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The 2017-2018 Football Thread

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Lord Blackadder

Lord Blackadder

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May 7, 2004
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Sod off
So, the 2016-2017 season ends in a fairly conventional way, with the "big" teams in Europe easily winning their respective league titles and perennial overdog Real Madrid making short work of the Champions League final - they achieved something of a feat in doing it two years in a row, though if any teams was going to do it, it was likely going to be them.

I thought this international break between the Champions League final and the Confederations Cup was an appropriate place to start a new thread.

Will next European club season be another predictable contest between the usual suspects, or will we see another Leicester pop up somewhere?

Will A French side finally muscle its way back into the Champions League final?

Dortmund have a new manager. Can they challenge Bayern for a title, or will Red Bull's plastic fantastic corporate interlopers do one better than this season?

Will Real Madrid continue to blow teams away in Spain, or will Barcelona bounce back? Can Atleti keep themselves in the conversation?

Mourinho will be starting his second season at Man Utd. Traditionally, this is the year he will win everything and look unstoppable, before spectacularly imploding and getting sacked the following season. Will we see history repeat itself?

And finally, will there really be World Cups in Russia and Qatar? The stench of corruption and human rights violations hangs heavy on both nations, but the post-Blatter version of FIFA under Infantino looks just about as corrupt and collusive as the old FIFA, so if we do see something happen it will not come from them.

That, and much more, to be discussed over the coming months!
 
As of yesterday Schalke 04 also has a new manager, 31 year old Domenico Tedesco, who so far only has 11 games in the second Bundesliga under his belt. Their goal is to qualify for the Champions League. With plenty of competition coming from RB Leipzig, Hoffenheim and the usual suspects trying to regain their spot in the international spotlight as well (Wolfsburg, Leverkusen), this upcoming season will certainly interesting to watch.
 
Great to see a - the - new season's thread - I had wondered when it would be started.

When does the transfer season open officially?

And, given the extensive newspaper coverage on improper advances, (to footballers or their agents) how does one distinguish between an improper and a proper advance or approach?

In other words, how (and why) are Manchester City apparently getting it right and - let us say - Liverpool getting it so wrong?
 
On the tapping up issue - everyone does it, Liverpool just got caught - or, rather tattled on by Southampton, who already have a somewhat complicated relationship with Liverpool. This is not an excuse, simply an observation.

This was a public humiliation for Liverpool and destroys all chances of bringing in a highly rated player in a position where the squad badly needs strengthening.

Liverpool's highest profile targets so far have been van Dijk and Mo Salah. As of this moment the former seems very unlikely and the latter seems at an impasse. Not a good way to begin the summer transfer program.
 
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Lord Blackadder said:
On the tapping up issue - everyone does it, Liverpool just got caught - or, rather tattled on by Southampton, who already have a somewhat complicated relationship with Liverpool. This is not an excuse, simply an observation.

This was a public humiliation for Liverpool and destroys all chances of bringing in a highly rated player in a position where the squad badly needs strengthening.

Liverpool's highest profile targets so far have been van Dijk and Mo Salah. As of this moment the former seems very unlikely and the latter seems at an impasse. Not a good way to begin the summer transfer program.
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Thanks for the fair and well argued reply.
 
Scepticalscribe said:
Thanks for the fair and well argued reply.
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The rules state the buying club approach the current club and ask for permission to talk to the players (agent). As LB said everyone taps up players. Either through the press, other players or directly.

If we get half the players I've seen us linked with we will have the biggest squad in the PL.
 
Apple fanboy said:
The rules state the buying club approach the current club and ask for permission to talk to the players (agent). As LB said everyone taps up players. Either through the press, other players or directly.

If we get half the players I've seen us linked with we will have the biggest squad in the PL.
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And, my sense of it is that some of the agents have become very powerful - and perhaps, compromised - as well.
 
Apple fanboy said:
Agents get a cut of a transfer fee. So it's not in their interest for players to see out their contracts.
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Yes, I knew that.

However, what would concern me are those agents who seek to represent all of the parties to a given deal - the player, the club that wishes to by and the one that is desirous to sell. For, how can one simultaneously represent the (best) interests of all of the parties to an agreement?

Surely, this - while possible - might give rise to a conflict of interest? And, surely this oughtn't be encouraged?
 
Scepticalscribe said:
Yes, I knew that.

However, what would concern me are those agents who seek to represent all of the parties to a given deal - the player, the club that wishes to by and the one that is desirous to sell. For, how can one simultaneously represent the (best) interests of all of the parties to an agreement?

Surely, this - while possible - might give rise to a conflict of interest? And, surely this oughtn't be encouraged?
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Agree. But the players and agents have all the power these days.
 
