2018/19 Soccer Thread

Pep Guardiola: Man City boss says Liverpool

Mmm-hmm...

Spurs

Erm...

Man Utd & Chelsea are title contenders

......................

Hey, now... Spurs are 2 points away from City.
They won't win it, but still... "Gotta have faith."

slazev wrote:

Hey, now... Spurs are 2 points away from City.
They won't win it, but still... "Gotta have faith."

It’s amazing what they’ve done considering they spent zero in the summer transfer window. Mourwhino was Female Doggoing about not getting any summer signings, but Pochettino just quietly went about his business, leading Tottenham to a great season so far. If they can survive their injury stretch, who knows.

They are flying under the radar but are certainly within striking distance now that Liverpool and City have been slipping up. Stranger things have happened!

The Knowledge wrote:

Tottenham have currently played 29 consecutive Premier League games without drawing one

Huh!

Meanwhile, morbid as it is, I'd been wondering how this part of the Sala story would get handled.

French club Nantes have demanded payment from Cardiff City over the £15m transfer of Emiliano Sala, BBC Wales has learned.

Sala, along with pilot David Ibbotson, was on board the Piper Malibu N264DB which lost radar contact near Guernsey on 21 January.

The Argentine striker, 28, was Premier League club Cardiff's record signing.

Cardiff have withheld the first scheduled payment until they are satisfied with the documentation.

BBC Wales has learned the transfer fee is due to be paid in instalments over three years.

In an interview with French newspaper L'Equipe, Cardiff chairman Mehmet Dalman indicated that Nantes had sent an invoice for the first instalment, worth 6m euros (£5.27m).

In the same interview Dalman added: "We must show respect to the family. There is the process of recovering the plane."

It is understood Nantes are threatening legal action if they do not receive a payment within 10 days. The BBC has attempted to speak to Nantes for comment.

A source at Cardiff says they will honour the contract but not until they have clarified "all the facts".

Heh, our daughter has been asking me about whether Cardiff has to pay or not.

I wonder if they did get insurance at the same time as they signed the deal, or if that is something that often comes a few days later. Or maybe not at all.

Although I suppose Nantes is well within their legal rights to demand full payment, it does strike me as a bit unsporting.

Godzilla Blitz wrote:

Heh, our daughter has been asking me about whether Cardiff has to pay or not.

I wonder if they did get insurance at the same time as they signed the deal, or if that is something that often comes a few days later. Or maybe not at all.

Although I suppose Nantes is well within their legal rights to demand full payment, it does strike me as a bit unsporting.

They may have already spent the expected money on replacement players, though. I agree it's bad optically, but I don't think it's remotely unethical or immoral.

Yeah, I just have so many questions about this. Like, if you buy a new car, sign the paperwork, but before you even get inside of it to drive it gets struck by lightning and destroyed, how does this get handled?

Nantes is totally within their rights, yeah, but it comes off ghoulish, considering that they literally just pulled a body from the plane's wreckage.

Fedaykin98 wrote:
Godzilla Blitz wrote:

Heh, our daughter has been asking me about whether Cardiff has to pay or not.

I wonder if they did get insurance at the same time as they signed the deal, or if that is something that often comes a few days later. Or maybe not at all.

Although I suppose Nantes is well within their legal rights to demand full payment, it does strike me as a bit unsporting.

They may have already spent the expected money on replacement players, though. I agree it's bad optically, but I don't think it's remotely unethical or immoral.

Good point, yes.

I thought, also, that teams insured themselves against these sorts of catastrophic losses. If that's expected practice, Cardiff gets reimbursed by the insurance company for a percentage of the fee, and Nantes would be silly not to claim the fee. The deal was done, and what happens after the paperwork is signed isn't their responsibility.

There is a right way to handle this, however, and I agree that it comes off fairly ghoulish to be pushing the issue in the current circumstances.

Prederick wrote:

Yeah, I just have so many questions about this. Like, if you buy a new car, sign the paperwork, but before you even get inside of it to drive it gets struck by lightning and destroyed, how does this get handled?

Nantes is totally within their rights, yeah, but it comes off ghoulish, considering that they literally just pulled a body from the plane's wreckage.

I believe my car insurance covers a new purchase automatically for a few days, but I always check with them ahead of time.

As for the latter, again, it does look bad, but they might have some obligations on their end that are going to catastrophically default if they don't get the money on schedule. Or not! I'm just saying, I can imagine such a situation.

Oh yeah, I 100% agree that they are completely within their rights. Just... y'know... they just found a body.

I mean, who would believe that, of all things, a football club might be in such a precarious financial position that it necessitated them getting every single penny from the sales of their players exactly on-time.

I assume this is some kind of first.

Anyway, City's back on top (on goal difference), but Liverpool have a game in hand. The title's probably going to go to the last 3-4 fixtures of the season, but we're going to learn a whole lot about Liverpool in the next month (Bournemouth, Bayern, ManU, Watford are their next four matches).

