2016/17 Premier League & General Football Discussion

[Brend]

4-3-3

Hazard - Lukaku - Mane
Alli - Kante - Eriksen
Alonso - Alderweireld - Van Dijk - Coleman
Heaton​

Would have been my starting XI.

But it is hard to miss out; Kane, Sanchez, Costa, Ibra, Son, De Bruyne, Aguero, Rose, Firmino, McCauley, Vertonghan and Valencia.

I'd go for this too except with Forster in goal instead of Heaton. 👍

 

[Liquid]

Kane over Lukaku. Kane works harder.

 

[MUSC4EVER]

Saturday
Bournemouth v Middlesbrough
Hull v Watford
Swansea v Stoke
West Ham v Everton

Sunday
Burnley v Man United (2.15 BT)
Liverpool v Crystal Palace (4.30 Sky)

Diluted schedule this weekend due to the FA Cup semi finals, there are games in midweek to make up for it as part of Sky's 'Heavyweight Week', El Clasico between Real Madird and Barcelona is on Sunday night too.

Very sad to hear about Ugo Ehiogu, 44 is no age to go, thoughts with his family

 

[88GTA]

How likely is it that Valencia will play for United on Sunday and Thursday this week?

 

[MUSC4EVER]

Played the entire 120 last night so sensible thing to do would be rest him for City on Thursday, however we do have problems in defence now Rojo might be out for a while.

 

[Famine]

Brighton could be Championship champions tonight...

... but they're losing 2-0 to two own goals from their goalkeeper, both from shots by Alex Pritchard which both hit the post and both rebounded in off the keeper's back!

Edit: Just to add insult to injury, Norwich haven't actually managed a single shot on target in the whole game!

 

[Jimlaad43]

Man U aren't winning anything else this season, Ibrahomivic has just damaged his cruciate knee-ligament.

 

[adamp93]

Just to add insult to injury, Norwich haven't actually managed a single shot on target in the whole game!

"The only stat that matters is that one in the corner" plus other commentary clichés.

 

[MUSC4EVER]

Man U aren't winning anything else this season, Ibrahomivic has just damaged his cruciate knee-ligament.

I'll hold you to that, if we win the Europa League I will bring up this post again.

I'm more bothered about Rojo being injured than Ibrahimovic, yes we would be where we are without him and of course he will be missed but at least we have options in attack, unlike in defence....Rojo's injury now means that Bailly is our only recognised centre back.

 

[m8h3r]

I think it's time to just give Rashford a good chance before he does a Welbeck.

 

[MUSC4EVER]

Rooney gets a start v Burnley, Rashford on bench looks like he's being rested for Thursday.

 

[Brend]

McGregor scored a pretty tidy goal today...nice cameo from Dembele too with a keen touch and pass to set it up.

 

[Famine]

Real Madrid have scored yet another offside goal today in El Clasico, and Ronaldo - now sporting a frosted tip hairdo, for the ultimate douchecanoe image - has missed a sitter while also offside...

 

[andrea]

Ramos. Madre mia. That's a red card even in Muay Thai.

 

[andrea]

Omgggggggg Messi

 

[Brend]

Take a bow, Lionel Messi.

Fantastic game of football.

 

[andrea]

 

[Dreadmed]

Kudos for Sergi Roberto, busting a gut that late on to leave Marcelo clutching at straws!

And surprise surprise, Ronnie throwing a tantrum. I can only hope that he's directing that at himself (wishful thinking, I know) because he should've got one or two goals at the very least.

 

[andrea]

 

[88GTA]

Played the entire 120 last night so sensible thing to do would be rest him for City on Thursday, however we do have problems in defence now Rojo might be out for a while.

He sat out against Burnley yesterday and misses the clean sheet...

In other news, Benteke has been on fire lately and Crystal Palace beat Liverpool

 

[MoLiEG]

I think Liverpool gave up way too soon on Benteke. He is playing quite well with Palace.

 

[MUSC4EVER]

Kante won player of the year last night and Dele Alli won young player of the year for a second year running, don't think you can argue with that really...

 

[Famine]

Right... I know that the club acted in good faith when they sacked him... I know that he was subsequently cleared... I know these things...

But this cannot possibly be a good idea, can it?

 

[MUSC4EVER]

They were close to re-signing him when he was released didn't they? and there was much public uproar about it with sponsers pulling out etc, I think its fine now he has had a re-trail and has been cleared, and he's had a good season with Chesterfield.

 

[Jimlaad43]

Hang on, he was cleared of all charges, therefore he deserves to be treated as a normal footballer. It's completely different to if Adam Johnson came back to play professionally.

 

[Famine]

Hang on, he was cleared of all charges, therefore he deserves to be treated as a normal footballer.

Right... I know that the club acted in good faith when they sacked him... I know that he was subsequently cleared... I know these things...

But this cannot possibly be a good idea, can it?

He has been treated as a normal footballer. 2 months after the original conviction was quashed, Chesterfield signed him and he's been playing for them since (which amounts to a full season). It's not being a footballer again that I think isn't the best idea, but being a footballer at Sheffield United again.

When Sheffield United originally dithered over sacking him, the club's shirt sponsor threatened to cancel a deal, Jessica Ennis-Hill suggested she'd want her name removed from the stand and three of the club's patrons resigned.

Meanwhile, here's some chants the fans (including United and Chesterfield) sing about Ched Evans:
"He shags who he wants, he shags who he wants, he gets them legless & shags who he wants"
"He's 🤬, he missed, he :censored:s them when they're pissed, Super Ched" (Quartermaster's Stores)
"She said no Evans, she said no! Oh Evans, she said no." (Kumbaya)


It seems that some Sheffield United fans aren't entirely convinced of the wisdom of the move either. And not just because he's been injured half the season and couldn't score right now unless... well, fill in your own punchline.

 

[Touring Mars]

A lot of football fans can be extremely fickle - as soon as he scores a goal for them, I bet all will be forgiven.

I can understand why the sponsors and Ennis-Hill didn't want him associated with the club while his conviction stood, but now that it has been quashed they should, arguably, make a point of saying that he is welcome back - the morality (or otherwise) of his 'legal' behaviour notwithstanding. That said, if every footballer who behaved like Ched Evans at some point in their lives were sacked today, a lot of teams would have to become a 5-a-side league.

 

[88GTA]

AC Milan lost this weekend to 17th place Empoli and now sit one place out of European competition for next year. After the game, De Sciglio informed the team that he will be leaving after this season, likely to Juventus. And on top of that, Donnarumma's agent is playing hard ball with the new Milan owners making a new deal seem far off.

 

[Famine]

Donnarumma

Hot stuff.

 

[MUSC4EVER]

Here's the Premier League games for the next few nights.

Tonight
Chelsea v Southampton (7.45 Sky)

Wednesday Night
Arsenal v Leicester
Crystal Palace v Tottenham (8pm Sky)
Middlesbrough v Sunderland

Thursday Night
Man City v Man United (8pm Sky)