Football (Soccer) Thread

[Syt]

PSG wants to buy another player for 160 million. BVB rejected a fee of 90 million for Dembele as too low...
It was already ridiculous, but this is getting worse and worse.

I thought they were already under huge FFP pressure with Neymar?

Do they look like they care?

[Josquius]

PSG wants to buy another player for 160 million. BVB rejected a fee of 90 million for Dembele as too low...
It was already ridiculous, but this is getting worse and worse.

I thought they were already under huge FFP pressure with Neymar?

Do they look like they care?

About having points deductions and a champions league place taken from them?

[celedhring]

FFP is a paper tiger and PSG is willing to call the bluff.

[Gups]

The notion that MLS is a retirement league is getting rather old. MLS has improved a lot in 10 years. It's not Premier League or Serie A and does not pretend to be but it has become competitive with second tier Euro leagues. And Sebastian Giovinco, for instance, is nowhere near ready to retire.

Not according to Nate Silver and his mates.

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/whats-new-in-our-2017-18-club-soccer-predictions/


There aren't too many surprises at the top; out of the five biggest European leagues, four are in the top five, with La Liga in Spain and the Bundesliga in Germany pretty far ahead of the pack. The Premier League in England, despite being the most valuable league in the world, has struggled to compete in the Champions League recently, and their match-based rating lags far behind their market value rating. Another league whose recent performance according to our ratings has lagged behind their market value is Major League Soccer in the U.S., whose last CONCACAF Champions League title was in 2000. MLS shows up in 28th place, between the Danish and Croatian leagues and a long way behind their regional rivals Liga MX in Mexico.

[Josquius]

Early days yet but watching sunderlands first games in the championship I am cautiously optimistic.

It seems the thing that really sets the Premier league apart is not so much the quality but the lack of forgiveness for mistakes.
Sunderland as a team usually play pretty decent. Give much higher finishing teams a run for their money.... Only to have a few moments of silliness where they completely mess up and give the opposition a chance.
In the Premier league this means instantly 1-0 down.
In the championship not necessarily.
I'm quite excited for the season ahead. Fears of doing a Leeds are gone. It'll be nice to see Sunderland winning

[Duque de Bragança]

The notion that MLS is a retirement league is getting rather old. MLS has improved a lot in 10 years. It's not Premier League or Serie A and does not pretend to be but it has become competitive with second tier Euro leagues. And Sebastian Giovinco, for instance, is nowhere near ready to retire.

Not according to Nate Silver and his mates.

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/whats-new-in-our-2017-18-club-soccer-predictions/


There aren't too many surprises at the top; out of the five biggest European leagues, four are in the top five, with La Liga in Spain and the Bundesliga in Germany pretty far ahead of the pack. The Premier League in England, despite being the most valuable league in the world, has struggled to compete in the Champions League recently, and their match-based rating lags far behind their market value rating. Another league whose recent performance according to our ratings has lagged behind their market value is Major League Soccer in the U.S., whose last CONCACAF Champions League title was in 2000. MLS shows up in 28th place, between the Danish and Croatian leagues and a long way behind their regional rivals Liga MX in Mexico.

France as the 5th biggest league is a recent thing though, dating from the Qatari takeover of PSG, a unique opportunity: 11 million people around the Paris region  and just one club in the French top league. Plus the Russian oligarch owner of Monaco.

[Josquius]

America as the retirement league is in a funny place with China stealing it's position there.
Could be good for football in America overall.
Certainly  I've read good things about the developing derbies in NY and LA and in the north West becoming quite authentic.
Still really unsure about the franchise system and lack of promotion and relegation though.

[Gups]

Early days yet but watching sunderlands first games in the championship I am cautiously optimistic.

It seems the thing that really sets the Premier league apart is not so much the quality but the lack of forgiveness for mistakes.
Sunderland as a team usually play pretty decent. Give much higher finishing teams a run for their money.... Only to have a few moments of silliness where they completely mess up and give the opposition a chance.
In the Premier league this means instantly 1-0 down.
In the championship not necessarily.
I'm quite excited for the season ahead. Fears of doing a Leeds are gone. It'll be nice to see Sunderland winning

I like Sunderland (us Charlton fans have a soft spot for them) but you were awful last season and I don't think you'll set the C'ship alight this year without Pickford and Defoe. I have you pegged as mid-table, maybe squeezing into the play offs.

[celedhring]

FTM!

[Josquius]

Early days yet but watching sunderlands first games in the championship I am cautiously optimistic.

It seems the thing that really sets the Premier league apart is not so much the quality but the lack of forgiveness for mistakes.
Sunderland as a team usually play pretty decent. Give much higher finishing teams a run for their money.... Only to have a few moments of silliness where they completely mess up and give the opposition a chance.
In the Premier league this means instantly 1-0 down.
In the championship not necessarily.
I'm quite excited for the season ahead. Fears of doing a Leeds are gone. It'll be nice to see Sunderland winning

I like Sunderland (us Charlton fans have a soft spot for them) but you were awful last season and I don't think you'll set the C'ship alight this year without Pickford and Defoe. I have you pegged as mid-table, maybe squeezing into the play offs.

I was scared of being relegated even a few months back.
Based off the Derby game though we might have a chance afterall.
Assuming Derby are representative of a solid play off challenging team and haven't gone to pot.

[dps]

America as the retirement league is in a funny place with China stealing it's position there.
Could be good for football in America overall.
Suddenly I've read good things about the developing derbies in NY and LA and in the north West becoming quite authentic.
Still really unsure about the franchise system and lack of promotion and relegation though.

Supposedly, MLS is at least considering a promotion and relegation system, and apparently there's a law suit being filed about the issue.

[Josephus]

There will never be promotion/relegation in MLS.

When owners put millions into the franchise, they don't intend on investing in a team that can potentially disappear into a  second-tier league. It's MLS Tier One or nothing.

[Admiral Yi]

I don't see why you need promotion/relegation to make a league.  You get the exact same effect from teams moving up from cellar-dwellers to contenders.

[Josquius]

I don't see why you need promotion/relegation to make a league.  You get the exact same effect from teams moving up from cellar-dwellers to contenders.

Adds drama to the bottom as well as the top - nobody cares about the fight for 10th place, the fight for 17th and safety however....

Builds support for the lower level leagues. Knowing if only your team does well enough it could be playing at the top.

[Josephus]

Meanwhile, us Liverpool fans are in for another frustrating season