Author Topic: The Official Football (Soccer) Thread (v. It's starting again!)  (Read 202487 times)

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Offline Nekov

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Re: The Official Football (soccer) Thread [merged]
« Reply #735 on: April 22, 2014, 10:45:25 AM »
So, Moyes is out, Giggs will take care of the team for the reminder of the season (weird) and I've read that United wants to hire Van Gaal. Is he really the guy for United? Where has he been the last couple of years?
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Offline Zantera

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Re: The Official Football (soccer) Thread [merged]
« Reply #736 on: April 22, 2014, 12:54:42 PM »
Van Gaal is an interesting name. I don't have the best knowledge of him, but he has managed big teams (Bayern and Barcelona), and the last few years (and right now) he has been managing the Dutch national team. In Bayern he is "known" for bringing players like Müller, Badstuber and Alaba into the first squad, and those are all great players. From what I've heard he stands for attacking football.

I'm intrigued.

Offline ariich

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Re: The Official Football (soccer) Thread [merged]
« Reply #737 on: April 22, 2014, 01:53:34 PM »
As a neutral when it comes to Utd, I'm disappointed to see them follow the same direction that most of football has been going in and sack Moyes after less than a year.

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Offline Zantera

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Re: The Official Football (soccer) Thread [merged]
« Reply #738 on: April 22, 2014, 03:31:55 PM »
I think most neutral fans would have happily seen Moyes drag them down to Championship in the next few years.

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Re: The Official Football (soccer) Thread [merged]
« Reply #739 on: April 23, 2014, 12:31:27 AM »
Not for that reason, I like Moyes and would rather he'd done better with United. I just don't like the culture in football these days, and one of the things I liked about United was that they were doing a good job when it comes to sticking things out, long term loyalty, and so on.

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Offline Zantera

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Re: The Official Football (soccer) Thread [merged]
« Reply #740 on: April 23, 2014, 02:35:16 AM »
I agree that some clubs are way too fast when it comes to kicking their manager. I've seen some good managers gotten the axe from their team without much reason, but in the case of Moyes it was kinda needed. By the end, Moyes had just screwed up too many things for his own good. Not just missing a Champions League spot, but also failing to get the team to play a certain way. As I see it, there were several things that got him fired:

*The poor performances/Finishing far away from a CL-spot
*No consistency in starting lineups/performances
*Several records broken this season (bad records like not having lost against certain teams in over 30 years)
*Lost the respect of the players (Welbeck handing in transfer request, possibly nail in the coffin)
*Several idiotic quotes like "Sir Alex wouldn't have made a better job if he was still here" (really?!)
*Firing all the amazing staff at Man United to bring in unproven staff from Everton (maybe his biggest mistake)
*Signing Fellaini (Possibly one of the worst signings in the whole league this year)
*Telling the defenders they should play more like Phil Jagielka (lol, telling that to defenders who have won trophies)
*Saying that Liverpool were favorites in the game at Old Trafford (you never do this, it's unspeakable even if there's truth to it)
*Loser mentality of settling for 1 point rather than going for 3 points (which has cost them several points this season)

There's just too many bad things and blunders. Eventually you can't overlook them anymore.

Offline puppyonacid

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Re: The Official Football (soccer) Thread [merged]
« Reply #741 on: April 23, 2014, 03:23:31 AM »
I hate to say but I agree. I'm torn because I thought Utd were above revolving manager policies but there are too many things that can't be overlooked.

As a Liverpool supporter I was floored when he said we were favourites. I mean really? Rogers said he would never have said United were favourites even if Liverpool were fighting relegation. You just don't do that.

We finished 7th last year with a new manager but (and it is a huge but!) we were/are playing attractive football. Last season that football was a bit ragged and didn't always come off. When it did work though it was brilliant - and this season shows we're getting it right way more than getting it wrong.

