The Soccer Thread (Version 15) — I Got 115 Problems But a Pep Ain’t One

[TrooperBari]

It's a fair ask. Talented as this bunch is, there's not much dog in them. Would the team that won La Guerra Fria lay down like this? The Snow Clasico team? John O'Brien had fiberglass hamstrings like Gio Reyna, but you knew damn well he wanted to be there and win.

There's still time to sort things out, and I'd rather have the task of getting talented players to care than making passionate players outperform their skill level repeatedly, but any expectations of this team beyond getting out of their group feel wildly optimistic.

 

[Twirling Time]

I've always had a theory that every English Football League team has a ceiling. Due to market size/fan base, financial resources, facilities etc. We'll find out soon what Wrexham's ceiling is.

(And yes, I am aware that Wrexham is in Wales…. They compete in the EFL.)

 

[Cosmo]

The deeper and deeper I've gotten into my Watford fandom, it's amazing we were ever in the Premier League at all. The Pozzos care way more about their Serie A toy Udinese and gives Watford some scraps every once in a while. I don't hate the Championship. The games are fun. We're not bad enough to sniff League One relegation but just don't have the money or players to truly threaten promotion. There is some rumbling that the Pozzos are trying to get out, which would be great. Every good player we've had over the last five years (Sarr, Cucho Hernandez, Joao Pedro) were simply sold to the highest bidder. They're giving Cleverley some leash, which is good, because he has a very weak and thin squad right now. So to your point, Twirling, Watford's ceiling is probably sniffing around the promotion playoffs until the Pozzos sell.

 

[Webster]

Just an amazingly stupid play by Donnarumma yesterday.