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***Official Soccer Discussion Thread*** (9 Viewers)

Austin FC hired 20+ people today. All of them were from Columbus other than a couple local community outreach/marketing people who were already doing work for the team.

 
The dreaded double post.

Since I have the space, I’ll just say:

#### off Chelsea FC

You ain’t got no history

 
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charvik said:
Bundesliga (17 games)

Squad: 13, Starting eleven: 5, Substituted in: 6, On the bench: 2, Suspended: 0, Injured: 4

Only got the full 90 3 times.
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He has also played in 5 Champions League games as well, along with two cup games.  He started 4 of the Champions League games.

Considering he has been hurt, saying he is getting no games seems unreasonably harsh.  He is a regular squad player when healthy,  Sometimes starting, sometimes subs.   If you take out his injuries, he has only had very few no appearances.

 
NewlyRetired said:
He has also played in 5 Champions League games as well, along with two cup games.  He started 4 of the Champions League games.

Considering he has been hurt, saying he is getting no games seems unreasonably harsh.  He is a regular squad player when healthy,  Sometimes starting, sometimes subs.   If you take out his injuries, he has only had very few no appearances.
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Ok, fair enough, let’s say he shares the position. 

He is leaving and the 18 year old is valued higher.

what is the midfield at Chelsea looking like with him getting regular starts?

ETA: I really don’t care much about where he’s going, but I see how much his potential ability means for a lot of people following the USMNT. Maybe he will get the game time at Chelsea vs Dortmund? Maybe Sarri can develop him?

 
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charvik said:
what is the midfield at Chelsea looking like with him getting regular starts?
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he won't be there until summer so I am unsure what the team make up will be.  Hazard may or may not be there and the other two wide players are over 30.  

I am 100% sure he is going to get his initial chances at that high sale price, but then it will be up to his performance whether he plays more or not.

 
B Maverick said:
If you don't know, then no one can tell you!  I mean they aren't as bad as Liverpool or City but still.

I'm sure this was all covered earlier but:

Only reason to worry about CP to Chelsea is playing time.  If Hazard leaves then he should get first shot at the left side starter.  If Hazard stays, will he get meaningful minutes? I know the US plays him other spots but he always looked best to me on the left.

I didn't think he was a good fit at United, too many left sided players already. Not sure where else would be a good move.  Needs to play. Better if he is on a top team.
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He will get plenty of playing time at Vitesse.

 
B Maverick said:
If you don't know, then no one can tell you!  I mean they aren't as bad as Liverpool or City but still.

I'm sure this was all covered earlier but:

Only reason to worry about CP to Chelsea is playing time.  If Hazard leaves then he should get first shot at the left side starter.  If Hazard stays, will he get meaningful minutes? I know the US plays him other spots but he always looked best to me on the left.

I didn't think he was a good fit at United, too many left sided players already. Not sure where else would be a good move.  Needs to play. Better if he is on a top team.
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huh. I think of CP as being a right sided player for dortmund... and that when playing he'd slot immediately in for Pedro/Willian/Kante on the right at chelsea (moving those guys into the middle, ideally). anybody else know more specifics here? 

 
El Floppo said:
huh. I think of CP as being a right sided player for dortmund... and that when playing he'd slot immediately in for Pedro/Willian/Kante on the right at chelsea (moving those guys into the middle, ideally). anybody else know more specifics here? 
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Like NewlyRetired said, it's maybe too early, but I don't know that he'll get a guaranteed starting role either way. Maybe Chelsea takes a different approach under Sarri, I was more wondering if anyone is concerned about CP's development at Chelsea.

