EPL- It’s NOT Football Anymore! Man City will be Champs

[danfo driver]

The business is booming too much to give a monkeys about the stuff being monkeyed about. Real may win their gazzilionth UCL, will add one of the best players in the world to their rafters and everyone will say, “now that’s what you call a Champion”, “na him be Igwe”.

Igweeeee! Rasberry buttersquash! Lancashire blueberry pie! the gazzilionth time of Caraboa... in the cocoa of the roah! The monkeys have come home.. did they roost like the cocks?! Humiliated by City, shamelessly running around CE weeping! Oooh!!! The Viking of Emirates beating the sh1t out of the Village Literature Teacher

[txj]

So does it only apply to City? Did Real have to split the paella to sign Ronaldo, Bale, Bellingham? Why spend tens of millions on teenage Vinicius and Rodrygo, could they not have developed such in their academy?

Camavinga, Tchoumeni, late teens, early 20s, big outlays.

The Mbappe logic makes little sense too. Having won La Liga and most likely the Champions League, the next Plutonian is signed on a free transfer that would bankrupt many. Is it still football? If Real were Royal Everton, doing exactly the same only in the EPL, would its claim to being football be under scrutiny?

In all honesty, hate it or love it, by the very definition of the sport, it’s football. Pure and simple. At the upper echelons, success grows the empire. The novelty of the academy graduate exists but in truth many Liverpudlians, in hindsight, would trade Quansah’s selection vs Man Utd in favour of a “dream ticket”.

The game has changed. The standards, even more so. Gone are the days when sides can lineup Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliot, Conor Bradley, Somebody Clarke, Bobby Whoever and expect to be taken seriously in the sprint finish. It becomes even more ludicrous when the Gakpos, Nunezes, Diazes et al are thrown in. Yes it helps having City’s cash, but much more than the wallet, is method in the marketplace. How do Newcastle get an Isak for a fraction of Nunez?

Diaz has run around at 1000MPH and barely contributed as much as Mohamed Kudus.

Sobozslai at 60M is being benched by Elliot, Jones anyone with a pair of boots. Contribution? Less than Tomas Soucek.

It’s not just the money being spent, but what it’s being spent on. One will assume this wayward rant is heavily steeped in Liverpudlian sentiment. Understandable, but having the cash is only part of it. Knowing how to spend it, is another. Stick an Isak in place of Nunez, a Trossard in place of Diaz, combined fee barely that of Darwin and there’s a pair of testicles in the sac at the time of the sprint finish.

It is what it is. Klopp will go, Slot will slot in. Will look at the famed academy, the starting lineup and head straight to market place. Weren’t you enthused by the prospect of Geertruida the other week? What about Conor Bradley and whoever backs him up for the U21s.

It is what it is. It took 100M on Declan Rice, 60 odd on Havertz and the ability to bring Trossard (24Ms, contract running out at the time of acquisition) off the bench to make Beloved what Liverpool weren’t this season. Throw in Gabriel and Saliba, neither from the academy and it becomes all the more obvious. Beloved swinging deep into the 12th round.

Reiss Nelson? Bench. Smith-Rowe? Bench. Nketiah? Bench. Few will be good enough to make the desired impact immediately. That’s what it takes to compete. If it’s not in the cupboard, go to the shops to buy it. Simple.

That. Is. Football.

The difference is that Real had to wait. You of all people should know better!

They had to wait and progressively build the squad. And Barca which lacked the management nous is in the dustbin.

And City?
Its not just knowing how to spend it. Its the fact of what happens when you spend wrongly...
They acquire Kalvin Phillips. And if it does not work?
We just buy Nunes!!!

If Nunez does not work for LFC; they have to persist and make it work!!

I can't help your ignorance bro...

Everybody spends money. True.
But not everybody spends without a constraint....

And without the jeopardy of constraint, we have nothing but coronations...

[Kabalega]

Just a reminder, for folks who are lost about the phrase “it’s NOT football anymore.”




There is a research paper too…

‘It’s not football anymore’: perceptions of the video assistant referee by english premier league football fans
January 2022Soccer and Society 23(2):1-13
January 202223(2):1-13
DOI:10.1080/14660970.2022.2033731
Authors: Christie Scanlon
Gerald Griggs
Connor McGillick
UCFB/GIS

https://www.researchgate.net/publicatio ... tball_fans

However, when you look at the overall EPL trends, and follow other leagues, it’s not a stretch to conclude that ….. “It’s NOT football anymore “

[Coach]

@Ssebo, what is the context of the clip? If not mistaken, this was in reference to VAR. Could be wrong.

