Also, I am highly impressed by Vincent. Kid runs and runs, he really is all-in on the press system, and his post-up game is excellent. He can just lean back on these mongoloid defenders and control the ball and that crucial first touch 90% of the time. edit: of course, his miss was saddening, but he's going to get his.
He looked much better today than last week, and I had no idea he was that fast. For a defensive midfielder he flies. His technical ability seems a bit strange at times, but he is going to rival Dembele for Pt for sure. We are really deep right now. I don't recall ever having this many options as long as I have been a fan.
He was talking Vincent, not Victor. Both were very good today though. A fit dembele has to be one of the first names on the team sheet imo. We didn't lose a single match in the league last season when he started in midfield iirc. He played out wide vs. United to start the season and was suspended for our shit stretch to end it. We missed him dearly. Defense has been solid to start the season. Aside from a fluky fk against Everton there have been no other goals. Vorm was solid between the posts today, even though he didn't have a ton to do. Walker has continued his excellent form from last season, dude has added some serious consistency to his game.
We've apparently rejected a 10M pound bid for Bentaleb by Schalke. He isn't going to get much pt at all this season, settle on a price and make the deal IMO.
I think we might need to start out vs. Liverpool with Eriksen on the bench. He has been very poor to start the season. The good thing is that Lamela has been putting in some quality deliveries from corners, which used to be Christian's forte. Lamela took a couple of free kicks that normally you'd think would be reserved for Eriksen as well.
Rumors of us possibly going in for Yarmolenko, I could get with that. He knows where the goal is. http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2016/08/2...onsiders-move-for-andriy-yarmolenko-after-19/
Yeah we've been linked with him since the Leandro Damaio days it seems, still wouldn't mind us taking a punt on him if it turns out to be an actual option.
We've been linked with him forever as well. There were just rumblings earlier in the summer that we were looking to bring in another attacking midfielder in addition to Nkoudou, but clearly it is highly unlikely.
Name being bandied about today is Munir from Barcelona, definitely fits the profile for a target. We reportedly won't do a deal with a buy back clause though so they may not be willing to sell. Could also be completely without merit.
Name being bandied about today is Munir from Barcelona, definitely fits the profile for a target. We reportedly won't do a deal with a buy back clause though so they may not be willing to sell. Could also be completely without merit.
Seems like Barca really like their deals to include buy back clauses which works well for those other spanish teams but I dont see Levy going for that. Think it would be a really good buy.
I guess we're signing Yedlin from you guys? Seeing lots of talk that he will do a medical today or tomorrow
Looking likely we'll be in Pot 3 of the UCL draw unless some upsets happen. That would make Thursday draw pretty nerve racking
I think I read wrong. Looks like when man city qualified they knocked us to pot 3. Here's praying for no athletic or Dortmund in pot 2.
I posted this in the CL thread when this rounds draw was done Also here's this from the UEFA site: Pot 1: Real Madrid (ESP, holders), Barcelona (ESP), Leicester City (ENG), Bayern München (GER), Juventus (ITA), Benfica (POR), Paris Saint-Germain (FRA), CSKA Moskva (RUS) The remaining three pots are decided by each team's UEFA club coefficient as of the end of last season. The below teams are confirmed in their pot: Pot 2: Atlético Madrid (ESP), Borussia Dortmund (GER), Arsenal (ENG), Sevilla (ESP), Napoli (ITA), Bayer Leverkusen (GER) Pot 3: Dynamo Kyiv (UKR), Lyon (FRA), PSV Eindhoven (NED), Sporting CP (POR) Pot 4: Beşiktaş (TUR) The following teams are confirmed in the group stage but will only discover their pot after the play-offs end on Wednesday Pot 2 or 3: Basel (SUI), Tottenham Hotspur (ENG) Basel will be in Pot 2 if either Manchester City or Porto are knocked out in the play-offs. Spurs will be in Pot 2 if both City and Porto are knocked out. Pot 3 or 4: Club Brugge (BEL) The remaining ten slots will be confirmed after the play-offs.
Here's a site where you can simulate the draw. Pretty sure it's been posted before. https://inker.github.io/cl-draw/?mode=gs
I'm sorry but how the fuck does Man City deserve to be in Pot 2? Did we not finish above them in the league table? Winning a play-in game gets you above someone you finished behind in your relative league?
UEFA coefficient is determined by last 4 years and how you've done in European competition as well as how other clubs from the league have done. Not related to how you did in the league It's why it doesn't make sense when people talk about not taking Europa seriously. Spanish clubs have raised their coefficient by doing well in Europa. We made the semis last year so that is going to help coefficient for a few years. We were pot 3 after winning the league in 2011-12
So should Leicester be pot 2 or 3 since the 2015-16 table doesn't matter? They finished 14th two years ago and were in the Championship the year before, not the most illustrious 4 year span. I wasn't around for Spurs last trip through CL so forgive me.
Sorry should clarify. Champions of the top 8 leagues automatically go into pot 1. This is a recent change, this might be just the 2nd year. If Leicester had finished 2nd-4th they would be in pot 4 So if you don't win the league then your domestic performance doesn't really factor into your pot. If you win the league pot 1. If you finish 2nd-4th what matters is how your league and you specifically have done in Europa and CL over the 4 most recent seasons
This is good info. Thanks for posting. Glad to know you're not one of the shitty city fans like Tobias.
Atletico is an extreme example of how deep Europa runs and help you when you return to CL. 2009-10 season they were in CL in pot 3, finished 3rd in the group and pushed in Europa and won it. 10-11 they didn't get out of their Europa group 11-12 they won Europa again 12-13 got out of Europa group and lost in round of 32. They returned to CL in 13-14 and had the top coefficient in pot 2. They've now sustained success in CL and if the format hadn't changed they'd be pot 1. Again that is an extreme example but Sevilla is pot 2 because of their Europa success
Would up our free kick game a bit. http://www.skysports.com/football/n...-bayer-leverkusen-midfielder-hakan-calhanoglu
can't decide if calhanoglu would be a good move or not. if he reaches his potential, obviously it would be an amazing deal, but he struggled last year.
I think he is Eriksens replacement for next year if we get him. I suspect this is his last year with us.
Napoli put in a bid for 'Arry, which of course was rejected. And Bentaleb has joined Schalke on loan.
Lamela took the majority of them vs. Crystal Palace when Eriksen was on the pitch last week, which was kind of odd. Lamela has been in great form though and put in some very nice balls from corners the first 2 matches of this season.
"Tottenham have bid in region of £15m to sign Wilfried Zaha, according to his agent. Zaha keen, CL football etc" Per Sky Sports and David Ornstein
Champions league group stage draw today. Really just hoping we can avoid Atletico and Dortmund from pot 2