Barclays Premier League 2015/2016-and other Euro League talk

wlu_lax6 · Post by **wlu_lax6** » Fri Jul 31, 2015 9:52 am

Charity Shield this weekend and then away we go for week one. Feels like there was no break this year...oh that is because there was no break this year (All hail FIFA).

I don't appreciate La Liga. Way too much haves v. have nots. But I do appreciate Goltv coverage and 30 in 90 recaps all week. However, very intrigued by Fox Sports' Bundesliga coverage this year. FS2 moved down to my basic fios tier.

Get your EPL Fantasy teams ready to go!

govmentchedda · Post by **govmentchedda** » Fri Jul 31, 2015 10:10 am

I'm pretty excited for the normalcy that comes with the seasons beginning. 90 in 30 is great, but I agree, La Liga is not doing themselves any favors by being a 2 team league. I'm definitely looking forward to easier access and exposure to the Bundesliga. I wonder if the coverage will be as one sided as the way La Liga is covered.

DaveInSeattle · Post by **DaveInSeattle** » Fri Jul 31, 2015 10:16 am

I've never watched any Bundesliga...is it Bayern and then everyone else? Or more balanced than that?

govmentchedda · Post by **govmentchedda** » Fri Jul 31, 2015 10:17 am

It feels very much like La Liga, in my opinion. You can probably lump Ligue Un in there as well. Now that I think about it, probably Serie A too.

travzilla · Post by **travzilla** » Fri Jul 31, 2015 10:39 am

wlu_lax6 wrote: Get your EPL Fantasy teams ready to go!

Excited to head into my 3rd season of really getting into soccer. It's been interesting to see the slow growth in my soccer-world knowledge over the years. From just knowing International soccer and who the 20 teams in the premier league were, to last year expanding to the championship and other european domestic leagues. By the end of last year I could recognize names of the superstars in the world.
This year i'm looking to get deeper into the actual game (stategies, formations, recognizing good play).

Here's where my very young allegiances lie:

England - Bolton + Norwich City. Started out Blackpool via the swamp. Saw them rise, and of course fall. Decided to pick a team of my own (heavyweights excluded). Pick Bolton. Immediately relegated. Still needed someone to cheer for in EPL, so I adopted Norwich as my next team. immediately relegated. Last year said Fuck This Shit, I'm cheering for Chelsea. Worked out pretty good other than learning they seem to be a bunch of racist douches. Now that Bolton looks to be in an extended stay in the championship, I'm all in on the Canaries this year. (That championship playoff final was one of the best sporting things i've watched this year).

Germany - Wolfsburg. Easily my best selection last summer. Fun team, emerging superstar (Kevin De Bruyne), nice kits. Finished second in Bundisliga, including a 4-1 win over Bayern Munich. So excited to have a real rooting interest in the Champions League.

France - FC Lorient. Almost relegated but just safe.

Spain - Malaga. Top half of the table but never really in contention for a spot in europe.

Italy - Palermo. Mid-table team with awesome pink jerseys.

wlu_lax6 · Post by **wlu_lax6** » Fri Jul 31, 2015 11:02 am

govmentchedda wrote:It feels very much like La Liga, in my opinion. You can probably lump Ligue Un in there as well. Now that I think about it, probably Serie A too.

Well Serie A is like watching a trainwreck. The fiances of the league are all kinds of screwy. Serie A used to be the league. Amazing to see how far that league has fallen since I was growing up and it was the best European league out there.

wlu_lax6 · Post by **wlu_lax6** » Fri Jul 31, 2015 11:04 am

travzilla wrote:
wlu_lax6 wrote: Get your EPL Fantasy teams ready to go!
This year i'm looking to get deeper into the actual game (stategies, formations, recognizing good play).

If this is really your goal. Add this to your reading list http://www.zonalmarking.net/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

travzilla · Post by **travzilla** » Fri Jul 31, 2015 11:29 am

wlu_lax6 wrote:The fiances of the league are all kinds of screwy.

