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***Official Soccer Discussion Thread*** (3 Viewers)

El Floppo said:
the part of the game I watched, he was on another level from the rest of the players- including mex players (who just kicked him, over and over and over). looks like an incredible signing by ATL
He got a quick introduction to Concacaf reffing.  I think he was fouled 10 times and did not draw a yellow card.

 
CletiusMaximus said:
some numbers:

Orbinho‏ @Orbinho

Man Utd under Solskjaer

Goals 39 Expected Goals 29.8

Goals Conceded 13 Expected Goals Against 21.3

Games played 17 Penalties won 7
The turnaround is simply amazing.  EPL alone they went from a 0 gd to +20 and from 11 points behind 4th to 3 points from 3rd.  And they are fun to watch again.  

The feeling of this line from the 99 CL final broadcast has been missing for several years now and it is back: "Can Manchester United score?  They always score!"

 
El Floppo said:
the part of the game I watched, he was on another level from the rest of the players- including mex players (who just kicked him, over and over and over). looks like an incredible signing by ATL
He’s got really quick feet and great close control - like Almiron he seems to want to go down easy and draw fouls - I think it’s just the style they grow up with.  He’s not as fast as Almiron but trickier with the ball.  I think can be almost as productive once he settles.  

 
He’s got really quick feet and great close control - like Almiron he seems to want to go down easy and draw fouls - I think it’s just the style they grow up with.  He’s not as fast as Almiron but trickier with the ball.  I think can be almost as productive once he settles.  
I know it is unfair but damn it is hard to not consider that Atlanta could have easily not signed Barco and instead used that money for Pity and had Pity and Almiron play together....

 
like Almiron he seems to want to go down easy and draw fouls. I think it’s just the style they grow up with. 
I think you are right.  It works both ways though.  I think South American skilled players are targeted from the moment the game starts.   Some of the easy going down is likely due to adapting to a survival mode.

As an aside, one of the things that makes Messi one of the best ever instead of just another great player is not that players just can't tackle him, it is that they can't even foul him. 

 
I know it is unfair but damn it is hard to not consider that Atlanta could have easily not signed Barco and instead used that money for Pity and had Pity and Almiron play together....
I know you are down on Barco and you are mostly right.  If he could just learn when to pass and not over dribble I think he could be outstanding- he’s almost as good as Almiron was in that regard but he constantly holds on to the ball one beat too long and either turns it over or makes a bad decision. He’s 19 and I try to remember that - problem is we are paying him a ton (relatively in MLS) and by the time he figures it out he will probably leave.

 
I know you are down on Barco and you are mostly right.  If he could just learn when to pass and not over dribble I think he could be outstanding- he’s almost as good as Almiron was in that regard but he constantly holds on to the ball one beat too long and either turns it over or makes a bad decision. He’s 19 and I try to remember that - problem is we are paying him a ton (relatively in MLS) and by the time he figures it out he will probably leave.
one thing you can't fault him on is his work rate.  He runs his ### off.  But at times he is a bit out of control and does not have the technique required to run at that speed with the ball.

In terms of being down on him, I want to acknowledge that he is more than good enough as a 19 year old in MLS.   But we can't escape the price tag he comes with, which changes the equation and expectations.  He cost almost twice as much as Almiron did.

 
CletiusMaximus said:
some numbers:
United definitely getting the rub of the green lately.  Seems to happen with changes fairly often.  Actually not dissimilar to Jose's team last year, which way outperformed xG metrics (largely because of DeGea).

 
Told Mike Dean to #### off - or words to that effect - after the Burnley match.

It was a double hit - Poch was pretty vocally arguing with Dean right after the match, presumably about Burnley's first goal - should have been goal kick instead of corner.  Then after Poch and his staff walked away - Dean said something to Poch, and Poch and both assistants immediately turned around and got in his face again.  No clue on what Dean said - but I am guessing it was pretty harsh to get the immediate reaction from Poch and staff.

Dean was pulled from the Spurs-Arsenal match, where he was supposed to be the 4th official.  So, silver lining might be that Spurs don't have to deal with Dean for the rest of the season.

