General Premier League Thread - 2016/2017

GavRedKing

Chelsea

Ya, the RB issue is going to be an interesting call from UEFA.

Abramovich was cleared by UEFA investigation of a "conflict of interests" after his company sponsored CSKA back in 2005, and there was calls to see if Chelsea or CSKA could be invovled in Europe because of it.

The RB Leipzig/Salzburg investigation though seems to be more clear cut and UEFA did say

"All criteria, including matters of ownership, will be verified for each club by UEFA only once we have received the competition entry forms and documentation from the national football associations and clubs, following the end of the season in the respective leagues."

I think from what I've read that if anything does come of it, it will be Leipzig that will be barred from Europe due to Salzburg's higher co-effecient.

The Talking Bread

GavRedKing wrote: »

Ya, the RB issue is going to be an interesting call from UEFA.

Abramovich was cleared by UEFA investigation of a "conflict of interests" after his company sponsored CSKA back in 2005, and there was calls to see if Chelsea or CSKA could be invovled in Europe because of it.

The RB Leipzig/Salzburg investigation though seems to be more clear cut and UEFA did say



I think from what I've read that if anything does come of it, it will be Leipzig that will be barred from Europe due to Salzburg's higher co-effecient.

Well you would imagine the Austrian League Representatives would have a greater say than Red Bull and Leipzig. They are obviously entitled and will have every right to ensure their top team qualifies.
I just cannot see any reason as to why Leipzig will gain entrance if it comes down to one or the other. It wouldn't make any sense. Even if Red Bull were scrupulous enough to choose a club which only formed a few years ago at the expense of an historic club it will cause controversy and the fans will not have it. Leipzig would have to accept that they are a far less prestigious club and do not deserve to be treated more favourably in this situation. They will have to try and make some new business model as both clubs are gong to be powers in their leagues henceforth.

GavRedKing

Chelsea

The Talking Bread wrote: »

Well you would imagine the Austrian League Representatives would have a greater say than Red Bull and Leipzig. They are obviously entitled and will have every right to ensure their top team qualifies.
I just cannot see any reason as to why Leipzig will gain entrance if it comes down to one or the other. It wouldn't make any sense. Even if Red Bull were scrupulous enough to choose a club which only formed a few years ago at the expense of an historic club it will cause controversy and the fans will not have it. Leipzig would have to accept that they are a far less prestigious club and do not deserve to be treated more favourably in this situation. They will have to try and make some new business model as both clubs are gong to be powers in their leagues henceforth.

Ya, I think its going to come down to co-effecient points anyway so RB wont have a say in which team will take part, even if Leipzig are a better side.

Anyway, I think thats something we can probably discuss in the CL thread in the coming weeks when it will be no doubt a hot topic.

GavRedKing

Chelsea

Back to PL matters, Chelsea play Watford tonight, first game after being announced as Pl winners for 2016/17.

I reckon Conte will make a good half a dozen or more changes and keep players for the cup final. I dont really see Hazard, Kante, Luiz, Costa playing in the last 2 games. Most players have played at least 5 games to get a medal. Those who havent are listed

Begovic, - 1, Ake - 1, Aina - 2, Eduardo - 0 (3rd gk) wont get enough games to be eligible for a medal but the club will buy them medals anyway. Even Oscar and Ivanovic have played enough games for a medal.

I reckon tonights team will be

Begovic
Zouma JT Ake
Moses Chalobah Matic Alonso
Cesc Batshauyi Willian

RLC might play for Matic but I think it wont be far off that side as players are rested for the cup.

The only thing we have to play for is beating the record for the most wins in a season which is 29, set by 2 Chelsea sides in the past, we're currently on 28.

dr.kenneth noisewater

Chelsea

GavRedKing wrote: »

Back to PL matters, Chelsea play Watford tonight, first game after being announced as Pl winners for 2016/17.

I reckon Conte will make a good half a dozen or more changes and keep players for the cup final. I dont really see Hazard, Kante, Luiz, Costa playing in the last 2 games. Most players have played at least 5 games to get a medal. Those who havent are listed

Begovic, - 1, Ake - 1, Aina - 2, Eduardo - 0 (3rd gk) wont get enough games to be eligible for a medal but the club will buy them medals anyway. Even Oscar and Ivanovic have played enough games for a medal.

