General Football Thread

[Gazz]

Sports psychology in action

 

[Hobo]

At least Paul Konchesky has found his level.

[The Lusophone]

This seems like the topic to ask in. What's a good football podcast I can listen to?

[Gazz]

https://player.fm/featured/soccer

Have a look there, see what tickles your fancy.

[Lineker]

Video assistant referees will be used at the 2018 World cup, Fifa have announced.

[stokeriño]

Chelsea U18 have tonked Manchester City U18 5-1 (6-2 agg.) to win the FA Youth Cup for approximately the eleven-thousanth time

[The Lusophone]

Does the Youth Cup get any TV coverage? I feel like it'd get a decent amount of viewers.

Also Chelsea now move to 8 time winners, 2 behind Manchester United. Chelsea have now won 6 of the last 7 FA Youth Cups, with United winning it in 2011.

Edit: was looking at some of the finals on wiki. Arsenal won it in 2009 thanks in part to a goal by a Sanchez Watt, which is my new favourite name for anyone ever. That team included Jack Wilshere and Oguzhan Ozyakup, who forshadowing his senoir career at Arsenal, was an unused substitute.

[Lineker]

The Youth Cup has been on ITV4. Well, the semi's and then the final have, at least.

[Gazz]

Vitesse fans are the only ones who watch it.

[Lineker]

Chapecoense have won their first title since most of their team were killed in a plane crash.

Only three of the Brazilian club's players survived November's crash, when 71 of 77 people on board died.

Top clubs from Brazil and Argentina offered to loan players to Chapocense, who signed 25 new players this season and promoted nine from the youth team.

They lifted the Santa Catarina state championship on Sunday for the second straight year, despite losing to Avai.

Chapecoense were beaten 1-0 in Sunday's final play-off, but their 1-0 victory in the first leg meant their better record over the course of the season was decisive.

The club dedicated the win to those who were killed, with new coach Vagner Mancini saying: "We knew that Chape would have a lot of difficulties because of the rebuilding of the team, but because of the work we reached the title, beating opponents who are rivals and difficult to beat."

The crash happened on 29 November as the squad travelled to face Colombian side Atletico Nacional in the final of the Copa Sudamericana. Nineteen players and staff died.

[MDK]

Crazy if true. 16 appearances and 2 goals. Profligate.

[The Lusophone]

FA chairman Greg Clarke has said that his attempts to hold talks with gay footballers are failing and that gay footballers are "reticent to engage with me".

Yes, well, any gay footballer who does meet with him will probably find himself under intense pressure to come out and be the FAs new poster child for how tolerant and accepting football is, so I can understand why they would be reticent to engage with him.

[MDK]

1 hour ago, Mad Jack said:

FA chairman Greg Clarke has said that his attempts to hold talks with gay footballers are failing and that gay footballers are "reticent to engage with me".

Yes, well, any gay footballer who does meet with him will probably find himself under intense pressure to come out and be the FAs new poster child for how tolerant and accepting football is, so I can understand why they would be reticent to engage with him.

I can't even imagine how much pressure a gay footballer would be under. No wonder Thomas Hitzlsperger came out after he retired. It will take a brave player to come out during the peak of his career. 

[DavidMarrio]

Dirk Kuyt has retired

Loved the guy. Great work ethic, fit in well in terms of getting the city and the club and always looked like he gave a shit. Scored some good goals for the team. 

Made up for him that he won the league with Feyenoord considering how much the club meant to him  and ending his career on a high note. I think he could make a great coach for someone so hopefully he'll stick around somewhere.  

[Monkey D. Lars]

Martin van Geel, the guy who buys and sells players for us, I can't come up with the proper English name for it, said he wants to help and school Dirk so he can be his succesor.

[The Lusophone]

2 minutes ago, Lars Kuyt said:

Martin van Geel, the guy who buys and sells players for us, I can't come up with the proper English name for it, said he wants to help and school Dirk so he can be his succesor.

Director of football?

[TCO]

7 hours ago, Mad Jack said:

FA chairman Greg Clarke has said that his attempts to hold talks with gay footballers are failing and that gay footballers are "reticent to engage with me".

Yes, well, any gay footballer who does meet with him will probably find himself under intense pressure to come out and be the FAs new poster child for how tolerant and accepting football is, so I can understand why they would be reticent to engage with him.

Shouldn't they be rushing for the FA's help? I mean after FIFA ended racism in 2016, anything is possible in football!

In all seriousness though, I think football even in accepting countries is a generation or two dying out away from accepting openly gay footballers. The culture attracts the homophobic type and some of the shit that's said in the stands is appalling. Footballers have no reason to expose themselves to that so the FA can pat themselves on the back.

[MDK]

@Lars Kuyt 

Das ist mir total Wurst

[Benji]

18 hours ago, TCO said:

Shouldn't they be rushing for the FA's help? I mean after FIFA ended racism in 2016, anything is possible in football!

In all seriousness though, I think football even in accepting countries is a generation or two dying out away from accepting openly gay footballers. The culture attracts the homophobic type and some of the shit that's said in the stands is appalling. Footballers have no reason to expose themselves to that so the FA can pat themselves on the back.

It's not going to change until someone comes out. Like it or not, people need to know that gay people are just like any other person around them. Just look at the little Englander mentality about foreigners when most of them only know the bloke down the Chinese/Indian. Until they can put a face to what they're hating, they won't be empathetic.

People can mock the the FA all they like, but it is important to have visual representation. I don't think anyone should be forced to come out, but I hate the idea that we should be so cynical that the only reason for this is for the FA to have a poster boy. It's not for the FA, it's for every kid who is talented gay footballer who can't be themselves because of a shitty mentality.

Edited May 18, 2017 by Benji

[MDK]

13 minutes ago, Benji said:

It's not going to change until someone comes out. Like it or not, people need to know that gay people are just like any other person around them. Just look at the little Englander mentality about foreigners when most of them only know the bloke down the Chinese/Indian. Until they can put a face to what they're hating, they won't be empathetic.

People can mock the the FA all they like, but it is important to have visual representation. I don't think anyone should be forced to come out, but I hate the idea that we should be so cynical that the only reason for this is for the FA to have a poster boy. It's not for the FA, it's for every kid who is talented gay footballer who can't be themselves because of a shitty mentality.

It wasn't even a generation ago that Graeme le Saux was getting called gay for reading a broadsheet. We have a way to go. I mean I'm guilty of calling a player a fairy because he went down easy, I wouldn't say it now because I know better.