Consigliere Posted May 16, 2018 Share Posted May 16, 2018 Atleti put in a better performance in the 2nd half and managed the game very well. Deserved winners. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jordan La Cabra Posted May 16, 2018 Share Posted May 16, 2018 It was nice to see El Niño lift a major trophy with his boyhood club. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Consigliere Posted May 16, 2018 Share Posted May 16, 2018 In his last season with the club too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jordan La Cabra Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 Chelsea's hunt for a new manager dealt a blow, as Napoli have held talks with Sarri over a new deal. My first choices would have been Simeone or Allegri, both of whom are unrealistic targets, though. I wasn't overly keen on the idea of Sarri initially, but I've accepted that we are unlikely to even compete for the title every single season as we used to, so it would be nice to be entertained by the football we play, at least. For that reason, the idea of Sarri getting the job has grown on me, but it looks like he might be staying at Napoli. Luis Enrique will probably emerge as favourite. Not totally sold on him. His wage demands will be high, and considering Chelsea will likely have to pay off Conte and his entire staff if he is sacked, Luis Enrique might end up pricing himself out of the Chelsea job, should he want it. A wild card - an unlikely one, at that - would be Zidane, for me. He may not be known as a master tactician, but he seems to deal with dressing rooms well, which is a particular problem at Chelsea. Ancelotti did well at Chelsea, by managing the players and letting them express themselves on the pitch. To be fair to Ancelotti, he wasn't sacked because the team were doing terribly or because he had 'lost the dressing room'; he was sacked because we didn't retain the title in a period that the title was between Chelsea and Man United. The landscape has changed a lot since then, with more teams competing for the title, so you'd imagine Abramovich wouldn't have sacked Ancelotti if it was in 2018. Like Allegri and Simeone, though, I don't see Zidane as a realistic target. http://www.skysports.com/football/news/12962/11375385/maurizio-sarri-in-talks-over-new-napoli-deal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ljkeane Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 I don’t know why Jardim seems to have fallen off everyone’s radar. I’d have thought he’d be perfect for Arsenal and maybe worth a look for Chelsea now they’re having to adjust to some new economic realities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jordan La Cabra Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 1 hour ago, ljkeane said: I don’t know why Jardim seems to have fallen off everyone’s radar. I’d have thought he’d be perfect for Arsenal and maybe worth a look for Chelsea now they’re having to adjust to some new economic realities. I've said before that I thought Jardim seemed to be the perfect fit for Arsenal. Given that they are restructuring their managerial system, though, I no longer feel he would suit. Seems like they want more of a head coach, with managerial duties that once belonged to Wenger now being handed over to other figures. With that in mind, it makes sense that they seem to be favouring Arteta. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Antony Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 Pep extends with City through 2021 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philokles Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 France squad: Goalkeepers: Hugo Lloris (Tottenham Hotspur), Steve Mandanda (Marseille), Alphonse Areola (PSG) Defenders: Djibril Sidibé (AS Monaco), Benjamin Pavard (VfB Stuttgart), Raphaël Varane (Real Madrid), Presnel Kimpembe (PSG), Adil Rami (Marseille), Samuel Umtiti (FC Barcelona), Lucas Hernandez (Atletico Madrid), Benjamin Mendy (Manchester City) Midfielders: Paul Pogba (Manchester United), N’Golo Kanté (Chelsea FC), Corentin Tolisso (Bayern Munich), Blaise Matuidi (Juventus), Steven N’Zonzi (Sevilla), Thomas Lemar (AS Monaco) Attackers: Kylian Mbappé (PSG), Olivier Giroud (Chelsea FC), Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid), Ousmane Dembélé (FC Barcelona), Nabil Fékir (Lyon), Florian Thauvin (Marseille) Adil Rami being there is pretty funny, especially when five other players are natural CBs. Lemar lucky given his poor season when Martial, Rabiot, Lacazette, Coman and Payet are absent - though the latter two struggling with injury. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polishgenius Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 1 hour ago, Horse of Kent said: Lemar lucky given his poor season when Martial, Rabiot, Lacazette, Coman and Payet are absent - though the latter two struggling with injury. Isn't that basically because he's a more versatile player whereas pretty much everyone else you named apart from Payet is a winger/forward of a mostly similar type already somewhat represented in the squad by Mbappe, Dembele and Griezmann? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Consigliere Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 France are so stacked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philokles Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 29 minutes ago, polishgenius said: Isn't that basically because he's a more versatile player whereas pretty much everyone else you named apart from Payet is a winger/forward of a mostly similar type already somewhat represented in the squad by Mbappe, Dembele and Griezmann? I guess so. I’m not sure they need that extra cover at wide forward so would have gone with Rabiot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winterfell is Burning Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 I don't know what Thauvin, despite his good season, adds that you need to have Martial and Rabiot off the team. Meanwhile, Portugal announced it's 23-man roster: Goalkeepers: Anthony Lopes (Lyon), Beto (Goztepe), Rui Patricio (Sporting Lisbon). Defenders: Bruno Alves (Rangers), Cedric Soares (Southampton), Jose Fonte (Dalian Yifang), Mario Rui (Napoli), Pepe (Besiktas), Raphael Guerreiro (Borussia