Football

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Who would have thought earlier this season when Manchester United were soundly thrashed 1-6 at home to Spurs and seemed unable to win at Old Trafford that they would be topping the Premier League in mid-January.

 

[SurreyCommuter]

Who would have thought earlier this season when Manchester United were soundly thrashed 1-6 at home to Spurs and seemed unable to win at Old Trafford that they would be topping the Premier League in mid-January.

In fact both of the current top two have lost a game by 5 goals this year. Also despite conceding 6 or 7 in a game they have both gone on to score 6 or 7 in a later game.

 

[SS4]

Who would have thought earlier this season when Manchester United were soundly thrashed 1-6 at home to Spurs and seemed unable to win at Old Trafford that they would be topping the Premier League in mid-January.

Their top player, Dodgy Penalty, has been on form for them

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Hyde United will have gone more than two months without playing a league match since their 1-1 draw at home to Lancaster City on 3rd November until their next league match away to South Shields on 9th January 2021.

Latest news is that match against South Shields was postponed, as are the next eight scheduled league matches after it and that Hyde United's next league match will not be until 13th March.....home to Matlock Town.....a four month gap.

 

[DarloRich]

Got a bit smug with the PPG earlier this week.

Farsley 1 v Darlo 0.

YET again beaten by a well organised side who don't give us time on the ball. We have no physical presence, no plan b and a defense that seemingly rejects organisation! Poor.

Latest news is that match against South Shields was postponed, as are the next eight scheduled league matches after it and that Hyde United's next league match will not be until 13th March.....home to Matlock Town.....a four month gap.

The leagues below NLN are going to be binned at this rate

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

The leagues below NLN are going to be binned at this rate

Sense of deja vu for Hyde United, as last season, at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, their remaining ten league matches due to be played between 14/3/20 and 25/4/20 were all summarily cancelled and they lost the opportunity of a chance of silverware, as they had qualified for the semi-final stage of the Cheshire Senior Cup.

General queries
What strange fate appears to have struck Wolves over the last month or so?
Do Liverpool often not score in league matches played at Anfield?

 

[DarloRich]

Sense of deja vu for Hyde United, as last season, at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, their remaining ten league matches due to be played between 14/3/20 and 25/4/20 were all summarily cancelled

it looks NL & NLN/NLS will be next to void as the government have indicated that any financial support will be in the form of loans not the grants issued during the previous lockdown. it seems the clubs felt they had started the season without spectators on the proviso that grants were promised by the government to cover the shortfall in gate money. The government now say they always intended any payments to be loans. The clubs, especially at NLN/NLS level do not feel it is practical or sensible to enter to take on large debts at this time and that without grants or spectators the clubs cant afford to play on.

There is a good article here: https://theathletic.com/news/national-league-cancelled-curtailed-football/cX1YdVJt55wM

EDIT - the NL board have hardly covered themselves in glory with this and should not have allowed this situation to develop. I cant see how the league can continue or players continue to be paid. The is no clear pathway out of this mess

DOUBLE EDIT: We havent even got player/staff testing and teams (in our case of blokes with real jobs) are trundling all over the country at the high of a pandemic. It is bonkers!

The Athletic:
The National League season is at risk of being called off this week following talks between the league and the Department of Culture, Media and Sport over funding, Jack Pitt-Brooke and Philip Buckingham can reveal.

Mark Ives, the league’s interim general manager, has called a meeting with clubs on Wednesday where he is expected to break the bad news that there will be no more government grant money for the second half of the season.

The majority of clubs in the National League North and South are expected to insist that their seasons cannot continue without extra help, raising the prospect of the seasons being declared void before the half-way point.

What strange fate appears to have struck Wolves over the last month or so?

They lost their main goalscorer Raúl Jiménez with a fractured skull ( at Emirates v Arsenal) and replaced him with a kid. Added to that in the summer they lost the majority of the goals from last season with Doherty & Jota moving on.

 

[507021]

Do Liverpool often not score in league matches played at Anfield?

Teams go through bad patches, although four league games without a win is a concern. It's almost like our forwards have forgotten how to score.

A few opinions regarding our current form:

• I like Firmino, but Klopp needs to drop him as soon as Jota is available again. He's been dreadful for several months.
• When he's available, Shaqiri should play as much as possible. I like how well he links up with Alcantara.
• We need a centre back urgently. Our defence is doing well, but it was a mistake to go into this season with three senior central defenders.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Teams go through bad patches, although four league games without a win is a concern. It's almost like our forwards have forgotten how to score.

