Stan

Amir is fuming. 

USA have done superbly there. Pakistan bottled it. 

18 minutes ago, Danny said:

I think there’s a case to be made that Italy will have the strongest defence in the tournament, at least on paper, assuming they play with a back 5 that has Barella and Jorginho in front of it.

Their front line leaves a bit to be desired but then they’ve not always needed a strong forward line to do well in tournaments.

It's a shame Scalvini is missing the tournament. Good player. 

1 hour ago, Redcanuck said:

So who starts along side Stones at CB?  Dunk, Konsa, Gomez or Guehi?

It'd be Guehi for me. 

1 hour ago, 6666 said:

They voted against increasing it?

Player prices have gone up drastically so you'd assume an increase in the threshold would be the natural next step that the clubs agree to.

If they want there to be a strict line then okay, hopefully they can stick to it.

 

Yep. 

1 hour ago, 6666 said:

VAR existing isn't something they can complain about but hopefully you don't mean that they can't disagree with decisions made by VAR because not the same thing. It's the same as complaining about an on-field referee's decisions while still knowing you need a referee.

Yeah, I can appreciate that sentiment. But I wonder if the sensible thing would have been to vote it out and then wait til they bring in something better or more workable/acceptable. 

Right now I can't see how they continue with it without knowing what kind of changes they bring in. And it'd be unfair to bring anything in mid-season like they've done before. 

15-2 against. 3 clubs abstained. 

Final squad 

Gutted for Branthwaite missing out. Not sure what else he could have done? 

Smaller, 'nimbler' cars for 2026:

Quote

 

Formula 1 cars will be smaller, nimbler and more environmentally friendly from 2026, the sport's governing body the FIA has said.

Cars will be 30kg lighter, 10cm narrower and have engines with a near 50-50 split between electric and internal combustion power - and use fully sustainable fuels.

The FIA described the concept at the heart of the 2026 rules as a "nimble car".

Active aerodynamics will be used to optimise the use of the new engines.

Cars will have front and rear wings that open on the straights to reduce drag and increase speed, but then close to increase downforce for cornering performance.

And overtaking will be facilitated by a power-boost system for a car following another, to be known as manual override mode.

This is instead of the current DRS (drag-reduction system) overtaking aid.

The new hybrid engines, which triple the amount of electrical power used, have attracted two new manufacturers into F1 in the shape of Audi and Ford, and persuaded Honda to reverse its decision to quit the sport.

Along with Mercedes, Ferrari and Renault, and the new Red Bull Powertrains company with which Ford is joining forces, there will be a total of six engine manufacturers in F1 in 2026.

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said: "The key features of the 2026 regulations are advanced, sustainable technology and safety.

"Our aim, together with F1, was to produce a car that was right for the future of the sport's elite category. We believe we have achieved that goal."

The rules are a part of F1's pledge to go net-zero carbon by 2030.

The FIA's announcement on Thursday, on the eve of this weekend's Canadian Grand Prix, is the first confirmation of the 2026 chassis rules - the changes to the engines have been known for two years.

The new regulations governing cars include:

• Minimum weight reduced by 30kg to 768kg
• Width reduced by 10cm to 190cm
• Front tyres narrower by 25mm and rears by 30mm, while retaining wheels of 18 inches in diameter
• Active aerodynamics to reduce drag on the straights and optimise the operation of the new engines
• A revised, partially flat floor to limit underbody aerodynamic 'ground effect' and reduce the need for the cars to be run very stiff and low - as they have been since the current rules were introduced in 2022.

There has been criticism that the introduction of active aerodynamics as a fundamental operating characteristic of the car is unnecessarily complex.

But they have been employed because the drag of the cars needed to be reduced and braking distances increased so sufficient energy could be recovered during braking to supply the much greater electrical capacity of the power unit.

FIA single-seater technical director Jan Monchaux said: "The DRS on the rear wing will not be used to facilitate overtaking any more. It will be used by default on every straight by every car to drop drag levels, because this comes with some strong benefits for energy consumption.

"But also having higher top speed allows you to recover more [energy] when you're braking at the end of the straight."

On the new overtaking boost system, Monchaux said drivers would be allowed to use more electrical energy than their opponent if they were within a given distance of the car in front before the end of a lap.