Moyes was always a bit too flat. Just look at how Everton are playing now. They should never have let Fergie appoint Moyes. It shouldn't have been up to him. Looks like Utd haven't learned:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27123088

Anyway - Liverpool. 3 games to go and 5 points clear of Chelsea. We don't actually need to win all of our games. Two wins and a draw will do it.
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Offline Zantera

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Re: The Official Football (soccer) Thread [merged]
« Reply #742 on: April 23, 2014, 03:38:12 AM »
I really do hope Liverpool wins the league. They play possibly the best football in Europe this year, Rodgers is a manager you can really stand behind (he seems like a great dude), and Gerrard is possibly THE player in the world, most deserving a league title. It's sad (but understandable) when money wins trophies, so I hope Liverpool can hold off City and Chelsea. From what I heard, Silva left the last City game injured (and might miss the rest of the season), and if so, that's a harsh blow to City.

The three standout managers this season IMO has been Rodgers, Martinez and Pulis. They've all done an excellent job, for different reasons. With Rodgers it's quite interesting how really none of his summer transfers have bloomed out, and most of the "great" players are players from before that he has made better. I'm curious to see what Pool will buy this summer. A possible PL-win and a CL-spot gives them a good position not only to hold onto Suarez, but also bring in some great stars.

Offline Nekov

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Re: The Official Football (soccer) Thread [merged]
« Reply #743 on: April 23, 2014, 07:59:11 AM »
I really do hope Liverpool wins the league. They play possibly the best football in Europe this year

Really? Better than Borussia Dortmund? Better than Bayer Munich? Better than Juventus? Better than Real Madrid? It's undeniable that they are having a great season but the truth is they are completely dependent on what Suarez can produce.
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Offline Zantera

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Re: The Official Football (soccer) Thread [merged]
« Reply #744 on: April 23, 2014, 08:23:20 AM »
Dortmund have had most of their good players injured for most of their season, and their gameplay has lacked because of it. When they have been able to play with their full team, it has looked great, but most of the season has been with benchwarmers. Bayern is a team I used to love, but since Guardiola took over, they've played less "straight forward" and more passing the ball sideways within the team. So not as exciting to watch anymore. I haven't seen that much of a Juventus so I can't say, but I would agree with Real Madrid being up there.

I don't agree with Suarez being as important for Liverpool this season compared to previous seasons though. Yeah, he has 30 goals, and he has been incredible, but alongside him you have Sturridge, Sterling and Coutinho, all who have been excellent this season IMO. The big difference for Liverpool IMO is that unlike previous seasons, Suarez isn't the only one carrying the team. You have those three players I mentioned, plus Gerrard, and you have more players "stepping up".

Offline orcus116

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Re: The Official Football (soccer) Thread [merged]
« Reply #745 on: April 27, 2014, 09:10:47 AM »
Great win against Liverpool.

Offline GentlemanofDread

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Re: The Official Football (soccer) Thread [merged]
« Reply #746 on: April 27, 2014, 09:59:11 AM »


Let's just admire Jonjo Shelvey's goal from Saturday against Aston Villa.
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Re: The Official Football (soccer) Thread [merged]
« Reply #747 on: April 27, 2014, 10:30:24 AM »
Joe and I in the same squad is basically the virtual equivalent of us plowing a rape van through an elementary school playground at recess.

Offline orcus116

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Re: The Official Football (soccer) Thread [merged]
« Reply #748 on: April 27, 2014, 10:35:46 AM »
 :lol

Offline RoeDent

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Re: The Official Football (soccer) Thread [merged]
« Reply #749 on: April 27, 2014, 10:43:33 AM »
Incredible goal from Shelvey yesterday, and it was for my team! That doesn't come round very often.  :tup

Offline chknptpie

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Re: The Official Football (soccer) Thread [merged]
« Reply #750 on: May 06, 2014, 10:48:27 PM »

Offline Nekov

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Re: The Official Football (soccer) Thread [merged]
« Reply #751 on: May 12, 2014, 11:45:50 AM »
So, the national teams are starting to announce the players for the world cup and England already has their list. What do you guys think? From my point of view, the defense is pretty weak but it should be compensated by the midfield. No surprises with the forwards though I'm not a fan of Welbeck

Goalkeepres: Joe Hart (Manchester City), Ben Foster (West Bromwich Albion), Fraser Forster (Celtic).

