Premier League 2019/20

[Baddar]

Part of the problem during Leverkusen-Bayern was that it sounded like it was on a 2min loop at best, and in that loop you could occasionally hear a refs whistle that wasn't corresponding with what you were seeing. Plus, the main sound of the actual match in front of you kept dipping and going out of sync.

[GA!]

On 06/06/2020 at 06:32, Lineker said:

Top 10 Premier League matches

Shearer:

1. Man City 3-2 QPR (2011/12)
2. Liverpool 4-3 Newcastle (1995/96)
3. Tottenham 3-5 Man Utd (2001/02)
4. Newcastle 4-4 Arsenal (2010/11)
5. Man Utd 4-3 Man City (2009/10)
6. Newcastle 5-0 Man Utd (1996/97)
7. Chelsea 2-2 Tottenham (2015/16)
8. Crystal Palace 3-3 Liverpool (2013/14)
9. Arsenal 3-2 Man Utd (1997/98)
10. Liverpool 4-4 Arsenal (2008/09)

Wright:

1. Man City 3-2 QPR (2011/12)
2. Liverpool 4-3 Newcastle (1995/96)
3. Crystal Palace 3-3 Liverpool (2013/14)
4. Newcastle 5-0 Man Utd (1996/97)
5. Everton 3-2 Wimbledon (1993/94)
6. Tottenham 3-5 Man Utd (2001/02)
7. Arsenal 2-4 Man Utd (2004/05)
8. Liverpool 4-4 Arsenal (2008/09)
9. Leeds 4-3 Liverpool (2000/01)
10. Man Utd 4-3 Man City (2009/10)

 

Me:

 

[Lineker]

Raheem Sterling is making a Newsnight appearance (via Zoom) this week - we're just pre-recording it now.

Talking about George Floyd and the BLM protests over the past couple of weeks.

[Lineker]

6 hours ago, Lineker said:

Raheem Sterling is making a Newsnight appearance (via Zoom) this week - we're just pre-recording it now.

Talking about George Floyd and the BLM protests over the past couple of weeks.

Raheem Sterling has given his backing to the anti-racism protests gripping the world following George Floyd’s death in the United States. The 25-year-old Manchester City and England striker insisted racism is “the only disease right now” and said he will continue to speak out in the hope it will contribute to lasting change.

Speaking to Emily Maitlis on BBC Newsnight in a interview to be broadcast on Monday evening, Sterling said: “I know this might sound a little bit cheesy but the only disease right now is the racism that we are fighting. This is the most important thing at this moment in time because this is something that is happening for years and years. Just like the pandemic, we want to find a solution to stop it.

“At the same time, this is what all these protesters are doing. They are trying to find a solution and a way to stop the injustice they are seeing, and they are fighting for their cause. As long as they are doing it peacefully and safely and not hurting anybody and not breaking into any stores, they continue to protest in this peaceful way.”

Sterling has previously challenged the British media’s perception of black players and taken a lead in calling out racism in both the domestic and international game. Last year he counselled fellow professionals against walking off the pitch in the event of racial abuse and has also called for the establishing of a player-led anti-racism task-force.

Sterling believes it is now time for the talking to develop into change in order to go further in banishing the scourge of racism from sport and wider society for good.

“There’s only so much communities and other backgrounds can take – especially black people. It’s been going on for hundreds of years and people are tired and people are ready for change. This is something that needs more than just talking. We need to actually implement change and highlight the places that do need changes.

“But this is something that I will continue to do, spark these debates and get people in my industry looking at themselves and thinking what they can do to give people an equal chance in this country.”

I watched as it was being recorded - it's really worth catching tonight (Monday).

[TCO]

The comment he made about racism being "the only disease right now" was a bit stupid though. There are literally still 100s of people a day dying in his country, from a highly contagious virus that also disproportionately kills more BAME people.

[Lineker]

23 hours ago, Lineker said:

 

Raheem Sterling has called for English football to seize the moment and finally address its lack of black representation in positions of power.

The Manchester City and England forward made the comments during an appearance on the BBC’s flagship political programme, Newsnight, in the wake of anti-racism protests that have taken hold across the world. Advance clips had shown the 25-year-old offering his support to those who have taken to the streets in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death at the hands of police in the United States, but the full interview with Emily Maitlis saw him focus on matters closer at hand.

