2019/20 Premier League & General Football Discussion

[Liquid]

Bolton manager Phil Parkinson and his assistant Steve Parkin have handed in their resignations.

I don't blame them with the dire condition the club is in; facing a winding-up order like Bury, docked 12 points before the season had begun and had to cancel their fixture on Tuesday because they couldn't guarantee the safety of the youth players they would have had to use.

They could only field three senior players last Saturday due to reasons various and got hockeyed 0-5 by Tranmere Rovers.

21st August - Phil Parkinson (Bolton Wanderers, resigned) League One

Resigned - 2
Sacked - 1

Total: 3

 

[88GTA]

Franck Ribery has joined Fiorentina after his contract expired at Bayern.

 

[MUSC4EVER]

Friday night Football is tomorrow so I'll post this today.

Friday Night
Aston Villa v Everton (8pm Sky)

Saturday
Brighton v Southampton
Liverpool v Arsenal (5.30 Sky)
Man United v Crystal Palace
Norwich v Chelsea (12.30 BT)
Sheffield United v Leicester
Watford v West Ham

Sunday
Bournemouth v Man City (2pm Sky)
Tottenham v Newcastle (4.30 Sky)
Wolves v Burnley (4.30)

 

[MUSC4EVER]

Aston Villa 2-0 Everton.

First win and first points on the board for Villa thanks to strikes from record signing Wesley and Anwar El Ghazi.

 

[Jezza819]

All of the promoted teams with points this early. If this keeps up the relegation fight might involve a lot more teams than just them come spring time.

 

[Dave A]

United 1 - 2 Palace, Palace scoring the winner in extra time. You couldn't have made it up, credit to Palace, but I think they got lucky with a few of the referee's decisions in this one. Their last man fouled Martial who was through on goal and got away with just a yellow and there was a contentious fould in the box for tugging not given also. Rashford took the penalty we were awarded and missed, he should have let Pogba take it .

We need to start taking advantage of periods in which we domiate posession. It's always hard to break down a team that put 10 men behind the ball throught a lot of the match, but we absolutely shouldn't be losing to them. It was nice to see James score again though, he is definitely more of a threat on the left than he is on the right.

 

[Dennisch]

L'Equipe reports that Sir Cries-a-lot will stay at PSG, most likely because neither Barcelona nor Real Madrid have the money to bring him back to Spain.

 

[MUSC4EVER]

Todays results

Norwich 2-3 Chelsea
Brighton 0-2 Southampton
Man United 1-2 Palace
Sheffield United 1-2 Leicester
Watford 1-3 West Ham
Liverpool 3-1 Arsenal

Frantic first half in the early game which saw four goals in the first twenty minutes , Dominant second half display by Liverpool got them the win.

And then there's United, I was at work again today so I cant really comment on the performance as I didn't see it, but from what I understand we didn't create enough, either way its a very disappointing result and our early optimism following the big win over Chelsea has now evaporated.

 

[JohnBM01]

I think I read that Crystal Palace finally knocked off Manchester United, they used to be 0-16-4 against Man-U. I don't know if that's the all-time record prior to this win, but congratulations to Crystal Palace. I didn't see the game at all. I just followed the scores posted by ESPN on their Bottom Line.

A friend of mine on Facebook is a Liverpool fan, so I'm sure he's proud seeing Liverpool take down Arsenal. I want to shout out to Chelsea FC on their victory also.

 

[Jezza819]

Crystal Palace, the new kings of Manchester. Beat Man City at The Etihad last year and now beat United at Old Trafford. I don't know how VAR doesn't give a penalty when Martial is pulled down in the box. I thought that was the kind of thing that VAR was supposed to fix.

I got worried when NBC was predicting a draw between Liverpool & Arsenal so I didn't watch it live. Silly me. But that's why I have Premier League Gold Zone so I will watch it later tonight.

