2015/16 Soccer Thread

Is it one of those things which each player can only be in one team ? I'd be interested in that, if anyone else is.

Give me a chance tonight and I'll restart the old league, if I can work out how.

davet010 wrote:

Is it one of those things which each player can only be in one team ? I'd be interested in that, if anyone else is.

Give me a chance tonight and I'll restart the old league, if I can work out how.

Sure is, so there's a draft night where everyone picks players (you can also make a shortlist so it automatically drafts players for you based on their importance to you, I know we have a few time differences here, so we'll have to find a time best for the most. Only 10 allowed in a league!)

Di Maria, 40 million net cost (incl wages) for two dozen games. Sheesh.

It's not often a manager being fired makes me sad:

IMAGE(http://i.imgur.com/qCu3IAI.jpg)

Clusks wrote:

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

I think I'd be interested for free. It's not as if not setting the lineup for two fantasy teams is more than one league (to be pessimistic about my fantasy managing).

Transfer market seems to have calmed down a bit. Also:

UCRC wrote:

Di Maria, 40 million net cost (incl wages) for two dozen games. Sheesh.

Yup. I know Di Maria had some injury issues but it's weird how Van Gaal never managed to really fit him or Januzaj (who was pretty damn good two seasons ago) into the lineup. Ashley Young did play well, but he's still AShley Young.

Apparently Liverpool are trying to flog Balotelli for £7m! Taking quite the hit on that, although saying that, they were due to pay more than the initial £16m to AC Milan based on targets I'm guessing he never met! Don't think any of the big Italian clubs will take a chance on him after his time at Milan, where the whole dressing room was a bit sour on him.

I reckon he'll want to hold out to a bigger club, but he'll probably end up on loan somewhere in Italy towards the end of the transfer window. His ideal (realistic) destination is probably Napoli, but I'm not sure they'd go for him with no Champions League this season.

Still, compared to Di Maria it's hard to even call him a flop. He was a gamble and came to Liverpool at a price reflecting that fact.

I dunno, 16m a goal for a striker seems pretty expensive. Even Roque Santa Cruz's goals cost only (?) 5.5m each.

I created a fantasy EPL classic league.
Direct link to join.
http://fantasy.premierleague.com/my-...

or enter code to join.
940384-291149

Secret Asian Man wrote:

I created a fantasy EPL classic league.
Direct link to join.
http://fantasy.premierleague.com/my-...

or enter code to join.
940384-291149

Entered! Damnit, now there actually are enough Belgian players to fill the roster but one too many plays for the Spurs. I'll have to wait until Man City signs De Bruyne, I guess

Secret Asian Man wrote:

I created a fantasy EPL classic league.
Direct link to join.
http://fantasy.premierleague.com/my-...

or enter code to join.
940384-291149

Thanks for setting that up, SAM. (It was on my list to do this weekend, in fact. :P)

Secret Asian Man wrote:

I created a fantasy EPL classic league.
Direct link to join.
http://fantasy.premierleague.com/my-...

or enter code to join.
940384-291149

Thanks SAM!

It looks like they've added some more bonus card things, that "your bench points count" is going to undermine my "have a completely crappy bench" strategy. As things stand I only have one Newcastle player in my lineup so watch out.

Blimey - I must be ill. My team has more Everton players than City ones...

I'm watching the Women's FA Cup final. Notts County have Desiree Scott and Laura Bassett, so I know who I'm cheering for in my glory-hunting for the match.

Plus they don't have a backup goalkeeper in the squad so there's a small chance of something bonkers happening.

Roke wrote:

I'm watching the Women's FA Cup final. Notts County have Desiree Scott and Laura Bassett, so I know who I'm cheering for in my glory-hunting for the match.

Plus they don't have a backup goalkeeper in the squad so there's a small chance of something bonkers happening.

If Chelsea win again Arsenal today (which is, let's face it, exactly what we would expect) they will be on two trophies already before the season has even started.

BTW: Who's your favourite signing of the transfer window? I'd say Nathaniel Clyne (this guy is fit Luke Shaw at one third the price) and Yohan Cabaye.

UCRC wrote:
Roke wrote:

I'm watching the Women's FA Cup final. Notts County have Desiree Scott and Laura Bassett, so I know who I'm cheering for in my glory-hunting for the match.

Plus they don't have a backup goalkeeper in the squad so there's a small chance of something bonkers happening.

If Chelsea win again Arsenal today (which is, let's face it, exactly what we would expect) they will be on two trophies already before the season has even started.

BTW: Who's your favourite signing of the transfer window? I'd say Nathaniel Clyne (this guy is fit Luke Shaw at one third the price) and Yohan Cabaye.

I really liked Clyne on Southampton, so I'm a little sad to see him leave.

I'm really excited to see Cabaye to Palace, I have high hopes for that team this season.

Cabaye at Palace and Payet at West Ham are two signings that are exciting to me (a shame Shaqiri turned down Stoke, that would have been something). I can't believe Arsenal haven't signed a holding midfielder yet to bump Coquelin to a depth role but I guess Arsene gonna Arsene.

I've started thinking about my league table predictions, so expect comedy soon. I promise this time I won't have Spurs in the top-4 ahead of Arsenal.

So Arsenal won against Chelsea, some shenanigans betweeen managers, Mourinho giving (throwing) his medal to an Arsenal fan and no comments. Uh, difficult crowd.

Mourinhos schtick is getting tired and worn out.

