Weird feelings of football

matherto

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Champions league draw has definitely felt fixed to me over the last few years. There always seems to be some narrative in at least one tie, Neymar back at Barca, the continuous love affair between Bayern and arsenal etc.
Because by and large, it is.

The conditions they've placed on the draw basically limits the potential opponents for each team and the usual ones nearly always qualify too because nothing ever really changes.

The seeding changes for the groups helped a bit for more exciting group games but the knockout rounds are very samey each year.

And as @Peyroteo says, there's always a narrative in play. Juve are guaranteed to play Real soon because of Ronaldo, I'm sure of it. Similarly we'll get a Mourinho team next time he coaches. It's all a cynical ploy to hype games up.
 

jem

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@jem I've always loved that about Mexico. Every squad you see one player you've completely forgotten about because they should've retired about 20 years ago but they're still going.
And still capable of performing well at the World Cup despite toiling for Columbus Crewe or Real Salt Lake for the last 10 years.
 

horsechoker

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I'm not sure about every draw, but I definitely think there are cup draws, be it FA, League Cup, Champions League that are fixed.
I think it is and its not in favour of any particular team, only in favour of creating big matches so the FA can get more people watching. I wouldn't be surprised if they try to create possible giant killings although it is much harder to plan for this.
 

mykelawrence

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Because by and large, it is.

The conditions they've placed on the draw basically limits the potential opponents for each team and the usual ones nearly always qualify too because nothing ever really changes.

The seeding changes for the groups helped a bit for more exciting group games but the knockout rounds are very samey each year.

And as @Peyroteo says, there's always a narrative in play. Juve are guaranteed to play Real soon because of Ronaldo, I'm sure of it. Similarly we'll get a Mourinho team next time he coaches. It's all a cynical ploy to hype games up.

I'm not disputing this, but curious as to how they actually fix the draws - heated balls, raised numbers etc?
 

Paolo Di Canio

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Young players from the 60s and 70s, ( Charlton, Law, Styles, Sommerbee et al) look absolutley ancient compared to young players nowadays, there were no baby faces back then, you looked 40 when you were 20.
 

drdoityourself

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My first thought was actually of Bob Taylor, who played up front for West Brom.
Yeah some time ago but in today's game every Taylor I come across is a left back. This Burnley left back Charlie Taylor, there is also Neil Taylor, saw a Bolton game the other day, they had a left back Taylor. There is no place in the modern game for a forward thinking Taylor.
 

Oaencha

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Yeah some time ago but in today's game every Taylor I come across is a left back. This Burnley left back Charlie Taylor, there is also Neil Taylor, saw a Bolton game the other day, they had a left back Taylor. There is no place in the modern game for a forward thinking Taylor.
My first thought was Lyle Taylor. Charlton striker who used to play for AFC Wimbledon.
 

Infordin

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For some reason, we play well when Messi is injured, but terrible when Messi is rested.
 

Macern

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Mourinho always gets easy cup draws in every competition he is in.

Arsenal always sign a speed merchant and bang him in the number 14 shirt.

Goalkeeprs of teams coming to Old Trafford always find stupid ways to waste time from the off.... tying shoe laces, wiping shin pads, that sort of thing.

Players NEVER get muddy anymore. Like never.

David Ellory is still a professional ref.

Corner flags are pointless..... they are just obsticles for corner takers.
Nah, corner flags are there because if a ball goes straight towards the corner it’s difficult to decide whether it’s a throw-in or a corner, but with the flag there it’s way easier to judge.

Players don’t get muddy because of the good pitch conditions these days I guess.

Goalkeepers do that away against other top teams too when they’re leading.

The two first ones are good though:)
 

Macern

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Young players from the 60s and 70s, ( Charlton, Law, Styles, Sommerbee et al) look absolutley ancient compared to young players nowadays, there were no baby faces back then, you looked 40 when you were 20.
That's true in real life too. 20's 30's looked so much more "mature" back in the day.
Yeah what’s up with that? Really strange.
Yeah some time ago but in today's game every Taylor I come across is a left back. This Burnley left back Charlie Taylor, there is also Neil Taylor, saw a Bolton game the other day, they had a left back Taylor. There is no place in the modern game for a forward thinking Taylor.
Another one that springs to mind is Ryan Taylor, former Newcastle right back. It seems like every british team apart from the top clubs has a bang average Taylor at either the left or the right back with a very generic first name.
 

Cheesy

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Not necessarily 'weird' because it's true, but Fellaini being here longer than Cantona feels strange to consider.
 

Cheesy

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Newcastle just sort of transitioned overnight from being an under-performing sleeping giant to a plucky resourceful side doing well to even be in the PL.

Most sides who win the PL having been top for most of the season inevitably have a bit of a blip around February/March time that makes you think someone else might beat them to it. Happening with Liverpool now, happened with us in 08-09, and Chelsea in 09-10. Probably more examples out there.

Salah has been a big name PL player for longer than the past year.

Any big name side with an extensive PL history that gets relegated to League One ends up bouncing back with two quick promotions in a row before doing surprisingly well in the PL.

Solskjaer has been here for years.

Everton always seem to be crap for most of the season but have one good four-game run of wins which propels them to a comfortable 7th or 8th finish.

Most Chelsea managers who get sacked either unjustly or despite previous success at the club end up failing or eventually getting sacked from their next job anyway.

Roman Abramovich left Chelsea years ago.

January transfer window signings are either strokes of genius or absolute failures. There is no middle-ground.
 

sugar_kane

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Whenever we play a shit mid table side with an ex academy player you can guarantee they will score the winner / have the game of their life
 

2 man midfield

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Mauricio Pochettino is Jared Dines long lost brother

Sian Massey can be seen running the line at each and every premier league game

Brazil is playing a massive practical joke on the rest of the world where they try to see how many increasingly ridiculous names they can sneak into their team before we all get suspicious. From Jo, Bernard and Oscar, to Nathan, Allan, Fred and now Allison. It sounds like the guest list at a 1970s Wigan social club.
 

Solius

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Wolves and Everton have played each other about 4 times this season already.
 

LingiBW

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Danny Welbeck turns 29 this year. I still think of him as a 24 year old.
 

Cloud7

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For some reason, we play well when Messi is injured, but terrible when Messi is rested.
Is this a weird feeling or the truth? I feel like there have been loads of times recently that Messi has had to come off the bench to save matches for you?
 

RochaRoja

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Roy Hodgson has been at Crystal Palace for 10 years.
I had the weird realisation the other day that Hodgson is managing both Zaha and Townsend for Palace. The latter of whom he had a weird obsession with picking for England ahead of the former. Hodgson’s incompetence essentially cost England Zaha and his reward has been for Zaha to keep him in a job for a year and a half.
 

Infordin

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Is this a weird feeling or the truth? I feel like there have been loads of times recently that Messi has had to come off the bench to save matches for you?
Far too many times.

But we humilated Real Madrid 0-4 and 5-1 when Messi was injured. Strange.