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***Official Soccer Discussion Thread*** (11 Viewers)

Ok Leicester, 5 point lead...

Swansea possibly the first must win of the season for you...

 
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If I was Arsenal, Chelsea, or ManU, I'd be a tad worried about City w Pep, Tott w pochettino and LIV w Klopp.

I think the "big four" is no more.

 
shader said:
If I was Arsenal, Chelsea, or ManU, I'd be a tad worried about City w Pep, Tott w pochettino and LIV w Klopp.

I think the "big four" is no more.
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Man City have a lot of dead weight to cut and (presumably) a lot of players they'll need to bring in.  I don't think that's so easily accomplished in the FFP era. 

 
Ramsay Hunt Experience said:
Man City have a lot of dead weight to cut and (presumably) a lot of players they'll need to bring in.  I don't think that's so easily accomplished in the FFP era. 
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I'd put City as the favorites entering next season - assuming everyone stays healthy through the summer.  I think people forget how invincible they looked at the start of the season, before Aguero got hurt, before deBruyne got hurt, before Kompany got hurt,  etc (admittedly they still have to stay healthy next season).

 
Sinn Fein said:
I'd put City as the favorites entering next season - assuming everyone stays healthy through the summer.  I think people forget how invincible they looked at the start of the season, before Aguero got hurt, before deBruyne got hurt, before Kompany got hurt,  etc (admittedly they still have to stay healthy next season).
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Toure is definitely gone.  Word is that Pep doesn't rate Kompany (and his injury history means they can't rely on him anymore anyway).  I'm not sure either fullback fits Pep's platonic ideal.  Navas and Bony certainly don't.  Its not that City is a bad team.  They clearly aren't.  But they're not built like a Pep team.  I'm sure he'll love working with Kun and de Bruyne, but you're already hearing that Gundogan is being brought in (who has his own injury issues).  I just think there's a lot of tearing down to do. 

 
Sinn Fein said:
I'd put City as the favorites entering next season - assuming everyone stays healthy through the summer.  I think people forget how invincible they looked at the start of the season, before Aguero got hurt, before deBruyne got hurt, before Kompany got hurt,  etc (admittedly they still have to stay healthy next season).
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I'm not sure I could even pick a favorite.  There are more than half a dozen teams that could win it.

 
jonessed said:
I'm not sure I could even pick a favorite.  There are more than half a dozen teams that could win it.
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I don't think it will be that deep - particularly if Arsenal and Man United make managerial changes.  I think Spurs should obviously be a factor.  I think Klopp will have Liverpool in the mix - but I think Chelsea, United, and Arsenal could struggle to keep up.  I don't think Leicester will be in the mix.

 
Biggest move for Spurs this summer will be getting Pochettino signed to an extension.  Rumors are they have new contracts ready for Eriksen, Lamela, and Vertonghen.  Then Kane will get a new deal, maybe Alli and Dier too.

 
I'd love to think Liverpool will be in contention, but even if everything goes right they may not be there yet next year.

OTOH... 7-4-1 in the last dozen with the only loss being the Skrtel 45 minutes at Southampton.  And that's 3-4-0 in the seven games vs City, United, Spurs and Dortmund.

But I still don't think they'll be consistent enough.

 
shader said:
If I was Arsenal, Chelsea, or ManU, I'd be a tad worried about City w Pep, Tott w pochettino and LIV w Klopp.

I think the "big four" is no more.
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If Klopp gets some of his guys in I agree, all three of these will be challenging.   If Wenger stays 4th is locked up there.  

As for the others, be interesting to see how Chelsea respond with Conte.  Can West Ham build on this year?  Can Leicester mount a challenge when playing multiple fronts?

United, if they get rid of LVG and get the right manager, has the players to challenge.  They need a Center Back and a Center Mid (Someone to run the game like Keane or Scholes did)  at least.  

United 4-4-2

         Martial    Rashford

Memphis   "? CM"    Lingard (or other)

          Scheniderlin

CBJ   "?CD"  Smalling  Fosu-Mensa

         De Gea

Thats Tottenham young right there!

 
Just checked out the updated EPL title odds and was surprised to see it's still 65/35 Leicester.  Figured they'd still be favored but not that heavily.

 
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Sinn Fein said:
Biggest move for Spurs this summer will be getting Pochettino signed to an extension.  Rumors are they have new contracts ready for Eriksen, Lamela, and Vertonghen.  Then Kane will get a new deal, maybe Alli and Dier too.
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Let me ask about this:

I'm reading articles about former players giving advice on when Kane should make a move to Man U or another bigger club if they make a move for him.  So I figure that he must be at the end of his contract.  I look it up, and he is signed through 2020:  http://www.espnfc.us/tottenham-hotspur/story/2278029/harry-kane-signs-new-tottenham-hotspur-contract-committing-him-until-2020

So tell me:  

Why would Tottenham sell him?

Why would they give him a new deal?  Is this simply because he has outplayed his last deal?

Does the player, even when under contract, have some leverage to control their destiny that I am unaware of?

I'll hang up and listen.

 
massraider said:
Let me ask about this:

I'm reading articles about former players giving advice on when Kane should make a move to Man U or another bigger club if they make a move for him.  So I figure that he must be at the end of his contract.  I look it up, and he is signed through 2020:  http://www.espnfc.us/tottenham-hotspur/story/2278029/harry-kane-signs-new-tottenham-hotspur-contract-committing-him-until-2020

So tell me:  

Why would Tottenham sell him?