Two game ban seems rather harsh - given the public apology by Poch, and accepting the charges.  But, its a little more than a slap on the wrist.  Poch is still permitted to communicate with his coaches during the match, and can give pre- and half-time talks to the players.
He asked Dean to repeat what he said to the cameras and obviously Dean wouldn’t. Must have been pretty bad.  If the FA is going to throw the book at him he might as well tell the media what Dean said.

 
He asked Dean to repeat what he said to the cameras and obviously Dean wouldn’t. Must have been pretty bad.  If the FA is going to throw the book at him he might as well tell the media what Dean said.
Dean said something to the effect of "There goes your title chance"

 
I got my Milan Piatek Home and Customized My name third kit today. SO I'm happy

Milan have also told Man United to Go #### themselves in the ### trying to get Alessio. He's considered Untouchable. 

 
Lots of rumors (no confirmations) that Spurs new stadium will be sponsored by Nike.

Whether that becomes Nike Stadium - or something similar remains to be seen.

Nike Hart Lane...

(I am not convinced Nike will be the only partner - a while ago the rumors were that there would be several stadium sponsors - each with their own piece of the stadium.  But Nike does make sense - the club store at the stadium doubles as a Nike store, and is the largest club store in Europe)

Right now - the expectation is that the stadium will open on April 7 against Brighton - but that is subject to Brighton not being involved in the FA Cup Semi-Finals that weekend.  The next potential date is April 9/10 if Spurs host the 1st leg of the CL quarterfinals - but UEFA are not committed to allowing Spurs to open the stadium with a CL match.  Spurs will have the first of at least 2 test events next Saturday for about 10,000 people - but still need to hold a test event at or near capacity (62,000) to get the final safety certificate.

 
Lots of rumors (no confirmations) that Spurs new stadium will be sponsored by Nike.

Whether that becomes Nike Stadium - or something similar remains to be seen.

Nike Hart Lane...

(I am not convinced Nike will be the only partner - a while ago the rumors were that there would be several stadium sponsors - each with their own piece of the stadium.  But Nike does make sense - the club store at the stadium doubles as a Nike store, and is the largest club store in Europe)

Right now - the expectation is that the stadium will open on April 7 against Brighton - but that is subject to Brighton not being involved in the FA Cup Semi-Finals that weekend.  The next potential date is April 9/10 if Spurs host the 1st leg of the CL quarterfinals - but UEFA are not committed to allowing Spurs to open the stadium with a CL match.  Spurs will have the first of at least 2 test events next Saturday for about 10,000 people - but still need to hold a test event at or near capacity (62,000) to get the final safety certificate.
This thing still isn't open?  Wow

 
Claudio Ranieri has been named manager of Roma, just 8 days after he was fired by Fulham.  Failing upward.  
Sometimes I think managers have to want to get sacked. They usually get a nice severance arrangement and then hop to the next job. 

Mourinho supposedly got €16m payout from United that allowed him to be free and clear to sign with another club the next day. in the meantime, he's being paid as a pundit. He'll end up making a lot more for being sacked (esp if he does in fact sign with RM) than the €12m United were paying him annually if he'd done a good job. 

 
Sometimes I think managers have to want to get sacked. They usually get a nice severance arrangement and then hop to the next job. 

Mourinho supposedly got €16m payout from United that allowed him to be free and clear to sign with another club the next day. in the meantime, he's being paid as a pundit. He'll end up making a lot more for being sacked (esp if he does in fact sign with RM) than the €12m United were paying him annually if he'd done a good job. 
He has been a train wreck for years now.  I can’t imagine RM would want a piece of that.

 
CletiusMaximus said:
Claudio Ranieri has been named manager of Roma, just 8 days after he was fired by Fulham.  Failing upward.  
...Just to see out the season...he's a Romanista, & just missed out on a scudetto to Mourinho's Internazionale in 2010.  Sarri has been mentioned as a candidate for next year... :unsure:

 
Spurs have officially announced the first games at the new stadium.

If Brighton win their FA Cup quarterfinal - Spurs will play Crystal Palace - in a rescheduled game - on April 3

If Brighton lose their FA Cup match, then Spurs will play Brighton on the 6/7 of April (subject to CL schedule)

That will then allow Spurs to host the CL quarterfinal match - even if they are drawn at home for the first leg - April 9/10

Spurs still have to get the safety certificate by hosting 2 test events - March 24 - U18 match v. Soton, and March 30 - Spurs Legends match

 
BTW - Lost in all the good Spurs news...

