I wonder how many countries have a football pyramid that has as many professionals tiers as England. In the Netherlands, for example, there are only two tiers of professional football; every else is amateurs (even if there are payments of some kind at the top amateur level).
Facts about football that shouldn't be true - but are
- Thread starter altodevil
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https://img.fifa.com/image/upload/jlr5corccbsef4n4brde.pdf
I don't know, mate. FIFA report says that on Netherlands, there are 3 main league tiers (see p. 227):
1ST EREDIVISIE, 18 teams
2ND EERSTE DIVISIE, 20
3RD MAIN TWEEDE DIVISIE, 18
So the 3rd one is amateur?
Yeah, it is - or rather semi-amateur, see below. (I grew up there, in case my location makes you wonder.) In fact, until one or two years ago, promotion/relegation between the Eerste=First Divisie and Hoofdklasse (Primary League, as the Tweede=Second Divisie was still called then) was impossible. It was simply the highest amateur class, which was actually divided over three regional groups of 12 clubs, and the winners of each group's season would play each other for the overall amateur title. Clubs could only make their way up from there if they could present a strong business case for becoming a pro club to the Dutch FA. And while promotion/relegation is now technically possible, this has been frozen until 2022/23. (Promotion/relegation is seamless from there into the bottom amateur levels though, and always has been.)
I read up a bit on the details now on (Dutch) Wikipedia. It's been like this since 2016, and clubs in the Tweede Divisie are obliged to have minimum numbers of contract players (to ease the potential transition into the pro leagues), making it rather semi-amateur, I guess. Also, the Tweede Divisie also existed from 1956-71 as the third pro tier. I didn't even know that - too far before my time.
In any case - I don't know how many tiers of pro leagues other countries have, but the depth of the professional pyramid in England (and the crowd numbers they still get at relatively low levels!) always astounded me.
Ha, that assumes that our keeper for the last decade would leave his line!
As you say it's not about Giggs, but the role he played. I think it shows the difference in average position and role between the modern wide forward or inverted winger and the traditional winger / wide midfielder. They're probably 25 yards further away from goal and, in four-man midfields, had the same defensive duties as the central midfielders. Not just Giggs, Figo was exactly the same, only reaching double figures once in 5 years at Barcelona where he played as an out-and-out winger. Just about all the main wingers from Giggs's time who weren't 'inverted' or set-piece experts had similar totals - Roberto Donadoni, Trevor Steven, Kily Gonzalez, Darren Anderton, Damien Duff, Joaquin, Mauro Camorenesi - all these guys did well to get 5 per season. Those who were usually inverted and could cut onto their strongest foot - Chris Waddle, John Barnes, Marc Overmars - tended to score more heavily in the 10-20 per season range.
If a 17 year old Giggs burst on to the scene now, he would be moulded into a wide forward and be a regular 20+ goal a season player.
I just found out a couple days ago that Shaun Wright-Phillips is the (adopted) son of Ian Wright.
Part of me feels like they almost played in the same era.
Part of me feels like they almost played in the same era.
That's crazy you only just found out. He played for you.I just found out a couple days ago that Shaun Wright-Phillips is the (adopted) son of Ian Wright.
Part of me feels like they almost played in the same era.
Yea that's crazy it even sometimes mentioned in the media, more than Giggs' affair.
Wait 'til they find out about Bradley Wright-Phillips
Wait 'til they find out about his other adopted son, Kevin Phillips.
And Kalvin Phillips.
Szczesny is only 30. Feels like he's been around forever.
I was convinced Dino Baggio was the brother of Roberto Baggio... 
The National League is not nationalist.
What a preposterous claim. He wasn't even the best midfielder at Barcelona, Xavi was.
He was definitely not the best midfielder of all time. Better midfielders include Zidane, Matthaus, Rijkaard, Zico, Xavi.
Iniesta also played as a CAM a lot, and if he is classed as a midfielder then so are Cruyff, Maradona, Laudrup, Charlton, Best.
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Héctor Bellerín is Just 25.
I was convinced Dino Baggio was the brother of Roberto Baggio...
Same here
I was convinced Dino Baggio was the brother of Roberto Baggio...
I'm just going to forget I saw this and continue thinking it
Similarly, I thought Cristiano and Javier Zanetti were brothers when they played together for Inter. They're not even from the same continent, although I suppose Kevin-Prince and Jerome Boateng are proof that brothers don't necessarily have to be.I was convinced Dino Baggio was the brother of Roberto Baggio...
Unrelated: Freddy Adu is younger than Henrikh Mkhitaryan. If you'd told me the former retired before the latter made a name for himself I'd have believed you.
Man utd are currently closer to 9th in the table than 1st (in points)
Both 13 points different but +11 GD Vs 9th placed spurs Vs -15 GD Vs City
Both 13 points different but +11 GD Vs 9th placed spurs Vs -15 GD Vs City
Bit lost on this - they were both born in Berlin, played youth football in Berlin, and played for Hertha at the start of their professional careers.
They are as much proof as you expect brothers in football to be?
Shut up!
West Brom's last five home Premier League wins have each come under a different manager - Allardyce, Slaven Bilic, Darren Moore, Alan Pardew and Tony Pulis.
I think he was alluding to the fact that KP plays for Ghana and Jerome plays for Germany
That's just down to personal preference though - they're not from different continents, and KP retired from international duty almost as soon as he started it.
Good one. Insane state.
What he said was just wrong.
I think in that era, teams favoured stretching defences through width, allowing central players more freedom and space in the attacking phase.
Now, usually you'd see wingers tucking in/coming inside to allow wing backs freedom to get forward more and players inside play more quick, intricate passing and movement when linking up to unlock teams.
United had more expected points after 24 PL games last season, before Bruno signed, than they had this season after 24 PL games with Bruno. The same is still true after 26 games in both seasons.
Source: Understat
Source: Understat
Expected points aren't really a fact.
A true statement about performance metrics is still a fact.
I found it very surprising, considering the narrative around Bruno and how much United have supposedly kicked on and improved thanks to his signing.
Another example would be Christian Vieri and his brother Max.
Christian was born in Bologna and played nationally for Italy. Max was born in Sydney and played nationally for Australia (albeit only 6 times).
Read the other day that Lindelof is 6' 2", so equals to Rio and 1" shorter than Vidic.
And I'm talking about their height.
There must be some optical illusion involved?
And I'm talking about their height.
There must be some optical illusion involved?
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What is rhe exact factual data behind the performance metrics that make this a fact?
Saying Man Utd have more points after 26 than last season, now that is a fact.
according to figures on Transfermarket - United have spent more nett than City since Pep arrived, I was shocked, in that time City have spent £77.17 more (I thought it would be more than that) but recouped more.
I said it was my opinion. And if you think it's a "preposterous" claim then you better get to Specsavers.
Is that you Charlie Nicholas?