[Football] What the **** has happened to football

[BN41Albion]

*cough* Newcastle away *cough*

As brilliant as that was, I wouldn't call it one of the more mental results so far

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Exactly. How does it feel for a world class player like De Bruyne to get zero feedback when you do something spectacular?
Does he start to think consciously (or subconsciously) "what's the point?".

Do some players feel more positive, and take more risks, knowing there's no immediate threat from an angry mob?

I think the main feedback they get at the moment is via social media and the media, sadly.
(which is why I've tried to make more of an effort to support our players on twitter and instagram)

Could be...but my guess is that the brick shitters feel more relaxed, and the elite are much as they always are. Standards raised all round.

Villa, big stadium, always 25% empty, entitled fans...not there now...jobzagoodun.

De Bruyne just had an off day, I recon. It happens.

 

[atfc village]

Dem Scousers always have to out do the mancs.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

As brilliant as that was, I wouldn't call it one of the more mental results so far

As viewed through your blue and white stripe tinted spectacles?

 

[BN41Albion]

As viewed through your blue and white stripe tinted spectacles?

In terms of us both being expected by most to be towards the bottom of the table. Hardly a giant killing.

Not taking anything away from the performance and result though!

 

[AmexRuislip]

I'm really up for giving him another chance. He could be very handy I reckon the way this season's going...

Andone would fit the role.
Our only aggression has been Biss' producing a Grande Jeté* on Jamal Lewis's face and a Trossard tut when Sally March didn't cross the ball.

 

[portlock seagull]

I can hear all the usual losers excusing why Villa, in just their 2nd PL season, were always going to hammer Liverpool but when we play them...

Go on losers, excuse away! Maybe use the same ones used when Watford stuffed Liverpool last season!

 

[SimpKingpin]

Could be...but my guess is that the brick shitters feel more relaxed, and the elite are much as they always are. Standards raised all round.

Villa, big stadium, always 25% empty, entitled fans...not there now...jobzagoodun.

De Bruyne just had an off day, I recon. It happens.

De Bruyne was just a big name I picked out of the air.

But everything you have said has a big impact on performances and results IMO.

 

[BN41Albion]

I can hear all the usual losers excusing why Villa, in just their 2nd PL season, were always going to hammer Liverpool but when we play them...

Go on losers, excuse away! Maybe use the same ones used when Watford stuffed Liverpool last season!

The same Watford now playing in the Championship?

Jesus christ man

 

[Wardy's twin]

This.

Anybody still pissing their pants over our defeat to the team in top slot?

As an aside, I was thinking our front three is sort of modeled on the Liverpool front thee approach.

Neither of us have a big centre forward to nut the ball in after a cross from the wing

Anyway, brilliant season so far. Bring more of it on.

To be fair to most fans I think concerns have been focussed on defensive frailities and trying to play two too many passes in the last quarter.

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

Enter stage left Andone

as long as he doesn't start kicking Saints' Players (or anyone else for that matter) for no reason again!

 

[Thunder Bolt]

The goalkeepers union will be offering counselling tomorrow.

 

[portlock seagull]

The same Watford now playing in the Championship?

Jesus christ man

The same Watford that’s had considerably more success than us in recent years, yes! That’s the club! People in glass houses and all that...you make it sound like we coasted last season?!! And the season before. And the season before that.

 

[Seasider78]

Sunday league score lines

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

Sunday league score lines

Aston Brewery Tap 7 - Liverpool Arms 2

Chelsea Tavern 1 - Tottingham Social Club 6

 

[Silverhatch]

The rules are unclear and or confusing. VAR has added to the confusion because it is allowing a game to be refereed twice. The pandemic has produced football that is physically the same product but is psychologically completely different without the raw theatre of a live crowd. Everyone is a bit ****ing pissed off with the whole situation (unless you currently support Everton or Villa)

 

[Mo Gosfield]

Shame we haven't capitalised on it. Huge missed opportunity missing those chances last week

Yesterday proved how poor United are at the moment. They were there for the taking against us and we failed to take that opportunity through bad luck, careless play and loss of concentration. It is likely that at least 12 other PL clubs would have beaten them on the day. We caught Chelsea below par as well and once again carelessness and an inexplicable miss from Dunk cost us dear.
We are not a ' tight ' side. We give other sides plenty of chances. We create quite a lot ourselves and 8 goals in the first 4 games should have produced more than 3 points. We are work in progress, with a lot of young players but I worry how loose we are at the moment. We regularly give the ball away in our final third and at this level it costs you dear. Judging on the current sharpness of a number of sides outside the ' Big Six 'it will be difficult for us to finish above the bottom six unless we really tighten up as a side.

