Ultimate Football (Soccer) Thread 2014-15

[Dei Terrare]

I was not aware Deulofeu went out on loan.
Afellay loaned, Bojan left, Cuenca left, Deulofeu loaned, Suarez suspended, Tello loaned, either Barcelona need to get their hands on a new winger (at the expense of Song) or Iniesta is going to spend too much time on the wing. Or perhaps Adama, Nieto, and Dongou will become regular 1st team players.
I like option 1 best...

Probably Barcelona should get Schürrle or Lavezzi or maybe even Pastore

[KoloToure]

I was not aware Deulofeu went out on loan.
Afellay loaned, Bojan left, Cuenca left, Deulofeu loaned, Suarez suspended, Tello loaned, either Barcelona need to get their hands on a new winger (at the expense of Song) or Iniesta is going to spend too much time on the wing. Or perhaps Adama, Nieto, and Dongou will become regular 1st team players.
I like option 1 best...

Probably Barcelona should get Schürrle or Lavezzi or maybe even Pastore

Good luck dragging Schurrle or Pastore from their respective clubs.

[Dei Terrare]

Probably Barcelona should get Schürrle or Lavezzi or maybe even Pastore

Good luck dragging Schurrle or Pastore from their respective clubs.

So it's Lavezzi?

[Uitbregen]

Eric Dier is turning out to be quite the goal scorer...

[Auremena]

Eric Dier is turning out to be quite the goal scorer...

Too bad I can't add any more Spurs players to my fantasy teeam, or else I'd have traded for him last night. Replaced Mirallas, who has been barely playing, with Siggy. Good call? I think so.
Only if more people picked Chadli today...
Bunda, what was that about those Chadli haters? I see they've shut up now, never mind it's QPR.

[Bundabunda]

More than a supersub, isn't he? I am grinning from ear to ear knowing that our Belgian Tank and English Maldini are routing 'Arry's side.

[Bundabunda]

Fun fact: Both Poch and Redknapp were born on March 2nd. Champions League confirmed.

[Auremena]

More than a supersub, isn't he? I am grinning from ear to ear knowing that our Belgian Tank and English Maldini are routing 'Arry's side.

Honestly Chadli pace was never an issue for me. He's fast enough, and has so many other great qualities to make up for it.

Fun fact: Both Poch and Redknapp were born on March 2nd. Champions League confirmed.

A draw with Chelsea would win us the title, in that case.

[Bundabunda]

To the top of the league we go then. It's been foretold.

Chadli is an absolute revelation for this side. Two goals and he seems smart enough to play in Poch's system. The pressing wasn't as brutal today, but I don't think it really needed to be.

EDIT: This game also shows the failure of three at the back, IMO. If LvG tries his formation on us, that defense will be broken quickly.

[Auremena]

To the top of the league we go then. It's been foretold.

Chadli is an absolute revelation for this side. Two goals and he seems smart enough to play in Poch's system. The pressing wasn't as brutal today, but I don't think it really needed to be.

EDIT: This game also shows the failure of three at the back, IMO. If LvG tries his formation on us, that defense will be broken quickly.

Dunne and Ferdinand aren't good for much anymore but sitting on the posts in a 3 back, with their pace. If United pick up Blind, a Blind-Rojo-Jones back 3 won't be so terrible
The issue there would be the left wing. Villa were quite impressive last year vs City with Vlaar-Clark-Baker, and several WC teams used it to success.
Key point; you need the right personnel to properly pull off a back 3, and I'd say the majority of English teams cannot.

[Eura]

Being out of the country for a week starting last Friday, I missed the start of the Prem season. As a Swansea fan, all I can say is this start is way better than I expected, despite a pretty poor second half against Burnley.

Monk-inho, wooooaaahhh, Monk-inho, woooooaaahh...

[Auremena]

Good luck dragging Schurrle or Pastore from their respective clubs.

So it's Lavezzi?

Nope, looks like Munir from the B team has taken responsibility to fill those shoes.

[Bundabunda]

:idea:

To the top of the league we go then. It's been foretold.

Chadli is an absolute revelation for this side. Two goals and he seems smart enough to play in Poch's system. The pressing wasn't as brutal today, but I don't think it really needed to be.

EDIT: This game also shows the failure of three at the back, IMO. If LvG tries his formation on us, that defense will be broken quickly.

