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The Official 2017/18 Football/Soccer Thread

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TheRicanDream said:
Don't tell me anything about seriously mounting a title challenge. None of us are challenging for the league this season due to City being a monster. And that unforgettable 13/14 season was due in most part of Suarez being the best striker in the world, you saw how bad we were once he left.


15/16 Klopp came in when the season was well underway, he was just sailing us to the season's end before any real work can get done. Despite that, he had us in a few finals.

Take a look at Klopps signings also, he's done far better than his predecessor.
Players actually want to play for him and for one he has us in the knockout stages of the Champions League for the first time since 2009. Progress.
To actually call him a flopp when his reign isn't anywhere near to being done and is making progress is utter nonsense. You'll look like the same idiots who said Fraudiolla last season.
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I didn't mention this season's title challenge because the season's not done, I referred to the two seasons where he was manager which includes Leicester's title win.

15/16 only 8 league games were played when Klopp took over; in over words there were still 30 games (78.9%) of the season to play so that season was just as much Klopp's season as say Allardyce will claim this season for Everton even though he would theoretically be managing a maximum of 24 games (63.1%).

Also you can't have it both ways and give him credit for taking the team to two finals (and losing both) but in the same breadth say it wasn't "his season" for the league because he came in after 8 games.

I'll give you the signings of Mane and Salah as top signings, Wijnaldum is ok, Ox, Solanke, Robertson, VVD, Keita remains to be seen/too soon to tell, Klaven is a flop IMO and Karius is too however gets a slight pass because he's young but the intention was for him to replace Migs and you know it.

The likes of Sturridge, Firminho, Coutinho, Milner, Gomez, Clyne, Lallana (I give Klopp credit for improving him) were BR signings and makes up the majority of the first 15 but then depending on how you feel on their performance so were Migs, Lovren, Can, Moreno, Sakho, Balotelli, Benteke.

I call him a Flopp more so out of banter (Klopp/Flopp) and also to put things into perspective from the extreme end of the spectrum of those enamoured by his charm and act like he's really doing something major. But the reality is I don't believe Liverpool has progressed as much as people like to think. For example, it's self-evident that Man U has progressed under Mourinho despite their issues, Spurs has progressed under Poch regardless of lack of trophies, Chelsea has progressed with Conte, Arsenal are in decline status, and as for Guardiola - I always knew he would succeed so LMAO on that one!
 
ESPNFC is reporting that should Manchester United move on from Jose Mourinho, they are interested in Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone to be the next manager.
 
Young_Chitlin said:
ESPNFC is reporting that should Manchester United move on from Jose Mourinho, they are interested in Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone to be the next manager.
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But isn't Simeone an even more so defensive manager than Mourinho? lol

Give Mourinho £150m + whatever gains from player sales in the Summer and United will come good soon enough.
I mean I'm not Mourinho's biggest fan, but the way people are talking about him it's like he isn't one of, if not the most successful manager in the game right now.
Since 1999 (i.e. 20 years ago including 2018 final tbd), only 6 managers have won the champions league twice and Jose's one of them (Fergie, Ancelotti, Del Bosque, Guardiola, Zidane)
 
Meanwhile, Barcelona are concerned that Manchester United or Manchester City could move for defender Samuel Umtitiand are poised to offer him a new contract, the Mail says.

Citing reports in Spain, it reports that the France centre-back "looks set for a bumper new deal" after his performances "sparked interest -- as did the £50 million release clause in his current contract."

Umtiti, sidelined with a hamstring injury, is likely to begin talks over new terms in the near future, and the Mail says Barca have made keeping the 24-year-old a priority.
 
How quickly things can change. On Sunday, reports said Everton could announce the signing of Besiktas striker Cenk Tosun by Tuesday. Now, according to the Mirror, they may not announce it all.

It reports that the move is "in danger of collapse" after Besiktas increased their asking price for the Turkey international "at the 11th hour" when Everton had believed a £25m deal was done.

The Merseysiders "are now ready to pull the plug if Besiktas continue to demand a higher price."
 
Jose Mourinho has hit back at Paul Scholes over his negative comments towards Manchester United, saying "all he does is criticise" and he hopes he would be "25 per cent" as successful as him if he ever turns to management.

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Former United midfielder Scholes, who now works as a pundit, said the players and the manager are "under-performing" after their 0-0 draw with Southampton, while also highlighting his concerns over the fitness and attitude of midfielder Paul Pogba.

And, after United returned to winning ways with a 2-0 win over Everton on New Year's Day, Mourinho responded to Scholes' comments.

"I think the only thing Paul Scholes does is to criticise. I don't think he comments, I think he criticises, which is a different thing, but not every one of us has to be phenomenal, like he was as a player.


"He was a phenomenal player, that doesn't mean that we all have to be phenomenal. Paul (Pogba) tries to do his best all the time. Sometimes he plays very well, sometimes he plays well, and sometimes he does not play so well.

I think the only thing Paul Scholes does is to criticise. I don't think he comments, I think he criticises.
Mourinho on Scholes
"It is not Paul's fault that he made much more money than Paul Scholes. It is not Paul Pogba's fault, it's just the way football is.

"But I think Scholesy will be in the history like a phenomenal player, not as a pundit. So I prefer to look at him as a phenomenal player who gave so much to the club I am proud to represent and every day I try to do my best.

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"If Paul one day decides to be a manager, I wish that he can be 25 per cent as successful as myself, because 50 per cent is 12 and a half silverware, 25 per cent is around six. If he is 25 per cent, he will be quite happy.

"In my mind, Paul Scholes a phenomenal player, one of the best players I have ever seen playing in midfield and he gives so much to my club, I only can thank him for that, because the prestige of this club is based on people like him, so successful here

@Northside7
 
Jose's right - all these players do is complain and moan about their old teams. It's easier said than done when you're getting paid to sit on TV and have a whinge, but are any of these guys stepping up to help their club? Jose's got this team punching above its weight.

I hated Gary Neville during his playing days but he genuinely put his money where his mouth is and took up a managerial position that was always going to end in disaster. He didn't need to become a manager but he did, and he knows with first hand experience how stressful the job is. He's got my respect. What about these other players?
 
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