It Could Get A Bit Messi In Here - The Football Thread.

The production value will hopefully get better. They really need to pump in some crowd noise, chants, or add something that makes this seem less like a rec game. From the player's perspective, probably isn't weird for them given the amount of scrimmaging they do. But yeah, this is our sports reality for a while.

I think the NBA will see this and go full speed ahead. At least with those games, you can put in all the artificial noise and music that's a staple of those games. Even with baseball, you can have the organ playing and walk up music.
Is it just me or is there something sad and sterile about all of this? Suppose we better get used to this, I cant see any change in the next 12 months...
With other sports not having a crowd won’t matter that much. Tbh baseball is so long that only after a team scores a run, hits a home run, or a pitcher getting cheered on to close out a game or inning may make a difference. With soccer it’s a huge part of the game with all the fans chanting and adding a bit of intimidation for the visiting team. If this game were a home game for Schalke I don’t think they would have been beaten that badly and also a it may have been worse for them if 80,000 Dortmund fans were in attendance.
 
With other sports not having a crowd won’t matter that much. Tbh baseball is so long that only after a team scores a run, hits a home run, or a pitcher getting cheered on to close out a game or inning may make a difference. With soccer it’s a huge part of the game with all the fans chanting and adding a bit of intimidation for the visiting team. If this game were a home game for Schalke I don’t think they would have been beaten that badly and also a it may have been worse for them if 80,000 Dortmund fans were in attendance.

I think also it’s a strong team with talented young players against a weak one so this was always likely to he the outcome regardless. But canned atmosphere is something horrible! I don’t even like it when they play snippets of songs after goals or have some knob on a microphone starting chants. Atmosphere in sports is best when it’s spotaneous and natural and if it can’t be then don’t try to force something so obviously fake in its place.
 
Last edited:
Oh Good God NONONONONONONONO!

Fake atmosphere is the worst, THE ABSOLUTE WORST!

It is what it is while it lasts, normality will eventually be back.

Ha. I mean they still did the club song before they kicked off. It was just pretty stale without any of the pageantry. Felt like I was watching a scrimmage on Liverpool TV with the U18s. Over here, Fox has the rights to these games for the remainder of the season so they're doing the bare minimum on these matches. They didn't show replays, had no pregame, and no halftime show. Just straight commercials for 15 minutes.

At least with the NBA and MLB, the canned music is pretty much a part of it. I think baseball will feel the least weird.
 
Last edited:
Ha. I mean they still did the club song before they kicked off. It was just pretty stale without any of the pageantry. Felt like I was watching a scrimmage on Liverpool TV with the U18s. Over here, Fox has the rights to these games for the remainder of the season so they're doing the bare minimum on these matches. They'd didn't show replays, had no pregame, and no halftime show. Just straight commercials for 15 minutes.

At least with the NBA and MLB, the canned music is pretty much a part of it. I think baseball will feel the least weird.

BT had two guys in their studio 2m apart and Owen Hargreaves in his house in the big screen. Hargreaves needs a better interior decorator lol!

No offence but I try to resist the “Americanisation” of our match day experience. While if that works for you and your sports that’s fantastic and I’m not going to knock you for it, it absolutely does not translate to European football which has built up its own fan culture over the last century, it always feels forced and wrong when teams have tried to go that way.

I think though that a part of that as well might be to one have the players on the pitch for as short a time as possible and two that such things might be counterproductive and draw even more attention to the empty stands. As it’s likely to continue for most, of not all, of the 20/21 season as well I think we’re going to have to find a way to get used to it, it’s definitely better than no football!

Also I have absolutely no idea what scrimmage means, not a scooby lmao!
 
You might call a scrimmage an intrasquad match. Typically done without fans present. Or something like an Academy squad would play where there's minimal fan attendance.

And I get you on resisting the Americanisation. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at Anfield 2 years ago. It was everything an American game is not.
 
Thoughts on the restart from someone who regularly watches Bundesliga. Schalke had been struggling before the break but they really aren't that bad. Especially considered BVB didn't have ~4 of their regular starters. The xG shows BVB were extra clinical today.



The gap between Gladbach and Frankfurt is much wider and that result was more typical of what you'd see on a normal match day.

