The 2018-2019 Football Thread

[Scepticalscribe]

I am ready for Sunday!

Arsenal vs. Manchester City. For me, only a win against City will do.

I would rest content with a draw; a defeat for Arsenal on the opening day could be unfortunate, but, frankly, I think that expecting to defeat the well engineered machine that City is, may be unduly optimistic.

We still have to see how Arsenal performs in these conditions.

Much will have changed since last season. The team has a new manager, - their first in two decades, that will take some getting use to - and they have added some new players to the mix.

They will need to assess whether they function well as a unit, as a team, and whether they have managed to foster a good team spirit. In addition, eyes will be on them see whether they have addressed defensive deficiencies, as well that ghastly and embarrassing brittleness.

By contrast, City are a superlative and confident and well balanced team, who have further enhanced their strength with intelligent buys over the summer. Arsenal will do well to obtain a draw, and to learn from that and build on it.

 

[Apple fanboy]

I am ready for Sunday!

Arsenal vs. Manchester City. For me, only a win against City will do.
[doublepost=1533559414][/doublepost]You put us 6th. Hmm...

We have had a lot of changes over the summer, and seems even more to come. Possibly Ivan Gazidis leaving (which is weird to me), but, I still expect a top 4 finish. After all, Unai Emery will be looking to make a point.

Well show me your top 7 then!

 

[circatee]

Sorry, my post wasn't about all that. I merely felt we deserved a higher position.
Again, mainly since we have made some serious improvements on and off the pitch. Regardless, I respect your choices, simply voicing my opinion...

Well show me your top 7 then!

 

[Apple fanboy]

Sorry, my post wasn't about all that. I merely felt we deserved a higher position.
Again, mainly since we have made some serious improvements on and off the pitch. Regardless, I respect your choices, simply voicing my opinion...

What I have written I have written!

But let's see. Looking forward to it kicking off.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

What I have written I have written!

But let's see. Looking forward to it kicking off.

The first three I would expect to be Manchester City, Liverpool and Spurs.

That is, assuming that Spurs don't suffer either injuries or World Cup hangover; the team will have to try to deliver some silverware and offer a serious challenge and deliver on their promise. If they fail to deliver, I can see some players seeking a move or being poached - I cannot see the Spurs team starting with much the same first eleven this time next year.

Manchester City are still well ahead of the others, but will have to try to compete seriously in Europe this year.

Liverpool got to the CL final, and have addressed shortcomings over the summer; if City trip up or stumble at all domestically, I would expect to see Liverpool offering a real challenge.

Fourth will be the interesting position.

I think Chelsea will be unsettled, and Arsenal will have a point to prove, backbone, hunger, ambition, new manager, and some new players. That is not to say that they will end up fourth, but I expect them to fight not fold this season, and, fi they fight, they could well come fourth - third on a good day.

Manchester United are where I see some trouble; Mourinho's pre-season bleats, and the team's pre-season performances should both be a cause for concern. They have some terrific players, but they don't gel as a team, and some of those players are not allowed play to their potential.

Plus, Mourinho is now entering his notorious third season - and, unlike elsewhere, he has not won anything of note in his time at United. I would not be surprised to see an explosive departure sometime during the season.

 

[bmac4]

I would rest content with a draw; a defeat for Arsenal on the opening day could be unfortunate, but, frankly, I think that expecting to defeat the well engineered machine that City is, may be unduly optimistic.

We still have to see how Arsenal performs in these conditions.

Much will have changed since last season. The team has a new manager, - their first in two decades, that will take some getting use to - and they have added some new players to the mix.

They will need to assess whether they function well as a unit, as a team, and whether they have managed to foster a good team spirit. In addition, eyes will be on them see whether they have addressed defensive deficiencies, as well that ghastly and embarrassing brittleness.

By contrast, City are a superlative and confident and well balanced team, who have further enhanced their strength with intelligent buys over the summer. Arsenal will do well to obtain a draw, and to learn from that and build on it.

City might struggle a bit out of the gate with all the players just coming back from WC duties. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a win or draw from Arsenal.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

City might struggle a bit out of the gate with all the players just coming back from WC duties. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a win or draw from Arsenal.

Perhaps, but City looked sharp at the Charity Shield and won at an easy enough canter.

I don't expect them to stumble next Sunday; while I would love to see Arsenal win, I doubt that they will do so unless City are usually dozy, and lose concentration, which I cannot envisage happening.