 
El Floppo said:
huh. I think of CP as being a right sided player for dortmund... and that when playing he'd slot immediately in for Pedro/Willian/Kante on the right at chelsea (moving those guys into the middle, ideally). anybody else know more specifics here? 
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I don't think anyone knows any specifics.  On Saturday against Nottingham Forest, with Pedro and Willian injured, Hudson-Odoi (18) started at left wing and Cheek started (out of position) on the right.  Ethan Ampadu (also 18) was in Kante's normal position at right midfielder.  When Cheek went out injured in the first half, Hazard came in and played left winger, with Hudson-Odoi moving to the right.  Odoi was very good, before and after the move.  Some say he may go to Bayern (unlikely). No one knows which if any of these guys will be around next season.  

 
charvik said:
Like NewlyRetired said, it's maybe too early, but I don't know that he'll get a guaranteed starting role either way. Maybe Chelsea takes a different approach under Sarri, I was more wondering if anyone is concerned about CP's development at Chelsea.
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oh- didn't mean to imply that he'll slot immediately into a starting spot... just that when he plays, that's where I figured he'd be playing- on the right. but I don't follow dortmund, so bmaverick could be dead on about this and CP playing on the left.

I'm not too worried about his development at Chelsea. I think he's good enough to get playing time, at the least in a rotation or sub role. as long as he's playing, he'll continue to develop IMO. I've given up underestimating the kid- he's got my complete respect and finally expectation for continued higher ceiling. he also said he likes their system and sarri's approach, so the tactical part should take care of itself. 

 
charvik said:
Like NewlyRetired said, it's maybe too early, but I don't know that he'll get a guaranteed starting role either way. Maybe Chelsea takes a different approach under Sarri, I was more wondering if anyone is concerned about CP's development at Chelsea.
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Of course there's no guaranteed starting role for him at Chelsea.  Who does that?  I think there's lots of concern about CP's development at Chelsea.  He could definitely flame out in the PL. Its a bold move.

 
El Floppo said:
oh- didn't mean to imply that he'll slot immediately into a starting spot... just that when he plays, that's where I figured he'd be playing- on the right. but I don't follow dortmund, so bmaverick could be dead on about this and CP playing on the left.

I'm not too worried about his development at Chelsea. I think he's good enough to get playing time, at the least in a rotation or sub role. as long as he's playing, he'll continue to develop IMO. I've given up underestimating the kid- he's got my complete respect and finally expectation for continued higher ceiling. he also said he likes their system and sarri's approach, so the tactical part should take care of itself. 
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So, he'll be happy for 1 year until Sarri gets replaced in the bi-annual Chelsea coaching carousel? ;)

 
CletiusMaximus said:
Of course there's no guaranteed starting role for him at Chelsea.  Who does that?  I think there's lots of concern about CP's development at Chelsea.  He could definitely flame out in the PL. Its a bold move.
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Kind of what I was getting at. I'd be concerned from a USMNT perspective, if he doesn't adapt. Then again, if he does, his development could sky rocket. Bold move indeed.

 
charvik said:
Kind of what I was getting at. I'd be concerned from a USMNT perspective, if he doesn't adapt. Then again, if he does, his development could sky rocket. Bold move indeed.
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I don't think its worth speculating or trying to crystal-ball this, although we're going to anyway.  For example, some might say Deandre Yedlin made a mistake moving to the PL from MLS, but today he's a regular player in the Premier League, even if it didn't work out for him at Spurs.  This is what Klinsmann wanted, for better or for worse - for these kids to challenge themselves. Even if he fails at Chelsea for one reason or another, at least he went for it and didn't allow himself to get complacent or settle in comfortably at a lower level.

 
psa - my favorite soccer t-shirt store is going out of business, has 50% off on remaining inventory.  I've bought 6-7 of their shirts for my kids over the years, one for myself.

www.whoareyadesigns.com

 
CletiusMaximus said:
charvik said:
Kind of what I was getting at. I'd be concerned from a USMNT perspective, if he doesn't adapt. Then again, if he does, his development could sky rocket. Bold move indeed.
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I don't think its worth speculating or trying to crystal-ball this, although we're going to anyway.  For example, some might say Deandre Yedlin made a mistake moving to the PL from MLS, but today he's a regular player in the Premier League, even if it didn't work out for him at Spurs.  This is what Klinsmann wanted, for better or for worse - for these kids to challenge themselves. Even if he fails at Chelsea for one reason or another, at least he went for it and didn't allow himself to get complacent or settle in comfortably at a lower level.
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like I mentioned a couple posts ago- I've given up underestimating the kid. 

