The European Football Season 15/16
- Thread starter hux
- Start date
You're right, not a really significant game, but I think from a psychological perspective Arsenal beating Chelsea was important.
It feels a little like Chelsea have rested on their laurels from last season. They still seem to be lacking any real depth up front.
I'm a Derby fan so the Championship is my main focus. Hopefully it'll be an interesting season and the Premier League will be more of a contest than it was last year. The quality of football is very different, but the championship was exciting and intriguing pretty much right to the wire, and unlike the Prem it does almost feel like any team can snatch promotion, whereas the Prem the title is limited to three or four teams and the best anyone else can hope for is avoiding relegation or having a decent cup run...or getting into Europe, which for a lot of the smaller clubs seems to be the kiss of death given how many games the ridiculous Europa league entails. They should just take it back to being a straight knockout contest.
Who'd you support Hux?
It feels a little like Chelsea have rested on their laurels from last season. They still seem to be lacking any real depth up front.
I'm a Derby fan so the Championship is my main focus. Hopefully it'll be an interesting season and the Premier League will be more of a contest than it was last year. The quality of football is very different, but the championship was exciting and intriguing pretty much right to the wire, and unlike the Prem it does almost feel like any team can snatch promotion, whereas the Prem the title is limited to three or four teams and the best anyone else can hope for is avoiding relegation or having a decent cup run...or getting into Europe, which for a lot of the smaller clubs seems to be the kiss of death given how many games the ridiculous Europa league entails. They should just take it back to being a straight knockout contest.
Who'd you support Hux?
Man United.
We've bought some decent midfielders but still need a Centre back and a striker. Van Ghaal apparently says he definitely isn't buying another centre back
I expect there will be some big signings as the transfer deadline gets closer though.
Liverpool have brought in some good players but I still don't see them winning the league (or even finishing in the top four).
We've bought some decent midfielders but still need a Centre back and a striker. Van Ghaal apparently says he definitely isn't buying another centre back
I expect there will be some big signings as the transfer deadline gets closer though.
Liverpool have brought in some good players but I still don't see them winning the league (or even finishing in the top four).
Man United.
We've bought some decent midfielders but still need a Centre back and a striker. Van Ghaal apparently says he definitely isn't buying another centre back
I expect there will be some big signings as the transfer deadline gets closer though.
Liverpool have brought in some good players but I still don't see them winning the league (or even finishing in the top four).
VG's attitude to the centre of defence seems to be that if he can't get someone world class he'll stick with what he's got even though it's probably not up to top four standards. I imagine Utd will sign another striker.
We should probably do some predictions so everyone can come back in May and laugh!
Pedro could be on his way. We'll see
England top four
1 - Chelsea
2 - Man United
3 - Arsenal
4 - Man City
Relegation (slightly predictable)
18 - Norwich
19 - Watford
20 - Bournemouth
FA Cup
Man United
Champions League
Barcelona or Chelsea
Draw for the Champions League qualifiers
Man United Vs Club Brugge
Celtic Vs Malmo
Lazio Vs B Leverkusen
Valencia Vs Monaco
Sporting Lisbon Vs CSKA Moscow
Rapid Vienna Vs Shaktar Donetsk
Astana Vs Apoel
Skenderbeu Vs Dinamo Zagreb
Basel Vs Maccabi Tel Aviv
BATE Borisov Vs Partizan Belgrade
Happy with that.
Valencia, Leverkusen, Lazio and Monaco fans probably less happy.
Man United Vs Club Brugge
Celtic Vs Malmo
Lazio Vs B Leverkusen
Valencia Vs Monaco
Sporting Lisbon Vs CSKA Moscow
Rapid Vienna Vs Shaktar Donetsk
Astana Vs Apoel
Skenderbeu Vs Dinamo Zagreb
Basel Vs Maccabi Tel Aviv
BATE Borisov Vs Partizan Belgrade
Happy with that.
Valencia, Leverkusen, Lazio and Monaco fans probably less happy.
Top of the Prem(I was close to swapping Liverpool and Man City given Pellagrini appears to be a dead man walking for the next season)
1 Arsenal
2 Chelsea
3 Man Utd
4 Man City
5 Liverpool
Bottom of the Prem. I actually think one of the promoted teams will stay up just as Leicester did this year, it’s tempting to go for Bournemouth but Watford did so well last year despite having a ridiculous number of manager that I’m going to gamble on them. Of the non-promoted teams several stick out, including West Ham(teams that get rid of Alladyce usually get relegated within a couple of seasons) and Sunderland, but I just have a funny feeling about WBA. Pulis is a good manager, but he’s the wrong fit for the club.
18 West Brom
19 Bournmouth
20 Norwich
League Cup- Aston Villa
FA Cup- Man Utd
Champions league – Chelsea
Top of the Championship
1 Middlesboro
2 Derby County
3 Birmingham City
4 Brighton & Hove Albion
5 Hull
6 Bristol City
Man City are sniffing around De Bruyne.
All the more reason for it to be on the cards. I was gonna say Leicester but I think Ranieri is a decent manager then I thought Sunderland but they can't possibly have another stinker. Honestly, it could be any of seven or eight teams.
I've gone from an occasional attendee and keen armchair fan to not knowing the names of any of the players in the team I've supported for around 40 years.
I realised how far out of love I've fallen with the club game when seeing this thread reminded me the season is nearly upon us, and I got a sinking feeling...
I realised how far out of love I've fallen with the club game when seeing this thread reminded me the season is nearly upon us, and I got a sinking feeling...
PSG managed to keep up with Lille and win 1-0 today despite playing a man down for most of the match due to a couple of yellow cards that turned into a red card.
I'll be watching a lot of EPL and Bundesliga this year thanks to NBC Sports and FOX. No way I'm paying the $20 a month for Fox Soccer Plus though.
Go Everton and Wolfsburg!
I'll be watching a lot of EPL and Bundesliga this year thanks to NBC Sports and FOX. No way I'm paying the $20 a month for Fox Soccer Plus though.
Go Everton and Wolfsburg!
Ditto, and Arsenal lost yesterday as well. Hard to judge anything for a few weeks yet.
We started very average with an away draw and a clean sheet which I'd have been happier with if we hadn't lost Hughes to injury in the first half. Looks like he might be out for the season
We started very average with an away draw and a clean sheet which I'd have been happier with if we hadn't lost Hughes to injury in the first half. Looks like he might be out for the season
Good win for Liverpool. Arsenal continue to suck despite many tipping them for the title (hopefully Czech's terrible display will shut up all those people saying that he was the final missing piece of the jigsaw).
Interesting non-European football story. Hooliganism in New York derby.
Interesting non-European football story. Hooliganism in New York derby.
Aston Villa Vs Man United (7:45pm)
Playing on a Friday night because the police are worried about an EDL march tomorrow? Hmm, ok.
Interesting to listen to Schweinsteiger speak. Does everyone on the mainland speak fluent English? He even pronounced it Munich rather than München. Seems like a nice chap (for a German) but I don't think he's more than 75% fit.
Playing on a Friday night because the police are worried about an EDL march tomorrow? Hmm, ok.
Interesting to listen to Schweinsteiger speak. Does everyone on the mainland speak fluent English? He even pronounced it Munich rather than München. Seems like a nice chap (for a German) but I don't think he's more than 75% fit.
