S03.E12: So Long, Farewell

[Schweedie]

26 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

I think that might be the whole problem. From the very start they may have decided Ted going home was the end-game. But by the time they got there it didn't make a whole lot of sense. They didn't really send Ted in that direction this season. Hell, they didn't really send him in any direction, he was barely there. They just sort of yada-yada'd it and focused on other characters instead. Odd choice.

For me it did still make sense, though.

But I still agree that they absolutely should've spent more time on him than on the  unnecessary stuff they did spend time on.

[shapeshifter]

16 hours ago, Insert Username said:

Rebecca offered to make Ted the highest paid manager in the league.I looked it up and Pep is the highest paid at $24m. So that means that Ted turned down at least $24m…one year would be enough to take care of his family in Kansas for life.

if I was Michelle and found this out, I would be furious. $24m. I would be moving to the UK in a heartbeat

I'm going to look at the The Spring 2023 Primetimer Awards: Nominations Open thread and find the place to nominate Worst Plot Hole.

 

 

[Girl in a Cardigan]

4 hours ago, Capricasix said:

My husband and I are watching the FA Cup, with Man City playing Man U, and we agreed that Jack Grealish with Man City looks like Jamie Tartt 😄

And they finally got to meet recently

 

Edited June 3, 2023 by Girl in a Cardigan
posted twice for some reason

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

I kinda think its interesting how much Ted went against his own words at the end of the series.

One of the biggest takeaways I believe we were supposed to gather from his therapy sessions with Dr. Sharon was that in the beginning she would always remark that he kept coming back, considering the way he stormed out originally.  And Ted's rejoinder was always some derivative of "I don't quit things".

Yet despite being almost literally begged to stay as well as offered to be the highest paid EPL manager and having his son moved over to be with him - which was the reason he wanted to go home for - he quit and left.

I guess the argument could be made that maybe Henry didn't want to move, but as far as we know, Ted never even tried to ask him if he would want to or not.  Ted just went home without trying to make staying in England work.

Edited June 3, 2023 by iRarelyWatchTV36

[Capricasix]

2 hours ago, Girl in a Cardigan said:

And they finally got to meet recently

 

Haha, I love it!

[DEL901]

38 minutes ago, iRarelyWatchTV36 said:

I kinda think its interesting how much Ted went against his own words at the end of the series.

One of the biggest takeaways I believe we were supposed to gather from his therapy sessions with Dr. Sharon was that in the beginning she would always remark that he kept coming back, considering the way he stormed out originally.  And Ted's rejoinder was always some derivative of "I don't quit things".

Yet despite being almost literally begged to stay as well as offered to be the highest paid EPL manager and having his son moved over to be with him - which was the reason he wanted to go home for - he quit and left.

I guess the argument could be made that maybe Henry didn't want to move, but as far as we know, Ted never even tried to ask him if he would want to or not.  Ted just went home without trying to make staying in England work.

But did he quit or was he hired for a specific contract and chose not to resign?

[juno]

The 3rd season was a terrible disappointment. One of the top 5 in my opinion of all time.

My thinking about the 3rd season is that there was no plan, no idea what to do with the season. There was no real plot that was in the forefront of the season. The basic plot was about a team coming back from being relegated and going all the way to second place. This plot was in the background. So many tropes. Like eating icing and no cake.

They turned the 3rd season into a soap opera devoid on plot but based on character interaction with other characters but also not moving the plot forward.

There were characters thrown at us that had nothing to do with the basic plot or any of the main characters. There was Zava, a bizarre character that took up space on the show but amounted to nothing. There was Shandy that was out of place but was the only character that showed that there was actually business taking place in Keeley's operation.

Roy breaks up with Keeley. Does he find someone else? No. Why couldn't find some time to have him go on some dates. Probably would have been funny? After the breakup with Roy, Keeley dates her boss and then breaks up and then... Loses her business. Don't worry the convenient trope is on its way. Rebecca saves the day. Relationships... Sorry folks when we screw up a season we are not going to give you that Roy-Keeley payoff. I will give the show credit for at least showing some growth in Roy with Jamie and being promoted. Not with Keelely-fail.

Rebecca-tropey tropes of the tropers. Should have fired Ted for taking the team down to relegation but we are friends of course in our trope world. Spends a night with a dude and wow he is a pilot and she bumps into him at a random airport. Wow, the luck of that happening in trope sitcom land. Was a strong character and great character with basically nothing to do all season except support the other characters without her being shown running a successful team in the Premier League.

Ted-for 2 seasons the show revolved around him and his life. They turned him into a sad sack this season and threw him into a corner where he didn't come back out.

He took a team that was relegated to second place in the fricking premier league and it was a ho hum moment. He was weirdly locked into a brutal and boring relationship with his ex and for some reason the idiots in charge of this show wouldn't allow him to meet someone in the UK and settle down. Probably would have been tough in London being the Manager of one of the most successful teams in the Premier League to find a girlfriend (LOL). Ted did have some moments with the team and he wins my comedy trope award where he alone figured out the system to win in one of the greatest sports leagues in the world. He took a team of players that were relegated and took them to the top of the table. Awards? Championship League? Literally over 100 teams all over the world would sign him for any amount including his boss. Nope got to go home. Make sure there are lots of hugs and kisses.

Nate-Became the star of the show. Somehow they decided to take the worst and most horrible character in the series and make every episode mostly about him, completely minimizing Ted, Rebecca and the other stars. The idiot show-runners decided to make him the star and in effect wreck the show. No matter how hard they tried and the screen time they used on him, they could not convert a POS like him to a hero. They tried but I didn't buy it. The mother of all tropes to allow this guy back.

I will eventually stream season 1 and 2 of this show and that is how I will leave it. But season 3 basically wrecked the whole thing for me. It was a great show while it lasted.

 

[dovegrey]

3 hours ago, iRarelyWatchTV36 said:

I kinda think its interesting how much Ted went against his own words at the end of the series.

One of the biggest takeaways I believe we were supposed to gather from his therapy sessions with Dr. Sharon was that in the beginning she would always remark that he kept coming back, considering the way he stormed out originally.  And Ted's rejoinder was always some derivative of "I don't quit things".

Yet despite being almost literally begged to stay as well as offered to be the highest paid EPL manager and having his son moved over to be with him - which was the reason he wanted to go home for - he quit and left.

I saw that as growth and that counseling with Doc Sharon helped Ted forgive his father for “quitting.” Ted can now quit without feeling resentment. 

