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The 2017-2018 Football Thread
- Thread starter Lord Blackadder
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Beckham is close to closing a deal with MLS to take out a Miami team. We should here an answer in 3 weeks from now. so excited for this since i live here. its about time, down here in Miami there are lot of South americans nowadays so the timing for a football team would be perfect. 10 yrs back you had few South americans but there was a population boom the last couple of yrs. Not only will we get MLS games but also this opens the gate to International games and more European teams to play down here. Super excited for this move even thou they still have to built the stadium which will take awhile 
Columbus just signed ex-Braga winger Pedro Santos as their third DP. This is seen as a response to Federico Higuain's rumored departure at the end of this season. I would have preferred a more central player as a DP, someone who could replace Higuain as a like-for-like player. Winger Ethan Finlay was sold to Minnesota United almost immediately afterwards; a speedy goalscorer and crosser, he was obviously sacrificed to make room for Santos.
Also in the news, Liverpool have rejected a £90 million offer from Barcelona for Coutinho. With the market inflated beyond belief, clubs are finally beginning to realize that a top quality player (or even near-top quality player) is worth more than the huge sums of money being thrown around. If Coutinho were sold, the best Liverpool could hope to do would be to pay a ludicrous sum (possibly the whole £90m) for an equivalent player. So at best we'd be right back where we started, but with a new player unfamiliar with the club and the system.
No thanks. I have been a little nervous at the lack of signings at Liverpool, but given the market maybe the best thing to do is to sit tight and try to keep hold of our best players.
Oh, and buy Virgil van Dijk. Yes, football fans are hypocrites. (the way most Liverpool fans are behaving, you'd think Virgil van Dijk was Beckenbauer reincarnated. it's...unseemly)
Don't forget...history teaches us that Mourinho always wins the league in his second season in charge of a club (this season in Man Utd's case), and then implodes the following season and resigns or gets sacked.
Mourinho may be many things, but one thing he si NOT is a long-term manager. He blows in, wins trophies, buys lots of (tall) players, turns the whole environment toxic, and then blows away to another club.
Also in the news, Liverpool have rejected a £90 million offer from Barcelona for Coutinho. With the market inflated beyond belief, clubs are finally beginning to realize that a top quality player (or even near-top quality player) is worth more than the huge sums of money being thrown around. If Coutinho were sold, the best Liverpool could hope to do would be to pay a ludicrous sum (possibly the whole £90m) for an equivalent player. So at best we'd be right back where we started, but with a new player unfamiliar with the club and the system.
No thanks. I have been a little nervous at the lack of signings at Liverpool, but given the market maybe the best thing to do is to sit tight and try to keep hold of our best players.
Oh, and buy Virgil van Dijk. Yes, football fans are hypocrites. (the way most Liverpool fans are behaving, you'd think Virgil van Dijk was Beckenbauer reincarnated. it's...unseemly)
Let's be honest he's unlikely to see the season out unless they are winning the league and doing well in the CL.
Based on yesterday's performance I'd say that was unlikely.
More likely there will be some big failing out with the players at some point which the press will just love.
If things don't work out for Arsenal this year maybe you could pick up Mr Wegner in the summer!
Don't forget...history teaches us that Mourinho always wins the league in his second season in charge of a club (this season in Man Utd's case), and then implodes the following season and resigns or gets sacked.
Mourinho may be many things, but one thing he si NOT is a long-term manager. He blows in, wins trophies, buys lots of (tall) players, turns the whole environment toxic, and then blows away to another club.
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I'm still not the biggest Mourinho fan, but I think he'll break his restless pattern and stay at United a while. He's never kept it a secret that United is his dream job, and ownership will stay out of his way unlike at some of his other stops.
Maybe he'll come to blows with Ed Woodward about the slow pace of their transfer business, but he did land Lukaku while everyone was fixated on Morata and refuses to let Inter take them to the cleaners for Perisic. The squad as it is could use a bit more depth, but as is they're good enough to compete for the league, but can't see them getting past the quarterfinals in the CL.
Maybe he'll come to blows with Ed Woodward about the slow pace of their transfer business, but he did land Lukaku while everyone was fixated on Morata and refuses to let Inter take them to the cleaners for Perisic. The squad as it is could use a bit more depth, but as is they're good enough to compete for the league, but can't see them getting past the quarterfinals in the CL.
If Mourinho does hang around United for a while, it would be an unprecedented development in Mou's career. He's alsways been an intense short termist who burns himself and everyone around him out within a couple years. At this point it is an open question whether Mou is capable of staying with a club for more than three seasons without losing the dressing room, suffering a drop in form, or avoiding a rift with the club suits.
It will be interesting to see how this develops. I think it will be easier for Man Utd to win the league this season -in fact I expect it. But what happens after that could still easily follow the old pattern, especially if the playing style reverts to "lump it to Fellaini" when the going gets tough or if some of the big money signings don't sparkle.
I think it will be Man City's year somehow. Not sure why.
As long as we have a better season than last I don't really care who wins.
Hope for a good cup run and maybe top 6?
I suppose you think it will be Arsenal?
I don't think you'll even be in the top four again.
City
Chelsea
Man U
Spurs
That's my prediction. Anyone else want to predict a top 4?
No, I did not say that. Nor do I think it.
I hope it may be Arsenal, but I am too rational to actually believe such a thing.
Just reading that no club has won more opening Premier League games than Man U and no team has lost more than West Ham.
Doesn't bode well. Also Mourino has never lost a game on a Sunday? Can that really be true?
Doesn't bode well. Also Mourino has never lost a game on a Sunday? Can that really be true?
