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2017/18 (Soccer) Football Thread
- Thread starter Aurious
- Start date
Portugal:
GK: Rui Patrício, Anthony Lopes, Beto
DEF: Cédric Soares, Ricardo Pereira, Pepe, José Fonte, Bruno Alves, Rúben Dias, Raphaël Guerreiro, Mário Rui
MID: William Carvalho, João Moutinho, João Mário, Manuel Fernandes, Adrien Silva, Bruno Fernandes
FW: Bernardo Silva, Gonçalo Guedes, Gelson Martins, Ricardo Quaresma, Cristiano Ronaldo, André Silva
Ugh...idek where to start. Calling Ricardo Pereira over Nélson Semedo or even João Cancelo is hilarious, Rúben Dias has some potential but he's an idiot and makes a fuck load of fouls every game (which somehow gets unpunished playing for Benfica in PL but will screw him in WC), shoulda picked Rolando over him...who helped Marseille reach Euro League finals lol. Adrien Silva literally played like half a season and didn't really do much in it, but I guess it's either him or André Gomes...or Rúben Neves if you want to give a shot to a young prospect (instead of Rúben Dias). The FW picks are ok, though I'm still a bit salty over Bruma not getting picked, that dude has been a beast in Leipzig ffs. Also no Éder so we're not getting any miracle wins this time.
GK: Rui Patrício, Anthony Lopes, Beto
DEF: Cédric Soares, Ricardo Pereira, Pepe, José Fonte, Bruno Alves, Rúben Dias, Raphaël Guerreiro, Mário Rui
MID: William Carvalho, João Moutinho, João Mário, Manuel Fernandes, Adrien Silva, Bruno Fernandes
FW: Bernardo Silva, Gonçalo Guedes, Gelson Martins, Ricardo Quaresma, Cristiano Ronaldo, André Silva
Ugh...idek where to start. Calling Ricardo Pereira over Nélson Semedo or even João Cancelo is hilarious, Rúben Dias has some potential but he's an idiot and makes a fuck load of fouls every game (which somehow gets unpunished playing for Benfica in PL but will screw him in WC), shoulda picked Rolando over him...who helped Marseille reach Euro League finals lol. Adrien Silva literally played like half a season and didn't really do much in it, but I guess it's either him or André Gomes...or Rúben Neves if you want to give a shot to a young prospect (instead of Rúben Dias). The FW picks are ok, though I'm still a bit salty over Bruma not getting picked, that dude has been a beast in Leipzig ffs. Also no Éder so we're not getting any miracle wins this time.
I didn't watch the French League so can anyone tell me what's going on with Rabiot. Seems to have been omitted from the French squad
destinyunknown
Banned deucer.
Who do you think should be Arsenal's manager?
I don't think spending has been the problem with Arsenal the last few years, it definitely was an issue immediately after the new stadium was built (which makes sense, since the club had to pay debts) but Arsenal has spent a lot of money on players (Lacazette, Özil, Aubameyang etc) lately. If anything, the complaint should be that recruitment hasn't been optimal, but saying the problem is that the owners dont want to spend money is disingenuous. Easy comparison is Tottenham, they have spent less money than Arsenal while producing better results in recent years.
Honestly, Arteta is probably one of the best options Arsenal could have gone for. He was a good leader and a smart player on the pitch, and he's been working under Guardiola's wing the last 2 years, which means that he wont be as tactically naive/outdated as Wenger. Obviously, it's hard to expect him to be a top manager from the get go, but honestly, does anyone think this Arsenal team can be fixed in a year?
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Radja left off the provisional 28-man squad, I don't even know why he hasn't quit the national team.
"Radja is a top player. The reason is tactical. In the last two years the team has worked in a specific manner. Other players had those roles. We know that Radja has a very important role in his club and we cannot give him that role in our squad.”
"Radja is a top player. The reason is tactical. In the last two years the team has worked in a specific manner. Other players had those roles. We know that Radja has a very important role in his club and we cannot give him that role in our squad.”