Dortmund), Ricardo Pereira (Porto), Ruben Dias (Benfica). Midfielders: Adrien Silva (Leicester), Bruno Fernandes (Sporting Lisbon), Joao Mario (West Ham), Joao Moutinho (Monaco), Manuel Fernandes (Lokomotiv), William Carvalho (Sporting Lisbon). Forwards: Andre Silva (AC Milan), Bernardo Silva (Manchester City), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Gelson Martins (Sporting Lisbon), Goncalo Guedes (Valencia), Ricardo Quaresma (Besiktas). No Semedo, Nani or André Gomes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iskaral Pust Posted May 18, 2018 Author Share Posted May 18, 2018 That French team looks exciting. And the quality of the players who missed out just shows their incredible depth. England were struggling to even name some credible back-ups to their 23. GK could be an awkward situation. Lloris has started to decline. Germany have terStegen to replace Neuer, Spain have DeGea, Italy have Donnarumma. A top GK can make the difference against against the best teams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daemon the Leaner Posted May 18, 2018 Share Posted May 18, 2018 12 hours ago, Consigliere said: France are so stacked. We aren't. Our only realistic options as striker are a 19yrs old prospect (a very talented one, I reckon), and Olivier Giroud. In fairness, I don't know who of them is going to be the starter, I am not even sure that Deschamps does. Giroud has a great record with the national team (though not against big opponents) and has a great relationship with Griezmann, so... I guess our starting striker during World Cup is going to be a Chelsea substitute. @Iskaral Pustjust brought up how it matters to have a top class GK in such a huge tournament. But I think it's even more important to have at least one top quality striker. Look, Brazil have Firmino & Jesus, Portugal have Cristiano, Argentina have Aguero & Icardi, Germany have Werner & Muller... So, as I see it, we are much less stacked than, say, Argentina or Brazil are, especially with forwards. And what about our fullbacks ? Should Sidibé or Mendy be concerned with injury or suspension, we are screwed. That being said, we still have a solid squad in midfield and central defence lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spockydog Posted May 18, 2018 Share Posted May 18, 2018 Holy fucking shit. Michel Platini has just admitted to fixing the 1998 World Cup in order to ensure a France v Brazil final. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Consigliere Posted May 18, 2018 Share Posted May 18, 2018 2 hours ago, Warm-hands said: We aren't. Our only realistic options as striker are a 19yrs old prospect (a very talented one, I reckon), and Olivier Giroud. In fairness, I don't know who of them is going to be the starter, I am not even sure that Deschamps does. Giroud has a great record with the national team (though not against big opponents) and has a great relationship with Griezmann, so... I guess our starting striker during World Cup is going to be a Chelsea substitute. @Iskaral Pustjust brought up how it matters to have a top class GK in such a huge tournament. But I think it's even more important to have at least one top quality striker. Look, Brazil have Firmino & Jesus, Portugal have Cristiano, Argentina have Aguero & Icardi, Germany have Werner & Muller... So, as I see it, we are much less stacked than, say, Argentina or Brazil are, especially with forwards. And what about our fullbacks ? Should Sidibé or Mendy be concerned with injury or suspension, we are screwed. That being said, we still have a solid squad in midfield and central defence lol. Now, now. Stop trying to downplay it. I seem to remember France winning the WC without a top quality CF. And it's a bit unfair to refer to Giroud as a Chelsea substitute. If anything, Conte seems to prefer him to Morata plus as you say, him and Griezmann have a good understanding. So Giroud up top with Griezmann in behind or Griezmann up top with Fekir in behind, Thavin, Dembele, Mbappe, Lemar on the flanks and Kante/Pogba midfield. And you still have the likes of Tolisso, Matuidi and N'Zonzi. Mbappe can go up top as well. That's a pretty potent combination of players that stands up to anything in world football. I agree in part with your fullback situation - the RB position is thin. Lucas Hernandez however is a great backup for Mendy. He's been excellent for Atleti this season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Antony Posted May 18, 2018 Share Posted May 18, 2018 Griezmann isn’t a striker but I could easily see him getting the WC golden boot. Can hardly complain about fire power up top for France. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mormont Posted May 18, 2018 Share Posted May 18, 2018 30 minutes ago, Spockydog said: Holy fucking shit. Michel Platini has just admitted to fixing the 1998 World Cup in order to ensure a France v Brazil final. Hmm. The extent of the 'fix' appears to be that France were placed in Group C. That's it. That did not 'ensure' a France/Brazil final, it only meant they wouldn't play each other in earlier knockout rounds. Both teams still had to actually qualify for the final. As scandals go, this is strictly low-grade. 26 minutes ago, Consigliere said: I agree in part with your fullback situation - the RB position is thin. Lucas Hernandez however is a great backup for Mendy. He's been excellent for Atleti this season. Am I misremembering, or has N'Zonzi not played at right-back? He's not a specialist but few teams take two specialist right-backs (England this year being an exception). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spockydog Posted May 18, 2018 Share Posted May 18, 2018 13 minutes ago, mormont said: Hmm. The extent of the 'fix' appears to be that France were placed in Group C. That's it. And you're alright with that? They fixed the fucking draw for the World Cup, man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mormont Posted May 18, 2018 Share Posted May 18, 2018 3 minutes ago, Spockydog said: And you're alright with that? They fixed the fucking draw for the World Cup, man. As I said, it's a pretty low-grade scandal. Famously, England fixed the draw in '66. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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