[Closed] A 2015/16 Football Thread

Not bold at all...they are looking rock solid for the title.

As a Gooner, it's been disappointing again. I'm realistic enough to know you can't expect success, but I think the time has now come for Le Prof to step aside and bring in a new Manager.

Def not Moany though!

Not bold at all...

We really need a sarcasm font. 😉

Le Prof to step aside and bring in a new Manager.

Who?

Koeman might be a good fit for Arsenal, although I really wouldn't like to see Southampton asset stripped for a third year in a row I am not sure they can keep bouncing back year after year.

In relation to Southampton, I would like to sign Graziano Pellè.

Not for his footballing talent, but just to gaze at dreamily....

[img] [/img]

[img] [/img]

🙂

Koeman seems to be a quality manager - Arsenal or Man U could do no worse. I saw The Special One turned down Syria

Nice win for Spurs, happy for Leicester

Who?

Maybe give Eddie a chance!

Just back from Sunderland.....

😀

As a fingers crossed Newcastle Fan Norwich are not out of it yet, still 2 from 3 and Newcastle and the mackems are odd on but lets keep the pain going a little longer

Long standing/suffering Everton who for the first time in my life want my team to lose to force the bull shitting brown shoed delusional chancer of a manager out.I would honestly bet my house that if we swapped managers with Spurs our league positions would reversed, we would be second,Spurs be twelfth.

Emperor Roberto has no clothes 🙄

@pb I think thats a bit optimistic, Spurs have a great young talent roster coming good at the right time

I like Everton. They're like Wigan, but with better players.

Spurs have a great young talent roster coming good at the right time

Everton have a great young talent roster going backwards right now.

The beauty of footy is its such a subjective topic but I stand by my Everton Spurs manager swap claim.In Loris, Kane and Ali, Spurs have three outstanding talents but Lukaku, Stones and Barkley would be as potent with the right coach.

As for the Wigan remark, well that sums it up perfectly for me. The ultimate job of the manager is to deliver more than the sum of the parts (ala Leicester and the wonderful Ranieri) Martinez by every sane persons judgement is delivering the greatest under performance in the premiership this season and the sooner the sly delusional chancer is dismissed the better. If I were in charge I would be doing everything in my power to sign Hiddink having missed out on the ex Everton player Bilic who again is a brilliant example of delivering more than the sum of parts.

Btw LVG has on occasions challenged for the title of greatest under performance but he is ultimately a honest old fella whose best is behind him and therefore shouldn't be mentioned in the same breath as the chancer in brown shoes.

That's about evertons place, is it not?. You've no chance of getting Bilic, he's at a club that looks on the up, about to move into a bigger stadium, and being in that London he'll also be able to attract players.

I'm all for Lysesstersheershire to win this season - it will be an amazing feat - but having just reavaluated their run-in matches I can't help but feel nervous for them.
I'm convinced there will be a twist in the tale, but it will ultimately come down to wether or not Tottingham can win their remaining fixtures.

I predict a loss of at least 2 matches for the Foxes. I hope i'm wrong, but either way being a part time Spurs fan I would be happy for them to nick it too.

Spurs have the easier run although on current form Leicester's isn't that tricky especially with the massive head start. Interestingly if Spurs win it'll be the the youngest average aged team ever to win the premiership, if Leicester win it'll be almost the oldest.

I now think after watching that shambles yesterday that LVG is working his way up to his perfect formation. This will involve De Gea playing as a lone striker, with Mata replacing him in goal, and Rooney as a right back

outstanding talents but Lukaku, Stones and Barkley

Stones? He comes from the David Luiz school of defending, defenders need to defend first and foremost. I can't believe Martinez still has a job, they concede 1.3 goals a game! And don't forget he was in charge of Wigan when Spurs put 9 past them.

Also where did this idea that Koeman is any good come from? Looks like a mid table chancer to me.

I still think there are plenty of twists and turns for the top 2, Leicester ain't won it yet.

I now think after watching that shambles yesterday that LVG is working his way up to his perfect formation. This will involve De Gea playing as a lone striker, with Mata replacing him in goal, and Rooney as a right back

Well, it's a bit different to how I had him going.