In a squad which has 4 goalkeepers and Adnan Janujaz
Just finished watching Martinez' press conference and well, as expected, he left Radja out. Expected cause even if he had good seasons in the past, Radja and Martinez can't get along. That's the main reason. Ofc Martinez tells the press it's about tactics but that's a load of crap. Keep in mind the list has 28 players so 5 names are yet to be left out. Then he goes and says he brings Chadli cause he's fit (which he isn't 100%) and can be versatile on the pitch, Chadli played 1 game in 2018. I wasn't happy when the board chose him to be Belgiums manager since this generation of players need a manager of the highest caliber, something Martinez isn't. We're gonna struggle in defense but that shouldn't be too much of a problem if the key players can stay fit (and if Martinez doesn't play Carrasco at LWB like he did once..). Overall the forwards look solid and I'm excited to see Batshuayi play since he finally got the credit he deserves.
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/250993400214585346/448080744183627799/IMG_20180521_120638.png
edit: Nainggolan just announced he's quitting the national team..
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/250993400214585346/448080744183627799/IMG_20180521_120638.png
edit: Nainggolan just announced he's quitting the national team..
destinyunknown
Banned deucer.
I think you are all being too harsh on Martinez, I tried to look up what he has actually said about Nainggolan and it makes sense. Obviously we don't know what goes on behind the scenes but it does seem like Nainggolan isn't a good presence in the dressing room because he gets upset if he's not playing.
https://www.football-italia.net/112241/martinez-‘why-i-won’t-pick-nainggolan’
However, if this is only an issue when he's not playing, I imagine most people would think ''well, he SHOULD be in the main lineup''. Is that really true though?
The above doesnt apply to Belgium, which plays with two midfielders instead of three, and doesn't have a defensive midfielder as great as De Rossi, but most importantly, the reason why Nainggolan doesn't fit in Belgium's first choice XI is that both De Bruyne and Hazard are more talented than him. Hazard requires a free role in order to fully showcase his creative prowess, and the same can be said about De Bruyne to a lesser extent. This leaves no place for Nainggolan in the lineup, because he's not great as a winger or as a holding midfielder and there are better players in Belgium in those positions.
So the only option to make Nainggolan work would be letting him play in a free role as well, but you know who did that? Marc Wilmots. How did that work out for Belgium?
https://www.football-italia.net/112241/martinez-‘why-i-won’t-pick-nainggolan’
However, if this is only an issue when he's not playing, I imagine most people would think ''well, he SHOULD be in the main lineup''. Is that really true though?
This is definitely not true. Nainggolan has played in different positions at Roma, but there was always a common element in all those games: that he was given a free role. That’s exactly what Martinez is referring to when he says Nainggolan is at his best as a 10, he’s thrived in Roma when he has been allowed positional freedom, while playing next to players who are very intelligent and tactically disciplined like De Rossi and Strootman. It also makes sense at Roma because Nainggolan is arguably the most talented player on the team.
The above doesnt apply to Belgium, which plays with two midfielders instead of three, and doesn't have a defensive midfielder as great as De Rossi, but most importantly, the reason why Nainggolan doesn't fit in Belgium's first choice XI is that both De Bruyne and Hazard are more talented than him. Hazard requires a free role in order to fully showcase his creative prowess, and the same can be said about De Bruyne to a lesser extent. This leaves no place for Nainggolan in the lineup, because he's not great as a winger or as a holding midfielder and there are better players in Belgium in those positions.
So the only option to make Nainggolan work would be letting him play in a free role as well, but you know who did that? Marc Wilmots. How did that work out for Belgium?
Let me have a moment to rant...
Goalkeepers: Armani is a great choice given the form he's had during the last few years (though they only noticed just now because he's in River) but I don't think Sampaoli is going to use him as first-choice, and he will pick one of the two goalkeepers that had played 10 matches together at best this year.