and like we're all aware and discussed ad nauseum... there are very few clubs to move to that would be anything but sideways at best for him. I guess he could've stayed at dortmund- he was in an ok spot with regular playing time and a key figure on the team (even if starting wasn't happening as much this season) surrounded by high caliber talent and competing for the title. but I think he's capable of this move and after watching him go at England in the US friendly recently, I don't worry that he's up for it. and he's also only 20. and if he somehow "flames out" in the EPL, he'll still be a young profession in his early 20s, capable of moving elsewhere to reboot his career.

on the flipside, I like the upside for him here. say it works out and he continues his growth and palying time at chelsea... then it's onward and upward to a BM, RM, Barca type club... or part of helping Chelsea get back to and stay at that level.  

 
CletiusMaximus said:
I don't think its worth speculating or trying to crystal-ball this, although we're going to anyway.  For example, some might say Deandre Yedlin made a mistake moving to the PL from MLS, but today he's a regular player in the Premier League, even if it didn't work out for him at Spurs.  This is what Klinsmann wanted, for better or for worse - for these kids to challenge themselves. Even if he fails at Chelsea for one reason or another, at least he went for it and didn't allow himself to get complacent or settle in comfortably at a lower level.
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It's what we do... ;)  Always fun to try and "Football Manager" moves. It's January after all.

What do you make of the rest of Chelsea's business? Fabregas gone? CHO to Bayern?? Tons of rumors, both in an out.

 
fwiw, from an ESPN interview/article...

Christian Pulisic has admitted the fee Chelsea paid to sign him from Borussia Dortmund has him excited about moving to Stamford Bridge, and says it shows how much the Premier League giants want him at the club.

Last week, the 20-year-old midfielder completed a €64 million (£57.6m, $73.1m) deal to join the Blues in what was a record transaction for an American player.

"For them to do this and to want me this much I think yeah they must like me, at least a little bit," Pulisic said in an exclusive interview with ESPN FC's Raphael Honigstein.

Per the terms of the agreement, Pulisic won't join Chelsea until the summer though he insisted his mind is still set on playing with Dortmund, and not his new team.

"I've been here and playing with Dortmund the whole time and I've been focused here, but I'll be really excited once the time comes," said Pulisic.

"I'm really happy with my decision at the moment. I don't have any regrets. I'm really excited, but yeah. The best thing is I get to finish out a strong season here. After that, I can move on to this next step."

Once he moves to Stamford Bridge, Pulisic, who can play as an attacking midfielder or a wide forward, is unsure of what role he'll occupy in Sarri's team.

"I think they definitely see me in one of the wider areas, but I think they also know that I can play kind anywhere across the attack. So I'm ready for wherever I need to be filled in really."

Last week, Pulisic said Chelsea's brand of football under Sarri was a key factorin his decision to join Chelsea.

He explained why he believes his style and Sarri's are such a good fit.

"Yeah, I think just from watching the games that I have been able to catch this year I just see a system in how their wingers play," he said. "It's just a really good attacking, flowing system, and it's just football that I like to watch.

"I think they like to play out of the back, they're not afraid to play anywhere on the field and they're also very free once they get up the field. So it's just something that I like to see."

Pulisic, who has lost his starting place in Dortmund boss Lucien Favre's team over the last six months, acknowledged he won't be handed a place in the team despite the price Chelsea paid for him.

"Yeah, I mean it's going to be the first time obviously for me [in] clubs like this. I'd imagine when you first go in you have to go in and you earn the respect of the guys," he said. "I'm sure they're all great guys off the field, just like this team is and you got to go in and on the field you have to earn your spot.

"Every training, every game, any time I get the opportunity, just like here I have to take it and I have to prove to them that I'm worthy of being on the field and playing with that team. Once I get there then I'll just be fighting every single day and I'll be ready for it."
Click to expand...

 
charvik said:
It's what we do... ;)  Always fun to try and "Football Manager" moves. It's January after all.