Why would they give him a new deal?  Is this simply because he has outplayed his last deal?

Does the player, even when under contract, have some leverage to control their destiny that I am unaware of?

I'll hang up and listen.
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1.  Spurs won't sell him domestically.  He is huge - both on the pitch, and off as the-soon-to-be face of English football.  Plus he counts as a Home Grown -club-trained player which is a premium for any clubs in European competitions.

2.  Spurs have given him at least two new contracts in the past two years - as he has proven himself, first as a first team player, and second as a first team regular, and and England regular now also.  As top players go, he is still woefully underpaid - albeit for his age, he makes good money.

3.  Players have most of the leverage - even when under contract.  In this case, Kane's next contract should be in the £100K/week range.  What would happen is a club like United, who has a higher wage scale than Tottenham, would let Kane's agents know that they are willing to pay him £150K/week - huge bump from his current pay.  So the player then says I am not happy at my current club, and I could double my wages elsewhere - and then start to "act up" and force their way out of the club - for the sake of club harmony.

Kane is a bit different though.  He came through the Tottenham Academy, and is a local kid who has a real loyalty to the club.  Spurs are also a team on the rise - in years gone by, a move to United would be a big step up for a Spurs player, now its a pay raise, but not necessarily to a better club.  Spurs still have to show its loyalty to players like Kane - hence new contracts when they are earned, rather when they are running down.  Kane, for his part has happily signed new deals in teh past couple of years without much fuss - knowing that if he continued to play well, Spurs would continue to bump his wages.  

 
Sinn Fein said:
What would happen is a club like United, who has a higher wage scale than Tottenham, would let Kane's agents know that they are willing to pay him £150K/week - huge bump from his current pay.  So the player then says I am not happy at my current club, and I could double my wages elsewhere - and then start to "act up" and force their way out of the club - for the sake of club harmony.
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AKA "doing a Raheem"

 
Chelsea's U19s won their second consecutive UEFA Youth League title today, defeating PSG 2-1. Later this month, the CFC U18s play in their fifth consecutive FA Youth Cup final, this time against Man City, and are going for their 4th FAYC championship in 5 years.

 
Ramsay Hunt Experience said:
Toure is definitely gone.  Word is that Pep doesn't rate Kompany (and his injury history means they can't rely on him anymore anyway).  I'm not sure either fullback fits Pep's platonic ideal.  Navas and Bony certainly don't.  Its not that City is a bad team.  They clearly aren't.  But they're not built like a Pep team.  I'm sure he'll love working with Kun and de Bruyne, but you're already hearing that Gundogan is being brought in (who has his own injury issues).  I just think there's a lot of tearing down to do. 
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My good friend in Bavaria who is a Bayern fanatic and long time season ticket holder says Pep will have to bring in at least 8 or 9 new players, and it could take him 3 years to get the team he needs. 

 
CletiusMaximus said:
Chelsea's U19s won their second consecutive UEFA Youth League title today, defeating PSG 2-1. Later this month, the CFC U18s play in their fifth consecutive FA Youth Cup final, this time against Man City, and are going for their 4th FAYC championship in 5 years.

Clubs around Europe rejoice at the chance to sign these guys since they never make it to be full time Chelsea players 
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edited 

 
CletiusMaximus said:
Chelsea's U19s won their second consecutive UEFA Youth League title today, defeating PSG 2-1. Later this month, the CFC U18s play in their fifth consecutive FA Youth Cup final, this time against Man City, and are going for their 4th FAYC championship in 5 years.
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I look forward to these young stars of the future getting Chelsea's customary fast track into the first team.  

 
I don't see City challenging next season.  Too many personnel changes needed, plus Pep bringing a new system means they're two seasons away IMO.

 
I don't get why pep is leaving.  Makes no sense to me.  He's about to win the league and could win CL too.  A roster full of studs.  

 
Ian Thomas ‎@byIanThomas

Scoop from @dkaplanSBJ & I: MLS & league owners seeking to buy back Providence Equity's 25% stake in SUM

===============

Ian Thomas ‎@byIanThomas

Providence Equity acquired the 25% stake in SUM in '11 for 125-150m. Was suggested to me that stake could be worth 200m or more now.

===============

Ian Thomas ‎@byIanThomas

Second scoop in that story: MLS talking with lenders in regards to creating a league-wide credit facility akin to other NA pro leagues

===============

Ian Thomas ‎@byIanThomas

Still early stages on that facility so no specifics re: MLS. In say NHL, the facility allows teams to borrow at lower rates than otherwise

 
bentley said:
What is SUM?
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Soccer United Marketing.   They are the most important and powerful group in the country for the sport.  They basically saved MLS back when MLS was close to drowning when they purchased the English rights to WC2002 and then cut a deal with ESPN.

SUM is owned by people in MLS and US Soccer.

 
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DFB Pokal semi finals

Tuesday: Werder Bremen at Bayern München

Wednesday: Borussia Dortmund at Hertha Berlin

looks like ESPN Deportes if you have it, or online for both.

 
In more wonderful refereering David Villa was hauled down for a pk.  The player who hauled him down was Tyson Wahl.  The ref gave the red card to Michael Parkhurst who was not even in the area.

The league had to switch the red card after the fact so that the suspension would go to Wahl instead of Parkhurst.

 
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