Now this sounds interesting!

wlu_lax6 wrote:If this is really your goal. Add this to your reading list http://www.zonalmarking.net/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I like it on first glance. Thanks

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Fri Jul 31, 2015 11:42 am

I like following the mid-table teams as well

EPL: Southampton (top 10 last year)
Bungesliga: Hamburg (won relegation playoff to stay up)
La Liga: Deportivo La Coruna (loved them in the 00s)
Championat: Toulouse (purple jerseys and I like saying Toulouse)
Serie A: Palermo (pink jerseys)

elflaco · Post by **elflaco** » Fri Jul 31, 2015 12:30 pm

is there a swamp epl fantasy league going this year?

wlu_lax6 · Post by **wlu_lax6** » Fri Jul 31, 2015 2:48 pm

elflaco wrote:is there a swamp epl fantasy league going this year?

I started my team on the EPL's website (where we had la swampa)

wlu_lax6 · Post by **wlu_lax6** » Fri Jul 31, 2015 3:31 pm

hot seat
http://www.espnfc.us/blog/espn-fc-unite ... -us-sports" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Fri Jul 31, 2015 6:12 pm

Reason is simple. Relegation!

Gotta fire the coach early before it's too late!

Pruitt · Post by **Pruitt** » Fri Jul 31, 2015 6:56 pm

wlu_lax6 wrote:
govmentchedda wrote:It feels very much like La Liga, in my opinion. You can probably lump Ligue Un in there as well. Now that I think about it, probably Serie A too.
Well Serie A is like watching a trainwreck. The fiances of the league are all kinds of screwy. Serie A used to be the league. Amazing to see how far that league has fallen since I was growing up and it was the best European league out there.

It is amazing - half these teams play in crumbling shitholes that are never more than half full.

That French Guy · Post by **That French Guy** » Sat Aug 01, 2015 9:58 am

degenerasian wrote:Championat: Toulouse (purple jerseys and I like saying Toulouse)

That’s where I live !

And Trav, how did you end up rooting for Lorient ?

Post by **Sabo** » Mon Aug 03, 2015 9:14 am

travzilla · Post by **travzilla** » Mon Aug 03, 2015 10:42 am

That French Guy wrote:
degenerasian wrote:Championat: Toulouse (purple jerseys and I like saying Toulouse)
That’s where I live !

And Trav, how did you end up rooting for Lorient ?

Nice kits, decent name. Are they unassuming enough to cheer for, or is it a city/team full of assholes?

Ligue 1/Liga/Seri A are a tier below EPL and Wolfsburg in terms of how much real attention I give, so when I say I root for them its basically just following scores and standings, and occasionally news items.

govmentchedda · Post by **govmentchedda** » Mon Aug 03, 2015 8:52 pm

Sabo wrote:

Da fu?

Pruitt · Post by **Pruitt** » Tue Aug 04, 2015 5:52 am

Sabo wrote:

Guessing that it was made outside of the UK.

Otherwise, buddy is going to piss off a lot of people.

The Sybian · Post by **The Sybian** » Tue Aug 04, 2015 9:08 am

I hope he lost a bet. Tattoo artist is horrendous. Check out the line under the YNWA.

Pruitt · Post by **Pruitt** » Tue Aug 04, 2015 11:10 am

The Sybian wrote:I hope he lost a bet. Tattoo artist is horrendous. Check out the line under the YNWA.

Who bets a permanent tattoo?

(Rhetorical question - Im sure it happens a lot).

But that is not the worst Man U tattoo out there.

The Sybian · Post by **The Sybian** » Tue Aug 04, 2015 1:15 pm

Pruitt wrote:
Who bets a permanent tattoo?

That will be a fun image search from home.

Pruitt · Post by **Pruitt** » Tue Aug 04, 2015 2:55 pm

The Sybian wrote:
Pruitt wrote:
Who bets a permanent tattoo?
That will be a fun image search from home.

