2015/16 Premier League & General Football Discussion

[Liquid]

PREMIER LEAGUE

Current Champions: Chelsea

Competing In Europe
Champions League: Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal, Manchester United
Europa League: Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, Southampton, West Ham United

New Teams
Came Up: Bournemouth, Watford, Norwich City

Spoiler: All Teams

Arsenal
Aston Villa
Bouremouth
Chelsea
Crystal Palace
Everton
Leicester City
Liverpool
Manchester City
Manchester United
Newcastle United
Norwich City
Southampton
Stoke City
Sunderland
Swansea City
Tottenham Hotspur
Watford
West Bromwich Albion
West Ham United

2015/16 Winners: Leicester City

Relegated
Newcastle United
Norwich City
Aston Villa

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CHAMPIONSHIP

Current Champions: Bournemouth

New Teams
Came Down: Queen's Park Rangers, Burnley, Hull City
Came Up: Bristol City, Milton Keynes Dons, Preston North End

Spoiler: All Teams

Birmingham City
Blackburn Rovers
Bolton Wanderers
Brentford
Brighton & Hove Albion
Bristol City
Burnley
Cardiff City
Charlton Athletic
Derby County
Fulham
Huddersfield Town
Hull City
Ipswich Town
Leeds United
Middlesbrough
Milton Keynes Dons
Nottingham Forest
Preston North End
Queen's Park Rangers
Reading
Rotherham United
Sheffield Wednesday
Wolverhampton Wanderers

2015/16 Winners: Burnley

Promoted
Middlesbrough

Relegated
Charlton Athletic
Milton Keynes Dons
Bolton Wanderers

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LEAGUE ONE

Current Champions: Bristol City

New Teams
Came Down: Blackpool, Wigan Athletic, Millwall
Came Up: Burton Albion, Shrewsbury Town, Bury, Southend United

Spoiler: All Teams

Barnsley
Blackpool
Bradford City
Burton Albion
Bury
Chesterfield
Colchester United
Coventry City
Crewe Alexandra
Doncaster Rovers
Fleetwood Town
Gillingham
Millwall
Oldham Athletic
Peterborough United
Port Vale
Rochdale
Scunthorpe United
Sheffield United
Shrewsbury Town
Southend United
Swindon Town
Walsall
Wigan Athletic

2015/16 Winners: Wigan Athletic

Promoted
Burton Albion

Relegated
Doncaster Rovers
Blackpool
Colchester United
Crewe Alexandra

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LEAGUE TWO

Current Champions: Burton Albion

New Teams
Came Down: Yeovil Town, Leyton Orient, Crawley Town, Notts County
Came Up: Barnet, Bristol Rovers

Spoiler: All Teams

Accrington Stanley
Barnet
Bristol Rovers
Cambridge United
Carlisle United
Crawley Town
Dagenham & Redbridge
Exeter City
Hartlepool United
Leyton Orient
Luton Town
Mansfield Town
Morcambe
Newport County
Northampton Town
Notts County
Oxford United
Plymouth Argyle
Portsmouth
Stevenage
Wimbledon
Wycombe Wanderers
Yeovil Town
York City

2015/16 Winners: Northampton Town

Promoted
Oxford United
Bristol Rovers

Relegated
York City
Dagenham & Redbridge

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ENGLISH SUPER CUP

Current Holders: Arsenal

2015/16 Winners: Arsenal

Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea

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FA CUP

Current Holders: Arsenal

2015/16 Winners: Manchester United

Crystal Palace 1-2 Manchester United (AET)

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FOOTBALL LEAGUE CUP

Current Holders: Chelsea

2015/16 Winners: Manchester City

Liverpool 1-1 Manchester City

Manchester City win 3-1 on penalties

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FOOTBALL LEAGUE TROPHY

Current Holders: Bristol City

2015/16 Winners: Barnsley

Barnsley 3-2 Oxford United​

Sackings are at a thirteen year high. This will be a log of this season's casualties and departures.

