Football Talk

The season is nearly upon us. Discuss all things about the season here.

I think arsenal will have a good season andbe a close runner up. Petr Cech signing could potentially wo then 10 points more than last season.

Man City and Chelsea haven't strengthened as much as I thought, especially city. I thing they are a defender short.

Sunderland, well I'll discuss them come May haha. Is quite happily have a boring season and be safe by Easter!

I thinknit will be a two horse race for the championship between Derby and the smoggies. Both made good signings. If boro can grab Jordan Rhodes then they may just pip it.

I think steve gibson is getting a bit fed up with trying to deal with the venkys for Rhodes and we have turned towards Dwight Gayle. In all honesty i would love to see either of them sign.
I reckon Middlesbrough, Derby, Hull and Fulham will be up there.

The premier league I fancy Arsenal to win the league. Look strong all over the pitch could do with a new striker though.

I still think we need to sign a centre back. I'm not really keen on Blind playing centre back. We need to sort De Gea's future out asap, he isn't playing this weekend v Spurs. Knowing us he will go to Madrid on the cheap and we won't sign a good center back.

On the plus side we've been handed a favorable tie in the champions league group stage qualifiers against Club Brugge. As for the rest of the season, I'd love to win the FA and League Cups and a top 3 finish would be great.

Arsenal do look strong, but always struggle competing on 4 fronts. I had them above Chelsea on my predictions until I actually posted them. If Chelsea don't get Stones their season could still blow up on them. No idea why, but I have Utd to win the league. It's not even a gut feeling lol. Europe will stretch them. Schwein and Scneiderlin rotating might help and Hererra should be a level up on last year too, he looked top draw at times. City squad looks like a Serie A set up, Old, injury prone with the odd flash attacker. Liverpool Midfield and attack look strong and balanced with flair. They are not just about the 1 man midfield and 1 man attack anymore. Henderson and Milner to improve them in big games and if Illarimendi signs that will be a great fit, just like Alonso was.

Crewe: I'm nervous we'ldrop this time. We are fitter, but have had no real pre season test. We played amateur opponents so it might be a shock when we play Vale who are semi pro, at least lol

Exeter have signed some damned good players - Bobby Olejnik from Peterborough as keeper, Lee Holmes from Preston, Christian Ribeiro signing a new deal...

Our first 11 is as good as anything in the division. We have a slight lack of depth in defence, and possibly a lightweight midfield, but I think we're good for a play-off spot at the absolute worst.

Our midfield is the strongest it's been for a while. With Schneiderlin, Schweinsteiger and Carrick we have three really good centre mids that can allow our forwards to attack with intent. Will hopefully allow Herrera a bit more freedom going forward.

Exeter will have be in the league cup 3 round after defeating Sunderland at the stadium of light

For the record, if we do beat you, I'm going to be abusing my mod powers in some way on your profile...

There are so many teams that look capable of something this season and simply not enough places for them to find that success. Is this potentially the most competitive top 14 in history?
In no particular order other than within 2(ish) positions of how I think each club will finish

Man Utd
Liverpool
Chelsea
Man City
Arsenal
Swansea
Crystal Palace
Tottenham
Leicester
Stoke
Everton
West Ham
Aston Villa
Southampton

Leaving a traditional
Bottom 6 relegation battle for:
Watford
Newcastle
West Brom
Norwich
Bournmouth
Sunderland

If any big clubs lose points to those in the bottom 6, the season could be really tough, as you'd expect that proposed top 14 to be able to take points from each other more freely. I might even be being harsh on Newcastle and Watford. But If I wasn't it would only be a bottom 4 battle!

I'd go as far as saying that there are 14 teams with a goal to get into Europe or the top 8 and that maths doesn't work for 6-8 clubs

This season could get really fucking messy for any club with ambition. Sunderland may actually be wise not even trying because it will be hell for clubs that just miss out on that brass ring.

So, who do you think will miss out? How do you see the final table? And can Sunderland achieve triple relegation by finishing 18th, 19th and 20th? Or is 19th too much of an ask for them (sorry Mackem)

Easy day for Rangers today, 4 - 1 up at half time away to Alloa.