Dunne and Ferdinand aren't good for much anymore but sitting on the posts in a 3 back, with their pace. If United pick up Blind, a Blind-Rojo-Jones back 3 won't be so terrible
The issue there would be the left wing. Villa were quite impressive last year vs City with Vlaar-Clark-Baker, and several WC teams used it to success.
Key point; you need the right personnel to properly pull off a back 3, and I'd say the majority of English teams cannot.

I agree to an extent. The reason I said that a PL team can't pull it off isn't necessarily because of the personnel, but because of how important wingers are in England. They're expected to score, assist, and track back. I don't think, for instance, that Hazard or Sterling or Lamela could pull off the role of wingback, and I think that a lot of teams with those three's kind of pace would wreck a good wingback.

[Osarius]

The reason I said that a PL team can't pull it off isn't necessarily because of the personnel, but because of how important wingers are in England. They're expected to score, assist, and track back.

Not really. Wide midfielders != Wingers. Most English teams don't use wingers.

[KoloToure]

I don't think, for instance, that Sterling could pull off the role of wingback

Apart from all those times over the last two years he's been asked to play as a RB or RWB and done very well, you mean?

[Auremena]

:idea: Dunne and Ferdinand aren't good for much anymore but sitting on the posts in a 3 back, with their pace. If United pick up Blind, a Blind-Rojo-Jones back 3 won't be so terrible
The issue there would be the left wing. Villa were quite impressive last year vs City with Vlaar-Clark-Baker, and several WC teams used it to success.
Key point; you need the right personnel to properly pull off a back 3, and I'd say the majority of English teams cannot.

I agree to an extent. The reason I said that a PL team can't pull it off isn't necessarily because of the personnel, but because of how important wingers are in England. They're expected to score, assist, and track back. I don't think, for instance, that Hazard or Sterling or Lamela could pull off the role of wingback, and I think that a lot of teams with those three's kind of pace would wreck a good wingback.

Chadli, Moreno, Bacuna, Coleman, and Valencia could be decent wingbacks. The rarity is the issue. If van Gaal wants to continue with a back 3, he needs to look to Italy or elsewhere where such a system is more prominent. And it'll take years to get them up to speed. Teams will look to keep such wingers as Hazard, Lamela, and Sterling on the bench until the wingbacks are starting to give way and then just walk around them like it was a 3-3-2.

[Bundabunda]

Two Spurs players warrant mention-Danny Rose was a wingback at Sunderland, and Kyle Walker, pure athlete that he is and the bombing forward runs that he makes, could do superbly in that position.

Italy wouldn't be a bad shout to look to. But even Juve and Napoli are moving away from a back three, so I'm not sure if they like the idea anymore.

Teams will look to keep such wingers as Hazard, Lamela, and Sterling on the bench until the wingbacks are starting to give way and then just walk around them like it was a 3-3-2.

I think this part is the reason why it won't catch on. I can't see Lamela and Eriksen playing with 3-5-2, and I'm sure the same would go for, say, Liverpool with Markovic and Sterling (assuming they play on the same side, that is). The most "futuristic" formation I see in the PL that may be able to work is what City does with the 4-2-2-2. Spurs could excel using this formation, and our problem of winger depth goes away.

[Auremena]

Two Spurs players warrant mention-Danny Rose was a wingback at Sunderland, and Kyle Walker, pure athlete that he is and the bombing forward runs that he makes, could do superbly in that position.

Italy wouldn't be a bad shout to look to. But even Juve and Napoli are moving away from a back three, so I'm not sure if they like the idea anymore.

Teams will look to keep such wingers as Hazard, Lamela, and Sterling on the bench until the wingbacks are starting to give way and then just walk around them like it was a 3-3-2.

I think this part is the reason why it won't catch on. I can't see Lamela and Eriksen playing with 3-5-2, and I'm sure the same would go for, say, Liverpool with Markovic and Sterling (assuming they play on the same side, that is). The most "futuristic" formation I see in the PL that may be able to work is what City does with the 4-2-2-2. Spurs could excel using this formation, and our problem of winger depth goes away.

