Soccer Thread 2014-15

[Funketown]

Probably time to start a new thread.

 

In most important soccer news, I've think I've to cheer for Everton this year. I've never supported a particular team in the past, but I figure I might as well.

 

We're five days away...Gotta get some extra housework done this week so I can spend Saturday morning in bed watching on my iPad until noon.

[RobDeer 45]

Anyone want to give me some bullet points on big stories for the Premier League? Teams to watch, players to watch?

 

I'd also like to finally pick one team but struggling with that. I've been paying attention to Southampton and Newcastle but have not locked in on one.

[Raw Biz]

Probably time to start a new thread.

 

In most important soccer news, I've think I've to cheer for Everton this year. I've never supported a particular team in the past, but I figure I might as well.

 

We're five days away...Gotta get some extra housework done this week so I can spend Saturday morning in bed watching on my iPad until noon.

 

I've been an Everton supporter for the past 5-6 years.

[bacon06]

Anyone want to give me some bullet points on big stories for the Premier League? Teams to watch, players to watch?

 

I'd also like to finally pick one team but struggling with that. I've been paying attention to Southampton and Newcastle but have not locked in on one.

 

I have been supporting Newcastle for the last 6 years or so and they are never short on drama. Very loyal and passionate fan base that hasn't won much but has the third largest stadium in the league. They are enjoyable to me because they are in the second tier of teams where you expect them to be above average every year but when they do make a European tournament it actually feels like an accomplishment.

[trwi7]

Probably time to start a new thread.

 

In most important soccer news, I've think I've to cheer for Everton this year. I've never supported a particular team in the past, but I figure I might as well.

 

We're five days away...Gotta get some extra housework done this week so I can spend Saturday morning in bed watching on my iPad until noon.

 

I've been an Everton supporter for the past 5-6 years.

 

I started out a Chelsea fan but when I thought about it more I didn't really want to be a fan of the Big 4 because I like rooting for an underdog. I also didn't want to root for a team that was always on the bottom and had the chance of getting relegated because then there would be no way for me to follow them, so I settled on Everton as well about a year ago.

[TooLiveBrew]

Anyone want to give me some bullet points on big stories for the Premier League? Teams to watch, players to watch?

Listed simply in order of 2013-14 finish --

 

• Manchester City: with (so far) no marquee additions, can the defending champs repeat with everyone a year older? Still very much a top side, with a good chance to once again be the most dynamic & dangerous offense in the league. Top signing (so far) center-half Eliaquim Mangala (rumored £32M via FC Porto, & a French international) has been bought in the hopes that he can upgrade the other side of the center-half equation next to club captain Vincent Kompany.
   
  Sergio Agüero leads the strikeforce, and has missed enough time due to injury that his durability going forward is in question -- unlike his talent. Yaya Toure was one of the best midfielders in the Prem last season, & projects to be again. Immensely talented team.
   
   
  
• Liverpool: LFC were basically equals to MCFC last season in terms of attack, finishing at 101 goals, trailing the league winners by just one. But the departure of striker Luis Suárez (to Barcelona, reportedly for £75M), who led the Premiership by a wide margin last season at 31 goals, is a huge blow to the club. Suárez was not only LFC's best player last season; the argument could be made that he was the best individual player in the world. He provided a lot more to the club's attack than just goals, & is completely irreplaceable. Daniel Sturridge (21 goals, 2nd in PL) will be asked to lead the line now & into the future.
   
  'Pool have played a major part in the raid of Southampton, signing attacking midfielder Adam Lallana, center-half Dejan Lovren, & striker Rickie Lambert. Lallana looks to be the prize of the bunch & of LFC's offseason so far. Liverpool also qualified for the UEFA Champions League for the first time since the '09-'10 season, which means many more difficult matches & a significant test of the squad depth.
   
   
  
• Chelsea: José Mourinho's return to Stamford Bridge was successful, but certainly not up to Mourinho's & club owner Roman Abramovich's high standards. They've conducted seriously good summer transfer business, bringing in big signings at striker (Diego Costa, via La Liga champions & Champions League runners-up Atlético Madrid), midfield (Cesc Fàbregas, via Barcelona), & left fullback (Filipe Luís, also from Atlético Madrid). They've also brought back club legend striker Didier Drogba on a free transfer (as he was a free agent).
   
