General Soccer/Football Discussion Thread 1.0

[Baphomet]

This is a thread I've wanted to create for a while, so let's have a trial run. It occurred to me that sometimes the focal point on this board is a little gated towards transfers, the PL, BuLi and European stuff, and we don't have a place for more general discussion of the sport and to share goals and moments from football at any level.

In this thread, post videos, goals, memes, Sunday League stuff, whatever else you want, that might not fit in a league thread.

[Baphomet]

Let's start with a banger from the Australian league, and one of my favourite twitter accounts, Football Twats:

Read on Twitter

[LDNMagic90]

Brilliant thread idea I'll add on with this clip I saw recently lol.

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[LDNMagic90]

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I've waited for a documentary about the Figo transfer as I remember my Dad complaining how dodgy it was lol, this is going to be a good watch

[Baphomet]

Brilliant thread idea I'll add on with this clip I saw recently lol.

Read on Twitter

This is like football as a combat sport. You just know it's one of those refs who thinks they're doing good by "letting the game flow" and not calling anything. This is like when you're in secondary school playing football on the field having a kick about at lunch, and there's absolutely no structure in the game, just people running after the ball in a mob and clattering each other.

[LDNMagic90]

Brilliant thread idea I'll add on with this clip I saw recently lol.

Read on Twitter

This is like football as a combat sport. You just know it's one of those refs who thinks they're doing good by "letting the game flow" and not calling anything. This is like when you're in secondary school playing football on the field having a kick about at lunch, and there's absolutely no structure in the game, just people running after the ball in a mob and clattering each other.

I remember those days in school, about 30 of us chasing after 1 ball everyone wanting to play up front. When you finally got the ball you didn't even want to pass you'd want to take on the other 15 or so players and score.

Funny enough when I used to play, we had a ref similar to that video. I remember getting two footed from the side and he said play on, to be honest he looked like he was 70 and shouldn't have been a ref. He sent off one of my team mates though for saying 'What now' for stopping play when we was on the attack lol.

[LDNMagic90]

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Love a bit of shithousery this one is a classic I still remember watching this game.

[Shaazzam]

Brilliant thread idea I'll add on with this clip I saw recently lol.

Read on Twitter

This is like football as a combat sport. You just know it's one of those refs who thinks they're doing good by "letting the game flow" and not calling anything. This is like when you're in secondary school playing football on the field having a kick about at lunch, and there's absolutely no structure in the game, just people running after the ball in a mob and clattering each other.

Lol at the bold. Exactly what I was thinking, if it was post-apocalyptic they'd just be missing missing spikes on the shoulders and legs. And pits of doom (spikes, snakes, fire) scattered throughout the pitch.

[Baphomet]

Read on Twitter

Love a bit of shithousery this one is a classic I still remember watching this game.

You know it's going to be a belter when there's a Twitter sensitive content warning on the video.

[Baphomet]

I was thinking about Saido Berahino the other day. Back around the 2014/15 season when Sterling moved to Man City, I honestly thought Berahino would be the better player, and his goals/assist tally wasn't actually that far off Sterling's despite playing at a poor West Brom team. He ended up at Stoke playing under Pulis, which is typically a death sentence for any promising young player. These days he's a free agent and nobody wants him, and is still only 29.

Any players you guys were absolutely dead wrong about? I have a few others but I'm curious if you guys seriously misjudged a player's potential, or they didn't live up to your expectations for whatever reasons.

[LDNMagic90]

I was thinking about Saido Berahino the other day. Back around the 2014/15 season when Sterling moved to Man City, I honestly thought Berahino would be the better player, and his goals/assist tally wasn't actually that far off Sterling's despite playing at a poor West Brom team. He ended up at Stoke playing under Pulis, which is typically a death sentence for any promising young player. These days he's a free agent and nobody wants him, and is still only 29.

Any players you guys were absolutely dead wrong about? I have a few others but I'm curious if you guys seriously misjudged a player's potential, or they didn't live up to your expectations for whatever reasons.