Reflecting on his own sport, Sterling pointed a finger at the long-running disparity between the number of high-profile BAME players and the dearth of those who go on to win significant managerial, coaching or administrative jobs. Sterling cited the respective fortunes of Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard, who have landed top roles at Rangers and Chelsea in the early stages of their management careers, as compared to equally experienced black players who have been compelled to start much lower down the ladder.

“This is a time to speak on these subjects, speak on injustice, especially in my field,” said Sterling. “There’s something like 500 players in the Premier League and a third of them are black and we have no representation of us in the hierarchy, no representation of us in the coaching staffs. There’s not a lot of faces that we can relate to and have conversations with.

“With these protests that are going on it’s all well and good just talking, but it’s time that we need to have conversations, to be able to spark debates. But at the same time, it’s coming together and finding a solution to be able to spark change because we can talk as much as we want about changing and putting people, black people, in these positions that I do feel they should be in.

“I’ll give a perfect one. There’s Steven Gerrard, your Frank Lampards, you have your Sol Campbells and you have your Ashley Coles. All had great careers, all played for England. At the same time, they’ve all respectfully done their coaching badges to coach at the highest level and the two that haven’t been given the right opportunities are the two black former players.

“I feel like that’s what’s lacking here, it’s not just taking the knee, it is about giving people the chance they deserve.”

Sterling also feels there is a lack of representation in the game’s governance, suggesting a more diverse mix is needed in the corridors of power. Asked what would represent success for the change movement, he said: “When there’s more black people in positions. When I can have someone from a black background for me to be able to go to in the FA with a problem I have within the club. These will be the times that I know that change is happening.”

The former Manchester United and Aston Villa striker Dwight Yorke also bemoaned his struggles in the managerial market, revealing even a hand from Sir Alex Ferguson could not help him earn a shot at another of his old clubs. He told BeIN Sports: “I’ve applied for the Villa job twice now. I get one response from the CEO and his response to me was I need experience.

“Where am I going to go and get experience if I’m not being given a chance? When I applied for the Villa job, I went into [Ferguson’s] office and told him exactly what I was trying to do. He gave me some experience, he told me what I needed to do and I picked his brain. At the same time, he picked the phone up and rang Villa for me to give his recommendation. With his help, I still can’t get an interview. That is what we are facing.”

The Football Association launched a three-year placement scheme for aspiring BAME coaches in 2018, with Campbell among the initial intake, while earlier this year the retired duo of Liam Rosenior and Marvin Sordell joined the governing body’s Inclusion Advisory Board. Sterling may not believe the symbolic gesture of sinking to one knee is enough on its own, but football’s anti-racism charity Kick It Out does believe a co-ordinated gesture when the Premier League returns later this month would be a powerful one.

Sanjay Bhandari, the organisation’s chair, said: “I think it’s at the point now where something should be organised – I would love to see every club doing something together, but it has to be completely up to the players. It would be a fantastic signal if every club took a knee before a game. You can’t shake hands before kick-off, so maybe they could replace it with a new pre-match ritual. We’re having some conversations to see what the appetite is.”

[Colly]

I don't think we need more Sol Campbells in management.

[Lineker]

Quote

The Premier League is due to return (provisionally on 17 June) which means it will also be back on the Sky Sports channel. However, due to the current pandemic, they will be playing without a crowd in the stadium, which might somewhat deaden the atmosphere. To help get around this, Sky has turned to gaming for a rather innovative solution!

In partnership with EA Sports FIFA, Sky Sports has created a range of bespoke and team-specific crowd noises and chants to bring a virtual atmosphere of the Premier League to the restart. Viewers can select the Sky channel to watch with the added sound or with stadium noise.

Sky Sports will broadcast 64 matches across the final rounds of the 2019/20 Premier League, including 25 on Sky’s free-to-air Pick channel. They have also introduced Sky Sports Recap, to help catch up on all the key highlights during live matches in a short burst, putting an end to that fear of missing out throughout a packed weekend of football. Each game will have a live timeline enabling viewers to quickly catch up on the highlights at any point during the match – even if they have not watched it from the beginning.