Home team
72% possession
27 shots...6 on target
12 corners

Away team
28% possession
6 shots...4 on target
0 corners

How did the away team manage to win 1-0?

 

[507021]

Home team
72% possession
27 shots...6 on target
12 corners

Away team
28% possession
6 shots...4 on target
0 corners

How did the away team manage to win 1-0?

Because their forwards haven't forgotten how to score.

 

[Bevan Price]

Because their forwards haven't forgotten how to score.

And/or because opponents have found out how to disrupt your tactics ?

 

[backontrack]

It's Leicester's league to lose now.

 

[tomwills98]

Looks like Cardiff is about to enter another banter era if McCarthy signs

 

[DarloRich]

National League North and South suspended for 2 weeks : https://www.thenationalleague.org.uk/national-league-statement-two-week-suspension-to-n-65013

national League: Following the review of the feedback from Clubs in connection to the recent Clubs meeting, a Board meeting this morning decided to halt the participation in the North/South Divisions for a two-week period, effective immediately.

As a result, tomorrow's games are formally postponed.

This comes after a number of meetings between team directors and the release of a letter yesterday signed by 12 NLN club directors effectively saying they could not continue the season because they were not prepared to enter into unclear long term loan agreements that might imperil their clubs. The season can only continue if grant funding is forthcoming asap. They also state the danger to their staff, players and families is unacceptable due to the lack of a testing regime.

Funding debate -- twelve clubs write to the league - News

darlingtonfc.co.uk

NLN Clubs:
Following a meeting with the National League board and the FA to discuss the options presented to us, we are making the following statement.

“Whilst the integrity of the National League is important, we do not value this above the safety and wellbeing of our families, staff, volunteers or that of our heroic workers who are tackling this pandemic on the frontline. Furthermore we have now been asked to consider loans against our clubs, and we are quite simply not prepared to trade whilst insolvent.

“Therefore, we are calling for the immediate suspension of the league competition to allow the National League, FA and DCMS time to find a solution that is acceptable to all. This suspension will allow us time to lobby our respective MPs and carry out our own financial risk assessments against avoiding a null and void scenario.

“An inability to secure funding to cover COVID testing and the loss of fans will continue to render us insolvent and we are not prepared to prolong this beyond 29th January 2021.

“We are duty bound as mere custodians of our clubs and will do everything we can to ensure we do not place any avoidable further financial burden now or in the future upon our community assets.

“Quite simply, 66 clubs would not have willingly participated in any footballing competition which initiated playing contracts, without assurances.”

 

[backontrack]

I'm absolutely shocked; stunned beyond belief.

Nicolas Pepe has just done something of note in an Arsenal shirt!

 

[Markdvdman]

Well Liverpool actually performed tonight beating Spurs 3-1. Spurs were poor though. Title will be tough to get with Man City on fire

 

[Cowley]

Well Liverpool actually performed tonight beating Spurs 3-1. Spurs were poor though. Title will be tough to get with Man City on fire

Absolutely, but Liverpool really needed to do what they did tonight otherwise it was game over for the league.
It might well be game over anyway but at least Liverpool will hopefully fight City until the end of the season. Feels like the damage might be too much now though, and City are looking mightily impressive at the moment.

 

[Markdvdman]

Absolutely, but Liverpool really needed to do what they did tonight otherwise it was game over for the league.
It might well be game over anyway but at least Liverpool will hopefully fight City until the end of the season. Feels like the damage might be too much now though, and City are looking mightily impressive at the moment.

Quite true about Man City but this season has thrown up quirks everywhere. Man city could have a small bad run akin to Liverpool's. I would be surprised if anybody caught them but if I was a betting man it still looks like Man City and Liverpool first 2. For the neutral it is indeed tedious I agree!

 

[Kite159]

Absolutely, but Liverpool really needed to do what they did tonight otherwise it was game over for the league.
It might well be game over anyway but at least Liverpool will hopefully fight City until the end of the season. Feels like the damage might be too much now though, and City are looking mightily impressive at the moment.

And losing 4-1 at home to Man City probably doesn't help

 

[Cowley]

And losing 4-1 at home to Man City probably doesn't help

Ouch. I thought at 1-1 Liverpool might sneak a draw or maybe even a very unlikely win. The league is City’s this year now though and to be fair they probably deserve it.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Ouch. I thought at 1-1 Liverpool might sneak a draw or maybe even a very unlikely win. The league is City’s this year now though and to be fair they probably deserve it.

It is at times like this when goalkeeping errors come into play, but two by the Liverpool keeper in a very short period of time saw the score move from 1-1 to 1-3.