...which was utilising cloning technology to create a team the fans can get behind.

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I predict a loss of at least 2 matches for the Foxes. I hope i'm wrong, but either way being a part time Spurs fan I would be happy for them to nick it too.

Six games left. Leicester just have to win three of them. Spurs pretty much have to win all of them.

Either way, none of the big four are going to win the league this year, barring miracles/disasters. Which is fantastic news, frankly.

All we need now is West Ham to pick up the fourth CL spot and things will be looking fab.

Not for his footballing talent, but just to gaze at dreamily....

think that pose is more "hello sailor" than "How you doin ?" ! 😯

and I wouldn't bet against Leicester winning all their remaining games.

Next up is Leicester vs Hammers and it is is a huge game, both got a lot to fight for and both in form. Also Spurs play a day later knowing the result.

Leicester should then beat Swansea and Everton but Man U away is tricky and they could easily draw that and then Chelsea on last day of the season who knows.

As they say it ain't over till it's over.

LVG / working his way up to his perfect formation.

I thought the United midfield formation had Spurs looking lost in midfield for 40mins yesterday - United were winning every loose ball and spreading the ball around great. It was the (again) hugely embarrassing lack of creativity and shots on target that really let them down.

Six games left. Leicester just have to win three of them. Spurs pretty much have to win all of them.

Whilst I wholeheartedly agree that it's looking good for the Foxes, history has proven time and again just how difficult it can be to cross the finishing line. I'm a firm believer in decisions balancing themselves over the course of a season but they have had a lot of fortune recently regarding penalty decisions etc. The 12th man has been doing the team proud, but should they let an early goal in in either of their next 2 matches then we will truly see the teams mettle.

For England I would take Andy Carroll as an impact sub. I have always thought that he was a decent player and hope he can stay fit long enough to prove it.

If we were behind bringing him and Vardy on for the last 20 minutes would give teams something to think about even if it might be a bit longballtastic - at least we could go out with a bang rather than a whimper.

As a Man City fan I would say (expecting zero sympathy) that injuries have done for us this season. Without Kompany our defense is a shambles, Aguero has missed lots of games and Silva has been playing with a dodgy ankle because Nasri and KDB have been out.

I guess I am spoilt as we have a trophy already and a quarter final against PSG but this season cannot end soon enough. If we can scrape fourth place I will be happy. Pelligrini seems to have been naive and stubborn this season which seems a common trait with older managers (LVG and Wenger).

Looking forward to Pep but realise that he has a lot of work to do with an ageing team. We have some great youth prospects who hopefully will get a chance. Ihenacho has looked good in the limited time he has been given so hopefully Denayer, the two Garcias and Brahim Diaz will get some game time next season. Diaz in particular looks like a star - our "new Messi".

Maybe when buying we can be a bit more pragmatic too. I am sure Ashley Williams would have been a better option than either Mangala or Otamendi and much cheaper!

The mighty Swans will halt Leicester's title charge (I hope, as I'll be in the away end!)
I've been to the KP 4 times to watch Swansea and lost 4 times and I don't really see the 5th visit being any different.
I hope the Foxes do go on and do it ultimately though but a temporary spanner would be very nice 😉

I want nothing more right than the Foxes to win the title,the Hammers to get fourth spot and Martinez to be gone. The Foxes run in though is tough and I will be amazed if they don't lose one or two games but that should be just enough to finish the job, gut feel says they will need a point from their final game with Chelsea and the Chelsea fans will be willing them on rather than see Spurs win it.

Nobeerinthefridge - Member
That's about evertons place, is it not?. You've no chance of getting Bilic, he's at a club that looks on the up, about to move into a bigger stadium, and being in that London he'll also be able to attract players.

Reading and analysis are not your Monday morning best attributes eh 😆 I think you are mixing up your Bilic's with your Hiddink's ?

agreed Cletus - injuries have cost City points this year. If only they had a few hundred million to spend in order to build a squad that could rival Leicester.

