Football 2015/16

[Wooderson]

Wales won't get a better chance of a finals appearance in a LONG time. Same of course also the case for Ireland.

[pink_triangle]

Wales won't get a better chance of a finals appearance in a LONG time. Same of course also the case for Ireland.

And Austria and Serbia!

[Wooderson]

And Austria and Serbia!

Most certainly!!!

[Gucci Piggy]

So Di Maria out and Pedro in

[Wooderson]

Always said Di Maria was a waste of money.

[The Nal]

Jose and Rafa don't like each other much do they?

[ThomThomDrum]

Seems Montserrat Seara (Rafas Mrs) caught herself a whopper!!!

 

Edited July 29, 2015 by ThomThomDrum

[mrtourette]

I'm sensing (hoping) that West ham have the potential to take the mantle from Newcastle this season.

[eFestivals]

So ... Di Maria looks like matching Andy Carrol for a fuck of a lot of wasted money.

[ThomThomDrum]

So ... Di Maria looks like matching Andy Carrol for a fuck of a lot of wasted money.

 

If its a done deal for £44m, as the reports suggest then he was slightly less a waste of money..................but just

[eFestivals]

If its a done deal for £44m, as the reports suggest then he was slightly less a waste of money..................but just

 

latest reports I've seen are saying £40M - tho perhaps the £4M difference is some add-ons.

[thetime]

Yeah looks like 44m.

With di Maria, nani, rvp, falcao gone United have saved themselves 47m approx per year in wages.

Quite crazy really.

[eFestivals]

Yeah looks like 44m.

With di Maria, nani, rvp, falcao gone United have saved themselves 47m approx per year in wages.

Quite crazy really.

 

there's rumours that Ashley Young might be off too, and Jonny Evans. That's one hell of a quick destruction of fergie's players!

 

If I were a Utd fan I'd be worried. Huge spends last summer for little good effect, and huge spends this summer too and on players which on-paper look inferior, to play for an unconvincing manager.

 

I'd say there's about equal chances at this moment in time of Utd going badly from their changes as there is of Liverpool going better - tho of course that could change via what we get to see in their first respective matches.

 

(I don't have huge faith in Rodgers to get Liverpool going well, but neither do I have greater faith in LvG despite his record, just so it's clear).

[zahidf]

there's rumours that Ashley Young might be off too, and Jonny Evans. That's one hell of a quick destruction of fergie's players!

 

If I were a Utd fan I'd be worried. Huge spends last summer for little good effect, and huge spends this summer too and on players which on-paper look inferior, to play for an unconvincing manager.

 

I'd say there's about equal chances at this moment in time of Utd going badly from their changes as there is of Liverpool going better - tho of course that could change via what we get to see in their first respective matches.

 

(I don't have huge faith in Rodgers to get Liverpool going well, but neither do I have greater faith in LvG despite his record, just so it's clear).

 

I dunno, Schnederlin, Depay and Schweinsteiger are good signings, and if they get Pedro, then i'd say the transfer window has been good for them

[Gucci Piggy]

Not if they lose De Gea and go into the season with Romero in goal with Jones and Blind at CB ahead of him.

Van Gaal's being weird again so far this pre-season. Jones and Blind at CB with Smalling on the bench, Herrera benched again, Depay at number 10 with Mata on the wing.

[eFestivals]

I dunno, Schnederlin, Depay and Schweinsteiger are good signings, and if they get Pedro, then i'd say the transfer window has been good for them

 

the two S's are defo the sort of players they've been missing, and both of those are highly likely to come good ... tho I've read a fair amount of comment that Schweinsteiger's best days are gone (no idea how true that might be).

 

Depay is much like all other bought-from-Europe transfers, a bit iffy to whether it comes good or not. A year ago Di Maria and Falcao were hailed as good, don't forget.

 

Utd are now short up front and if they loose DdG they'll also be short at the back. It's not like they've a defence to keep the pressure off the goalie.

 

I'm not writing them off tho, don't get me wrong. I'm just not convinced that what they've done is necessarily going to have them match last season, let alone surpass it - but from the other side I don't think winning the league would be impossible for them either (tho I do think that's at the more unlikely end of things).

