The shitness of modern football

[Tony Moanero]

The Champions League Final not being on terrestrial television. Load of bollocks, it really is.

[navbasi]

The Champions League Final not being on terrestrial television. Load of bollocks, it really is.

Agree but BT Sport are showing it for free online.

[s(k)aturation]

Odgen, ESPN...

 

 

Man United, Chelsea are flawed, and second-rate FA Cup won't cover their failings. 

 

The FA Cup still matters, and it will certainly matter to the supporters of whichever of Chelsea or Manchester United lifts the cup at Wembley on Saturday, but this final does not set pulses racing like it should. It is two of English football's biggest clubs -- when you add up the trophies won by English teams this century, United and Chelsea are way ahead of the rest -- and the game also gives us a classic clash between two managers who have made it clear that they do not like each other. 

 

This FA Cup final, therefore, is a collision between two juggernauts, with a genuine rivalry on the touchline too. Could we have asked for more? The big problem about this final, though, is the mood music going into the game. Saturday should be about one club adding yet another trophy to their collection, but whoever ends up victorious, it will feel like a consolation prize.  Added to that is the sense that both clubs and managers go into this weekend underneath heavy grey clouds, with neither United and Jose Mourinho or Chelsea and Antonio Conte meeting expectations this season. In the case of United, a win on Saturday would move them level with Arsenal as the competition's most successful club with 13 FA Cups. But with Manchester City cruising to the Premier League title, amassing an unprecedented 100 points to embellish their success, and Liverpool making it to the Champions League final in Kiev next week, an FA Cup will feel like small fry compared to what their biggest rivals could achieve.

 

City and Liverpool have also played with style and ambition, in contrast to the more cautious, functional approach of Mourinho's United, so there is no sense of celebration around Old Trafford in the build-up to the cup final. It may smack of arrogance or a misplaced sense of worth, but United are about winning Premier Leagues and European Cups. FA Cups are great, but they simply do not measure up when the bigger prizes are won by others. And as for Chelsea, their campaign has left Conte's position hanging by a thread. With last season's champions finishing this season outside the top four, Saturday will almost certainly be Conte's final game in charge because even a win at Wembley is unlikely to be enough to save him. Next season will be about Thursday nights in the Europa League and attempting to build again under a new manager and winning the FA Cup won't change that. 

 

But there is also an under-riding sense that this cup final is a clash between two teams who have no obvious forward momentum. A cup final can often be the launchpad for something bigger and better, and that would have applied to Tottenham had they made it past United to make it to Wembley this weekend. But both United and Chelsea are flawed right now. Chelsea are looking rudderless under Conte, while United's team under Mourinho appears no closer to being the finished article, two years after he arrived to build it. United are a team that has beaten all of the top six at least once this season and finished a comfortable second in the Premier League, but they also lost to all three promoted clubs and dropped points against relegated Stoke and West Brom. They remain an enigma. But would winning the FA Cup save United's or Chelsea's season? That is often the comfort blanket thrown out for teams that have under-delivered, but it will not cover up the failings of either of them. They both want and expect to be challenging for the biggest prizes and neither has come close to suggesting they are anywhere near ready to win the league or European Cup any time soon.  

 

Winning an FA Cup and celebrating it in traditional fashion would ultimately be nothing more than a reminder of their shortcomings in the competitions which, to United and Chelsea at least, are the only ones that really matter. But that is the problem when clubs have gorged on success, as United and Chelsea have.  

 

When the big trophies end up somewhere else, games like the FA Cup final do not seem to matter quite so much as they used to.

[Grinch]

Cups were a lot better before money made the champions league the only thing worth caring about for clubs.

[Tony Moanero]

FA Cup Final 5:15pm kick off. Load of shite, it really is.

[magicrat]

FA Cup Final 5:15pm kick off. Load of shite, it really is.

 

Not arsed really Tony , It's the two teams I hate most anyway,  can go out this afternoon miss all the wedding bollocks and come back and watch it until Utd score then fuck off to the pub, 

[sir roger]

FA Cup Final 5:15pm kick off. Load of shite, it really is.

 

Does Flashscore update at teatime ?

[Tj hooker]

Should be 3 o'clock kick off and players being interviewed drinking pints of milk afterwards

[sir roger]

The mascots having Wembley’s sponsors logos on their shirts

[WhiskeyJar]

In Cyprus we get most of the televised games, 1 each time slot on a Saturday 2:30pm (early kick off 12:30pm UK time) 5:00pm (3:00pm UK time) and 7:30pm (5:30 UK). My issue is 2 fold:

 

1. It's only available by cable TV and have to shell out 50quid a month just for the privilege of watching live Premier League football. Don't like illegally obtain stream boxes which are closed down every other week.

