Ultimate Football (Soccer) Thread 2014-15

[Shove Piggy Shove]

Seven

I got six.

De Gea, Jones, Smalling, Mata, Young, Herrera, Rooney

[Britcan]

I got six.

De Gea, Jones, Smalling, Mata, Young, Herrera, Rooney

I left Young out of my list. I thought that Januzaj would be starting ahead of him.

[Shove Piggy Shove]

De Gea, Jones, Smalling, Mata, Young, Herrera, Rooney

I left Young out of my list. I thought that Januzaj would be starting ahead of him.

If anyone's being left out for Januzaj, it would most likely be Lingard - especially as he's currently injured.

[Britcan]

I left Young out of my list. I thought that Januzaj would be starting ahead of him.

If anyone's being left out for Januzaj, it would most likely be Lingard - especially as he's currently injured.

I had Lingard being replaced by Zaha or possibly Valencia, though I may well be overestimating Zaha a bit.

[Auremena]

If anyone's being left out for Januzaj, it would most likely be Lingard - especially as he's currently injured.

I had Lingard being replaced by Zaha or possibly Valencia, though I may well be overestimating Zaha a bit.

United need a replacement left back and could use a 4th CB. The transfer window is far from over.

[Liventia]

James Alexander Gordon, for many years the voice of BBC Radio's classified results, has died at 78, the BBC have announced.

[Uitbregen]

I'm assuming Suarez's ban only accounts for competitive games, because Luis Suarez has just come on for Barca against Leon Guanajuato in a friendly...

[Osarius]

I'm assuming Suarez's ban only accounts for competitive games, because Luis Suarez has just come on for Barca against Leon Guanajuato in a friendly...

So he can play in Barca's La Liga matches after all......

[Bundabunda]

I had Lingard being replaced by Zaha or possibly Valencia, though I may well be overestimating Zaha a bit.

United need a replacement left back and could use a 4th CB. The transfer window is far from over.

Arguably they need two more CBs if they're going to persist with the 3-4-1-2, which admitedly isn't looking likely. The Glazer hate is in full force now, but most of the blame should fall on Woodward and his naivety in the transfer market. Saying things like "We have the cash", or even better, "We have the cash to break the world record" must've greatly weakened their bargaining power for anyone they're chasing (Vidal, Benatia, di Maria, etc.).

[Commerce Heights]

I'm assuming Suarez's ban only accounts for competitive games, because Luis Suarez has just come on for Barca against Leon Guanajuato in a friendly...

The Court of Arbitration for Sport partially overturned the ban last week, allowing him to train with Barcelona and play in friendlies.

So he can play in Barca's La Liga matches after all......

[Tim-Opolis]

Evening all,

I've just joined the league as FC Arrakis...yup

[Karpathos]

Thought I'd check in too, my team name is LazyGreeks

[Uitbregen]

Ooh, bloody hell that was close...

[I V Stalin]

Chambers. £16m. Bargain.
Assuming he fulfils his potential.

[Uitbregen]

Chambers. £16m. Bargain.
Assuming he fulfils his potential.

Gotta say, he's looking pretty good. Might not need to splash for for a Vermaelen replacement. Just yet.

[Alvalero]

Arsenal just about scrapped through the first leg against Besiktas with a 0-0 draw. Hit the post but aside from that Besiktas had the better chances. Should beat them at home though. Besiktas are not the greatest side away from home.

[Osarius]

Chambers. £16m. Bargain.
Assuming he fulfils his potential.

Isn't that the caveat with like... 80% of Arsenal signings?

[Istrania]

As an Arsenal fan I can only hope this begins a new era of mediocrity for Man United. They've dominated for too long, it's time for others to shine.

[Socialist Tera]

I hope Celtic F.C. gets moved to the English Premier League, without Rangers, it's too damn easy in the Scottish League.

[Shove Piggy Shove]

I hope Celtic F.C. gets moved to the English Premier League, without Rangers, it's too damn easy in the Scottish League.