FIFA has rejected Chelsea's request to stay the transfer ban pending appeal

That is really an odd move by FIFA - not sure if I have seen them do that before - certainly with Barça and RM they pushed the punishment until after the appeals were heard - which gave the teams more time to prepare for the ban.

I assume the Pulisic signing was done with an eye towards a summer ban - but surely that would not have been the only business that Chelsea did if they really expected a ban as early as this summer.  Chelsea certainly have a number of players out on loan who they can call on next year - but this will make for an interesting summer, and some tough choices by Chelsea.

It would seem that keeping older players like Willian and Pedro are more likely.  Hazard also seems like a closer call to staying - even if Chelsea are willing to let him walk for free.  Of course, Chelsea could just take the approach that next season is a lost cause, and go with a younger squad until they can reinforce in 2020.  They have enough talent with current young players and on-loan players to be a mid-table squad for a season - then come back strong in 2020.

 
The likes of Crystal Palace, Manchester United, Arsenal, Bournemouth and Fulham all have American stakeholders and made the unprecedented move to demand action, with The Times reporting that as many as 12 clubs having written to the Premier League over the claimed breaches.

As per the Liverpool Echo, City are accused of manipulating a contract with a sponsor to hide injections of cash from the owners, setting up a shell company which paid players for image rights to slash £40 million off their wage bill and breaking rules over third-party ownership.
That seems like kind of a big deal. 

Probably time to dock them 10 points.

 
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jonessed said:
He has been a train wreck for years now.  I can’t imagine RM would want a piece of that.
He only won one league and one Copa in three years there while being a massive #### the whole time.  IDK, Real is pretty much a disaster right now.  They shouldn't have sacked Zidane.  Solari has been a good manager, but the squad is old and the culture is toxic.  Adding a toxic character like Mournho seems on brand.  Buena suerte.

 
BTW - Lost in all the good Spurs news...

FIFA has rejected Chelsea's request to stay the transfer ban pending appeal

That is really an odd move by FIFA - not sure if I have seen them do that before - certainly with Barça and RM they pushed the punishment until after the appeals were heard - which gave the teams more time to prepare for the ban.

I assume the Pulisic signing was done with an eye towards a summer ban - but surely that would not have been the only business that Chelsea did if they really expected a ban as early as this summer.  Chelsea certainly have a number of players out on loan who they can call on next year - but this will make for an interesting summer, and some tough choices by Chelsea.

It would seem that keeping older players like Willian and Pedro are more likely.  Hazard also seems like a closer call to staying - even if Chelsea are willing to let him walk for free.  Of course, Chelsea could just take the approach that next season is a lost cause, and go with a younger squad until they can reinforce in 2020.  They have enough talent with current young players and on-loan players to be a mid-table squad for a season - then come back strong in 2020.
This  is a really interesting situation, and its hard to get reliable information.  I've read conflicting reports from sportslaw guys that I follow as to where this stands in the process and what could happen next.  It would we an odd situation if FIFA does not suspend the band pending appeal, and then CAS reverses the ban on appeal.

 
He only won one league and one Copa in three years there while being a massive #### the whole time.  IDK, Real is pretty much a disaster right now.  They shouldn't have sacked Zidane.  Solari has been a good manager, but the squad is old and the culture is toxic.  Adding a toxic character like Mournho seems on brand.  Buena suerte.
I had it in my mind that Zidane left on his own, or at least perhaps it was a mutual decision.  It it confirmed that he was sacked?

 
Just looking at stats so far in the West Ham/Cardiff game. Not sure I've seen anything like this. West Ham has almost 70% possession but has 3 shots. Not a big deal.

Cardiff, the 2nd lowest scoring team in the league, has FIFTEEN shots so far.

 
BTW - Lost in all the good Spurs news...

FIFA has rejected Chelsea's request to stay the transfer ban pending appeal

That is really an odd move by FIFA - not sure if I have seen them do that before - certainly with Barça and RM they pushed the punishment until after the appeals were heard - which gave the teams more time to prepare for the ban.