He stays back to congratulate all the Arsenal players as if he's some nice guy and good sport when in reality you know it's just him playing more mind games.

I think the proper response is to ignore him. Wenger already side stepped pre match mind games by pretty much telling the media he wasn't going to interfere with the love affair they have with each other.

Best signing? Peter Cech.

Hazard has a break 1on1 and skys it over the bar. How much of that was mental that he knew 100% who was in front of him and that he needed to place a perfect shot. Cech is probably in all those players heads with the amount of amazing saves he's pulled on them in practices.

I think Cech and Cabaye are the best signings of the window, though if Benteke starts slotting for fun he may make it into my shortlist, as well.

Cech and Cabaye, totally. I think Cabaye will be the signing of the season.

I'm probably biased, but I think Schneiderlin could do very good things to shore up that horribly leaky United defense. Certainly stronger than Blind in that role. Definitely not a steal though.

Tyrone Mings could do very good things for Bournemouth.

I'm quickly becoming a fan of Cedric Soares. Portugese international RB for 5m? Looked good in the Vitesse match.

I think Matteo Darmian is the best signing, that guy makes Cafu look conservative when going forward! Heard a lot of good things about Jordy Clasie too and Southampton do have a great scouting team, so I congratulate him on his £25m transfer to Liverpool next season

Roke wrote:

It looks like they've added some more bonus card things, that "your bench points count" is going to undermine my "have a completely crappy bench" strategy. As things stand I only have one Newcastle player in my lineup so watch out.

I think the new chips are fun, but you can only use them once a season. I think you're gonna have to be lucky more than good to use them effectively. I'm not changing my strategy because of them.

Okay. My Premier League predictions last year were terrible. Arsenal in 6th, I didn't pick one of the relegated sides correctly, and I had Newcastle well up the table (which I still think might have happened if HMS Carver hadn't steamed in). Doesn't mean I'm going to stop providing comedy for the rest of you.

I don't really have a method. I'm just going from my memory of the table last year, my memory of what transfers have happened, and glancing at the shot-on-target-ratio for teams. Then it's just gut feeling. It's not like I'm betting on these (thank goodness), I don't have the data skills to come up with actual models.

Anyway:
1) Manchester City
2) Chelsea
3) Manchester United
4) Arsenal
==========
5) Liverpool
6) Tottenham
7) Southampton
8) Everton
9) Stoke
10) Crystal Palace
11) Newcastle
12) West Brom
13) Aston Villa
14) Leicester
15) West Ham
16) Swansea
17) Watford
================
18) Sunderland
19) Bournemouth
20 Norwich

I'll do some picks before Saturday.

Last year I got the top 6/7 top clubs with only Arsenal and United flipped and had Everton 5th and Southampton nowhere close to 5th back at 13th.

Had 2/3 relegated teams. Flubbed hard on Hull who I had all the way at 12th.

Kinda surprised I had some of the mid level clubs close. Stoke picked 8th Swansea 9th they finished in flipped order. Palace 11th finished 10th. Which is funny as I put them there for Pulis but he was gone in a flash and it was Pardew who I don't rate who got them to 11th. Had West Brom 14th finished 13th. Nailed Sunderland at 16th.

Otherwise it was Everton, Southampton, Leicester, Newcastle, Hull and West Ham who I badly missed on.

Not too shabby... Besides me predicting Arsenal were still going to get Khedira (thank goodness they didn't) and wanting Mario (we got the lower ceiling but sane Welbeck).

Have to do some thinking past the top 4 who are staying the same but I might actually pick Arsenal to win.

In 2015 + this preseason the team is 26-3-4... They lost to Southampton, Spurs, Stoke and Monaco. Sure there's allot of fodder in there for the wins but the average consistency is trending up IMO.

Start of the season will be key but the first top 4 game is September 19th vs Chelsea away. They open with West Ham, Palace, Liverpool, Newcastle and Stoke.

Chelsea play City the second week Sunday the 16th. Yikes.

My prediction post from last year. Not bad - got the top four in the right order, though it kind of falls apart after that.

I'll put together a prediction post for this season before Saturday's games, as well.

I joined the fantasy football league. I enjoy watching it but don't follow it at all, and haven't seen a premiership game in, like, 3 years so I have little idea what I'm doing.

I also have never played any kind of fantasy football before so this'll be fun.

Now to find a way to watch premiership matches in Sweden.

I wonder if something that might be holding up the De Gea transfer is signing a goalie isn't exactly the type of transfer that nets you a huge influx of shirt sales €$£.

United are probably asking a fortune and Real might be willing to wait it out.

Benzema doesn't excite me but if Benzema to Arsenal helps facilitate Real meeting the price so be it then.

I have no qualms with United receiving a record fee for a goalie. They are already filthy rich and Van Galls record of signing players last year means that the majority of the money will be wasted anyways. Rest of the league would be better off with a United minus DeGea.

Thousands sigh before reluctantly picking a Fantasy Football team

IMAGE(http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/images/stories/sadmancomp.jpg)

Uncanny. I've only done it once and it was exactly like that.tt

1. Man City
2. Chelsea
3. Arsenal
4. Man Utd
5. Tottenham
6. Liverpool
7. Swansea
8. Southampton
9. WBA
10. Newcastle
11. Stoke
12. Everton
13. Sunderland
14. Bournemouth
15. West Ham
16. Crystal Palace
17. Watford
18. Aston Villa
19. Norwich
20. Leicester

Signing of the season: Firmino (Liverpool)
Flop of the season: Schweinsteiger (Man Utd)