  Although they've reportedly spent over £80M on the aforementioned players, they cashed in big-time on center-half David Luiz, who sold to Paris mega-wealthy club PSG for roughly £50M, an unheard-of amount for a center-half. Combine the fact that David Luiz is regarded as a better all-around footballer than natural defender, & it adds up to a slick bit of business & the definition of selling high. The club's reported net spend so far this summer is basically break-even, no small feat for the caliber of players they've added.
   
  Mourinho also has the nicest of dilemmas facing him at goalkeeper. Another club legend, Petr Čech, has been the man between the posts & one of the best keepers in the world since basically '04-'05. However, Čech is 32, & the Blues have likely the best young keeper in the world in Thibaut Courtois ready to go -- Courtois has been loaned to & starring for Atlético Madrid for the prior three seasons. Mourinho has indicated that Courtois is his first choice, so the final fate for Čech will be interesting to see.
   
  Chelsea were the stingiest defense in the league, which is Mourinho's m.o. They play a full-team high-pressing style, & are a well-oiled defensive unit that typically applies defensive pressure & looks to counter-attack. The goal in signing Diego Costa was to add a top caliber striker into the mix.
   
   
  
• Arsenal: The Gunners are coming out from underneath a conservative fiscal operational plan over the past 7 or 8 seasons, in which they paid off debt accrued to finance the construction of their Emirates Stadium, which opened in 2006. For nearly a decade, the club chose to not rack up any more debt than was necessary in the stadium project, which meant they lost & had to sell top player after top player.
   
  Heading into last season, manager Arsène Wenger smashed the club transfer record by signing German attacking/creative midfielder Mesut Özil for £42M from Spanish giants Real Madrid. Özil was a key addition & was the focal point/fulcrum of Arsenal's attack. The club sat atop the league table more than any other PL club, but injuries in the second half of the season & declining form saw them slip all the way to a third-place finish. However, they did go on to win the FA Cup, the club's first major trophy in a very well-documented & much-talked about nine-year drought.
   
  Box-to-box midfielder Aaron Ramsey was the revelation of the season, scoring goals in bunches before succumbing to injury on Boxing Day -- he missed three months, but was fit for the FA Cup final, scoring the winning goal in the 109th minute in extra time.
   
  New additions this summer: foward/attacking midfielder Alexis Sánchez (£30, Barcelona & Chilean international), right fullback Mathieu Debuchy (£10M, Newcastle & French international), right fullback/center-half/future defensive midfielder Calum Chambers (£12M, Southampton). Sánchez is viewed as another massive signing, again indicating that Wenger & the club are no longer hampered by stadium debt to be paid off. Sánchez is a tricky player with good passing, strength, & shooting, & adds a more dynamic element to the strikeforce.
   
   
  
• Everton: the other club in Liverpool had a strong season. After losing longtime manager David Moyes to Manchester United, the Toffies signed Roberto Martínez away from Wigan FC (who were relegated in 2012-13), & it proved to be not only solid business, but arguably a managerial upgrade. Martínez brought in an attractive, attacking style that brought both more entertainment and also the club's best finish in the league since 2008-09.
   
  USMNT captain Tim Howard has been the goalkeeper for Everton since mid-2006, and is consistently one of the best keepers in the PL. 21-yo Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku, loaned to the club all of last season from Chelsea (who bought him as a 19-yo wunderkind), was signed on a permanent transfer this summer for an Everton-record £28M. Lukaku led the Toffies with 16 goals in all competitions, & the club are banking on him continuing to develop into a star under Martínez's tutelage.
   
  Everton qualified for the Europa League (think college hoops's NIT tourney to the Champions League Big Dance), and much like Liverpool, will see their depth tested with much more travel & matches to contend with.
   
   
  
• Tottenham: Spurs were a club in transition last season, after losing Welsh superstar Gareth Bale on a world-record transfer fee of approximately £85M. The club re-invested that money, spending just north of £100M on seven players. However, that influx seemed to prove too much for André Villas-Boas & his coaching staff to integrate into a smoothly-operating unit. The team sheet fluctuated from week to week, & Spurs struggled to gel.
   