Possibly Manchester City - I think that Mr Guardiola will feel a lot of pressure this year, and, on paper, Manchester City have bought well over the summer. He has had his first season, which was a tough learning curve, and, this year, I suspect that there will be pressure on him to deliver.
Now, I would love to see Spurs or Liverpool win - I like both Mr Pochettino and Mr Klopp, and would love to see what is essentially their positive perspective (an general decency) rewarded.
And I would expect to see Chelsea to do well, also.
Meanwhile, if Arsenal obtain a top four finish, - the Guardian speculates that they will finish sixth - they will have done exceptionally well, and I would rest content with that, though I would prefer something better - perhaps some silver, after all, they did win the FA Cup this year; what used to be an expected stroll is now a serious challenge.
As long as Mr Mourinho remains in charge at Old Trafford, I hope Manchester United get stuffed.
As others have remarked, despite his dreams, I cannot see his essentially toxic and destructive character allowing him to remain at Old Trafford for more than another yer or so, and, if he runs true to consistent form that has marked his managerial career, he will implode and it will end in destructive tears with much wreckage around the place.
Hm.
That kind of sentence raises my hackles and sets off alarm bells; could be true, but with a nice bit of added self-serving spice.
Personally, I'd take a nice, long look at the stats, and ask how many of these ended in a draw.
So now Coutinho has handed in a transfer request, which has been rejected by Liverpool. Liverpool are playing hardball with Barcelona and Coutinho, as they did with Arsenal and Suarez previously.
My gut reaction is that this is nothing short of disaster for Liverpool's season. It means Coutinho is gone - perhaps not this season but certainly the following season, and he may be permanently "unsettled", to use UK journalism slang. Once again we are set to lose our best player and get a bunch of money in return that will be used to buy likely inferior players who are not used to Klopp's system.
The best case scenario is probably that Liverpool keep Coutinho till next summer, after which he goes to Barca (again, like Suarez) and Liverpool trigger Naby Keita's release clause as a replacement. Still far from ideal.
The amounts of money involved are no longer relevant. Having a top-quality player on hand is worth more than 100 million choose-your-currencies, because they generally can't be replaced. I'm sure Barca fans are saying the same thing about Neymar - and Southampton fans are saying the same about van Dijk.
My gut reaction is that this is nothing short of disaster for Liverpool's season. It means Coutinho is gone - perhaps not this season but certainly the following season, and he may be permanently "unsettled", to use UK journalism slang. Once again we are set to lose our best player and get a bunch of money in return that will be used to buy likely inferior players who are not used to Klopp's system.
The best case scenario is probably that Liverpool keep Coutinho till next summer, after which he goes to Barca (again, like Suarez) and Liverpool trigger Naby Keita's release clause as a replacement. Still far from ideal.
The amounts of money involved are no longer relevant. Having a top-quality player on hand is worth more than 100 million choose-your-currencies, because they generally can't be replaced. I'm sure Barca fans are saying the same thing about Neymar - and Southampton fans are saying the same about van Dijk.
Hard to see City not winning the league. They have the best squad and strengthened their major weaknesses in the transfer window. They should have enough depth to navigate the league and the CL easily enough — that will be a real concern for Chelsea and Liverpool.
City
United
Chelsea
Spurs
Everton
Arsenal
Liverpool (assuming Coutinho leaves)
City
United
Chelsea
Spurs
Everton
Arsenal
Liverpool (assuming Coutinho leaves)
Guardiola has had the upper hand over Mourinho more often than not, but pragmatism goes further in the Premier League than La Liga. Mou makes no bones about playing long ball or parking the bus even at home. I think this gives Mou an advantage over Pep in England. He won't go out to win against Man City, he'll go out not to lose and in the end that will be decisive; Pep will lose a few games during the season precisely because he tried to win 2-0 or 3-0 rather than grind out a Mourinho-esque draw or narrow 1-0 win.
And we are off. Currently Arsenal losing 2-1 to Leicester. Looks like Vardy is going to have a good season.
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Reminds me of Payet last season at West Ham. If Coutinho wants to go, having him unsettled on the pitch and I the dressing room might not be the best thing for Liverpool.
Still, oh dear.
Classy, skilful, artistic attack, and that.......porous defence.....grrr.
[doublepost=1502483545][/doublepost]I am breathing a little easier now. For the first time in the entire match, Arsenal are ahead......
In truth, though, in fairness, Leicester do deserve a point.....
Flipping heck. That's a good start to the season! Arsenal did look vulnerable at the back though. Another top 6 finish for them!
Agreed.
What I liked about this match was that despite those - at times absurd, defensive frailties - Arsenal never gave up and, likewise, never let their heads droop, and kept attacking.
Leicester probably deserved a point, but played very well.
However, from the perspective of a fan of the "Beautiful Game" (which is all too often marred by glimpses of its greedy and ugly underbelly), it was an excellent game.
Arsenal defensively all over the place but to be fair they had 3 fullbacks and a winger as their back 4. Missing 4 CBs. Hence they were always going to struggle
But gd on them for getting over the line. Leicester look like their old selves.
But gd on them for getting over the line. Leicester look like their old selves.
In a bizarre, inexplicable way, (not least that Arsenal won last night after putting me through the wringer, pleasure as pain, or pain as pleasure, this is not a world where I willingly dwell..masochism is not something that appeals all that much to me...) today's football is wonderfully hilarious - as the opening weeks of a new season so often are.
Liverpool draw 3-3 against Watford who took their chances against another defence that was ludicrously, abysmally porous at times, while Chelsea are 3-0 down leading into half time (against Burnley).
Liverpool draw 3-3 against Watford who took their chances against another defence that was ludicrously, abysmally porous at times, while Chelsea are 3-0 down leading into half time (against Burnley).
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