Defenders: Leighton Baines (Everton), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Phil Jones (Manchester United), Luke Shaw (Southampton), Chris Smalling (Manchester United).

Midfielders: Ross Barkley (Everton), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Adam Lallana (Southampton), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), James Milner (Manchester City), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal), Raheem Sterling (Liverpool), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal).

Forwards: Rickie Lambert (Southampton), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool), Daniel Welbeck (Manchester United).

Reserves: John Ruddy (Norwich City), Jon Flanagan (Liverpool), John Stones (Everton), Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Tom Cleverley (Manchester United), Andy Carroll (West Ham United), Jermain Defoe (Toronto FC).
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Offline chknptpie

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Re: The Official Football (soccer) Thread [merged]
« Reply #752 on: May 12, 2014, 12:54:24 PM »
La Liga comes to a decision about the league champion between Barcelona and Atletico this weekend! :caffeine:

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Re: The Official Football (soccer) Thread [merged]
« Reply #753 on: May 12, 2014, 01:45:06 PM »
So, the national teams are starting to announce the players for the world cup and England already has their list. What do you guys think? From my point of view, the defense is pretty weak but it should be compensated by the midfield. No surprises with the forwards though I'm not a fan of Welbeck

Goalkeepres: Joe Hart (Manchester City), Ben Foster (West Bromwich Albion), Fraser Forster (Celtic).

Defenders: Leighton Baines (Everton), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Phil Jones (Manchester United), Luke Shaw (Southampton), Chris Smalling (Manchester United).

Midfielders: Ross Barkley (Everton), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Adam Lallana (Southampton), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), James Milner (Manchester City), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal), Raheem Sterling (Liverpool), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal).

Forwards: Rickie Lambert (Southampton), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool), Daniel Welbeck (Manchester United).

Reserves: John Ruddy (Norwich City), Jon Flanagan (Liverpool), John Stones (Everton), Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Tom Cleverley (Manchester United), Andy Carroll (West Ham United), Jermain Defoe (Toronto FC).

We won't be troubling anyone in the World Cup this year. Its not a great squad but we haven't got alot of great players to choose from. I like that he's generally gone with a youth policy as it will be good experience for them for future tournaments. Its not like the experienced players have done anything useful before. Rooney is a prime example.

Jones and Smalling are lucky to be there because they've been awful for Utd.

As you can see, I'm not confident. Oh and the manager is an idiot.

Offline Cyclopssss

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Re: The Official Football (soccer) Thread [merged]
« Reply #754 on: May 19, 2014, 11:30:24 AM »
The Dutch team are in a severe state of FLUX! No one knows who will be part of the team yet.
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Offline Nekov

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Re: The Official Football (soccer) Thread [merged]
« Reply #755 on: May 19, 2014, 12:56:56 PM »
The Dutch team are in a severe state of FLUX! No one knows who will be part of the team yet.

I hadn't looked at the list. I only recognize 11 players out of the 30, Wow. I didn't realize the dutch team was going over a generational change in the team.

As for my national team, Argentina, the list is more or less what I expected it to be. Our defense kinda sucks, our midfield is par and our offense is off the charts.
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Offline Scorpion

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Re: The Official Football (soccer) Thread [merged]
« Reply #756 on: May 19, 2014, 03:14:45 PM »
Who's in the Argentinian offense?
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Offline Nekov

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Re: The Official Football (soccer) Thread [merged]
« Reply #757 on: May 19, 2014, 04:57:57 PM »
Messi, Agüero, Higuain, Palacio, Lavezzi
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Re: The Official Football (soccer) Thread [merged]
« Reply #758 on: May 21, 2014, 06:35:38 AM »
Messi, Agüero, Higuain, Palacio, Lavezzi

Yeah, great defender!!!  :biggrin:
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Offline Nekov

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Re: The Official Football (soccer) Thread [merged]
« Reply #759 on: May 21, 2014, 07:43:25 AM »
 ??? He asked me who's in our offense, all of those are strikers....
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Offline Zantera

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Re: The Official Football (soccer) Thread [merged]
« Reply #760 on: May 21, 2014, 08:09:32 AM »
Kinda surprised Tevez wasn't in the squad. I've seen Palacio score a few goals for Inter, but is he really better than Tevez?

