Hey Dublin - this is just a check in to see if you’re ok first and foremost, and how you’re coping?
With this forum seemingly shutting down along with football, I’ll also open this thread up to all our regularise posters. How is everyone coping and having seen the return of the Bundesliga yesterday and not enjoying it at all, how does everyone feel about the likelihood of the premier league looking very similar in a few weeks time?
Hope you’re all keeping well, safe, and as utterly bored senseless as me.
Up the City 🦊
Ramblings of a grey haired fox??
posted on 18/5/20
Good to hear* Dunge’s humour And Bow’s thoughts.
All signs are that Fuchs will get and sign another year along with Morgan. I think Rodgers sees their importance to the squad and a bridge between him and the team. I hope so because if I don’t get the say goodbye to Fuchs I’ll be traumatised for life. We’d need to invite him back for a testimonial to say goodbye. Fuch’s title winners managed by Ranieri vs current squad. Excellent.
* read
posted on 21/5/20
I haven't been looking at this site due to lack of traffic so have only just seen this post.
I have mixed feelings about the season restarting behind closed doors. Any talk of this being for football integrity is imho, hogwash - it's just about the TV money.
For me it's not restarting the season properly as I won't be at the games. Even if I get to see matches on TV it won't feel right.
The 'benefit' for us will be the potential to confirm our taking part in next season's Champions League, but even that is debatable, will we be able/allowed to travel to these exotic destinations in the autumn?
The season restart is not guaranteed to take place yet, it could still run into problems. Hopefully even if any players catch the virus they will be young/healthy enough not to be badly affected.
Assuming the season finishes as planned, I would not be at all surprised to see the courts involved, particularly from the three relegated clubs who would take a serious financial hit - it seems to me they would have an argument that this artificial end to the season would have resulted in an uneven playing field as they would be denied home advantage for the remaining games.
posted on 21/5/20
Don’t disagree with any of that Nuneaton. However for me the next best alternative to completing the season once everything is open, it to do it as they are.
Relegated clubs can say what they like, the season finished in some form and they had their opportunity and didn’t take it. I feel sorry for the clubs in leagues that have been cancelled and had their fate taken out of their own destiny. That’s when the courts are an understandable place for clubs to turn.
posted on 21/5/20
Anyone noticed Chilwell has beefed up a bit in the pics of training. Now always a good thing for athleticism but helps in one on one battles which he can be weak in sometimes.
posted on 22/5/20
I think there's a big problem raised its head over the last few days:
Troy Deeney has said that he won't come back to training, citing the stats that suggest BAME people are more susceptible to the virus, and that he has a young child who has suffered from breathing problems. Nigel Pearson has backed him on his stance. On a human level, it's entirely understandable.
But what do the club do? Do Watford stand by this individual stance, knowing this potentially weakens their squad, who are in a relegation dogfight? What happens if their form takes a turn for the worse and they look like they're about to get relegated? Do the club take the hit on the basis of the personal decision of one man? What if others in the club take the same stance, knowing they'll be backed by the manager? What if Watford end up getting relegated through backing this stance from their captain and manager which, while entirely understandable, are also individual decisions?
I don't mean this to sound like I think Deeney's wrong. And you can't imagine that the Watford owners panicking and replacing the captain or manager would help matters at all. But I mention it more to illustrate the further complications involved in trying to push this season through this early again. I've said it before, but it's frustrating to me that the authorities seem so determined to start next season on time and in its usual format, because some people are going to get sold down the river as a result.
As Nuneaton says, it's all about the money. The soul of football continues to get trampled upon by those in charge of it, who have shown a lack of leadership, imagination, integrity, courage and ambition throughout this. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised any more as it's been the default for many years.
posted on 23/5/20
The other side of the equation is how many Players are now fit to play who were injured at the time Football was stopped.
Clubs like Spurs who had about 7 First teamers out could really prosper if they're back!
PS Still no word from Dubs, didn't a couple of members have his contact details?
posted on 23/5/20
Greetings pop pickers
Still breathing just 🤦♂️
Got rid of the pneumonia
But recovery is slow not helped by having no cleaning lady,,
Had a wobble 10 days ago, called the para medics out and sat and chatted about going hospital,,
Decided to fully rest at home
Sitting in bed or chair and only moving for food or loo
Last wed started to potter around the house actually did OK in the very hot days probably due to the lower co2
Still plenty of support from the community team
Mental, nurse, diet teams,
Local covid volunteers have been brilliant,
A husband comes Saturday with his kids to take dogs out, collect up the droppings
Last night he turned up at the door with an Indian takeaway ❤️❤️
Thanks for thinking about me 🤗🥰
I was going to do a post about the restart
And the same thing the big teams that
Were struggling had major players injured
That made a big difference,, another perfect storm
Some of the teams in the relegation zone would
Have won a point or even 3 now won't as there playing fully fit teams,
I'd killed it
For relegation
Payed the top 2 championship teams the para shoot money
And made a fund from 3 Place with contribution from every Premier team.
UTF
posted on 23/5/20
Dubs, great to hear from you, think you had one or two of us worried for a while.
Keep hanging in there and recover your strength in time to resume your match threads; you'll probably have a bigger audience seeing as we won't be at King Power 🌈
posted on 23/5/20
Hey Dublin - what a relief and joyous thing it is to read your message and to know you’re ok.
Sounds like you’ve had a rough ride with pneumonia but you’re hopefully over the worst of that and ready to be on match thread duty when the season resumes in June. Like it or not that looks pretty certain right now.
It’s very much a leveller for all teams this. No home benefit and fitness may be an issue for teams like us. We really rely on tempo and fitness for our style of football to work. I can see a few 0-0s coming our way.
Hopefully we’ll be ok and it will suit us against the lower teams away from home.
Whatever happens, after watching a bit of the Bundesliga it’s going to feel very strange.
But to end on a high, it really great to hear from your Dubs. Keep fighting the good fight 👍👍
posted on 23/5/20
Great to hear from you Dubs