As a general comment, I think it’s a lot to expect someone to permanently move to a different country, and ask their kid and ex-wife (?!?) to move there too, when it’s arguably well-established that said someone never attached to that different country or even the sport he was hired to coach. It’s okay to want to go home to Kansas; it’s okay to want to go home. But I’m someone who doesn’t see work as family, doesn’t link work with personal fulfilment, would not sacrifice my happiness/family/home for $24 million, and enjoys visiting other countries but sure loves her home in the boring ol’Midwest. As it is, Ted was likely already well-paid enough and seems frugal enough that more money isn’t and has never appeared to be a significant motivation. Ted’s journey rang entirely true to me.

[scenicbyway]

With the exception of Jaime’s mom and stepdad and maybe Nate  the way they showed the standard of living for the Richmond team including the players, Keeley, Rebecca and coaches was all the same despite wildly different income levels. So the fact they don’t let on that Ted is giving up possibly 24 million to go back to Kansas isn’t surprising.

I think the season was a let down. Why did Keeley need to be shown away from Richmond and failing at work? To show she’s bi and a terrible boss? We could’ve learned that from dinners/lunches with Rebecca especially if she and Roy weren’t endgame.

What was the point of “Signs”? To give Rebecca something to do besides eat biscuits and plot against Rupert? The matchbook, nining armor, fertility plot line literally went no where. And why, when the whole team got matchbooks did we only see them again with Ted and Rebecca? Why was hers intertwined with Ted’s army guy? The only thing Dutch guy had in common with sleepless in Seattle was living on a houseboat. There was no pining from Rebecca after that night, she had months to return there and had chosen not to.  But they meet again when she’s at her most emotionally vulnerable moment in the series so it’s all good! Ugh.
 

Why did the team unanimously vote for Nate to return? Because they were goldfish? Important scenes supposedly happened off screen when dumb things like KJPR took up hours of time.

What is most annoying though is that Ted has to give up the community and friends he established to go back to where he started from, where the writers left it open for he and Michelle (who asked him to leave in the first place and dated their marriage counselor) to get back together. We saw him suffer for 3 seasons over Michelle and we’re supposed to hope they get together? That does not seem healthy. Henry could’ve lived in the UK, the money for a year would’ve taken care of them for life. The only piece missing for Ted in London was Henry.

[Jeddah]

2 hours ago, dovegrey said:

I saw that as growth and that counseling with Doc Sharon helped Ted forgive his father for “quitting.” Ted can now quit without feeling resentment. 

As a general comment, I think it’s a lot to expect someone to permanently move to a different country, and ask their kid and ex-wife (?!?) to move there too, when it’s arguably well-established that said someone never attached to that different country or even the sport he was hired to coach. It’s okay to want to go home to Kansas; it’s okay to want to go home. But I’m someone who doesn’t see work as family, doesn’t link work with personal fulfilment, would not sacrifice my happiness/family/home for $24 million, and enjoys visiting other countries but sure loves her home in the boring ol’Midwest. As it is, Ted was likely already well-paid enough and seems frugal enough that more money isn’t and has never appeared to be a significant motivation. Ted’s journey rang entirely true to me.

I’ve been so surprised by the comments that thought Rebecca’s idea was a good one. Moving for an ex-husband’s job? That’s not a reasonable to expect someone to do. I thought Ted didn’t even consider it because it was a bad idea. How would that conversation go? “I know you didn’t even want to move here when we were actually married, but you’ll move here for me now that we’re divorced, right? My boss who knows absolutely nothing about the teaching profession thinks you can be a department head someday! What do you say?”

I’m with you in on the home thing! Some people like where they’re from. Some people like to go on big adventures, and then return home. Not being someone who quits on things doesn’t mean you can’t ever leave a job to spend time with your family.

[Makai]

5 hours ago, dovegrey said:

As a general comment, I think it’s a lot to expect someone to permanently move to a different country, and ask their kid and ex-wife (?!?) to move there too, when it’s arguably well-established that said someone never attached to that different country or even the sport he was hired to coach. It’s okay to want to go home to Kansas; it’s okay to want to go home. But I’m someone who doesn’t see work as family, doesn’t link work with personal fulfilment, would not sacrifice my happiness/family/home for $24 million, and enjoys visiting other countries but sure loves her home in the boring ol’Midwest. As it is, Ted was likely already well-paid enough and seems frugal enough that more money isn’t and has never appeared to be a significant motivation. Ted’s journey rang entirely true to me.

 

2 hours ago, Jeddah said:

I’ve been so surprised by the comments that thought Rebecca’s idea was a good one. Moving for an ex-husband’s job? That’s not a reasonable to expect someone to do. I thought Ted didn’t even consider it because it was a bad idea. How would that conversation go? “I know you didn’t even want to move here when we were actually married, but you’ll move here for me now that we’re divorced, right? My boss who knows absolutely nothing about the teaching profession thinks you can be a department head someday! What do you say?”

I’m with you in on the home thing! Some people like where they’re from. Some people like to go on big adventures, and then return home. Not being someone who quits on things doesn’t mean you can’t ever leave a job to spend time with your family.

I’m glad I wasn’t the only one thinking that. When Rebecca made that suggestion I thought it was supposed to be obviously unrealistic that Ted’s ex-wife would just move to London and start teaching.  

On 6/1/2023 at 7:56 AM, lasu said:

Another thing I really liked that I barely caught - when Rebecca came to the airport, Ted something like it was a rom-com meet-cute, and I thought, "what?  No, do you now know what a meet-cute is?"  Only to have it end up being a meet-cute with the Dutch guy.  That was well played.

Ted called it a leave-cute which I thought was adorable. Then having it turn into her actual meet-cute was great. 

[Schweedie]

6 hours ago, dovegrey said:

I saw that as growth and that counseling with Doc Sharon helped Ted forgive his father for “quitting.” Ted can now quit without feeling resentment. 

As a general comment, I think it’s a lot to expect someone to permanently move to a different country, and ask their kid and ex-wife (?!?) to move there too, when it’s arguably well-established that said someone never attached to that different country or even the sport he was hired to coach. It’s okay to want to go home to Kansas; it’s okay to want to go home. But I’m someone who doesn’t see work as family, doesn’t link work with personal fulfilment, would not sacrifice my happiness/family/home for $24 million, and enjoys visiting other countries but sure loves her home in the boring ol’Midwest. As it is, Ted was likely already well-paid enough and seems frugal enough that more money isn’t and has never appeared to be a significant motivation. Ted’s journey rang entirely true to me.

I hadn't thought of the bolded part, but that's great.

