen and social services. Creating a reliable and affordable integrated public transport system also on the wish list. Edit, this is a footy thread as T24 says

 

I thought this was a thread for general football?

 

I thought Dalian Atkinson was a footballer?

 

Right you are mush.

 

The subject isn't exactly football related though is it? It's also starting to get political.