Ultimate Football/Soccer Thread 2017-2018

[Minoa]

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Overshadowed by the events of Grenfell Tower, the Premier League Fixtures were announced at 0900 BST on Wednesday, 14 June 2016.

In line with forum tradition, a new edition of the Ultimate Football (Soccer) Thread has been created to cover the 2017-2018 season, and covers all football activities between Monday 19 June 2016 to 31 July 2018, including the remaining qualifiers for the controversial 2018 World Cup in Russia.

On 23 June 2017, The Blaatschapen recommended a standalone thread for the World Cup Finals: I originally thought that we should be able to fit the entire tournament in this thread.

The following links will instantly populate after the fixtures are announced: it is nice to know that the URLs for the fixtures on the BBC have not changed at all.

England:
Premier League fixtures: BBC link
Championship fixtures: BBC link
League One fixtures: BBC link
League Two fixtures: BBC link

Scotland:
Scottish Premier League fixtures: BBC link
Scottish Championship fixtures: BBC link
Scottish League One fixtures: BBC link
Scottish League Two fixtures: BBC link

Kick-off discussion:

Quoting Deutsche Welle, the International Football Association Board is proposing major changes to the game of football. The most radical plan that has me interested is to cut the total playing time to 60 minutes overall, 30 minutes each half. However, the IFAB plans to allow the clock to be stopped when the ball is out of play. Also, the proposal envisages the whistle only being blown for half-time and full-time when the ball goes out of play.

The International Football Association Board is the body that determines the rules of football, and consists of the home nations of the UK (4) and FIFA. Although FIFA has 50% of the voting power, 75% is needed to change the rules of football.

What do you think about the massive rule-change proposals? I think the conduct of players towards the referee and vice versa is an important topic to address, but I think we can maintain the famous 90 minute while still allowing the clock to be stopped for incidents.

[Minoa]

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40352386

The Scottish Premiership fixtures have been announced today. Celtic will begin their title defence at home to Hearts on 5 August, while Rangers travel to face Motherwell. I wonder if Celtic could beat Arsenal’s record of 49 matches without loss, but I also wonder when did Celtic last lost a match in the Scottish Premiership?

[The Blaatschapen]

For the record, World Cup tournaments get their own thread. Well, the final part of it, not the qualifiers.

Also, personally I'd say that currently ongoing tournaments are a part of the 16-17 season.

Rip Tonny van der Linden.

[Minoa]

For the record, World Cup tournaments get their own thread. Well, the final part of it, not the qualifiers.

Also, personally I'd say that currently ongoing tournaments are a part of the 16-17 season.

Rip Tonny van der Linden.

Until now we have informally gone by the English football seasons, but I am open to change the system so that this thread will last until 500 pages and then we get a replacement.

Thoughts?

BTW, source for the death of Tonny van der Linden, at the age of 84: http://nos.nl/artikel/2179592-dos-legen ... leden.html

And the acts of kindness continue even in sport, despite the initially slow moving Conservative government: the money from the Community Shield prize will also go to Grenfell Tower victims and survivors.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40381233

[The Blaatschapen]

For the record, World Cup tournaments get their own thread. Well, the final part of it, not the qualifiers.

Also, personally I'd say that currently ongoing tournaments are a part of the 16-17 season.

Rip Tonny van der Linden.

Until now we have informally gone by the English football seasons, but I am open to change the system so that this thread will last until 500 pages and then we get a replacement.

Thoughts?

BTW, source for the death of Tonny van der Linden, at the age of 84: http://nos.nl/artikel/2179592-dos-legen ... leden.html

And the acts of kindness continue even in sport, despite the initially slow moving Conservative government: the money from the Community Shield prize will also go to Grenfell Tower victims and survivors.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40381233

I am fine with the way it is. Which is 1 thread per season (July - June) and 1 thread for the World Cup tournament without qualifiers. There was a WC thread for 2014 after all.

Not every thread has to go to 500

[Minoa]

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-40432001

Since 1976, the English national football team only won two of the fourteen penalty shoot-outs, ever since the tie-breaker debuted in the 1976 European Championships.

I think that the current managers for the squad, Gareth Southgate, Aidy Boothroyd (U21) et al, actually have to focus on actually getting the team to score goals with confidence, not only in penalty shoot-outs, but also during extra time and the main halves in order for them to stand a chance against the powerful squads: Germany, Spain and Italy, for example.

The earlier the advantage, the better.

What managers do you think that England can consult in order to turn around their dismal penalty shoot-out record?

[The Blaatschapen]

Luxembourg teams are becoming famous for their upsets. A few years ago FC Utrecht, now the first European adventures of Rangers FC.

