frag
Member
*Paranoid Android*
I have no idea what you're talking about, so here's a bunny with a pancake on its head.
Posts: 25,042
|
Post by frag on Jul 16, 2017 9:10:09 GMT 1
Pre-season is underway, the fixtures have been announced, the transfer engine is rolling (my favourite story is of the player who was announced as a signing by two separate clubs...), and the European qualifiers have begun. Also, my local National League team (Maidenhead) have bumped up their prices by 50% after promotion
|
|
|
Post by Shireblogger on Jul 16, 2017 9:13:25 GMT 1
Hurrah for a new thread.
I'm trying to stay focussed on cricket. But Rangers' hilarious exit from the Europa Cup, and some of the preposterous transfer fees paid for average players, makes this difficult.
I'm also thinking I should pay some attention to the women's Euro 2017 tournament, which features England v Scotland next week.
|
|
frag
Member
*Paranoid Android*
I have no idea what you're talking about, so here's a bunny with a pancake on its head.
Posts: 25,042
|
Post by frag on Jul 16, 2017 9:13:46 GMT 1
British Clubs in Europe 2017/18 - Part 1: Gibraltar
Gibraltarian interest in Europe was ended at the first hurdle. Europa FC were knocked out of the Champions League by The New Saints (more of them anon) despite winning the first leg. In the Europa League, Lincoln Red Imps and St Joseph's were knocked out 6-1 and 10-0 respectively, both by Cypriot sides.
|
|
frag
Member
*Paranoid Android*
I have no idea what you're talking about, so here's a bunny with a pancake on its head.
Posts: 25,042
|
Post by frag on Jul 16, 2017 9:16:47 GMT 1
I'm also thinking I should pay some attention to the women's Euro 2017 tournament, which features England v Scotland next week. May it continue the run of success by England sides in the summer! And er, good luck to Scotland in the other games, of course...
|
|
|
Post by o on Jul 16, 2017 12:52:39 GMT 1
My Scottish team Berwick played their 1st cup game and lost narrowly 1-0, I'm hoping they have a better season than flirting with a relegation play off like last season! Stags have signed quality players, now they need to gel, and Evans needs to sort his formation and have a Plan B and we have to make the automatics for the money he has spent on wages. We played a Maltest XI and won 5-0 and Sheff Weds yesterday and lost 2-3, Middlesbrough on Weds and Forest on saturday which I'm off to, to check out my season ticket seat! Local derbies with Lincoln, Notts County and Cheaterfield to come along with Coventry, Grimsby and others, should be some good sized home crowds if we get near the top of the table, Stags fans are very fickle! And yes is Lukaku worth 75m?
|
|
frag
Member
*Paranoid Android*
I have no idea what you're talking about, so here's a bunny with a pancake on its head.
Posts: 25,042
|
Post by frag on Jul 16, 2017 18:51:07 GMT 1
And yes is Lukaku worth 75m? If he gets them into the Champions League then that's worth about 30-40m these days, isn't it? He's a striker with proven quality in the Premier League, with 53 goals in 110 appearances for Everton. Lacazette has a very similar ratio (100 in 203), but those goals are in Ligue 1. The other big 6 teams' star strikers: Kane: 0.69 (78 in 113) Aguero: 0.67 (122 in 181) Costa (still at Chelsea, for now...): 0.58 (52 in 89) Sturridge: 0.52 (46 in 89) So they're a cut below the very top strikers of the past few years, but still both have decent goalscoring ratios. More analysis of Lacazette here.
|
|
Tom
Member
*Of Royal Blood*
Posts: 15,419
|
Post by Tom on Jul 18, 2017 19:44:32 GMT 1
Pre-season is underway, the fixtures have been announced, the transfer engine is rolling (my favourite story is of the player who was announced as a signing by two separate clubs...), and the European qualifiers have begun. Also, my local National League team (Maidenhead) have bumped up their prices by 50% after promotion How do you think Maidenhead will do? Are you planning on going to any of their games this coming season? What are the new prices?
Given what the likes of Bromley, Dover and Maidstone have done since winning promotion from National South it wouldn't surprise me if they did rather well, though staying up should be the first objective. (Their success does remind me of when Reading reached the Prem the first time, and equating their points over 46 games actually had them with more points than we got in that "106" season!).