I assume the Pulisic signing was done with an eye towards a summer ban - but surely that would not have been the only business that Chelsea did if they really expected a ban as early as this summer.  Chelsea certainly have a number of players out on loan who they can call on next year - but this will make for an interesting summer, and some tough choices by Chelsea.

It would seem that keeping older players like Willian and Pedro are more likely.  Hazard also seems like a closer call to staying - even if Chelsea are willing to let him walk for free.  Of course, Chelsea could just take the approach that next season is a lost cause, and go with a younger squad until they can reinforce in 2020.  They have enough talent with current young players and on-loan players to be a mid-table squad for a season - then come back strong in 2020.
Also means Bakayoko to Milan could be made easier on a terminate bases. Euro35 to make it Permanent but Chelsea could just let him go for maybe less spending what kind of ban as they need to let players go. 

 
Yeah, they didn't sack the guy who won three straight Champions League titles.  I do think Zidane saw the writing on the wall and probably knew Cristiano wasn't coming back.  
I mean if you are to believe Galliani he said Cristiano had already accepted a contract with Milan earlier last year but because of the Ownership issues with the Chineese it was never signed off on and he ended up going to Juve the next summer. So Zidane already knew Cristiano was leaving. It just happened to get delayed by a year. Had Milan had the management they did already Cristiano Ronalda is playing in the Red and Black right now in Milan and not the White and Black in Turin. Either way Cristiano was leaving and I think Zidane saw it that too. 

 
Also means Bakayoko to Milan could be made easier on a terminate bases. Euro35 to make it Permanent but Chelsea could just let him go for maybe less spending what kind of ban as they need to let players go. 
I don't know what the club's plans are with Bakayoko, but don't really follow this logic.  They may not be able to register any new players this summer. How does that lead to them letting their loan players go for cheap?  If anything, they might be less likely to sell and more likely to recall players on loan like Morata and Baka.  There was talk of a new FIFA limit to the number of players on loan, but I don't think that is finalized yet and almost certainly won't be in effect this summer.

 
I don't know what the club's plans are with Bakayoko, but don't really follow this logic.  They may not be able to register any new players this summer. How does that lead to them letting their loan players go for cheap?  If anything, they might be less likely to sell and more likely to recall players on loan like Morata and Baka.  There was talk of a new FIFA limit to the number of players on loan, but I don't think that is finalized yet and almost certainly won't be in effect this summer.
You dare question?

 
I don't know what the club's plans are with Bakayoko, but don't really follow this logic.  They may not be able to register any new players this summer. How does that lead to them letting their loan players go for cheap?  If anything, they might be less likely to sell and more likely to recall players on loan like Morata and Baka.  There was talk of a new FIFA limit to the number of players on loan, but I don't think that is finalized yet and almost certainly won't be in effect this summer.
TB wants to go and the club can't sign any new plays from my understanding if the decision stands. Under FFP they'll need to get the books cleared. They know certain guys they have to sell and Chelsea will be in a bind and clubs will know they have to sell some guys to keep the books balanced so you could very well have a few players go for lesser prices then what they should be. It's no different then the NBA where the 76ers had 3 or so Centers and everyone in the league and anyone who followed the NBA knew they needed to at least get rid of one of if not both of Noel/Okafor. Teams aren't gonna give you the value you want know YOU HAVE TO SELL. This is no different than a team trading their star player in football because they can't resign him do to cap restrictions. Teams aren't going to just help you out. You might have to take less unless you get an incredible desperate team. A good business owner doesn't bid against themselves. Bakayoko from my understanding was set on loan do to having his value decrease and he was essentially thrown out to pasture as he fell out of favor. Milan given their FFP needed a MF and he was available on loan and did an option to buy similar to many of their past Summer signings these days. He had an option to buy clause in there but Milan wouldn't trigger unless certain things happened. He seemed to admit that when he got to Milan he fell out of favor in London. Milan can make the deal permeant under the current E35M agreement but they will only take him if they reach Champions League. I've already been reading reports with Chelsea's issues and if Milan qualify they could try and get a lower price on the agreement knowing Chelsea might be desperate to sell. But I've also read a few reports Chelsea could try and squeeze more out of Milan for a Permanent deal. It does neither the player or the club any favors keeping him there knowing he won't play. 

 

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