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Reply | Insulting or Inspiring?
at 04:00 13 Aug 2025
As I've repeatedly pointed out, players in the 70s, for example, played as many, if not more, much more physically arduous games on often shitty pitches, without any kind of 'rotation'.
In most professional sports players in the 70s operated on a different scale of fitness to those today. Like racehorses professional athletes nowadays are a different kind of physical animal from their predecessors. For example their body-fat index is far lower, which adds speed and dexterity at the cost of fragility. Which in turn leads to more injuries and, not infrequently, shorter careers. This, in turn, necessitates larger squads for their employers and greater turnover. |
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Reply | The QPR summer transfer rumours thread
at 17:31 12 Aug 2025
I was thinking — like you do sometimes. Vancouver Whitecaps just signed Thomas Müller. He's costly, £3,250.000 per year, which would put him in the top 10 highest paid players in the Championship. But don't you think he, or someone like him*, would make short-term sense for us? Say a year maybe two as player-coach. OK I realise he's out of our price range, and at 35, long in the tooth. But, based on the matches I saw, he was still a handy sub for Bayern last season. We've got a team full of kids, especially up front, who could surely learn a lot from someone with his ability and experience. Plus I'll bet he be coaching somewhere significant in a year or two, so the experience for him would be invaluable
* Yeah, I know we've got Michi Frey, who's maybe a lo-rent equivalent
but, unlike Müller, he seems to be injured much of the time. |
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Reply | If Celar is the answer what's the question 🤔
at 18:42 10 Aug 2025
It seems to me Celar hasn't come to terms with the speed and physicality of the Championship. Maybe he could, eventually, but the clock's surely ticking. I suspect the Swiss league isn't particularly noted for its hustle and bustle. Time on the ball is something you have to work hard for here, it's not a gimme. |
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Reply | Walsh v Nardi
at 19:02 9 Aug 2025
I guess it was a big game for him, but he certainly didn't rise to it. Looked nervy from the off, and never commanded his defence. He deserves a run, but more matches like today's and it won't be a long one. |
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Reply | Knob End Match Fred
at 18:41 9 Aug 2025
For the first time in a decade or so I can claim a "Just Back."
I thought it was a fairly typical season opener. Loads of dumb mistakes by both teams. Pozu and Morgan looked impressive, especially in the first half. Walsh... not so much. Most of our new boys appear to have potential. |
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Reply | Singing from the same hymn sheet – Fans Forum
at 18:25 31 Jul 2025
During a match coaches are very visible, waving their arms in obscure gestures on the sidelines. We can all see him, he's surely the club's leader. In a way though he's more like a Mayan king who has little real power, but is carried in pomp at the head of an army. When he's killed, usually quite quickly, everyone runs away screaming. However no body blames the 'wise men' who began the conflict in the first place. |
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Reply | Rumarn Burrell
at 22:54 26 Jul 2025
Oh, to be sure. Quite different styles. Kelman was the Fox in the Box at Orient, tough to mark and harder to move. Our guy doesn't look like that kind of striker at all. Possibly more our head coach's cup of tea though. |
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Reply | Rumarn Burrell
at 22:19 26 Jul 2025
Not very different from Kelman TBH. Both had their purple patches when it mattered. Kelman's goals got Orient into playoffs, Burrell's saved Burton from relegation. |
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Reply | Rumarn Burrell
at 21:11 26 Jul 2025
Probably not a coincidence his move announced on the same day as Kelman's departure. Sounds like as close to a like-for-like as you can imagine. |
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Reply | The QPR summer transfer rumours thread
at 17:49 25 Jul 2025
I'm disappointed so many people on here believe that professional footballers are only interested in money, and will put their feet up when a big enough contract arrives. Particularly when so much evidence points in the opposite direction.
Do you see the 20+ year-olds at the top of the PL just going through the motions after they've signed an eight figure contract? Not often, or even at all. People tend to have pride in their craft, be they dancers, engineers, bricklayers or footballers. Sure the rewards are nice, but they're not why they do what they do. They do it because they've been blessed with a recognised set of rare skills they need to exploit. Failing to do so would disappoint not only those who support them but, more importantly, it would be a permanent self-inflicted wound. [Post edited 25 Jul 17:50]
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Reply | The QPR summer transfer rumours thread
at 02:05 23 Jul 2025
Would he go back to L1 though, even for more money? He's a known quantity there. Most teams will have an idea of how to play him by now. If Luton don't get promoted he could end up being nothing more than the best paid player in level three. I s'pose he might be content with that, but I'm not sure I'd want him on my team if he was. |
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Reply | The QPR summer transfer rumours thread
at 00:48 23 Jul 2025
Am slightly concerned about two potential decisions currently it seems our new man at the helm is making.
In that Celar is higher up the chain than Kelman, and Walsh is higher up the chain than Nardi.
Is that the case though? After a long injury lay-off Celar needs game minutes. Kelman, OTOH, was in L1 play-offs so is relatively fresh.
Similarly, Walsh had far fewer games in the past year than Nardi. The coaches want to see what he can do. That's what pre-season is for no?
I doubt we'll see anything like a Championship starting line-up until the Brentford match. |
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Reply | The Dangers of Summer Football
at 03:33 17 Jul 2025
Too true. In fact I wonder how many of the workers who die building the 11 new stadiums for the 2034 World Cup*, will be from heat related causes?
*31 deaths so far, AFAWK. But the organisers aren't giving details. [Post edited 17 Jul 3:34]
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Thread | The Dangers of Summer Football
at 18:53 16 Jul 2025
Remember when it used to be just a Winter game? Oh sure there were a few home internationals and a relative short World Cup in Summer every few years, but that was before the climate began to change. Now it's a year-round money-making proposition.
Summer sports — cricket, baseball — are slower paced, consequently longer in length but less physically demanding. How come we've forgotten that? Does a famous footballer have to die of heat-stroke before we remember?
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/gift/c8958f9b0f7f981ce60c8afe970979ab0b2857457fd |
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Reply | Rest of the Championship thread 25/26
at 01:52 11 Jul 2025
Nor do most teams get relegated.
Increasingly it's about how close you come to one or t'other. At least in this division. It's fever dreams or nightmares.
Personally I try not to think about 'up' or 'down.' It's the ninety minutes in front of you twice a week that matter. Football's about the moment not the season.
Until April comes at least. |
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Reply | Home opener question
at 05:47 9 Jul 2025
Cheers. That sounds great! It's been 47 years since I stood in the Loft. |
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Reply | Home opener question
at 00:21 9 Jul 2025
Not really fussy as to where we sit. If it's really sunny South Africa Road can get uncomfortable. OTOH in Ellerslie you run the risk of a pillar obstructing your view. I thought the Loft was members only, or has that changed? |
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