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The 2015-2016 Football Thread

Lord Blackadder said:
Speaking of the Europa league, it looks like there will be some big teams entering the competition at the close of the Champions League Group Stage.
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Yes, I read some comments of disappointed Dortmund fellas who took offense due the team losing 0:1 to Krasnador )or something similar, lol) hence quite possibly losing first group place having to face serious opposition next round - like Arsenal or Pool. I for one would cheer if Klopp has to face his old squad. That'd be pure gold!!

Dortmund plays some amazing football this season - a pity it's actually the one where they aren't represented in the CL - so seeing them play some international big hitters would be great. Who knows how the squad looks after the next shopping tour, eh summer break I mean.
 
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That's a huge win for Arsenal today; yes, they faced a weak opponent but with the Manchester clubs dropping points this was a big opportunity. Sunderland actually should have scored three but bad finishing (and Petr Cech) ruined those opportunities. Perhaps not the best performance, but a big result.

Vardy fails to break the consecutive scoring record, but Leicester also with a valuable and more convincing win; they are still up there.

Liverpool can now leapfrog Spurs with a win tomorrow. Lots of shuffling in the table this weekend.

Bayern beaten by Gladbach. Apparently that's their first league loss this season, which is shocking.
 
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Another disappointing result, but can't really blame LVG for the players' terrible finishing. The team had enough chances to put the game away.

I do think that a lot of United fans will start turning against LVG after this, however. If LVG doesn't win a trophy this season, it will be interesting to see what the board does in the summer.

Speaking of potential replacements, Pep's Bayern just lost to Gladbach 3-1. Guess he is not infallible either.
 
LVG paid £99 million for Di Maria and Falcao, and the way he has used a waning Wayne Rooney is not universally popular (there are few options, of course). He has had the resources to get a goal scorer and he's failed to do that (apart from Martial, but you can't rely solely in a 19 year old in this league). He's turned Man Utd into a very, very slow team. So while I think he deserves credit for Man Utd's strong defense, he also gets the blame for their ineffectual play going forward.

The buzz in the media is that both Manchester clubs have been working behind the scenes for some time now to bring Pep in ASAP.

Are manager salaries subject to FFP restrictions? If not, the smart move for City would be to say to Pep "whatever Man Utd are offering to pay you, we'll double it." They can afford it, and even Man Utd, for all their wealth, can't quite match Man City in that department.
 
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If i was Pep i'd go to City or Arsenal. Less demanding/moaning fans and a less trigger happy board.

Or just stay at Bayern, win by default, take home 17m a year. Easy money.
 
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Pep has said positive things about Man Utd, but which club is willing to take him on a one year deal? - because that is precisely what he will demand, and he will also expect to have access to a very large transfer kitty.

On the other hand, if you buy Pep you are essentially buying a league title within two seasons. he's the only manager apart from Mourinho (or at least 2014 Mourinho...) with that level of reputation.

EDIT: Surely this is now the lowest point in Mourinho's career? Beaten at Stamford Bridge by Bournemouth, the team look utterly lifeless compared to last season. Costa is still a dirty cheat but can't hit the broad side of a barn and is thus completely useless.

Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Chelsea to get relegated. you heard it here first. ;)
 
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I wasn't expecting this run to go on this long. 3pts above relegation zone after being champions, top 4 looking virtually impossible as they are now 14pts off the mark. Same team and Manager as last season. Mind boggling.

Even Klopp managed to get Dortmund playing again after the initial slump. But these lot look hapless.
 
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I almost feel bad for him...except not really. 'Twas high time he got served some humble pie.

Costa and Hazard playing badly which results in Fabregas playing badly which results in them getting picked off in the middle.

Yes they've had some bad luck (even Bournemouth's goal had a sniff of offside) but they have no one to blame but themselves.

Overplayed players last season, failed to strengthen in summer, botched pre-season, resorted to naming/shaming/blaming/power play. Consequently disillusioned dressing room and confidence sapped.

Still, they're stuck with each other because all the top managers are occupied or uninterested.
 
Mourinho is quick to write off and discard any player that he feels isn't showing sufficient obedience or production on the field; and so he has made his bed - selling off players like Lukaku, Mata, Schurrle and De Bruyne who could be playing crucial roles in Chelsea's campaign.

His corrosive effect on people within his own club is going to make recovery extremely difficult. Will Abramovic pull the plug?

