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The 2018-2019 Football Thread

Apple fanboy said:
I think Wolves are one of the surprise teams of the season. They are really performing well, when many would have tipped them for relegation.
Couldn’t be further from the truth.
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They played superbly as a team last year, and bought intelligently over the summer. They fully deserve their successes to date.

To be honest, 1) they should have won today, and 2) had it been any team other than Arsenal, I'd have been supporting Wolves.
 
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Conversely, I think a lot of people looked at the squad and coaching that Wolves brought up with them and tipped them to do well this season. So far, they are.

Yesterday's derby match was utterly predictable. The gulf in coaching and talent is obvious. And no, I don't think Mourinho has it in him to turn things around. Look at how he's stuck with underperforming, aging players like Matic and Ashley Young. He'll probably survive the season unless another major crisis hits. I'm not pleased, but they'd better take their time and get the right pieces in place — including a Director of Football as well as a new manager.
 
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Silencio said:
Conversely, I think a lot of people looked at the squad and coaching that Wolves brought up with them and tipped them to do well this season. So far, they are.

Yesterday's derby match was utterly predictable. The gulf in coaching and talent is obvious. And no, I don't think Mourinho has it in him to turn things around. Look at how he's stuck with underperforming, aging players like Matic and Ashley Young. He'll probably survive the season unless another major crisis hits. I'm not pleased, but they'd better take their time and get the right pieces in place — including a Director of Football as well as a new manager.
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I agree about a director of football / sporting director. So-called "Big Clubs" can't be run by just an owner, a manager and a few toadies - there needs to be a long-term plan linking all the pieces together (Business plan, marketing, academy, transfer policy, tactical philosophy), and the right people in place to develop and execute that plan. The role of sporting director is going to be increasingly important for big clubs as they continue to get bigger and richer.
 
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Silencio said:
Conversely, I think a lot of people looked at the squad and coaching that Wolves brought up with them and tipped them to do well this season. So far, they are.

Yesterday's derby match was utterly predictable. The gulf in coaching and talent is obvious. And no, I don't think Mourinho has it in him to turn things around. Look at how he's stuck with underperforming, aging players like Matic and Ashley Young. He'll probably survive the season unless another major crisis hits. I'm not pleased, but they'd better take their time and get the right pieces in place — including a Director of Football as well as a new manager.
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Lord Blackadder said:
I agree about a director of football / sporting director. So-called "Big Clubs" can't be run by just an owner, a manager and a few toadies - there needs to be long-term plan linking all the pieces together (Business plan, marketing, academy, transfer policy, tactical philosophy), and the right people in place to develop and execute that plan. The role of sporting director is going to be increasingly important for big clubs as they continue to get bigger and richer.
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The new, younger, generation of managers (such as Pep) have little difficulty with this concept, but the older manages, those cast in an authoritarian mould (such as Ferguson, and Wenger - and indeed, Mourinho) find that sort of change a challenge to adjust to.
 
Columbus weren't able to get past the Red Bulls, but here's hoping NY can knock Atlanta out in the Eastern conference finals.

Time for Wayne Rooney's send-off match in an England shirt, in a meaningless friendly against the USA. England should win handily but I'd laugh if USA were able to do something here. Columbus midfielder Will Trapp is skippering USA for this match, and Pulisic will start.
 
Centaurr said:
rooney just came on the pitch (58 min)....USA vs. ENG
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USA started cold and got jumped by England. Lingard’s goal was an excellent shot, but the USA defense fell asleep on the second goal by Trent Alexander-Arnold. And now it’s 3-0.

Credit to the USA players to keep going and work their way into the match. But it doesn’t obscure the fact that USA are young, inexperienced, and currently headless. Apart from Pulisic, nobody is convincing and the dark days for US soccer fans continue. We are in the wilderness for the foreseeable future.

It makes one wonder why USA have scheduled a friendly against Italy...we will be beaten and apart from getting players minutes nothing will be accomplished. We need to go back to square one, get a manager and get competitive in CONCACAF again.
 