Mexico 1-1 USA

Michael Bradley lobbed the keeper from 40 yards in the fifth minute, but his strike was cancelled out by a Vela goal in the 22nd. A draw is a good result for the USA, who have only won once at the Azteca in Mexico (and never in a 'competitive' match), and USA's World Cup qualifying campaign marches on. It's all fairly safe but ho-hum under Bruce Arena.
 
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England's press are getting a little too upset over the result of the friendly...France have been better than England for some time now, and were good for their win. 3-2 is about fair, though France managed to score the winner while down a man.

Given England's tournament performance over the last 25 years, this result should not come as a shock. It isn't as if they got hammered.
 
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International update***

Colombia 4-0 Cameroon (friendly) no more friendlys after this one thou. In the month of August the 'real' games start for the WC 2018, these 4 games coming up is gonna be 'do or die' in order to qualify for the world cup/russia. Cant wait till August, im even gonna use some 'paid time off' for these nail biter games. perfect timing cause my paid time off hours kick in on mid july :)
 
Watching the latest transfer rumors and it makes me feel old...when I see 30 million being asked as a transfer fee for a decent squad player I am still shocked by it, but that is the new reality. Player values in the Premier League are incredibly inflated; they seem to have doubled in the last decade or so. 50-60 million is no longer considered an outlandish fee for a starting-quality player at a top ten club. Yikes.
 
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In Transfer news apparently CR is coming back to Man U. I do hope it's just paper talk.
Although tbh he's the sort of player 'The Special one' deserves to manage. Could see fireworks in that relationship!
 
Apple fanboy said:
In Transfer news apparently CR is coming back to Man U. I do hope it's just paper talk.
Although tbh he's the sort of player 'The Special one' deserves to manage. Could see fireworks in that relationship!
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Can't see that ending well; rubs hands gleefully.

Alex Ferguson - who was pretty good at man management in his own inimitable way - had his challenges with CR - who himself was a lot younger and somewhat less narcissistic when he played under Sir Alex.
 
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Scepticalscribe said:
Can't see that ending well; rubs hands gleefully.

Alex Ferguson - who was pretty good at man management in his own inimitable way - had his challenges with CR - who himself was a lot younger and somewhat less narcissistic when he played under Sir Alex.
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Agree. Of course I'm fairly certain it's just paper talk. This time of year I think most of the 'stories' get written by journalists just making it up.
I think I've seen us linked with about 6 strikes. I wouldn't be surprised if we got none of them.
 
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Apple fanboy said:
Agree. Of course I'm fairly certain it's just paper talk. This time of year I think most of the 'stories' get written by journalists just making it up.
I think I've seen us linked with about 6 strikes. I wouldn't be surprised if we got none of them.
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Agree, in general about many of the "summer signings" stories; but, occasionally, a story might have a bit more to it.

Yesterday's Guardian was reporting somewhat tetchy exchanges between Mr Conte and Chelsea over the small matter of available resources in order to build up the team so that it can perform creditably in the Champion's League next year, while mounting a decent defence of their title.

Over the years, Mr Conte has had some wonderful quotes (this same matter arose at Juventus where Mr Conte had been an exceptionally good manager) on this very subject, remarking: "Well, you cannot go to eat at a €100 restaurant with just €10 in your pocket, can you?" and observing - after Juventus were defeated by Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals of the CL in 2013 - "You do not build skyscrapers with a pail and shovel".
 
Scepticalscribe said:
Agree, in general about many of the "summer signings" stories; but, occasionally, a story might have a bit more to it.

Yesterday's Guardian was reporting somewhat tetchy exchanges between Mr Conte and Chelsea over the small matter of available resources in order to build up the team so that it can perform creditably in the Champion's League next year, while mounting a decent defence of their title.

Over the years, Mr Conte has had some wonderful quotes (this same matter arose at Juventus where Mr Conte had been an exceptionally good manager) on this very subject, remarking: "Well, you cannot go to eat at a €100 restaurant with just €10 in your pocket, can you?" and observing - after Juventus were defeated by Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals of the CL in 2013 - "You do not build skyscrapers with a pail and shovel".
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And right on que, apparently we have made a bid for Olivier Giroud!
 
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Lots of talk in the transfer market, but as yet very little action.

Liverpool are in for a laundry list of expensive players - at least £200 million worth, but apart from Salah there seems to be little evidence as yet that any will come in.
 
As is about to become very clear, I am not a huge fan, or very knowledgeable about football, but I do have a question you, more knowledgeable types may be able to help with.

In international rugby (union), the referees are assisted by video replays when required. After the match is over, footage of the game is reviewed, and any fouls spotted are penalised, and offending players are unable to start in the next match.

Why don't they do this for football? When I do watch football, especially internationals, I repeatedly see players diving, rolling around on the floor in the hope of a penalty when no foul (or even contact) has been made.
 
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