The Footie Thread - may contain spoilers

tailwindhome

It's back!

Ok for everyone in Scotland and the lower leagues it's been back a couple of weeks but for all us 'barstoolers' and glory hunters the long, long summer is over and we are now only 38 matches away from glory.

So who's your team and what are your hopes and dreams (or worst fears) for the coming season? Care to stick your neck out and make some predictions?


Feel free to comment if you hate football, think they're all over paid prima donnas and your sport is better as the players are harder. You'll look like a d1ck, but feel free to do it anyway.

cjcp

Liverpool, but I've struggling to maintain any interest the last few years. So, I had to complete a fantasy team yesterday. I spent most of the time saying, "Who?" "When did they sign him?", "How much?! I thought he was cr@p!"

lastant

Norwich City, and we're back once again in the promised land of milk and honey! Be nice to get a win at Wigan today, having failed to secure all three points on our travels througout our last season in the top flight.

As long as we can keep hold of Lambert I genuinely believe we'll do alright this season and going forwards; he is genuinely one of the best managers I've ever watched operate and I have no doubt he'll go on to far, far greater things in the future.

Confident we'll finish at least 17th and therefore keep our status for next season, but I'll stick my neck out and go for a 12-14th place finish for us...

cjcp

Oh, great that we've signed three English players, but think it's wise to keep Maxi and Mierless (sp.?). We've a good shout at 2nd place.

Hope Swansea stay up. Hope Everton go down.

asprilla

Newcastle. I expect the usual slow start, especially as most of our team is brand new and probably can't even remember each others names yet. Mid table, 8th at the max and 12th at the lowest, but it depends how many more leave and come in (I expect both) before the end of the month.

cjcp

Asprilla wrote:

Newcastle. I expect the usual slow start, especially as most of our team is brand new and probably can't even remember each others names yet. Mid table, 8th at the max and 12th at the lowest, but it depends how many more leave and come in (I expect both) before the end of the month.

What's that Enrqiue chappie like? I've put him in my fantasy team.

tailwindhome

Hehe

just occurred to me that DDD is soon going to find out why MOTD is repeated so early on a Sunday morning.

asprilla

cjcp wrote:

Asprilla wrote:

Newcastle. I expect the usual slow start, especially as most of our team is brand new and probably can't even remember each others names yet. Mid table, 8th at the max and 12th at the lowest, but it depends how many more leave and come in (I expect both) before the end of the month.

What's that Enrqiue chappie like? I've put him in my fantasy team.

I've put him in mine too.

In short he's probably the forth or fifth best left back in the uk but he has the potential to be the best. Very good going forward, very quick and good in the tackle. His only real fault is his reluctance to 'find row z' when it's required; he'll always try to play out of defence and that can lead to bum going the ball away on the edge of his own box.

For £5.5-6m he's a bit of a bargain, it's going to cost us that much or more to replace him.

Agent57

Liverpool.

Hopes: we win everything. United are relegated. Everton are relegated.

Fear: United will get number 20.

cjcp

Asprilla wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Asprilla wrote:

Newcastle. I expect the usual slow start, especially as most of our team is brand new and probably can't even remember each others names yet. Mid table, 8th at the max and 12th at the lowest, but it depends how many more leave and come in (I expect both) before the end of the month.

What's that Enrqiue chappie like? I've put him in my fantasy team.

I've put him in mine too.

In short he's probably the forth or fifth best left back in the uk but he has the potential to be the best. Very good going forward, very quick and good in the tackle. His only real fault is his reluctance to 'find row z' when it's required; he'll always try to play out of defence and that can lead to bum going the ball away on the edge of his own box.

For £5.5-6m he's a bit of a bargain, it's going to cost us that much or more to replace him.

Nice.

spasypaddy

Liverpool fan checking in, im not a normal liverpool fan. im a pessimistic liverpool fan. would be over the moon with 4th and a cup. reality 5th and nothing.

our summer signings:
downing - 8m over priced IMO, but exactly the kind of player we need.
adam - not over priced but not good enough
henderson - double his money, may prove to be worth it in the long run, doubt it.
doni - back up keeper, wont play apart from CC games. meh
Jose Enrique - great signing. the only signing weve made this summer that im genuinely happy with in all respects.

still think we are missing a CB. Thought we might be missing a striker but as we currently have 10 midfielders on the books and will probably play narrow apart from downing i expect kuyt to play up front a fair amount this season. However we probably still need a new striker if as expected N'Gog leaves.

dhope

TailWindHome wrote:

It's back!

Not yet it's not, pesky rioters.
Yup, Spurs fan :roll:

Hopefully Fabregas and Nasri leaving will put 4th place in reach. I'm not sure Liverpool are as good as the second half of last season would suggest, though they couldn't be as bad as the first half suggested either.

We could do with some strikers. Don't much fancy any of Pav, Defoe, Crouch or Keane. All good enough for the team we are, none good enough for the team we're hoping to be.
Few too many midfielders, few too few healthy defenders.
Van der Vaart style bargain please. Maybe Adebayor on loan for a season... he's always great in his first season then lousy once settled.

spasypaddy

30mins in and i might have to have a rethink about downing...

Clever Pun

Liverpool fan

Surprised to see Suarez take a pen, I'd have thought Adam was a cert for that

Went to the Valencia friendly the other week, good day out and we looked good and from what I've seen so far today I'm filled with excitment.

