2015/16 Soccer Thread

I've also never understood why people make a big deal over Ramos as a centreback. He was a great right back, he's just one of those defenders Spain seem to love because he knows how to be confident with the ball at his feet, ignoring the fact he makes loads of actual defensive errors, and his disciplinary record is atrocious!

When it comes to Man Utd, I think they should've just entrusted Phil Jones in DMC, I think he's actually quite good there, and you need English players. As a CB, he's fairly awful, but I've always been impressed in midfield for him, but it appears they'll just carry on with him at CB for next season. Be surprised if they let Chelsea get the jump on them with Stones from Everton, seems exactly the sort of player they'd sign.

Honestly, given how many of them defected before the game, Cuba probably should've just been given a charity goal from kickoff.

so it's not soccer proper, but I've been watching the beach soccer world cup and it's heck of fun. Lots of bicycle kicks/overhead volleys, smaller field plus totally on point ball boys to make sure any throwin/corner/goal kick happens immediately, keepers playing keepy uppy just for lols.

So Pred, this Roberts lad - verdict ?

£11m fee is apparently £5m down plus £6m addon clauses...hopefully including giving birth, walking on Saturn and winning the CL.

Vidal for the equivalent of £28m?

Seems like a great deal when Liverpool has to pay 32.5 for Benteke.

Don't really think he fits into Arsenals team so not too aggrieved but it's annoying to see Bayern get better efficiently. Where was PSG, the Manchester clubs etc to bid this up?

Barca is on transfer ban but where was Real?

Some things are amusing because they are true. Others are amusing despite being true. I go for the latter in this case.

IMAGE(http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i/?img=/media/motion/ESPNi/2015/0720/int_150720_WATCH_Protester_throws_money_at_Blatter/int_150720_WATCH_Protester_throws_money_at_Blatter.jpg&w=738&site=espnfc)

As for Vidal, I think he's been hampered by playing in what is ever year getting closer to a second-tier league, and for the Celtic of that league. He's also got a reputation as a poor teammate, a first class loon and someone who came very close to killing himself driving drunk. I also suspect that if FC Arrogant follow their usual method, they'll have been tapping him up for months.

Having said that, I wouldn't have minded if he'd popped up in sky blue. And do you not think Real have enough midfielders to fill two teams already ?

Not saying Real need him but it would be a Real Madrid move to sign a player they don't really need.

It would appear that they are wanting to buy Marco Reus from Bayern...which might explain why competing with them for Vidal would have seemed like a bad idea.

They could probably do with Vidal more than Reus though.

davet010 wrote:

So Pred, this Roberts lad - verdict ?

£11m fee is apparently £5m down plus £6m addon clauses...hopefully including giving birth, walking on Saturn and winning the CL.

Rather disappointed to see him walk, at least at this point. I won't lie and say I've seen plenty of the kid, but he could've absolutely become something. He's quick, he's got good technique, he's got potential. But I am not seeing, at this point, the next Gareth Bale. But who knows?

Maybe he's a late bloomer - after all, for his first few seasons at Spurs, Gareth Bale was widely regarded as a complete waste of money.

1) Rumoured €100m bid for Thomas Müller by Manchester United. Wow.
2) I can't believe Müller's only 25. It feels like he's been around forever.

In MLS is hilarious news Didier Drogba apparently wants to go to Montréal (his kids being able to be educated and live in a French community being a plus, apparently) but Chicago apparently holds his "discovery rights" which means he can't unless the two clubs come to some sort of deal. Or the league invents a new rule when the LA Galaxy or Seattle Sounders decide they want him.

Nonetheless that's some canny scouting by Chicago, discovering a player like Didier Drogba.

What the bejebus are 'discovery rights'??

omni wrote:

What the bejebus are 'discover rights'??

I don't understand it fully (not being a follower of MLS other than what little drips through my Twitter feed). But...

My understanding is that each team has a 7-spot list for non-MLS players were they get first right of refusal for that player and you can add/remove players from that list from any time. I Think the idea is that if you see a talented player in say, Bora Bora that you want to sign but can't at the moment you put him on your list and when you have the salary cap space, international roster spot, and/or allocation money required you can then sign him.

It's another one of those North American sports mechanisms where owners have evil levels of control over players.

So... it's essentially a bagsy? What a strange concept..

This is.... an interesting strategy the USMNT is using here.

Roke wrote:
omni wrote:

What the bejebus are 'discover rights'??