A draw - against such magisterial champions - will be a good result for Arsenal, as their team hasn't yet had much match practice to allow them to gel as a unit, and master the tactical preferences of their new manager howsoever much he has drilled them.

 

[Apple fanboy]

The first three I would expect to be Manchester City, Liverpool and Spurs.

That is, assuming that Spurs don't suffer either injuries or World Cup hangover; the team will have to try to deliver some silverware and offer a serious challenge and deliver on their promise. If they fail to deliver, I can see some players seeking a move or being poached - I cannot see the Spurs team starting with much the same first eleven this time next year.

Manchester City are still well ahead of the others, but will have to try to compete seriously in Europe this year.

Liverpool got to the CL final, and have addressed shortcomings over the summer; if City trip up or stumble at all domestically, I would expect to see Liverpool offering a real challenge.

Fourth will be the interesting position.

I think Chelsea will be unsettled, and Arsenal will have a point to prove, backbone, hunger, ambition, new manager, and some new players. That is not to say that they will end up fourth, but I expect them to fight not fold this season, and, fi they fight, they could well come fourth - third on a good day.

Manchester United are where I see some trouble; Mourinho's pre-season bleats, and the team's pre-season performances should both be a cause for concern. They have some terrific players, but they don't gel as a team, and some of those players are not allowed play to their potential.

Plus, Mourinho is now entering his notorious third season - and, unlike elsewhere, he has not won anything of note in his time at United. I would not be surprised to see an explosive departure sometime during the season.

Utd are being heavily linked with Leicester City's McGuire today. Might help there cause.

 

[bmac4]

Perhaps, but City looked sharp at the Charity Shield and won at an easy enough canter.

I don't expect them to stumble next Sunday; while I would love to see Arsenal win, I doubt that they will do so unless City are usually dozy, and lose concentration, which I cannot envisage happening.

A draw - again such magisterial champions - will be a good result for Arsenal, as their team hasn't yet had much match practice to allow them to gel as a unit, and master the tactical preferences of their new manager howsoever much he has drilled them.

I couldn’t watch the Charity Shield, did the players from the WC play? Just wondering how sharp they were.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Utd are being heavily linked with Leicester City's McGuire today. Might help there cause.

Only if he is integrated properly into the team, the team plays - or is allowed to play - as a team (for they have some outstanding individual players) and the players are allowed to play to their full potential.

The WC should have been an eye-opener for the players from Manchester United on international duty; they were a revelation for their respective teams, and are clearly operating under considerable restraints when playing in United's colours.

Oh, and Mourinho curbs his morose and corrosive negativity.

If he persists with the moody negativity of his pre-season pronouncements, he will lose the dressing room (yet again).

Yes, there is an element of getting his excuses and justifications in early, but - as with classic Third Season Mourinho - he is starting on a characteristically sour note.

Contrast the striking difference in how both he and Gareth Southgate handled players who had just become fathers; for all of their talent, I think we may see profound dissatisfaction and unhappiness at Old Trafford; you don't win titles or trophies with that.

And, remember, Mourinho has won little to date (I'm not talking about the Europa Cup, or the League Cup) for United - not the League, not the FA Cup, his trophies to date with the club have been confined to the EFL and the Europa Cup.

For a club with the resources - and talent - at their disposal that United have, this is a poor return.

 

[Silencio]

Utd are being heavily linked with Leicester City's McGuire today. Might help there cause.

Maguire is back on again? One minute, it's Alderweireld. Next, it's Mina. Now they're talking to Bayern about Boateng. Or maybe they're considering a bid for Gimenez?

Ed Woodward is great at signing up sponsors (does United have an official seaweed-based snack product for the South American market yet?). His inability to sign players is something else entirely. I would posit that David Gill was an even bigger loss than Sir Alex Ferguson.

 

[circatee]

Clearly I am not paying full attention. The transfer window closes in 2 days!
For over a decade I wanted the transfer season to close before a premier league ball is kicked. Glad to see the 'Managers' agree.

We might be in for a brilliant premier league season, all round this campaign...

 

[Apple fanboy]

Clearly I am not paying full attention. The transfer window closes in 2 days!
For over a decade I wanted the transfer season to close before a premier league ball is kicked. Glad to see the 'Managers' agree.

We might be in for a brilliant premier league season, all round this campaign...

But not in Europe. So players can still transfer out but not in. Not good if a big money club comes knocking and you can't replace your star striker.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

But not in Europe. So players can still transfer out but not in. Not good if a big money club comes knocking and you can't replace your star striker.