Not sure how much no CL footy will cost the big clubs but its great news for the competitveness of the league as financially they will be sucked back down to the crowd

Personally, the idea of a league full of teams that struggle to excel above any other bores me stiff.
The way English teams are struggling to look anywhere near as convincing in Europe as they did just a few years ago suggests to me that a parity in training/methods/diet/recovery has quickly lead to a stalemate in the Prem at least.

Its arguable as to whether standards in the Prem have actually raised as a result. The relative positions in Europe leads me to think not.

Leicester in the CL will be a real yard stick test.

A lot of the 'big' English teams are struggling in Europe because they bought overpriced donkeys and appear to have no system or team ethic. Its no surprise that the 2 teams that understand how they want to play and work hard as a team to execute it, are at the top of the league.

Money in European football is far less evenly distributed although I think the days of Barca amd Real getting 80% of tv money is gone Bayern and PSG dominate their countires from a financial standpoint

CL will hurt Leicester and Spurs next year in terms of the PL but a great adventure for both. I think/hope Leicester keep their players as they get to play in the CL instead of being bit parts at a big club

I think Ashley should have just sold Newcastle at a loss as its not worth the abuse he gets. Now he's going to sell at a bigger loss or get stuck with the club for years potentially in the Championship

If this season has proven anything, it's that Newcastle will be Prem champs next season. I'm off to put £200 on it at 5000:1

[i]If this season has proven anything, it's that Newcastle will be Prem champs next season. I'm off to put £200 on it at 5000:1[/i]

Good luck with that! 🙂

Seriously though...if those Magpie players were playing for their lives in every match, they would do it I'm sure. Ive never seen such a lacklustre bunch in most of the matches Ive seen them play this season. Appalling!

Seriously though...if those Magpie players were playing for their lives in every match, they would do it I'm sure. Ive never seen such a lacklustre bunch in most of the matches Ive seen them play this season. Appalling!

Villa fans every where are shouting ditto, ditto ditto

Ive never seen such a lacklustre bunch in most of the matches Ive seen them play this season. Appalling!

I watched the Villa v Liverpool game when they lost 6 nil and it could have been twelve. I think it was the worst defensive performance I've ever seen in the premiership. I'm sure at least a couple of them were checking the messages on their phones, while openly yawning. They certainly never bothered with anything as taxing as tackling, or in some cases, even moving.

If I was a Villa season ticket holder (surely n exercise in masochism anyway?) I'd be ****ing livid to watch such a display of surly, nonchalant disinterest from a bunch of players who genuinely looked like they just couldn't be arsed, and it was all just a bit too much trouble.

We've resorted to drastic measures to get us through the games...

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Holeeee ****...bit of a crazy night at Anfield. 😆

W0000t! Un-be-lievable.

Well, bum 🙁

My only hope is Joleon tweets a pic of the next car he is going to get to help soothe our wounds.

Well....this'll do for his contribution to be totally unaware.

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Lol - what a tool!

Door slightly ajar for Spurs tomorrow night?

Joleen is a bright lad, isn't he?

Tonight will indeed be interesting. Nice of Arsenal to do an Arsenal again and give us a (painfully slim) chance of a top four finish, when it looked like that boat had already sailed

Nah. Arsenal have settled into their customary spot on the premier league sofa - the fourth place that has Wenger shaped buttock marks imprinted on it.

Occasionally they flirt with the next seat along, but it's never quite right for them.

Tonight, I am a Stoke fan

I wanted palace to beat us last night , kind of. Huge feeling of apathy encapsulated by Theo coming on and being crap. For 140k a week .

encapsulated by Theo coming on and being crap. For 140k a week .

According to Twitter, this was his main contribution to the game...

https://twitter.com/_JamesLorenzo/status/721741704823484418/video/1

Amusing to see Barca doing what Leicester are supposed to do and exploding with the league in sight.

