The 2016-2017 Football Thread

[daneoni]

What i don't like is how EPL clubs are being royally fleeced. They just look like fools easily parted with money.

Pogo hasn't really progressed since he first exploded on to the scene two years ago. Good player but not a great player. There are other CMs with better all round stats.

Mats Hummels who is arguably one of the best CBs on the planet went to Bayern for £26m, meanwhile City hand over double the price for someone who is far from the finished article. Didn't play in the euros and didn't have a particularly good season.

Its un-necessary inflation that ruins the market for everyone. I'm even more appreciative of what Leicester achieved last year. And i will chuckle if both of the Manchester clubs fail to win the EPL/CL this season.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Lots of creative players , but I think West Ham needs a real Striker. ( like bacca )

Agree. We've been courting him all summer, but the fact we just spent £20 million on Ayew means I think that deal is dead in the water.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Apparently there's still a few quid left in the pot.
Been linked with Rachid Ghezzel (winger from Lyon) for 6 million.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

What i don't like is how EPL clubs are being royally fleeced. They just look like fools easily parted with money.

I think there are two sides to this: Yes, they are 'being royally fleeced' but, they contribute to the climate and the fostering of attitudes which allow this.

Most of these clubs are guided by the need for profits, and thus, they contribute to this climate where they are fleeced, by treating mediocre players like demigods - allowing them not to feel beholden to anyone - while treating their fans poorly, as the fans' support - and emotional allegiance is irrelevant, rather, what matters is - that horrible era 'monetising' this experience - by promoting merchandising.

Its un-necessary inflation that ruins the market for everyone. I'm even more appreciative of what Leicester achieved last year. And i will chuckle if both of the Manchester clubs fail to win the EPL/CL this season.

Yes.

For that reason - among many others, not least the romance of seeing the underdog come good - I love to see upsets such as the Premier League witnessed last season. And that will give a boost to the aspirations of other clubs, too.

And, agreed: While the simultaneous implosion of all of the big, fancied, wealthy, clubs was a joy to watch last year, I will be honest and admit that privately I'd love to see something similar happen this year.

 

[JamesMike]

This weekend will be a great start to the season, best of luck to all the teams!

 

[Apple fanboy]

This weekend will be a great start to the season, best of luck to all the teams that play in Claret and Blue and just moved into a lovely new stadium in East London!

Fixed that for you.

 

[circatee]

I can just see us coming away with a draw, against Liverpool...

 

[Apple fanboy]

We don't play until Monday night against Chelsea. Think I'd settle for a draw.

 

[cambookpro]

We don't play until Monday night against Chelsea. Think I'd settle for a draw.

Stuck Carroll into my fantasy team today - think he's been OK over preseason, fingers crossed for Monday Or have I made a grievous error?!

I'm hopeful for Jaap Stam to continue his Dutch revolution with a win at Wolves tomorrow - they play in orange, he should feel right at home...

 

[Apple fanboy]

Stuck Carroll into my fantasy team today - think he's been OK over preseason, fingers crossed for Monday Or have I made a grievous error?!

I'm hopeful for Jaap Stam to continue his Dutch revolution with a win at Wolves tomorrow - they play in orange, he should feel right at home...

Carroll does okay if he stays fit, just never going to be a 30+ games a season man.
We used him as sub a lot last season.

 

[throwthedice]

Saw this floating around Twitter today: (not sure about the last 2)

Real took Morata back
Dortmund > Gotze,
Barca > Dennis Suarez
mufc > Pogba
Atletico want Diego Costa back
Chelsea want Lukaku back....

 

[daneoni]

You know the season has started when Mike Dean gives a pen for a foul outside the box. Also Leicester look hungover and lack energy without Kante.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

You know the season has started when Mike Dean gives a pen for a foul outside the box. Also Leicester look hungover and lack energy without Kante.

Yes, of the three players who are regarded as 'outstanding' last season for Leicester, Kanté was the least discussed, (while possibly the most important) and Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy captured much of the limelight. Strikers always do.

However, it seems already that Leicester may miss him; having said that, an accomplished, hard-working, talented, tackling defensive midfielder may be acquired, but this is a loss that Leicester will feel.

 

[circatee]

You know the season has started when Mike Dean gives a pen for a foul outside the box. Also Leicester look hungover and lack energy without Kante.

Agreed and Mahrez didn't exactly look sharp either...

 

[circatee]

Rather odd most of the games today were 1-1, 2-1. There wasn't any smash and grab games. Maybe tomorrow? Maybe, just maybe, we'll beat Liverpool 3-1. Oh yes, I can dream...