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Lord Blackadder said:
USA started cold and got jumped by England. Lingard’s goal was an excellent shot, but the USA defense fell asleep on the second goal by Trent Alexander-Arnold. And now it’s 3-0.

Credit to the USA players to keep going and work their way into the match. But it doesn’t obscure the fact that USA are young, inexperienced, and currently headless. Apart from Pulisic, nobody is convincing and the dark days for US soccer fans continue. We are in the wilderness for the foreseeable future.

It makes one wonder why USA have scheduled a friendly against Italy...we will be beaten and apart from getting players minutes nothing will be accomplished. We need to go back to square one, get a manager and get competitive in CONCACAF again.
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im a US fan and what you said is very true & unfortunate, USA is in a bad place rite now. we have to improve and get another manager. same thing for my other fav team, Colombia, they need a new manager also. James got hurt yesterday and is out till next year :( hopefully he will get better by the time the Copa America comes in the summer 2019
 
Initially, I had thought it a poor enough idea(motivated mainly, by the need for funds) to give Wayne Rooney such a farewell; but, actually, I have changed my mind.

Graciousness (even if motivated by greed) is always welcome, and it has also served to show the stark differences between the England team of today and earlier manifestations of the team, and just how far this team has already come under Gareth Southgate.
 
While I am sorry to see the (most unjust and utterly unfair) sacking of Slavisa Jokanovic at Fulham, I cannot suppress a small snigger of unrestrained delight at the thought of Claudio Ranieri (also unfairly fired at Leicester) restored to a managerial position in the Premiership.

I wish him well.
 
Scepticalscribe said:
While I am sorry to see the (most unjust and utterly unfair) sacking of Slavisa Jokanovic at Fulham, I cannot suppress a small snigger of unrestrained delight at the thought of Claudio Ranieri (also unfairly fired at Leicester) restored to a managerial position in the Premiership.

I wish him well.
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I think he has taken on a big job there though with no guarantee of success. Hopefully he gets the time, but I suspect he won’t.
 
Scepticalscribe said:
He is gracious and decent, dignified and generous, and seems to be a thoroughly fine human being.
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He has zero chance of living up to his reputation now...winning the league with Leicester was the biggest upset English football will see for a century. He could be twice as skilled, twice as hardworking and twice as lucky with Fulham and he won't come close to that.

So I hope people calibrate their expectations accordingly...
 
Lord Blackadder said:
He has zero chance of living up to his reputation now...winning the league with Leicester was the biggest upset English football will see for a century. He could be twice as skilled, twice as hardworking and twice as lucky with Fulham and he won't come close to that.

So I hope people calibrate their expectations accordingly...
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Agreed.

I think the mission - or challenge - for Fulham is simply not to be relegated, to somehow stay up, and this is the sort of task that Claudio Ranieri's personal (and professional) skills are well suited for.

Leicester was a fairy tale.
 
England flubbed chance after chance against a very stout and dangerous Croatia side. But in the end they got the job done and move on to the Nations League finals next summer.

Once again the Man Utd players looked substantially more confident playing for England than they do for their club. Pickford’s kicking was a factor again, it would be unkind to call Southgate’s England a longball team but they certainly have no bones about bypassing the midfield with deep passes for players like Sterling and Rashford to chase.

Another feather in Southgate’s cap, even if England still look a bit rough around the edges against top tier competition.
 
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Switzerland 5-2 Belgium was an unexpected treat to watch.

After the Swiss went down 2-0 early in the first half it looked to be all over, as the Swiss needed to win by two and that meant scoring four goals without conceding again...and they got five! Shaqiri put in an immense performance. He can't outrun opponents, but his dead ball delivery is excellent and he knows how to unlock defenses with passes and flicks - and even headers, as his assist for the third goal demonstrated.

It wasn't a collapse from Belgium so much as a pretty epic fightback form Switzerland. EDIT: although, this will provide fuel for the Martinez-doubters...once the Swiss got back into the game he was unable to stop the rot. Shipping five unanswered goals at this level is simply not acceptable.
 