 

[Dennisch]

I am watching the recaps, and that Romanian at Brighton who got the red card should be suspended for the rest of season. What a ridiculous foul. With a charge like that you could end someone's career.

 

[Liquid]

I think I read that Crystal Palace finally knocked off Manchester United, they used to be 0-16-4 against Man-U. I don't know if that's the all-time record prior to this win, but congratulations to Crystal Palace. I didn't see the game at all. I just followed the scores posted by ESPN on their Bottom Line.

In the Premier League era, certainly; Manchester United had not lost to Crystal Palace since records began in 1992.

 

[Touring Mars]

I am watching the recaps, and that Romanian at Brighton who got the red card should be suspended for the rest of season. What a ridiculous foul. With a charge like that you could end someone's career.

I happened to catch that on Match Of The Day this morning - what a disgrace that guy is. He's already had a three-match ban for violent conduct this year, and this incident should be an automatic three match ban, but I suspect/hope that he is handed a more severe penalty for this, not least becasue it is clear that he hasn't learned from his previous ban.

 

[Jezza819]

If Tottenham beats Newcastle 2-1 today, someone will win the $50,000 jackpot on NBC Sports Predictor. They actually picked Crystal Palace going to Old Trafford and winning 2-1 plus getting the other three game scores exactly right. Liverpool vs. Arsenal was the only one I've got exactly right so far. I've got Tottenham winning today 3-0.

 

[MUSC4EVER]

Bournemouth 1-3 Man City, two goals from Aguero and the other from Sterling, Bournemouth's goal was curtesy of a brilliant Harry Wilson free kick that you need if you haven't! Good performance from Bournemouth despite the defeat.

Swansea continued their good start with a comfortable 3-0 win over Birmingham in the championship earlier, I'm just as surprised as anyone else over this good start, no-one really saw it coming and Steve Cooper is doing a great job and hopefully it will continue for as long as possible, we are up to second now!

 

[Famine]

In the Premier League era, certainly; Manchester United had not lost to Crystal Palace since records began in 1992.

But there was no football before 1992?

 

[Liquid]

But there was no football before 1992?

None at all.

 

[Jezza819]

Well there's that Newcastle goal that the person needed for their $50,000. Unbelievable. Now they need two from Spurs.

 

[MUSC4EVER]

Spurs 0-1 Newcastle, yep that actually happened! goal from club-record signing Joelinton.

Wolves and Burnley finished 1-1, Ashley Barnes for Burnley and a 97th minute equalizer from Jimenez.

 

[andrea]

Zero fluidity, zero solidity and zero control. Hard to believe this is Barca team is coached by a man starting his third season. Looks like the opposite. #ValverdeOut

 

[MUSC4EVER]

Bolton are on the brink of liquidation after the latest takeover deal collapsed on Saturday morning, EFL have given the club until 5pm tomorrow for the club to be taken over or they could face expulsion from the League.

 

[Touring Mars]

Bolton are on the brink of liquidation after the latest takeover deal collapsed on Saturday morning, EFL have given the club until 5pm tomorrow for the club to be taken over or they could face expulsion from the League.

Bury also have until 5 pm this evening to avoid liquidation.

It is a great shame to see not one but two historic clubs with large fan bases facing extinction, but sadly it is not all that surprising.

That said, one of Scotland's biggest clubs (Rangers) has survived liquidation and is now back to where they were before liquidation i.e. Scotlands' second best team, so it is (hopefully) not all doom and gloom for these clubs.

 

[88GTA]

I'm doing a Bury FC career mode in FIFA 19 because it's going to be a long time before we get to see them back in the game again.

 

[Liquid]

That said, one of Scotland's biggest clubs (Rangers) has survived liquidation and is now back to where they were before liquidation i.e. Scotlands' second best team, so it is (hopefully) not all doom and gloom for these clubs.