How are the engines changing?

The moveable aerodynamics have been required because the new engines are less efficient than the existing ones as a result of the removal for 2026 of the expensive and complex Motor Generator Unit-Heat (MGU-H) - a part of the hybrid system that recovers energy from the turbocharger.

Without the MGU-H, other means were needed to recover sufficient energy for the increased electrical power from the engine - which is being raised from 120kW to 350kW.

Head of aerodynamics Jason Somerville said the FIA had turned to moveable aerodynamics to reduce drag because otherwise the cars would have "experienced a severe drop in speed at the end of the typical main straights".

Other than the removal of the MGU-H, the engines will be similar to the existing ones - 1.6-litre V6 turbo hybrids.

A key change is the introduction of a 100% sustainable fuel.

When they burn, these fuels only put back into the atmosphere the carbon dioxide that was taken out of it to make them in the first place.

A study by Prof Felix Leach at Oxford University, funded by F1, found these fuels can achieve a reduction in life-cycle CO2 emissions of greater than 90% compared with fossil fuels.

These fuels can be used in almost any internal combustion engine.

The FIA is introducing an assurance scheme to "check the source of all the components used by fuel suppliers to produce the sustainable fuels" to ensure their credibility.

F1 chairman Stefano Domenicali said: "The new sustainably fuelled hybrid power unit presents a huge opportunity for the global automotive industry. The drop-in fuel has the potential to be used by cars around the world and dramatically cut emissions."

 

Maguire & Grealish also set to miss out, after Curtis Jones was omitted earlier.

Just now, OrangeKhrush said:

That will explain the Drewsbury Hall links.  I hope you dont sell him, Leicester in the premier league is good and you need all your best players to stay

I'd like him to stay but if he plays like he did last time he was in the PL, it wouldn't be that much of a loss if we were to sell. At least not a big a loss as the likes of Fofana, Chilwell, Maddison, Barnes, Mahrez etc have been who also went for big money in recent seasons. 

If we keep him, I can see the likes of Justin, Daka, Faes, Souttar, Choudhury, Ward, () & Iversen all being sold to build up funds. Majority of the funds would come from the first 3 there. 

Wage-wise, at the moment we're losing Praet, Ndidi, Iheanacho & Albrighton as their contracts end this month. Approx £200k/w off the wage bill. 

Add another £100k/w if Vardy leaves but apparently he'll be staying.

Yeah apparently we have to sell £30m before end of June to balance the books for now. Was £40m, but £10m of that has been paid by Chelsea for Enzo. 

PL Clubs have voted today to keep VAR in the league.

Wolves the only club to vote against having it.

I don't want any manager at all bemoaning VAR next season on the back of that. Apart from Wolves/their manager.

Quote

 

Chelsea will turn down any loan moves for Romelu Lukaku this summer in a bid to sell the Belgium striker in a permanent deal.

They are looking to recoup some of £97.5m they paid Inter Milan for him in 2021, with their asking price believed to be about £37m as the club aims to get the 31-year-old's £325,000-a-week wages off their books.

Roma are interested in re-signing Lukaku, who spent last season on loan at the Serie A club, but are unable to meet the asking price. AC Milan and Napoli, who have just appointed Lukaku’s former manager Antonio Conte, are also reportedly interested.

But the Italian clubs have limited finances and will have to see whether Chelsea soften their stance later in the transfer window.

Napoli were also tipped to propose a swap deal for striker Victor Osimhen but Chelsea are not interested in signing the Nigerian, who is valued in excess of £100m.

Chelsea accepted a bid for Lukaku from Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal last summer but the forward rejected the move.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cw88d24zvg3o

7 hours ago, Dan said:

Steve Cooper has definitely been in contact.

Very torn on that. I think his problem is the obvious Forest connection is going to put him on a bad footing from the off, and I know we've had Morgan and O'Neill go on to do brilliantly here after years at Forest, but it's volatile enough. I'm not sure we need to add him into this.

I don't think he is a bad manager though.

If he's a good manager then so be it, in my opinion.

It's not like he's one of the almighty Forest legends or had several years there. Morgan was and that didn't deter us.