@Tx, the interval between the signing of Jota, Diaz, Nunez, Gakpo, if not mistaken, was 3 seasons. Regarding the Kalvin Phillips reference, could this be likened to Naby Keita, who came, failed and was hastily replaced?

“Real had to wait” can you substantiate this statement. Wait for what? The moment Ronaldo peaked at United, signed. Modric, Bale much the same. In the space of 2 summers, in Bellingham and Mbappe, they’d have spent over £250M (or a quarter of a billion for want of added wow factor) on transfer and signing on fees, for 2 players. What exactly are they waiting for? Genuine intrigue at the answer to follow.

[txj]

@Ssebo, what is the context of the clip? If not mistaken, this was in reference to VAR. Could be wrong.

@Tx, the interval between the signing of Jota, Diaz, Nunez, Gakpo, if not mistaken, was 3 seasons. Regarding the Kalvin Phillips reference, could this be likened to Naby Keita, who came, failed and was hastily replaced?

“Real had to wait” can you substantiate this statement. Wait for what? The moment Ronaldo peaked at United, signed. Modric, Bale much the same. In the space of 2 summers, in Bellingham and Mbappe, they’d have spent over £250M (or a quarter of a billion for want of added wow factor) on transfer and signing on fees, for 2 players. What exactly are they waiting for? Genuine intrigue at the answer to follow.

No it could not be likened to Naby. This is the lack of attention to details that I speak of! Naby arrived as another departed. That is budget constraint. Phillips arrived, to further supplement while Gundo was still around. And now Nunes is added to the mix...and just before him Kovacic!

Real had to wait cus of La Liga constraints, having spent the last 2yrs of ZZ's tenure quiet in the transfer market and reserving funds. Its taken 3-4yrs to fully replace the Casemiro/Modric/Kroos trio. The EPL does not have the kind of constraint that La Liga has...

[Coach]

Camavinga 21/22. Tchouameni 22/23. Bellingham 23/24. Kroos and Modric appear to be “still around”. The replacement began with both players still in the heart of the midfield. Mbappe 24/25 to replace? Having waited for? It is what it is and will only ever be called Football.

If not mistaken, was Phillips cover for Rodri or competition for Gundogan? Matheus Nunes and Kovacic joined, Philips was earmarked to leave the same summer. Nunes was said to represent a shift in emphasis. Sterling, Mahrez, Jesus, Zinchenko, Cancelo appear to have left over the past season or two. Not to mention the myriad Brahims and Angelinos no one can be bothered to mention.

Sentiment aside, facts to the fore. Net spend:

6) Manchester City: £-326.67m
23/24: £-116.7m
22/23: £9.97m (Champions)
21/22: £-38.55m (Champions)
20/21: £-93.5m (Champions)
19/20: £-81.9m (2nd)

9) Liverpool: £-221.44m
23/24: £-95.24m
22/23: £-48.38m (5th)
21/22: £-49.1m (2nd)
20/21: £-57.14m (3rd)
19/20: £32.14m (Champions)

Sixth and ninth respectively with regard to net spend over the past 5 seasons. Accrued, Mesopotamia have spent a £Jude Bellingham more than the Merseysiders over said time period.

It seems Liverpool aren’t the only ones selling players and side hustling.

Football.

[Mr. Piffington]

Let's pretend City doesn't bring money in. Let's pretend after being PL and CL champs they didn't earn money.

Bu...bu...but they bought a player!

[Coach]

Sliding doors. Had Son slipped it beyond Ortega’s big toe, it would still be football. Potentially.

It’s not about the game being played, rather who’s playing it. There was no such thread after Game week 30 with Liverpool 2 clear of Beloved and 3 clear of Alibaba. All the talk was of fortitude. Fast forward 7 games and they’re 9 behind City, 7 behind Beloved with all the fortitude of Kris Jenner playing hide the scrotum.

Liverpool bottled it. Beloved possibly lost it vs Villa. It remains for West HAM to get the hog on the roast, two banks of four, wingers dropping to make it a back six and throwing Big David James up top for the flick-ons. And that gentlemen. Is. Fooking. Football. Pure and proper.

[Mr. Piffington]

Sliding doors. Had Son slipped it beyond Ortega’s big toe, it would still be football. Potentially.

It’s not about the game being played, rather who’s playing it. There was no such thread after Game week 30 with Liverpool 2 clear of Beloved and 3 clear of Alibaba. All the talk was of fortitude. Fast forward 7 games and they’re 9 behind City, 7 behind Beloved with all the fortitude of Kris Jenner playing hide the scrotum.

