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***Official Soccer Discussion Thread*** (2 Viewers)

Biggest cluster of a transfer window I can recall.  Everyone wants to do something but no one can get anything over the line.  Either a lot is about to happen, or it’s true that the transfer market is a bit broken.  

Either way I’ll give you my rankings Friday. Unless City sign Neymar, the top will be red

 
Congrats I guess to Esperance de Tunis who were declared African Champions League winners.  As expected, the replay of the abandoned match in May never took place and EST won the title in a conference room.

 
guru_007 said:
Manchester United.  I could probably go on for hours about this side.  I was 100% on board with bringing Mourinho in.  Luke Shaw is in the dog house because he isn’t fit, everyone complains.  Who is the slowest person on United as of today?  Luke Shaw, slower than Mata even.  Tells the board he needs a CB to bolster the defense, they don’t bring in anyone.  Who’s their biggest signing this transfer season?  Harry Maguire.  People complain that his pragmatic style hampered Pogba’s brilliance?  Now they are saying Pogba doesn’t try every game.  Maybe Mourinho wasn’t the problem at all.  I have very little faith in Ole as manager, hopefully he proves me wrong.  Truth be told, United is solid in midfield, and goal.  Should be solid in attack, albeit a bit thin – but that is where there best up and coming youth players will be filling in eventually.  Defense wins championships and they actually could be solid here again.  But it’s going to take awhile for them to find their best form imo. 
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I was never on board with Jose since the cycle was predictable and it was known what would happen.  However, he wasn't wrong in a lot of things. They did need a center back and reinforcements in other areas.  A lot of players didn't play up to their levels and play for the bdage/team.

He was also a problem though.  His management style is toxic and sadly a lot of today's baby divas can't and won't play for it. He never took the blame, he constantly threw players under the bus, complained about everything publicly. His reliance on slow, older players like Young, Matic, Fellaini and average players like Lingard were never going to get him to the top.  

Woodward is a major problem too.  I would have liked to see Bruno, SMS, and Dybala (or any of them) come in if they were excited too.  If they aren't or will only do it for the $$, then no thanks.  United have to stop allowing themselves to be used as leverage and linked to every player and be held ransom by the players weekly wage demands.  

Do they have the talent to compete for top 4?  Yes.  Top 2/title?  Probably not. But the goal this year should be to play complete games all season at the levels we saw when Ole first came in.  Get the youth integrated into the team.  Sell the dead weight.  Get the winter and next summer windows right.  Get into the top 4 and win Europa.  Win the title next year.  

 
B Maverick said:
I was never on board with Jose since the cycle was predictable and it was known what would happen.  However, he wasn't wrong in a lot of things. They did need a center back and reinforcements in other areas.  A lot of players didn't play up to their levels and play for the bdage/team.

He was also a problem though.  His management style is toxic and sadly a lot of today's baby divas can't and won't play for it. He never took the blame, he constantly threw players under the bus, complained about everything publicly. His reliance on slow, older players like Young, Matic, Fellaini and average players like Lingard were never going to get him to the top.  

Woodward is a major problem too.  I would have liked to see Bruno, SMS, and Dybala (or any of them) come in if they were excited too.  If they aren't or will only do it for the $$, then no thanks.  United have to stop allowing themselves to be used as leverage and linked to every player and be held ransom by the players weekly wage demands.  

Do they have the talent to compete for top 4?  Yes.  Top 2/title?  Probably not. But the goal this year should be to play complete games all season at the levels we saw when Ole first came in.  Get the youth integrated into the team.  Sell the dead weight.  Get the winter and next summer windows right.  Get into the top 4 and win Europa.  Win the title next year.  
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I don't get your dislike for Matic, you've mentioned him several times as being a problem area but imo he's been a solid defensive mid fielder for you guys.