3 hours ago, Jeddah said:

I’ve been so surprised by the comments that thought Rebecca’s idea was a good one. Moving for an ex-husband’s job? That’s not a reasonable to expect someone to do. I thought Ted didn’t even consider it because it was a bad idea. How would that conversation go? “I know you didn’t even want to move here when we were actually married, but you’ll move here for me now that we’re divorced, right? My boss who knows absolutely nothing about the teaching profession thinks you can be a department head someday! What do you say?”

I’m with you in on the home thing! Some people like where they’re from. Some people like to go on big adventures, and then return home. Not being someone who quits on things doesn’t mean you can’t ever leave a job to spend time with your family.

You both said it better than I could. This is exactly my take.

[paramitch]

Nick Mohammed shared page 1 of Nate's letter to Ted, and it's really very sweet. I wish they had let Nate SAY some of this aloud, especially to Ted. (And I still wish he had found out that Ted had kept that picture he gave him on a shelf of honor at home.)

4 hours ago, Jeddah said:

I’ve been so surprised by the comments that thought Rebecca’s idea was a good one. Moving for an ex-husband’s job? That’s not a reasonable to expect someone to do. I thought Ted didn’t even consider it because it was a bad idea. How would that conversation go? “I know you didn’t even want to move here when we were actually married, but you’ll move here for me now that we’re divorced, right? My boss who knows absolutely nothing about the teaching profession thinks you can be a department head someday! What do you say?”

I’m with you in on the home thing! Some people like where they’re from. Some people like to go on big adventures, and then return home. Not being someone who quits on things doesn’t mean you can’t ever leave a job to spend time with your family.

Why isn't it reasonable? Not for the "husband," per se, but for an ex-spouse of either gender -- for a literal world-class, unrepeatable opportunity that would absolutely set them all for life, and that would give each of them access to the very best one of the world's capitals has to offer?

As far as Henry goes, he would have access to the best schooling, and he visibly  adores his father, enjoyed his visits to London and his time with Beard, and seemed socially adept enough to adjust and thrive in London. The team would have instantly semi-adopted him, and he would get that closeness and time with his dad that he needed.

As far as Michelle, while the show really did its best to make her the subtle worst of the worst,  I don't think it would be unreasonable for Ted to at least ask her to consider the move, in light of Rebecca's offer to help them get access to schools and teaching positions that she might genuinely love. Ted and Michelle could also learn to continue to find healthy separate social and romantic lives, and it's worth noting that Michelle seemed to genuinely love Europe and was excited to be so close to places like Paris that she had dreamed of visiting.

And then of course there's the money. One or two more years on contract with Rebecca, and Ted and Michelle and Henry would be able to choose what to do and where to go -- work optional -- for the rest of their lives. While spending that time in a close-knit work-and-friend-family situation where every single person around them would only want what was best for them. And as a bonus,  the time wouldn't be a chore -- they would all be together, they would all be living their best lives, Ted gets to be an involved and constant parent, and Ted gets to continue to be around his platonic spouse and best friend -- Beard -- as well as his newer close friend, Rebecca.

So I don't get the "there's no place like home" thing here. Turning down London in favor of Kansas, where Ted will be even more isolated, won't even have his best friend Beard, will be back where everything went wrong with Michelle to begin with (and in constant close proximity to the passive-aggressive person who caused him so much pain), and utterly wasting his talents as a small-time Kansas soccer dad.

I'm a military brat. We moved all the time (every 2-4 years), and while I wouldn't necessary wish that extreme on anyone (especially if you're an introvert, which I am/was), I still absolutely loved and reveled in being exposed to other countries, climates, and cultures, and it enriched my life and education immeasurably. 

Anyway, I totally get that each of us is different, but I cannot see a single down side to Rebecca's offer to Ted, and find it unbelievable that he didn't even consider it, simply because Sudeikis went meta and basically insisted that Ted had to go back home as the sacrificial lamb for his child.

I just hate the ending so much. It sours the entire show for me.

[weaver]

On 5/31/2023 at 11:38 PM, monagatuna said:

I just want to note that every episode (as far as I noticed), Rebecca has been wearing jewelry by Shaun Leane. I saw her hook earrings early on in this season and had to look them up. The designer is really pricey, but their creations are AMAZING. I did buy one pair of earrings from them, but if I keep looking at their collections I will be bankrupt and divorced within a year. 

I really loved the final episode. I get people's gripes with this season--Jack, Nate's pathetic redemption, Rupert's lack of comeuppance--but I think the finale wrapped up the series nicely. The shippers make me eyeroll--Ted and Rebecca never had any chemistry, and their relationship was friendly at most. Roy and Keely? Really? So fucking toxic. And just because they hooked up a few episodes ago doesn't mean they need to have a love connection. Sometimes sex is just for fun. And Roy is such a mess. (I won't comment on her and Jamie, though--he's adorable and I love his arc, but they were never going to end up together). I was happy to see him in therapy, though. I like Keely on her own. I like Rebecca on her own (the Dutch guy meet-cute was adorable but I liked that it was non-committal).

I only started paying attention to this series this season--my wife would watch it while I was out doing whatever and was gracious enough to fill me in when I'd ask questions about some of the inside jokes--so now I'll have to go back and watch the first few seasons with some attention. I'm a little sad that I'm going to have to start hating Jamie, though, but I'll appreciate his redemption more for it.

 

[dovegrey]

Ted already gets paid millions and wasn’t ever shown to be a spender. If he banked a good chunk of all three years of his salary and had a good investment advisor, he’s already set for life, doesn’t need to work, and can happily coach his kid’s team or do whatever wherever he pleases. I never saw Ted as having dollar signs in his eyes or being swayed by more money, having a winning record, or being in London. Ted couldn’t even handle drinking tea, and his most brilliant football inspiration happened while sitting in Fake Chicago. All signs pointed toward Ted not liking living abroad but maybe it’s in the eye of the beholder.

My husband turned down a job offer that would have had us move across the country, mostly because I had found a really stable job with coworkers that I absolutely loved and was doing really good work with (and I wasn’t thrilled about the new location). Within two years, my coworkers had moved on, one went batshit and got fired, and restructuring changed my amazing unicorn job into one I regretted staying for. Coworkers leave. Players get traded (all the time). Teams get sold. It’s not a snow globe. On my end, projecting my own baggage and experiences into the show, I can’t imagine valuing my emotional relationship with coworkers or my job the same as how I value my relationship with my kid. Football is not life. 😆

[weaver]

On 5/31/2023 at 11:38 PM, monagatuna said:

I just want to note that every episode (as far as I noticed), Rebecca has been wearing jewelry by Shaun Leane. I saw her hook earrings early on in this season and had to look them up. The designer is really pricey, but their creations are AMAZING. I did buy one pair of earrings from them, but if I keep looking at their collections I will be bankrupt and divorced within a year. 