Defenders: Only one natural right-back - first major issue with this squad. Not only that, but Mercado isn't exactly at his best. Why Sampaoli picked someone who cannot get into the starting eleven in mid-table italian teams (Ansaldi) as Mercado's sub instead of one of the best players in the Superliga (Bustos) is anyone's guess. Three left-backs, when two (Ansaldi and Rojo) are very questionable, is another issue. I'd have picked Sánchez Miño as Taglafico's sub. Not to mention we don't have any sub centre-backs - fine, Mercado and Tagliafico can play there but they are better off in the sides, and Mascherano playing there is suicide. Kannemann and Garay would have been worthy of being centre-backs as well.
Midfielders: Not a single decent defensive midfielder. No Ascacíbar, no Ponzio, no Marcone, no Pérez (either of the two as they were in the preliminary squad, even if they are not exactly that kind of defensive midfielder) and we instead have a very far-from-his-best Mascherano and Biglia (who requires no introduction) and mayyyybe Meza (doesn't play in that position in Independiente). Meza, Acuña and Lo Celso are good choices... but then you have the likes of Di María and Banega, who have proven to not be at a good level for the national team. Given the lack of fast offensive midfielders, wouldn't Centurión be worthy enough of keeping (despite his questionable conduct)? And where's Paredes?
Strikers: Perhaps the only part that improved compared to the preliminary squad, but there are still three players that compete for the same position (Dybala, Agüero and Higuaín, and the latter two have no support from fans) while Pavón and Messi can only be replaced by Salvio (or Di María, but again... no support) if they get injured. Also, what happened to Icardi (yes, I know what happened but it's far from excusable) and Lautaro Martínez? Or even Driussi and Alario, for that matter.
The only starting elevens I can think of are these:
If Argentina manages to get past the group stage it will be an overachievement.
So what do we have here? Argentina's 23-man squad for the World Cup and... oh, boy, so many things are wrong with it.
Goalkeepers: Armani is a great choice given the form he's had during the last few years (though they only noticed just now because he's in River) but I don't think Sampaoli is going to use him as first-choice, and he will pick one of the two goalkeepers that had played 10 matches together at best this year.
Defenders: Only one natural right-back - first major issue with this squad. Not only that, but Mercado isn't exactly at his best. Why Sampaoli picked someone who cannot get into the starting eleven in mid-table italian teams (Ansaldi) as Mercado's sub instead of one of the best players in the Superliga (Bustos) is anyone's guess. Three left-backs, when two (Ansaldi and Rojo) are very questionable, is another issue. I'd have picked Sánchez Miño as Taglafico's sub. Not to mention we don't have any sub centre-backs - fine, Mercado and Tagliafico can play there but they are better off in the sides, and Mascherano playing there is suicide. Kannemann and Garay would have been worthy of being centre-backs as well.
Midfielders: Not a single decent defensive midfielder. No Ascacíbar, no Ponzio, no Marcone, no Pérez (either of the two as they were in the preliminary squad, even if they are not exactly that kind of defensive midfielder) and we instead have a very far-from-his-best Mascherano and Biglia (who requires no introduction) and mayyyybe Meza (doesn't play in that position in Independiente). Meza, Acuña and Lo Celso are good choices... but then you have the likes of Di María and Banega, who have proven to not be at a good level for the national team. Given the lack of fast offensive midfielders, wouldn't Centurión be worthy enough of keeping (despite his questionable conduct)? And where's Paredes?
Strikers: Perhaps the only part that improved compared to the preliminary squad, but there are still three players that compete for the same position (Dybala, Agüero and Higuaín, and the latter two have no support from fans) while Pavón and Messi can only be replaced by Salvio (or Di María, but again... no support) if they get injured. Also, what happened to Icardi (yes, I know what happened but it's far from excusable) and Lautaro Martínez? Or even Driussi and Alario, for that matter.