  Despite the club indicating that Villas-Boas was a long-term hire (he'd been hired in 2012) & that he'd have time to work with the addition of so many new faces, he was fired after a 5-0 drubbing at home to Liverpool. At that time, the club had taken 27 of a possible 48 points through 16 PL matches (8-3-5 record). The club had been playing inconsistent football, but (even as an Arsenal supporter myself) the termination seemed hasty at best. Spurs won 8 of their next 12, & tallied 26 of a possible 36 points in that span under interim manager Tim Sherwood. From late February through the end of the campaign, Spurs were again quite inconsistent, & finished 6th -- good enough for Europa League qualification, but an underwhelming result for a club that felt a top-4 (& Champions League spot) finish was attainable.
   
  Sherwood was fired after the season, & Tottenham may well have started the fleecing of Southampton by signing away Argentinian manager Mauricio Pochettino. French international keeper Hugo Lloris (a summer '13 purchase) returns as arguably Spurs' best player, though I'm very high on attacking/creative mid Christian Eriksen (another summer '13 add).
   
   
  
• Manchester United: After the failed experiment of fellow Scot David Moyes succeeding the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson, United signed another proven champion in Dutchman (& Dutch national team manager) Louis Van Gaal to try to right the ship. United won the league title an astonishing 13 times in Ferguson's 26-year tenure, as well as notching the Champions League twice & FA Cup five times. Unfortunately for United, the transition to Moyes went poorly -- even an April sacking of Moyes couldn't prevent the club from finishing 7th, & missing Champions League qualification for the first time since the '94-'95 season.
   
  They added Spanish international attacking/creative midfielder Juan Mata in the January transfer window last season (for a club record £37M). So far this summer, they've signed left fullback Luke Shaw (£27M, Southampton & English international) & defensive/holding midfielder Ander Herrera (£29M, Athletic Bilbao)
   
  Much like Liverpool last season, not being in any European competition could prove a blessing in disguise for Van Gaal's United. They can focus exclusively on the Premier League, & the richest club (in terms of sponsorship revenue) in England should still be able to attract elite talent in the remainder of the summer transfer window.
   
  Mourinho was a protégé of & studied under Van Gaal in the late 1990s, & it seems he gleaned much of his media manipulation & arrogance/bravado from the confident Dutchman. Van Gaal will likely look to provoke & prod other clubs & managers through the media, out to gain any mental advantage possible... just as PL fans are familiar with seeing from Mourinho.
   
   
  
• Southampton: The Saints are well-known as maintaining the best youth academy in England, and young talent that'd been developed through the academy paid in a major way last season. Southampton were relegated from the PL in the '04-'05 season, after a 27-year run in England's top flight. They finally earned promotion back up in '11-'12, stayed up with a 14th place finish in '12-'13, & finished 8th last season. Under Pochettino, they played fluid, exciting, attacking football, & the results were no fluke. If you were a PL fan, but didn't yet have a team, there's a good chance you were drawn to supporting underdogs Southampton.
   
  Unfortunately, high-profile success for a club without elite financial resources also means you're likely to see your best players signed away. Chambers (Arsenal), Shaw (Manchester Utd), Lambert, Lallana, & Lovren (all to Liverpool) signed away... not to mention Pochettino (Spurs). Defensive-minded midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin has also been agitating for a move away. In short, congratulations, Saints -- now reload & do it all over again. To spearhead that effort, they've hired another highly-regarded Dutchman who's new to the PL, Ronald Koeman.
   
  The exodus of talent is troubling to say the least. However, Southampton's track record with their academy & remaining young talent does mean that Saints supporters don't need to panic just yet. Former Southampton academy products include: Gareth Bale, Theo Walcott, Lallana, Shaw, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, & past legends Matthew Le Tissier & Alan Shearer.

[TooLiveBrew]

Sorry, that got quite wordy, but I got fired up researching/doing this!

 

In short, this coming PL season projects to be one of the tightest & best races in a long time. Last season itself was great, but this season should be even tighter imo. At this point, I'd give even odds to Manchester City, Chelsea, or Arsenal to win the league. I am admittedly an Arsenal supporter, & may be more bullish on them than some. From what I've read so far, most pundits are picking either City or Chelsea to win the title.

[ReverendBrewmeister]

I'm a Motherwell fan [scottish Premier Football League]. Scottish football doesn't get much coverage here in the States. But there are opportunities every week to listen to (or watch on certain websites of questionable legality) games via the Internet.

 

Motherwell has finished "best of the rest" in their league the last several years behind Celtic. (Imagine the Yankees and Red Sox combining their resources and the rest of the league being like the AL Central.) Following a team that punches above their weight isn't much different than being a Brewers fan.