I reckon tonights team will be

Begovic
Zouma JT Ake
Moses Chalobah Matic Alonso
Cesc Batshauyi Willian

RLC might play for Matic but I think it wont be far off that side as players are rested for the cup.

The only thing we have to play for is beating the record for the most wins in a season which is 29, set by 2 Chelsea sides in the past, we're currently on 28.

Azpi in for Moses I'd say, hasn't he played every min of the season so far? Be a nice record to get the whole 38 games!

5starpool

Manchester United

GavRedKing wrote: »

Ya, I think its going to come down to co-effecient points anyway so RB wont have a say in which team will take part, even if Leipzig are a better side.

Anyway, I think thats something we can probably discuss in the CL thread in the coming weeks when it will be no doubt a hot topic.

I think the first rule is where they finished in their respective league, so Salzburg as champions take precedence there. Probably coefficient if that was the same.

I'm sure uefa will allow both in anyhow.

GavRedKing

Chelsea

dr.kenneth noisewater wrote: »

Azpi in for Moses I'd say, hasn't he played every min of the season so far? Be a nice record to get the whole 38 games!

Ya, hes played every minute, Cahill was taken off in the last 5mins of a game recently, I think it was Everton, for JT, otherwise he'd have the same record as Azp.

It could be Azp at CB and Ake at LWB over Alonso in my formation too.

Harry Palmr

Can I just say taking Ake off Bournemouth looked very mean spirited as seen from the outside. What was the reasoning? a few FA Cup games?

The Talking Bread

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Can I just say taking Ake off Bournemouth looked very mean spirited as seen from the outside. What was the reasoning? a few FA Cup games?

Not really, they were competing for the title and couldn't take the risk of injuries inhibiting their squad in the run in and, given that Ake had proved himself to be capable PL player at Bournemouth, he was definitely capable of providing cover for the squad. He also, as you said, allowed some players to be rested in cup games.

Bournemouth couldn't complain, he won them two games effectively! (Stoke and Pool)

They also lost Oscar, Ivanovic, Mikel and Bamford in January and Marcos Alonso was a major injury worry in January also.

GavRedKing

Chelsea

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Can I just say taking Ake off Bournemouth looked very mean spirited as seen from the outside. What was the reasoning? a few FA Cup games?

We needed cover for Ivanovic leaving.

There was no real cover at senior level for WBs and Zouma wasnt really fit either at the time.

ricero

Manchester United

Some baffling picks by g nev on the mnf end of season awards. Total egomaniac

TitianGerm

ricero wrote: »

Some baffling picks by g nev on the mnf end of season awards. Total egomaniac

What was he picking?

GavRedKing

Chelsea

ricero wrote: »

Some baffling picks by g nev on the mnf end of season awards. Total egomaniac

Missed it, who did he pick?

ricero

Manchester United

GavRedKing wrote: »

Missed it, who did he pick?

Ibra signing of the season, sane young player and most baffling pochetino manager of the year over conte

GavRedKing

Chelsea

ricero wrote: »

Ibra signing of the season, sane young player and most baffling pochetino manager of the year over conte

Strange alright.

I'd probably have Ibra up there but I'd be biased and say Kante, Alli and Conte.

I think if Silva had kept Hull up he'd have been considered as an outsider for manager of the year.

TitianGerm

ricero wrote: »

Ibra signing of the season, sane young player and most baffling pochetino manager of the year over conte

Kante was the signing of the season by a bit, Ibra was one of the better ones though as well.

The Talking Bread

ricero wrote: »

Ibra signing of the season, sane young player and most baffling pochetino manager of the year over conte

I guess it is all opinion, and bar the Ibra one, the other two are very valid opinion choices for someone to put forward. What is the point having an opinion if it is going to be the same as everyone elses. Or if it has to go to the winning team.

Look at Spurs this year, they have been exceptional, especially since end of October. I don't see anything wrong with him finding Poch to be the manager of the year.
Sane has just turned 21 and played almost every game this season for City when fit and perhaps he just wanted to give an alternative to Delle Ali. It is opinion based and Neville, more than anyone, knows how good a winger is when he sees one.
Personally I think Sane will also be a better player than Delle in a few years, especially if he is nurtured right at City.