What do you make of the rest of Chelsea's business? Fabregas gone? CHO to Bayern?? Tons of rumors, both in an out.
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Fabregas seems gone for certain. I've come to really love him as  player, and hope he does well at Monaco.  Maybe he can help them stay up.  Chelsea will need someone else to back up Jorginho, as there is no one else on the club that I know that plays that role.  There are several rumors on this, including Barella and Paredes.  I think Kante is going to continue to play the same role he's been playing, as crazy as that seems.

I don't think they are going to sell Hudson-Odoi. I've not seen anything remotely reliable on that and they need him right now.  He was their best player on Saturday.

They might loan Morata and buy a new #9. 

Chelsea will need to play much better in the second half to make top 4.

 
CletiusMaximus said:
Fabregas seems gone for certain. I've come to really love him as  player, and hope he does well at Monaco.  Maybe he can help them stay up.  Chelsea will need someone else to back up Jorginho, as there is no one else on the club that I know that plays that role.  There are several rumors on this, including Barella and Paredes.  I think Kante is going to continue to play the same role he's been playing, as crazy as that seems.

I don't think they are going to sell Hudson-Odoi. I've not seen anything remotely reliable on that and they need him right now.  He was their best player on Saturday.

They might loan Morata and buy a new #9. 

Chelsea will need to play much better in the second half to make top 4.
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I heard Cavani, but he's 32 this year, and why would he leave PSG? I haven't seen anything about any other forward.

All I've seen on Hudson-Odoi is that Bayern has made a third bid, and that he has handed in a transfer request? Not sure how reliable those rumors are though.

 
charvik said:
I heard Cavani, but he's 32 this year, and why would he leave PSG? I haven't seen anything about any other forward.

All I've seen on Hudson-Odoi is that Bayern has made a third bid, and that he has handed in a transfer request? Not sure how reliable those rumors are though.
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I saw that too... but wasn't really paying attention other than how it related to CP pre-transfer. probably from the daily mirror or some nonsense.

CletiusMaximus said:
Fabregas seems gone for certain. I've come to really love him as  player, and hope he does well at Monaco.  Maybe he can help them stay up.  Chelsea will need someone else to back up Jorginho, as there is no one else on the club that I know that plays that role.  There are several rumors on this, including Barella and Paredes.  I think Kante is going to continue to play the same role he's been playing, as crazy as that seems.

I don't think they are going to sell Hudson-Odoi. I've not seen anything remotely reliable on that and they need him right now.  He was their best player on Saturday.

They might loan Morata and buy a new #9. 

Chelsea will need to play much better in the second half to make top 4.
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it's insane to me that they feel the need to find back up for one of the best central holding/d mfs, when they have the best central holding/d mf in the world already on the roster. it's nice to be chelsea.

I've certainly heard the buzz about hudson-etc but never seen him play. has he had other first team experience? not to discount his abilities, but I feel like I've seen the story of the b-team youngster step into FA games against lower tier competition and have masterful performances before. is this kid a right-sided player? so england have him and sancho out there? or is sancho on the left? I still haven't figured out where CP plays for dortmund.

 
El Floppo said:
and he's also only 20. and if he somehow "flames out" in the EPL, he'll still be a young profession in his early 20s, capable of moving elsewhere to reboot his career.
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I like to think the absolute worst case is that he ends up like Adnan Januzaj and still ends up being one of the best USMNT players ever.

 
Some hard numbers to show MLS is finally getting around to allowing players to be sold.   Transfer fees received from sales of MLS players the last 2 seasons.  The 2018 number is still small from a world wide perspective but they have to start some where.

2017: $1.85 million

2018: $45.4 million

 
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charvik said:
I heard Cavani, but he's 32 this year, and why would he leave PSG? I haven't seen anything about any other forward.

All I've seen on Hudson-Odoi is that Bayern has made a third bid, and that he has handed in a transfer request? Not sure how reliable those rumors are though.
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I've read both these and don't believe either to have much behind it.  I'm not sure the specific significance of a transfer request, but he played 90 minutes on Saturday and will almost certainly play against Spurs tomorrow.  Player and coach are all saying the right things in the media.  His social media posts are all very positive. Kiss of death perhaps, but he seems set to stay at the club.

