2015/16 Premier League & General Football Discussion

[Ross]

Hi,a mate alls good here, Hope you,ve been well.
Had to post that link just for the reaction of what everyone thinks. Its totally mad. LOL
Laughed my way down the page to see some of the comments that had been made on there.

EDIT:
Here,s another one that made me giggle.
Man Utd ladies kit. lol
Thats another that's hitting the rounds. Not too sexist if you ask me.

Yeah all good here. Still remember those times on GT5 .

Anyway, on topic, sports journalism seems to be getting worse. I don't know if anyone follows someone called Duncan Castles on Twitter but he's the poorest excuse of a journalist I've ever seen.

 

[christara321]

No mate never heard of him.
But totally agree, Sports journalists are so lazy now a days. Report on anything and everything but nothing of interest.

 

[sems4arsenal]

Depay, bastian, darmain. I think those 3 will have a big impact and Morgan to have one next year after a year of learning from Bastian.

Van Gal has one year of experience in the league and with the squad?
United has an actual right back?
United's CM has world class quality in depth?
We've secured the services of the best GK in the league for another season (or so it seems)?

The focal point of Arsenal's attack is Giroud?

Chelsea might have the best XI but are severely lacking in depth though.

They have 3 first team CB's and the cover for Diego Costa is rather underwhelming, as Sunday's CS loss to Arsenal showed.

I have high expectations for Depay but darmain and an old Bastian isn't exactly setting the world alight, you still lost RVP and di maria (probably de gea too).

I still think United are the fourth best team (not sure what to make of Liverpool yet).

Arsenal need a striker I agree, would love an extra coquelin too.

 

[Akmuq]

on what grounds?

Old Trafford and The Emirates.

I just realised that I predicted United above Arsenal. To be honest I just see them jostling with each other about 5 points behind City. It could go either way between them really.

Long time no see! And quite how Thiago Silva can say that is beyond me. It seems his memory doesn't go further back than 5 years. United won our first European Cup 2 years before PSG were even founded

Silva said they are a step up, I.e. a better team. He did not say that they had a better history and 5 years ago is irrelevant as they both had different squads then.

_____

Anyway, it looks like Spurs may be able to sign Sven Bender, who would probably be our most important addition. I can see why Poch would sign him, after he was a top notch CDM in the best counter-pressing system in Europe and I would be delighted if he signed. Other players are Andrey Yarmolanko who was brilliant in Ukraine, so he could be amazing or rubbish in the Premier League and also Timo Werner, a German U19 striker who I couldn't imagine getting any major minutes for Spurs this season unless he's amazing/injury crisis/don't sign any strikers. Also, I'm sad because he's a month younger than me.

 

[Ross]

M

Silva said they are a step up, I.e. a better team. He did not say that they had a better history and 5 years ago is irrelevant as they both had different squads then.

I still don't believe PSG is a step up from ANY of the big 5 in the premier league. PSG play in a tinpot league where there's no real competition. If the top teams from the top divisions in Europe were all put into a 20 team league, PSG would finish in the bottom half of the table.

 

[Famine]

I still don't believe PSG is a step up from ANY of the big 5 in the premier league. PSG play in a tinpot league where there's no real competition. If the top teams from the top divisions in Europe were all put into a 20 team league, PSG would finish in the bottom half of the table.

Yet they got to the last 8 of the "Champions" League last season - further than any English club - knocking out Chelsea on the way and were only beaten by the eventual winners Barcelona. Who they also beat in the group stages.

 

[Peasantslayer]

Ligue 1 might not be as strong as the Prem, La Liga, Serie A or the Bundesliga but PSG clearly has a very strong squad. They outplayed Chelsea home and away in the CL.

 

[Akmuq]

I still don't believe PSG is a step up from ANY of the big 5 in the premier league. PSG play in a tinpot league where there's no real competition. If the top teams from the top divisions in Europe were all put into a 20 team league, PSG would finish in the bottom half of the table.

Are you serious?

The way I see it is right now the 3 best teams in Europe are Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. After that it's PSG, Athletico and Chelsea. They are a step up on the Premier League teams and IMO, would win any top league in Europe that isn't Spanish or German.

