2016/17 Premier League & General Football Discussion

[Liquid]

And what are Spurs the champions of?

If the Champions League is anything to go by, use of the word "Champion" in your competition title is rather flexible.

International Champions Cup sounds like a crappy, fake name you'd find in a game which doesn't have the rights to the name UEFA Champions League.

 

[adamp93]

International Champions Cup sounds like a crappy, fake name you'd find in a game which doesn't have the rights to the name UEFA Champions League.

I wonder what you could be referring to...

 

[Brend]

Pretty sure FIFA does actually use a name very similar to that as it doesn't have the UEFA license like based PES does.

 

[Liquid]

Neither does Football Manager.

 

[mustafur]

Even though they don't use the official name in FIFA games I have no problem with it since your not going to find a game that does it better, given the more features the game has.

 

[lxmmy]

Ben Yedder has signed for Sevilla.

Bordeaux are close to signing Jeremy Menez.

Schalke are interested in a loan move for Baba Rahman.

Jakub Blas..... has joined Wolfsburg for €5m.

Celta Vigo sign Danish talent Pione Sisto.

Edit: Leroy Sane is set to have a medical at Man City.

 

[MUSC4EVER]

Leicester have agreed a £7.5 million deal for Polish winger Bartosz Kapustka.

 

[lxmmy]

Bordeaux are close to signing Jeremy Menez.

Schalke are interested in a loan move for Baba Rahman.

Both now confirmed deals.

Barcelona have terminated the contract of Alex Song.

Valencia sign Montoya after Barcelona also cancelled his contract.

Southampton have signed Alex McCarthy.

 

[christara321]

£37m Sane joins Man City http://bbc.in/2aJfqX9 via @BBCSport

 

[lxmmy]

Milik joins Napoli for €34m.

Everton are reported to be close to signing Ashley Williams.

 

[MUSC4EVER]

Welsh FAW reject Hull's approach for Chris Coleman.

 

[christara321]

Gueye joins Everton on four-year deal http://bbc.in/2as7yF6 via @BBCSport

 

[lxmmy]

Verratti signs a new deal at PSG.

K.P Boateng has joined Las Palmas on a one year deal.

Max Kruse has signed for Werder Bremen.

Aston Villa have made a bid for Ross McCormack.

Brighton are close to signing Alex Pritchard.

Edit: Real Madrid Jesé is close to joining PSG.

 

[Famine]

Why is the football league being referred to as "EFL" everywhere? It seems like ADHD marketing tosh.

And on the topic of ADHD marketing tosh, why is the Football League Trophy, for lower league clubs, now being called The EFL Trophy and open to Premier League U21 sides? What happens if two U21 teams get to the final? Doesn't it utterly cheapen the whole thing?

 

[Liquid]

Yes. And yes.

In other news, Dundalk of Ireland are one round away from the CL group stages after beating BATE Borisov 3-1 (3-0 on the night). In addition, they are guaranteed a Europa group spot whatever happens in the final qualifying round, where they could be drawing teams such as Manchester City, Porto or Roma.

Edit: This may also interest you, @Famine

 

[MUSC4EVER]

Everton made a £10 million bid for Swansea's Ashley Williams that was rejected, keep of our players!, we have let loads go already this summer that we need more in not out!

 

[MUSC4EVER]

Newcastle have signed Ciaran Clark from Villa and Diame from Hull, Newcaslte definintely favourites to win the Championship now but the pre-season favourites to win that division haven't actually won it since 2001, the Football league and National League season starts from Friday night.

Wayne Rooney has his testimonial match against Everton at OT tonight live on BT and Leicester play Barcelona in Stockholm on Sky tonight too.

 

[Famine]

Wayne Rooney has his testimonial match

Why? Is he not rich enough yet?

Anyway, this has kicked up a bit of a Twitter-tantrum (#swfcsquadnumbers):

 

[Vegard]

Why? Is he not rich enough yet?

Apparently not

 

[Famine]

Apparently not

Ah, good, it's not a traditional testimonial.

I always wondered why they were still a thing. Made sense back in the day when players got paid both halves of joss all but stuck around for a decade (or more).

 

[Touring Mars]

Wayne Rooney has his testimonial match against Everton at OT tonight live on BT

Incidentally it's also on BT Showcase channel, which is on Freeview, so you don't need to have BT Sport to watch it...

 

[Liquid]

this has kicked up a bit of a Twitter-tantrum (#swfcsquadnumbers):

The lack of a 9, 10 or 11? That is unusual unless you still have three signings left to be announced.

I always wondered why they were still a thing. Made sense back in the day when players got paid both halves of joss all but stuck around for a decade (or more).

I read an opinion piece this week (think it was on BBC Sport) saying how testimonials are now no longer a nest egg for retiring players but a chance for fans to connect with the player more than you usually would because these days players aren't the "get the same bus and share a pint down the local" figures they used to be.

I mean, I know I'm tempting fate but I'm sure you must be spitting out your Yorkshire Tea at that notion.

 

[Famine]

That harks back to my 40% rule

The lack of a 9, 10 or 11? That is unusual unless you still have three signings left to be announced.

Our second choice keeper is #2. Our new striker is #6...

 

[Liquid]

Our second choice keeper is #2.

Blasphemy! #2 should always be a full-back.

 

[Famine]

Blasphemy! #2 should always be a full-back.

And now you see the reason for the uproar

People are going potty.

 

[Touring Mars]

Rooney is not playing well - if Mourinho is serious, he should sub him off...

 

[Liquid]

Roberto Martinez is the new Belgium manager.

Goodbye, any solid defence Belgium had.

 

[Famine]

Roberto Martinez is the new Belgium manager.

Well... it doesn't make any less sense than many other appointments this summer.

 

[Liquid]

But it does corroborate with my hypothesis that Belgium need a non-Belgium, non-Dutch, non-French manager to unite the Walloonian and Flemish factions which keep Belgium from operating as a unit. They are a great example of a "team of individuals".

It'll be interesting to see how that works out because Martinez's teams are usually crap defensively and not-as-good-as-you'd-hope offensively but Belgium have wonderful defenders and solid forwards in their team.

 

[Ingram]

They just showed Lukaku facepalm on the Everton bench just after the Martinez news was announced. Could be a coincidence, but it's so much more hilarious to imagine that the two events were related.