El Floppo said:
it's insane to me that they feel the need to find back up for one of the best central holding/d mfs, when they have the best central holding/d mf in the world already on the roster. it's nice to be chelsea.

I've certainly heard the buzz about hudson-etc but never seen him play. has he had other first team experience? not to discount his abilities, but I feel like I've seen the story of the b-team youngster step into FA games against lower tier competition and have masterful performances before. is this kid a right-sided player? so england have him and sancho out there? or is sancho on the left? I still haven't figured out where CP plays for dortmund.
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The Kante thing has been discussed and debated to death by the Chelsea bloggers and message boarders.  I think the situation is simply that he's not very good on the ball, never has been, and this manager needs a passer/creator in that Jorginho role.  Cesc was pretty good there.  Kante can't do that stuff - he's a disrupter.  He's the highest paid player on the team.  I've no idea what the plan is for him, but I hope they have one.

Hudson-Odoi is 18 and its true he's not really been tested against top level competition, other than some mop-up minutes.  The jury is way out on him imo, but he looks great against Nottingham Forest and Europa League defenders.  He can play right or left.

 
FC Cincy will be playing in the first game of the MLS season against Seattle.  MLS schedule was released today.    As we have long speculated, the soon to be short lived 24 team MLS will have a relatively balanced schedule.  Here are some notes:

Format

Each club will play 34 games, including 17 home games and 17 away games.

Teams will face each of their conference opponents twice during the season and non-conference opponents once.

Opening Weekend: March 2 & 3

Saturday: FC Cincinnati play their inaugural MLS match on March 2 against the Seattle Sounders (10 pm ET | FS1) as part of a slate that features 10 matches.

Sunday’s doubleheader:

D.C. United welcome Atlanta United (6 pm ET | ESPN)

LAFC host Sporting Kansas City (8 pm ET | ESPN) 

Stadium Openers

FC Cincinnati will play their first MLS regular season home match at Nippert Stadium on March 17 when they face the Portland Timbers (5 pm | FS1).

Minnesota United's Allianz Field opens its doors on April 13 against NYCFC (5 pm ET | ESPN2).

Portland Timbers' Providence Park, undergoing renovations, will re-open on June 1 against LAFC (10:30 pm ET | ESPN2).

MLS Cup Rematch

If you’re amped for a taste of Atlanta-Portland after 2018's MLS Cup final, the regular-season rematch comes Aug 18 at Providence Park (10 pm ET | FS1).

2019 Concacaf Gold Cup Break

MLS will break from June 14-21 during the opening week of the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup.

2019 All-Star Game in Orlando

Orlando City Stadium will play host to 2019 MLS All-Star Game presented by Target on July 31 (FS1, UniMas, TSN, TVA Sports). 

Ready for Heineken Rivalry Week?

From August 21-25, you’ll get national broadcasts of the following matches (in USA):

D.C. United vs. New York Red Bulls (Aug. 21; 8 pm ET | UniMas)

LAFC vs. San Jose Earthquakes (Aug. 21; 10:30 pm ET | UniMas)

Sporting Kansas City vs. Minnesota United FC (Aug. 22; 9:30 pm ET | ESPN)

Orlando City SC vs. Atlanta United (Aug. 23; 8 pm ET | ESPN)

Portland Timbers vs. Seattle Sounders FC (Aug. 23; 10 pm ET | ESPN)

NYCFC vs. New York Red Bulls (Aug. 24; 7 pm ET | ESPN2)

FC Cincinnati vs. Columbus Crew SC (Aug. 25; 8 pm ET | FS1)

LAFC vs. LA Galaxy (Aug. 25; 10 pm ET | FS1)

Decision Day presented by AT&T: October 6

12 matches that all kick off at 4 pm ET.

ESPN and MLSsoccer.com will have special coverage.