On another note, I'm pretty happy with Van Gaal taking over Man United. Unlike Moyes, he is a top club manager. If he is a good fit or not, we will have to wait and see, but at least he's a better manager.

Offline Nekov

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Re: The Official Football (soccer) Thread [merged]
« Reply #761 on: May 21, 2014, 08:21:04 AM »
Kinda surprised Tevez wasn't in the squad. I've seen Palacio score a few goals for Inter, but is he really better than Tevez?

The problem with Tevez is that he doesn't take it well when he's not a starter and in today's team he has no place in the starting 11 so having him there would generate an issue in the locker room. We had that problem in the last world cup and also in the last Copa America, we don't want to go there again.

Regarding Van Gaal, he's proven to be a good coach so Man U should have a better season though I think they need to change their squad a little bit, specially their defense.

I'm also interested in what Luis Enrique might bring to Barcelona. I never really paid attention to the Celta mathces so I'm not sure how his teams play and this is another team that needs to get renewed, specially on defense.
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Offline Zantera

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Re: The Official Football (soccer) Thread [merged]
« Reply #762 on: May 21, 2014, 08:31:36 AM »
Luis Enrique feels like a pretty lame choice. I can see why they would pick him, and he probably has more experience than Guardiola had when he took the job, but I think Real Madrid will take the trophy next year. They just feel stronger on every position. It's a big shame for Barcelona that they lost Thiago to Bayern. They could really need him now when Xavi is getting old.

Barcelona have kinda fell off the very top of the best football teams right now though. They went out in the semifinal this year and were completely slaughtered by Bayern Munich last year. If Atletico hadn't given Barcelona 3-4 new chances to win the league this year, I doubt they would have still had a chance in the last game. Atletico gave away some easy points during the last few rounds, and that's what gave Barcelona a chance to win it.

But anyhow, World Cup is not that far away. I don't know how much I will watch, because for some reason the international football never appeals to me, but I will probably watch quite a bit anyways, since it's football. England will probably go out in the group stage already and Sweden aren't even qualified, so nothing to root for there. I think most of the "usual" top teams will go far, Germany, Spain and Brazil (having the home field).
« Last Edit: May 21, 2014, 08:36:44 AM by Zantera »

Offline Cyclopssss

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Re: The Official Football (soccer) Thread [merged]
« Reply #763 on: May 21, 2014, 09:14:05 AM »
??? He asked me who's in our offense, all of those are strikers....

Yeah my bad, should have opened my eyes...sorry.  :blush
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Re: The Official Football (Soccer) Thread (v. It's starting again!)
« Reply #765 on: August 16, 2014, 04:11:44 AM »
Alright, so the weekend I've been looking forward to since May has finally come; the start of Premier League! :) I've been trying previous years to keep this thread going with some big posts and I thought I would continue doing that! I know some people here are more casual than I am, and it can always be nice to get some information about the teams and the players. So I thought I would make this post the first major post for the 14/15 season, and I will post the situation for all the teams, who they have brought in and who they have lost, just how their situation looks going into the season. I'll also post my predicted table of how I think the season will end, as well as the games this first weekend. But let's dive right into it, and I'll alphabetically post something on all the teams.

Arsenal
Arsenal is one of the teams that have been the most active this summer, and they have brought in four major signings in Ospina, Debuchy, Calum Chambers and Sanchez. Much like last season, Wenger has chosen (so far at least) to ignore the two positions screaming the most for reinforcement (another Striker and a Defensive Midfielder) and strengthened other positions instead. The loss of Vermaelen in the defense shouldn't matter that much since he wasn't a regular last season, but they still need to replace him with another defender in my opinion. I think Arsenal will have a great season and be contenders for the title, which they might even win. It all comes down to how many goals Giroud can score, how well Sanchez will settle into Premier League, and if Arsenal can avoid the painful injury problems they've struggled with for the last few years. The team looks in harmony and completely destroyed Manchester City last weekend in the Community Shield with 3-0, so it looks like a team in balance. If they can snap up a defender/defensive midfielder and/or a striker like Cavani/Falcao before the window closes, they will be really dangerous this year.

