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2016/17 Football Season Thread


Lemonade

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Cracking revamp in the EFL trophy (formerly JPT), hmmm let's invite the Premier League/Championship academy teams into the competition and make it a group stage thingy... only problem is the berks invited the EPL teams after they announced the revamp and most the top teams turned it down.  So its meant to be regionlized and Cambridge (60 miles from London but in the North apparently) got Middlesboro, Shrewsbury and Scunthorpe, all of whom are over 100 miles away but its only one game vs each team so we will be at home for at least one of them (think the academy teams have to travel).  Anyway sounds like an absolute farce but they are still implementing rules to prevent teams putting out a team of fringe players and kids.  

On a happier note first game of the season at home against Barnet next Saturday where optimism for the season is normally shattered by half time :)

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Can we all please take a moment to rage at Sheffield Wednesday's choice of squad numbers this season?

 

Co8Yg1RWAAEXfAj.jpg

Joe Wildsmith is a goalkeeper.

Steven Fletcher is a striker.

Five of their '1-11' numbers are unused. Why not just give Gary Hooper number 9? Will you be playing Joe Wildsmith at right back, Sheffield Wednesday?

The ONLY redeeming feature of this image (which was tweeted by the official Sheff Wed account) is that they have lovingly used the font from Championship Manager 01/02 which - I assume - is designed to make people feel comfortable before digesting this shocking news.

Edited by Adam Easy Wishes
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I don't get it.  Surely Glenn Loovens is a bit bummed about being moved from 5-12 too.  And Nuhui fro 9-44?!  What's the thinking behind it all?

Plus, their new strip is gash.  Sheffield Wednesday should always play in blue and white stripes with BLACK shorts.  Its such a great look, ffs.  All blue is so boring.  

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Newcastle are adapting to a new league and some new players intended for the starting eleven have yet to bed in. They'll be absolutely fine this season.

It's Aston Villa who'll find things toughest of the three who were relegated, in my opinion. They still look like they lack hunger across the board, and I don't have Roberto Di Matteo pegged as a particularly strong motivator. I really like the Championship, and I probably watch as much of it as I do the Premier League and the Scottish Premiership. It's so competitive (I know that's a cliche, but it's the easiest way to put it without needlessly elaborating), and if a side isn't hungry, then they'll be regularly picked apart. Several of the Aston Villa team don't appear to want to be there either, so I think they're a bit fucked.

I'm really looking forward to this season's Premier League. Are we doing table predictions this year? I remember we used to do that, and I enjoyed reading everyone's forecasts. Fuck it, I'm off to devise mine now. Predicted league table(s—I may do Scottish Premiership too) to follow...

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01 Chelsea
02 Man Utd
03 Man City
04 Arsenal
05 Liverpool
06 Tottenham
07 West Ham
08 Leicester
09 Everton
10 Stoke
11 Southampton
12 Crystal Palace
13 West Brom
14 Bournemouth
15 Swansea
16 Watford
17 Sunderland
18 Middlesbrough
19 Burnley
20 Hull

I think last season was definitely an anomaly for Chelsea, and they still have some ace players. Antonio Conte is a wonderful manager—he'll get Chelsea keeping clean sheets and they'll be very difficult to beat again.

Man Utd will be as solid this season as they were last, but this time round they have a couple of players (Ibrahimovic and Pogba) who love the big matches and seem to base their game on moments, rather than impressing themselves upon the game throughout the ninety minutes. Ibrahimovic in particular is a player of moments, and the other major signing, Mkhitaryan, can create those moments (as can others already there). I think Pogba is vastly and almost hilariously over valued, but he arguably still improves the projected starting eleven, and theoretically that's the aim of any new signing, particularly at a club the size of Manchester United. There are all sorts of mitigating factors which added significantly to Pogba's transfer package, and I think people should always take that into consideration when judging him and the associated fee.

Man City will probably score prolifically this season, but concede abundantly as well. There are so many question marks over their backline, and we'll probably see Guardiola deploy conventional central midfielders or full-backs in the central defensive positions, which just won't work as well in the Premier League as it did in Spain and Germany. He'll be given a few transfer windows at least to construct the defence he wants, though. Long term under Guardiola: City are title challengers. This season: I'm not convinced.

I think I've said this before, but Arsenal are Arsenal, and I don't think any elaboration is necessary.

Liverpool will be fun to watch, and much to my shame, I will probably find myself rooting for them (but mainly Klopp) again this year, but they're still some way off competing for the title. They might win a domestic cup, if Klopp decides to give a toss about them.

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The impact of the craziness of last season will still be felt well into this season I think. A few false dawns and presumtpive champions but we won't know the real contenders till past Christmas.

I think a Man Utd under Mourinho will be very strong. They have all the tools they need and I think they'll be in amongst it this season. I think City under Pep will take time to gel and this season will be seen very much as a primer for what's to come. I've been watching some of their 'behind the scenes' videos on youtube and from the baffled looks on some of the players in training, it seems like Pep has completely changed things up. Don't expect to see Joe Hart kick it long much this year. Lots of full-back touches and conservative play until the attacking third. That said, they have such talent they'll do well without being fully cohesive I think.

Conté and Kanté at Chelsea is an exciting prospect. That, and the possibility of Hazard having the balon d'or season he's threatened to have for a while. The young belgian striker they got is no slouch either. They'll either win the league or the champions league, maybe both.

