The on topic thread 4.0

[SM]

The UK Telegraph has named its best 30 players of the season so far. I would have Haaland higher, he's still the leading scorer. And Son instead of Fernandes.

30. Carlos Baleba (Brighton)
29. Jhon Durán (Aston Villa)
28. Alex Iwobi (Fulham)
27. Boubacar Kamara (Aston Villa)
26. Amad Diallo (Manchester United)
25. David Raya (Arsenal)
24. Milos Kerkez (Bournemouth)
23. Marc Cucurella (Chelsea)
22. Antonee Robinson (Fulham)
21. Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa)
20. Luis Díaz (Liverpool)
19. Nikola Milenkovic (Nottingham Forest)
18. Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United)
17. Gabriel Magalhães (Arsenal)
16. Bryan Mbeumo (Brentford)
15. Nicolas Jackson (Chelsea)
14. Chris Wood (Nottingham Forest)
13. Martin Odegaard (Arsenal)
12. Matheus Cunha (Wolves)
11. Alexander Isak (Newcastle United)
10. Ryan Gravenberch (Liverpool)
9. Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)
8. Dejan Kulusevski (Tottenham Hotspur)
7. Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
6. William Saliba (Arsenal)
5. Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
4. Moises Caicedo (Chelsea)
3. Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
2. Cole Palmer (Chelsea)
1. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

The top 30 men’s footballers in Britain today

With the Premier League approaching its halfway point, Telegraph Sport draws breath and picks the standout players of the season so far

www.telegraph.co.uk

No he's not, salah is.

 

[RossFC]

There is a CB faster than Van De Ven, Ange needs to get on the blower.

 

[Zidane98]

There is a CB faster than Van De Ven, Ange needs to get on the blower.

I want to sign him just for the name.

 

[Magma]

There is a CB faster than Van De Ven, Ange needs to get on the blower.

is max speed related to max power

 

[glenferry23]

is max speed related to max power

Oh wow, great name!

 

[RossFC]

More tears from Madrid players at a Madrid propaganda event.

 

[Zidane98]

 

[Frank Bunn]

Gareth Southgate gets a knighthood. The Moyesiah gets an OBE.

New Year Honours 2025: Gareth Southgate is knighted

Former England manager Gareth Southgate has been awarded a knighthood in the New Year Honours list.

www.bbc.com

 

[Planet14]

Embarrassing.

 

[RossFC]

Gareth Southgate gets a knighthood. The Moyesiah gets an OBE.

New Year Honours 2025: Gareth Southgate is knighted

Former England manager Gareth Southgate has been awarded a knighthood in the New Year Honours list.

www.bbc.com

Well deserved for Moyes.

 

[SM]

Well deserved for Southgate too.

 

[Planet14]

I suppose if carrying the drinks for the England cricket team when they beat Australia gets you an MBE, why shouldn't almost but not quite winning anything as England football manager get you a knighthood?

 

[Art Vandelay_]

I suppose if carrying the drinks for the England cricket team when they beat Australia gets you an MBE, why shouldn't almost but not quite winning anything as England football manager get you a knighthood?

Still too soon. Triggering stuff.

Paul Collingwood getting an MBE still is vexing, especially now they've admitted to ball tampering to win that series.

 

[SM]

I suppose if carrying the drinks for the England cricket team when they beat Australia gets you an MBE, why shouldn't almost but not quite winning anything as England football manager get you a knighthood?

Because 'winning something' is such a simplistic way of looking at his time in charge? Why do things have to be so binary as to be either a success or a failure when his time in charge saw their best sustained run of results at major tournaments in basically forever?

 

[Planet14]

Because 'winning something' is such a simplistic way of looking at his time in charge? Why do things have to be so binary as to be either a success or a failure when his time in charge saw their best sustained run of results at major tournaments in basically forever?

I'm not saying he wasn't a success. But there is a difference between saying thanks Gareth, great job, and ordaining him with the highest honour available. I think the monarchy and their honours system is bullshit anyway, but bestowing the highest rank on a football manager who did a decent job is a bit OTT.

 

[SM]

I'm not saying he wasn't a success. But there is a difference between saying thanks Gareth, great job, and ordaining him with the highest honour available. I think the monarchy and their honours system is bullshit anyway, but bestowing the highest rank on a football manager who did a decent job is a bit OTT.

I think he did a bit more than a decent job but each to their own.

 

[moomba]

The whole honours thing is ridiculous. Sir Waistcoat a prime example of that.

Will probably wind Beckham up no end so there's that.

 

[largebus]

Extending England's drought to 60 years is an exceptional achievement and definitely worth a knighthood.

Arise, Sir Gareth!

 

[Bradesmaen]

Yet the real heroes of the UK get no wage increases etc in the NHS.

 

[SM]

Yet the real heroes of the UK get no wage increases etc in the NHS.

Is one linked to the other?

 

[Bradesmaen]

Is one linked to the other?

Why should one get a knighthood for being coach of a football team? What did he actually do? Why shouldn't real people get them instead? Pretty sure all gold medallists got an OBE/MBE just for winning an event that didn't help anyone.

These people are who it should celebrate:

This includes Anne Croucher, a Tesco worker who raised money to provide Easter chocolates to hundreds of care home residents in Dumfries; Malcolm Fletcher, a saxophonist who helped found the Ely Military Band in 1962; and Joan Lockley, who set up West Midlands Hedgehog Rescue.

New Year Honours: Gareth Southgate, Stephen Fry and Olympians on list

Keely Hodgkinson, actress Sarah Lancashire and Post Office scandal campaigners are also recognised.

www.bbc.com

If Gareth had done lots of hours of charity work while being coach, sure.

 

[Frank Bunn]

I'm not saying he wasn't a success. But there is a difference between saying thanks Gareth, great job, and ordaining him with the highest honour available. I think the monarchy and their honours system is bullshit anyway, but bestowing the highest rank on a football manager who did a decent job is a bit OTT.

I agree about the monarchy and the honours system but Britain is stuck with it.

The honours for Southgate have possibly been premature. He got an OBE after leading England to the World Cup semi-final in 2018, and now a knighthood after the Euro 2020 and 2024 runners up.

Contrast with Bobby Robson who managed the England team for a similar length of time. Got England to the 1986 World Cup Quarter-final and the 1990 semi-final. He got a CBE in 1991 then a knighthood 12 years after stepping down from the England job. Robson won several domestic and European trophies managing at club level whereas Southgate has won nothing.

Alf Ramsey is the other England manager with a knighthood. For winning the World Cup.

 

[SM]

Why should one get a knighthood for being coach of a football team? What did he actually do? Why shouldn't real people get them instead? Pretty sure all gold medallists got an OBE/MBE just for winning an event that didn't help anyone.

These people are who it should celebrate:

New Year Honours: Gareth Southgate, Stephen Fry and Olympians on list

Keely Hodgkinson, actress Sarah Lancashire and Post Office scandal campaigners are also recognised.

www.bbc.com

If Gareth had done lots of hours of charity work while being coach, sure.

I was just asking if funding for wages was deprived because of knighthoods.

 

[SM]

 

[Bradesmaen]

I was just asking if funding for wages was deprived because of knighthoods.

Was more thinking about recognition in general.