The Football Thread.

victorludorum

Gassage said:

Had an incredible time working at the Olympic Sevens....

Anyway- I'll put this here as well as rugby thread- 

 I went out for a quick cig from the media, press and team area and met none other than the great Antoine Greizemann who also, apparently, like a cheeky cig....lovely guy, big mates with Dupont and loves his rugby- had a 10 min chat.

Was he wearing a Breitling?

guitars4you

Just over a week to go before the start of the PL - And indeed the EFL starts this weekend - So time to get in your predictions 

So for the PL we need to you to pick your winner + the 3 other CL places + your 3 'time to go' candidates 

I think the title will be a shoot out between Man City + Arsenal - Hard to know how a new manager at LFC will settle in, to be able to challenge this season - With Man U and Ten Hag it is hard to know which team will turn up each week - Probably similar with Chelsea as once again they start off with a new regime - Villa might struggle to get a top 4 place again this season with having the CL matches to play as well - Newcastle might be able to take advantage of the above, as they have no European matches to play, so can focus on a top 4 finish - Spurs are the team that should be looking at cementing a top 4 place - 2nd season for the manager, so the squad should be more familiar with expectations + ideas - So top 4 for me are Man City, Arsenal, Spurs and LFC

As per many years, I expect those 7 clubs (above) to dominate the league - The best of the rest I see as Bournemouth, Palace, Wolves and West Ham - I don't see Brighton in that list this season  - So then leaves the other 9 clubs to be in the danger zone - To pick 3 to go down, I'd like to wait until we know what is happening with Leics and a points deduction - Surely it has to happen and hard to know why it has taken this long - It should dwarf that of Everton + Forest - I hope Ipswich stay up as out of last seasons EFL clubs they were often the most exciting, with a never say die attitude - It probably won't work v Man City etc, but stick to their principles and v other relegation zone clubs it will create exciting games - So 3 to go down - Leics + 2 others from a mix of those other 8 clubs - TBH I'm not sure as I could see it as any of those 8 clubs 

RaymondLin

I think Arsenal will pip it this year.

KDB is another year older, Alverez just left, their attack has weakened somewhat and rely on Haaland more.

I also predict the 3 teams that came up will also go down again.  The gulf is still enormous.

bloodandtears

1) Liverpool

2) Citeh

3) Arsenal

4) Spurs

Leicester, Everton, Southampton going down

RaymondLin

You think Ipswich will stay up?

Everton was mid table last year without point deduction.

thecolourbox

I feel like it would take an absolutely catastrophic implosion of a club for the three who came up to not be the three who go back down again, personally. Championship is very poor in comparison

guitars4you

RaymondLin said:

You think Ipswich will stay up?

Everton was mid table last year without point deduction.

The issue with Everton, as it stands today, is the owner ship issue - Not really what is going on, on the pitch - I'm sure Dyche will manage the side in that bull dog style that will keep them safe - But sooner or later off the pitch issues will 'kill' the footballing part of the business - If you look over the last 20 years, the pedigree of Leics and Soton is no weaker than that of Fulham, Forest, Palace, Brentford, Brighton 

thecolourbox said:

I feel like it would take an absolutely catastrophic implosion of a club for the three who came up to not be the three who go back down again, personally. Championship is very poor in comparison

I think Soton have a chance to stay up - It was only a few months ago they were a PL club so they are not exactly green - Leics issue will be their points deduction when it arrives - I'd like to see Ipswich stay up - As you know they had a great EFL spirit/team last season - But it might make them to naive for the PL - They are not short of an owner with funds but PSR rules will only allow them to spend so much 

bloodandtears

guitars4you said:

RaymondLin said:

You think Ipswich will stay up?

Everton was mid table last year without point deduction.