 

[Ross]

Yet they got to the last 8 of the "Champions" League last season - further than any English club - knocking out Chelsea on the way and were only beaten by the eventual winners Barcelona. Who they also beat in the group stages.

I know but I'm saying if the Champions League were held over an entire season in one big league with the 20 best teams in Europe, they wouldn't do very well. In England, Italy and at a push Spain, the big teams face a lot of good quality opposition and therefore have to play their top quality players every week. The game before they played Chelsea in the second leg of the quarter finals last year, they rested 5 of their first XI. Chelsea put out a fully strengthened XI in the game before.

Are you serious?

The way I see it is right now the 3 best teams in Europe are Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. After that it's PSG, Athletico and Chelsea. They are a step up on the Premier League teams and IMO, would win any top league in Europe that isn't Spanish or German.

I agree with you on the top 3 but the next 3 after that is Juventus, Atlectico and Roma. That'll be controversial but the strength of the Italian league seems to be growing again

 

[Ross]

Sorry, double post. Wifi's playing up

 

[Fuzzy]

I still don't believe PSG is a step up from ANY of the big 5 in the premier league. PSG play in a tinpot league where there's no real competition. If the top teams from the top divisions in Europe were all put into a 20 team league, PSG would finish in the bottom half of the table.

How do you know they won't do well, what are you basing this stuff off ?

 

[MUSC4EVER]

So we talked last week about the Dutch Eredivise being a 'Mickey Mouse' league and it was proved tonight, Ajax have been knocked out of Champions League Qualifying by Rapid Vienna 5-4 on aggregate....

 

[Ross]

How do you know they won't do well, what are you basing this stuff off ?

The fact that they play in a tinpot league with no real competition. The fact that they rest a lot of their top players before a big European game whereas their opponents don't have to do that.

 

[Fuzzy]

The fact that they play in a tinpot league with no real competition. The fact that they rest a lot of their top players before a big European game whereas their opponents don't have to do that.

Is the league really that weak, or is it that PSG have a very good squad filled with top players that make the league look average ?

 

[Ross]

Is the league really that weak, or is it that PSG have a very good squad filled with top players that make the league look average ?

Well it's got to say something when UEFA only gives it 3 UCL places and gives Germany, another "weaker" league 4. I think Bayern had pretty much secured that league by the start of March last year

 

[Akmuq]

Well it's got to say something when UEFA only gives it 3 UCL places and gives Germany, another "weaker" league 4. I think Bayern had pretty much secured that league by the start of March last year

Is the French League really weak? I mean, Arsenal got knocked out of the Champions League by Monaco, who finished 3rd...

Both Lyon and Monaco also have a great bunch of emerging talents like Lacazette, Umtiti, Martial, N'Jie, Fierreira Carrasco etc. I reckon they'd be forces in England.

I agree with you on the top 3 but the next 3 after that is Juventus, Atlectico and Roma. That'll be controversial but the strength of the Italian league seems to be growing again

Eh, Juve had a good run in the Champions League but it was against poor Dortmund and Madrid sides as well as Monaco. That and selling Tevez, Pirlo and Vidal will prove to be massive blows to them. They've signed Khedira and Mandzukic so far, who don't exactly improve on what they sold. Draxler is continuously linked with them though...

Atletico I agree with. Top top team.

Roma got smashed 7-0 by Bayern and I don't rate them particularly highly whatsoever. Pjanic is good though.

I believe the teams that will drive the Italian league forward will be Juve and both Milan clubs, maybe in a couple of seasons time.


The subject of top teams in Europe is a good topic and I'm going to put my top 10 in, based on last season's performance and potential this season

1. Barcelona
2. Bayern Munich
3. Real Madrid
4. PSG
5. Athletico
6. Chelsea
7. Juve
8. City
9. Arsenal
10. Wolfsburg

Would like to see other's thoughts and top 10's.


Also, has anyone seen this? Absolutely brilliant!

 

[m8h3r]

That Football Manager list is hilarious!

683000 people who turned up to watch the Europa League final between Celtic and APOEL

Lincoln not winning a match in the Europa League for 740 matches spanning from 2018 to 3014

Principat managed to pull off a 257 game losing streak in the Europa league spread across 550 years

GRAND CAPACITY OF: 9000. Though when Man U were in League 2 they did still use a 100000 capacity stadium

It's kind of depressing to look at my favourite team (Portsmouth) and find that in 1000 years of simulated football we managed one miserable season in the Premier League and nothing more.