I think I can look past the Forest connection for Cooper, and he's not coming directly from there which I suppose helps (again, Morgan did though). If he can do a job to keep us up despite the points deduction and financially-impacted squad, then he's fine for me. 

22 minutes ago, MUFC said:

No trophies lost but relegated.

This one. 

In a similar fashion to last season, the games end with no winners after the Champions League final!

First up was the Europa Conference League final which had a first goal in the 116th minute of Extra Time. No winners there either.

The Champions League final had a late first goal, in the 74th minute, as Real Madrid ran out 2-0 winners. No winners there either.

That means the winner of First Goal Season Five is...

@6666!

Final Rankings after Game 140

Congratulations to @6666 for hanging on to 1st place and securing his first win in this competition, taking the crown off @Viva la FCB!

@Devil-Dick Willie came a close 2nd, finishing only 2 points behind the leader, whilst @Lucas hung on to 3rd place. I got the most exact scores, while @6666, @Bluewolf, @JoshBRFC & @Rucksackfranzose all amassed 3 Exacts.

Thank you everyone for competing and participating - we'll be back for Season Six in August!

Week 42 Results
Mexico 1-0 Bolivia
Costa Rica 0-0 Uruguay
Borussia Dortmund 0-2 Real Madrid
Brazil Women 4-0 Jamaica Women
Philadelphia 2-2 CF Montreal
LA FC 1-0 FC Dallas
Genk 0-1 Gent
Metz 2-2 St Etienne
Atalanta 2-3 Fiorentina
Vasco de Gama 1-6 Flamengo

Round-up
A 42-week season draws to a close with a mix of domestic and international fixtures, as we gear up to European and South American international competitions.

Regarding this competition, no change in the table once again but @CaaC (John) grabbed the highest score of the week with 15 points. It solidified 2nd place ahead of @Bluebird Hewitt, and @Rucksackfranzose close behind them too. @Viva la FCB fell just short of the 500-point mark whilst @Tommy battled hard to catch-up.

2023/2024 SEASON SUMMARY

Firstly, a thank you to everyone who took part this season and competing all the way through if possible!

Secondly, the WPL Cup winner for this season - me! A close-fought battle with @Viva la FCB in the middle of the season meant I could steal the crown from @Pyfish and win my first WPL Cup.

Leaders Throughout The Season:

• @Viva la FCB - Week 1
• @CaaC (John) - Week 2-13
• Stan - Week 14-42

Highest Individual Scores

• 21 points - Week 16 - @Viva la FCB
• 21 points - Week 26 - @Tommy
• 20 points - Week 3/Week 22/Week 24 - @nawoo 
• 20 points - Week 11 - @Bluebird Hewitt / @Pyfish
• 20 points - Week 21 - @Rucksackfranzose 

Most Perfect Scores in a Single Gameweek

• 4 - Week 14 - Stan
• 4 - Week 24 - @nawoo

World Prediction League - HALL OF FAME

• 2019/20 - @Bluewolf
• 2020/21 - @Pyfish
• 2021/22 - @The Liquidator
• 2022/23 - Stan
• 2023/24 - Stan

WPL Cup - HALL OF FAME

• 2020/21 - @Pyfish
• 2021/22 - @Pyfish
• 2022/23 - @Tommy
• 2023/24 - Stan

Pole Position - Which driver will post the fastest lap in Q3 AFTER MAX VERSTAPPEN IS REMOVED FROM THE RESULTS?

LECLERC

Podium - Which drivers will finish the Grand Prix in the top three positions AFTER MAX VERSTAPPEN IS REMOVED FROM THE RESULTS?

1. LECLERC

2. NORRIS

3. SAINZ

Random Driver - Predict the finishing position of this week's random driver, Max Verstappen.

1st

Bonus Question - At Lance Stroll's home Grand Prix this weekend, which session of qualifying will he be eliminated in? Out in Q1? Out in Q2? Or into Q3?

Q2

Hope they crash and burn after all this. Making a mockery of it all now. 

I'm surprised PSG aren't giving him a go and seem intent on letting him go out on loan again. 

Tottenham Home:

Man Utd Third:

Real Madrid Third:

Juve Third:

Stoke Home:

Wolves Away:

Talk about falling upwards...