The issue with Everton, as it stands today, is the owner ship issue - Not really what is going on, on the pitch - I'm sure Dyche will manage the side in that bull dog style that will keep them safe - But sooner or later off the pitch issues will 'kill' the footballing part of the business - If you look over the last 20 years, the pedigree of Leics and Soton is no weaker than that of Fulham, Forest, Palace, Brentford, Brighton 

thecolourbox said:

I feel like it would take an absolutely catastrophic implosion of a club for the three who came up to not be the three who go back down again, personally. Championship is very poor in comparison

I think Soton have a chance to stay up - It was only a few months ago they were a PL club so they are not exactly green - Leics issue will be their points deduction when it arrives - I'd like to see Ipswich stay up - As you know they had a great EFL spirit/team last season - But it might make them to naive for the PL - They are not short of an owner with funds but PSR rules will only allow them to spend so much 

You've basically laid it out for me....  the off the pitch mess will no doubt catch up with them..  just my opinion though..

I can't see my beloved Spurs winning anything this year..  but building on last season would be great... we show promise at times..  but still lack a #9 imho.

TTony

My predictions are generally way-off, not helped by always predicting a great season for Spurs


Next season, I can't see much beyond ManC and Arsenal for the title (unless either implode in some way). 

Spurs have huge potential, but either need a reliable CF or there's a lot of responsibility on some teenagers.  But, I'll aim for 3rd and think that's realistic if we avoid another season of injuries.  There's more cover in some key positions now too.

Liverpool will need some rebuild/relearn time with the new manager, ditto Chelsea (again).  ManU will probably be looking for a new manager by Christmas. Villa will suffer with CL games.  Newcastle - maybe can recover from last season's poorer results.  Be interesting to see how WHU fare with a new manager.

At the bottom - who knows.  Any (other) team can have a bad start, or a bad run, lose confidence and get dragged into the relegation pressure.  But I fear Ipswich will be too naive for the PL.  Soton/Leics should at least have recent memory of PL games, so maybe have better chance of surviving than many recently promoted teams.

I think Leeds will avoid relegation though.

[edit]
I forgot Leics and the points deduction.  If they lose 12 points, that might push them back down again.

guitars4you

TTony said:

My predictions are generally way-off, not helped by always predicting a great season for Spurs


Next season, I can't see much beyond ManC and Arsenal for the title (unless either implode in some way). 

Spurs have huge potential, but either need a reliable CF or there's a lot of responsibility on some teenagers.  But, I'll aim for 3rd and think that's realistic if we avoid another season of injuries.  There's more cover in some key positions now too.

Liverpool will need some rebuild/relearn time with the new manager, ditto Chelsea (again).  ManU will probably be looking for a new manager by Christmas. Villa will suffer with CL games.  Newcastle - maybe can recover from last season's poorer results.  Be interesting to see how WHU fare with a new manager.

At the bottom - who knows.  Any (other) team can have a bad start, or a bad run, lose confidence and get dragged into the relegation pressure.  But I fear Ipswich will be too naive for the PL.  Soton/Leics should at least have recent memory of PL games, so maybe have better chance of surviving than many recently promoted teams.

I think Leeds will avoid relegation though.

[edit]
I forgot Leics and the points deduction.  If they lose 12 points, that might push them back down again.

you are basically where I am on most of the above - Either we are great pundits or the PL is now a closed shop 

I'll be keeping an eye open on Gray - And Summerville now he is at West Ham - Said on an earlier post, providing he plays enough games, that Summerville will score more and create more assists than Saka 

I feel that if Newcastle don't make the top 4 and not challenging for it by Christmas, that the owners will want to bring in a 'bigger name' as a manager, in order to attract the appropriate players, so they can buy into the elite set-up 

Not anti Man City as such, but feel we need Arsenal to win, assuming they will be the main challengers - We need a battle, all teh way to the end, but we need someone else to win

Lestratcaster

As an Arsenal fan of course I want to say we'll win it next year, a large factor will depend on whether we sign a clinical striker because I've seen in pre-season for the chances we have to lack someone to finish them and kill teams. This could be our downfall. We have a solid defence (made better by signing Calafiori). A strong midfield if Partey stays fit and a very good frontline.

It will be a two-horse race of course, City always have that something extra or that 'jammy-bastard-syndrome' when they can play in 2nd gear and still win games.