I really loved the final episode. I get people's gripes with this season--Jack, Nate's pathetic redemption, Rupert's lack of comeuppance--but I think the finale wrapped up the series nicely. The shippers make me eyeroll--Ted and Rebecca never had any chemistry, and their relationship was friendly at most. Roy and Keely? Really? So fucking toxic. And just because they hooked up a few episodes ago doesn't mean they need to have a love connection. Sometimes sex is just for fun. And Roy is such a mess. (I won't comment on her and Jamie, though--he's adorable and I love his arc, but they were never going to end up together). I was happy to see him in therapy, though. I like Keely on her own. I like Rebecca on her own (the Dutch guy meet-cute was adorable but I liked that it was non-committal).

I only started paying attention to this series this season--my wife would watch it while I was out doing whatever and was gracious enough to fill me in when I'd ask questions about some of the inside jokes--so now I'll have to go back and watch the first few seasons with some attention. I'm a little sad that I'm going to have to start hating Jamie, though, but I'll appreciate his redemption more for it.

I bought a pair of the Shaun Leane earrings (Sabre crossover) from  Selfridges (sometimes the price is less there and delivery to US is speedy).  Its the ones she mostly wore in this final episode.   Love them.  

As for the final episode, I was bored.   But the series gave me two wonderful seasons and Hannah Waddingham and who can ask for more?  

Edited June 4, 2023 by weaver

[shapeshifter]

2 hours ago, dovegrey said:

Ted already gets paid millions and wasn’t ever shown to be a spender. If he banked a good chunk of all three years of his salary and had a good investment advisor, he’s already set for life, doesn’t need to work, and can happily coach his kid’s team or do whatever wherever he pleases.

Thanks, @dovegrey! Now I'm back to thinking the finale was perfect. 
Well, it would have been if there could have been a line mentioning what you just said about how Ted already has all the million$ he needs. 😉

Edited June 4, 2023 by shapeshifter

[aghst]

On 5/30/2023 at 10:41 PM, Blakeston said:

- They should have made it clear that Michelle dumped Dr. Jacob after he expressed zero interest in something that mattered so much to her and her son (and, you know, because he's a predator).

So does that mean Ted and Michelle are together again, just like that?

He returns to her home, like he went away on the business trip and just returned.

Nothing about all the things which caused them to split in the first place.

And he's a better man than most to take her back, after she'd dated someone who didn't observe professional boundaries, while they were not fully divorced?

 

Also, he doesn't really have a job unless coaching his son's youth soccer team is a paid position.

So Ted is eschewing millions because he won't move his family to London?  

I know he's portrayed as salt of the earth, middle American folksy guy but he's really going to pass up London and millions?

Often a cause of stress in marriages is finances.  He's doing okay now, probably got paid well in two seasons in London.  But it's not lasting forever.

The next job he gets may not be as enjoyable, or have so many people with whom he became close. OTOH, Ted is portrayed as having this supernatural personality that just wins people over.

 

 

[aghst]

What is the song they play over the ending montage to show what happens to the characters and Ted coaching his son's soccer team back in Kansas?

All these places are saying it ends with Cat Stevens' Father and Son but I play that on Amazon Music and that's not it.

 

 

 

[Capricasix]

It is…maybe Amazon Music is wrong! 

 

[aghst]

Their app is stupid.

It randomly plays a different song no matter how many times I tap Father and Son.

First time it played Wild Child, which is what confused me.

I've tried it a couple more times and it again played anything but Father and Son.

Glad I don't subscribe to their service if they're going to put out this shit app.

 

 

[Athena]

42 minutes ago, aghst said:

Also, he doesn't really have a job unless coaching his son's youth soccer team is a paid position.

So Ted is eschewing millions because he won't move his family to London?  

I know he's portrayed as salt of the earth, middle American folksy guy but he's really going to pass up London and millions?

Often a cause of stress in marriages is finances.  He's doing okay now, probably got paid well in two seasons in London.  But it's not lasting forever.

The next job he gets may not be as enjoyable, or have so many people with whom he became close. OTOH, Ted is portrayed as having this supernatural personality that just wins people over.

Ted will be fine financially. The average salary in the championship (second league in S2) is around £870,000. The lowest managers in the EPL get £1.5 million and I bet Rebecca and Higgins would have given Ted a nice bonus for being promoted and/or leaving. 

Ted was incredibly frugal in his 3 years. He lived in the same place which was covered in his contract. We only ever see him spend money out with Beard for food and on Henry. Most of the money went back home to Henry and the cost of living in Kansas is much lower than even the UK. Unless Ted is incredibly stupid, he can take a well deserved break to be a dad before looking for his next job which will be very easy considering what he's achieved and his charisma.

I really wish I could take break for a couple years from work and focus on family or my mental health instead. Ted's issues were never about not working or finding work.

4 hours ago, paramitch said:

I still absolutely loved and reveled in being exposed to other countries, climates, and cultures, and it enriched my life and education immeasurably. 

Anyway, I totally get that each of us is different, but I cannot see a single down side to Rebecca's offer to Ted, and find it unbelievable that he didn't even consider it, simply because Sudeikis went meta and basically insisted that Ted had to go back home as the sacrificial lamb for his child.

I always thought Ted would leave from the start of the show so this ending made sense. Like you, I would totally have taken Rebecca's offer and I am an introvert but also a former expat and travelled a lot.

Ted isn't like us. It's obvious while he loves his work, his personal life needed work. He has the privilege and freedom to do that now especially since he had baggage about his own parents. He never seemed interested in being exposed to other cultures. He didn't like tea or sparkling water and maybe a host of other foods and drinks we didn't know about. People like what they like. He spent part of his time Amsterdam in a Fake American restaurant. He was  homesick and hiding it from a lot of people.

Is it a practical decision given the advantages? No because he gave up millions. Was it the right emotional decision for the character? For me, yes.

ETA: The EPL has a history of managers coming back to clubs or the league so Ted could easily come back in some post-show fanfic after a time.

 

Edited June 4, 2023 by Athena

[aghst]

One thing about the PL is that it's very demanding.  This past season Chelsea fired two managers and they still ended up with one of the worst finished for that club in a long time.

US sports leagues don't pay out high salaries to more than one coach a season or replace coaches more than once.