[The Blaatschapen]

Nouri

http://m.bbc.com/sport/football/40595416

[Unconquered Frontier]

Is this a place for fan opinion or just news? This is just my opinion.
Been thinking spfl. I'm confident as always well be champions but what I'm not sure of is wholl be second place.
Sevco are mess as always which is nice but Aberdeen seem to be selling off their better players (including Hayes obviously). Could be either of them or maybe someone else. I've grown used to Aberdeen as second best Scottish team but a lot of those players are off now.
Bear in mind I've no ill will against Aberdeen but only support one team (Celtic obviously). I've just been watching them from afar & wondering where their good form is going to continue from.

[The Blaatschapen]

Netherlands is finally in a final again.

Go Leeuwinnen!

[Dumb Ideologies]

Neymar declares that move to PSG was because he needed a new challenge. I suppose spending that 45m euros per year wages will indeed be quite the task.

[The Blaatschapen]

Woop

Thank you, leeuWINNEN

[Alvalero]

Premier League back with a blast.

Arsenal 4-3 Leicester City
Lacazette (2) - Okazaki (5)
Welbeck (45+2) - Vardy (29, 56)
Ramsey(83)
Giroud(85)

Match report BBC Sport - http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/40822513

I am worried that Ramsey scored. It usually means that someone famous will die.

[Minoa]

Source: https://www.premierleague.com/tables (snapshot)

As it stands now, Huddersfield Town will be champions if the remaining teams to play cannot win by more than three goals by tomorrow, and Arsenal will be back to the Champions League if less than two remaining teams to play this weekend win the match and score more than four goals.

I think I got the maths right.

[Minoa]

Source as above

Man United is the first week’s champion after winning 4-0 against West Ham, who are in the relegation zone with Newcastle United and Crystal Palace.

Had this been the only week (largely because the first few weeks’ standings produce weird results), Huddersfield Town, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur would be in the Champions League: Arsenal would have to settle for Europa again, which is bad news for Arsene Wenger.

[The Dictatorship Of Nixon]

IMO unless there's another big move, United will win the league again. As for Arsenal, which is my favourite team, I think they'll finish 4th again unless Wenger buys a defender and a central midfielder, which is highly unlikely to happen.

[Unconquered Frontier]

I hope Hibs feel FREE TO repeat that result next time they play that lot

[Auremena]

Paulinho signing for Barça is surely fake news, right? Right?

IMO unless there's another big move, United will win the league again. As for Arsenal, which is my favourite team, I think they'll finish 4th again unless Wenger buys a defender and a central midfielder, which is highly unlikely to happen.

Again? Mate, Chelsea won last year.
Spurs have to make a move. We're in a good position even without Walker, just need a CM and maybe another RB, depending on how long Trips is out. Or maybe we make Sissoko an RB, dear god no.

[Auremena]

Sanchez deal wrapping up withing the coming days, but 7 million more than expected due to currency fluctuations.
Guess this means Dier is moving full time to the midfield. Good, maybe we don't need Barkley then.
Levy, where's our RB!

[The Blaatschapen]

http://www.football-oranje.com/van-marw ... bia-coach/

Stupid SA FA.

[The Blaatschapen]

For the first time in history my team won from Feyenoord in the regular Eredivisie season

[The Blaatschapen]

Hello, anyone here?

Anyway, my team had a keeper debuting after the normal one got an injury during the warming up.

He did not do bad. As you can see in the following video:

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_ ... 8033529152

[Val Halla]

I'm here!

Unfortunately because English TV deal sucks, I can't watch much EPL

I can watch Belgian football and second division Spanish football though. I feel like maybe the lower you go, the more balanced it is? Only, in La Liga 2, the top teams just go up to get destroyed by Barca and Real.

[Stellonia]

Guys, I'm trying to find a good poacher for myClub in PES. I generally play a 4-4-2 with the poacher as CF and a playmaker as SS, considerably deeper than the CF. The SS plays lofted through balls to the CF, with the "Centering Targets" instruction enabled (it causes the CF to make runs behind the defense). I have my eyes on Robert Berič, but I don't think I can acquire the scouts necessary to get him. What poachers would you guys recommend?

[Auremena]

Guys, I'm trying to find a good poacher for myClub in PES. I generally play a 4-4-2 with the poacher as CF and a playmaker as SS, considerably deeper than the CF. The SS plays lofted through balls to the CF, with the "Centering Targets" instruction enabled (it causes the CF to make runs behind the defense). I have my eyes on Robert Berič, but I don't think I can acquire the scouts necessary to get him. What poachers would you guys recommend?

Budget? Age range?
Idk much about PES but I can offer generalities (my best poachers tend to be regens.) Miguel Borja of Palmeiras is a favourite to pick up when I'm playing a team that needs goals, don't know if he grows in PES as he does in other games, or if the brazilian league is even if game, or if you have work permits to get.