2017/18 Soccer Thread

Does that mean you hate him as much as you hate me ? I should really up my game

Because I love Sergio, and it's growing with every pronouncement. Watching him wind up the world's most deluded fan base is a source of endless joy.

I'm expecting the following soon -

Request for a replay OR request that the notation for RM's 2018 win be followed by an asterisk.

Big hats off to Liverpool's medical team as well, for failing to spot a concussion.

Marcel Brands is reportedly considering selling as many as twelve players this summer (which is probably overdue - and with us not having any European games next year, there's absolutely no reason for us to have a squad this large).

Here would be my list of candidates (though what formations Silva wants to play will obviously dictate our inbound/outbound choices):

* Robles (probably deserves to be a starter somewhere, get his career on track)
* Funes Mori (after World Cup if Argentina does well - otherwise maybe a backup)
Williams (would have been sell at any price, even before his injury)
* Jagielka (if rumors of us getting Lascelles are true, probably time for him to move on)
* Garbutt (hasn't delivered on his potential, but might do a job in the Championship for somebody)
* Martina (still don't understand why we bought him)
* Schneiderlin (can play well, but far too often chooses not to. Reportedly a lousy attitude as well)
* Besic (this one makes me sad, but unless he impresses in preseason think it's time for Mo to move on. Did well enough for Boro, and deserves a chance to get his career on track, but I don't think it's going to be with us)
* Bolasie (his big value add seemed to be keeping Romelu happy - if Palace will take him back, we should jump at that)
* McCarthy (nobody will buy him while he's injured, but if we have any takers before the window shuts, should move him on)
* Klaassen (didn't get a lot of chances, but really seemed to struggle in the PL. If he doesn't impress quickly, probably sold to someone in Serie A)
* Rooney (last season definitely wasn't the victory lap he was hoping for, don't think he'd be amenable to being an impact sub, and think that's really the only role we have for him right now)
* Tarashaj (think he's technically on the books as in our first team, but hasn't developed)
* Niasse (fair play to Oumar, he definitely seizes his chances - think we should sell to one of the newly-promoted sides)

Man, Bolaise, McCarthy, and Klaassen are the only players on there remotely interesting to me but Bolasie's 29 and I wouldn't want to give him more than a 3-year contract (and that 3rd year could suck). McCarthy and his injury problems and Klaassen and his (I assume) high wages makes loans with options to buy the only way I'd want to bring in either of them. McCarthy was a really nice player before injuries took over.

No Sigurðsson on the list? I guess you're clearing out the #10 space by getting rid of Klaasen and Rooney but Sigurðsson's more or less inert from open play and has to be your set-piece taker to provide real value.

I liked McCarthy a lot before his run of injuries, but never rated Bolasie (and haven't seen much to convince me otherwise, of the course of his time with us).

As far as Gylfi goes, he's not pacey but I think inert is going a bit far.

I am fine with him being on set pieces (especially as Baines is starting to age out of our lineup). If someone came in with an offer matching the 45m we paid for him, it'd be awfully hard to say no, but depending on how we're planning on setting up next season, I think he could still do pretty well for us, even in open play.

Yeah, I meant inert in the sense that he barely creates chances or gets on the end of them in open play, not in terms of his mobility. Now most of that impression was with a completely broken Swansea team so that could be a mitigating factor but I wouldn't be too optimistic.

Dimmerswitch wrote:

* Besic (this one makes me sad, but unless he impresses in preseason think it's time for Mo to move on. Did well enough for Boro, and deserves a chance to get his career on track, but I don't think it's going to be with us)

I would drop that kinda talk before you visit if you don't want my wife murdering you.

I said it makes me sad, but not going to quibble if it keeps me from being murdered.

So apparently the Show Pony is to leave RM because they won't up his salary to Messi-esque levels. I do have some slight sympathy...apparently his current salary is less than the ridiculous amount United are paying Sanchez every week, and it's not as if the latter is producing anything.

But where does he think he's going to go ? There's probably about 6 clubs in the world who could afford the £25m per year he's likely to want - he's at one of them, Barca would never sign him in a billion years, he'd never go to City, BM would completely destroy their salary structure, and PSG could never sign him without failing FFP unless they had a pure fire sale, as they are already €44m in the hole.

Which leaves Man Utd. Go on Jose...do it.

PS - Apparently Yaya hasn't quite finished dynamiting all his bridges at City. His agent has now said that he'll sign for any of the rest of the top 6 for 1 English Pound.

Yaya, to get you to United or the bindippers, I'd pay that pound on their behalf. I just wouldn't want to see the sight of an out of condition bloke looking like a punch-drunk boxer staggering around the pitch trying to remember what was once second nature. Frankly, you taking a salary last season was akin to fraud. Pep doesn't have a problem with Africans...just fat lazy bastards taking money under false pretences and clogging up the bench when there are younger players like Foden who could do with the game time.

So thanks for the memories of 2010-14, Yaya, but be quiet now - you are just embarrassing yourself.

I'm not the most knowledgeable on Portuguese football, but I seem to recall that it was believed by many of the players that the attack on the squad was orchestrated by the President of the club (indirectly). I would therefore think that the release request stems both from the attack itself but also from the relationship between the President and the players. I also recall that he sent a load of them on garden leave towards the end of the season - makes the owners in England look comparatively sane. Apart from the owners of Leeds and Rangers, that is.

Lest I be accused of hating everything they do in the transfer market, Lucas Torreira's a really nice signing for Arsenal and exactly what they should be doing.

An internet buddy of mine has a nice writeup about him:
https://medium.com/@MoeSquare/lucas-...

Quite a good summary here (The Guardian) about the situation at Sporting and how it might (or might not) be impacting Portugal's preparations for the World Cup.