Aston Villa
I'll be honest, Aston Villa worries me. They have an owner who is looking to sell off the team and doesn't want to invest any money into transfers, and the players they have brought in are questionable. Joe Cole is way past his prime, and players like Richardson and Senderos are not what I would call great transfers. Cissokho is a decent left back, and I don't know much about their most recent signing Sanchez, who is a defensive midfielder, but overall their transfer window is pretty bleak IMO. I think the team could go down this season, and I would not be surprised if Paul Lambert is the first manager to get sacked and the assistant manager Roy Keane takes over. I wanna root for them because I like Lambert's philosophy and his project of letting the young and talented players play, but so far it hasn't paid off during the last few seasons. Benteke will be out for the start, and I think it comes down to him this season. If he scores a lot of goals, they'll stay up, if not... it's not looking too bright.

Burnley
If I think Aston Villa has good chances of being relegated this year, I think Burnley might have it even harder. They've brought in a few players, the most Premier League merited ones are Kightly from Stoke and Reid from West Bromwich. Two okay players, but the rest of their transfers (Gilks, Sordell, Jutikiewicz and Taylor) are from Championship. They're aiming to stay up with the core of the team that went up to the league from last seasons performance. It's admirable, but in my experience, there's a big difference between Championship and Premier League. You need to strengthen and get good additions, and you won't stay up with a Championship-team. I think Burnley could have a rough season, but it all comes down to how they adjust to the higher tempo and higher quality. Maybe they'll adjust nicely, and maybe they have some late transfers in mind. It's important as a newcomer to get something going for you. Maybe build an impenetrable fortress at your home station, and make sure you always get points from your home games.

Chelsea
Chelsea is in my opinion the favorite this year. They have the best team, they have the best manager and it's their year to win it. They've brought in amazing talent in Diego Costa, who will lead the attack, Fabregas who will lead the midfield, and Luis who will strengthen the defense. Add young talent in Zouma, and Courtouis, possably the best goalkeeper in Europe at the moment, who is coming back to Chelsea after 3 years on loan at Atletico Madrid. I think Chelsea has the best starting lineup, but it all comes down to injuries. Diego Costa has a lot of pressure and needs to score +20 goals for them this year. I think he will, but what they really need is to keep him fit. If he gets injured, I think Chelsea could struggle with Torres or Drogba up front, and if Costa goes out for a few months, that could very well be the title disappearing for Chelsea. But still, the best manager and the best team IMO. This year could be a blue year.

Crystal Palace
Had you asked me a week ago, I would have said a solid mid-team table. Now, I'm not so sure. Crystal Palace might have suffered the worst loss out of any Premier League teams, when their manager Tony Pulis left a few days ago. He was the reason the team went from being dead last to being a strong middle team who could take points out of anyone last year. He's one of the best bottom club managers out there, because he knows how to get 100% out of his team. He knows discipline and he can take teams like Crystal Palace and Stoke and fight with the big teams during tough games. The team has strengthened okay otherwise. Campbell, Kelly and Hangeland are all proven Premier League players, but what will really hurt them is the loss of Tony Pulis. At this point I don't think it matters who they bring in, I think they will struggle to survive this year.

Everton
Everton was one of the wonderful surprises of last year, and what Martinez has done with the team is amazing. From the defensive minded team they were under Moyes, Martinez made Everton an attacking team that was a joy to watch. They've secured the services of Lukaku and Barry (who were only there on loan last year) and bought a young and interesting prospect in Besic. I think Everton will finish in the top7 spots, and I think they could go pretty far in Europa League. Martinez is a manager to watch, and I would not be surprised if we saw him as the manager for a club like Arsenal or Barcelona in 2-3 years. He's a humble guy you just love in interviews, and he has done wonders with this team. They could use another transfer or so, but they managed to buy Lukaku (who saw that coming?) so I think they'll do just fine.