The only starting elevens I can think of are these:
If Argentina manages to get past the group stage it will be an overachievement.
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Simply a case of no room for him on the squad. No need to sacrifice a spot that is occupied by one of many attacking players France has. Plus the midfield players on the squad are simply better.
But Martinez takes Boyata, Benteke, Januzaj and Chadli lol. I don't expect any of these four to be on the final squad but if they are then just burn his new contract extension
While Argentina is in a generational transition right now, it looks worse than it is because of a certain group, not-affectionately called "Messi's friends" (Romero, Rojo, Mascherano, Banega, Biglia, Di María, Agüero, Higuaín) that have been hogging the starting eleven for a lot of time (despite far less than spectacular performances) and have prevented alternatives from emerging in the national team.
Higuaín and Agüero being the most prominent examples, as despite not scoring a goal in almost two years, they're still being called up, whereas players like Pratto or Icardi, who didn't score a goal in a game or two and you clearly cannot see them anywhere now, or the likes of Alario and Lautaro Martínez who vanished after just one game; while Dybala was called up, he should feel lucky he has minutes at all. At least he was justified with Benedetto who was seriously injured and hasn't recovered from it yet.
Of course there's Sampaoli being beyond idiotic with the lack of sub right- and centre-backs and the lack of defensive midfielders, but that's another story. There's talent, but they stick with the same guys that can't win an important game even to save their own skin.
Aaaand he's now out of the World Cup due to an injury. IMO Armani must be the first-choice, and one of Barovero, Herrera and Rulli must take Romero's place (preferably the former and least preferably the latter), but I guess Sampaoli will pick Marchesín or (ugh) Guzmán.
destinyunknown
Banned deucer.
I read these two articles yesterday, both are fairly interesting so I figured I should post them here. There's no better time to read them and build up hype than the day before the champions league final right?
https://statsbomb.com/2018/05/champ...o-firmino-and-mohamed-salah-propel-liverpool/
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/how-liverpool-built-a-potential-champion/
Also a bit late to the discussion but I think Salah has a good chance to win the Ballon D'Or. 2018 being a World Cup year works against him, but he should be the main candidate to win it as long as Liverpool win the Champions League and neither Brazil, Argentina nor Portugal win the World Cup.
The game tomorrow should be fun, unlike in previous finals neither team here is great at sitting deep so we're likely to see a lot of goals, I just hope that neither team runs away with the game. Predicting Liverpool to win if the game is similar to what we saw in the Real Madrid vs Bayern tie, seems like Madrid doesn't really have a plan to evade high pressing other than relying on its midfielders incredible technique, which surely worked in some spells during the 2nd leg against Bayern but I can't see it being a reliable strategy forever.
https://statsbomb.com/2018/05/champ...o-firmino-and-mohamed-salah-propel-liverpool/
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/how-liverpool-built-a-potential-champion/
Also a bit late to the discussion but I think Salah has a good chance to win the Ballon D'Or. 2018 being a World Cup year works against him, but he should be the main candidate to win it as long as Liverpool win the Champions League and neither Brazil, Argentina nor Portugal win the World Cup.
The game tomorrow should be fun, unlike in previous finals neither team here is great at sitting deep so we're likely to see a lot of goals, I just hope that neither team runs away with the game. Predicting Liverpool to win if the game is similar to what we saw in the Real Madrid vs Bayern tie, seems like Madrid doesn't really have a plan to evade high pressing other than relying on its midfielders incredible technique, which surely worked in some spells during the 2nd leg against Bayern but I can't see it being a reliable strategy forever.
In Luka Modric I trust.
2014 - Luka Modric plays every round of the cup. Winner.
2015 - Luka Modric out due to injury at Semis against Juve: Real Madrid Eliminated
2016 - Luka Modric plays every round of the cup. Winner
2017 - Luka Modric plays every round of the cup. Winner
What a cunt Ramos is
Pretty much changed the whole game by injuring Salah :/