So anyone want to vote for their worst PL team of the year? Candidates being:

a) Villa for being thoroughly sh*t,
b) Chelsea for such a dismal defence of the title and players just happy to stay up
c) Everton for allegedly being top 4 material, but only really ~40 points material.
d) Arsenal for just being Arsenal and settling for a humping in the QF of the CL and a probably a cosy 3rd/4th finish to get a CL spot.
e) Newcastle for spending 'big' in the January transfer window and still struggling.

I'll stick my neck out and say that if Theo played for Leicester he would be an absolute sensation.

Sadly some clubs think giving someone £140k a week will result in them getting the very best out of them.

Seems like the whole attitude of Arsenal football club has infected the players who now have the same outlook.

The fact that Albrighton makes Theo look like a conference player is a joke, these clubs just cannot get the best out of what they already have.

Still, throwing a bit cash about should solve it

You forgot

f) Man Yoo for being too meh to warrant any strong emotion, one way or another. Whatever....

I considered ManU but really a top 6 finish and a decent run in the cup was all you could hope for, so I'd argue they achieved a par score, they didn't over- or under-achieve. Thus, they can't be considered worst team of the year. Unless we factor in style, but even then the dross served up by others like Villa and Chelsea put ManU above the bottom 3.

I'll stick my neck out and say that if Theo played for Leicester he would be an absolute sensation.

How? He'd still miss chances and generally be distinctly average.

Walcott has been let down by Arsenal which has led Arsenal to think he has let them down. One can argue it either way as to why he never quite reached his "potential".

I agree he would be better playing in a Vardy role as the fast striker rather than being in tippy tappy Arsenal
HOw good he would be I am not so sure but I think he is better than he looks at Arsenal.

Yeah the most telling part of that Theo clip is when he is on the floor with his hands in the air, like it is someone else's fault. It isn't

How? He'd still miss chances and generally be distinctly average.

Wonder how many Leicester players you could have said that about over the last 2 years?

Albrighton was deemed distinctly average by Villa but look what he's actually capable of when someone can actually get the best out of him.

Likewise Vardy.

All the big clubs are utterly inefficient. Small gains with hard work or massive £'s spunked on players every single season?

b) Chelsea for such a dismal defence of the title and players just happy to stay up

This for me. Couldn't have happened to a nicer club and its fans. 🙂

[quote=binners said]
Tonight will indeed be interesting. Nice of Arsenal to do an Arsenal again and give us a (painfully slim) chance of a top four finish, when it looked like that boat had already sailed

The dream scenario is still on.

Citeh win the Champions League, Liverpool win the Europa League and ManYoo finish 4th in the Premier League.

Liverpool and Citeh then qualify for next year's Champions League with ManYoo missing out 🙂

That's if City don't finish third though, as they'll already have a spot. Or am I missing something?

City won't win the CL so dream shattered

[quote=radtothepowerofsik said]That's if City don't finish third though, as they'll already have a spot. Or am I missing something?

Sorry you're correct, we need them to drop out of the top four.

TBF to Wenger he played Walcott up front and Theo did nothing, he isn't a striker no matter what in Theo's head may think.

Watched a little of the footie yesterday. Must be a nightmare being a goner and watching a team trying to walk/pass the ball into the net. ffs you are not Barca.

Odd decisions at Leicester too. Still keeps it exciting for a neutral

Arsenal had 84% possession in the first 20 mins or something yesterday.

84%!

Still drew 1-1.

In Villa news, apparently our hero Joleon is currently busy offering Stan Collymoore out on Twitter.

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Arsenal had 84% possession in the first 20 mins or something yesterday.

84%!

Still drew 1-1.

Have a look at Uniteds possession stats for the season. Its exactly the same. They have the vast majority of possession. 70 - 80% in some games yet conspire to never really look threatening.

Everyone now knows how to play against that. Just sit deep, let them have all the possession they want in midfield, endlessly passing sideways. And when they inevitably lose possession, hit them with pace on the counter.

Theres one team who doing this week in, week out. They have very little possession. They're presently top of the Premiership. Because the little position they do have, they make count!

Chelsea definitely, the Special One back and flirting with relegation then him getting fired. Shambles.