That's a terrible idea, fortunately it's never gonna happen.

There are currently 72 teams in the Football League pyramid and 20 teams in the Premier League. If another team is implanted into the Premier League, then it will have a huge knock-on effect for teams across the whole league as you would either have to restrict promotion or increase relegation to keep the numbers the same (there is no appetite in the Premier League for extra games)

For example, if Celtic had joined the Premier League for the current season, then QPR would still be in the Championship, Rotherham would still be in League One, Fleetwood Town would still be in League Two and Cambridge United would still be in the Conference. Alternatively, if the number of teams relegated was increased, then West Brom would be in the Championship, Birmingham would be in League One, Notts County would be in League Two and Wycombe Wanderers would be in the Conference.

Also, Celtic really aren't good enough for the Premier League at the moment. There's no way to justify putting them straight into the top tier of English football, and if they do want to enter into English football competition, then they should apply for FA membership and start from the bottom like everyone else (e.g. AFC Wimbledon).

Rangers will probably be back in the SPL next year, so it can go from being a piss poor league with only one possible winner, to being a piss poor league with one probable winner and one possible winner.

[Osarius]

Alternatively, if the number of teams relegated was increased, then West Brom would be in the Championship, Birmingham would be in League One

Go on.........

[Commerce Heights]

The FIFA Appeal Committee has upheld sanctions against the RFEF and FC Barcelona for signing players of the wrong nationality. FC Barcelona has announced its intention to appeal the decision to CAS, calling it “an affront to the spirit of our Masia”.

This is the same FIFA that brought you #SayNoToRacism and claims to prohibit “discrimination of any kind against a Country, private person or group of people on account of race, skin colour, ethnic, national or social origin, gender, language, religion, political opinion or any other opinion, wealth, birth or any other status, sexual orientation or any other reason”.

Forgive me if I don’t quite believe them about that.

[Shove Piggy Shove]

The FIFA Appeal Committee has upheld sanctions against the RFEF and FC Barcelona for signing players of the wrong nationality. FC Barcelona has announced its intention to appeal the decision to CAS, calling it “an affront to the spirit of our Masia”.

This is the same FIFA that brought you #SayNoToRacism and claims to prohibit “discrimination of any kind against a Country, private person or group of people on account of race, skin colour, ethnic, national or social origin, gender, language, religion, political opinion or any other opinion, wealth, birth or any other status, sexual orientation or any other reason”.

Forgive me if I don’t quite believe them about that.

I think you have misunderstood the charges against Barcelona. FIFA has specific rules for transfers regarding players under the age of 18:

Under-18s can move to a club in a different country if their parents move there for non-footballing reasons, if they are from another nation within the European Union or European Economic Area and aged between 16 and 18, or if they live within 100km of the club.

These rules are in place to protect children/young players and are not based on nationality. Barcelona were found to have signed 10 players in direct contravention of these rules, and are rightly being punished for it.

[I V Stalin]

Chambers. £16m. Bargain.
Assuming he fulfils his potential.

Isn't that the caveat with like... 80% of Arsenal signings?

Well, uh...

Yeah.

[Commerce Heights]

I think you have misunderstood the charges against Barcelona. FIFA has specific rules for transfers regarding players under the age of 18:

Under-18s can move to a club in a different country if their parents move there for non-footballing reasons, if they are from another nation within the European Union or European Economic Area and aged between 16 and 18, or if they live within 100km of the club.

These rules are in place to protect children/young players and are not based on nationality. Barcelona were found to have signed 10 players in direct contravention of these rules, and are rightly being punished for it.

I’m familiar with the FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players. See Article 19.3:

The conditions of this article shall also apply to any player who has never previously been registered with a club and is not a national of the country in which he wishes to be registered for the first time.

It is impossible for young footballers who are not EU/EEA nationals to join any of the best youth academies in the world unless they qualify for one of those exceptions. Prohibiting footballers from receiving the best training available, simply because they were born to parents who didn’t have the right nationality or the right excuse to move to the country, is a perverse way to “protect” them.