The Rolling Football Thread: Season 2025/26 - thread 2

[DuncinToffee]

Previous thread

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/sports/5383976-the-rolling-football-thread-season-202526?page=40&reply=147893728

Ideally we'd like to finish top 2 so not quite there yet...

And if City drop out of top 8 they will have to play 2 more games to qualify

Someone suggesting we lose and hope it means that City have to play 2 extra games!

Well we are top 2.

I could never throw a game.

I didn't even want pretend Arsenal to lose on Ted Lasso when pretend Richmond played them!!!

Mathematically still possible for Bayern to finish top, but they'd have to score a lot of goals. Kairat already eliminated, so probably playing the under 12s next game...

there is a clip online from a recent Hamburg SV match (at home - ok it was against Gladbach so i am salty about it) where the opposing goalie needed a new ball, and the ballboy (we still have those) just chucked it about 10 meters in front of the goalie, right behind the goal, to waste time (made no sense, it was of no benefit to Hamburg at all)

Anyway the ref came over and gave the ball boy a right bollocking.

HSV-Balljunge einfach eiskalt | Sportschau Fußball #shorts

@Brefugee says video not available but love the cheeky ballboy

not cheeky at all - it is something HSV do a lot and it was enough to have the Ref to strongly tell him off.

It is unsporting, gamesmanship even. And it isn't in the spirit of the game.

Oh yikes-sorry-I completely missed the mark on that!

Couldn't see the clip- but I guess that is why we don't have ball boys in the PL any more- it's not for them to slow/disrupt play but difficult to punish so they get away with it and the crowd eggs them on.

I feel like some of the gamesmanship is getting out of control-I loathe when a player goes down clutching their face and the replay shows they have not been touched but it stops play. Would like to see a crack down on this sort of thing.

That's something the VAR would be useful for. Even if only to issue punishments after the match.

I feel like some of the gamesmanship is getting out of control-I loathe when a player goes down clutching their face and the replay shows they have not been touched but it stops play. Would like to see a crack down on this sort of thing.

it has reached ridiculous levels, i agree. I would be embarassed to do all that play-acting. I think the clubs need to tackle this themselves.

any Celtic fans here? have fun with Cavancera - he really hasn't performed for Gladbach so hope you get some good out of him.

That won't happen, it's football not rugby or cricket. And even in cricket there are teams I don't think who would.

whispers Australia?? 🤐

It matters not one bit though first or second as both get seeded into the same pot and who they face is decided by a draw

same for Liverpool who will be in the same pot as Real Madrid so know if they both win they cannot face Real Madrid until the final as will be on opposite sides

and I don’t get Arsenal losing it would have NO effect on the pot Arsenal would go in or where Man City are

Plis PSG v Newcastle means a win for Man City puts them above one of them for definite and a good 3 goal clear victory should get them top 8 unless they are really unlucky with results (and I can’t see Chelsea putting too many past Napoli)

Finishing 1st or 2nd guarantees the second leg is at home for the next two knockout rounds. Worth having, but it doesn't matter which.

And it is the bloody problem with this format - there is absolutely no difference for Arsenal so they might as well use it as good experience for the younger players (it’s a shame then that Max Dowman is still injured) because there is no jeopardy for it

and Then literally everything is set out

I am layered up so much I look insane but off to Gayfield tonight for the first time in ages. We had a weather warning for rain yesterday and DH and I got home from seeing Biffy in Glasgow yesterday to find a delightful Arctic wind to walk through on our way home.

It’s a little better today at least but despite my layers if you get BBC Scotland on at 7.45pm then you might see me shivering away still LOL. In the pub right now in the hope a couple of wines will warm me up first LOL.

Sorry, you are competing with Everton women and the Traitor's final but good luck!

Haha yeah I’ll be avoiding social media so I don’t get Traitors spoilers before I get home. 🙈

layering is the only way to go - but if there's a wind it is often still cold.

-2° last time we went to Gladbach, and got colder as the sun went down, and i had so many clothes on i could barely move my arms. So so so many layers, including thermal undies. Wasn't really cold, but not really warm either.

Weather app is saying it’s 5° but with a feels like of -5°. By the final whistle I’ll have to check what it says then! I’ve got a really good fake wool wraparound coat that goes almost to my ankles and it’s usually decently windproof as well as warm so it’s very handy at the footy LOL.

Quite sheltered in my stand. The wind is coming a different way to usual which is interesting. Had my Smokie pie so I’m happy LOL.

It’s all kicked off outside the ground with the ultras. My friend’s assistance dog got stood on so we are in the office unwinding and chatting to the staff until it’s safe for us to leave.

Oh no @Tarkan - I hope you and your friend (and their poor dog) are okay and can get out soon (if you haven't already).

We’re away now. All safe. We got to steal some pies that were there for the BBC staff before we left too. 🤣

Apparently one of the Morton ultras had one of our ones pinned to the ground. We saw the police flying past a few times while we were waiting to get out. Think the Morton fans were all escorted back to the bus before we headed out.

DH had told me to stay in the ground when the final whistle went because they knew something was brewing with the Morton fans but he and my friend were round the other side so I had no idea what had happened at first with our friend’s dog.

I’ve been told me and my big scarf were on TV so I’ll have to have a look when we got home.

All that and we only got 1 point from it as well with some awful refereeing decisions.