Oh my!

http://www.mandatory.com/2015/02/09/the ... ing-a-bet/

devilfluff · Post by **devilfluff** » Sat Aug 08, 2015 10:59 am

Nobody is watching this morning?

DaveInSeattle · Post by **DaveInSeattle** » Sat Aug 08, 2015 12:47 pm

devilfluff wrote:Nobody is watching this morning?

I'm catching some....

After hearing the MIB talk about the Bournemouth story, and seeing that stadium and atmosphere this morning, I nominate them for Swamp FanDom, ala when we adopted Blackpool a few years back.

And Chelsea is now even at 2, and playing a man down!

rass · Post by **rass** » Sun Aug 09, 2015 3:03 pm

The Sybian · Post by **The Sybian** » Mon Aug 10, 2015 11:32 am

Jose Mourinho proves he is the greatest evil genius of alltime. Many praised him having the compassion to let Petr Cech go to a crosstown rival, as Cech wanted to keep his family in London. After Cech's performance yesterday, it is clear Cech is a double agent, still working for Chelsea behind enemy lines. John Terry said Cech will mean 12-15 points, but we all assumed he meant additional points for Arsenal, not points lost.

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Mon Aug 17, 2015 7:11 am

Not been too impressed with Man U just yet. Lots of Sound and Fury on the attack so far but it has signified nothing. Still learning each other and there's a lot of new faces so I suppose that's to be expected.

Brontoburglar · Post by **Brontoburglar** » Mon Aug 17, 2015 8:28 am

A_B wrote:Not been too impressed with Man U just yet. Lots of Sound and Fury on the attack so far but it has signified nothing. Still learning each other and there's a lot of new faces so I suppose that's to be expected.

5 points clear of Chelsea makes a lot of things better

Post by **Shirley** » Mon Aug 17, 2015 9:25 am

Man, that Man City game was a disaster for Chelsea. They actually seemed to have possession for most of the game, but just couldn't generate great chances in the final third. City looked much more dangerous on the counter-attack. That said, the score was a bit misleading.

It's hard to say yet what the problem is for Chelsea, but it's sort of shown since the preseason games. They don't have the cohesion of last season. And Costa has to stop looking for calls and bitching and just keep playing. Kompany kicked his ass yesterday and all Costa could do was whine to the ref.

Post by **Sabo** » Mon Aug 17, 2015 11:26 am

Those who follow the EPL already know this, but more and more clubs are providing news to "select media partners" instead of giving access to all media. Newcastle is most noted for this, but Blackpool did the same thing this offseason and banned the Blackpool Gazette from any club function before the season started.

Anyway, Man City beat Chelsea 3-0 yesterday, and the Chelsea Web site's game story reads like something that would come from the North Korea propaganda department.

The Guardian decided to have a little fun with it and had this piece in today's The Fiver e-mail. I prefer the Guardian's version of the story.

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Mon Aug 17, 2015 12:07 pm

If I root at all for a Premiership side, I root for the Filbert Street Foxes of Leicester (because I have a friend from there who is a big fan). Top of the table, for now!

travzilla · Post by **travzilla** » Wed Aug 26, 2015 4:01 pm

Manchester City agree £54m fee with Wolfsburg for Kevin De Bruyne

Help me out with learning the whole "transfers" world of soccer:

1. Wolfsburg essentially traded De Bruyne to City for a truckfull cash, correct?

2. Is it common for teams to sell their best player even though it will significantly hurt their league and Champions league efforts? Is the money just too much to turn down?

3. What do clubs that receive these huge transfer payments do with the money? Is it just profit for the owners? Should I expect Wolfsburg to use some of it to sign someone to replace De Bruyne (I would hope so)? I can understand selling an asset to better build your team to make a run at promotion or CL, but Wolfsburg is already there, shouldn't they be trying to win, like now? Or is there a free agency sort of thing where they could have lost him for nothing in the near future?