So yeah Ted could have been fired when the team was relegated and he could be fired the next season if they drop way below in the standings.  We know Rebecca wouldn't but other clubs wouldn't be too forgiving.

A couple of million is nice but if Ted could have banked even a year at over 10 million Pounds, he'd be more secure financially.

So is he living with his son and his mother or is he living apart from them?

IF there is divorce, he could be liable for alimony and child support so even a couple of million would be eaten away.

 

[mledawn]

16 hours ago, DEL901 said:

But did he quit or was he hired for a specific contract and chose not to resign?

This was my take as well. It's apparent all the characters are trying to convince Ted to stay, but their baseline expectation is that he's going because that's the end of his contract.

[dovegrey]

1 hour ago, Athena said:

Ted isn't like us. It's obvious while he loves his work, his personal life needed work. He has the privilege and freedom to do that now especially since he had baggage about his own parents. He never seemed interested in being exposed to other cultures. He didn't like tea or sparkling water and maybe a host of other foods and drinks we didn't know about. People like what they like. He spent part of his time Amsterdam in a Fake American restaurant. He was  homesick and hiding it from a lot of people.

Is it a practical decision given the advantages? No because he gave up millions. Was it the right emotional decision for the character? For me, yes.

This. And there's also the consideration of how intensely stressful it is to be a coach for any team that is under constant media and public scrutiny. It’s okay for someone to not want that stress, scrutiny, and personal-life invasion for the rest of their working life. I mean, Ted couldn't walk in his neighborhood without being commented to, nicely or rudely, about his job performance, even when his kid was with him. I don't see how a person even begins to separate their work life from their personal life in the environment that the show depicted for Ted. Ted apparently wanted quality time with his young son that he didn’t have with his father, after he worked very hard to accept himself as someone who could be a worthy father. I wish they'd done a story about that tied into Rebecca's regret that she didn't have a child because of her work; there were built-in themes between characters that just...didn't get explored, unfortunately.

Just generally going back to financials - dividends, reinvesting dividends, and compound interest should carry him pretty far, even if he was making just a paltry $2 million a year (for three years) and was able to save most of that $6 million (which he should have, given what we saw). That would be one of the lower salaries for a Premier league coach. If I'm already set financially and can earn an increasingly-growing passive income without lifting a finger (as long as I don't spend all the dividends, keep reinvesting most of the dividends, and don't touch the principal), why in the world would I stay somewhere I don't like, doing something I don't care to understand, under constant scrutiny/criticism/pressure, while uprooting my son and ex-wife to do it, for money that I don't really need?

[Capricasix]

@dovegrey you articulated everything that I was thinking but couldn’t find the words for!

[Jeddah]

Rebecca gave up 2 BILLION pounds to be generous with fans she doesn’t even know. Sometimes money isn’t all that matters.

Ted has at least a few million dollars. There’s no reason that won’t set up Ted and Henry to have a comfortable life in the States. That’s enough for Henry to go to whatever college he wants. That’s enough for nice vacations and opportunities to travel the world if they want to. If Michelle wanted to raise her kid in London, she would have done it in the last three years. If money was a top priority for Michelle, she wouldn’t be a teacher, lol. Michelle sat next to her son while an entire stadium chanted Wanker at his dad. It’s okay if she doesn’t want that life for her son. Ted doesn’t want that life for his son.

I would jump at the chance to live London. I just don’t think there’s been any evidence that Ted wanted to do that the rest of his life.

Edited June 4, 2023 by Jeddah

[scenicbyway]

Thinking about Ted and Rebecca’s friendship? Relationship? Soulmatism?(according to the actors and writers in interviews) From what I’ve seen nothing has been more divisive in the fandom. It’s either PLATONIC FRIENDS ONLY because there are none portrayed on tv (which, not true, not true even within the show) or ROMANTIC SOULMATES for life!!!  

I feel like Ted and Rebecca’s storyline was handled particularly badly. They were constantly framed in Will they/won’t they scenes throughout the 3 seasons, the rickshaw scene, the panic attacks (comfort hug and looking for him), Ted being the one to sing back at the funeral, the truth bombs framed next to each other in his office, the bantr fakeout, the Amsterdam texts, the “let her in to your heart” line when he sees a text from her. The morning after fakeout and her being willing to give up everything for him.  The “signs” framed against the open biscuit boxes. And before people say those weren’t romantic…the main point of will/won’t they is that they don’t until they get to the end so 99%of the scenes are a “no” until the couple suddenly realize feelings usually towards the end of the movie/series.

My question is…if Rebecca had been in her 30’s vs. late 40’s (Ted’s age) would more people have seen romance potential there? Hannah is and looks like she’s in her 40’s (and she looks great!) Rebecca’s storyline was that she was no longer fertile, she had missed that chance to have a baby naturally. Does the audience have a bias against the leads getting together because she not the traditional age to do so on tv? It’s rare to see two leads put together that are the same age especially in movies.

Edited June 4, 2023 by scenicbyway

[Makai]

16 hours ago, dovegrey said:

I saw that as growth and that counseling with Doc Sharon helped Ted forgive his father for “quitting.” Ted can now quit without feeling resentment. 

Oh, this makes me realize why the team finished second. Before I hadn’t connected Ted leaving to quitting because it was the end of the season and he probably just resigned or didn’t renew is contract. But because they didn’t win Ted didn’t complete what he said they were going to do in the end of season 1. He was able to leave with that unfinished which showed how deeply he was changed. 

4 hours ago, aghst said:

Also, he doesn't really have a job unless coaching his son's youth soccer team is a paid position.

We can’t know that. Coaching a kids team is a nights and weekends thing. It doesn’t mean he doesn’t have another job or that he isn’t just taking a temporary break.

He led a small college team to a championship in American football in a season and an international football team through relegation to the Champions League in two seasons. He would have his pick of teams in either sport. 

Edited June 4, 2023 by Makai

[Crs97]

3 hours ago, aghst said:

So is he living with his son and his mother or is he living apart from them?

I think they were still together during counseling, and he moved to London when Jacob suggested and Michele agreed that they needed time apart.  I don’t think he’s had an opportunity to find a separate place yet.  That is how I explain his arriving at the house with his luggage.  In my world, he is there just until he finds his own place nearby, but they are not back together.

[Makai]

2 hours ago, scenicbyway said:

My question is…if Rebecca had been in her 30’s vs. late 40’s (Ted’s age) would more people have seen romance potential there? Hannah is and looks like she’s in her 40’s (and she looks great!) Rebecca’s storyline was that she was no longer fertile, she had missed that chance to have a baby naturally. Does the audience have a bias against the leads getting together because she not the traditional age to do so on tv? It’s rare to see two leads put together that are the same age especially in movies.

