Premier League Thread

West Ham will be in the first qualifying round, starting 2nd July. I bet Sam is laughing about that.

 

Me too, but what's the difference in value at today's rate?

 

Third qualifying round looks a bit more competitive than I had assumed!

I haven't followed much European football this season, but based on that link - and on a quick look at some of the European tables & cup finals - I make it that the round will include:

ENGLAND - Liverpool or Southampton
FRANCE - St Etienne & Marseille or Auxerre
GERMANY - Dortmund or Schalke
ITALY - Sampdoria or Inter Milan
SPAIN - Villarreal or Ath Bilbao (& Sevilla if they don't win the EL later this week)

Should we get there ahead of Liverpool, then we could be screwed if we're not seeded! Of the 58 sides who play, 33 of them will have come from the second qualifying round. Given that I understand that each club's UEFA ranking is not simply based on what they have done in Europe their last five seasons (which for us obviously includes zero European football), but is partly based on how well all teams from their country have done in Europe over that time, that might just about be enough to get us seeded, maybe?

 

Pochettino to Real.

 

That would be novel
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/32877349

 

Looks like we will be seeded (should we make it). Hull were a seeded team in the third qualifying round this season, and Swansea were a seeded team in the third qualifying round the season before that. In fact, Swansea and Wigan both even managed to just squeeze into pot two (out of four pots) in the group stage proper that year.

 

Mustn't count those chickens.....

 

I would seriously pee myself if that happened this summer.

Fat Sam to Spuds, anyone?

 

What makes me laugh is that Real think they are going to significantly improve on Ancelotti. I mean, who out there is distinctly better and available, or who can be made available.? In the absurd and highly unlikely event of them joining the Premier league, they'd go through at least a dozen managers per season.!

Correct me if I'm wrong, but haven't they once sacked a manager before even though he won the Champions League for them.?

 

Yes they did. Del Bosque

 

Think it was the season after he won it. He was sacked just after they won the league though.

 

Fat Sam to change his surname to Allardici and replace Ancelotti on Real's bench.

 

http://www1.skysports.com/football/...ague-201415-season-best-individual-statistics

Stats for the season. Loving the interceptions, tackles, aerial duels won and clean sheets. Particularly enjoyed the errors leading to shots but not so much the clear chances missed

 

That was jupp heynkes wasn't it? Bayern did the same to him a couple of years ago

 

Think the comment below the stats is quite pertinent.

 

I thought he was always retiring at the end of that season.

The main one with Madrid was Del Bosque who was sacked after winning the champions league.

 

Jupp was sacked by real after winning the 98 cl final. The club cited a lack of domestic success.

He announced he was gonna retire when bayern said he was gonna be replaced by pep at seasons end regardless of titles. He went on to win cl again that year.

 

Ok thanks. I stand corrected. Also read Al's comment about Del Bosque too... I think I got that wrong too

 

Poor old Forster...Joe Hart took the Golden Gloves with one clean sheet more than Frasier. FF would have stormed it if he'd stayed fit.

 

Will have to beat him next year then !