 

[Mo Gosfield]

As long as the Albion get some crazy unpredictable wins.

Should have had one last week but missed the boat.

 

[Mo Gosfield]

I've been scratching my head over this as well. It's such an obvious difference, but then it's hard to work out how and why it would have the impact it appears to be having.

To go off on a slight tangent for a second, my old man was a very handy tennis player in his youth, so much so that he got as far as junior Wimbledon in the early sixties. He spent his summers in those days being coached along with a handful of the country's other talented young players at the national sports centre at Bisham Abbey. At the heart of his coaching was preparing him to play in a stadium environment. This was the sixties so the methods used were probably a little rudimentary by today's standards, but they would do things like practice serving whilst the coaches and other lads would be shouting and gesturing to put each other off.

The point of it all was to try and deliver a consistent level of performance whether playing in front of one man and his dog, or twenty-odd thousand on Centre Court. What we're dealing with here is some of the world's most elite football players - they are conditioned from a young age to ignore the impact of a crowd. And yet, here we are in the middle of what feels like some weird psychological experiment, and apparently no one is immune to the effects of playing in such a sterile environment.

I find it both bizarre and intriguing, particularly how it seems to have a positive effect on some players and a negative effect on others. I'd love to hear the thoughts of a qualified sports psychologist on this one.

Lack of crowds is clearly having an effect.
Sides haven't just decided to go gung-ho and attack like crazy. Its a product of this new sterile environment. Lack of preparation / short pre-season may have played a small part but the game has clearly changed since fans were omitted. Never underestimate how much a crowd affects games. Think of all those Amex games where the crowd has literally sucked the ball into the North goal, roaring us on and ensuring the tempo didn't drop. Think of those ' backs against the wall ' games where you are hanging on and the crowd is there with you, roaring every block, every tackle, every header away. It has an effect all over the pitch. At corners, at throw ins, at fierce tackles, at penalty shouts and at numerous contentious issues. The crowd can work with you and it can work against you.
Without a crowd, players are more relaxed. It feels more like a controlled training game. They feel freer to try things. Home advantage is nullified. Stats so far.....Home wins...16....Away wins...19....Draws...3.....says it all. The usual tightness has gone out of a lot of games. Teams trailing at home don't have a home crowd to encourage them back into the game. In 11 of those 19 away wins, three or more goals have been scored by the winning side.
Its different, its exciting and it won't start to change until we get crowds back.

 

[Mo Gosfield]

I've been scratching my head over this as well. It's such an obvious difference, but then it's hard to work out how and why it would have the impact it appears to be having.

To go off on a slight tangent for a second, my old man was a very handy tennis player in his youth, so much so that he got as far as junior Wimbledon in the early sixties. He spent his summers in those days being coached along with a handful of the country's other talented young players at the national sports centre at Bisham Abbey. At the heart of his coaching was preparing him to play in a stadium environment. This was the sixties so the methods used were probably a little rudimentary by today's standards, but they would do things like practice serving whilst the coaches and other lads would be shouting and gesturing to put each other off.

The point of it all was to try and deliver a consistent level of performance whether playing in front of one man and his dog, or twenty-odd thousand on Centre Court. What we're dealing with here is some of the world's most elite football players - they are conditioned from a young age to ignore the impact of a crowd. And yet, here we are in the middle of what feels like some weird psychological experiment, and apparently no one is immune to the effects of playing in such a sterile environment.

I find it both bizarre and intriguing, particularly how it seems to have a positive effect on some players and a negative effect on others. I'd love to hear the thoughts of a qualified sports psychologist on this one.

Lack of crowds is clearly having an effect.
Sides haven't just decided to go gung-ho and attack like crazy. Its a product of this new sterile environment. Lack of preparation / short pre-season may have played a small part but the game has clearly changed since fans were omitted. Never underestimate how much a crowd affects games. Think of all those Amex games where the crowd has literally sucked the ball into the North goal, roaring us on and ensuring the tempo didn't drop. Think of those ' backs against the wall ' games where you are hanging on and the crowd is there with you, roaring every block, every tackle, every header away. It has an effect all over the pitch. At corners, at throw ins, at fierce tackles, at penalty shouts and at numerous contentious issues. The crowd can work with you and it can work against you.
Without a crowd, players are more relaxed. It feels more like a controlled training game. They feel freer to try things. Home advantage is nullified. Stats so far.....Home wins...16....Away wins...19....Draws...3.....says it all. The usual tightness has gone out of a lot of games. Teams trailing at home don't have a home crowd to encourage them back into the game. In 11 of those 19 away wins, three or more goals have been scored by the winning side.
Its different, its exciting and it won't start to change until we get crowds back.