I don’t think that was a factor. I never thought of Rebecca as substantial older than Ted. Ted’s only romantic interest on the show was the exact same age as Rebecca and Rebecca’s pilot is younger than Jason Sudeikis. 

I just never saw their interactions as anything other than really good friends. I did not see them framing the relationship as will they/or won’t they outside of the two obvious fake-outs. I felt Ted’s interactions with Rebecca were on par with his interactions with the male characters and that Rebecca’s with Ted were on par with her interactions with Keeley and Higgins.

And their mutual divorces made them kindred spirits going through much of the same trauma. More of a parallel path story than destined to be together. 

The only time I thought the show was deliberately hinting at a potential relationship for Ted was with Keeley at the very beginning of the show. Fortunately that did not last long. 

Edited June 4, 2023 by Makai

[Schweedie]

1 hour ago, Makai said:

I don’t think that was a factor. I never thought of Rebecca as substantial older than Ted. Ted’s only romantic interest on the show was the exact same age as Rebecca and Rebecca’s pilot is younger than Jason Sudeikis. 

I just never saw their interactions as anything other than really good friends. I did not see them framing the relationship as will they/or won’t they. I felt Ted’s interactions with Rebecca were on par with his interactions with the male characters and that Rebecca’s with Ted were on par with her interactions with Keeley and Higgins.

Yup. Simple as that for me. I just never saw any will they/won't they about their interactions.

[scenicbyway]

1 hour ago, Makai said:

I don’t think that was a factor. I never thought of Rebecca as substantial older than Ted. Ted’s only romantic interest on the show was the exact same age as Rebecca and Rebecca’s pilot is younger than Jason Sudeikis. 

I just never saw their interactions as anything other than really good friends. I did not see them framing the relationship as will they/or won’t they outside of the two obvious fake-outs. I felt Ted’s interactions with Rebecca were on par with his interactions with the male characters and that Rebecca’s with Ted were on par with her interactions with Keeley and Higgins.

And their mutual divorces made them kindred spirits going through much of the same trauma. More of a parallel path story than destined to be together. 

The only time I thought the show was deliberately hinting at a potential relationship for Ted was with Keeley at the very beginning of the show. Fortunately that did not last long. 

I do find this fascinating that you don’t see Rebecca as substantially older than Ted.  Hannah is a year older than Jason so basically the same age. But Sassy is shown to be about the same age as Rebecca but is played by Ellie who is 9 years younger than Hannah.  
 

Was Sassy a better match for Ted because the actress playing her was significantly younger? Shows normally pair men and women that have at least a five year age gap (women over 40 are usually invisible).  I think that plays into Ted and Rebecca couldn’t possibly be more than friends, he’d go for someone younger.

[Makai]

10 hours ago, scenicbyway said:

I do find this fascinating that you don’t see Rebecca as substantially older than Ted.   

I misread part of your post and thought you were saying Rebecca was supposed to be older than Ted and was only responding to that. Watching the show I would have said they were supposed to be around the same age. It really doesn’t impact the rest of my answer in the slightest. 

10 hours ago, scenicbyway said:

Was Sassy a better match for Ted because the actress playing her was significantly younger?

No. I thought Sassy was a horrible match for Ted and I never thought either of them viewed the relationship as anything serious.

10 hours ago, scenicbyway said:

Shows normally pair men and women that have at least a five year age gap (women over 40 are usually invisible).

True 

10 hours ago, scenicbyway said:

I think that plays into Ted and Rebecca couldn’t possibly be more than friends, he’d go for someone younger.

As someone who couldn’t possibly see them as more than friends it didn’t at all. I actually don’t think that Ted was written as a character who would go for anyone younger in general and who wouldn’t go for anyone at the moment. If he had been open to a relationship I don’t think Rebecca would be someone he was interested in a relationship with and vice versa. 

When Ted walked out in that robe I was 90% sure it was a fake-out and 10% terrified the show was actually making that decision. I would have viewed it as a massive mistake based on their personalities. 

Edited June 5, 2023 by Makai

[lucindabelle]

On 6/2/2023 at 10:12 AM, Jeddah said:

Maybe Rebecca thought she was seeing her young self, but was really seeing her daughter. She must be psychic too!

No, I agree it was probably just an casting decision and most people wouldn’t have noticed.

I think it was most likely  economic AND symbolic. While Ted lasso is not theatre, many many tv writers come from theatre (see Neena Beber at Mrs Maisel) and there double casting usually plays both roles- it saves money AND it’s symbolic and the audience is meant to notice.  I didn’t notice but I missed a lot of things in the finale until they were pointed out to me, like the guy from beards night out at the wedding, the poster on Roy’s wall, that the little girl was at the street party! So I think it’s one of those if you notice it means something, if you don’t, it’s OK. 
 

when the men in the board room turn into little boys they didn’t really- it was her point of view in that moment. So I felt the same about the little girl- it’s a fantasy and a memory too. 
 

so I think “magic” is a perfect answer.

17 hours ago, Jeddah said:

I’ve been so surprised by the comments that thought Rebecca’s idea was a good one. Moving for an ex-husband’s job? That’s not a reasonable to expect someone to do. I thought Ted didn’t even consider it because it was a bad idea. How would that conversation go? “I know you didn’t even want to move here when we were actually married, but you’ll move here for me now that we’re divorced, right? My boss who knows absolutely nothing about the teaching profession thinks you can be a department head someday! What do you say?”

I’m with you in on the home thing! Some people like where they’re from. Some people like to go on big adventures, and then return home. Not being someone who quits on things doesn’t mean you can’t ever leave a job to spend time with your family.

I lived abroad for a while when I was in school and after and I remember liking being home and just knowing how everything works. Even little things like buttons on a stove (as mom asked about). It’s stressful to live abroad even in a country where you speak the language- so many things you won’t understand because you didn’t grow up there and go to school there. Tiny stressed like people not knowing to say “how dumb are you.”

I can see moving  of course especially if one has done it a lot but I can completely understand the desire to go home too. 
 

I also left a job I loved for an offer at a job that didn’t last, BUT within a few months of my leaving the whole  situation at the job I’d loved and left changed dramatically with a MFA program cut and artistic direction changed (a state theatre), so even if I’d stayed it would have changed. I light have been let go, who knows.my point I guess is there are no guarantees LOL! So go with your gut.

what’s interesting also is to remember how internationally diverse Richmond is and how many of the players- really just boys- are living away from home.