The Rangers phoenix club were admitted into the SPFL immediately; the same won't happen to Bolton and Bury. They'll both be in the North West Counties League or maybe the Northern Premier Division One/Two if they're lucky, should it come to that. Precedents were set with the last two Football League clubs to become defunct in Aldershot, Maidstone and Newport County.

In other news, it's reported that Tammy Abraham was issued with a random drug test after the Norwich vs Chelsea game. It's good to know that players are tested because I think doping in football is the biggest scandal in all sports waiting to happen but what I find hilarious about it is that it caused him to miss the team's flight from Norwich back to London. A flight that must take... what, 20 minutes?

 

[Liquid]

BREAKING:

C&N Sporting Risk will not be pursuing their interest in Bury FC any further. There are 52 minutes until the deadline.

 

[MUSC4EVER]

The deadline has passed, nothing yet from Bury or the EFL but Bolton say that talk still ongoing over their latest takeover deal and they are releasing a statement tonight.

 

[MUSC4EVER]

Bury have been expelled from the Football League, the proposed takeover bid from C&N Risk collapsed, the EFL Board met this evening and took this decision

Bury were founded in 1885 and won two FA Cups, they were unable to fulfil their first five League One games and we also expelled from the Carabao Cup after they couldn't put a team out against Sheffield Wednesday in the first round, they are the first time to be expelled from the Football League since Maidstone United in 1992.

League One now becomes a 23 team league with three relegation places rather than four, the EFL will meet again next month to discuss the ramifications this will have for League Two next season.

Bolton on the other hand have been given a 14-day deadline to their administrators to sell the club or prove they can fund the team for the rest of the season, they have been able to play matches but with most if not all of the senior players leaving this summer they have only been able to play young players.

This is a very sad day.

 

[Liquid]

Financial Fair Play and the Fit & Proper Persons Test have worked brilliantly; allegedly according to one tweet I've read 41 out of 52 companies Bury's Steve Dale has been involved with have gone bankrupt and been liquidated. How does that pass the FPPT?

There was an interesting Twitter thread from a Wrexham fan outlining how, given that our club has twice faced liquidation since 2004 and just about survived, the club has declined from the third tier to the fifth where it remains after 11 years. Our books are now balanced and we are owned, operated and run by a fans' trust but despite incredible attendences for the division and a balanced approach to budgeting, we cannot sign the players and coaching talent that clubs smaller in stature and even budgets can.

Clubs are incentivised to gamble on a promotion, to mortgage the club's future on going up and this is what has led to the situation at Bury. No-one 'forced' them to spent beyond their means but certainly, nothing stopped them. Are clubs publicly audited each season by the FAs or Leagues? If not, why not? The way the media and Football League together celebrated the promotion of Salford City, a club owned by five millionaires and one billionaire, only serves to highlight the financialisation of football and the risk-taking needed to survive. Salford were turbostroked for months because they spent lots of money so other clubs... why not do the same? Who cares if it's money you don't actually have? Who cares if creditors cannot be satisfied?

Clubs that are balanced stay perpetually stagnated.
Clubs that gamble either win... or lose heavily.

The Football League and Premier League need to take a long hard look at themselves and their incessant pursuit of corporatising football. There's no reward for having a balanced book and the league table doesn't lie but clubs that look after themselves are being put aside as second-class citizens in both being able to secure labour and in being a presentable media commodity. You're midtable for life for not mortgaging the club's future and being sustainable.

In fact, had the FL implemented stricter rules Bolton and Bury would have been kicked out before the start of the season.

 

[PzR Slim]

Financial Fair Play and the Fit & Proper Persons Test have worked brilliantly; allegedly according to one tweet I've read 41 out of 52 companies Bury's Steve Dale has been involved with have gone bankrupt and been liquidated. How does that pass the FPPT?

The Football League has lots of questions to answer.



How can he pass the test? Incredible.

 

[Akmuq]

Fun fact, my dog would literally pass the fit and proper persons test.