MANAGER WATCH

9th May - Lee Clark (Blackpool, resigned) League One
12th May - Paul Cook (Chesterfield, moves to Portsmouth) League One
24th May - Sam Allerdyce (West Ham United, contract expiration) Premier League
25th May - Steve McClaren (Derby County, sacked) Championship
25th May - Nigel Clough (Sheffield United, sacked) League One
28th May - John Sheridan (Plymouth Argyle, sacked) League Two

5th June - Slaviša Jokanović (Watford, contract expiration) Premier League
11th June - Stuart Gray (Sheffield Wednesday, sacked) Championship
30th June - Nigel Pearson (Leicester City, sacked) Premier League

6th September - Dave Robertson (Peterborough United, sacked) League One
8th September - Paul Dickov (Doncaster Rovers, sacked) League One
12th September - Darren Kelly (Oldham Athletic, sacked) League One
28th September - Marinus Dijkhuizen (Brentford, sacked) Championship
28th September - Steve Evans (Rotherham United, resigned) Championship
30th September - Graham Alexander (Fleetwood Town, sacked) League One

1st October - Terry Butcher (Newport County, sacked) League Two
3rd October - Dick Advocaat (Sunderland, resigned) Premier League
4th October - Brendan Rodgers (Liverpool, sacked) Premier League
17th October - Mark Cooper (Swindon Town, sacked) League One
19th October - Uwe Rösler (Leeds United, sacked) Championship
25th October - Tim Sherwood (Aston Villa, sacked) Premier League
25th October - Guy Luzon (Charlton Athletic, sacked) Championship
26th October - Russ Wilcox (York City, sacked) League Two

2nd November - Richard Money (Cambridge United, sacked) League Two
4th November - Chris Powell (Huddersfield Town, sacked) Championship
4th November - Chris Ramsey (Queen's Park Rangers, sacked) Championship
8th November - Kit Symons (Fulham, sacked) Championship
10th November - Gary Bowyer (Blackburn Rovers, sacked) Championship
26th November - Tony Humes (Colchester United, sacked) League One
28th November - Dean Saunders (Chesterfield, sacked) League One
30th November - Dean Smith (Walsall, moves to Brentford) League One

1st December - Paul Sturrock (Yeovil Town, sacked) League Two
4th December - Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (Burton Albion, leaves for Queen's Park Rangers) League One
4th December - Steve Clarke (Reading, sacked) Championship
9th December - Garry Monk (Swansea City, sacked) Premier League
17th December - John Still (Luton Town, sacked) League Two
17th December - Jose Mourinho (Chelsea, sacked) Premier League
21st December - Wayne Burnett (Dagenham & Redbridge, sacked) League Two
29th December - Martin Ling (Swindon Town, resigned) League One
29th December - Ricardo Moniz (Notts County, sacked) League Two

12th January - David Dunn (Oldham Athletic, sacked) League One
13th January - John Sheridan (Newport County, moves to Oldham Athletic) League Two
14th January - Steve Cotterill (Bristol City, sacked) Championship
18th January - Mark Robins (Scunthorpe United, sacked) League One
18th January - Ian Hendon (Leyton Orient, sacked) League Two

1st February - Teddy Sheringham (Stevenage, sacked) League Two
6th February - Lee Johnson (Barnsley, moves to Bristol City) League One
8th February - Neil Redfearn (Rotherham United, sacked) Championship
8th February - Paul Clement (Derby County, sacked) Championship
10th February - Ronnie Moore (Hartlepool United, sacked) League Two

7th March - Sean O'Driscoll (Walsall, sacked) League One
11th March - Steve McClaren (Newcastle United, sacked) Premier League
13th March - Dougie Freedman (Nottingham Forest, sacked) Championship
15th March - Neil Lennon (Bolton Wanderers, sacked) Championship
19th March - Jamie Fullarton (Notts County, sacked) League Two
29th March - Remi Garde (Aston Villa, sacked) Premier League