 

[JamesMike]

Ready to watch Man U tomorrow.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

What a mixed bag of a match that was...and it demonstrates why Arsenal (and Liverpool) will not be winning the Premier League in the foreseeable future. Championships are build on defense* and to a lesser extent a top-drawer striker, and neither team can defend, nor does either have a line-leading forward of the best quality.

Klopp's new midfield looks formidable, and will doubtless give a lot of teams big problems this season. But the back line still looks wobbly. Moreno up to his old tricks again with the wild two-footed tackles.

This season will be a the exact opposite of last season - the big clubs' financial doping will re-assert itself and the old order will be restored. I expect it to be a relatively boring procession to top 3 finishes for the Manchester behemoths plus Chelski, with Arsenal squeaking into fourth. Of those top 3 I hardly care which wins it.

*except Barcelona, Real Madrid and Guardiola teams.

 

[daneoni]

I'm still pissed but considering it as an understrength team that also missed a pen but still managed 3 goals will provide some comfort. No sympathy for Wenger being booed, his stubbornness is irritating now rather than cute. Should've gone in early and put £38-40m down for Mahrez who obviously wants the move. Then fly to Lyon and put £40m down for Lacazette. They both fit all his so-called 'criteria' for signing players. Or if you say you're only after 'top top quality' then go big and put £86m down for Griezmann. Money talks in football, adapt or die.

Now he's put himself into yet another hole. Cos prices will be jacked up further as the window draws to a close, which means stupid panic buys.

One thing that really irks me is when he says "you have to spend the club's money like its your own". Its not your own Mr Economist, its the fans' money. They pay your sky high ticket prices, they deserve to have their money spent on what they care about; quality players that bring trophies. But no, lets penny pinch and rely on inconsistent players who will one day, one day, become world class.

I hope he doesn't renew after this season, and we can get either Simeone or someone that will bring something different. A decade of the same thing is like watching paint dry. Then repainting and watching it dry again x8

Early days though, United weren't that convincing today, were gifted the points really. EPL still woefully lacking in quality and average age going up. All we're good for nowadays is being prideful and fleeced of our TV money rather than any meaningful contribution to world football.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

The amount of money in the game has inflated to the point that the numbers seem almost meaningless. Man Utd has spent almost £150 million this summer (despite getting Zlatan on a free) - that pretty much equals Liverpool's last five years' expenditure combined...and Liverpool are still fifth in the net spend table.

How much longer are transfer fees going to spiral into outer space??? A couple decades ago Ronaldo broke the world transfer record for just under £20 million; Paul Pogba's agent's commission just exceeded that fee.

 

[mickeydean]

The amount of money in the game has inflated to the point that the numbers seem almost meaningless. Man Utd has spent almost £150 million this summer (despite getting Zlatan on a free) - that pretty much equals Liverpool's last five years' expenditure combined...and Liverpool are still fifth in the net spend table.

How much longer are transfer fees going to spiral into outer space??? A couple decades ago Ronaldo broke the world transfer record for just under £20 million; Paul Pogba's agent's commission just exceeded that fee.

How long is a piece of string?

 

[Alphazoid]

Yannick Bolas to Everton for £25m. I don't want to live on this planet anymore.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

I've heard pundits recently discussing the inflation of transfer fees; a popular response seems to be "it's all relative, players cost whatever the clubs that want them are willing to pay - they have no absolute value". This is logical to a point - but economics are not strictly relative. The world outside football has not experienced economic gains at the same rate - punters have been asked to pay an increasing portion of their personal income for TV packages and tickets for years now.

While it's true that top owners are injecting huge sums into their clubs, FFP appears to be working to at least some extent, so that clubs are still reliant on revenue from sponsorship, TV and ticket sales. I still have no idea how much further this stratospheric rise of transfer fees and wages can go, but surely there must be a point where even the industry becomes ashamed of itself (and here I refer to the FAs, FIFA, governments and the public - agents and players will take this as far as it will go)?

 

[Alphazoid]

United, City and Madrid are the main culprits. Then people look at them and apply similar rules to themselves. As long as fans keep paying, it won't stop.

I love football but i don't plan to renew my sports package next month. Especially now that my subscription cost is apparently going up...again. And i'm getting less for my money.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Sad day for Football today.

Dalian Atkinson was killed by a police tazer.
In case you are wondering who that is
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalian_Atkinson
Plus you might remember this goal.

[doublepost=1471284566][/doublepost]Anyway our season kicks off tonight. Playing Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Tough start to the season. Hoping for a win, settle for a draw.
Bigger game coming up in our Europa leauge qualifier.

 

[Alphazoid]

R.I.P.