[Closed] Soccerball 2016/2017 - Jumpers For Goalposts Megathread.

On a side note, is it worth doing a Fantasy Prem thing for STW, or will everyone just lose interest after a month as usual?

It is already set up.

1st City
2nd Arsenal
3rd Chelsea
4th Spurs
5th United

City done the best work in the transfer market so far, but nobody yet that will make an impact at the start of the season. Undecided about utds transfer work, I think that Jose is at least a season away from building a team he wants, also following his usual MO of victimising a player to assert his authority, such a known tactic I think his relationship with the players and club could break down even quicker than usual. He needed to show something new, and he hasn't.

Leicester bottom half but probably safe.

Relegated

Hull
Burnley
Bournemouth

Enjoyed Klop telling the sun reporter he wouldn't answer his question. Demonstrating he is with the fans and city, rather than Brendan's clichés.

It is already set up.

Is it super-secret, or do you have a link/code? 😉

Enjoyed Klop telling the sun reporter he wouldn't answer his question. Demonstrating he is with the fans and city, rather than Brendan's clichés.

That was a nice touch. Although, despite me thinking it was a LFC/Hillsborough thing, it's because of something else they've done/about to do. *scurrilous rumour* Something to do with a sextape?

I didn't set the league up, don't have the code, and think I was automatically included as it is a continuation of past years, it is called Singletrack2012.

Oh and Pogba for 100million plus, he has always been disappointing when I have seen him, a decent enough player, but not worth his reputation and that price IMO.

Although, despite me thinking it was a LFC/Hillsborough thing, it's because of something else they've done/about to do. *scurrilous rumour* Something to do with a sextape?

That is a longer clip than I had seen, does appear to be something about to happen.

I didn't set the league up, don't have the code, and think I was automatically included as it is a continuation of past years, it is called Singletrack2012.

For those who want to join the league, but want to save 10mins of furious googling:

I have renewed the Singletrack Fantasy Premier League for another year.

http://www.fantasy.premierleague.com to sign up and create a team and then on your team page find the tab for create and join leagues at bottom right and the league as before is Singletrack2012 , entry code is 303467-93905

http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/singletrack-fantasy-premier-league-1

just been watching the Brazilian women vs Sweden. Very impressive. Couldn't help noticing that everything was in the centre and nothing on the flanks at all.

Is this only for Prem & Championship supporters? There is a another world of football below the money as well you know! 🙂

Is this only for Prem & Championship supporters? There is a another world of football below the money as well you know!

It's for all leagues, hence no league mentioned in the title. But obviously the prem has the biggest pull, so will probably dominate proceedings.

Pogba for £100m is the Mourihno tax - just a crazy price for an OK but not great player. Juve must be p.ssing themselves laughing. Surprised the Glaziers have been so irrational.

Predictions 😉

Man U will struggle to break into the top 3, simply too much work to do. City will finish above them and possibly Chelsea too. Arsenal and Spurs will be strong again and Leicester will be there of thereabouts.

1) Arsenal
2) Spurs
3) City
4) Chelsea
5) Man U

Potential surprise package Leicester in 4th. I think they'll qualify from the CL group but thats it

Now I have read some crazy shit posted by Jamba in the past, but Arsenal #1?

I'm more inclined to believe Brexit was for the best 😉

I'm making no predictions. It's going to be a mad old start to the season. Loads of unknown quantities with squads and managers. Absolutely anything could happen. But if you look at the big personalities, egos and rivalry in the top teams now, it's going to be entertaining. There's going to be fireworks! And I'd expect some top notch footy!

And I'm off to OT for Jose's first home game. Can't bloody wait!!! 🙂

With the dead rubber that is the [s]Charity[/s] Community Shield on today (Man U 2-LCFC 1)

[img] [/img]

8)

I'm at the Arsenal Man City game now. Will let you know what i think of both teams chances after the game. Which is of course meaningless

Well... not a bad performance. Great goal by Lingard. And I had a fiver on United winning 2 - 1 at 8/1

Great minds Bongo 😀

They will probably be my only winnings this season 😯

Yep. I was thinking much the same!

