Football 2015/16

[GlastoSimon]

37 minutes ago, kaosmark2 said:

Yeah, I was jesting really. 12/13/14 years on (whichever it is) this is the only time since he's seriously impressed. He was hard done by back then though.

Oh sorry  The things some football fans say these days it wouldn't have surprised me if it was serious! This season has been ridiculous, but its getting to the point where I'm not even sure an injury to one of Mahrez/Vardy could stop Leicester. They have very competent players to fill in once this hard run of fixtures is over. 

[DomDom1984]

How much longer will the Chelsea board put up with this? They do realise it's not going to end until he's out, right?

[Dan R]

I still think Leicester would really struggle without Vardy/Mahrez, only one other player has multiple league goals, and their defence is poor. The players are good but the style would need to change which could take a while. 

I just don't know what to say about Chelsea.

[eFestivals]

6 hours ago, Dan R said:

I just don't know what to say about Chelsea.

I do.

Hahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahaha

 

[pink_triangle]

I dont know why a lot of people thought Ranieri was a mad appointment for Leciester.  While he had a tough time in Greece, his record at club level is pretty solid with 40%+ win rates at 9 out of his last 10 clubs.  Admitedly he has accumulated a lot of 2nd and 3rd places. but he wouldnt be at leicester if he had won loads of titles..  I still think Leicester will fall due to being too reliant on 2 players, but hope to be proven wrong.

[eFestivals]

9 minutes ago, pink_triangle said:

I dont know why a lot of people thought Ranieri was a mad appointment for Leciester.  While he had a tough time in Greece, his record at club level is pretty solid with 40%+ win rates at 9 out of his last 10 clubs.  Admitedly he has accumulated a lot of 2nd and 3rd places. but he wouldnt be at leicester if he had won loads of titles..  I still think Leicester will fall due to being too reliant on 2 players, but hope to be proven wrong.

I tipped Leicester for the drop.

But that wasn't because I thought Ranieri is a shit manager, it's because I thought he was completely the wrong style of manager for Leicester.

I thought they'd need another 'tough' manager more in the style of Pearson, via which they'd grind out results, perhaps enough to keep them up again.

And i thought that a manger like Ranieri would be the wrong style, and they'd fall apart.

It now looks like Pearson was holding them back, rather than making a lowly bunch of players over-perform.

Despite having tipped them for the drop, I'm really chuffed for them for how they're going. It's great to see big-money shown up as a flawed methodology.

Edited December 15, 2015 by eFestivals

[zahidf]

they are currently top,9 points ahead of number 5.

 

i think winning the league may be beyond them, but top 4 is looking more and more likely. just need spurs and liverpool to play better to keep utd out of top 4

 

chelsea will not get top 4 this season at all

Edited December 15, 2015 by zahidf

[pryce]

out of all the games in the Euros I could of got

 

Hungary vs Iceland in Marseille ....will be half empty zzzz

going to try for Spain vs Turkey in Nice while we are there though

and have a potential for a good last 16 game with Winners of group D so probably Spain vs best 3rd place in B/E/F so could be wales, Sweden, Italy...or worst case Turkey win the group and play Hungary as best 3rd place out of F

 

will still be a good week though!

[pink_triangle]

29 minutes ago, pryce said:

out of all the games in the Euros I could of got

 

Hungary vs Iceland in Marseille ....will be half empty zzzz

going to try for Spain vs Turkey in Nice while we are there though

and have a potential for a good last 16 game with Winners of group D so probably Spain vs best 3rd place in B/E/F so could be wales, Sweden, Italy...or worst case Turkey win the group and play Hungary as best 3rd place out of F

 

will still be a good week though!

I went to 6 matches in Euro 96 (3 group, 1 quarter, 1 semi and final) and they were pretty all crap despite having some good teams, I hope you get more luck than me!!

[ThomThomDrum]

Seriously, this Chelsea thing is bloody hilarious. 

Next up a big "6 pointer", as some call it, against the black cats! Could you imagine they lost that one??! They could potentially be in the relegation zone for Xmas!

[eFestivals]

10 minutes ago, ThomThomDrum said:

Seriously, this Chelsea thing is bloody hilarious. 

Next up a big "6 pointer", as some call it, against the black cats! Could you imagine they lost that one??! They could potentially be in the relegation zone for Xmas!

I really really hope they don't sack Moaniho.

Him getting sacked would be sweet, but Chelsea getting relegated with him in charge would be priceless.

[The Nal]

1 hour ago, eFestivals said:

I really really hope they don't sack Moaniho.

Him getting sacked would be sweet, but Chelsea getting relegated with him in charge would be priceless.

Would be so good but I really can't see it. There are only two relegation spots left now. Villa are down. 

Check out the top and bottle of the table this time last year compared to today. Madness. Million to 1 odds I reckon.

Edited December 15, 2015 by The Nal

[eFestivals]

32 minutes ago, The Nal said:

Would be so good but I really can't see it. There are only two relegation spots left now. Villa are down. 

