The Rolling Football Thread, season 2023-24

[DuncinToffee]

Football fans join in to share the joy, the heartache and VAR frustration ⚽

The thing about football - the important thing about football - is that it is not just about football.

Everton

Low expectations this season, mid table and a decent cup run will do me nicely

Kids, DD isn’t really interested but has been to a few matches with us.
DS just followed us supporting Everton since around the age of 5 and has suffered ever since. (We live in the south so it is real commitment)

Arsenal

DH and DS2 are Fulham season ticket holders and have gone up to Goodison today. I have a soft spot for Brentford as they are close by and I can hear when they score if I'm in the garden!

DS1 away at uni but will go to Fulham when home.

I lurked on this thread last season but didn't post but looking forward to this season and hope to contribute at bit.

I support 3 teams. Arbroath, Rangers and West Ham. DH supports Arbroath and Hibs so we have a few teams in our household.

DC haven't been forced to pick a team. DC1 supported Chelsea when younger but isn't too bothered now. DC2 has been to a few Arbroath matches but that's it.

Tbh I'm expecting Arbroath to get relegated this year, it was expected as soon as they went into the Scottish championship and they've held on for a few years but I feel like our luck will run out eventually. I wouldn't be surprised if West Ham went down this year too, last season was a struggle and more players are leaving than we're signing. I'm actually surprised we're starting this season with Moyes still in charge. If it hadn't been for the Europa Conference League win I think he would have been long gone.

3 teams, one win, one draw, one loss for me this week.

I was meant to have a family thing next weekend so I wouldn't have made it to Gayfield but it's been cancelled now. We were away at Queen's Park for a 2-1 loss to us today and we're at home to Queen's Park next weekend. It was meant to be later in the year but was rescheduled so it's ended up with us playing them two weekends in a row.

Dh has watched about 6 games of football already!

Back to frustration, we can't score for toffees. No idea why the goal was disallowed.

I'll take those 3 points. Brilliant from Martinelli for Eddie's goal, and Saka is just sublime.

We were holding on at the end, we shouldn't have given them the chance to get back in the game, hopefully something to learn from. Hope Timber's not out for too long though.

Love hearing all about who and why you support the teams

My team is Southampton, born and bred, failed with the one that actually likes football as he is Spurs.

Prem supporting Bournemouth but like all Southcoast teams except Portsmouth. Only team I hate is Watford.

Like following managers so Eddie Howe, Roy Hodgeson and Sean Dyche are of interest to me, I want Newcastle to win the league.

Think Spurs will have a rubbish season, I've gone for 10th but I definitely don't think they will make top 6.

Sadly think Sheffield and Luton will struggle and would probably add Bournemouth to that.

Think top four will be City, Arsenal, Newcastle and Man Utd with Liverpool 5th.

Bloody love the start of the season.

And apparently I'm completely unreasonable for wanting Leipzig to win.

1. Spurs and my local L2 Gillingham
2. DS1 (16) not interested in footie, DS2 (10) Spurs, he is gutted about Kane
3. Top 4 I'm expecting to consist of City, Man Utd, Arsenal, Liverpool. Newcastle to do well again. No idea on Spurs, mid-table maybe but hoping our new signings do well and happy Son is to be Captain.
4. Gills to be promoted, our form at the end of last season and going into this has been faultless, we've had 2 really strong transfer windows and the stadium is rocking week in week out again.

Name changed to the nickname Gillingham's owner has given us

Arsenal, obviously, all my side of the family are, so pretty much inherited. Had a season ticket for a few years, but circumstances meant I had to give it up.

Soft spot for Pompey as the other side of the family are from that area.

Support Isle of Man FC as we're over there quite regularly (DW's side of the family).

DS will say he supports Arsenal if asked, but doesn't really follow football generally. Hopefully he'll grow into it!

Shitty will obviously be the ones to beat again this season. Hoping Arsenal can do it with the strengthening of the squad this season, but it's early days and we have to see how things turn out. Expecting ManUre to be stronger this season, along with the Toon. So probably those for the top 4. Liverpool don't look any stronger than last season, but you can never be sure. Chelsea are obviously an unknown quantity, but I don't see them challenging for top 4 yet, but they could take points off other teams looking for it. Hopefully relegation for Sp*rs, but don't really expect it. Won't miss Kane diving for his inevitable penalty against us (unless we get Bayern in the CL, obviously).

Can see Burnley and Luton going down, but who knows. And that's the joy of it...

I am Dutch and my Dutch team is PSV but I don't follow them actively anymore.

I watched Everton in the 1995 FA Cup final because of my blue Scouse boyfriend and supported them ever since, I also kept the boyfriend

Bayern learning the definition of "Spursy" the hard way...

Nottingham Forest.

Born and bred in Nottingham. Season ticket holder when I was a teenager (Roy Keane, Stan Collymore, Stuart Pearce,). etc

DS 10 also a Forest supporter. We are still relatively local to Nottingham.

Soft spot for Spurs.

Thankful we didn't get trounced today. Still need a couple more signings. For the right price happy to see Brennan Johnson go....

Outrageous start to the season from Newcastle, shouted myself hoarse. Tonali is world class, Gordon is like the metaphorical new signing, Barnes is going to get 15+ goals for us this season and Alexander Isak might just prove to be the best player ever seen in a black and white shirt. Who needs that tremendous Nordic meat shield? 😂

City v Newcastle should be a great watch next weekend.

Oh and ‘we are top of the league, say we are top of the league’ 🖤🤍😂

I hope Mings is ok though, looked completely innocuous from where we sit.

Honestly my years Sky subscription was worth it to watch that. 1 game 0 trophies, Rice must be pissing himself.

@EddieHowesShithousingMags hope you have better luck that @YouOnlyCameToSeeEboue with the 🎵

Haha @AndNobbyDancing i did think that which is why I went with a different chant in case it was cursed 😂

Match of the Day. So good to see it!

Liverpool for me, Crystal Palace for DH. DC support our local team, which is fair enough - happens to be Spurs. One of the DC has been leaning towards Liverpool, though.

I think Liverpool will be better this season than last, but it won’t be an easy ride - I’m very happy with the signings of MacAllister and Szoboszlai, but I think we are going to really miss the influence both on and especially off the field of Henderson and Milner. So, my hope is for a good season but I think it’s going to be a transitional one and next season will be better. We shall see! (And the less said about the current Caicedo circus, the better!)

I also meant to add In Klopp I Trust! 😁

@DuncinToffee DH and DS (Fulham supporters) now back from Goodison and couldn't understand why the goal was disallowed even after watching on MOTD, however they also thought Fulham should have had a pen for handball. leno was superb. They thought Fulham were lucky. mitrovitch on crutches getting off the train.
dS2 15 loves going to other stadiums and really wanted to visit Goodison before new stadium but said it was like going back in time, that must be where they put the away fans!
My team arsenal, umm, we need a striker with Gabriel injured. But Saka's goal was sublime. However the usual last 10 min squeaky bum time....
I think for end of season
Arsenal (hoping)
Man city
Newcastle
Man utd