4. Does the player have any say in these transfers at all? Can he say no, or is he completely at the whim of the club?
When your club sells a player, do you still follow him and cheer for his new team a little more than you would otherwise, or angrily wish death upon them all (should I now loathe or like City)?

edit: Good blog post on this particular transfer here

Steve of phpBB · Post by **Steve of phpBB** » Wed Aug 26, 2015 4:13 pm

travzilla wrote:Manchester City agree £54m fee with Wolfsburg for Kevin De Bruyne

Help me out with learning the whole "transfers" world of soccer:

1. Wolfsburg essentially traded De Bruyne to City for a truckfull cash, correct?

2. Is it common for teams to sell their best player even though it will significantly hurt their league and Champions league efforts? Is the money just too much to turn down?

3. What do clubs that receive these huge transfer payments do with the money? Is it just profit for the owners? Should I expect Wolfsburg to use some of it to sign someone to replace De Bruyne (I would hope so)? I can understand selling an asset to better build your team to make a run at promotion or CL, but Wolfsburg is already there, shouldn't they be trying to win, like now? Or is there a free agency sort of thing where they could have lost him for nothing in the near future?

4. Does the player have any say in these transfers at all? Can he say no, or is he completely at the whim of the club?
When your club sells a player, do you still follow him and cheer for his new team a little more than you would otherwise, or angrily wish death upon them all (should I now loathe or like City)?

edit: Good blog post on this particular transfer here

1. Yes.

2. Yes, at least for the clubs that are not in the very top level of their respective leagues.

3. Sometimes it's profit, sometimes they use it to buy other players. There is free agency for players above a certain age when their contracts run out, but it is also common that when a player wants to move up to a bigger club, he can make enough of a ruckus that his current club is under a lot of pressure to sell him, even if he is under contract. This is very different from most US sports.

4. The player does have a say. The transfer doesn't happen unless he signs a new contract with the new club. (I believe that what is actually being transferred is the right to sign the player, not the player's current contract.) So angrily wish death upon him.

In my view, learning about Euro soccer and seeing how transfers work convinced me that Bowie Kuhn made a very wise move when he prevented the A's from selling their best players in the 1970s.

Rams Fanny · Post by **Rams Fanny** » Wed Aug 26, 2015 4:37 pm

Steve of phpBB wrote:
travzilla wrote:Manchester City agree £54m fee with Wolfsburg for Kevin De Bruyne

Help me out with learning the whole "transfers" world of soccer:

1. Wolfsburg essentially traded De Bruyne to City for a truckfull cash, correct?

2. Is it common for teams to sell their best player even though it will significantly hurt their league and Champions league efforts? Is the money just too much to turn down?

3. What do clubs that receive these huge transfer payments do with the money? Is it just profit for the owners? Should I expect Wolfsburg to use some of it to sign someone to replace De Bruyne (I would hope so)? I can understand selling an asset to better build your team to make a run at promotion or CL, but Wolfsburg is already there, shouldn't they be trying to win, like now? Or is there a free agency sort of thing where they could have lost him for nothing in the near future?

4. Does the player have any say in these transfers at all? Can he say no, or is he completely at the whim of the club?
When your club sells a player, do you still follow him and cheer for his new team a little more than you would otherwise, or angrily wish death upon them all (should I now loathe or like City)?

edit: Good blog post on this particular transfer here
1. Yes.

2. Yes, at least for the clubs that are not in the very top level of their respective leagues.

3. Sometimes it's profit, sometimes they use it to buy other players. There is free agency for players above a certain age when their contracts run out, but it is also common that when a player wants to move up to a bigger club, he can make enough of a ruckus that his current club is under a lot of pressure to sell him, even if he is under contract. This is very different from most US sports.

4. The player does have a say. The transfer doesn't happen unless he signs a new contract with the new club. (I believe that what is actually being transferred is the right to sign the player, not the player's current contract.) So angrily wish death upon him.

In my view, learning about Euro soccer and seeing how transfers work convinced me that Bowie Kuhn made a very wise move when he prevented the A's from selling their best players in the 1970s.

