Premier League 2022/23

[DavidMarrio]

Time for Man City 2.0!

[Colly]

Yeah I'm struggling to see how that's a new litmus test given Man City. 

[stokeriño]

Is a 'litmus test' of a rule now just a euphemism for 'glaring example of how it doesn't work'?

[METALMAN]

I think the phrase litmus test should be banned unless you are genuinely trying to find out how acidic something is

[Naitch]

That's the twist, the sponsorship logo on each shirt will be infused with hydrochloric acid.

[stokeriño]

They're just going to produce one type of kit and they'll dip them in acid or alkaline liquid depending on whether they're playing home or away.

[Tigerstyle]

17 hours ago, stokeriño said:

They're just going to produce one type of kit and they'll dip them in acid or alkaline liquid depending on whether they're playing home or away.

Sounds pretty eco friendly tbh. Don’t see it from the oil rich.

[stokeriño]

Perplexed to see the Chelsea line-up and it looks...balanced? Like, sure, it's extremely weak and full of players who will offer nothing, but it actually reads like a proper 4-3-3 team and not just a random bunch of midfielders with Gallagher as striker for some reason.

[Baddar]

How we're 2 up is beyond me. Awful in midfield and defence. City are tearing us apart in the final if we play anything like this.

[stokeriño]

United are 2-0 up because our 2nd (3rd?)-string defence just isn't very good. And Chelsea's attack is like watching a Marx Brothers slapstick routine these days.

I'm sure Carney is delighted to be missing the U20 World Cup for this.

[stokeriño]

Of course it's the one defender who's theoretically first-choice who gives away the penalty.

The fact that this season still won't be over for another three whole days is causing me emotional damage.

[Lineker]

Quote

Ivan Toney repeatedly bet on matches involving his own team and would have received a ban of longer than eight months had he not been diagnosed with a gambling addiction, the written reasons of his case, published by the Football Association, have shown.

The Brentford striker has been suspended by the FA from playing until January 2024 and cannot train with his teammates until September after accepting 232 breaches of the FA’s rules on betting.

The written reasons state that “126 bets were in respect of matches in a competition in which Mr Toney’s club had participated in or were eligible to participate in that particular season”.

They continue that “29 bets or instructions to bet were in respect of the club that Mr Toney was registered with or on loan with at the time” and that of those 29 “there were 16 bets on Mr Toney’s own team to win 15 different matches. Mr Toney played in 11 of these games and was an unused substitute in another game.”

The written reasons further state that “there were 13 bets on Mr Toney’s own team to lose in seven different matches between 22 August 2017 and 3 March 2018. Mr Toney did not play in any of those matches where he placed bets against his loan club as he was not in the match squad or against his parent club as he was on loan. Of the 13 bets 11 were against Newcastle whilst Mr Toney was on loan at another club. The other 2 bets related to a game between Wigan v Aston Villa whilst the player was on loan at Wigan but he was not part of the squad.

“A further 15 of the 126 bets or instructions to bet were placed by Mr Toney to score in nine different matches all of which he played in. All of those 15 bets or instructions to bet were initiated by Mr Toney at a time when it would not have been public knowledge that he was starting or playing in the fixture.”

The regulatory commission concluded that Toney had tried to conceal his betting, “using third parties and their betting accounts … in case there was ever an investigation”.

The psychiatrist Dr Philip Hopley attended Toney’s hearing and diagnosed that the player has a gambling addiction.

“The commission finds that a significant reduction should be made to reflect the diagnosed gambling addiction identified by Dr Hopley,” the written reasons said. “The lack of control the player has in respect of gambling is clearly a reflection of his diagnosed gambling addiction.

“The present case is not one of match-fixing. If it was, the charges would have been pursued under different provisions. There is no evidence that Mr Toney did or was even in a position to influence his own team to lose when he placed bets against them winning – he was not in the squad or eligible to play at the time.”

Brentford indicated there would be no appeal against the length of the ban and committed to supporting the 27-year-old with his issues.

 

[Lineker]

 

[Beeker00Zero]

15 hours ago, Lineker said:

 

I bet he will!

[Colly]

I do hope this case will put some pressure on English/British football in general to ease down the relentless advertising. I'd actually not be surprised if Toney's ban gets shortened eventually, the organising bodies should be ashamed of themselves.

[Baddar]

Haaland winning player of the year is understandable, but he also won young player of the year too. At 22, maybe it's time to change the age range on that.

[Colly]

I was talking about this last home game, it almost feels logical to do it, but if the cutoff is 21 or 22 who's on the list? I'm really struggling to think of many, Saka probably? A few of the Brighton kids have done well but barely played double figures.

[DavidMarrio]

Cutoff is July 1st and they must be 21 on that date or under. 

I can get with Haaland this year cause if he's the player of the year then in my head he's technically the young player of the year as well. 

[METALMAN]

Yeah I think that’s okay. I only thought it was silly when Gareth Bale won it when he was 31 or whatever.

[Lineker]

Hooray, football ends today!