Keeping Dave Tarpey is massive, from what Devonshire said at the end of last season if he was able to find the right league club then he was likely to go, made it sound like he would only stay if a suitable offer didn't come in. I suspect if he continues his goal-scoring form from last season then he'll be gone next summer though.
|
|
Tom
Member
*Of Royal Blood*
Posts: 15,419
|
Post by Tom on Jul 18, 2017 19:51:53 GMT 1
As for Reading, took the summer off from taking interest, plenty of tennis to get wrapped up in, which is probably just as well really. Whilst Stam and Gunter signing new contracts has to be good, losing Al-Habsi and Williams certainly isn't. Williams' tears at the end of the play-off final (which I only noticed afterwards) convinced me if there was any doubt before that he was going to a Prem club (though joining Huddersfield does rather seem a kick in the teeth). Al-Habsi's departure seemed to catch the club by surprise though and we're still looking for an experienced No 1 to replace him, though I can't really begrudge him moving to the Middle East to be closer to his family.
Having only just starting to get into it i'm not worried yet, but having only signed two players so far with various players leaving and others injured (Kermorgant and McCleary being the main two) it's fair to say we need more signings and there's not long to go!
|
|
|
Post by smokeyb on Jul 18, 2017 20:13:24 GMT 1
News circulating that PSG have triggered Barcelona's transfer clause of £195m to buy Neymar.
Crazy transfer season in full swing.
|
|
frag
Member
*Paranoid Android*
I have no idea what you're talking about, so here's a bunny with a pancake on its head.
Posts: 25,042
|
Post by frag on Jul 18, 2017 22:04:34 GMT 1
News circulating that PSG have triggered Barcelona's transfer clause of £195m to buy Neymar. Crazy transfer season in full swing. At this stage, I'd be pretty happy if PSG stepped in and gave us 75-80m for Alexis, rather than risk us losing him to C*teh next summer - obviously much less likely if they splurge on Neymar.
|
|
frag
Member
*Paranoid Android*
I have no idea what you're talking about, so here's a bunny with a pancake on its head.
Posts: 25,042
|
Post by frag on Jul 18, 2017 22:13:40 GMT 1
Pre-season is underway, the fixtures have been announced, the transfer engine is rolling (my favourite story is of the player who was announced as a signing by two separate clubs...), and the European qualifiers have begun. Also, my local National League team (Maidenhead) have bumped up their prices by 50% after promotion How do you think Maidenhead will do? Are you planning on going to any of their games this coming season? What are the new prices?
Positives: - they tore through the division last season, and it wasn't a one-off (they were challenging for a play-off spot the previous year) - Dean Tarpey, their top scorer, is staying Negatives: - the bump in ticket prices (they're now £15 instead of £10) might imply that they're concerned with the costs of travelling nationally rather than just in the South. I don't follow them closely enough to know all that much about their squad strengths/weaknesses, or the quality of National League football in general, but on balance I think they'll do OK - a season of consolidation at 16th or so? I'm interested in going to a few of the games, but the more interesting ones (Hartlepool, Leyton Orient, etc) are all bunched at the beginning of the season, which is not great for me with newborn twins at home. Having said that, a Maidenhead match would mean about 3 hours away from home for me, compared to at least 7 for an Arsenal game, so from that perspective it's more likely I'll be at York Road!
|
|
frag
Member
*Paranoid Android*
I have no idea what you're talking about, so here's a bunny with a pancake on its head.
Posts: 25,042
|
Post by frag on Jul 18, 2017 22:20:43 GMT 1
British Clubs in Europe 2017/18 - Part 2: Wales
Wales are the second British/Irish nation to see their European interest ended for another year, after The New Saints were thrashed 7-1 on aggregate by Rijeka, after beating Europa FC in the previous round (see part 1).
All three Welsh Europa Leauge clubs exited at the first qualifying round, although Connah's Quay Nomads managed a first leg home win against relative giants HJK Helsinki, before losing 3-1 on aggregate. The other scores were Lyngby 4-0 Bangor and Bala Town 1-5 Vaduz.
|
|
Tom
Member
*Of Royal Blood*
Posts: 15,419
|
Post by Tom on Jul 19, 2017 19:31:41 GMT 1
How do you think Maidenhead will do? Are you planning on going to any of their games this coming season? What are the new prices?