My take is that crowd influence has always been overrated and the real advantage in home vs away has been that you get to follow your normal routine and sleep in your own bed etc. Plus the game sounds today reminded me of playing indoor with concrete walls.

Tomorrow's Bayern vs. Union Berlin could be an absolute bloodbath. The top half of Bundesliga is much better than it was even 2 years ago, but the gap between the top and the bottom is still pretty large.
 
You might call a scrimmage an intrasquad match. Typically done without fans present. Or something like an Academy squad would play where there's minimal fan attendance.

And I get you on resisting the Americanisation. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at Anfield 2 years ago. It was everything an American game is not.

oh so we wouldn’t have a work for that, they’re just underage or academy games lol. Between senior teams from different clubs it’s be a behind closed doors friendly.

Yeah it’s our national game and our sort of culture has grown up around it for better or worse, I don’t really want that changed more than premier league money already has. I don’t want to knock it for your stuff but it’s not for me lol.
 
Last edited:
Thoughts on the restart from someone who regularly watches Bundesliga. Schalke had been struggling before the break but they really aren't that bad. Especially considered BVB didn't have ~4 of their regular starters. The xG shows BVB were extra clinical today.



The gap between Gladbach and Frankfurt is much wider and that result was more typical of what you'd see on a normal match day.

My take is that crowd influence has always been overrated and the real advantage in home vs away has been that you get to follow your normal routine and sleep in your own bed etc. Plus the game sounds today reminded me of playing indoor with concrete walls.

Tomorrow's Bayern vs. Union Berlin could be an absolute bloodbath. The top half of Bundesliga is much better than it was even 2 years ago, but the gap between the top and the bottom is still pretty large.


I don’t know. Some grounds maybe but there are certain olaces that are special and can intimidate/inspire. Anfield can still be that. Old Trafford sadly only saves it for the biggest games. Going to Celtic/Rangers in front of those lunatics must be quite the experience too.
 
The Koln Mainz match was decent. Mainz came back from 2 down to get a draw.
I agree! for two average teams it was very exciting. It seems like most Bundesliga games are more open with lots of chances. Midfielders are nonexistent.
 
I enjoyed the Leverkusen/Gladbach match. Gladbach put cardboard cutouts of supporters in the stands. A nice touch compared to just having to look at stands and seats.

 
Last edited:
Funny, that everybodies watching bundesliga now. But without the fans it actually looks less dynamic.
I tried to watch a match but to be honest it kinda sucked - and that’s not having a go at the Bundesliga. It will suck when la liga or EPL starts too. The crowds and atmosphere are a huge part of the TV sports experience.
 
I tried to watch a match but to be honest it kinda sucked - and that’s not having a go at the Bundesliga. It will suck when la liga or EPL starts too. The crowds and atmosphere are a huge part of the TV sports experience.

Yeah I thought the same. I’d been kinda prepared because United’s last European game away in Europe, Austria, was like that and it was shit. That said it might be better than no football when there’s matches I actually care about on the table.
 
Yeah I thought the same. I’d been kinda prepared because United’s last European game away in Europe, Austria, was like that and it was shit. That said it might be better than no football when there’s matches I actually care about on the table.
Oh yeah it’s better than no football although I’ll be a bit more selective about the matches I watch.
 
Is German football usually this slow? And I’m beginning to question the Dortmund hype. Bayern are supposedly a bit in transition and yet they still look like they’ve got 3 or 4 extra gears to go through, if they need them, to win this .
 
Is German football usually this slow? And I’m beginning to question the Dortmund hype. Bayern are supposedly a bit in transition and yet they still look like they’ve got 3 or 4 extra gears to go through, if they need them, to win this .
Might have something to do with the lack of crowds? I dunno.

This Dortmund team remind me of the past few season’s Spurs. On their day they can beat anyone but have a shit defense and get torn apart too easily after missing glorious chances. Also missing a couple of key players from being one of the best teams in Europe (see: Burki, Akanji, Piszczek).

Like you said, and the Fox Sports announcer said the same, Bayern are patient, don’t exert too much energy and then turn it on when they need. Dortmund presses really early and kept possession but now they’re affording Bayern acres of space and time.
 
Back
Top