 
CGRdrJoe said:
I don't get your dislike for Matic, you've mentioned him several times as being a problem area but imo he's been a solid defensive mid fielder for you guys.
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I'm a fan too... but he's become like caillou, imo. smart, good player who's loss of step gets in the way of the team if there isn't somebody there to help (at least matic has long legs to reach in to tackles where he's slow to get to). if he has other slow guys around him- no good.

 
Not quite Purple Dildo level - but SpursCommunity just spent 12 pages of a thread tracking a plane from Seville to London's Stansted Airport on a hunch that the plane has Lo Celso on board...

Looks like Sessegnon will also be announced tomorrow.

On less positive news, Dybala played in a friendly for Juventus today - seems like a move is not imminent.

 
just saw Bojan joined Montreal... could be an interesting signing. lots of upside... but also disappears completely from games. 

 
Sinn Fein said:
Not quite Purple Dildo level - but SpursCommunity just spent 12 pages of a thread tracking a plane from Seville to London's Stansted Airport on a hunch that the plane has Lo Celso on board...

Looks like Sessegnon will also be announced tomorrow.

On less positive news, Dybala played in a friendly for Juventus today - seems like a move is not imminent.
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from goal.com... I don't think see any equivocation there...

Tottenham have reached a deal to sign Real Betis midfielder Giovani Lo Celso in a deal worth €60 million (£55.4m/$67.4m).

Goal can confirm that the Spanish outfit are set to announce the Argentinainternational's departure on Wednesday evening after a breakthrough was made in the negotiations between the two clubs.

Lo Celso, who was pulled out of Betis' squad for their friendly with Las Palmas on Wednesday, has been a target of Tottenham's all summer after his impressive loan spell from Paris Saint-Germain last season.
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That's some good business for Real Betis ffs. 

They had him on loan from PSG for a year with an option to buy.  Guess they liked what they saw and said okay and paid $25M on 7/1

Sell him to Spurs for $65M or so on 8/7.  

 
guru_007 said:
That's some good business for Real Betis ffs. 

They had him on loan from PSG for a year with an option to buy.  Guess they liked what they saw and said okay and paid $25M on 7/1

Sell him to Spurs for $65M or so on 8/7.  
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They knew they were selling to Spurs before they picked up the option.  They bought Fekir earlier this summer to replace Lo Celso on the team.

Part of the reason the negotiations took so long - PSG had a 20% sell-on clause, which reduced the money Betis made on the deal - so they wanted to make sure they actually made a decent profit on the deal.

In the end it was a game of chicken - Betis could not afford to keep him, Spurs could not afford to not sign him - with both parties floating stories of alternatives, and both teams were probably full of crap.

ETA - hearing now that Lo Celso deal is actually going to be a loan with an option to buy - which has the effect of lowering the purchase price (and fee owed to PSG).

 
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23:26 left until silly season ends.  Can't believe Liverpool truly appears to be signing zero players.

Sane - Mahrez - Jesus vs Brewster - Origi - Shaqiri in reserve is  :cry: :X :penalty:

 
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Sinn Fein said:
I am sure they did - but I thought the 16-yo was a big deal - might have played with the 1st team in pre-season (not that he is expecting to play this year, just that it was not a random 16-yo)
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He played with the U-21 team today at Oldham.  Same with the 17yo Dutch defender.  As it stands today the only signing that will be in the 1st-choice 18 on match day is Adrian -- and hopefully he never sees the pitch.

 
Sinn Fein said:
You never know...Coutinho is still available...
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Obviously the price they got for him was astronomical, and you can't really stop him from going in any event, but I suspect Klopp was happy to sell.  Coutinho isn't enough of a dog on defense to play midfield in Klopp's system and doesn't have the pace to play wing.  He's a nice player, but he's without a natural home in a 4-3-3 IMO (which is sort of what caught up with him at Barca as well).  I don't think they'll bring him back even on a loan.

Maybe Brewster's the real deal and they're better off up front than I think they are, but right now I expect they'll really suffer if Mane, Salah or Robertson were to miss time.