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Italy 0-1 USA

As I predicted, one of the most meaningless friendlies USA has ever taken part in. That Italy, however experimental a side, needed a goal at the death to win is something they will be ashamed of, as this USA team were essentially a practice squad with no reason to be there.

Yawn. wake me up when we have 1) a manager 2) competitive matches...
 
Man Utd were incredibly lucky not to have lost today.

Apple fanboy said:
Didn’t expect a win against Man City today, but I’d hoped for better than a 0-4 and Arnavich limping off :(
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Man City are a juggernaut..what else is there to say?

Liverpool had a really tough match today against Watford, who looked every inch a top-10 Premier League team; they should have had a penalty, I think the ref/linesmen either didn't see the contact or the theatrical way that Will Hughes threw himself to the floor oversold it.

As for Henderson getting sent off, both of the yellows he received were quite soft; the first one could easily have been a foul on Isaac Success for shirt-pulling. Henderson was very unlucky there, though there are sections of Liverpool supporters who may not be upset to see him go for a couple matches.

Liverpool are keeping Man City honest but they are going to have to be near-perfect for the rest of the season just to keep up with the United Arab Emirates' team.
 
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Apple fanboy said:
Didn’t expect a win against Man City today, but I’d hoped for better than a 0-4 and Arnavich limping off :(
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No, I didn't expect a win for West Ham, but neither did I expect a 4-0 drubbing.

Arnautovic does seem to be somewhat injury prone, though, doesn't he?

Lord Blackadder said:
Man Utd were incredibly lucky not to have lost today.



Man City are a juggernaut..what else is there to say?

Liverpool had a really tough match today against Watford, who looked every inch a top-10 Premier League team; they should have had a penalty, I think the ref/linesmen either didn't see the contact or the theatrical way that Will Hughes threw himself to the floor oversold it.

As for Henderson getting sent off, both of the yellows he received were quite soft; the first one could easily have been a foul on Isaac Success for shirt-pulling. Henderson was very unlucky there, though there are sections of Liverpool supporters who may not be upset to see him go for a couple matches.

Liverpool are keeping Man City honest but they are going to have to be near-perfect for the rest of the season just to keep up with the United Arab Emirates' team.
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Manchester City are a juggernaut, but, having said that, Liverpool are still undefeated, (as are Chelsea, as I write), they are still in Manchester City's rear view window, still capable of mounting a challenge for the title, and this year's competition is not likely to be a canter to a coronation that last year's was.
 
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Scepticalscribe said:
No, I didn't expect a win for West Ham, but neither did I expect a 4-0 drubbing.

Arnautovic does seem to be somewhat injury prone, though, doesn't he?



Manchester City are a juggernaut, but, having said that, Liverpool are still undefeated, (as are Chelsea), they are still in Manchester City's rear view window, still capable of mounting a challenge for the title, and this year's competition is not likely to be a canter to a coronation that last year's was.
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Well hopefully that stops a bigger club buying him!
On the subject of injury prone, Andy Carol made the bench!
 
Would have loved to have seen Manchester United defeated (and they were indeed fortunate), but am delighted that Palace held them to a draw.

Actually, it would have been the sort of last minute larceny and downright daylight robbery that they specialise in, had they won that game.
 
Spurs are absolutely destroying Chelsea at the moment, leading by three goals to nil.

Granted, this season, Spurs have been a bit erratic, and occasionally prone to fold.

Moreover, they are doubtless desperate to move into their new (rebuilt) stadium, (something which is not, now, scheduled or likely to occur before February according to today's Guardian), but they have completely destroyed Chelsea tonight.

However, much of the England team that performed so well at the World Cup was comprised of Spurs players, and I think that they started the season somewhat fatigued and tired, - some succumbed to injuries - and they have seem to have only begun to recover fully around now.

And, worth noting, this is Chelsea's first defeat of the season - a record they have done well until now to maintain.

Chelsea have pulled one back, so the score is now 3-1 to Spurs, with 90 minutes played.

Until tonight, there were three unbeaten teams in the Premiership: Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea. Now, there are but two.
 
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