I'm worried. We haven't got a good enough midfield to play 442 so we play 433 and play player out of position.

As good as Advocaat is, he can't save us this year. Apparently we were having crisis talks this morning after yesterday's defeat. String rumours dick will walk. Can't see it but can't see him lasting the season.

Defoe wants away. Sick of playing down the wing. Can't blame him. Look at wickham. Still can't believe we sold him without replacement lined up.

Kaboul and Coates I think will be ok when they jel, but kaboul is so unfit it's unreal. I think o'shea will be back in our next game - against Swansea. Cartermole heart in the right place but is way off. Larsson hasn't the legs anymore. I just don't know what's wrong with rodwell. I suggested to my mate that he could potentially make a good CB.

I do feel sorry for S'land. The squad has been toxic for a good few years and now you brought in Yann M'vila who can only make the atmosphere in the dressing room worse. http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/aug/14/dick-advocaat-yann-mvila-sunderland

If you have to plead with a player not to fuck up within a week it's pretty bad.

First two games of the season, two 1-0 wins, defence has been decent, positives are performances of Shaw and Darmian. Our attacking isn't as good as it can be. Rooney has been horrible so far. His performance verus Aston Villa was horrendous, any time the ball came to him he couldn't even control it. He isn't the player he was 2/3 years ago. There are times I think we should of sold him when we could but no one is going to pay his wages now.

Herrera needs to start for us more often, he makes our play so much better. Memphis has had some bright moments, particularly the chance v Villa when he should of scored but he's making the runs, so I'm confident he will get some goals. Schweinsteiger has been good too, not 100% apparently but when he comes on he controls the midfield so well. Villa were starting to get back into the game but when he came on he controlled the midfield so well. Such a good player, glad we signed him. Schneiderlin has been good, quiet but effective, a great signing. Romero made some good saves v Spurs but wasn't really tested against Villa.

De Gea back in first team training. I would hope that someone points out to him that if Madrid really want him they could just buy him for the asking price.

Thomas Muller has apparently said he wants to sign too. That would be some signing

I heard de gea will play in the champions league qualifiers. That would put Madrid right off imo. Can see them just waitng until next summer or even a half price bid in janruary.

Players who play in champions league qualifiers are not cup-tied for the group stages and beyond. Muller who be a fantastic signing but it won't ever happen. Bayern would never let another one of their top players to leave again this summer.

Sexton, Exeter have signed Joel Grant who played for Crewe a couple of years back, apparently. Should I be excited or distraught?

you're in league two, so probably excited. Hit and miss winger, but if the rest of your team is decent then that might work out well. It's been 4 or so years though.

Thinking real hard but he might have got about 10 goals one season in league 2, he was quite exciting for a time, but we switched to a 433 with Bell, Westwood and Murphy in the midfield, meaning 4 forward positions became 3 and Clayton Donaldson was just alot better and worked harder, Byron Moore was a bit better and worked harder and Shaun Miller was more natural in the middle and you guessed it, worked harder. Then we knew we had Powell and Clayton to come through so Grant wasn't really needed. Never did anything wrong, it just played out that way and we ended up better without him

Mack's, how worried were you?

I was worried. The worrying thing is we played our first team bar 2 players. Man City next round. Hopefully they play the wags!

Comes to something when our manager is saying he's disappointed we lost. Still, a good account of ourselves...

I think we're becoming Swansea's feeder club. Two good loans from them this season, including a highly rated left back who was pushing to get in their first team.

Our former coach, now at Liverpool, has sent us "Welsh Whizz" Harry Wilson too. Things are looking slightly more settled as far as talent in our team. We'll always struggle with the amount of inexperience, but it could be a bit more fun with these loans sorted.

Worth an inclusion on any accumulator to upset Wigan if we come out fast. Knowing our luck their 28 signings will have gelled by now though..

Advocaat first premier league manager out of a job.

Mack's, who's your choice to replace him?

Brendan Rogers

It's Allardyce Macks