I haven't looked down this whole sub forum in a while didn't realise you posted this, but this is a good discussion!

I was completely wrong about Ravel Morrison (fairly obvious one for a few people), I thought he was a lot more talented than Pogba when they both were at youth level and I thought he'd be Delle Ali before Delle Ali (I know he fell off). Also I thought Nile Ranger was going to be a good player, but his off field antics got the best of him.

Some dutch players off the top of my head as well were Royston Drenthe and Andy van de Meyde.

[Baphomet]

I think a common thread for these players is that they loved partying and struggled dealing with fame and pressure. I know in Drenthe's case, playing for Real Madrid proved to be a big mental burden for him. Their fans are notoriously ruthless, and he got booed in a game and he himself requested that he be dropped from the team for a few weeks. Unfortunately to succeed at that level you can't be thin-skinned or buy into your own ego, you have to stay grounded. A very talented player, for sure, there was a time where he looked like he'd be a mainstay at Madrid for many years.

[LDNMagic90]

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This might be some of the best goals I've ever seen lol, forget that it's at a 'Sunday League' level these are quality goals.

[Baphomet]

Read on Twitter

This might be some of the best goals I've ever seen lol, forget that it's at a 'Sunday League' level these are quality goals.

That volleyed lob was a gem. Some goalkeeper howlers here though.

[LDNMagic90]

Read on Twitter

This might be some of the best goals I've ever seen lol, forget that it's at a 'Sunday League' level these are quality goals.

That volleyed lob was a gem. Some goalkeeper howlers here though.

Proper Sunday League goalkeeping . I’m happy for him though, I think he’ll be on soccer AM this weekend and a few other appearances in the media.

[Foye]

Seems like Ribery‘s professional career has finally come to an end.

One of many legendary players that will hang their boots in the next 1-2 seasons.

[Baphomet]

Seems like Ribery‘s professional career has finally come to an end.

One of many legendary players that will hang their boots in the next 1-2 seasons.

He and Robben were probably one of the most dangerous inverted winger pairings in history.

Truly great to watch.

[HIF]

Seems like Ribery‘s professional career has finally come to an end.

One of many legendary players that will hang their boots in the next 1-2 seasons.

"legendary" I guess that tag comes because they were greats in "your time". For an older or younger generation they would not be classed at legendary. I'd even say that Ribery will be forgotten by most English based fans within 10 years.

[Foye]

Seems like Ribery‘s professional career has finally come to an end.

One of many legendary players that will hang their boots in the next 1-2 seasons.

"legendary" I guess that tag comes because they were greats in "your time". For an older or younger generation they would not be classed at legendary. I'd even say that Ribery will be forgotten by most English based fans within 10 years.

With all due respect, I don‘t think people outside the UK care much about the collective memory of English based fans to be honest. So not sure what this contributes to defining whether a player is legendary or not.

Fact is he is in the history books as Uefa Player of the year and has been a dominant player for years in UCL and Bundesliga, countless titles, fell short of winning the world cup due to a Zidane headbutt and Trezeguet missed penalty.

Nobody said he is an all-time great but a legendary player? For sure.

[HIF]

Seems like Ribery‘s professional career has finally come to an end.

One of many legendary players that will hang their boots in the next 1-2 seasons.

"legendary" I guess that tag comes because they were greats in "your time". For an older or younger generation they would not be classed at legendary. I'd even say that Ribery will be forgotten by most English based fans within 10 years.

With all due respect, I don‘t think people outside the UK care much about the collective memory of English based fans to be honest. So not sure what this contributes to defining whether a player is legendary or not.

Fact is he is in the history books as Uefa Player of the year and has been a dominant player for years in UCL and Bundesliga, countless titles, fell short of winning the world cup due to a Zidane headbutt and Trezeguet missed penalty.

Nobody said he is an all-time great but a legendary player? For sure.

Beckenbauer is legendary. Ribery will be forgotten within a decade by most of the world - does that suit your sensibilities more?