12th April - Kevin Nolan (Leyton Orient, sacked) League Two
23rd April - Graham Westley (Peterborough United, sacked) League One
25th April - Mark Yates (Crawley Town, sacked) League Two
26th April - Kevin Keen (Colchester United, sacked) League One

6th May - Russell Slade (Cardiff City, kicked upstairs) Championship
7th May - Jose Riga (Charlton Athletic, resigned) Championship
12th May - Roberto Martinez (Everton, sacked) Premier League
12th May - Nigel Adkins (Sheffield United, sacked) League One
12th May - Chris Wilder (Northampton Town, moves to Sheffield United) League Two
18th May - Neil Warnock (Rotherham United, resigned) Championship
18th May - Neil MacDonald (Blackpool, resigned) League One
19th May - Rob Page (Port Vale, moves to Northampton Town) League One
23rd May - Louis van Gaal (Manchester United, sacked) Premier League
27th May - Brian McDermott (Reading, sacked) Championship

Sackings: 53
Resignations: 7
Expirations: 2
Approaches: 7
Kicks Upstairs: 1

Total: 69

 

[Liquid]

Right, a few things to kick off as we enter the summer.

Daily Fail

*Shudder* Pardon the link, and mildly NSFW pictures therein, but this is the source with the most detail; three Leicester City reserve players have been rumbled filming some kind of lads holiday/sexual misdemeanor in Thailand which includes racially abusing the Thai women involved.

One of the players involved is James Pearson, son of manager Nigel, and lest we forget Leicester City are owned by Thais. What a complete and utter lack of respect and what horrible, entitled 🤬 these players are. I hope they're sacked. The Beeb has a tamer write up if you don't want to click on the Fail.

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Patrick Viera is one of the favourites for the Newcastle job

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Van Gaal
Koeman
Hasselbaink
Moniz
Dijkhuizen

There are now five Dutch managers in the top 92. Lest we forget that Edgar Davids and Dick Advocaat have been managers in England rather recently; an invasion has begun.

Dijkhuizen has taken over the Brentford job. Brentford, who let Mark Warburton go despite him guiding them to the play-offs in their first season in the Championship, are supposedly looking to use 'statistics' much more often in recruiting players. I'm very interested as to how they will do.

 

[Akmuq]

I'm really entrigued as to how Brentford do as well but I can't see them doing so good this season unless they somehow manage to convince Spurs to get Alex Pritchard again, who is hot property at Spurs atm and could well be this season's breakout star after Kane and Mason last year.

Any predictions will have to wait until transfer season is nearing the end and we've an idea on what the teams are shaping up to be like.

At the moment, the usual Chelsea-City Top 2 prediction, United need a top class defender and a striker or two as backup to Rooney to be challengers should De Gea leave.

Arsenal could be challengers though I reckon they need a CDM and maybe a striker.

Spurs need to get rid of a lot of deadwood, another defender (already signed Wimmer from FC Koln) and some strikers as backup to Kane.

Liverpool probably need an overhaul. Skrtel is still their best defender by a long way and Sakho, Toure and Lovren have been sub-standard. Up front Borini and Lambert haven't produced anything and Ballotelli doesn't look like his old self, although that may be due to a lack of crossing from Liverpool.

If Southampton are to remain fighting for Europe they would do well to hold on to their key players and maybe need slight improvements in their squad debth, not that much though.

Some key players that will be free this summer include Khedira, Ings, Konoplyanka and Andre Ayew.

 

[Vegard]

United need

cover/long term replacement for Carrick. This season has showed just how essential a DM is to the team.
A right back is also high on the list, with Rafael likely to be shipped off in the summer.

Arsenal could be challengers though I reckon they need a CDM

Coquelin has done rather well this season I think.