I can't really see it either ... tho I'll keep on hoping.

[JoeyT]

Villa have consistently been one of the worse teams in the league for the last 4 or 5 years now so it's got to be their turn to go down hasn't it?!

I hope so anyway because they are awful to watch.

I think Norwich will join them certainly haven't seen anything inspiring from them yet but not sure who else will join them.

Sunderland, like Villa have been down the bottom end of the table for the last few years so won't be surprised if they finally drop.

I think Swansea will get themselves out of the mire and Newcastle seem to be picking up now so providing they get a decent return over Christmas they should be safe.

I really hope Bournemouth stay up. They've had rotten luck with injuries and Eddie Howe seems like a really decent bloke who has got a team which will really fight for 90 minutes.

[eFestivals]

34 minutes ago, JoeyT said:

Villa have consistently been one of the worse teams in the league for the last 4 or 5 years now so it's got to be their turn to go down hasn't it?!

I hope so anyway because they are awful to watch.

I think Norwich will join them certainly haven't seen anything inspiring from them yet but not sure who else will join them.

Sunderland, like Villa have been down the bottom end of the table for the last few years so won't be surprised if they finally drop.

I think Swansea will get themselves out of the mire and Newcastle seem to be picking up now so providing they get a decent return over Christmas they should be safe.

I really hope Bournemouth stay up. They've had rotten luck with injuries and Eddie Howe seems like a really decent bloke who has got a team which will really fight for 90 minutes.

I agree that Villa are doomed, and Norwich are my next choice.

I'm more hopeful for Sunderland as they've definitely improved (as far as points go, anyway) under Sam, and I reckon they'll be safe before the final game.

For me that leaves it between Newc, Swansea and B'mouth for the last team to go down, and there's reasons I can see for why it might be any of them. Newc's revival might only be temporary; Swansea might not pick up under a new manager, and might go the other way; and B'mouth just because other teams know more what they're about, and so know better ways to beat them.

[TheGayTent]

If Sunderland go on as they have thus far under Allardyce they'll finish on around 37 points. That's touch and go but would probably be enough this season to stay up. 

It'll be interesting to see whether the new TV deal kicking in will make much difference to Chairmen when it comes to gambling in the January transfer window. 

[thetime]

25 minutes ago, TheGayTent said:

If Sunderland go on as they have thus far under Allardyce they'll finish on around 37 points. That's touch and go but would probably be enough this season to stay up. 

It'll be interesting to see whether the new TV deal kicking in will make much difference to Chairmen when it comes to gambling in the January transfer window. 

Big Christmas period for Sunderland.

They got Chelsea, Villa, Swansea and Bournemouth that are all around them. Could be well and truly in the mire or have a little cushion come January.

 

[JoeyT]

34 minutes ago, TheGayTent said:

It'll be interesting to see whether the new TV deal kicking in will make much difference to Chairmen when it comes to gambling in the January transfer window. 

I was thinking this.

In terms of money do Sunderland have much? I vaguely remember them looking for someone to takeover? Might be wrong though.

Mike Ashley will spend because I'm sure he will want Newcastle in the prem so he can get his grubby hands on the money the new TV deal generates.

Bournemouth shot their load on summer signings who have since gone on to get long term injuries so I'm not sure they have any money left to be honest. Although one would assume due to the injuries they will have got some sort of insurance pay out.

Swansea will spend I'm sure. The new manager whoever that may be will want to bring in his own faces. They need a new striker for sure. Gomis has gone missing for the past 2 months!

[5co77ie]

Chelsea season now so miserable Adele to write an album about it

http://newsthump.com/2015/12/15/chelsea-season-now-so-miserable-adele-to-write-an-album-about-it/

[TheGayTent]

Bournemouth have Maxim Demin - they have dough 

[TheGayTent]

Swansea getting Bielsa? Now that would be exciting 

[pink_triangle]

5 hours ago, TheGayTent said:

Swansea getting Bielsa? Now that would be exciting 

It would certainly be interesting. Bielsa tends to get good early results before everything goes wrong.

[lost]

18 hours ago, The Nal said:

Madness. Million to 1 odds I reckon.

I was chatting earlier with a mate and apparently Leicester to win the league and Chelsea to be relegated was half a million to 1 at the start of the season.

[ThomThomDrum]

2 hours ago, lost said:

I was chatting earlier with a mate and apparently Leicester to win the league and Chelsea to be relegated was half a million to 1 at the start of the season.

And although a bookie would not give you those odds now there is still no chance that either of those things will actually happen

[eFestivals]

Just now, ThomThomDrum said:

And although a bookie would not give you those odds now there is still no chance that either of those things will actually happen

Hmmm, I dunno.

How long do we give it before we recognise that Leicester are more than a flash in the pan?

And it only takes results to go in a particular way to see Chelsea fall into the bottom 3.

I don't think either will happen either ... but they're not impossible.