Re the ibra one, again, (I didn't see the show tonight) but I imagine he was just giving a different context to other opinions of the leagues best signings, Kante, Luiz and Mane are the obvious contenders but it is fair to say Zlatan had a massive impact this season and scored a sh1t load of goals!! Some "forum experts" say that United would have been better off without him and played Rashford all this season but, I am sorry, that is nonsense,

And although his wages were astronomical, he was a free transfer.


Ibra has been touted by many to be signing of the season, not sure why G Nev could be called out as an egomaniac for agreeing or forming that opinion himself! Obviously he has a bit of bias also!

But to be fair to Neville, he doesn't bite his tongue when talking about United. Has criticised them appropriately when warranted.

Utopia Parkway

ricero wrote: »

Ibra signing of the season, sane young player and most baffling pochetino manager of the year over conte

Also laughed when Can was awarded goal of the season by public vote.

I mean you could argue for one or two others but it was always going to be a strong contender.

klose

Utopia Parkway wrote: »

Also laughed when Can was awarded goal of the season by public vote.

I mean you could argue for one or two others but it was always going to be a strong contender.

Why did you laugh? It was an incredible goal.

ricero

Manchester United

klose wrote: »

Why did you laugh? It was an incredible goal.

I think he was referring to neville. He laughed when can was revealed as the winner and claimed that it was x factor style voting that saw him win it

Shanotheslayer

ricero wrote: »

Ibra signing of the season, sane young player and most baffling pochetino manager of the year over conte

Don't think any of them are really crazy shouts.

What Poch did with Spurs is incredible. Chelsea have been very impress but I'd have no qualms with anybody saying Poch deserved it considering the spending and how well they competed compared to the big spenders.

ricero

Manchester United

Shanotheslayer wrote: »

Don't think any of them are really crazy shouts.

What Poch did with Spurs is incredible. Chelsea have been very impress but I'd have no qualms with anybody saying Poch deserved it considering the spending and how well they competed compared to the big spenders.

Sane over dele ali is madness. Took sane months to settle in england. Also conte won the bloody league and did an amazing job in changing the system and winning it in his debut season. Ibra smells of bias. G nev being different for the sake of it i feel

The Talking Bread

Utopia Parkway wrote: »

ricero wrote: »

Ibra signing of the season, sane young player and most baffling pochetino manager of the year over conte

Also laughed when Can was awarded goal of the season by public vote.

I mean you could argue for one or two others but it was always going to be a strong contender.

You could argue for more than "1 or 2 " others to be fair!

Utopia Parkway

The Talking Bread wrote: »

You could argue for more than "1 or 2 " others to be fair!

Not for me. Carroll and Giroud and that's about it. In fact I think it was between Can and Carroll really. Caragher actually went for Carroll.

Can probably slightly more difficult due to the angle the ball arrived at him from.

GavRedKing

Chelsea

Hazards goal against Arsenal is more impressive. Holding off a number of players after running from about 40yards out, IMO, is a tougher skill than a scissor/bicycle kick.

Although the PL did vote Rooneys shinned bicycle kick against City as the best goal when they had those 20 year anniversary awards a few years back.
If I was picking between Giroud, Carroll or Can, I'd go for Girouds given what he had to do to be able to ultimately pull it off.

irishman86

For me it was Giroud hands down, not even remotely difficult call

The Talking Bread

Utopia Parkway wrote: »

Not for me. Carroll and Giroud and that's about it. In fact I think it was between Can and Carroll really. Caragher actually went for Carroll.

Can probably slightly more difficult due to the angle the ball arrived at him from.

They are all very different goals, all in their own way require varied degrees of skill and forethought. Then you have the pressure to pull off the goal, the defence you face, is the goal clinical or a hit and hope that just manages to creep under the bar, inside the post.
You could argue that an instinctive spectacular volley/bicycle kick is in certain circumstances just that....spectacularly executed with skill doesn't require much forethought and often you aren't even under that much pressure.
A goal where you weave through a defence (see Hazard and Payet) arguably requires much more skilled footwork, forethought, perception, invention in a lot of ways than a brilliantly executed bicycle kick from Carroll, albeit one where he wasn't under a huge amount of pressure and was, in essence a hit and hope (like all goals!)