2. The commentary is only available in Greek with no pre or post match analysis.

 

I do follow up with the pundits over youtube or stream sites but a televised football culture abroad is not the same as when experiencing it in England. This includes FA Cup games too.

[VladimirIlyich]

Should be 3 o'clock kick off and players being interviewed drinking pints of milk afterwards

Apparently milk is still as good as those fancy sports drinks too.

[Rick Sanchez C-137]

In Cyprus we get most of the televised games, 1 each time slot on a Saturday 2:30pm (early kick off 12:30pm UK time) 5:00pm (3:00pm UK time) and 7:30pm (5:30 UK). My issue is 2 fold:

 

1. It's only available by cable TV and have to shell out 50quid a month just for the privilege of watching live Premier League football. Don't like illegally obtain stream boxes which are closed down every other week.

2. The commentary is only available in Greek with no pre or post match analysis.

 

I do follow up with the pundits over youtube or stream sites but a televised football culture abroad is not the same as when experiencing it in England. This includes FA Cup games too.

Get yourself IPTV. £6.50 a month and they are pretty reliable. Can watching on your phone or cast it up to a TV.

[VladimirIlyich]

Get yourself IPTV. £6.50 a month and they are pretty reliable. Can watching on your phone or cast it up to a TV.

We have a thread on the Techy Nerd forum about it too.

[sir roger]

Is the BT Sport you tube thing not accessible from Cyprus ?

[WhiskeyJar]

Is the BT Sport you tube thing not accessible from Cyprus ?

Nope...not available.

Ironically we get BFBS radio 2 which switches to Radio 4 and Radio 5 live when a football event is on.

 

Champions league not a problem in English commentary either as it's offered in dual audio. Cypriot media owners did not want to pay more for English commentary audio Premier League games.

 

Match of the day I get from streaming sites. We also just got recently Liverpool TV on cable which I watch on occasion.

[A_S]

UEFA have blocked the screening of the CL final in a lecture theatre in a Melbourne-based university through the official supporters club here. This despite the local broadcasters who have already paid for the rights having no issue with it. 

 

Cunts. 

[chris71]

UEFA have blocked the screening of the CL final in a lecture theatre in a Melbourne-based university through the official supporters club here. This despite the local broadcasters who have already paid for the rights having no issue with it.

 

Cunts.

The people's game a?

[Trumo]

Some twat with a microphone following Salah around Valencia airport asking stupid questions, because some viewers/readers think it's in the public's interest.

[Harry Squatter]

Dickheads starting embarassing petitions because they don't like losing or Cunty players.

[Trumo]

Players receiving death threats on social media because of something they did or didn't do during a game.

[Dr Nowt]

The phrase “heads have fallen off” being the latest disingenuous in terms of ubiquity.

[an tha]

This:

 

https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/announcements/303686-lfc-keeps-fans-up-to-speed-with-4g-at-anfield

 

Especially this part:

 

"Supporters will be able to keep up to date with the latest news, sporting results and share images of their time at Anfield whilst attending the game.

 

LFC is hoping the changes will ensure that fans can enjoy an immersive experience at Anfield with high-speed connectivity – sharing images on social media and keeping in touch with friends."

 

Obviously a result of those surveys they send out from time to time after been the game and all the whoppers and tourists have complained they can't send their videos to facebook/whatsapp their mates their pics and videos etc whilst game is on.

[Guest]

This:

 

https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/announcements/303686-lfc-keeps-fans-up-to-speed-with-4g-at-anfield

 

Especially this part:

 

"Supporters will be able to keep up to date with the latest news, sporting results and share images of their time at Anfield whilst attending the game.

 

LFC is hoping the changes will ensure that fans can enjoy an immersive experience at Anfield with high-speed connectivity – sharing images on social media and keeping in touch with friends."

 

Obviously a result of those surveys they send out from time to time after been the game and all the whoppers and tourists have complained they can't send their videos to facebook/whatsapp their mates their pics and videos etc whilst game is on.

Although I can see why this would be seen as a shitness thing, I can also see why it would have huge benefits. So many people in close proximity would mean network coverage would probably be quite poor so suddenly easy access. In the event of urgent contact perhaps a bit easier too with stronger internet access. But the whole 'getting the latest news' while watching a live football match screams of ADHD to me. Therefore this part belongs 100% in the Shitness of Modern Football 101 Box.

[Bjornebye]

If you sit on your phone during the match then you shouldn't be at the match

[TheHowieLama]

Hyperbolic Chambers.