African Nations Cup

Can't wait for the 21st Jan when Gosling captains our depleted side of 16 year old first year scholars to a humbling 9-0 loss to Norwich

The club have surely got to be on at the Prem about our situation

 

Not sure whether you are being serious but - loads of clubs are equally affected, aren’t they? Can’t see what makes us a special case.

 

Palace in 2nd place with players with 1st team minutes, but we're clear leaders in the "who gets shafted the most by the African Cup of Nations" league. Nearly 5000 mins compared to their 3900.

 

Possibly. But like I said, if a League 1 side is eligible for an international break because of a few u-21 players, then we should be for having 6 first team players on international duty

Would have been 7 if Nkoulou hadn't been injured I would have thought

 

Wouldn’t the whole PL have to have a break?

I think you’re clutching at straws.

 

When we signed Sarr I think it had already just been agreed that the Afcon would be switched to the summer in future.

Also, when we signed Dennis the Nigeria manager at the time refused to select him.

Hmm.

 

I'm not expecting anything. We'll be totally farked and the league won't care.

 

Why is this tournament in the middle of the European domestic season, when the majority (I assume) of eligible players play for European clubs? It makes no sense.

 

I mean, Rousy, I could post this about a lot of your posts! Not the one where you have suggested Kolasinac as a defensive midfielder mind you….

Happy Christmas old friend!

 

The problem here is elitism. Which is a totally understandable when you look at the makeup of the players in the tournament - but that fact aside, some countries in Europe, and plenty worldwide do not play their seasons in line with ours - so this World Cup is awful planning for a few of the worlds most successful leagues - but it also falls perfectly for a lot of qualified nations who have never had a World Cup under those terms before.

It’s only farcical to us because for once it doesn’t suit us.

 

That’s not the only reason it’s farcical to me.

 

Agreed, in and of itself, I don't have a problem with a new country in a new region getting a chance to host a World Cup, it's that it's Qatar with their human rights record which is the problem...

 

https://mobile.twitter.com/RobHarris/status/1475087341446381573
At least we don't have to release our players as early as we might have thought

 

Nkoulou retired from international duty several years ago.

Still, if he's injured for the entirety of the AFCON period we're closer to being ****ed anyway, and given the rehab video suggesting he isn't even back out training with the ball yet that the club just put out, that may actually be the case regardless.

 

What with AFCON and our backlog of games I am looking forward to January less and less

 

fewer and fewer (points)

 

I'm not talking about points, I'm talking about the fact I am looking forward to January LESS and LESS!!! Therefore your attempt at giving me a grammar lesson is sadly incorrect

 

As long as we can pick up a new starting XI for less than £10m in the January sales we’ll be fine.

 

Fewer.

 

Is that the follow-up single to Matthew And Son?

 

That's quite the revelation

 

We can get games postponed with 1 covid positive if we have a 24 man squad, 6 at afcon and 4 injured leaves us with 14. So one covid case leaves us with 13 and game off... I imagine that in Feb, we'll have 12 games in hand.

 

What I’ve never quite understood is the status of u-21 players. I think the 25-man limit is for those over 21 and a club can use an unlimited number of u-21s, but do they have to be registered as PL squad players? If so, how many do we have that can play in the PL? Either way, I don’t get how this applies to the stated Covid rules you refer to. I would be grateful if anyone can explain this.

 

I might be wrong, but think its related to if they play for a clubs 1st team, then they're considered part of the equation. Chelsea fans considered themselves hard done by because they have had a number of young players represent the club this season.

 

I can’t find the Premier League equivalent, and this isn’t exactly the same scenario, but in the EFL a player of ‘professional standing’ is defined as someone who has made 1 appearance outside of the EFL Trophy.

https://www.skysports.com/football/...s-by-efl-ahead-of-2021-22-championship-season

I’d guess a similar rule applies here?

 

So we have Agyakwa, Wise, Pochettino and Crichlow?

 

The club continue to reach new depths. The player is clearly excited about going and we're going to do everything we can to stop him. Let the guy go, he deserves it. He does his part every game, it's the other tossers letting him down.

 

If he genuinely said this, then it’s shockingly pathetic from Ranieri. He should know more than others how much these players want to represent their country especially with Dennis frozen out for years.

To even consider it is lunacy. To do so based on some email technicality is beyond words. I’d rather have him gone for a month than an angry passenger for the rest of the season.

 

Maybe the club and Nigeria will agree for him to go late and we’ll get an extra game out of him (potentially the rearranged one v Burnley). Worth a try if it will work. Not worth a try if not.

 

I hope they don’t. They’d award Dennis to Max Verstappen.