Soccer 2014 - 2015

Elerion

Elerion

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Just in: Suarez ruling changed after the appeal. Apparently he can now train and play friendlies during the suspension period. The former is a good thing, the latter is questionable, but who cares really. Good for him.

I'm rather doubtful this would have happened if he was still at Liverpool, but meh.
 
Brando

Asshat Brando

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I just worry that us Yanks are too like our English brethren in anointing the next kid with any promise the next great hope for footie in the country. He may turn out to be great and for the USMNT I hope so, he certainly isn't PL level at the moment though and I just worry he's going to turn into another burn out with all the press. Even Klinsmann said it's a bit ridiculous.

As far as Suarez, I'm pretty amazed his domestic ban wasn't at least reduced a little but for Barca just having him able to train so he isn't completely worthless come November was the main thing. Even now that he's gone from LFC I still want to see him play even though I could give a shit less about the result.
 
Brando

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Hah, lead Palace from relegation and then get sacked. Poor Tony Pulis..... I'm assuming Palace's odds for relegation just sky rocketed.
 
faille

faille

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Is that the quickest a manager has left?
Pretty crazy decision, though sounds like Punis was unhappy with how much was being spent on players, ie jack shit.
No doubt he'll have 3 - 6 clubs clammering for him come January.
 
Brando

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I blame Pulis more than anything as it sounds like Palace was pretty forthright on their budget constraints. I would wager there's Championship sides that spend more than them. I don't really understand what he was thinking was going to happen and if anything his spending at Stoke shows he's not one you want having to spend money.
 
faille

faille

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Not long until the start of the season. Don't forget to get your fantasy teams setup!
 
P

PKS

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Yeap. Another day ticks by, and another day Man Utd haven't signed anyone. Woodward incompetence? Glazers not sanctioning bigger bids/wages? Nerves starting to creep back in again. Only 2 summer signings with 5 (and more to come?) departures.. with Shaw out for some weeks, looks like the preseason reserve team players are going to get a promotion this season at this rate. Couldn't get Vermaelen, Vidal efforts look like the clusterfuck of last summer with Thiago/Fabregas, nothing on Hummels, Rojo (another good defender) situation has stalled with some financial rows going on with clubs, agents and owners.

This hype train is starting to slow down!
 
Brando

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I don't get why it's so surprising as ManUre doesn't have CL and they're going to have to overpay both in fee and wages to get anybody considered world class. From a business standpoint I'm sure half the transfer that they could pull off don't even make any sense, and even the 2 signings don't look like good business at the moment. In the years to come they may but they just paid for potential, not actual ability. It's all going to come down to whether Rooney, Mata and RvP can replicate their form from 2 years ago otherwise I don't see this year being all that much different other than a bit better points total and a Europa League place.
 
Springbok

Springbok

Karen
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Pretty fucking pumped for tomorrow. Aliexpress delivered the new kit yesterday, and like the World Cup kits its really well done. $17 delivered.
 
Brando

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Nice! I've been holding off on getting a new one for this year as I'm not sure if I want the yellow away kit or the 3rd kit.
 
P

PKS

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They should overpay though, but they are stalling. If they have the money, and they should barring Glazers not allowing it, it's vital that they do spend because another finish outside of the top 4 would cost the club big time.
 
Brando

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Even though ManU makes a ton of money they aren't Abramovich or the oil sheikhs were money basically doesn't matter and you can just make up more bullshit sponsorship deals or sell off the best youth players in Europe for further funds. There is no guarentee that just adding Vidal or Rojo would even get top 4 and if you don't and spend the type of money it will take to get them, especially Vidal, then you're going to be fucked.

Edit: In thinking about it further I think Woodward and ManU as a whole fucked up in talking about how much money they had to spend. They're targeting some of the best players in the world at their respective position and of course any player and their agent is going to want to take advantage of that. Vidal and Juve are stalling as they know ManU is going to have to pay way over the odds if they want him, Herrera is no where good as Vidal at the moment and you think Juve would take less money? Same thing with Hummels, if Luiz is worth 40m why would Dortmund sell him for anywhere short of that? Rojo at 25m is a joke, he's no where that good and I would bet Sporting would drive him to Carrington themselves at that price but in the end that's what you're going to have to pay. Then you have the contracts which if top 4 is not attained and the sponsorship payments are then cut you're just fucked.