Portugal : "Our World Cup preparation is the worst!"
Spain : "Hold my sangria!"

Roke wrote:

Lest I be accused of hating everything they do in the transfer market, Lucas Torreira's a really nice signing for Arsenal and exactly what they should be doing.

An internet buddy of mine has a nice writeup about him:
https://medium.com/@MoeSquare/lucas-...

I'm excited. Caveat being the 5'4-5'5 stuff. Then again Kante is 5'7 if he's lucky so if Torreira makes that up in agility and endurance he can be 4'11 for all I care.

Honestly holding mid + CB and whatever Lichtensteiner is supposed to do and I'm fairly content.

Move some players on + maybe a Jan signing. Couple sneaky youth additions. It will be 2020 in no time and no one will remember Wenger or Welbeck.

Premier League fixtures are out.

Looking at Fulham's first 5 games, I'm targeting a minimum of 5 points to make me happy.

Also, how much longer until we roll on with the 2018-19 thread? After the World Cup?

Prederick wrote:

Premier League fixtures are out.

Looking at Fulham's first 5 games, I'm targeting a minimum of 5 points to make me happy.

Also, how much longer until we roll on with the 2018-19 thread? After the World Cup?

Doubt there will be much news for here until it's officially over.

Arsenal obviously rigged the schedule. City then Chelsea. Start the season with 0 points and it's only uphill from there right?

I was angry that we face City and then Chelsea in the first 2 weeks but then I realized it's better than having 0 points after starting out against a Swansea or West Ham.

bigred wrote:

I was angry that we face City and then Chelsea in the first 2 weeks but then I realized it's better than having 0 points after starting out against a Swansea or West Ham.

If you find yourself playing Swansea in the opening week of next season you've done very poorly indeed.

And Liverpool have a home game scheduled after all 6 of their CL group games. What are the odds on that, eh? (and no, it's not 1/64, unless the Premier League really do schedule things with the toss of a coin.)

Meanwhile City's first AND last games are away. Same as last year. Still, didn't seem to make that much difference in the end.

The relationship between the president and its football players (can't talk about the other sports, since they actually won a lot of trophies this year) has been tempestuous at best.
The president has no qualms about throwing them into the dirt by publicly shaming them (mostly) on Facebook.
As Dave said, some believe he was the one who orchestrated the attack. A few others believe the players themselves were behind it.

In the end, this is good for the players as some (and this includes the 4 who are at the WC) really just want an excuse to leave the club, since the president wants a lot of money for them. 9 have already sent their "resignation letter".

davet010 wrote:

And Liverpool have a home game scheduled after all 6 of their CL group games. What are the odds on that, eh? (and no, it's not 1/64, unless the Premier League really do schedule things with the toss of a coin.)

Meanwhile City's first AND last games are away. Same as last year. Still, didn't seem to make that much difference in the end.

With away games before each CL group match. Stop looking for conspiracy theories where there aren't any.

Yeah - but you aren't tired from travelling before a CL trip to wherever.

davet010 wrote:

Yeah - but you aren't tired from travelling before a CL trip to wherever.

3 of those games are against United, Arsenal and Spurs (I think - definitely the latter two) It’s great preparation for a CL game isn’t it?

You take the rough with the smooth. There isn’t some grand conspiracy against City. The issue is other FAs will actively help the CL teams in their leagues by moving fixtures or changing Home/away matches. Heaven forbid the English FA/Premier League should do the same. And to be blunt, why should they? All the CL teams have squads that should be able to cope with both. Especially City.

Sorbicol wrote:
davet010 wrote:

Yeah - but you aren't tired from travelling before a CL trip to wherever.

3 of those games are against United, Arsenal and Spurs (I think - definitely the latter two) It’s great preparation for a CL game isn’t it?

You take the rough with the smooth. There isn’t some grand conspiracy against City. The issue is other FAs will actively help the CL teams in their leagues by moving fixtures or changing Home/away matches. Heaven forbid the English FA/Premier League should do the same. And to be blunt, why should they? All the CL teams have squads that should be able to cope with both. Especially City.

I guess you haven't been around long enough to realize that everything is a conspiracy against City for Dave.

Zaque wrote:

I guess you haven't been around long enough to realize that everything is a conspiracy against City for Dave.

Oh I’m beginning to realise. Problem is, like Ambramovich is starting to do for Chelsea, sooner or later sugar daddies get bored of their toys.

Sorbicol wrote:
Zaque wrote:

I guess you haven't been around long enough to realize that everything is a conspiracy against City for Dave.

Oh I’m beginning to realise. Problem is, like Ambramovich is starting to do for Chelsea, sooner or later sugar daddies get bored of their toys.

Don't worry, he was this way even before City got a sugar daddy. So at least he's consistent.

Arsenal sign gk Bernd Leno.

Not the highest on my list of positions but definitely needed to be addressed at some point.

Especially considering it looks like Arsenal are going to be pressing so might need a mobile goalie.

Oh ya 22m euro + he's 26 so as a goalie he passes the ageism test also.

I've seen Leno described as "gaffe-prone" but gaffes stick out more in the memory than anything else so I wouldn't put too much stock in that. He has under-performed as a shot-stopper for 6+ years but Cech's so noticeably declined Arsenal had to get a warm body in there even if they're the German Tim Krul.

Wilshere done at Arsenal.

Was willing to sign a smaller contract but Emery made it clear he wouldn't be a regular. Feels like real life FM.

Wish him the best but considering the injuries and how meh he was when not in a better squad good luck. Kinda hope he ends up outside of England tho. Dunno why but would be interesting to see him excel in another league.

Football League expects safe standing to be permitted by 2019-20 season

Not much more t say here but "Good." I entirely understand the reasons why England has been reticent to use safe standing, but it's well past time to give clubs and supporters the choice.