Predictions -

1 - Spurs
2 - City
3 - Utd
4 - Arsenal

Leicester - 9th - they've not really added to their squad & I think they'll struggle to combine both Champions League & domestic duties.

If anyone is going to be the dark horses this year, I think it'll be West Haaaaaaam. I think they could be mixing it with the usual suspects in the top four this season

Great cross by Sterling 😯

I expect him to improve a lot under pep, but I didn't expect to be writing that so soon.

Is it me, or does the women presenting the football on ITV sound like she is bored?

I am pretty bored, more mistakes than skills on show. I would like to see Pep put the two young centre backs on in the second half.

This is crap!

*turns over to Countryfile*

It's like Arsenal are trapped in a time loop.

They could really do with a striker to take some of these chances....again.

Edit: Oh wait...who is this plucky youngster AFC are bringing on? Theo Walcott is it? Looks like this could be a big season for him....heh

Edit 2: Joy Division at half time? I approve of this.

Ramsey needs to sort his Barnet out. He looks like...

[img] [/img]

Has LVG taken over at Arsenal? There's an awful lot of going backwards

Nice pass and nice finish

Well...looks like my Man City 1-0 bet is dead.

Good effort from Yaya there 😆

OOPS!

I hope City keep this standard of defending up for the season. It's comedy gold! 😆

Not a good day for defenders.

Edit: Ouch...especially not for Gabriel. Looks painful.

!st Man U (and God that pains me to say it as a City fan)
2 City
3rd Liverpool
4th Arsenal

Think United have bought well, and think Zlatan will be a hit. We have also bought well, but all up front - we need a centre half, hopefully the Stones deal comes off and pep can teach him to stop losing his concentration in games.
Think Liverpool will do well, but maybe not have the quality for a title shot and Arsenal will, as always, fade away...
Leicester? top half
Surprise team? West Ham, finish 5th ahead of Spurs who have failed to build on their terrific season last year.

Relegated - Hull, Burnley, Sunderland
All IMHO of course

Arsenal City game was greatly London/ Manchester classics by Smiths , Oasis Stone Roses, Clash , Libertines (?) and so on etc before the game . Shite atmosphere like Emirates so Arsenal felt at home.

In conclusion , Holding was woeful , Arsenal looked much better after half time but it was basically City mistakes that led to goals ( although almost all goals come from mistakes of some sort of course) Gabriel is banjaxed and Pep wears exceptionally tight trousers.

Oh and predictions

Arsenal
Man City
Utd
Spuds

Bournemouth to get top 10

Relegated

Sunderland
Swansea
Hull

Not long to go now. Also, I think the cutt-off is 11am for all those who haven't sorted their FF teams out yet:

http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/singletrack-fantasy-premier-league-1

I knew it. LCFC....bunch of chancers 😉

I've already made a prediction on last years thread? That Man U will win this year, hoping Arsenal can stay 2nd with Citeh third and Spuds 4th

This game is absolutely bonkers! WTF is going on?

I had a punt on Liverpool getting a draw. Might be still on.

I've also got Lallana, Coutinho and Walcott in my fantasy football squad, and am presently top of our league

It won't last, obviously, but I'm enjoying it while it lasts 😀

Arsenal must be the most consistent at what they do.

All my bets are broken sadly, and I am contemplating wildcarding my FF team.

Edit: 4-3? lol

Time to shove 606 on and listen to all the Arse fans calling for Arsene to fall on his sword. Like every other week for the last decade 😆

Boo-ed off on your first game though. EEK!

Arsene really doesn't help himself tho.

I probably don't even need to tell you this Bongo, but Mrs Binners had it down as a Liverpool win, as part of an accumulator and has got 15 quid back off a 75p bet

1. Utd.
2. Citeh.
3. Chelsea

Relegated:

1. Hull.
2. Watford
3. W Brom

I probably don't even need to tell you this Bongo, but Mrs Binners had it down as a Liverpool win, as part of an accumulator and has got 15 quid back off a 75p bet

Bloody casuals and their curiously elongated period of beginner's luck 😡

I'm putting it down to it being some weird karma thing as a reward for sticking with being a long suffering Bolton fan. I've even forgiven her her ABU tendencies, which have meant a good few shared head-in-hands Saturday afternoons, the last few seasons. And she gets the beers in with her (very regular) winnings. She's well up this weekend. Again! 😀

I'm not! Again! 😥

I got £100 off £10 worth of bets on the community shield, so just going to dine out on that till it's gone.