Laughing at Burnley getting an attendance of 110k in the Turf Moor Superdome.

RB Salzburg with an attendance of over 500,000 in the CL

Celtic with an average attendance of nearly 600,000

Their average attendance is like 12% of the population of Scotland.

 

[Liquid]

Football Manager is srs bsns.

I've fallen into the pattern of only buying the even numbered years* so I'm quite excited for a new installment.

*Because I like to play them to death and get good amounts of time out of them. Still playing:

FM12: Wrexham (2011-2015) -> Wales U-21s (2015-16) -> Australia (2016) -> TSV Braunschweig (2018-2021) -> South Korea (2021-2022) -> Canada (2022-2023) -> Wrexham (2022-2031 (present))
FM14: Wrexham (2013-2017) -> Groningen (2018-2022) -> Italy U-23s (2022) -> Netherlands (2022-2024) -> Sheff Wed (2024-2028 (present))

 

[Kamuifanboy]

My Top 10 in Europe, based on past few years.

1. Real Madrid
2. Bayern Munich
3. Barcelona
4. PSG
5. Chelsea
6. Atletico
7. Juventus
8. Manchester City
9. Borussia Dortmund
10. Arsenal

 

[Liquid]

How are City above Dortmund? Dortmund have reached a CL final in recent years.

 

[Akmuq]

How are City above Dortmund? Dortmund have reached a CL final in recent years.

But they were dreadful last season, whereas City were merely poor.

 

[Kamuifanboy]

How are City above Dortmund? Dortmund have reached a CL final in recent years.

City have finished in the top 4 in their league the past 3+ years, Dortmund have been second and terrible last year, as well as a CL final. I'd rate City higher on consistency

 

[Liquid]

But not in Europe.

 

[C-ZETA]

The fact that they play in a tinpot league with no real competition.

But Bayern do that to an even greater extent...and Lyon and Marseille kept PSG company for much of last season. Whereas in the Bundesliga Bayern are now just a team to lose against (unless you're Wolfsburg).

 

[Ross]

But Bayern do that to an even greater extent...and Lyon and Marseille kept PSG company for much of last season. Whereas in the Bundesliga Bayern are now just a team to lose against (unless you're Wolfsburg).

That is a very good point. German league was probably a bad example to use in hindsight.

On the topic of the best ten teams in Europe, there's several different ways to do it so it's very subjective.

 

[MUSC4EVER]

Look like I'll be giving the football a miss on Saturday as I'm in work for a stocktake doing a 2-11pm, I have tried to change it to go in at 4 instead but it looks like no-one can cover, gutted I'll miss the United game as I'm dead excited for it, looks like I'll have to tape it

 

[Brend]

I still don't believe PSG is a step up from ANY of the big 5 in the premier league. PSG play in a tinpot league where there's no real competition. If the top teams from the top divisions in Europe were all put into a 20 team league, PSG would finish in the bottom half of the table.

You aren't for real, surely? That 'tin pot' league has utterly handed the arses of some of England's 'finest' these past few years and got further in the past few years than any English club. It's fair enough to say there is theoretical ways to rate the best teams in Europe but by using the actual scale PSG is a much better move for any Man U player if they want to win trophies and compete at Europe's highest level.

 

[MUSC4EVER]

But they won Ligue Un at a canter last season and won all domestic trophies...

 

[Brend]

But they won Ligue Un at a canter last season and won all domestic trophies...

Which is exactly my point, they are winning trophies...what any player aspires to do if they want to be remembered. Just because one team has had a ridiculous amount of investment doesn't mean the other teams are bad...I'm sure all teams would love for someone to come in and just start throwing money left, right and center but thats not how it works. Chelsea schooled their way to the BPL last year, would you say that makes the BPL any less competitive?

Also, you do realize the BPL and Ligue 1 were won by the exact same points margins?

 

[MUSC4EVER]

.....And you do remember that just a few years ago Man City won the PL by just one goal?



...that's all I got!