At least you'll have money in the bank.

I get the sense that some semblance of sanity may be returning to the transfer market; it is not as frantic (nor quite as stratospheric) as has the case for a few years.

 

[bmac4]

But not in Europe. So players can still transfer out but not in. Not good if a big money club comes knocking and you can't replace your star striker.

Clubs have to kind of think ahead like Chelsea did getting Kepa thinking they would lose Courtois. I guess if a team believes they will lose a player in the coming weeks, go ahead and look for their replacement if you need to.

BTW don’t like the Courtois transfer fro Madrid. Navas is a fine keeper, and there is no need to add Courtois. What does he add that Navas doesn’t have?

 

[circatee]

Not too fond of the idea that we're moving from Puma to Adidas (Arsenal). I have always seen Adidas as a Chelsea sponsor and no one else. I know they support other clubs, that's not the point.

Anyway, I will get over it

 

[bmac4]

Not too fond of the idea that we're moving from Puma to Adidas (Arsenal). I have always seen Adidas as a Chelsea sponsor and no one else. I know they support other clubs, that's not the point.

Anyway, I will get over it

Isn’t Adidas better than Puma? Being a RMFC fan, I don’t hate Adidas, but Puma is terrible right?

 

[Apple fanboy]

At least you'll have money in the bank.

I get he sense that some semblance of sanity may be returning to the transfer market; it is not as frantic (nor quite as stratospheric) as has the case for a few years.

It's all relative! I think over half the clubs (including us) have broken their transfer record.
Maybe not so much business at the top four, but we've spent £100 million.
Looking forward to seeing the results!

 

[bmac4]

It's all relative! I think over half the clubs (including us) have broken their transfer record.
Maybe not so much business at the top four, but we've spent £100 million.
Looking forward to seeing the results!

Where’s all the money coming from? Is it the tv deals?

 

[Apple fanboy]

Where’s all the money coming from? Is it the tv deals?

Well that helps. Plus our new free stadium is full every week.

 

[bmac4]

Well that helps. Plus our new free stadium is full every week.

Oh ok! I forgot about that.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

It's all relative! I think over half the clubs (including us) have broken their transfer record.
Maybe not so much business at the top four, but we've spent £100 million.
Looking forward to seeing the results!

Agreed, it is all relative.

I was thinking of the top four-five, not clubs a little further down, who have indeed spend considerable sums attempting to beef up their squads in advance of the start of the season.

 

[Apple fanboy]

So the transfer window is done.
We landed Perez from Arsenal and Sanchez from Florentina today.
That's 10 through the door in total.
Pretty excited to see what we can do under Pelagrini.

Meanwhile Spurs signed nobody. Apparently that's the first time anyone has signed no one since they introduced the transfer window.
Yes you can argue they already had a good team and haven't lost key players, but you would have to argue they have lost ground on Liverpool at the very least.

 

[Silencio]

Well, it looks like United's biggest signing in this transfer window was... Chivas Regal.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Not too fond of the idea that we're moving from Puma to Adidas (Arsenal). I have always seen Adidas as a Chelsea sponsor and no one else. I know they support other clubs, that's not the point.

Anyway, I will get over it

Why?

The symbolism?

As @bmac4 asks below, is there a difference in quality - does Adidas have the reputation of being better than Puma - and (not that I am any sort of an expert on such matters) is that not better for Arsenal? Who cares what other teams turn out in?

Isn’t Adidas better than Puma? Being a RMFC fan, I don’t hate Adidas, but Puma is terrible right?

That is what I had thought, but this is not something on which I am in any way an expert.

It's all relative! I think over half the clubs (including us) have broken their transfer record.
Maybe not so much business at the top four, but we've spent £100 million.
Looking forward to seeing the results!

West Ham certainly spent a fair sum of money - ten new players! - as did some of the other clubs, Chelsea and Liverpool spending serious funds on goalies.

So the transfer window is done.
We landed Perez from Arsenal and Sanchez from Florentina today.
That's 10 through the door in total.
Pretty excited to see what we can do under Pelagrini.

Meanwhile Spurs signed nobody. Apparently that's the first time anyone has signed no one since they introduced the transfer window.
Yes you can argue they already had a good team and haven't lost key players, but you would have to argue they have lost ground on Liverpool at the very least.

I think Spurs - having built a new (improved) ground and all of that - may be a bit strapped for cash.

This had also befallen Arsenal in the years immediately after they moved to The Emirates.