Going on this weekend's performance, that shouldn't be too long.

1-4 down at home first game of the season is never going to get the crowd on your side as manager. Obviously haven't seen the game but very sloppy defensively it seems.

Comedy defending on display at both ends Jammers. As the scoreline testifies. Worth watching the highlights. Awful first half, blinding second!

1st Man City
2nd Man United
3rd Liverpool
4th Chelsea

18th Crystal Palace
19th Hull
20th Sunderland

United and Pool to set the pace until Xmas after which Jose loses the plot (again) and the Pool players die of exhaustion after too much Klopp style pressing allowing City who have mastered Pep's gameplan to streak past.

North London teams finish below West Ham and Wenger finally quits.

City to retail the League Cup and Liverpool re-incarnate to win the FA Cup.

can we not turn this into a shite bongohoohaa betting thread like the euros one turned into?

Personally I think tomorrow nights game is the most interesting of this first week. As a pointer of how the season is going to go. Chelski were staggeringly awful last season. And it's going to be interesting to see how/if they've improved.

West haaaaaaaaam were good last season, and they'll have improved under a quality manager. They'll be competing for top four, I reckon (that's usually the kiss of death)

I'd love to see them absolutely batter Chelski! I reckon they could well do it too! Fingers crossed!

Thought you degenerates who favour the spherical pigs bladder might enjoy this

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2016/09/how-british-soccer-became-must-see-tv/492734/?utm_source=atlfb

@dirtyrider

I'd wager that's possible. Although, I think it's odds on you don't really want that outcome.

Well... an excellent night was had at OT last night. The place was in fine voice celebrating the end of the LVG sideways/sideways/backwards/sideways/sideways/backwards/sideways/sideways/backwards - lets bore the opposition into defeat approach.

Our new signings look like (admittedly massive amounts of) money well spent. Especially Zlatan who was on a free 🙂 Looks like he's got all the makings of an Old Trafford legend. A quick look around reveals the club shop has sold about 8 squillion 'Ibrahimovic' shirts already, and he was serenaded for the whole game. Anyway... 4 goals in his first 3 games? And he looks like he'll happily do that all season? Welcome to Manchester sir! 😀

And Pogba? What a first game (for the first team anyway. He bossed the midfield like he's been here for seasons. Oh... he has/was). He was awesome! cheeky, deft little touches all over the pitch.Nearly scored to make the perfect debut. [url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37055384 ]Properly hit the ground running[/url]. It all bodes very well for the season

Anyway... we were happy to welcome the return of fast-paced attacking football to the red side of Manchester. How we've missed you! As Maggie would have said... just rejoice! Unless you're the away side. In which case... probably not.

Binners has caught a dose of liverpoolitus.

it was a decent showing and we di have attacking flair
Zlatan does not seem to do much but when he does he seems to score

Pogba did look immense but it was only one game - that said he is clearly class

All bodes well for us at least being competitive and entertaining but way too early to be at binners levels of joy but the clearly its an improvement on the tedium of last year

Oh come on. I was bound to get a bit giddy. I watched United play for a while 90 minutes without once letting out an exasperated [b]"OH FFS!!!!!"[/b]. A whole 90!!!

It's been a while. Just let me enjoy the moment 😀

And speaking of Liverpool.... presently getting well beaten by Burnley. Mrs Binners bet on that, so the kiss of death has been duly applied to the scousers. 😀

It was a decent showing against a team that isn't going to do so well as they have in recent years.

It will be interesting to see how Rashford and Lingard are used, along with Martial and Pogba they would form a formidable attack, lots of pace and power there. But will Mourihno leave them on the sidelines for short term expediency over long term building, that would be his usual MO.