 

Edited June 4, 2023 by lucindabelle

[Capricasix]

And now comes the news that Zlatan Ibrahimović, the inspiration for Zava, has retired!

[Abra]

27 minutes ago, Capricasix said:

And now comes the news that Zlatan Ibrahimović, the inspiration for Zava, has retired!

But does he have an avocado farm?

[Capricasix]

That I do not know 😄

[Kel Varnsen]

I watched it last night and thought it was very good but maybe not great. Probably as good a finale as they could have done based on the type of show it was and specifically this last season. 

I liked that Nate finally seemed to be able to talk about how he realized what a jerk he was. I also liked how they didn't win it all but really did the best they could.

I didn't really understand how Rupert could lose his team for his misconduct though. He is the owner right, can EPL force him to sell because he is terrible. 

Didn't really care for the beginning fake out. Because why wouldn't Ted just get a hotel?  Also thought the Zorro mask thing was kind of dumb, because I find it hard to believe he would change his mask and risk it not being as good going into the final game.

Also the song at the end makes me think of Yondu's funeral from Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2. At least no one died here. Also liked the Cheers shout-out, which I thought at first was a sign that they are totally done. But then I remembered Frasier was a show.

I didn't mind how Roy and Keeley ended up. I liked how he realized he is kind of an asshole and wanted to change. And the fact that they were sitting together at the Higgins's party shows there is a chance for something.

On 6/3/2023 at 6:13 PM, iRarelyWatchTV36 said:

I guess the argument could be made that maybe Henry didn't want to move, but as far as we know, Ted never even tried to ask him if he would want to or not.  

That is a huge amount of pressure to put on a kid. Because Henry would absolutely say yes to moving, whether he actually wanted to or not, and whether it is good for him or not just because of how much he loves his dad.

10 hours ago, Jeddah said:

Rebecca gave up 2 BILLION pounds to be generous with fans she doesn’t even know. Sometimes money isn’t all that matters.

She didn't really give it up though. Higgins said that the team was worth about 2 billion. She sold 49% to the fans making about a billion. And that other billion she still has, it is just in the form of a team she could sell at any time (as long as they don't tank) if she wants the cash.

Quote

He led a small college team to a championship in American football in a season and an international football team through relegation to the Champions League in two seasons. He would have his pick of teams in either sport. 

I imagine it would open up all kinds of job opportunities in the world of sports back home, not just coaching.

[Athena5217]

18 hours ago, paramitch said:

Nick Mohammed shared page 1 of Nate's letter to Ted, and it's really very sweet. I wish they had let Nate SAY some of this aloud, especially to Ted. (And I still wish he had found out that Ted had kept that picture he gave him on a shelf of honor at home.)

Thank you for sharing this. I thought that letter did a good job of showing us that Nate has done some soul-searching and wants to do better. I’m guessing some writer spent a lot of time working on this, then someone else decided not to have a big Nate apology scene. That’s a gosh darn shame. It would have been great to have Nate read a bit of this to Ted, then Ten would say, “Nate, stop. You had me at “dear Ted. Welcome home.” 

[ahisma]

Other than the Roy/Jamie/Keeley situation, I was happy the finale! 

Can I just say, Isaac is INSANELY hot in costume. Even as Santa. But in the judge outfit, he was smokin’!

I loved that the team got to do their So Long dance number for Ted! They had practiced so hard to do a goodbye number for Dr. Sharon, and she slipped away before they got to do it. (Also loved that Dr. Sharon was so excited during the game, and that she came back to work for the team.)

[Schweedie]

The one thing I did appreciate about Brendan Hunt's Q&A was the response to the question about how Sam got to play for Nigeria in spite of Edwin Akufo - "public outcry", simple as that. And that makes enough sense for me. Sam would be hugely popular in Nigeria, a star player in a team that came second in the Premier League, and keeping him out of that squad would cause so much outrage after snubbing him a couple of times.

[Pestilentia]

15 hours ago, Schweedie said:

I just never saw their interactions as anything other than really good friends. I did not see them framing the relationship as will they/or won’t they.

That's me as well. I am SO glad I didn't read any media about the show at all while watching it- I didn't even know the premise when I started it. "Shippers" have a weird pathology that colors their perception and makes them see things that aren't really there and all that noise in our head can affect our perception, too. So glad I missed that- it never even once occurred to me that Ted and Rebecca would get together.

3 hours ago, Schweedie said:

The one thing I did appreciate about Brendan Hunt's Q&A was the response to the question about how Sam got to play for Nigeria in spite of Edwin Akufo - "public outcry", simple as that.

When Ted was choosing reading material at the airport we saw a smidgen of a tabloid headline mentioning something about "Akufo's downfall." I had been meaning to go back and take a better look about what it said but never got to it and the urge faded. It just made sense to me that Sam would end up playing for Nigeria. Akufo was such a jerk I figured that one of a thousand things could have taken him down so I didn't need an explanation.

[Kel Varnsen]

12 hours ago, Pestilentia said:

It just made sense to me that Sam would end up playing for Nigeria. Akufo was such a jerk I figured that one of a thousand things could have taken him down so I didn't need an explanation.

Yea Sam playing for Nigeria wasn't that big a surprise. Akufo was a crazy asshole and it would be hard to keep the public from finding out about that. And it's easy to see how any government wouldn't want to be associated with that type of person. Or a government getting a ton of bad press/losing an election if the Sam story got leaked.

Edited June 5, 2023 by Kel Varnsen

[lasu]

23 hours ago, aghst said:

Glad I don't subscribe to their service if they're going to put out this shit app.

This made me giggle in the best way - if you pay for the subscription, it'll play the exact song you want.  Same with spotify, et al.

On 6/4/2023 at 3:24 AM, Makai said:

Ted called it a leave-cute which I thought was adorable. Then having it turn into her actual meet-cute was great. 

Oooh, I missed this obviously, but I love this even more.  Leave-cute.

[Uncle JUICE]

Sorry to be the sourpuss, but this was an absolutely awful finale. As I've said in a few other topics, if you don't want to be a sports show, then don't be a sports show, you can do a comedy about WORKING at a sports team just fine. But do not do sports if you're going to disrespect the sport and the players. Hear me out. 

Don't ask a soccer fan, even a casual soccer fan, to imagine that with one match to play and the chance for Richmond to finish on top of the league, the foolishness of kangaroo court is what's on top of their minds. That's something you'd do at the season end team dinner win or lose. And there is no sports kangaroo court where there's a team branded scroll and a judge outfit one of the players wears, come on now. While that's the least of the show's recent sports sins, it's not the only one. 