Another new feature is Sky Sports Fanzone, which allows fans to watch select matches with friends in a video room and interact while the action unfolds, giving them the chance to chat about the match and influence the crowd noise they hear on screen. Users of the app can post predictions, join in-match polls and use the Sky Sports stats to fuel the virtual conversation.

“With live sport on hold for over two months, we’ve spent a lot of time thinking about how we broadcast in new ways to bring fans together, even if they can’t meet up to watch the match,” commented Sky Sports managing director Robert Webster. “Sky has always been a leader in innovative sports broadcasting, and we’re excited by this opportunity to share something really special with the whole nation. We want Sky Sports viewers to still feel it all and have the best possible viewing experience – even if they can’t be in the stadiums or watch with their family and friends.”

[Baddar]

I do hope that regardless of the choice you make, they're available in HD. Fed up of shit being hidden behind the red button in pixelated form only.

[TCO]

Yeah that was my first concern here. Whenever I wanted to watch another Championship game behind the red button, it looked like a broadcast from the 80s.

Meanwhile they're showing 2 year old replays of something nobody is watching on Sky Sports Tiddlywinks HD in glistening 4K.

[Lineker]

Quote

The former Real Sociedad, Vissel Kobe and Real Oviedo manager Juanma Lillo has joined Manchester City as assistant coach to Pep Guardiola – a role he held under Jorge Sampaoli with Sevilla and Chile.

Lillo was in charge at the Chinese club Qingdao Huanghai until the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic and the decision to make him Mikel Arteta’s replacement at the Etihad reunites him with Guardiola, who he coached at the end of the City manager’s playing career and with whom he has been close for a long time. Guardiola considers the 54-year-old a mentor.

Lillo said in a statement on City’s website: “I am delighted to have joined Manchester City’s coaching staff. My relationship with Pep goes back many years and I am thrilled to be joining him as part of this exciting team.”

Deeply committed to a positional game and with a reputation as a philosopher, Lillo first met Guardiola in September 1996 when the then Barcelona midfielder knocked on Oviedo’s dressing-room door following a match and asked to meet the man whose team had just impressed him so much.

When Guardiola had first planned to join Barcelona as sporting director with presidential candidate Lluis Bassat in 2003, he had decided he would appoint Lillo as manager but they did not win the election. When Guardiola saw out his playing career at Dorados de Sinaloa in Mexico in 2005, Lillo was his coach and Lillo helped prepare training sessions when the City manager first set out on his coaching career.

This is Lillo’s 20th coaching stint in six countries, including managing Andrés Iniesta in Japan. He became the youngest manager in La Liga after taking Salamanca to the top flight in 1995, aged 29. The last time Lillo worked as a manager in Spain, it was with Almería. He was sacked after an 8-0 defeat – to Guardiola’s Barcelona.

City’s director of football, Txiki Begiristain, said on Tuesday that Lillo’s “vast experience working across three continents and with some of the most famous names in world football will be an invaluable asset to Pep and his team”.

[DFF]

We've announced that we have signed Billy Sharp and Oli Norwood to contract extentions that see them stay until 2022 and 2023 respectively. Well chuffed with that, particularly Norwood. 

[Adam]

I'm very chuffed for Billy Sharp, hope he continues to contribute going forward. His career is really going to feel complete by the time he retires I reckon, and he bloody deserves it.

[Baddar]

Dele Alli is banned for the game against Man Utd for his Coronavirus post on social media back in Feb.

[Naitch]

Surely that means Walker and Grealish have to receive bans for their very public breaking of lockdown guidelines too?

[TCO]

Alli is being banned because his post was very racist, not because he was breaking lockdown.

[Naitch]

He literally put out a statement thanking the FA for affirming that his actions weren't racist though.

[Colly]

😕

[TCO]

Actual photo from Dele's hearing

[Lineker]

The 236^th Merseyside derby will take place at Goodison Park after Liverpool city council’s ground safety advisory group met on Wednesday and approved a safety certificate for the stadium. Anfield was also given the go-ahead, which means both Liverpool and Everton can play their remaining games on their own grounds without the need for neutral venues.