Just gave a few out, Walker was indeed on my mind as well.
Spurs almost have that already. Even down to Lennon ≈ Navas in terms of play style (traditional right winger)
For the current Spurs setup, for a 4-2-2-2 with wingback style fullbacks, I'd want Sandro and Capoue as DMs, Eriksen and Lamela as AMs, Kane or Chadli as an SS, and Soldado/Ade as the "big man"
Lennon I'd still keep around in this scenario. Townsend... I dunno. I say sell him to get him some first team time. He just doesn't quite fit in that system of rotating AMs/wingers.

[Bundabunda]

Townsend seems like he's improved...but I don't know. For some reason, I just don't see him on the same level as Eriksen and Lamela, and they're both just about as young as he is. Depay or J-Rod really would be the crowning piece to our front three. It would throw so many sides off to see Soldado drop deep, Depay/Rod/Kono take his place, and then a beautiful Lamela cross followed by an effortless flick in the box. On some level, though, Townsend is needed. We need depth with our history of injuries and I really can't see Lennon fitting into a rotating front three (He was very, very good at pressing in preseason though. More than the other players barring Soldado, Lamela and Eriksen, he seemed to understand it the best.), so for better or for worse, he needs to stay, but maybe on the bench.


Sandro and Capoue-I don't think there's any attack in the league that could go centrally with those two patrolling the middle. A bit of passing range is needed though, so maybe Bentaleb. The ideal striker combination would be a tried and tested partnership in Soldado and Ade-big man, small man kind of deal.

EDIT: A word on the 3-5-2. I think it also comes down to United not only lacking good players out wide and for central midfield, but also a complete lack of players. Any formation they play (442-not enough fullbacks in case one goes down. 4231-Herrera aside, they don't have a good enough tackling defensive mid to make it work. 433-Rooney or RvP is less effective, and so on and so on.). Even in a 3-5-2, they had only four center backs prior to Rojo.

[Osarius]

The most "futuristic" formation I see in the PL that may be able to work is what City does with the 4-2-2-2. Spurs could excel using this formation, and our problem of winger depth goes away.

The hilarity of this comment is that if this happened, it wouldn't last long.
Teams would start using the 3-5-2 to counter it, and more teams have the personnel to play 3-5-2 than 4-2-2-2 (which realistically requires at least two creative midfielders comfortable in the middle; assuming you mean the "magic box" system Brazil used to use, anyway)

See... Three backs works well against two forwards, and everything else matches up except the two attacking midfielders in the 4-2-2-2. The formations cancel out and in terms of personnel and numerical advantage, it basically comes down to the ability of the middle defender of the three, and the defensive midfielder ahead of him against those two.

[Yellow Yellow Red]

"Cambiasso is still a possibility. There's been progress over the weekend so I'm more hopeful than I was on Friday and Saturday but until there is a definitive answer I'm loathe to talk too much. But I am hopeful it can be done in next couple of days."

Even in his advancing years he'd be a face I'd like to see

[Dei Terrare]

My teams I'm rooting for in each league:
EPL:
Arsenal

MLS:
New England Revolution

Ligue 1:
PSG

La Liga:
Barcelona (typical of me)

Bundesliga:
Bayern München

Serie A:
AC Milan

[Alvalero]

My teams I'm rooting for in each league:
EPL:
Arsenal

MLS:
New England Revolution

Ligue 1:
PSG

La Liga:
Barcelona (typical of me)

Bundesliga:
Bayern München

Serie A:
AC Milan

What the SSE Airtricity League not good enough for you to follow!

[Dei Terrare]

My teams I'm rooting for in each league:
EPL:
Arsenal

MLS:
New England Revolution

Ligue 1:
PSG

La Liga:
Barcelona (typical of me)

Bundesliga:
Bayern München

Serie A:
AC Milan

What the SSE Airtricity League not good enough for you to follow!

Not really into them.

[Yellow Yellow Red]

Meanwhile, I'm quite happy with my MLS team (DC United). They just took over 1st place about 2/3rds of the way through the season. Big improvement from last year.

Funny to see all the DC United fans coming out of the woodwork after years of being, well, missing. I'm not saying you're one of them, mind - I know you've discussed them before and whatnot, but I'm speaking generally. DC United seems to be one of those MLS clubs where the fans burst to the forefront when things are good but then fade away in the disappointing years (much like RBNY).

Hopefully you lot get the stadium you deserve sooner rather than later. Not just for another soccer specific stadium in MLS (which is always good, except maybe in Seattle), but because I really do think that it would do DC United a world of good to get out of RFK