 

[Cowley]

It is at times like this when goalkeeping errors come into play, but two by the Liverpool keeper in a very short period of time saw the score move from 1-1 to 1-3.

Definitely. He’s still a great keeper though. It’s not been an easy season for Liverpool with the injuries they’ve had and the way the games seem to coming round so quickly.
There’s a chance they might do something in the Champions League I suppose, but after the last couple of seasons this one looks like it’ll be ending with a whimper at this rate.

 

[Peregrine 4903]

Liverpool really have fallen apart. This really proves just how good Van Dijk actually is.

And when did Gundogan get this good. The guy is legitamtely making a case to be one of the best players in the world at the minute.

 

[SteveM70]

Liverpool really have fallen apart. This really proves just how good Van Dijk actually is.

And when did Gundogan get this good. The guy is legitamtely making a case to be one of the best players in the world at the minute.

I don’t think Liverpool is just about their injuries, although clearly they’re a big factor. Last year nearly all of their players over-performed; this year far fewer have

Gundogan is playing a lot further forward than he was before de Bruyne got injured, and the way City play their attacking midfielders always seem to get a lot of goals

 

[Peregrine 4903]

I don’t think Liverpool is just about their injuries, although clearly they’re a big factor. Last year nearly all of their players over-performed; this year far fewer have

Gundogan is playing a lot further forward than he was before de Bruyne got injured, and the way City play their attacking midfielders always seem to get a lot of goals

Mane's drop in form is rather concerning if your a Liverpool Fan. I mean Firmino hasn't been good enough despite a few moments of brilliance for a while, but Mane's finishing has been awful this season.

Gundogan is playing further forwards but he has been utterly world class this season. An absolutely superb player.

 

[SS4]

Martinez being a right spoilsport by not letting Brighton score on Valentine's day.

We were lucky to get a point from that game in large part due to our keeper's outstanding performance

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Brentford 0 ... Barnsley 2

Did not see that as a possible home shock defeat, after Brentford in the top two, were on a long league unbeaten run.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Brentford 0 ... Barnsley 2

Did not see that as a possible home shock defeat, after Brentford in the top two, were on a long league unbeaten run.

There's no such thing as a sure thing in the Championship... apart from the near certainty that if Huddersfield Town take the lead in a game they'll collapse and end up losing!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Liverpool down in 6th place after the Monday night match results.

I bet that Victor Meldrew would have a saying that reflects that state of affairs.

 

[DarloRich]

The National League "leadership" have announced that following the completion of a complicated and protracted voting system the season for National League North and South clubs will be declared null and void. The season for the National League will continue. It has taken FAR to long for this sensible decision to be reached.

From the league: Resolution results - News

darlingtonfc.co.uk

DFC:
Resolution 1
That Resolution 2 about whether to end the 2020/21 Playing Season of The National League (Step 1) be taken only by Clubs in the National League and that Resolution 3 about whether to end the 2020/21 Playing Season of the National League North and the National League South (Step 2) be taken only by Clubs that play in the National League North or the National League South with votes cast for Resolution 3 being counted on a one member, one vote basis for National League North and National League South Clubs.

National Division FOR 21 AGAINST 0
North FOR 16 AGAINST 6
South FOR 9 AGAINST 12
Result – Passed
As a result, Resolution 4 is disregarded.

Resolution 2 (Step 1 Clubs Only)
That, conditional upon Resolution 1 being passed, the 2020/21 Playing Season of the National League (Step 1) shall immediately end on the date this Resolution 2 is passed and be declared null and void and subject to the approval of The Football Association, those Regulations that provide for promotion and relegation to and from Step 1 be suspended for the 2020/21 Playing Season.

National Division FOR 7 AGAINST 13
Result – Not Passed
As a result – the National League National Division will continue to operate for the remainder of the season


Resolution 3 (Step 2 Clubs only)
That, conditional upon Resolution 1 being passed, the 2020/21 Playing Season of the National League North and the National League South (Step 2) shall immediately end on the date this Resolution 3 is passed and be declared null and void and subject to the approval of The Football Association those Regulations that provide for promotion and relegation to and from Step 2 be suspended for the 2020/21 Playing Season.

North FOR 15 AGAINST 7
South FOR 9 AGAINST 12
Result – Passed
Resolution is passed and consequently the season at Step 2 is null and void with immediate effect.


Note – There are 2 votes from the National Division that have not yet been cast, however, the outcome of the resolutions cannot be affected by these votes, however they are cast.

With the voting procedure now closed, National League North and South fixtures will cease with immediate effect.