The Real Football Thread

[Archibald]

Re: Re:

Looks like Martinez will be gone. De Boer is heavily linked. Good appointment if it happens.

Gone now.
Beeb (or Mills, to be more accurate) suggesting Benitez would be the best fit...

The papers say they want Koeman.

I'd be amazed if he leaves Southampton; he was linked to some considerably bigger clubs at the end of last season, and Southampton right now is simply a better job with a better team (as well as backing from the board with regard to keeping players that I doubt he'd get at Everton). I mean, David Moyes is out of a job...

All the talk has been them wanting De Boer.
This morning has claims of Benitez having met the board, mention of Mourhino as well as even wanting Moyes back...

What's the go with the Utd match? Left at 6th now with a game-in-hand, that if they won would give them european football... well within their rights to gripe over that one and lost millions, and could be a headache for the FA if they launch any action, no?
Not many would have bet against them versus Bournemouth
Nothing like the usual media merry-go-round or is that wind-up?

 

[jsem94]

Corriere talked about De Boer going to Inter Milan instead of Everton.... we shall see what happens.

 

[gooner]

Xhaka to Arsenal looks done.

West Ham have a good signing in Nordtveit. I remember him as a young player at Arsenal.

 

[jsem94]

If Arsenal get a good centre-back and a good centre-forward they can win the league next season. A midfield with Xhaka, Wilshere and Özil with Sanchez as an inverted winger.... wow.

 

[gooner]

AS and Bein Sports now confirm the Mourinho to United story.

http://en.as.com/en/2016/05/20/football/1463777463_726836.html?omnil=mod-act

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

No Champions League for Evil-Klopp again.

The whole match was an example for how Footbaal is going backwards in the last two or three years. Just like in the bad old days.

 

[Põhja Konn]

Absolutely disgusted with the result. Real was carried to the final by an absurdly lucky draw througout the knock-out stages, avoiding 4(sic!) strongest teams in the competition along the way and only meeting one of them,Atletico, in the final. Then they won that final through an offside goal and penalty shootout. Really, really sickening.

 

[jsem94]

****************** ********** ******************* *********************

My heart WEEPS for Atelti. There's always next year though....

 

[hrotha]

Loved the look of utter contempt on the referee's face when Pepe was at it for the second time.

 

[jsem94]

 

[Amsterhammer]

I think there is pretty wide agreement in the world of footy that this was an awful final, with disgraceful behavior, and with a 'winning' team which, as described above, should never have even made it to the final. All round awful, a perfect example of the abortion that the CL has become. Bah.

 

[sniper]

carrasco, what a player.
also against bayern i saw him make some really exquisite runs.

 

[sniper]

Re:

Loved the look of utter contempt on the referee's face when Pepe was at it for the second time.

pepe's yellow card should have been his second.
he got lucky, as did Sergio Ramos when he cut Carrasco's legs in half.
That said, Atletico also played on the edge.
alround a decent performance from the ref, I think.
difficult game.

 

[The Hitch]

lol at Real Madrid winning the Champions league twice since narcisinho got sacked. Best manager ever tho

 

[Amsterhammer]

Payet is occasionally touched by genius!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaYqR_mBAiY

 

[jsem94]

Pogba's assist was better than Payet's free kick. But man has this guy turned into a world class set piece taker now.

 

[Brullnux]

Surely France are gonna win the Euros? It's a fantastic chance, at home with an on form team. All the other big teams look off colour: Germany are losing friendlies(!); Spain aren't playing well; Italy barely have an attack and their two best midfielders are injured; England, while they have a nice attack, have a non-existent defence; and Belgium IMO are overrated. No way were they ever #1 in the world. They lost to Wales.

 

[BullsFan22]

Re:

Surely France are gonna win the Euros? It's a fantastic chance, at home with an on form team. All the other big teams look off colour: Germany are losing friendlies(!); Spain aren't playing well; Italy barely have an attack and their two best midfielders are injured; England, while they have a nice attack, have a non-existent defence; and Belgium IMO are overrated. No way were they ever #1 in the world. They lost to Wales.

Looks and sounds to me as if a surprise is in store! It might not be one of the traditional powers that wins this. Could very well be an outsider. I feel the Germans are still the favorites. They have experience and they always manage to come through and make it to the semis or final of these big tournaments.

 

[sniper]

Re:

Surely France are gonna win the Euros? It's a fantastic chance, at home with an on form team. All the other big teams look off colour: Germany are losing friendlies(!); Spain aren't playing well; Italy barely have an attack and their two best midfielders are injured; England, while they have a nice attack, have a non-existent defence; and Belgium IMO are overrated. No way were they ever #1 in the world. They lost to Wales.

fair assessment, but since when is England a big team?
Bigged up perhaps

Imo England and Belgium should be classified as interesting outsiders.
France, Spain, Germany, favorits.

 

[Brullnux]

Austria are my dark horses to pull off a Greece

 

[sniper]

Alaba wasn't at his best in the 2nd half of the season though. Who else do they have?

What about Poland.
45 million inhabitants and football being national sport #1 they really should start doing a lot better internationally.

 

[Brullnux]

Re:

Alaba wasn't at his best in the 2nd half of the season though. Who else do they have?

What about Poland.
45 million inhabitants and football being national sport #1 they really should start doing a lot better internationally.

Fuchs, their captain has helped Leicester along the way

Poland need Lewandowski to play well I feel. If he does, then they can do well.

 

[Põhja Konn]

On paper, France should be the favourite, but we will see how they cope with expectations and the resulting pressure to perform in front of home crowd. It could spur them on, but it can also suffocate them.

Can't completely rule out Spain though. They certainly are not the biggest favourites, but the embarrasment of the World Cup should give them extra motivation to prove that their time at the top is anything but over. Individual level of their players is undoubted, how they perform as a team is the important question. Behind France, they are my second/third favourite together with Germany (in terms of likelihood to win, not who I support). Would be surprised if the winner comes outside these three.

I don't believe smaller teams have much of a chance to pull off a Greece/Denmark with one extra round of games there is as a consequence of the expansion of the tournament. In the World Cup, no overachieving outsider have gone past semifinals after that tournament became contested by 24 teams and the resulting addition of a last-16 play-off round. No reason to think it will be different with the Euros. More smaller teams in the finals, but lesser chance for a smaller team to go all the way.

 

[jsem94]

Just another note:

I watched the women's CL final. This is supposed to be the TOP teams in Europe. The level is so poor, sorry. It's no wonder the women's teams always get battered by mens under 16 sides.

I know women physically can't get to the same levels of men in a demanding game such as football, and the technique is lacking too, but they must be able to get better than this. Increasing revenue is only really possible if the top leagues can get viewership, and the way the sport is now it's not very exciting. I honestly don't know what to do about it.

In other sports, like biathlon, cycling, tennis etc the women's game can be just as entertaining as the men's game. But in football, it seems like a lost cause for some reason. At least they don't dive.

 

[The Hitch]

Re:

Alaba wasn't at his best in the 2nd half of the season though. Who else do they have?

What about Poland.
45 million inhabitants and football being national sport #1 they really should start doing a lot better internationally.

Mostly rural country and the funding was never there before like it is in western European countries.