 
Dinsy Ejotuz said:
23:26 left until silly season ends.  Can't believe Liverpool truly appears to be signing zero players.

Sane - Mahrez - Jesus vs Brewster - Origi - Shaqiri in reserve is  :cry: :X :penalty:
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Not to put too harsh a light on it - but rumors are that Sane might have an ACL injury.

I do expect Liverpool to "struggle" this season with 7, now 6, competitions, and with several players getting limited pre-season.  The good news for Liverpool, is that I don't see the teams below them making up much ground - so "struggle" is a relative term.

 
Sinn Fein said:
I do expect Liverpool to "struggle" this season with 7, now 6, competitions, and with several players getting limited pre-season.  
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Definitely hoping they run out the reserves for the League Cup, the Super Cup and whatever stupid tourney FIFA ginned up this time.  

Rest the starters in everything except the EPL, CL and FA Cup.  It could be the 2nd or 3rd league game before everyone's available as it stands.

 
Dinsy Ejotuz said:
Sinn Fein said:
I do expect Liverpool to "struggle" this season with 7, now 6, competitions, and with several players getting limited pre-season.  
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Definitely hoping they run out the reserves for the League Cup, the Super Cup and whatever stupid tourney FIFA ginned up this time.  

Rest the starters in everything except the EPL, CL and FA Cup.  It could be the 2nd or 3rd league game before everyone's available as it stands.
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Liverpool's U21s lost tonight to League 2 Oldham in their opening EFL Trophy group game.

 
🙂

ETA - FBG ruining transfer deadline day, by not allowing the eggplant emoji...

I made the mistake of waking up at 6, checking my phone, pissing off Mrs. SF, and watching Spurs deadline day deals collapse in the space of about 30 minutes...

 
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Just saw this

"Can we all take a moment and give a round of applause for Liverpool football club. Chelsea got the transfer ban but they are serving it for them. This is what football is all about."

 
Seeing rumors of CCV off to Stoke on a permanent deal.

Stoke close in on Spurs defender

Ian Dennis

Radio 5 live senior football reporter

Hearing Spurs defender Cameron Carter Vickers is heading to Stoke City. Fee about £6m pounds. Lots of interest from Championship clubs.

 
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I'm actually disappointed sideshow bob left chelsea- was counting on him feeding CP a ton of great through balls.

but yeah- that coif duo is going to be sublime. just need :fro:  to sign and the holy trinity of hair would be complete. where is felony these days? 

 
El Floppo said:
dybala would've been amazing though. nice to have dreams.

speaking of dreams...

West Brom have signed Charlie Austin from Southampton on a two-year deal.
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Shades of JayRod. The Guardian's preview listed Charlie Football as one of the payroll drains on Soton (Fraser Forster, Mario Lemina and Guido Carillo the others) but he was always a fun player to watch for me.

 
CGRdrJoe said:
I don't get your dislike for Matic, you've mentioned him several times as being a problem area but imo he's been a solid defensive mid fielder for you guys.
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El Floppo said:
I'm a fan too... but he's become like caillou, imo. smart, good player who's loss of step gets in the way of the team if there isn't somebody there to help (at least matic has long legs to reach in to tackles where he's slow to get to). if he has other slow guys around him- no good.
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Sadly this is not a bad comparison. Matic slows the game down way too much, his range of passing is poor and he is def losing a step.  The mistake vs Milan that lead to the goal is exactly what is expected of him.  

If United is going to play a faster pace or counter attacking style and higher pressure game, he is not a good option. 

 
El Floppo said:
I'm actually disappointed sideshow bob left chelsea- was counting on him feeding CP a ton of great through balls.

but yeah- that coif duo is going to be sublime. just need :fro:  to sign and the holy trinity of hair would be complete. where is felony these days? 
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throwing elbows for Chinese club Shandong Luneng Taishan.  I wonder if he has won any headers there yet?

 
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