Maybe they can tempt Big Sam away from Sunderland to perform a high-profile relegation rescue job. ;)
 
The Gary Neville Effect: Valencia score a late equalizer to finish 1-1 against Barcelona. Media hype enters overdrive mode.
 
Crazy PL season. The year t's gonna be a crawl to the title. Looks like none of the contenders have it in them to win the league this year. Man Utd with SAF in charge would have won it easily with this squad.
 
Huge opportunity lost for Liverpool. Benteke continues to struggle. Terrible, terrible offside call to rule out a perfectly good Liverpool goal but Klopp's men just weren't good enough today. I was genuinely hoping for a big blowout, maybe Liverpool underestimated their opponents today.

It's easy to forget that Newcastle actually have a decent squad - Mike Ashley has been so destructive to any sense of team spirit because it's obvious that he has no sporting ambitions. Credit to Newcastle for going out and fighting. McLaren's real problem is how to get the team to do that week in and week out.

MLS Cup final in less than two hours...I'm feeling the anticipation/anxiety already.
 
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A day of heartbreak and misery.

Columbus find themselves a goal down within thirty seconds on a goalkeeping error, 2-0 down in six minutes. Pulled a goal back in the fist half but it finished 2-1 and the Portland Hipsters beat Columbus in their own house.

The saddest thing about it all is that we didn't play the football that got us to the final. This is a young team and it showed. Too much nervousness, too much headless chicken running about. Just awful.

It'll be a week of avoiding all my favorite football podcasts and news sites. :(
 
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Lord Blackadder said:
A day of heartbreak and misery.

Columbus find themselves a goal down within thirty seconds on a goalkeeping error, 2-0 down in six minutes. Pulled a goal back in the fist half but it finished 2-1 and the Portland Hipsters beat Columbus in their own house.

The saddest thing about it all is that we didn't play the football that got us to the final. This is a young team and it showed. Too much nervousness, too much headless chicken running about. Just awful.

It'll be a week of avoiding all my favorite football podcasts and news sites. :(
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That second goal was utter cack! First goal was just stupid.

I would have been happy for POR vs anyone else.
 
pachyderm said:
That second goal was utter cack! First goal was just stupid.
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I can't wait to see the MLS provided referee review on YT. Game was scrappy, all three goals were random events and the officiating was poor.

I missed the game live but just watched most of it and am glad I didn't watch it live. Would have had major heartburn.

Higuain and Kamara just didn't seem to be "on" tonight. Lots of bad touches and play that was not typical of the last few months of play.

Sorry it didn't go your way @Lord Blackadder!

B
 
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pachyderm said:
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Sorry, Columbusians - those of us who live next to the Columbia river get to celebrate!

The officiating was crap - but at least it was consistently hurt/benefitted both teams crap. (The missed out-of-bounds before the Timbers second goal; the missed handball in the box that should have been the Timbers third goal.)

And other than Clark's mis-queue in the opening minute, he was a rock. I honestly thought that he should have gotten MVP because his insane goalkeeping was the only thing that kept it a one-goal match. The Timbers should have been up 4 or 5 to 1.

Yes, I was incredibly sad that many of my friends went to Columbus for the match, but being unemployed, I couldn't afford to go. I could hear them loud and proud on the TeeVee.
 
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Anonymous Freak said:
CVlDEgDWcAEY1LV.jpg


Sorry, Columbusians - those of us who live next to the Columbia river get to celebrate!

The officiating was crap - but at least it was consistently hurt/benefitted both teams crap. (The missed out-of-bounds before the Timbers second goal; the missed handball in the box that should have been the Timbers third goal.)

And other than Clark's mis-queue in the opening minute, he was a rock. I honestly thought that he should have gotten MVP because his insane goalkeeping was the only thing that kept it a one-goal match. The Timbers should have been up 4 or 5 to 1.

Yes, I was incredibly sad that many of my friends went to Columbus for the match, but being unemployed, I couldn't afford to go. I could hear them loud and proud on the TeeVee.
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yes sir, congrats!

craziest game i've seen lately. first goal that was just heads up play. second though come on ref!

anyway, i'm happy for you guys. i've said it before, POR would be my fave team if i didn't like COL already.
 
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balamw said:
Second too! As I tell my U14 boys, "play the whistle". If the ball hasn't' teen called dead, it's fair game.

FWIW I like POR the team, but thoroughly dislike Caleb Porter.

B
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ye right. players don't make the calls, the refs do.

i hate it but that is exactly what happened.
 
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