Whilst I feel for Newcastle their attitude to an owner/manager from "down South" is/was appalling. They need a spell in the Championship to sort themselves out. Maybe Ashley will just cut and run and forget trying to sell for a decent price, take the parachute money out of the club and sell/give away the expensive players. Aim for mid-table and let a new owner do what they want from scratch.

Leicester definitely having a bit of a wobble and a big problem I think if Vardy is out for more than one match. The one-point was very important but at a significant cost. Vary is a talisman and keeps defences occupied.

City won't win the CL

As binners not the object of the game is to score the most goals not have the ball for the most time or do the most passes [ most of which are slow and backwards]

Leicester definitely having a bit of a wobble

[b]D W W W W W D W L W W W[/b]
Seven points dropped in the last 12 matches.

That's pretty tight for a wobble.

🙂

Indeed. I was referring to the weekend, one of their best players getting sent off for diving then throwing a fit. Vary has had a great season but that to me shows he's feeling the pressure

So Vardy had a little wobble, but scored 3 in 2 at the same time.

Though obviously we are always 1 game away from a complete collapse, have been for the last 42 games.

The pressure must be immense on them though - they must almost believe they are due a wobble and that they'll bottle it at the death given all the press over the last few months.

But in fact I thought they did amazingly at the weekend - showing great resolve to get something from a match they could have just assumed they'd thrown away.

The only wobble was from Vardy – he was a silly boy and if he *does* cost them the Premiership he'll find it very difficult to move on.

I really hope they don't throw it away though.

Would anyone bet against Spurs having a similar 'wobble' tonight then? I reckon they'll be feeling the pressure even more, due to the expectation of their fans

Stoke isn't an easy place to go. Depends if Stoke turn up, or they're happy with where they are, and are already on the beach, I suppose

I'm wondering if there are furthers from the Vardy dive - he was bang to rights and his verbal and finger jabbing at the referee was worthy of at least another yellow, remains to be seen if the referee includes it in his report.

As for the first booking. Even the pundits were saying it was harsh, but Vardy was done under 'totting up' (the joy of looking only at events in isolation). He'd made a couple of fouls previously, several other tackles were flying in and in those circumstances it becomes a case of next one to commit a foul goes in the book irrespective of whether on its own it was worth it or whether it was that players first foul or not. It's the only way the referee can stamp down on it and it is 'unfair' but it happens every week and a professional player knows it.

Once booked, he then had to be careful, wasn't, then lost it big style, if all he misses is one game he's a lucky boy in my book.

we are always 1 game away from a complete collapse

Vardy was stupid to dive and stupid to react like that and should get more of a ban as well

Regardless of the fact he had made one challenge before the 1st booking, the challenge he was booked for wasn't even a foul, so booking him for that was a load of old tosh regardless of what came before it.

The ref was trying to stamp some misplaced early authority and as a result made his job for the rest of the game almost impossible.

Vardy was a silly boy later on and deserved his 2nd yellow, but he should not have been booked for the previous contactless challenge earlier.

Funny how the WHU player also dived forwards for their peno despite supposedly being dragged backwards, just as bad a dive in my book.

The inconsistency in the refereeing yesterday was absolutely ridiculous. Totally agree with the big daft Geordie that the ref gave the last penalty to 'even things up' from previous decisions. He'd been doing it all match. Giving another daft decision to compensate for the original shocker which he'd incorrectly given the other way

Because You have played unbelievably well all season and, whilst you will win, you are still playing/performing well above your average.

We have been in the Premier League for only 2 seasons, our average is pretty good I would say.

This run extends from the last ten games of last season.

Would anyone bet against Spurs having a similar 'wobble' tonight then? I reckon they'll be feeling the pressure even more, due to the expectation of their fans

I think Spurs will win with a big margin tonight.

Which will be shit

If we're doing predictions.

1 (Kane) - 1 (Shaqiri)

Gonna be a banger.

just as bad a dive in my book

Both were dives but his was way worse

our average is pretty good I would say.

Whilst you will win you are not amongst the best teams in the premier league[ on paper as next season will show] but we can have this discussion next season. No offence but, like Blackburn, you will be murdered in Europe