City looking good in the main part, but still vulnerable, another season where "we need a fit Kompany in defence" will be a common statement. Still learning what Pep wants from them mind, not got the system as quick as united have under Jose. I think they are still playing safe possession as the did under Pelagrini, where Pep wants them to go at goal more. Will be lots of goals to come, especially with the new signings yet to come into the team.

And yes, Liverpool 2 0 down.

Relegated:
1. Hull.
2. Watford
3. W Brom

West Bromwich Albion going nowhere. We're shit, but there's shitter.

Diego Costa would have to murder someone on the pitch to get a second yellow.

Hull 2 wins out of 2, who saw that coming?

Chelsea and Costa still the team nasty, don't deserve that win.

Are we bothering with even commenting on Internationals after the Euro debacle/humiliation?

I've knocked it on the radio as background noise, as I'm doing a bit of work. I wouldn't bother watching it. Life too short to watch England qualifiers.

It sounds, predictably enough, absolutely dreadful. So the same god-awful team that so humiliatingly capitulated to Iceland, carry on their ignominious, pointless international campaign under Big Sam in the same tediously ponderous ineffective style. And they're playing against ten men. Should have had my usual bet on Skertl getting sent off.

Hey ho....

It's as boring as it sounds... on the bright side I didn't go out to watch it...

Indeed. Its barely worth putting the telly on for. I still can't get my head round people paying good money to fly out and watch this shite live. Surely they must know exactly how it'll be like by now?

Maybe England might improve a bit if everyone stopped bothering, and they were playing in front of empty stadiums. Which is no more than they deserve.

Deserved to be fair.

95th minute 😆

There's no stopping England now. We must be favourites for the WC!

🙂

Any else read the quiet man of football's article in the Grauniad ? How he would rather watch non league than premier league

He has a book out of course, but some interesting points.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/sep/05/paul-scholes-non-league-football-premier-league

Well this is going to be interesting. First proper 6 pointer of the season! A massive bonus for us that Aguero is suspended. There appears to be quite a bit of needle between Zlatan and Pep as well. As if he needs any more motivation.

I hope its not going to be one of those games where the media hype it up into the stratosphere, then the teams cancel each other out and you end up with a nil nil draw.

Fingers crossed

Not feeling confident about this one, at all! I think United will be happier with the way the team is coming together than City.

Manchester derby day, got to say I am quite excited about it, even though the result probably won't matter at the end of the season, it will give early bragging rights for the winner.

Obviously as a city fan I will be looking forward who Jose tries to blame for the defeat.

Think it is interesting that Martial is on the bench, I would be quite worried that Martial and Rashford could be coming on for the last 30 mins.

As it always takes me a while to get back into the footie, I'm a bit late to this thread. I think despite all the build up the Manc teams will probably cancel each other out for a 0-0. So will probably only watch the last 20 mins.

Hoping Arsenal can follow their win at Watford with a good performance against The Saints, with a goal from our newbie hopefully!

No bets for me though.

Interesting...

Pep, re-introduces route one! 😀

Big Sam would've liked that one 😀

Handbags with Rooney and Pep. He needs to calm down a bit. Sterling doing his usual running into a dead end, then falling over thing.

United need to sort this though. Don't want to be two down before half time.

Romney was remarkably mature when pep was being a prat IMO

Agree on sterling though

Nice that SA v AUS has finished in the other side, so can watch the next best thing now. Should be exciting 2H

Rockape's prediction spot on then!

Joe Hart is loving this. Has Bravo played the game before?

Has Bravo played the game before?

So his brilliant passing from the back was a figment of my imagination. Not happy with his gaff but no worse than many de Gea did when he arrived at OT.

Bravo is going to be fundamental to how City play. They completely outclassed utd in the first half.

Show me a rag who says he would prefer Mourinho to Pep and I will show you a liar 😆

"that's just the way Fellaini plays.."

Thank you Gary - we all know that!

Well my usual bet for Fellaini to get booked has just paid out 🙂
Had Zlatan to score too.

We look more like it this half. Totally outplayed first half.

Bravo looks good for a howler or two if they put the pressure on him

EDIT: he should have been off for that!

That was a penalty as no other player would have got away with that

Game of two halves and we were lucky to score in the first

Good game though