Robbie
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Post by Robbie on Jul 13, 2018 10:35:30 GMT 1
The World Cup may still be in full flow but pre-season has already started and the kick-off for the new domestic football season is only one month away.
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Robbie
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*Funky!*
Posts: 24,821
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Post by Robbie on Jul 13, 2018 10:38:11 GMT 1
And straight up I have a sacking to report - Chelsea have just sacked Antonio Conte after just two years in charge. It's not exactly a shock as it has been rumoured for months that this would happen and last season Conte looked like he wanted to be anywhere but sat on the bench as Chelsea manager. www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/44820563
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Post by Shireblogger on Jul 13, 2018 11:26:31 GMT 1
The only surprise is that it has taken so long. I had assumed Chelsea were waiting for the end of the World Cup, because they had already lined up a high profile national team manager. But it seems not.
Maurizio Sarri. 59 years old. Never played professional football. Has only ever managed Italian club sides. Has never won a trophy. Chain smoking homophobe. To me, it looks like a bewildering choice. But I'm not running Chelsea.
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Post by o on Jul 13, 2018 13:14:27 GMT 1
Chain smoking homophobe - Not sure how that rules him out as a football manager, are you saying all the others aren't? Is this the guy that has done well at Napoli?
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Jul 13, 2018 14:16:23 GMT 1
I'm all for Chelsea imploding
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Post by Robin on Jul 14, 2018 22:23:52 GMT 1
I think it’s a strong appointment for Chelsea. He’s worked wonders at Napoli, who came close to winning Serie A this season.
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Post by Mart!n on Jul 14, 2018 23:14:59 GMT 1
I waiting to see how Arsenal fare with the new manager, Unai Emery, he has already signed up a Uruguayan player. I'm hoping for some silverware with the new season fast approaching, hopefully not the teaspoon
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Post by Earl Purple on Jul 15, 2018 10:17:15 GMT 1
No team has retained the league title since Manchester United did in 2009 but I think Manchester City will do so this season. They are just too far ahead of everyone else now.
Relegation will be the big thing this season. Last year it was a surprise as 3 established teams all went down.
So I guess the 3 promoted clubs, Wolves, Cardiff and Fulham will be fighting with Brighton and Huddersfield for survival. Personally I'd like to see Palace go down (as usual) but even with a terrible start like last season they always somehow seem to pull through.
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Post by o on Jul 15, 2018 14:20:38 GMT 1
I think City will go on and dominate as well, but it would be nice to be surprised. And I hope some of the promoted teams stay up, but not dirty Cardiff.
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frag
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I have no idea what you're talking about, so here's a bunny with a pancake on its head.
Posts: 25,092
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Post by frag on Jul 16, 2018 11:50:12 GMT 1
I waiting to see how Arsenal fare with the new manager, Unai Emery, he has already signed up a Uruguayan player. I'm hoping for some silverware with the new season fast approaching, hopefully not the teaspoon I'm pleased with how efficiently we've gone about our business this summer. Some say it shows what was holding us back all these previous summers... I think we can overtake Chelsea and compete with Spurs/Utd for 3rd-4th, but like others here I see City buying the title again, with Liverpool probably 2nd.
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Post by o on Jul 16, 2018 12:41:11 GMT 1
We went about our transfer business really efficiently under Steve Evans, rather than waiting for what's left and picking up scraps like we usually do. Sadly Mr Evans has a scattergun approach, gives everyone two year contracts and then buggers off after 10 months, leaving you with a squad of players that the new manager doesn't want. Let's hope the same doesn't happen at Peterborough! Oh he's already signed 10 players... Good luck to Arsenal, but whatever happens this coming season, there will be at least 5 disappointed teams come the end of it.
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Post by Shireblogger on Jul 16, 2018 14:55:06 GMT 1
I see City buying the title again, with Liverpool probably 2nd. I'm shedding tears for all those impoverished Arsenal supporters. After all, their board has squandered a mere £70,000,000 on buying players already this summer, and have sold players for a total of £0. (Let's not forget Arsenal spent over £100,000,000 in 2017/18; and £90,000,000 in 2016/17.) Looks like they're buying a Champions League place. Which is a whole let less unsportingly mercenary than buying a League Championship, of course.