Positives: - they tore through the division last season, and it wasn't a one-off (they were challenging for a play-off spot the previous year) - Dean Tarpey, their top scorer, is staying Negatives: - the bump in ticket prices (they're now £15 instead of £10) might imply that they're concerned with the costs of travelling nationally rather than just in the South. I don't follow them closely enough to know all that much about their squad strengths/weaknesses, or the quality of National League football in general, but on balance I think they'll do OK - a season of consolidation at 16th or so? I'm interested in going to a few of the games, but the more interesting ones (Hartlepool, Leyton Orient, etc) are all bunched at the beginning of the season, which is not great for me with newborn twins at home. Having said that, a Maidenhead match would mean about 3 hours away from home for me, compared to at least 7 for an Arsenal game, so from that perspective it's more likely I'll be at York Road! Interesting. I don't think £15 is too bad at that level, didn't realise (or maybe just forgot) they were £10 in the South as that seems quite cheap!
I don't really know about the standard either but I've been surprised by how well Bromley, Dover and Maidstone have done since coming up. The latter two initially struggled I think, certainly Maidstone did, so there will be a period of adjustment, but I don't think mid-table is unrealistic. It also helps that Devonshire has managed in the National League before with Braintree Town, who I think may have challenged for the playoffs in one season (though I may have got that completely wrong).
I've actually thought about going to some away games (or maybe home games at a push), but unfortunately those most likely don't particularly appeal. Maidstone is a pain to get to and issues about car parking seem to be well-known. Dover isn't a club I've particularly wanted to go to in the past, Bromley on the other hand is but i'd want to know how far it is from the station before going. Forgot about Ebbsfleet, I guess I could consider that as well..
|
|
|
Post by o on Jul 20, 2017 10:10:09 GMT 1
2-2 draw with Middlesbrough last night, onto Forest next, and hopefully another goodish crowd.
|
|
Tom
Member
*Of Royal Blood*
Posts: 15,419
|
Post by Tom on Jul 20, 2017 19:18:51 GMT 1
Didn't get round to mentioning that Reading signed Vito Mannone from Sunderland yesterday, which means they've let their two main keepers from last season leave this summer, which is odd. Sunderland fans seem to be mixed at best with their opinion of him so not really sure what to make of the signing. Though I thought that Al-Habsi would be no more than a decent no 2 keeper and he turned out rather well...
|
|
Tom
Member
*Of Royal Blood*
Posts: 15,419
|
Post by Tom on Jul 20, 2017 19:20:32 GMT 1
2-2 draw with Middlesbrough last night, onto Forest next, and hopefully another goodish crowd. How's Sam feeling about Leeds this season?
|
|
|
Post by o on Jul 20, 2017 21:10:43 GMT 1
He's pleased the manager is getting rid of some of the disruptive deadwood, but worried that the manager doesn't know the league and style of play, sometimes foreign managers work, sometimes they dont. He's a Leeds fan, so he can never be too happy recently, tough tough league, and those coming down have such vast sums to spend.
|
|
Tom
Member
*Of Royal Blood*
Posts: 15,419
|
Post by Tom on Jul 22, 2017 11:01:25 GMT 1
He's pleased the manager is getting rid of some of the disruptive deadwood, but worried that the manager doesn't know the league and style of play, sometimes foreign managers work, sometimes they dont. He's a Leeds fan, so he can never be too happy recently, tough tough league, and those coming down have such vast sums to spend. I'm not too sure about the strength of those coming down. Hull have a foreign manager, as you say not guaranteed to work (though I would always go down the route of it being a negative in the Champ when appointed - Stam has proved me spectacularly wrong!) and it seems they're struggling to put a squad together, only got 17 players atm apparently. Sunderland have got an experienced Championship manager, but after losing their two keepers and Defoe how strong is their squad? I do expect Middlesbrough to go straight back up though.
|
|
|
Post by Panda on Jul 29, 2017 17:35:35 GMT 1
Marske's preseason finished today. 8 wins and 1 draw from 9 games. Huge FA Cup tie against North Shields next Saturday to start the season. Winners get to visit Scarborough's new ground in the next round.
|
|
Robbie
Member
*Funky!*
Posts: 24,718
|
Post by Robbie on Aug 12, 2017 17:03:56 GMT 1
Halfway through the first weekend of the Premier League and the second week of the Football League and top of the table in the Premier League at the moment are... Huddersfield! A brilliant result, a 3-0 win away at Crystal Palace.
|
|