Prederick wrote:

Oh yeah, I 100% agree that they are completely within their rights. Just... y'know... they just found a body.

They identified the body as Sala. Just a shame.

Here's hoping they can find the pilot eventually as well.

Rough week in football.

Flamengo football club: Victims named in Rio fire

It seems a little callous to immediately switch back to the results in the aftermath of that but tomorrow is matchday and all. Also...

/SHEFFIELD UNITED: Goes up 1-0
//SHEFFIELD UNITED: Goes up 2-0
///SHEFFIELD UNITED: Goes up 3-0
////SHEFFIELD UNITED: Gets to the 82nd minute

/ASTON VILLA: "lol"

Prederick wrote:

I am increasingly resigned to the fact that, unless a miracle happens, Fulham are down.

Prederick wrote:
Prederick wrote:

I am increasingly resigned to the fact that, unless a miracle happens, Fulham are down.

It doesn't help that the teams in front of them have decided to start winning.

If there is hope, it would have to come from improved performance on the road. Their away opponents aren't impossible, but their away performance has been abysmal. If they could somehow convince themselves that they can win on the road and could pick up a couple of quick away wins, they'd be hope going forward.

Oh boy Chelsea. Yesterday was going to post that Arsenal are keeping pace but there's a GD gap still.....

Spurs are surviving 0 transfers and 2 big injuries. Still suspect of them keeping it up once heavy legs set in. Won't matter if Kane comes back fresh but that's no guarantee.

SHEESH.

Well, look out Liverpool, if City are getting back tot heir best, you're gonna need to step it up.

Title race looking tasty, a three-way race for 4th, and 3 points between 18th and 13th. This should be quite fun.

Prederick wrote:

SHEESH.

Well, look out Liverpool, if City are getting back tot heir best, you're gonna need to step it up.

The title deciders are probably going to be Manchester United. Funny how football works out sometimes.

Something unusual happened yesterday. 10 - 0.

A nice play that didn't end in goal.

There's a certain point in a butt-kicking where I feel like, assuming no-one gets injured, you're within your rights to clobber a dude. Not a 10/10 flagrant foul, maybe a 6/10, max.

Aaron Ramsey! Juventus! Whooooooooooooooooooole lotta money!

Prederick wrote:

Aaron Ramsey! Juventus! Whooooooooooooooooooole lotta money!

Makes sense if you price in the no transfer fee which probably has a bunch of players pondering how to structure their next move.

Obvious risk is you have to make it to being free to sign and still have the value.

Not sure if it makes sense if he's that good. He's 28 so has some legs in him but that money assumes he's a starter? Dunno if Ramsey a starter at a club trying to win the CL.

the news that Chelsea are yet to score an away goal in 2019 is actually quite stunning.

Meanwhile, *snrk*

It was trailed as a high-end highlight of Tottenham’s magnificent new stadium and, in many respects, came to be an emblem of the extravagance of the £1bn build. But, in a stomach-churning twist, the Guardian can reveal that the much talked about VIP cheese room will not be happening.
Prederick wrote:

the news that Chelsea are yet to score an away goal in 2019 is actually quite stunning.

Surely this isn't true? I'm missing the joke, no?

Fedaykin98 wrote:
Prederick wrote:

the news that Chelsea are yet to score an away goal in 2019 is actually quite stunning.

Surely this isn't true? I'm missing the joke, no?

Well, it's only four away matches so far in 2019, against Tottenham, Bournemouth, Man City, and Arsenal.

Admittedly, not good, but not as bad as if they are still saying that in May.

Went to the pub last night to watch Wolves v Newcastle. It’s quite hard being in a pub full of very angry Newcastle fans thanks to a last ditch equaliser that they were all convinced was a foul, when you thought the goalkeeper fluffed it.

Sorbicol wrote:

Went to the pub last night to watch Wolves v Newcastle. It’s quite hard being in a pub full of very angry Newcastle fans thanks to a last ditch equaliser that they were all convinced was a foul, when you thought the goalkeeper fluffed it.

I thought the goalkeeper fluffed it but after seeing the replay a few times it looks to me like the Wolves player had his arms around Dubravka's head or neck so I don't know. Still, should have gone for a punch instead of trying to catch it.

Godzilla Blitz wrote:
Fedaykin98 wrote:
Prederick wrote:

the news that Chelsea are yet to score an away goal in 2019 is actually quite stunning.

Surely this isn't true? I'm missing the joke, no?

Well, it's only four away matches so far in 2019, against Tottenham, Bournemouth, Man City, and Arsenal.

Admittedly, not good, but not as bad as if they are still saying that in May.

Okay, that's what I was missing.

Well then, PSG - Man U thoughts?

Suck it, Man U?