I don't see LFC outside the top 4, I really believe that we will again challenge for the title. Even if the worst were to happen and we were out of the top 4 we wouldn't be having to offload players due to that, more the concern would be retaining Sterling and Coutinho who are at that level and will only continue to improve.
 
Springbok

Springbok

Karen
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Ya, if Sterling continues to progress at the pace he has been I can definitely see a Real/Bayern/Barca interest in the next couple of years. Maybe not yet, but sometime soon. He's still a kid.

For Manc, Woodward seems to be one of the big issues here - United had issues last summer getting their targets just off the back of winning the league, so I don't believe everything that has gone wrong this xfer window (so far) is down to missing CL. Seems to be something fundamentally wrong internally when a club of Uniteds size/resources has issues bringing in key targets. Still time, but I think Vidals odds of moving shrink by the day.
 
Brando

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Sterling is Jamaican/English so I would be pretty surprised if he left if we were challenging for the PL/CL titles assuming he gets paid accordingly. Coutinho on the other hand I could see eventually moving to Barca/Real but hopefully not for another 4-5 after he's won us a shit load of trophies. I don't think people realize how good he is going to be this year.

Edit: Here's Coutinho just vs. Dortmund

 
Maul

Maul

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Untill he gets injured, both Sterling and Coutinho aren't exactly the most hardy of players, Sturridge also. I think you are vastly underestimating the loss of Suarez, especially since you have spent 100million on really very average players this window.

The problem at united is the Glazers, fucking Americans have caused us to spend 700million on debt repayments so far. No doubt Woodward is incompetent, who even knows is the huge amount of funds are available to spend like he claims (what idiot says this anyway). "Only Arsenal, of those English clubs to have competed in the Champions League during the Glazer era, have spent less than United". Which isn't bad considering the amount of trophies won in this period, however the squad is a shadow of itself and needs significant investment now. We will see what happens in the next few weeks and the January window, don't forget Liverpool lost last week 3-1 to this crappy squad as well (and Liverpool played a full strength available team).

What I do know is the friendly results under LVG compared to the ones under Moyes means that this season couldn't possibly be as bad as last. Not to mention the football being played is more fluid and skillful.

No ones going to beat Chelsea to the title this year regardless, their squad is just too strong, even with Mourinhos brand of snoozefest football.

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LVG
Man Utd 7-0 LA Galaxy
Man Utd 3-2 Roma
Man Utd 0-0 Inter (won 5-3 on penalties)
Man Utd 3-1 Real Madrid
Man Utd 3-1 Liverpool

Moyes
Man Utd 0-1 Singha All-Star XI
Man Utd 5-1 A-League All Stars
Man Utd 2-3 Yokohama F Marinos
Man Utd 2-2 Cerezo Osaka
Man Utd 5-2 Kitchee
Man Utd 1-1 AIK
Man Utd 1-3 Sevilla

The different a decent Manager has is not to be underestimated. Moyes could never have achieved those results against the quality of opposition.
 
Brando

Asshat Brando

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I thought you were changing Maul, alas I guess that's not to be. Sterling has never been injured, Coutinho was only injured at LFC when Ashley Williams kicked the shit out of him though Sturridge is probably a good candidate for an injury at some point. And no, the game in Miami actually featured a squad that you'll almost start to a T tomorrow vs. Swansea while our lineup vs. Southampton will have 3 if not 4 changes in comparison while still without Lallana, Markovic and Moreno.

As I've already said, I'm done trying to explain why we won't fold without Suarez. Think what you want, even the signings as well but I would bet by the end of the season you'll look at what we spent vs. you spent and wish you had signed 2-3 if not more of the players we did at reasonable prices. Have fun with Vidal's bum knee at whatever god forsaken price you end up having to pay as everybody knows your desperate as shit now. Blackett and James starting tomorrow? LOL.
 
Elerion

Elerion

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There's no putting aside the fact that Liverpool have bought talent, not proven A-list material. None of the players we have signed would start for Bayern/Barca/Real/City/Chelsea. If even 3 of them live up to their potential it would be a great summer of signings, but you never know. Aside from the striker problem, I'm satisfied with the summer's transfers. Promising players with top flight experience to broaden the squad was just what we needed for the long term. Will it be enough for a top 4? I hope so.

Of course, only Chelsea and Arsenal have bought true world class established players this summer. I've never seen Mangala play, but considering he was benched in favour of Sakho in the World Cup I'm guessing he's not amazing right now.
 
faille

faille

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Are there any good site for tipping we can setup a league for? Is tipping even something people are interested in?
 
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