My understanding is that each team has a 7-spot list for non-MLS players were they get first right of refusal for that player and you can add/remove players from that list from any time. I Think the idea is that if you see a talented player in say, Bora Bora that you want to sign but can't at the moment you put him on your list and when you have the salary cap space, international roster spot, and/or allocation money required you can then sign him.

That's pretty much it. Except occasionally the league steps in if it's interfering with the acquisition of a player that the Head Office feels would be good for the league. It's an infuriating mechanism; everyone hates it, owners included. Most people thought it would go away in the last round of CBA, but for some reason it sticks.

IMAGE(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CKllLaJUEAA1BOU.jpg)

FulhamFC on Twitter wrote:

Want 2 season tickets? It’s on @CapitalOneUK! Enter for your chance to win:

Well, the good news is, apparently Fulham are moving into what appears to be a very new, very, very boring looking ground.

NEVER STOP DOING THAT THING YOU DO INTERNET.

Prederick wrote:

NEVER STOP DOING THAT THING YOU DO INTERNET.

Funny part is that is the same story they use to tell 5 years ago. If I cared to dig up the quotes I would.

"Arsenal have 50m in the bank, we don't need to sell Cesc" etc etc.

Was the jist.

The Benzema rumor doesn't want to die but it's kinda meh to me. Close to 90 goals in 188 apps for real. He reminds me of Hiquian 2.0. Good scoring record but you remember both players missing more sitters then you do winning games. I think Aquero and there's a slew of highlight reel goals and of course his most famous. The 2 former? Meh.

Honestly don't know if adding a 27 year old Benzema for 40-50m really pushes Arsenal that much closer. It's depth and he instantly becomes the starting striker but I wonder if the bookies would even move Arsenal .25 closer to winning the title which is currently.

Chelsea 2.50
City 3.75
Arsenal 5.5
Untied 6

It is about marginal upgrades, though. People forget that Cech is human and last season wasn't always solid when he played for Chelsea. But he will get us a few more points.
Same applies to Benzema, I think.

Bigger point might be that we need two genuinely CL-level strikers, given our injury record in the area. If we had a decent replacement for Giroud last season, we probably would have finished second.

Thing is Cech cost us 10m and 100k a week...

Benzema would be 40m(rumored price) and what wages?

I'd probably rate Cech the one who gets us more points also.

I'd be fine if they signed Benzema but kinda prefer they just stand pat and wait for a more impressive target to become available.

Hypothetical. If all these Mueller rumors are true and he becomes unsettled wouldn't you pay 50? 60? 70? For a 24 him over a 27 Benzema?

Karim Benzema.

He does averagely....until you consider that he's in a team with 2 of the fastest strikers on the planet, at least 2 (and possibly 3) world class midfielders, in a league with about 5 non-bankrupt teams, the bulk of whom would not look special in the SPL.

That is to say -

IMAGE(https://stonesgoals.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/carthorse.jpg)

If he's worth 40m, Muller is worth at least 100m. At LEAST.

Canada, if they beat Belize, in a World Cup Qualifying group with Honduras and Mexico. Would have liked to avoid Honduras but with our stature we have to beat somebody decent to get to the Hex anyway.

Here's hoping we play our November and March World Cup Qualifying matches in Fort McMurray or Whitehorse (if we get past Belize).

Are we doing a GWJ epl fantasy league this year? The league from last year didn't show up in my renew leagues.

Secret Asian Man wrote:

Are we doing a GWJ epl fantasy league this year? The league from last year didn't show up in my renew leagues.

I am seeing the same thing.

davet010 wrote:

Karim Benzema.

He does averagely....until you consider that he's in a team with 2 of the fastest strikers on the planet, at least 2 (and possibly 3) world class midfielders, in a league with about 5 non-bankrupt teams, the bulk of whom would not look special in the SPL.

That is to say -

IMAGE(https://stonesgoals.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/carthorse.jpg)

If he's worth 40m, Muller is worth at least 100m. At LEAST.

Mark this one of the few times I'll agree with Dave.

Another is how awful Sergio Ramos is. Which makes it a real shame that United look like they won't land him.

Some situation where De Gea leaves and Ramos came in would be all kinds of comical when they realize how much DeGea was saving them last season and how piss poor Ramos is.

So, you agreed with me 3 times in your post. So much for 'the few times'.

There's Dugout FC as well if anyone is interested, which involves an American style draft at the start of the season so everyone has a squad of 18! Me and my mates are playing it with a tenner in each (although you can have it free as well!) So if anyone would be interested in that I'll be happy to set it up.

Dugout FC