Hull City
Hull was one of the surprises last year and Steve Bruce managed to take a newcomer and make them a solid Premier League team. They even reached the FA Cup final, which they lost to Arsenal. This summer they have brought in players like Ince, Snodgrass, Maguire, Robertson, Ter Horst and Livermore (who was just on loan to them last year). I think Hull will be a solid mid-table team this year. I don't see them pushing into the top8 or anything, but I see them finishing safely above relegation, maybe in the 10-15 area. Steve Bruce is a decent manager who works well with clubs on this level, and the atmosphere within the club seems positive and I think they'll do fine. Again, not a team that will fight for European Cup positions, but not a team bad enough to be relegated either.

Leicester City
My write-up for Leicester will be very similar to my write-up for Burnley, but they are in similar situations. Leicester are also newcomers, and they have only brought in two players this window. Rowley and Ulloa joins, not exactly names that strikes fear in the opposition. Leicester are also hoping that the team they jogged home Championship with is going to be enough to stay up, and I'm not convinced. Again, the difference between Championship and Premier League is huge. If you take too lightly on that, you're gonna have a rough time. I think they need to get in at least 2 or 3 more players before the transfer window closes, and that's player with Premier League experience or players of the higher class. I think Leicester will struggle this year, and could very well be relegated.

Liverpool
Alright so time for Southampton. Or wait... Lallana, Lambert and Lovren. This isn't Southampton? I don't know what's the most bizarre, the fact that Liverpool has bought half of Southampton's starting lineup before this season, or the fact that Liverpool has Southampton in the very first game. Man will that be awkward. The already mentioned Lallana, Lambert and Lovren are strengthening the midfield, attack and defense, and with other additions like Markovic, Can and Manquillo, Liverpool has done a really strong transfer window. The big elephant in the room is of course the question of "How will Liverpool do without Suarez?". I think Liverpool will finish top4, but with the addition of Champions League, contending for the title will be tougher. I think the one thing they really need is a huge star transfer, and someone who could fill Suarez´ shoes. Either Cavani or Falcao, someone who could score those goals. Because Sturridge will have his dips during the season for sure. Still, Rodgers is probably the most exciting manager in the league, he has a young and talented team, and Liverpool played some of the best football in Europe last year. It's just a joy to watch them. Players like Coutinho and Sterling will continue to improve as well.

Manchester City
The previous league winners of last year, and a team many people are holding as favorites. I actually think Manchester City will miss out on the top4 this year. I'm not that impressed, and the way they got hammered by Arsenal last week, even if it was just the Community Shield, that says something about a team. I think Pellegrini is overrated as a manager, and a lot of the times last year, his tactical failures were salvaged by him having such a good team. I think City will miss out on the top4, but they could go far in Champions League instead. They have strengthened with Mangala and Fernando, two rigid/solid and defense-minded players, as well as a second goalkeeper in Caballero. Add in some experience in Frank Lampard (most odd transfer this summer?) and a young talent in Zuculini. I think City will fail mostly because of Pellegrini's tactical errors, but I still see them finishing 5th, because even if Pellegrini makes errors, they still have players like Aguero, Silva, Toure, Jovetic, Dzeko and Negredo, who all can decide games with their goals.

Manchester United
Time for the team I'm rooting for myself. A new manager in Louis Van Gaal, and two strong transfers in Shaw and Herrera. Pre-season has been incredible and without the extra pressure of Champions League, I think Man United will be this season's Liverpool of last year. The team that flies under the radar and contends for the title under everyone's noses. We still need at least 2, but maybe 3 transfers in my opinion. A versatile defender (either Blind or Rojo), and a central midfielder (Vidal). If we can get those additions, I think the problems are solved for now. I actually think Man United could win the title this year. The team is still great and with a competent manager and good additions (unlike how it looked last season), this could be a very special year. Like I said, we need those 2 or 3 transfers to really make this special, but even with the team we have now, I think top4 is more than doable.

