Premier League 23/24 Thread

[edd_jedi]

Yes gutted for Bayern, it was in their hands. Queue the Harry Kane trophy jokes, even though he wasn't even on the pitch

 

[lejackal]

As a nob and an Arsenal fan the only Harry Kane trophy related joke I have relates to the Bundesliga top scorer trophy:

 

[lejackal]

And so the disappointment of loosing the title to City is prolonged until Sunday

 

[theforceuk]

Everyone knows Arsenal are the champions, as Liverpool were. It's bollocks and turning into a very boring league.

 

[weasel]

Yup, City wont drop any points. Once you're behind them in a run in it's game over.

And, yup. The PL is now very boring. You can argue it has always been a closed shop, but the names did change. Utd, blackburn, arsenal, chelsea, liverpool, even Spurs had a tilt. Now it's City and then the rest.

 

[edd_jedi]

City are certainly the dominant team of the last decade but I agree with Pep that it's not just about money, they have spent significantly less than Chelsea, United and Arsenal (and yes I realise that is 'net spend') but it's hard to use the throwing money argument when Arsenal paid 100 million for Rice, who's probably not even in the top 20 best players in the league.

Bloody Liverpool beating Spurs and then having a day off against Villa, thanks guys

 

[theforceuk]

I can't agree Ed, although partly, but for City in particular they didn't exist as a top flight team at all 15 years ago, without money they would still be a yo yo club. If you swapped Klopp and Peps budget over the last decade I wander what there trophy cabinets would look like?

Then you have the offshore accounts that all the players and pep have, which is what they're really getting paid.

 

[edd_jedi]

Oh for sure they're one of the better financed clubs these days, but they are certainly not the only well financed club. Agree about Liverpool, he's done great things with a limited budget which is why I didn't include them above

 

[theforceuk]

The entire game is about money sadly, City have been well run, but that's down to money because they have paid for the best in class throughout the club.

Anyway Spurs can still get UCL spot so good luck tonight!

 

[lejackal]

City are certainly the dominant team of the last decade but I agree with Pep that it's not just about money, they have spent significantly less than Chelsea, United and Arsenal (and yes I realise that is 'net spend') but it's hard to use the throwing money argument when Arsenal paid 100 million for Rice, who's probably not even in the top 20 best players in the league.

Bloody Liverpool beating Spurs and then having a day off against Villa, thanks guys

Last 10 years player expenditure (from Transfermarkt, via planet football):

Chelsea
Transfer expenditure: €2.37billion
Manchester United
Transfer expenditure: €1.79billion
Manchester City
Transfer expenditure: €1.79billion
Arsenal
Transfer expenditure: €1.38billion
Liverpool
Transfer expenditure: €1.22billion
Tottenham
Transfer expenditure: €1.17billion

It's not like Arsenal have blown Liverpool and Spurs out of the water with gross spend - 15 and 20 million (approximately) extra per season respectively is hardly an insurmountable sum, particularly in PL spending terms

 

[theforceuk]

Man Utd, what a shambles.

 

[weasel]

@lejackal are those "net" spend figures?

The whole, 'net or gross' spend argument is dull, but it is true Liverpool (for example) spent big on VVD and Alison in consecutive windows. Albeit that was financed by the sale of Coutinho (cheers Barca). City and Chelsea have sold a few for big bucks too. Hazzard to Real etc.
Utd couldn't sell a tenner for 20p so that hinders them.

I have to agree with @theforceuk City would be nowhere without the money. They have now built the infrastructure to enable them to claim a high income and thus to continue to spend.
But then both they are Chelsea have used some seriously questionable, albeit not illegal, accounting methods.
8yr contracts anyone (now outlawed AFTER Chelsea got the benefit of using them)? Selling naming rights of your stadium to a company owned by the owner of the club (no conflict of interest there at all). Chelsea's latest trick is to sell the hotels in/near stamford bridge to a company owned by the same company that owns the club. To make it even cheekier they have included a 'management fee' whereby Chelsea continue to get an income from the hotels even after selling them. What odds that income amounts to exactly, if not more, than the hotels were making before? Thus allowing chelsea to book a profit on the sale (useful when you are about to breach FFP), continue to bank the income and the company that bought them can also declare a loss for tax purposes. Not illegal, but to call it 'questionable' is being very kind. If I was the PL I would tell them to **** off when they tried to claim that profit from the 'sale'. But we all know that won't happen.

 

[lejackal]

Gross. Net spend just highlights Arsenal couldn't sell a tenner for 50p, much like united

 

[weasel]

You got a great price for Pepe. No idea what it was, but it was more than he was worth. Even if he left for free lol

 

[lejackal]

You got a great price for Pepe. No idea what it was, but it was more than he was worth. Even if he left for free lol

Pretty sure he was another we paid to **** off

 

[lejackal]

37 minutes and alls well. It's the hope that fecking kills you.

 

[lejackal]

C'mon you irons, one last time for Moysey

 

[Cazza]

Apologies, in advance! We'll get a mauling...

 

[edd_jedi]

I thought it was a good game last night, not much in it, I just genuinely can't fathom why we can play like that against City, but don't turn up against shite like Wolves and Fulham. I am genuinely worried about us scraping a point against Sheffield United on Sunday because while I feel we're not ready for CL, the Europa League is our best shot of winning something, it would be a disaster if Chelsea or Newcastle nick it.

Also WTF is it with refs and Romero? A yellow card for a completely accidental collision. He gets a red or yellow card every time he's involved in anything, I've seen way worse leg breakers go unpunished this season. And apparently
It's OK for Ben White to try and take the keepers gloves off too

 

[weasel]

I only saw bits of the game, the last half hour including stoppage time, and it looked fairly even. Spurs did rightly and on another day could have got something. That Son miss was Arsenal's title hopes ****ed. He scores and I dont think City would have come back. Then it's all square with Arsenal having a GD 3 better than City's so beat Everton by one and City need a four goal win to level it. God knows what it goes to then, GS or head to head?

As we said all along though, City dont drop points in a run in. Once you are behind them, it's game over.