The free agent rule is called the Bosman Rule. A player aged 24 must be offered a contract equal to his current contract or is freed. The player also has the right to simply not sign the contact even if it's for more money and he can then sign with anyone.
Any player who signs with another club after his contract runs out is said to be a free transfer. Technically what is being transferred is the player's license to play (which most get at age 16 or their first pro contract).

travzilla · Post by **travzilla** » Wed Aug 26, 2015 4:42 pm

Steve of phpBB wrote:
3. Sometimes it's profit, sometimes they use it to buy other players. There is free agency for players above a certain age when their contracts run out, but it is also common that when a player wants to move up to a bigger club, he can make enough of a ruckus that his current club is under a lot of pressure to sell him, even if he is under contract. This is very different from most US sports.

4. The player does have a say. The transfer doesn't happen unless he signs a new contract with the new club. (I believe that what is actually being transferred is the right to sign the player, not the player's current contract.) So angrily wish death upon him.

Thanks. From what I've read, it sounds like he was willing to stay at Wolfsburg but it also seems like he has stars in his eyes and wants to be on the biggest stage. I think i'm leaning towards minor ill-will towards him and City. It helps that he hasn't looked that great so far this year. Hopefully they're drawn into the same group tomorrow.

The Sybian · Post by **The Sybian** » Wed Aug 26, 2015 10:14 pm

Some clubs, particularly the better clubs in the Dutch League, are what is known as feeder clubs. They develop young talent knowing that any player who reaches their potential will be sold to a bigger club in a bigger league for a huge profit. Southhampton mastered this, as their youth system churned out a lot of big name players. They were able to slowly able to build up to a respectable mid table EPL team pushing for a spot in the Champions League.

The problem with European soccer today is that most clubs need to run as a business. Some owners use the club for profits, most need to break even or turn a profit to survive, but now there are a number of clubs owned by Billionaires who don't give a fuck and will throw insane amounts of money for star players and run huge losses, because what the fuck is $100,000,000 dollars in losses when you own the worlds biggest yacht, or biggest chicken farming operation in the world. I hate Man City, as they were always a mid table team, and one I actually liked a bit, especially when they had Claudio Reyna and Demarcus Beasely. A Sheikh from the UAE bought the team, and immediately bought a gaggle of stars, and continue to buy the most expensive players, along with Russian oil oligarch Roman Abromovich of Chelsea (personal friend of Putin, who handed him billions in oil assets previously owned by the government).

As for Wolfsburg, they are never going to build for a championship. Bayern will outspend them by huge amounts, and they will never be able to keep up. The concept of keeping a star player to "win it this year" doesn't translate as it does in American sports. The big boys will continue as big boys until a Saudi prince buys a team to add to the mix at the top.

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Wed Aug 26, 2015 10:41 pm

I echo everything that is said above. The good player is going to leave a small club anyways so need to get something for him while the iron is hot. Wolfsburg finished 2nd last year. Need to translate both player sales and Champions League money into something more lucrative. If not, they can easily fall out of the top 4 and never see that money again. Now they have about $100 million to play with. Can turn that into more depth, pump it into youth academies, anything to stay ahead of those mid-table strugglers who also had to sell players (but for less).

Pruitt · Post by **Pruitt** » Thu Aug 27, 2015 6:14 am

The EPL is so awash with cash right now that even teams like Leicester are buying name players.

Spurs have been stymied in their search for a "replacement" for Soldado. Linked with every striker you could imagine, but with the Sterling sale shooting prices through the roof, the have lowered their sights... and still have nothing.

Which means that they literally have one striker on their active roster. I'm all for the dumping of the detritus picked up with the Gareth Bale money, but if Harry kane pulls a hamstring, this team will in essence be playing with 6 midfielders.

Not sure what is going on in North London at the moment.

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Thu Aug 27, 2015 8:53 am

Sounds like Spurs have bought the Korean striker Son Heung-Min From Bayer Leverkusen for $30 million euros.