I think Liverpool and Newcastle will finish 3rd and 4th (not necessarily in that order but they'll be up there). 

For the drop I'm not sure, Forest, Ipswich and Palace maybe. Don't usually pay too much attention to teams at the bottom lol.

RaymondLin

Anyone done their Fantasy Football draft yet?

thecolourbox

It feels from an outsider, ie somebody who has to endure crappy EFL football in this case, that it would take City to lose the title rather than any other team to win it as such. They have the most money, best squad, best manager, and have the clout to get around things that only end up being alleged rather than proven.

guitars4you

thecolourbox said:

It feels from an outsider, ie somebody who has to endure crappy EFL football in this case, that it would take City to lose the title rather than any other team to win it as such. They have the most money, best squad, best manager, and have the clout to get around things that only end up being alleged rather than proven.

So for the few FB members who have to watch the EFL, then who have you got for top 2, play offs and relegation - Who ever you pick, you know it is a long season and any opposition team, no matter where they are in the league,  can show you up on a cold night in Dec at their place - Far more open league to predict 

However I don't see an equivalent of Ipswich this season - The surprise package that takes on all comers 

thecolourbox

It is a very open league in the Championship, I'll give you that. I'd say Burnley and Sheff Utd will be up there, not sure about Luton as they seem to defy any logic in many ways. Leeds also pushing for top two I should think.

Playoffs I reckon Middlesbrough will be up there this year, Hull seem to be trying to buy loads of people but they always seem to fall short. Maybe Coventry as an outside bet for playoffs.

I reckon my team West Brom will be lucky to do any better than mid table. We've had 13 players leave the club since the end of the last season, and only dregs of free transfers that nobody else wants coming in (again, as we have the last two windows). Was hoping we could have sold Swift and Diangana rather than Yokuslu (our best player by miles) and Thomas-Asante (our only striker capable of playing more than 2 games in a row), but there we go. Our old ownership screwed us up so we can't spend anything. In fairness the players we have spent on haven't really set the world alight - Daryl Dike is slower than an oil tanker and made of crisps and only plays 1.5 games before getting injured, Molumby has a great energy but also is always only seconds away from assualting somebody (see his right hook during a preseason friendly)

Placidcasual79

thank god Chelsea have managed to sign an occasionally brilliant, though ultimately unpredictable wide player in Pedro Neto. They where down to the bare bones with only 743 wide players left on the books. 

In all seriousness wtf is going on at that club? Is it purely and unabashedly a money farm? I understand in one respect, the value of buying young talent and developing it for a profit/sale or a place in the first team - but it surely isnt possible on the scale this windows transfers imply - there are too many to play and the players have to have some minutes to gain value and measure progress surely? (I know about the reserve league - but surely you'd want your asset/potential investment tested competitively?) And if you have a huge squad and lots of development prospects you really need a very clear footballing identity and system of playing as changing to accommodate the pros and cons of that number of players/prospects as they come in and out of the team isn't viable?

I am a life long football fan - nothing I can do about it unfortunately - and the standard of football in the prem and champions league these days is utterly jaw dropping - but it is hard to love the sport when its so evidently being prayed upon by avarice and greed. 

Any Chelsea fans? Whats the story?

RaymondLin

Chelsea isn’t developing anyone, there simply not enough spots to play all the players for them to develop bar the odd stand out like Palmer.  Most of them will suffer and rot on the bench for the next 5 years earning a fortune whilst watching their career stalling.

mgaw

Taking my boy to see Chelsea v Inter Milan on Sunday, hopefully be a decent match.

as for this season reckon it will be the usual suspects at the top with Villa close behind.

Chelsea, despite signing anything that moves, will struggle to get in the top six, Spurs will drive Angie mad, Man Utd ( couldn’t care less) mid table. Brentford down, Everton implode and Arsenal take the title

blobb

Farewell Pedro, the craziest bundle of energy and a joy to watch. I just hope doesn't stagnate at Chelsea. This goal against Southampton ....  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vt2-T2zvFfY

duotone

I’d forgotten about playing in empty stadiums. Time flies!