Liverpool bottled it. Beloved possibly lost it vs Villa. It remains for West HAM to get the hog on the roast, two banks of four, wingers dropping to make it a back six and throwing Big David James up top for the flick-ons. And that gentlemen. Is. Fooking. Football. Pure and proper.

If Darwin Nunes knew how to shoot, it would have been football.

[txj]

Sliding doors. Had Son slipped it beyond Ortega’s big toe, it would still be football. Potentially.

It’s not about the game being played, rather who’s playing it. There was no such thread after Game week 30 with Liverpool 2 clear of Beloved and 3 clear of Alibaba. All the talk was of fortitude. Fast forward 7 games and they’re 9 behind City, 7 behind Beloved with all the fortitude of Kris Jenner playing hide the scrotum.

Liverpool bottled it. Beloved possibly lost it vs Villa. It remains for West HAM to get the hog on the roast, two banks of four, wingers dropping to make it a back six and throwing Big David James up top for the flick-ons. And that gentlemen. Is. Fooking. Football. Pure and proper.

Typical Arsenal fan. That's why you lot are universally despised because you are forever obsessed with the small picture.
Almost to a man, Liverpool fans have been saying this same thing for years. The 115 charges directly come from LFC Board pressure as even Pep himself bemoaned last year...

Enjoy your Arsenal TV as you celebrate your title

[Coach]

@Piff, if Nunez could use his hands and were the ball oblong, he’d be unstoppable. But then it wouldn’t be football anymore, it would be rugby.

[Kabalega]

@Ssebo, what is the context of the clip? If not mistaken, this was in reference to VAR. Could be wrong.

@Tx, the interval between the signing of Jota, Diaz, Nunez, Gakpo, if not mistaken, was 3 seasons. Regarding the Kalvin Phillips reference, could this be likened to Naby Keita, who came, failed and was hastily replaced?

“Real had to wait” can you substantiate this statement. Wait for what? The moment Ronaldo peaked at United, signed. Modric, Bale much the same. In the space of 2 summers, in Bellingham and Mbappe, they’d have spent over £250M (or a quarter of a billion for want of added wow factor) on transfer and signing on fees, for 2 players. What exactly are they waiting for? Genuine intrigue at the answer to follow.

Just reminding guys of the widely known roots of the phrase. The discussion seems to have gone off on a different tangent.
Your post alone implies a misapplication of the phrase on my part. Confusing to folks like ohsee who have no clue.

[Kabalega]

It was written!

ManCity are Champions! Their fourth consecutive tittle.
Who wants to bet on next season’s winner?

[Coach]

@Ssebo, each victory only entices new enemies and lessens the fire in the belly of the battle-hardened. City were taken to the wire, relied on individual brilliance more than team mechanics on many occasions this season. The once impenetrable defence was breached more times than ever. De Bruyne's brilliance is being chased by age and injury. Walker, once deemed incapable to play the Pep rightback role, at 33 turn 34 at the end of the month, with no worthy successor, will be a campaign more worn. Bernado's will he, won't he summer will soon start. Rodri has spoken candidly of exhaustion, undroppable due to failure of deputies to thrive. Next season will be anything but a shoe-in. There will be challengers. Some old. Some new. City will not be as strong lest they strengthen considerably.

[danfo driver]

4 TITLES IN A ROW! A LEAGUE DOMINATED BY ONE TEAM! A SMALL LEAGUE.

[Kabalega]

@Ssebo, each victory only entices new enemies and lessens the fire in the belly of the battle-hardened. City were taken to the wire, relied on individual brilliance more than team mechanics on many occasions this season. The once impenetrable defence was breached more times than ever. De Bruyne's brilliance is being chased by age and injury. Walker, once deemed incapable to play the Pep rightback role, at 33 turn 34 at the end of the month, with no worthy successor, will be a campaign more worn. Bernado's will he, won't he summer will soon start. Rodri has spoken candidly of exhaustion, undroppable due to failure of deputies to thrive. Next season will be anything but a shoe-in. There will be challengers. Some old. Some new. City will not be as strong lest they strengthen considerably.

Great points. However, City have been here before.
And remember, they have a network of teams they send their young guns out to grow.
Besides Arsenal and maybe Aston Villa, I don’t see any other team threatening them next season.

[danfo driver]

He owns the league! No wonder he is thinking of leaving. It is not longer a motivating to just walk it over and over and over and over again.