The shitness of modern football

[Guest Pistonbroke]

48 minutes ago, lifetime fan said:

Leicester winning the league? 

 

Has to be the most plausible winner from a neutrals prospective, once in a lifetime achievement given the circumstances. You have to laugh at some of the choices though, clearly the BBC are loving their new role as Media trolls. 

[Barrington Womble]

15 hours ago, No2 said:

She manages Chelsea so she should be a cunts but I like listening to her. Posting this in here because I'm sick of cunts apologising when that shouldn't.

 

Liverpool Women have hit back at criticism from the Chelsea manager, Emma Hayes, over the state of their pitch.

Speaking after her side’s 1-1 draw on Sunday at Prenton Park, where Liverpool Women play their games, Hayes branded the pitch the worst in the WSL.

Both teams struggled in the conditions at Tranmere’s ground after heavy rain before the match and during play.

“This pitch shouldn’t be part of our league,” Hayes said. “Our league deserves better standards and I think Liverpool – champions of Europe – should provide their women’s team with significantly more than they’re doing.

 

“I think the quality of that pitch – the worst in the league – is a stain on their club.”

Hayes then apologised on Monday via Twitter, adding Liverpool “deserved the point against us”. However Liverpool sent out their own statement, which read: “In Prenton Park, Liverpool Women have the use of a League One facility, further up the football pyramid than many other clubs in WSL.

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“Despite dreadful weather conditions in the run-up to Sunday’s game – and heavy rain during play – the ground staff ensured a playable pitch and a highly competitive game was the result.

“We wish Emma Hayes and her Chelsea team all the very best for the rest of the season.”

I'm confused, why shouldn't she apologise? She earns a living in the WSL which broadly play in front of empty stadiums, I think last seasons average attendance for Liverpool was kicking around the same amount who go to watch Sunday league on Stanley park. Why should they be playing on multi million pound football pitches, when not one of her team would get in Tranmere's team and the pitch is good enough for them? Shitness of modern football, it's the idea that somehow women's football is on a par with the top of the men's game. When they start playing in front of 40k crowds paying 50 quid a time, with £10m per game TV rights, maybe she can start bitching about the quality of the pitches. Until then she should learn to shut the fuck up. 

[VladimirIlyich]

4 hours ago, Barry Wom said:

I'm confused, why shouldn't she apologise? She earns a living in the WSL which broadly play in front of empty stadiums, I think last seasons average attendance for Liverpool was kicking around the same amount who go to watch Sunday league on Stanley park. Why should they be playing on multi million pound football pitches, when not one of her team would get in Tranmere's team and the pitch is good enough for them? Shitness of modern football, it's the idea that somehow women's football is on a par with the top of the men's game. When they start playing in front of 40k crowds paying 50 quid a time, with £10m per game TV rights, maybe she can start bitching about the quality of the pitches. Until then she should learn to shut the fuck up. 

Women's football has always been treated with disdain and I have some experience of this at our club.The problem is that if you are genuinely trying to promote the female side of the game then you have to give them acceptable facilities at least and not just do it half arsed.

[No2]

5 hours ago, Barry Wom said:

I'm confused, why shouldn't she apologise? She earns a living in the WSL which broadly play in front of empty stadiums, I think last seasons average attendance for Liverpool was kicking around the same amount who go to watch Sunday league on Stanley park. Why should they be playing on multi million pound football pitches, when not one of her team would get in Tranmere's team and the pitch is good enough for them? Shitness of modern football, it's the idea that somehow women's football is on a par with the top of the men's game. When they start playing in front of 40k crowds paying 50 quid a time, with £10m per game TV rights, maybe she can start bitching about the quality of the pitches. Until then she should learn to shut the fuck up. 

I made the point earlier that we wouldn't allow our under 15s or 16s play a home game and probably away games too on a pitch like that. Either bin it altogether or treat them like Liverpool players.

 

As for the apology, I think she was right to have dig, we are European Champions with a budget in the hundreds of millions, throw the women a few quid for a decent pitch or give up on them altogether.

[Megadrive Man]

23 hours ago, No2 said:

“This pitch shouldn’t be part of our league,” Hayes said. “Our league deserves better standards and I think Liverpool – champions of Europe – should provide their women’s team with significantly more than they’re doing.

It's a tough one this. Men played for decades in worse conditions, and is it not a bit patronizing for the Mens team to bail out the Women? 

[VladimirIlyich]

10 hours ago, MegadriveMan said:

It's a tough one this. Men played for decades in worse conditions, and is it not a bit patronizing for the Mens team to bail out the Women? 

The money in the men's game is obscene and football clubs are supposed to be part of a community. A community includes women and girls who also watch LFC,so why can't they have a way of emulating the players they watch as females too? Our academy lads play on great surfaces so why not the women and girls?

[moof]

The guardian has released its list of top 100 footballers (or at least positions 100-40) and it’s predictably hilarious. 
 

https://www.theguardian.com/global/ng-interactive/2019/dec/17/the-100-best-male-footballers-in-the-world-2019

 

Cazorla ahead of Coutinho, Pukki ahead of Sane, Haaland is number 53, ahead of Werner, Fernandinho, Laporte, Cavani, Icardi, Henderson etc.