 

[Akmuq]

Coquelin has done rather well this season I think.

A second CDM is important in big games IMO, Cazorla, while he is a great player is not a defending type of midfielder. A second CDM could allow him to just concentrate on playing the ball.

It's been City's problem for years in the Champions League, a 4-4-2 where the only midfield player that defends is Fernandinho has led to them being unable to contain quite a lot of teams.

 

[Liquid]

Some key players that will be free this summer include Khedira, Ings, Konoplyanka and Andre Ayew.

Berbatov is also a free agent this summer; he could still do a job for a Prem team, just not a top 4 one any more I don't think.

 

[Vegard]

A second CDM is important in big games IMO

I haven't seen Arsenal play two DMs since the Vieira/Gilberto Silva days.

Two sitters, yes, but with one of them being a box-to-box/deep playmaker type.

 

[Akmuq]

I haven't seen Arsenal play two DMs since the Vieira/Gilberto Silva days.

They haven't won anything since then apart from two FA Cups.

 

[MUSC4EVER]

So big breaking news a little earlier with Sepp Blatter to resign as FIFA president once a successor is named, very good news for Football as a whole I'm sure you agree and I hope there will be big changes there now, Prince Ali and David Ginola have thrown their hat in to the presidential ring, successor to be named as soon as possible...

 

[Dennisch]

Breaking news.

Luis Suarez has stopped playing football and started an immediate career in a fastfood restaurant in Pakistan.

 

[MUSC4EVER]

Anyone hear about Newcastle and how they released their players last week? apparently what happened was the club rang up Ryan Taylor to say he wasn't going to get a new contract and they then asked if Jonas Gutierrez was with him and it was sheer coincidence that he was and he past to the phone to Jonas and told him he wouldn't get a new deal too...

....two problems with this, firstly doing it by phone is cowardly, at least have the balls to do it face to face, secondly, releasing Jonas Gutierrez after everything he's been through is shocking, he was diagnosed with cancer last September, got the all clear in March, forced his way back into the first team, and then scored the winning goal in the last game v Villa to keep them up....I think releasing him and the way in which they did it really does say a lot about what's going on at Newcastle right now...

 

[andrea]

This is, by some distance, the stupidest thing Real Madrid have done since they replaced Del Bosque with Carlos Queiroz.

 

[Liquid]

Correction: Real Madrid appoint Max.

 

[MUSC4EVER]

Good manager but I don't rate him as a coach, trying to figure out whether this is a good move or not...

...This summer will be a bit light on Football but there is the Copa America, The Euro U21 Championship and the Women's World Cup, I'll start threads on the Copa America and the Euros....not about the Women's World Cup though..

 

[Dennisch]

Good news! Dickie Advocaat stays on as manager for Sunderland!

 

[Liquid]

And is removed from manager watch as a result. This puts us at six Dutchies managing in the top 92.

 

[MUSC4EVER]

James Milner set to join Liverpool on a free from Man City once his contract runs out on July 1st subject to a medical, I cant honestly believe City are letting him go like this, he was one of the best players last season and is a really good player..

 

[Dennisch]

And is removed from manager watch as a result. This puts us at six Dutchies managing in the top 92.

I really, REALLY hope that Louis will make Man U champions next season. The Brits deserve a ridiculous speech from him.

 

[MUSC4EVER]

We have another Spanish manager in England too by the looks of it, Quique Sanchez Flores has signed a two year deadl to become Watford head coach, breaking news in the last 15 mins...

 

[Dennisch]

Sterling wants to go from Liverpool to Manchester United because of van Gaal.

Apparently that road hasn't been travelled since 1938.

 

[Liquid]

Sterling wants to go from Liverpool to Manchester United because of van Gaal.

Apparently that road hasn't been travelled since 1938.

Sterling is a bang average player, only somewhat better than his peers. Being in a bad Liverpool side makes him look greater than he is. Sturridge, on the other hand, is a real talent; it's just a shame his legs are made from glass.