Newcastle
Similar to Liverpool, Newcastle has kept busy this summer. New players in Cabella, De Jong, Riviere, Ferreyra, Colback, Perez and Janmaat, I think Newcastle could have a nice season this year. If I had to guess, I would say top10 probably. Around the 8-10 positions. They have a nice team with some real talent, they have an amazing fanbase and it's always hard for teams to go to their home stadium and get a good result. After their weak season last year, I think they wanna get back on track with something special, and there's no high pressure they gotta live up to after last year's disappointment. I think they will show us what they're capable of, and they have signed some really good players this window. Not a team for the highest top of the table, but they should be upper half at least.

Queens Park Rangers
Together with Burnley and Leicester, QPR are the third and final newcomers for this season. I think they'll stay up, and I think they have the best chances out of the three. You got a solid Premier League manager in Harry Redknapp, one of the greatest profiles of the league, and it's nice to have him back. They have brought in solid additions in Ferdinand/Caulker to strengthen the defense, Mutch in the midfield, who had a great season with Cardiff last year, and some international flair in Isla from Juventus. I think QPR are too good on paper to go down, but I see them finishing maybe 15-16 place or something. I don't see them blowing us away this year, but they're also too good (at least on paper) to go down again, which happened last time they were up.

Southampton
If I could describe Southampton, I would compare them to a battered corpse. Last season they were amazing. But the way they have been dismantled this summer has been painful for me to watch, and I'm not one of their own supporters, so I could only imagine what hell the supporters have been through. First, they lost their amazing manager Pochettino, who joined Tottenham. Then they started losing players, and wow did they lose players. Lallana, Lovren and Lambert all joined Liverpool. Shaw joined Man United, and Chambers joined Arsenal. Schneiderlin posted on twitter in anger that he wanted to leave the club, and a lot of rumors have been circulating about Schneiderlin and Rodriguez being on their way out. So Southampton have already lost 5 starting players, all who had a huge impact last year, with 1 or 2 more looking to leave. Add a new manager in Koeman, who doesn't have PL experience, and you have a mess. They have brought in a few exciting names like Shane Long, Frazer Forster, Pelle, Bertrand, Taider and Tadic, but it's hard to say how some of them will adjust to the league. Still, I think Southampton will stay up. Despite being utterly dismantled and slaughtered, they have a competent manager, they have one of the best youth academies in England, and they have a few pretty good players. A few more additions before deadline day and next season doesn't have to be that bad.

Stoke
Stoke is pretty much the definition of a firm and rigid mid-team table in Premier League. They're pretty strong defensively and Mark Hughes who took over last year has been working on their offense to improve as well. With the additions of Bojan (the old Barcelona striker who never became the next Messi), Teixeira and two Premier League merited players in Sidwell and Bardsley, I think Stoke will have another solid season. They could very well finish in the upper half, like the 9-10 places. I'm not a huge fan of Mark Hughes or Stoke, but it's hard to overlook the fact that they are pretty darn solid. Some decent transfers and they will probably continue to look good.

Sunderland
Another team with a lot of new faces this summer. Rodwell, Pantilimon, Jones, Gomez, Vergini, van Aanholt and Buckley, with Borini rumored to join from Liverpool. My biggest doubt is not the quality of the team, but Poyet as the manager. They managed the great escape last spring when they were looking to go down, but managed to stay up after a few impressing games towards the end. Still, a lot of new names and I'm not too sure. I don't think they will go down, but there's a lot of work for Poyet to make this team solid again. Sunderland has been very up and down the last few years, and what they really need is some consistency.

Swansea
Similar to Southampton but a very light version of it, Swansea is a team I loved a few seasons ago, but they have slowly been dismantled and they're not the same anymore. Monk as the manager, there's problem nr1. He has the position because he's a club legend as a player, but he is unproven as a manager. They have brought in a few interesting names in Gomis, Montero, Fabianski and Sigurdsson, and at their core, they play offensive and beautiful attacking football. I think Swansea are too good to go down, but they need to start showing more this season than they did last year. It's time for Monk to step up as a manager and show the world what kind of manager he is, and what kind of football he wants to play.

Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham have been laying fairly low so far this summer, but they got loads of transfers last season, so there's still a lot of untapped potential. Great addition in Pochettino as the manager, and I like the transfers of Dier from Sporting, and Davies and Vorm from Swansea. There are questionmarks regarding players like Lamela and Soldado, but if Pochettino can get those players to perform (and I think he can), Spurs could very well be a contender for Champions League places this year. The team is strong on paper, and this could be a nice year for them. A nice start away against West Ham today, let's see what they can do. I expect them to be in the top7 this year.

West Bromwich Albions
WBA has one of the least experienced managers in Irvine, and they could have a rough season this year. The team still looks better than some of the newcomers, and they have done some transfers in players like Brown, Lescott, Gamboa, Wisdom, Gardner and Pocognoli, but they're a bit of a joker team this season. I think they'll stay up, but finish somewhere in the 14-17 region. I can't say I'm excited to watch them or anything, but they have some experienced players, and staying up should be doable.

West Ham United
Some questionmarks regarding manager Sam Allardyce, but they have done some sweet transfers in Enner Valencia (who was amazing in the World Cup), Mauro Zarate (former wonderkid of Lazio/Inter) as well as Carl Jenkinson of Arsenal. I think West Ham are too solid to go out, but they still need to improve from last season when they weren't very good. It's a classic London club and I hope they stay up, but I also hope they play more offensively than they have in the past.


-----------------------My predictions for the table this season:----------------------------------------

1. Manchester United (yes I'm an optimist!)
2. Arsenal
3. Chelsea
4. Liverpool
5. Manchester City
6. Tottenham
7. Everton
8. Newcastle
9. Stoke
10. Hull
11. Swansea
12. Southampton
13. West Ham United
14. Sunderland
15. Queens Park Rangers
16. West Bromwich Albions
17. Crystal Palace
18. Aston Villa
19. Leicester
20. Burnley


------------------------------------This weekend's games:-------------------------------------------------
Today:

12:45 - Manchester United - Swansea (1)
15:00 - Leicester - Everton (2)
15:00 - Queens Park Rangers - Hull (1)
15:00 - Stoke - Aston Villa (1)
15:00 - West Bromwich - Sunderland (X)
15:00 - West Ham - Tottenham (2)
17:30 - Arsenal - Crystal Palace (1)

Tomorrow:

13:30 - Liverpool - Southampton (1)
16:00 - Newcastle - Manchester City (X)

Monday:

20:00 - Burnley - Chelsea (2)


LETS GET EXCIIIIIIIITED

Online Zydar

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Re: The Official Football (Soccer) Thread (v. It's starting again!)
« Reply #766 on: August 16, 2014, 04:48:53 AM »
Oh yeah :metal

As a Man Utd fan I have bigger expectations than last season with a new coach in Van Gaal and some new players (it can't get much worse than with Moyes...). Nine players on the injury list right now though, and I looked forward to seeing Luke Shaw today against Swansea. But I have no doubts that he will be one of the most important players for United this season once he's back to full health. I don't know if they can compete for the league title though, with a few more transfers perhaps? Top 4 should be the goal first and foremost - and do well in the EURO League.
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Offline Zantera

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Re: The Official Football (Soccer) Thread (v. It's starting again!)
« Reply #767 on: August 16, 2014, 04:55:44 AM »
Man United aren't in the EURO league. ;) I think Shaw will be great but I think Herrera will be the shining star. The central midfield has been screaming for additions for a few years now, and Herrera will be an amazing fit. I think he could finish high in the assist league this season.

Online Zydar

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Re: The Official Football (Soccer) Thread (v. It's starting again!)
« Reply #768 on: August 16, 2014, 04:57:20 AM »
Oh, I somehow thought they qualified for the EURO League :P ;D

I don't know anything about Herrera but yes they have been aching for a creative midfielder for long now. Hopefully he will fill that role.
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Offline ariich

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Re: The Official Football (Soccer) Thread (v. It's starting again!)
« Reply #769 on: August 16, 2014, 07:59:45 AM »
Oh dear, not a very good start for United. Still, I'm expecting them to have a slow start and pick up as the season progresses and the team gets used to Van Gaal's style. Not sure of they'll be able to challenge for the title, depends on how quickly they stabilise!

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