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Jul 16, 2018 19:20:09 GMT 1
I reckon the league will look something like this, I might change my mind after a few more transfers though
1. Man City 2. Liverpool 3. Man U 4. Spurs 5. Chelsea 6. Arsenal 7. Everton 8. West Ham 9. Wolves 10. Newcastle 11. Fulham 12. Burnley 13. Leicester 14. Southampton 15. Brighton 16. Crystal Palace 17. Bournemouth 18. Watford 19. Huddersfield 20. Cardiff
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Tom
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Post by Tom on Jul 18, 2018 20:03:14 GMT 1
With the World Cup and Wimbledon and wanting to take a break from club football I'm pretty out of the loop when it comes to Reading. I know more about what's been going on at Maidenhead! Speaking of which, noticed today they signed Dover's 20 goal top scorer Ryan Bird, didn't realise how much football league experience he has and he was born in Slough starting his career at Burnham. It shows their ambition though they have lost players to the Football league. Long term they are aiming for the league which even last season seemed unbelievable.
Back to Reading, did notice before the World Cup we'd signed Paul McShane, David Meyler and Andy Yiadom. Yiadom came as zero surprise, we were linked with him at some point in the last year and also he was set to join Clement at Swansea last summer but it fell through. Had a quick look at our pre season and we drew 2-2 with Besiktas yesterday and have Rubin Kazan Friday both on tour and then have home game with Palace Sat 28th. Nice to feel we're having a proper pre-season this time unlike last year...
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frag
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*Paranoid Android*
I have no idea what you're talking about, so here's a bunny with a pancake on its head.
Posts: 25,092
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Post by frag on Jul 18, 2018 20:03:55 GMT 1
I see City buying the title again, with Liverpool probably 2nd. I'm shedding tears for all those impoverished Arsenal supporters. After all, their board has squandered a mere £70,000,000 on buying players already this summer, and have sold players for a total of £0. (Let's not forget Arsenal spent over £100,000,000 in 2017/18; and £90,000,000 in 2016/17.) Looks like they're buying a Champions League place. Which is a whole let less unsportingly mercenary than buying a League Championship, of course. The difference being that we get no outside investment (in fact, Stan Kroenke takes £3m per year for "consultancy"), whereas City have been given something like £1bn over the years from their sugar daddy owners (including Mahrez, their net spend is almost £1.2bn). Arsenal actually made a net profit on transfers last season - while we did spend £104m, we got £118m from player sales; Wenger's net spend was £201m over 20 years, with most of that coming in the past five seasons after we spent much of the previous decade paying for a stadium ourselves rather than having it gifted to us. As a socialist, the distribution of weight towards the top teams via prize and TV money does strike me as unfair - I would prefer the playing field to be levelled somewhat via some form of salary capping, similar to the MLS.
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Post by Panda on Jul 18, 2018 20:55:01 GMT 1
So I guess the 3 promoted clubs, Wolves, Cardiff and Fulham will be fighting with Brighton and Huddersfield for survival. Personally I'd like to see Palace go down (as usual) but even with a terrible start like last season they always somehow seem to pull through. I don't expect Wolves to be anywhere near the bottom 3.
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Post by Panda on Jul 19, 2018 13:10:56 GMT 1
Plucky underdogs Salford have signed Adam Rooney from Scottish runners-up Aberdeen...
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Post by o on Jul 19, 2018 13:23:09 GMT 1
Yeah I saw that, a day after they signed a guy who played 20 times for Peterborough in league 1 last season, could be a walk in the park for them, but also, just maybe, teams will raise their games against them, like they have done the last two seasons. On a pre season note, Stags beat Derby 3-1 last night, Derby teams had loads of first teamers in, so it is quite impressive, but winning that first game is always important in my book Nice to see a few youth players doing well, and maybe they will now get a chance under Flitcroft.
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Jul 19, 2018 14:02:48 GMT 1
Yeah I saw that, a day after they signed a guy who played 20 times for Peterborough in league 1 last season, could be a walk in the park for them, but also, just maybe, teams will raise their games against them, like they have done the last two seasons. On a pre season note, Stags beat Derby 3-1 last night, Derby teams had loads of first teamers in, so it is quite impressive, but winning that first game is always important in my book Nice to see a few youth players doing well, and maybe they will now get a chance under Flitcroft. What do you reckon about finishing Mansfield top 7 next season? worth a couple of quid, went for them Leeds top 6, Peterborough top 6, West Ham top 10, 40/1, £3 on £123 back so I will be a part time Mansfield fan and part time Leeds fan next season
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Post by raliverpool on Jul 19, 2018 18:32:34 GMT 1
Being mindful of the nationality of the new/current World Champions, and the domestic season imminent .... Has anybody been watching this year's Tour De France (with two Brits from a British Team (Sky) currently 1st & 2nd)? I never realized but it obviously French custom and a compliment to boo world class athletes from across the pond; and if they really admire what they do, run onto the "pitch" (road) and spit on them! I'm sure Premier League supporters should know that so from early next season they give the same warm welcome to Tottenham Hotspur's Lloris; Chelsea's Kante & Giroud; & Man Utd's Pogba to let the world know we are not turning into inward looking Brexiteers.
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