Missing the arsenal game cause of the Brompton WC which is really annoying. Will be at the spurs game though.

Come on you Mighty Reds

NGale

Local team: Exeter City
Lifelong supporter of Middlesbrough

for Exeter City I would my hopes would be to see them kick Liverpool's arse in the next round of the Carling Cup and then go onto win it, followed by getting promoted to the championship. I feel my ambitions for the boys are a touch too low, but realistic :roll:

As for Middlesbrough, promotion back to the Premiership would do me nicely

Jay dubbleU

Why oh why do we have to have football in the middle of August FFS - its getting in the way of the cricket season

UndercoverElephant

Boro fan here as well. Promotion would be great, but given that we're selling everyone of any value, I reckon the play-offs would be good going. Looking like a nasty old bad-tempered game against Leeds. Been a while since we've had one of those.

Clever Pun

Jay dubbleU wrote:

Why oh why do we have to have football in the middle of August FFS - its getting in the way of the cricket season

I thought it was nice of England to polish off India before it started

cjcp

Get in! Suarez is in my team, although points docked for his penalty miss. Got Adams too. And Adams. And, ahem, Reina.

Edit: and Enrique and Kuyt.

spasypaddy

90mins in and im already pissed off. fed up after 90mins of a season. great.

NGale

UndercoverElephant wrote:

Boro fan here as well. Promotion would be great, but given that we're selling everyone of any value, I reckon the play-offs would be good going. Looking like a nasty old bad-tempered game against Leeds. Been a while since we've had one of those.

Been to a few Boro/Leeds games over the years. My father is a Leeds fan so things can get interesting when we go to matches, someone will always have to be in the opposing fans end

Always found Boro/Sunderland games the most 'fun' :shock:

iainment

Charlton man here, hopes for this year is promotion. Anyway it comes ok with me.
Really hate League 1 with a pasion, although we are where we are because we have not beengood enough.
I think of us as a Champ/Prem team and can't wait to get back up.
Of course knowing the addicks we've probably got another heartbreak season or two to go before getting out of this League.

Come on you Reds!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

shouldbeinbed

Blyth Spartans fan. Good start to the Conference NORTH season yesterday, came back from 2-0 down to draw away at Histon,

Also got trips to Bishops Stortford & Gloucester to look forward to.

We need a midland division to help out the extremes like us & unfortunate southern clubs that still aren't quite southern enough for the southern conference.

chadders81

Man City fan. Tin hat on. We're ruining football blah blah blah.

Guess what - I don't care because it's a game and it's quite entertaining. But at the same time, I think it's a bit vulgar and ridiculous what has happened at the club over the past couple of years. Are we really going to pay Adebayor, Tevez and Bellamy and combined total of £450k PER WEEK to sit on the bench or kick their heels in reserve? Probably.

Dreaming of pushing United all the way even though I think they will win it. Good run in the CL would be nice. I think Nasri will be great if we sign him. Can't see how we can continue to be defensive with him, Silva and Toure playing behind Aguero.

Not sure Mancini is the right man for the job and think Balotelli could implode at any minute. Think we'll see some great goals and few red cards from him.

I though Liverpool would be good this season but then they spent £40m on Henderson and Downing who players who found their level at mid table teams.

chadders81

What happened today is why United will win the league. Nicking wins when playing poorly. Makes me sick.

shouldbeinbed

Bit early to say that about Henderson, he's still a kid & last season was his breakthrough year, being around a higher calibre of player & team with greater aspirations may well see him develop further/faster. As long as he can get his head round being one in a squad & not so far up the pecking order this year

Downing seems to have stood still for a few years

chadders81

shouldbeinbed wrote:

Bit early to say that about Henderson, he's still a kid & last season was his breakthrough year, being around a higher calibre of player & team with greater aspirations may well see him develop further/faster. As long as he can get his head round being one in a squad & not so far up the pecking order this year

Downing seems to have stood still for a few years

It's also a bit early to say he's worth £20 million.

cjcp

£20m seems a bit high, but hopefully Dalglish's nous is spot on, particularly if he's looking to off-load Maxi et al. Agree that Downing looks to have plateaued out the last couple of years, but hopefully he can get going again now.

DonDaddyD

TailWindHome wrote:

Hehe

just occurred to me that DDD is soon going to find out why MOTD is repeated so early on a Sunday morning.

UndercoverElephant

cjcp wrote:

£20m seems a bit high, but hopefully Dalglish's nous is spot on, particularly if he's looking to off-load Maxi et al. Agree that Downing looks to have plateaued out the last couple of years, but hopefully he can get going again now.

Downing was amazing when he played fro Boro. Every match he would tear pieces off any right-back and create cross after cross, delivered with amazing accuracy right to Viduka or Hasselbank. Poor lad got such a torrid time from the fans when he played for England that he seemed to lose some of his confidence. He was never so good at defensive duties, mind.

Gussio

Stoke City. Good result yesterday. Villas-Boas needs to get his own house in order (diving, pulling, pushing, etc.) before complaining about how we play. Prediction for the season? Hopefully top 12, a good run in the Europa and pundits continuing to recognise that we do play some good football and play to our strengths with a limited squad.