 

I'm just not convinced.

[eFestivals]

PS: the - on-paper - advantage I see Liverpool having with their signings so far is that their most major one (Benteke) is Prem-familiar, and so likely to go well and be up to speed from the off .... tho back against that is that I don't really see how he fits with the other players they have; then again he's been a long-time Rodgers target and not a last-minute panic buy, so I guess this is where we find out how much Rodgers really knows (or not).

Edited July 31, 2015 by eFestivals

[Gucci Piggy]

It's not that Schweinsteiger's best days are behind him, he just doesn't stay fit anymore. Played like 20 games in all competitions last year because that's all he was available for. I assume he'll just rotate with Carrick though so should be fine.

[kaosmark2]

I don't think Benteke suits Liverpool at all. Looks to me like a plan B signing, or a desperate move. Firminho seems a lot better to me.

 

Man U's signings look to me like the players they need. I think it's a shame about Di Maria, clearly a talented player and he showed it in his first few weeks in the Prem. The Real question of how long they keep De Gea and who replaces him is the big one.

[eFestivals]

I don't think Benteke suits Liverpool at all. Looks to me like a plan B signing, or a desperate move. Firminho seems a lot better to me.

I agree with your take on both players, but it's not a plan B, apparently. It's who Rodgers really wanted within the players he's realistically likely to get.

Man U's signings look to me like the players they need. I think it's a shame about Di Maria, clearly a talented player and he showed it in his first few weeks in the Prem. The Real question of how long they keep De Gea and who replaces him is the big one.

I don't much disagree with this either - tho there's often a bit of a difference between what a club thinks they'll get from a player to what they actually get. Utd were still struggling at the end of last season to fit in the new players they'd got last summer, so I wouldn't be surprised to see much the same happen.

[thetime]

It's not like they've a defence to keep the pressure off the goalie.

Isn't that the whole point of signing schweinseiger and shneiderlin?

So that the defence/goalkeeper are not as exposed as last season, its one of the areas that was missing and has been filled. De Gea head has well and truly gone if last night's game is anything to go by.

Still 2 players short to challenge for the title, still need a CB and a support striker for Rooney.

[thetime]

Not if they lose De Gea and go into the season with Romero in goal with Jones and Blind at CB ahead of him.

Van Gaal's being weird again so far this pre-season. Jones and Blind at CB with Smalling on the bench, Herrera benched again, Depay at number 10 with Mata on the wing.

Isn't pre season all about trying new things(with fitness) out see if they work? Depay isn't at United to play as a winger. I would of thought that was clear as they're maybe signing Pedro, also having young.

I would say United's best signing has been darmian, he looks a player and another position filled.

[thetime]

Anyway there's rumour United will be unveiling a biggy tomorrow, of course that is all rumour so we will see.

The £750m contract with adidas is unveiled tomorrow, so we will see.

[eFestivals]

Isn't that the whole point of signing schweinseiger and shneiderlin?

So that the defence/goalkeeper are not as exposed as last season, its one of the areas that was missing and has been filled. De Gea head has well and truly gone if last night's game is anything to go by.

Still 2 players short to challenge for the title, still need a CB and a support striker for Rooney.

 

I think those two in the middle should be a big improvement to Utd's all-round game. I've been saying for at least 2 years that players like those for that position was what you needed (surely you remember?).

 

I'm on about your actual defenders. They got exposed a lot last season and often showed themselves not up to it, but your goalie bailed them out. They shouldn't be so exposed but players will still get at them and there's perhaps not a goalie to bail them out - so it could end up worse.

 

I'm not trying to say they (or Utd) are crap and there's sensible reasons to hopeful of improvements in the coming season from the last one ... but there's also plenty of reasons to be nervous that it won't go as you might hope.

[eFestivals]

Anyway there's rumour United will be unveiling a biggy tomorrow, of course that is all rumour so we will see.

The £750m contract with adidas is unveiled tomorrow, so we will see.

 

there's been rumours of a striker - and you probably need one, too.

 

Is it Lorente that's been the main rumour, or am I confused with something else?