THe worst one this week, for me, is just how stupid the Ted stuff turned out to be. Ted, MR. Emotional Intelligence, decides to tell Rebecca he's quitting BEFORE the last match of the year? Days before?? Why? Wouldn't that news have kept? What good does telling anyone within the last week of the season do? What's it accomplish?

How much practice time during the last week of the season, with the title on the line, and literal premier league football history on the horizon, did these people spend choreographing and practicing their farewell dance that gave me douche chills?

So with one match to play and his dad on the cusp of history, HENRY DOES NOT GET TO GO TO ENGLAND AND WATCH? What the hell kind of bullshit is that? 

Why did they invite the douchebag ethical problem doctor over to watch, was it just for him to complain? Just to play the ugly American? Cheap points guys. In reality Ted would have absolutely demanded Henry and Michelle be granted access to Rebecca's suite, and really he'd never have had to, Rebecca would have said "Please book any airfare and accommodations for Henry and whoever needs to look after him, and give me the bill" the moment Richmond knew they were going to play for the title and hope for a loss by City. 

The entire locker room speech at the half, down a brace, is "I'm going to miss you" and "Don't worry, it'll all work out!" FOR REAL? Seriously, don't make him a coach then. He can be a consultant or whatever. No one even gets out a whiteboard.

And before the game, why would the kit man bother with the Zava stuff? What was the point of that, except to remind us that yes, this was a plot on this show at one point this season somehow. 46 weeks ago. Leave it in the mail room, it's not like it was an organ for transplant. For some reason it's an avocado. 

Rupert storming the field to assault his manager?? Is he ever going to pass a security person? Where's his sideline lanyard? I HATE WHEN LITTLE MISTAKES LIKE THIS HAPPEN, they just ruin the reality of it and they cost no money at all. And show, did you need to have him dressed in a frigging Vader cape? We got it, he's a shitty person, but is he the worst thing that's ever happened to humankind? He's a shitty billionaire, he's not even unique. WHy would that coach stay on the sideline after the owner came and pushed him to the ground? 

Rupert would have to sell his stake in West Ham to be "out" of the league, so his punishment is he gets to be be super rich too?

PLEASE just make me a show about Rebecca owning the Greyhounds. Everyone else can fuck straight off. Including Beard, whose shenanigans once again feel strange now that I know he's a former addict in recovery. 

Worse than Game of Thrones finale, sorry all. 

Edit: any idea why Richmond is somehow worth 2B$? Because it isn't in the stadium, it isn't on the pitch (who's they're highest paid player?), it isn't in the broadcast rights, it's not the Ted factor as he's leaving, what exactly is worth $2B? 

ETA AGAIN: Zero chance Isaac takes the PK. Not in a million million years. The fans would have burned the stadium to the ground if it wasn't Tartt, Dani, or Sam taking that shot, and rightfully so. But the show can't just let that absurdity live on its own, instead they add that he KICKED IT THROUGH THE NET. I've seen Ronaldo hit balls 60MPH that don't break the net, it's the premier league, not a kids rec league for pete's sake. And the ref would never have been confused, there'd have been no "Wait a minute, let me take a closer look." The ref's watch would have buzzed thanks to the goal line tech, AND the ball would have slowed down. Please, future sports shows, RESPECT your sport. 

Edited June 5, 2023 by Uncle JUICE

[Kel Varnsen]

1 hour ago, Uncle JUICE said:

Edit: any idea why Richmond is somehow worth 2B$? Because it isn't in the stadium, it isn't on the pitch (who's they're highest paid player?), it isn't in the broadcast rights, it's not the Ted factor as he's leaving, what exactly is worth $2B? 

I don't know much about Premier League but I am not sure that seems super unreasonable.  The only sort of reference I have is that the NHL team in my city is in the process of being sold. And reports are that the final sale price will be over $1 billion. And they are not a very good team that last made the playoffs in 2017. And there arena is kind of crappy and in the suburbs. The Greyhounds are a winning team team and they own two giant pieces of property (the stadium and practice facility) in London (one of the most expensive cities in the world. So maybe 2.5 times as much (when you convert to pounds) isn't crazy.

[Capricasix]

@Kel Varnsen Are you a Sens fan, by chance?

[Kel Varnsen]

3 minutes ago, Capricasix said:

@Kel Varnsen Are you a Sens fan, by chance?

Not really a fan, but I live in Ottawa and it has been impossible to ignore the Sens for sale news. If the sens can get over a billion $, the Greyhounds getting 2 billion £ doesn't seem too hard to believe.

Although the Greyhounds being worth that much makes me wonder how much Rupert paid for West Ham.

[Schweedie]

4 hours ago, Uncle JUICE said:

Edit: any idea why Richmond is somehow worth 2B$? Because it isn't in the stadium, it isn't on the pitch (who's they're highest paid player?), it isn't in the broadcast rights, it's not the Ted factor as he's leaving, what exactly is worth $2B? 

ETA AGAIN: Zero chance Isaac takes the PK. Not in a million million years. The fans would have burned the stadium to the ground if it wasn't Tartt, Dani, or Sam taking that shot, and rightfully so. But the show can't just let that absurdity live on its own, instead they add that he KICKED IT THROUGH THE NET. I've seen Ronaldo hit balls 60MPH that don't break the net, it's the premier league, not a kids rec league for pete's sake. And the ref would never have been confused, there'd have been no "Wait a minute, let me take a closer look." The ref's watch would have buzzed thanks to the goal line tech, AND the ball would have slowed down. Please, future sports shows, RESPECT your sport. 

For the bolded, I'm gonna guess that the Champions League spot plays a big part in that. That generates a LOT of money.

As for all the rest of the implausible football stuff in this episode and the ones before... As a longtime football fan, I'm honestly completely fine with it. There have been times when inaccuracies have annoyed me, for sure, but at its heart this show is still a comedy and a fantasy. (Ted getting the job at all to begin with is essentially impossible since you need to have your coaching badges to be a Premier League manager - it's really not something an owner of a club can just decide to wave, as far as I know. Same goes for Roy and Nate.) I love the whimsy parts of the show, because as much as I love the football aspect of it I can get my reality from the real Premier League. So yeah, I'm fine with silly things like the kangaroo court and the Sound of Music performance and Isaac's penalty shenanigans. My only real complaint about the footballing fantasy part is that they didn't take it all the way and let Richmond win the whole fucking thing.