Liverpool and Spurs are the two teams to watch for me though. It's only pre-season but Klopp's signings all look pretty special. As Eups points out, it's perhaps a season too early for them but I think they're in with a good chance this year. Spurs will be interesting because they looked so good last year, it's almost like they just need another shot at the title - however, they're up against much better teams this year. Much less disarray among the top teams going on in general i predict, which may push Spurs back to the 5th/6th team.

 

here's my predos:

01 - Man Utd

02 - Chelsea

03 - Liverpool

04 - Man City

05 - West Ham

06 - Spurs

07 - Arsenal

08 - Everton

09 - Stoke

10 - Crystal Palace

11 - Leicester

12 - Sunderland 

13 - Sunderland

14 - West Brom

15 - Boro

16 - Swansea

17 - Watford

18 - Bournemouth

19 - Hull

20 - Burnley

 

 

Fuck, i've got two sunderlands in there but i can't be hooped figuring out who i've forgotten. Second sunderland denotes whoever it is.

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It's Southampton you missed.

Can't see Arsenal bombing to 7th. Arsenal are incredibly good at one thing - finishing in the top 4. When was the last tie they didn't? They're also pretty good at climbing out of their Champions League group, even when they look doomed. I can't see this being the season they don't get into the Champions League. They'll wobble, lose a few games they shouldn't and look a bit hopeless sometimes, but they won't finish outside the top 4.


Hard to believe City haven't signed a defender yet. All of their full backs are either poor, or past it. Zab was great, but his best days are behind him. Clichy was less great, but he's fairly ordinary. Sagna is reasonable at best, but also past it. Kolarov has forever been an awful defender. In the middle, Kompany is mighty, but his knees are made of biscuit. Otamendi loves a slide tackle, but he's a bombscare. Mangala is LOLbad. John Stones for £50m doesn't solve their problems at all. He's good with the ball at his feet, but his defending his pretty shocking. Bonucci and Laporte rejected them. I think even Ashley Williams would be a short term improvement, though is essentially the Anti-Pep defender, but Pep's going to have to adapt.

If Gundogan can reach his pre-injury form, their front 6 will be strong, though Aguero has lost that burst of acceleration that allowed him to skip beyond defenders. His game will need to adapt, which I'm sure will be no problem, as he's still an explosive finisher.

Can't see them winning the league this season, but they won't be far away. Like Phil, I have a strange feeling about Chelsea. Conte will make them hard to beat and build from there. Still think they need a player or two though. It's definitely time to phase out the now-awful Ivanovic.

Hard to predict United. They tightened up at the back last season, and Smalling and Blind made a very complimentary pair, both with limitations but with advantages to cover each other. Like a knock-off Rio and Vidic in terms of contrasting qualities. The joint best pair in the league along with Vertonghen and Alderweireld. The new signings have it all to prove though. Bailly has looked quite monstrous in pre-season. Ferocious in the tackle and an outrageous leap, has a streak of Lucio-ish lunacy about him though, like when he flicked the ball over Vardy's head by his own by-line, instead of smashing it clear. More of a question mark about the rest though. Mkhitaryan has always been hot and cold when I've seen him. Seems to have a case of the Daniel Sturridges sometimes, and shoots from daft angles. Seems to lose interest in defensive duties, which Mourinho will be having none of. Zlatan is Zlatan, he's a showreel player, but he's 34, and having played in the very defensive Ligue Un where PSG were head and shoulders above everyone, and Italy, where the pace is slower and more tactical, is he going to pull it off in the Premier League? I can't see there being a middle ground. He'll either stink, or he'll score 30 goals. It'll just work, or it won't. And Pogba. He had all the time and space to dictate in midfield in Serie A where no one came close to Juve. He won't have same sort of time on the ball. If you look at his highlight videos, those goals he scores from 30 yards, nobody closes him down, the defenders just stay in shape and then watch it fly in. Physically he's more than capable to boss the league, but I'm interested to see how he handles constantly being hurried and pressed. Also interested to see where he fits in, and if he replaces Rooney as the most attacking midfielder, or if he sits deeper, or the whole formation changes to accommodate the now most expensive player in the world. Probably not going to see much of him until after the first international break anyway, as he hasn't even started pre-season yet.

There's some severe writing off of Spurs though. They did throw it away in the last couple of weeks last season, but it was pretty clear that it was already won. Still, Spurs played the best football in the league last season, and had the joint best defence. I don't think that is just going to disappear, and they'll finish top 4 at the expense of one of the big clubs.

 

It should be the most competitive season to date, now just about every club in the league is filthy rich. Apart from Hull for some reason, who allegedly aren't paying fees for players. Only freebies. They're doomed before a ball has been kicked.

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It might give him an advantage when ruling out injury-prone players.

You ever heard Michael Owen on BT Sport? He knows everything about every possible injury, probably by having every possible injury. If he spots anyone running a little gingerly, he's got it sussed. He knows the muscle, he knows if it's a tweak or a tear, he knows the length of time they'll be out for. He's pretty much Sports Injury Rain Man. If he was blind, he'd be able to tell the injury from the sound the player makes when he falls on the grass.

Woodgate's going to filter out all the cloggers with knees made of porridge, and only bring back bionic superhumans who can repel bullets.

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