 

As for the EPL, I've become a Newcastle fan. Northernmost EPL team. Great fan base. Some success, like in the 1990s. But now could either compete for a Europa League place or possibly be in a relegation battle. That makes the year interesting.

 

Always happy to have the Saturday morning routine of drinking coffee and tuning into the soccer.

[ReverendBrewmeister]

The videos of "Coach Lasso" that NBC Sports did last year and this year are a bit humorous.

 

Get into the "football mood" here in America:

 

2013:

 

2014: http://youtu.be/iRqypM7jb5Y

[RobDeer 45]

Toolivebrew, you are the man!!! Awesome, thank you so much!

 

Trwi & Bacon - thanks for the feedback. Yes, I decided a few years back that I would not pick one of the elite teams, just to make it more interesting. I honestly only picked Southampton because of the Pink Floyd song, "Southampton Dock." Ha! Newcastle was just one of the first games I had watched and found myself cheering for them a bit. So now I don't know what to do on going with one team. Can you have two??? Seems like I shouldn't!

[Funketown]

I'm wondering if Everton will be a common pick for newly converted soccer fans in the US after the World Cup. I've always found myself cheering for the best of the rest teams in the EPL, so I'm thinking this is a good move on my part.

 

Don't see any great matchups the first week, so it'll be standard cheer for Burnley to take a point from Chelsea kind of weekend.

[Funketown]

Reports of his transfer to Roma were premature, but now it's looking like Spurs may be close to signing Yedlin for $3.5MM.

 

http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/69/transfer-zone/2014/08/08/5019466/sources-tottenham-finalizing-yedlin-deal

 

Not sure what his playing-time situation looks like for Spurs should he move there after the MLS season. He's certainly going to be behind Kyle Walker on the depth chart from the looks of it, but hopefully he'll find enough playing time or get loaned out.

[Raw Biz]

Reports of his transfer to Roma were premature, but now it's looking like Spurs may be close to signing Yedlin for $3.5MM.

 

http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/69/transfer-zone/2014/08/08/5019466/sources-tottenham-finalizing-yedlin-deal

 

Not sure what his playing-time situation looks like for Spurs should he move there after the MLS season. He's certainly going to be behind Kyle Walker on the depth chart from the looks of it, but hopefully he'll find enough playing time or get loaned out.

 

I am conflicted. As a Seattle Sounders fan, I hate it because it makes them weaker. As an Everton fan, it makes Spurs stronger, which isn't good because it's another team to fight with for that #4 spot. As a US fan, I love it because Yedlin will be playing against better competition and will hopefully improve.

 

Overall, I like it, because at the end of the day, I'm a US fan and this is good for him. Plus, it's always nice to see more Americans play in the EPL.

[ewitkows]

Probably time to start a new thread.

 

In most important soccer news, I've think I've to cheer for Everton this year. I've never supported a particular team in the past, but I figure I might as well.

 

We're five days away...Gotta get some extra housework done this week so I can spend Saturday morning in bed watching on my iPad until noon.

 

I've been an Everton supporter for the past 5-6 years.

 

I started out a Chelsea fan but when I thought about it more I didn't really want to be a fan of the Big 4 because I like rooting for an underdog. I also didn't want to root for a team that was always on the bottom and had the chance of getting relegated because then there would be no way for me to follow them, so I settled on Everton as well about a year ago.

 

 

I started following Chelsea when they were just starting to break into the top 4, couldn't imagine switching teams

[temke]

Reports of his transfer to Roma were premature, but now it's looking like Spurs may be close to signing Yedlin for $3.5MM.

 

http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/69/transfer-zone/2014/08/08/5019466/sources-tottenham-finalizing-yedlin-deal

 

Not sure what his playing-time situation looks like for Spurs should he move there after the MLS season. He's certainly going to be behind Kyle Walker on the depth chart from the looks of it, but hopefully he'll find enough playing time or get loaned out.

 

As a Spurs fan this is fantastic. Yedlin was the most dynamic player on the USMNT roster. He changed games when he entered.

 

I think it is the best of both worlds for American soccer fans. Sounders get to keep Yedlin through the rest of the season, and Spurs can work him into their roster through a couple transfer periods.

 

Last year sure was frustrating. Hopefully this is the year they turn it around.