The Football League is also looking to bring in interview quotas; at least one B/EM candidate will have to be interviewed for jobs.

 

[Liquid]

Flores has been announced as the new Watford manager and we have our seventh casualty of the season already.

5th June - Slaviša Jokanović (Watford, contract expiration) Premier League

MANAGER WATCH

9th May - Lee Clark (Blackpool, resigned) League One
12th May - Paul Cook (Chesterfield, moves to Portsmouth) League One
24th May - Sam Allerdyce (West Ham United, contract expiration) Premier League
25th May - Steve McClaren (Derby County, sacked) Championship
25th May - Nigel Clough (Sheffield United, sacked) League One
28th May - John Sheridan (Plymouth Argyle, sacked) League Two

5th June - Slaviša Jokanović (Watford, contract expiration) Premier League

 

[MUSC4EVER]

A lot of rumours and speculation to do with transfers at this time as ever, here's what I want/think should happen at one of my clubs, Manchester United

Goalkeepers
It certainly looks like De Gea will be leaving for Real Madrid, we have been linked with a few 'keepers to replace him like Lloris, Begovic, Cillesen and Muslera, I'd quite like Lloris although I think he would cost quite a bit as Spurs spent £8 mill on him and he has improved in the years since then which would add to his value, personally I wouldn't mind Valdes getting the number one jersey when De Gea leaves, he was fantastic against Hull and we can sign someone as a back up for him.

Defenders
We have been after a right back as Van Gaal doesn't rate Rafael who hasn't played much this season and Valencia has played there for a majority of the season, Clyne and Dani Alves have been linked but I think Seamus Coleman would be a good fit, we have been heavily linked with Mats Hummels and Nico Otamendi to play in the centre, anyone of those will be great, Luke Shaw has been out a lot of his first season but I don't think we need to sign anyone as cover as Blind and Rojo can do a job there.

Midfielders
I don't think we need anymore attacking midfielder wise unless Di Maria goes and he has already said that he isn't going anywhere which I think is great as I think he was treated a bit unfairly last season (which was his first in the PL don't forget), I would rather have Di Maria than Bale in the team right now, I think we should focus on a long term replacement for Carrick who is getting on a bit now and is getting more injury prone, Gundogon or Schneiderlin would be ideal.

Strikers
Rooney isn't going anywhere and will most likely finish his career at the club and end up our highest ever goal-scorer, Van Persie could go as I think he might be past his best and I think Higuain would be a great replacement, I'd rather keep Hernandez as I've always liked him, Wilson can go out on loan, maybe to one of the promoted PL teams...Bournemouth would be perfect for him

....and the one signing we have made....
Depay is a great signing, fantastic young player and he has potential to be one of the best players in the world in the next five years. 👍

 

[Dennisch]

Manchester should pick up Stekelenburg.

Edit.

Sunderland fans raise £2,000 to buy flowers for Dick Advocaat’s wife

That's a nice gesture.

 

[Liquid]

Sunderland will be relegated this year.

 

[Dennisch]

I have a friend who won't be happy with that.

 

[m8h3r]

I have a friend who won't be happy with that.

And I have a friend who would be delighted.

 

[Liquid]

I have a friend who won't be happy with that.

Just a gut instinct. It's an all too familiar story by now.

Di Canio; keeps them up, puts them on track for relegation.
Poyet; keeps them up, puts them on track for relegation.
Advocaat; keeps them up, ??? ??? ???

 

[Dennisch]

??? ??? ???

Qualifies for the Europa League.

 

[Liquid]

Number of Wrexham AFC season tickets sold so far: 2,000

That's better than the average attendance of 19 out of the other 23 Conference clubs. Including Chester.

Chester's Population: 120,000
Wrexham's Population: 60,000

We have half the population but get twice as many fans watching the football team. Yep. We do. Real club, real fans, blah, blah, blah.