[3 Stacks]

It's impossible to get these lists right in the eyes of everybody, but Teemu Pukki even being near that list is just egregious, never mind being put 84th. 

[Barrington Womble]

15 hours ago, No2 said:

I made the point earlier that we wouldn't allow our under 15s or 16s play a home game and probably away games too on a pitch like that. Either bin it altogether or treat them like Liverpool players.

 

As for the apology, I think she was right to have dig, we are European Champions with a budget in the hundreds of millions, throw the women a few quid for a decent pitch or give up on them altogether.

We are European champions of men's football, not this side show everyone is trying to pretend is elite level sport. It's Sunday league shite and it's a trick of modern media and this desperation to appear inclusive that people are buying into it. Personally I don't think we should be worried about it or involved in it, but it's a business and our owners will be taking an approach it's good for business. If they think they're worth investing in a multi million dollar pitch they will, until then they can play on the types of pitches this club built itself on for the it's first 115 years or so when they played on mud baths and is perfectly adequate for all but about the top 30 clubs in the country. 

[Barrington Womble]

16 hours ago, VladimirIlyich said:

Women's football has always been treated with disdain and I have some experience of this at our club.The problem is that if you are genuinely trying to promote the female side of the game then you have to give them acceptable facilities at least and not just do it half arsed.

It's acceptable for the majority of the male professional game - when they can attract that type of financial pulling power, they can rightly expect good facilities. Until then it should be treated with disdain because it's shite and of no real sporting interest. As I said before, shitness of modern football. 

[TheHowieLama]

I think you are underestimating the popularity of the amateur womens game worldwide - millions and millions of young girls. Thats alot of potential fans for a club like ours. A pitch is a drop in the bucket. It is not so much about rewarding the LFC womens team, or even making them more relevant. It is a PR move.

[3 Stacks]

On ‎16‎/‎12‎/‎2019 at 19:11, No2 said:

She manages Chelsea so she should be a cunts but I like listening to her. Posting this in here because I'm sick of cunts apologising when that shouldn't.

 

Liverpool Women have hit back at criticism from the Chelsea manager, Emma Hayes, over the state of their pitch.

Speaking after her side’s 1-1 draw on Sunday at Prenton Park, where Liverpool Women play their games, Hayes branded the pitch the worst in the WSL.

Both teams struggled in the conditions at Tranmere’s ground after heavy rain before the match and during play.

“This pitch shouldn’t be part of our league,” Hayes said. “Our league deserves better standards and I think Liverpool – champions of Europe – should provide their women’s team with significantly more than they’re doing.

 

“I think the quality of that pitch – the worst in the league – is a stain on their club.”

Hayes then apologised on Monday via Twitter, adding Liverpool “deserved the point against us”. However Liverpool sent out their own statement, which read: “In Prenton Park, Liverpool Women have the use of a League One facility, further up the football pyramid than many other clubs in WSL.

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“Despite dreadful weather conditions in the run-up to Sunday’s game – and heavy rain during play – the ground staff ensured a playable pitch and a highly competitive game was the result.

“We wish Emma Hayes and her Chelsea team all the very best for the rest of the season.”

Not to disagree with what she's saying here but her own club plays at Wimbledon's stadium, a club also in League 1, so I'm not sure why the criticism is aimed at Liverpool specifically. I doubt Wimbledon's pitch is a million miles better than Tranmere's.

[Barrington Womble]

1 hour ago, TheHowieLama said:

I think you are underestimating the popularity of the amateur womens game worldwide - millions and millions of young girls. Thats alot of potential fans for a club like ours. A pitch is a drop in the bucket. It is not so much about rewarding the LFC womens team, or even making them more relevant. It is a PR move.

I do not underestimate the appeal of the amateur sport at all. I'm just stating some obvious facts. 1. The professional game in this country is shite, it's men's Sunday league level. 2. Nobody watches it. They can barely give tickets away for it. 

 

And it's not just a question of giving them a good pitch though is it? Where are we putting that pitch? At Tranmere so they can fuck it up? Build them a dedicated stadium? Our pitch at anfield is like a billiard table because it only hosts the bare minimum of games on it. The 1st team and odd youth and women's games (the derby a few weeks back for example), our reserves moved out years ago. It's completely ludicrous to think this sport should have facilities on a par with the men's league in this country. And if the club thought for one minute they could start to access the pockets of the global amateur women's game, there'd be a stadium there quicker than you could say bramley Moore dock. 

[Grinch]

Not that long ago the u23s played there.  Tranmere themselves is a higher standard than the women's game will ever reach. 

[Bjornebye]

I thought the women played at Widnes stadium. I used to stay right by it and often had a quick perv while they were training.  

[TheHowieLama]

What was his name?

[Bjornebye]

7 minutes ago, TheHowieLama said:

What was his name?