Essentially what I am saying is that people see different levels of difficulty, skill and inventiveness in different goals and for someone to say that there is only one or two reasonable choices and mocking someone's choice makes no sense!

GreNoLi

Manchester United

The only thing more hilarious than arsenal making top four would be city missing out on top four, sorry city fans.

8-10

Liverpool scored some wonderful goals this season. Assuming nothing crazy happens, Can will be Liverpool's 5th different player to win Match of The Day Goal of The Month this season after Mané, Henderson, Wijnaldum and Firmino. All excellent goals.

But for me Giroud sneaks it for PL goal of the season and Kevin Prince Boateng beats them all if we're including different leagues with his strike v Villarreal...one of the best team goals you'll see

The Talking Bread

GreNoLi wrote: »

The only thing more hilarious than arsenal making top four would be city missing out on top four, sorry city fans.

Sorry, but apart from for Liverpool fans, Liverpool missing out on top 4 would be much more funnier for most, and that include Man Utd fans I reckon.

I think most United fans still get more "pleasure" out of Liverpool's pain than they do out of City's.

monkey9

Wow, shocking crowd at the Emirates. Looks more like a Man City home game just with red seats instead of blue.

5starpool

Manchester United

The Talking Bread wrote: »

Sorry, but apart from for Liverpool fans, Liverpool missing out on top 4 would be much more funnier for most, and that include Man Utd fans I reckon.

I think most United fans still get more "pleasure" out of Liverpool's pain than they do out of City's.

Well Grenoli obviously thinks that City missing out would be funnier, so I guess he must be in the minority then given your view.

I reckon outside of Utd fans it would be closer than you think (if you exclude Liverpool and City fans obviously).

Harry Palmr

I'm listening to BBC radio and the Etihad sounds very quiet indeed

ERG89

monkey9 wrote:

Wow, shocking crowd at the Emirates. Looks more like a Man City home game just with red seats instead of blue.

Still a higher percentage of fans making an effort than there is teams trying in the league.

GreNoLi

Manchester United

City one up, Jesus with the tap in.

GreNoLi

Manchester United

De Bruyne finishes the baggies off, nice finish.

Burial.

City playing some gorgeous football, link up play is insane, as good as it has been all season. Aguero playing very well and looking very comfortable now that he doesn't have all the burden up front on his own.

blueser

Burial. wrote: »

City playing some gorgeous football, link up play is insane, as good as it has been all season. Aguero playing very well and looking very comfortable now that he doesn't have all the burden up front on his own.

It's been at the other end of the pitch where we've struggled. Badly, at times. Although we're not as clinical as we perhaps should ever. We should have put several sides to the sword with the chances we create.
:rolleyes:

domrush

monkey9 wrote: »

Wow, shocking crowd at the Emirates. Looks more like a Man City home game just with red seats instead of blue.

Designated protest game against Wenger

super_furry

There's a huge individual error waiting to happen in this Arsenal performance. They're going to give away a penalty or someone's going to get sent off.

blueser

Lovely goal by the big man. Damn, when we're good, we're bloody good!

super_furry

Jordan Pickford's going to fetch a big fee in the summer.

Burial.

Aguero playing some inspired stuff

Johner

Pickford is unbelievably good.

Johner

Pickford is unbelievably good.

The Red Lad

Interesting to see where Pickford will end up City ?Liverpool? he's a great shot stopper.

The Talking Bread

irishman86 wrote: »

For me Giroud is better than Sanchez, always tries his best aswell and doesnt constantly go around in a thick "Im Gods gift" mood

ahem...!


Sure maybe he is God's gift!

blueser

Pack it in Sane. I hate to see that.

GavRedKing

Chelsea

Johner wrote: »

Pickford is unbelievably good.

Begovic will be off I reckon.

We could do worse than picking up another home grown player but I cant see him wanting to play 2nd fiddle to Courtois for the majority of the season.

Lucas Hood

GavRedKing wrote: »

Begovic will be off I reckon.

We could do worse than picking up another home grown player but I cant see him wanting to play 2nd fiddle to Courtois for the majority of his career.

Fixed that for you.