[FVBrewerFan]

If you're looking for an English Premier League team to get behind, join me in support of Man City. Don't worry about being trendy, they have actually been an also-ran until recent years. If you need a good reason, they hate a team in red as much as Brewer fans do.

[trwi7]

If you need a good reason, they hate a team in red as much as Brewer fans do.

 

You can say that about pretty much any of the popular teams though.

 

Man City vs Man U

Everton vs Liverpool

Tottenham and Chelsea vs Arsenal

[Raw Biz]

If you're looking for an English Premier League team to get behind, join me in support of Man City. Don't worry about being trendy, they have actually been an also-ran until recent years. If you need a good reason, they hate a team in red as much as Brewer fans do.

 

I have no problem with fans of Man City who were fans years ago. But if you're jumping on the bandwagon now or in the past couple of years, you're almost as bad as a Man U or Chelsea fan.

[Mike2k33]

Been a fan of Liverpool since 08-09 when they finished 2nd and only lost 2 matches all season. The years following that 2nd place finish were.... not very good. When Roy Hodgson was manager LFC was in the relegation zone in November. Things are better now. Last season was pretty amazing. Shaky defense cost them at the end but LFC was one of only three clubs in PL history to score over 100 goals in a season. It was a lot of fun.

 

Losing Suarez hurts but they've played well under Brendan Rodgers when he was suspended in the past so I think they'll be just fine. It may take a bit to get everything running smoothly with all the new signings from the Suarez money but I think Liverpool will be rolling along in a couple months. Maybe not title contenders like last season but I think they'll be solidly in the top four.

 

Also, I'm really excited to have Champions League matches to watch again. LFC will be in a very tough group but it will be great to watch some important European matches again. Anfield will be rocking.

[yoshii8]

Been a fan of Liverpool since 08-09 when they finished 2nd and only lost 2 matches all season. The years following that 2nd place finish were.... not very good. When Roy Hodgson was manager LFC was in the relegation zone in November. Things are better now. Last season was pretty amazing. Shaky defense cost them at the end but LFC was one of only three clubs in PL history to score over 100 goals in a season. It was a lot of fun.

 

Losing Suarez hurts but they've played well under Brendan Rodgers when he was suspended in the past so I think they'll be just fine. It may take a bit to get everything running smoothly with all the new signings from the Suarez money but I think Liverpool will be rolling along in a couple months. Maybe not title contenders like last season but I think they'll be solidly in the top four.

 

Also, I'm really excited to have Champions League matches to watch again. LFC will be in a very tough group but it will be great to watch some important European matches again. Anfield will be rocking.

 

I've always liked Liverpool, but have never considered them my team until this year. I'm excited to officially be finally be cheering for a Premier league team! It used to be just cheering against whoever Man U was playing.

 

 

FC Bayern is still my main team, but I just think it's time to start getting more into the Premiership.

[FVBrewerFan]

If you're looking for an English Premier League team to get behind, join me in support of Man City. Don't worry about being trendy, they have actually been an also-ran until recent years. If you need a good reason, they hate a team in red as much as Brewer fans do.

 

I have no problem with fans of Man City who were fans years ago. But if you're jumping on the bandwagon now or in the past couple of years, you're almost as bad as a Man U or Chelsea fan.

 

 

It was actually a few years before that. My daughter attended a Brittish soccer camp that travels through WI every year. I was an assistant coach at the time, so attended the camp also. Got to know a couple of the "kids" running the camp and they were big Man City fans. That's what got me on board, plus learned a lot about the Man U rivalry, and the whole EPL in general.

 

It's now on my bucket list to see a City/ U match. Also, Inter/ FC Milan match.

[Mike2k33]

It used to be just cheering against for whoever Man U was playing.

 

 

I think that's what you meant.

 

One of the cornerstones of LFC fandom is a disgust for anything United.

[yoshii8]

Ahh yes, thanks for correcting that.

[trwi7]

What a disappointing game for Everton today. Up 2-0 with less than 10 minutes left and they only get a point. That early game between Newcastle and Aston Villa was awful.

[Funketown]

Well I guess I made myself known as a noob Everton fan as I decided to take a nap around the 80th minute (kid got me up at 6AM) figuring it was in the bag. Two points in the first two games would seem to be a pretty disappointing start.

 

I'd love to hear what was being said between Louis van Gaal and Giggs against Sunderland today. LVG didn't look amused.