Naughtius Maximus 

[TheHowieLama]

Greek, should have known

[No2]

3 hours ago, Barry Wom said:

We are European champions of men's football, not this side show everyone is trying to pretend is elite level sport. It's Sunday league shite and it's a trick of modern media and this desperation to appear inclusive that people are buying into it. Personally I don't think we should be worried about it or involved in it, but it's a business and our owners will be taking an approach it's good for business. If they think they're worth investing in a multi million dollar pitch they will, until then they can play on the types of pitches this club built itself on for the it's first 115 years or so when they played on mud baths and is perfectly adequate for all but about the top 30 clubs in the country. 

I agree whole heartedly it's shit and think we shouldn't have any part in it but once we choose to do so then we need to wise up.  We should treat them the same as the other non first team side's or at very least offer pitches equivalent to the under 15s or 16s. We look after the kids because they could be valuable in the future, if we think the same way about the women's game then invest in it.

 

Anyway this has miles from my original point which was cunts rowing back on statements they make when they shouldn't. 

[Barrington Womble]

4 hours ago, No2 said:

I agree whole heartedly it's shit and think we shouldn't have any part in it but once we choose to do so then we need to wise up.  We should treat them the same as the other non first team side's or at very least offer pitches equivalent to the under 15s or 16s. We look after the kids because they could be valuable in the future, if we think the same way about the women's game then invest in it.

 

Anyway this has miles from my original point which was cunts rowing back on statements they make when they shouldn't. 

Yeah but it's bang on mine which is the shitness of modern football haha. 

 

Edit... And don't the u23s play at the academy? The fucking outrage there'd be if we played the women there not a real stadium. 

[VladimirIlyich]

17 hours ago, Barry Wom said:

I do not underestimate the appeal of the amateur sport at all. I'm just stating some obvious facts. 1. The professional game in this country is shite, it's men's Sunday league level. 2. Nobody watches it. They can barely give tickets away for it. 

 

And it's not just a question of giving them a good pitch though is it? Where are we putting that pitch? At Tranmere so they can fuck it up? Build them a dedicated stadium? Our pitch at anfield is like a billiard table because it only hosts the bare minimum of games on it. The 1st team and odd youth and women's games (the derby a few weeks back for example), our reserves moved out years ago. It's completely ludicrous to think this sport should have facilities on a par with the men's league in this country. And if the club thought for one minute they could start to access the pockets of the global amateur women's game, there'd be a stadium there quicker than you could say bramley Moore dock. 

There are some excellent female players,far better than their male Sunday league counterparts,they simply lack the physical strength and there just aren't quite enough top players just yet. There never will be if they are treated like crap and denied the chance to grow their own game,which is in its infancy compared to the men's game. It's not about treating them the same as the men's team,its about treating them as a part of the club and community.

[Mcfaggen]

Would the Club not have better pitches at the Academy which would suit the numbers of spectators interested (I've no idea how many people turn up to watch the ladies to be honest) for the majority of games? 

[magicrat]

On 18/12/2019 at 12:45, Barry Wom said:

It's acceptable for the majority of the male professional game - when they can attract that type of financial pulling power, they can rightly expect good facilities. Until then it should be treated with disdain because it's shite and of no real sporting interest. As I said before, shitness of modern football. 

Bit harsh , I guess many people do get something from the women's game and disagree. Personally I have zero interest in it, don't watch it and have no opinion on whether their facilities are up to scratch. 

[TheHowieLama]

If I had a dime for every facility I have scratched I could damn near get a piece of paper money.

[Trumo]

I've had a quick read-up on the fortunes of the Liverpool women's team, and honestly it looks like they've been left to fend for themselves by the club. They train at the club's Academy facilities in Kirkby, they were invited on the US Tour last summer alongside the men's team and they have their own set of sponsors, but other than that there doesn't appear to be any inclination to invest in the women's team and make them competitive. Even a sizeable investment for the women's team - one that could put them on par with the best in the league - is a drop in the ocean compared to the vast amounts generated on the men's side. Up until a couple of weeks ago, the women had failed to score in all but 1 game, and that goal came from the penalty spot. They have yet to register a league win this season.

 

About 5 or 6 years ago, the club decided to make the women's team fully professional. Because the other teams in the league were still only semi pro, it meant Liverpool could attract the better players from the league plus a few decent ones from abroad. They had access to high-level coaching for the women's game. The result of this change was immediate as Liverpool won the league for 2 years running. We had a competitive advantage.

 

Several other teams then decided to go fully professional to close that gap, and Man City invested significant sums in their women's team, even taking players from Liverpool. City had the training facilities and the women's team could play at their Mini Etihad stadium which is probably of League Two or Conference capacity but far more modern. Decent facilities. Decent players. Decent coaches, and probably a pay structure that made them far more attractive compared what Liverpool could offer. Liverpool were caught up with and then left far behind.

 

The women's game is actually quite popular in this country and they do get OK crowds, but they still lag behind when it comes to investment. It's a strange one because FSG could probably afford to carry the Liverpool women's team as a loss leader for a few years while investing in bringing in better coaches and better players. Raise the profile and it will bring in a whole subset of Liverpool fans that can look up to and identify more easily with those players. There is money to be made there if they want to look at it in those terms. The top players in the women's game have shown they are prepared to play anywhere as long as there is investment, and that's something that's no different to the men's game.