National TV in USA & Canada

FS1 has a 30-game slate, in addition to four matches on FOX. All are simulcast in Spanish on FOX Deportes and available on FOX Sports GO.

ESPN and ESPN2 will show 31 matches in total, including a combined 14 matches between July 12 and Aug. 24 as the push for the playoffs heats up.

Univision has a total of 14 matches in 2019 and UniMás will have 13, including seven Friday night games. For the second consecutive season, all games on the Univision networks will be streamed on Twitter in English.

In Canada, CTV and TSN will have regular coverage of games featuring Toronto FC and Vancouver Whitecaps FC, with CTV carrying eight games during the first two months of the season. TVA Sports broadcasts all of the Montreal Impact’s games in French, including a run between April 6 – May 11 when the Impact play six consecutive weekend afternoon matches.

MLS LIVE will be available on ESPN + in the U.S. and DAZN in Canada.
 
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charvik said:
I heard Cavani, but he's 32 this year, and why would he leave PSG? I haven't seen anything about any other forward.

All I've seen on Hudson-Odoi is that Bayern has made a third bid, and that he has handed in a transfer request? Not sure how reliable those rumors are though.
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Cavani & Neymar hate each other...that would be the only reason I could see...

 
While I clearly and significantly lean to the side of technique and skill being more important than speed and quickness, it certainly does not hurt to have those athletic qualities.

In a bit of a surprise to me, someone on twitter compared the results of the MLS combine 20 yard shuttle times with the NFL's, and the fastest MLS combine players were as fast or slightly faster than the fastest NFL combine players.

https://twitter.com/THEChrisKessell/status/1082285049469382659

 
I can't remember if it was in here, the Netflix thread, or both... But I started watching the recommended "Sunderland til I die" series on Netflix last night...and couldn't stop (at the expense of a good night's sleep).

Compelling stuff- both soccer and tv-wise. Definitely recommend. It was also really nice being blissfully ignorant about their season last year. Fwiw, gooch doesn't feature at all other than in the background.

 
El Floppo said:
I can't remember if it was in here, the Netflix thread, or both... But I started watching the recommended "Sunderland til I die" series on Netflix last night...and couldn't stop (at the expense of a good night's sleep).

Compelling stuff- both soccer and tv-wise. Definitely recommend. It was also really nice being blissfully ignorant about their season last year. Fwiw, gooch doesn't feature at all other than in the background.
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Yeah, I posted that before in the thread, and like you I couldn't stop watching. Great story, and good insight into player/team/fan culture and day to day, without the Mansour spin.

 
charvik said:
Yeah, I posted that before in the thread, and like you I couldn't stop watching. Great story, and good insight into player/team/fan culture and day to day, without the Mansour spin.
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so many compelling things... I was struck by the GM and his hands tied by the owner's shift in spending, but mostly by the whole jack rodwell issue- forgot he was still around (for good reason it turns out) and had no idea about any of that.

 
El Floppo said:
AND SWEARING!!!!!

the cad
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Stolen from the internet:  :lol:

I'm curious - the excuses of "took sleeping tablets, had a drink on the plane" etc. seem fair enough, but are we sure this isn't just a case of an American TSA agent's first encounter with a Scouser?

"I'm sorry sir, I can't understand a word you're saying, could you just wait here please?"

 
It is being reported that Bayern have now met the Chelsea asking price for Callum.  If that transfer goes through, that could be good news for Pulisic.

 
lower league football is great for moments like these

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

Football on BT Sport‏Verified account @btsportfootball

Will Evans was the toast of Chesterfield yesterday

90+5' Evans scores dramatic equalizer to make it 3-3 against Ebbsfleet

90+7' Chesterfield's keeper Callum Burton is sent off

90+9' Evans takes the gloves and saves a penalty!

A National League classic...

 
congrats @bentley

==========

Chris Bils‏ @ChrisBils

Still waiting on official confirmation, but it appears the #AustinFC announcement party is set for one week from today, Jan. 15. MLS Commissioner Don Garber, Mayor Steve Adler and team Chairman/CEO Anthony Precourt the main presenters

 
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