Random footie

[dan08]

Real 2-2 so Atletico back to favourites.

Atletico need 4 more points to be champions.

[budgetmeansbudget]

That game last night was so typical of Real in recent times. Get back in the title race and put in an below average performance in their attempt to consolidate. They start the game battering Valencia but when the goal doesn't come Valencia get back into the game and start to create themselves before taking the lead after some sloppy defending at a corner. Start to chuck the kitchen sink in an attempt to find an equaliser crowd really fired up and eventually it comes. Then its all about finding a second switch off defensively and instead concede a second themselves. Desperate to find two more goals to win the game they pile forward rash shots and passing lead nowhere until magic from Ronaldo in injury secures the equaliser. Then with a minte of injury time left Ronaldo has a glorious chance to win the game only to head wide.

Back to Atletico to lose again, will they keep their nerve this time?

[SaintPowelly]

I bet the bookies made a fortune this weekend, none of Barca,Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester United won games you would expect them too.

[Aidan11]

Is this really workable? Would it benefit anyone other than PL teams?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27289819

[dan08]

Is this really workable? Would it benefit anyone other than PL teams?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27289819

Championship/lower league teams would compete against better standard teams so would be better prepared if promoted? Don't think it will work as England has so many professional clubs already.

[Alviro Patterson]

Is this really workable? Would it benefit anyone other than PL teams?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27289819

Just goes to show there is far too much money in the top flight and it's not getting filtered down to the heartbeat of English football.

Watching the FA Youth Cup final last week, it made me sick to discover Chelsea signing youngsters from Luton, Colchester, Charlton, Anderlecht, Brondby.

[GGAS]

Is this really workable? Would it benefit anyone other than PL teams?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27289819

It would ruin the lower leagues in terms of attendance and competitiveness. Would an Accrington fan want to stalk out for a trip to play Newcastle 'B'? More feeder clubs would be a better answer if young players need game experience.

[sussexpob]

How many top players make the grade from the football league? I doubt that many. Of course there are examples, but these top players are often farmed out to a few lower league players for a few matches or a season, once they get to a certain standard they force their way into premier league setups.

Guys with lower league pasts more often than not are playing premier league football by the time they are 22. There are exceptions, but then guys like Lallana were playing for heavily funded teams who could offer wages to stay in the lower leagues..... if Lallana was playing for Southend, someone would have bought him long before Southampton got to the Premier league.

You have to think that any youngster is a asset, and I wonder how many true international potential players would be wanted to play by their owners in a league like the COnference, were skill levels are a lot poorer, and the chances of a late horror tackle that severely injures a player is that much higher.

Once again we have missed the boat. It is beyond proof that the level of coaching in grass roots and inside a huge system of professional football is to blame, the had 1/30th the coaches in Spain and Germany spread over a much bigger areas before last world cup, and performance and youth development seems to be very proportional to these coaches.

Instead we picked the editor of the Sun newspaper to look into it, spent most of the time focusing on the diversity on the panel rather than getting people with established football pedigree, and came to a pretty astoundingly bad conclusion as a result.

[Alviro Patterson]

From a logistical issue, where will the 2nd team fulfil their home fixtures? Considering most Reserve matches are played at non league or training grounds that don't meet Football League stadium criteria.

Not so bad if a club has links with Rugby League teams who have their own stadium. Those who do share with non league clubs will have to spend money on stadium upgrades and a pitch that can cope in playing 50 football matches a year. Then there is the small matter of scheduling fixtures where grounds aren't double booked or local rivals playing games at home on the same day.

The associated stadium and matchday costs would be better spent on the footballing bodies paying for coaches to upgrade their coaching badges.

[yuppie]

I see City and PSG are going to get 50 mil fines for breaking FFP rules.

Got me thinking what UEFA could use that money for. Surely if they want a more level playing field then perhaps it could be used for prize money on some regional cups, or even the Europa league thus making the league better for clubs unable to compete with the big boys? Perhaps give the money to poorer leagues or used for football development in poor areas? 100 mil is alot to spend.

So where will this 100 mil end up?

[SaintPowelly]

I see City and PSG are going to get 50 mil fines for breaking FFP rules.

Got me thinking what UEFA could use that money for. Surely if they want a more level playing field then perhaps it could be used for prize money on some regional cups, or even the Europa league thus making the league better for clubs unable to compete with the big boys? Perhaps give the money to poorer leagues or used for football development in poor areas? 100 mil is alot to spend.

So where will this 100 mil end up?

It was discussed in the Premier League thread yesterday, if you want to check it out

[Aidan11]

The Manageress -

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27306106

[Alviro Patterson]

The Manageress -

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27306106

Done for publicity and nothing else. Decent career as a coach but first team management of a professional club is a bit much.

[SaintPowelly]

The Manageress -

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27306106

Done for publicity and nothing else. Decent career as a coach but first team management of a professional club is a bit much.

Someone had to give a woman manager a chance somewhere though.

I'm still a little surprised a L1 or L2 club hasn't given Hope Powell a job yet, if donkeys like Paul Ince can get a job, she deserves a chance.

[Alviro Patterson]

The Manageress -

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27306106

Done for publicity and nothing else. Decent career as a coach but first team management of a professional club is a bit much.

Someone had to give a woman manager a chance somewhere though.

I'm still a little surprised a L1 or L2 club hasn't given Hope Powell a job yet, if donkeys like Paul Ince can get a job, she deserves a chance.

I'm not because there are so many profile managers who are not in employment;

Aidy Boothroyd, Brian Laws, Alan Knill, Neil Warnock, Billy Davies, Gary Megson, Chris Powell, Paul Jewell, Alan Curbishley, Dave Jones, Malky Mackay, Owen Coyle and probably more.