The Official 2016/17 Football/Soccer Thread

CeLLaR-DooR wrote: »

I got a lil stick earlier cah Utd don't have a women's team

It's a tight battle for the European places in the Premier League this season. Champions Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are already guaranteed of taking their places in the group stage draw, leaving two spots up for grabs.

Arsenal's victories over Southampton and Stoke City have put them right back in contention, after having looked out of it a month ago. So it could go right down to the wire between the Gunners, Liverpool and Manchester City. And Manchester United cannot yet be ruled out.

Goal difference and goals scored will, as usual, be used to split any teams who are level on points -- but the Premier League could see its first-ever playoff if two teams finish with identical records of points, goals scored and goals conceded.

We run through the permutations and what needs to happen for their to be a dramatic end-of-season playoff.

MAN CITY (3rd, 72 points)

City are the the box seat on 72 points, and due to their superior goal difference to Arsenal, they most probably need one more win from their games at home to West Bromwich Albion and away to Watford -- though they need four points to be completely mathematically certain.

LIVERPOOL (4th, 70 points)

Jurgen Klopp's men have suffered a wobble these past few weeks, winning only one of their past three games. A place in the Champions League should be done and dusted by now; instead they face the prospect of a nervy final week.

They go to West Ham on Sunday, knowing the Hammers already turned over Spurs in their last game at the London Stadium, and anything other than a victory will make Arsenal favourites to finish in the top four. It's in their own hands, though, and they have to win at West Ham and at home to relegated Middlesbrough on the last day, to be sure.

ARSENAL (5th, 69 points)

Seemingly destined for the Europa League a few weeks ago, Arsene Wenger might yet be managing in the Champions League again in September. With games still to come at home to Sunderland and Everton, they will be confident of taking six points. But they will also be relying on either Man City or Liverpool having a wobble. Or, as set out below, could they face Liverpool in an end-of-season playoff?

MAN UNITED (6th, 65 points, game in hand)

Jose Mourinho has almost certainly targeted the Europa League final against Ajax as his best chance of reaching the Champions League -- even though victory away at Spurs on Sunday would move them just a point behind Arsenal.

Rotation will be the name of the game for Mourinho now, so even with winnable games against Southampton and Crystal Palace to follow, few would bet on them picking up the victories they need -- especially as they would need two of the teams above them to slip up.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE PLAYOFF

Manchester City's big win over Crystal Palace could prove important, with that 5-0 victory ensuring they now have the best goal difference of the teams in the hunt for the Champions League. City have +34, with Liverpool and Arsenal on +29 and Manchester United +24.

It looks like Arsenal and Liverpool have the greatest chance of facing a playoff, most probably for the qualifying round place in fourth.

At present Liverpool are one point better off than Arsenal, and they have the same goal difference -- Arsenal are one more goal on 72 to Liverpool's 71.

They could face a playoff if:

- Liverpool lose 1-0 at West Ham
- Arsenal beat Sunderland 2-0 in their game in hand
- Arsenal and Everton draw 1-1 on the final day, and Liverpool defeat Middlesbrough 4-1
- These results would leave the two clubs with 73 points, and goal difference of +30 (75 for, 44 against), thus possibly joint fourth.

There a lesser chance that Liverpool and Man City could finish level and face a playoff for the automatic place in the Champions League. One such way this could happen is:

- Manchester City draw their game in hand with West Bromwich Albion 1-1.
- Liverpool win their remaining games vs. West Ham and Middlesbrough 3-0.
- Manchester City beat Watford 4-3.
- These results would leave the two clubs with 76 points, and goal difference of +35 (77 for, 42 against).

United's vastly inferior goals scored, their total of 51 is 17 fewer than Arsenal as the next lowest scorers in contention, means there is realistically no chance of them being involved in the playoffs. They are guaranteed at least a place in next season's Europa League, while Everton are set to enter that competition in the third qualifying round by finishing seventh.

RELEGATION PLAYOFF

Hull would need to win one of their remaining games by around six goals, so the chances of there being a playoff with Swansea is now almost ruled out.


http://www.espnfc.us/blog/espn-fc-united-blog/68/post/3121812/champions-league-permutations-in-the-premier-league-and-possible-playoff

Torino President Urbano Cairo admits he “didn’t expect so many mistakes from Joe Hart," but has acknowledged that the England stopper "did some good things too.”

Hart arrived on loan from Manchester City in the summer, but has struggled to meet the high standard of goalkeeping in Serie A.




“Hart made a few mistakes, especially when coming out for the ball,” Cairo said. “He is an important goalkeeper. We probably didn’t expect so many mistakes from an England international… but he did some good things, too.”

The only positive for Hart after a disastrous season is that he's had it away from the eyes of the English media and football public. But it's been an error-strewn campaign and Hart will not have done remotely enough to convince Pep Guardiola that he's worthy of a Manchester City place next season.

The fact that Hart survived his nightmare European Championship with his England place intact was a bit of a surprise, but he'll do well to hold on to that No. 1 jersey if his displays continue to deteriorate at the current rate.

Valentinez A. Kaiser wrote: »

Crystal Palace vs Hull tomorrow is so big, I urge you all to watch it!

Kick-off 12pm (GMT)

A Palace win and Hull are relegated

A draw and Palace are safe, Hull are effectively relegated mathematically, but it will come down to the last day Swansea losing heavily and Hull having to win

For the neutral who don't give a ? about any of these teams, then you'll want a Hull win tomorrow which would mean:

16. Palace 38pts
17. Swansea 38 pts
18. Hull 37 pts [currently in relegation zone]

Goal difference isn't tight so realistically scorelines don't matter only results

Valentinez A. Kaiser wrote: »

Valentinez A. Kaiser wrote: »

Crystal Palace vs Hull tomorrow is so big, I urge you all to watch it!

Kick-off 12pm (GMT)

A Palace win and Hull are relegated

A draw and Palace are safe, Hull are effectively relegated mathematically, but it will come down to the last day Swansea losing heavily and Hull having to win

For the neutral who don't give a ? about any of these teams, then you'll want a Hull win tomorrow which would mean:

16. Palace 38pts
17. Swansea 38 pts
18. Hull 37 pts [currently in relegation zone]

Goal difference isn't tight so realistically scorelines don't matter only results

1 nil Palace........Zaha!

Valentinez A. Kaiser wrote: »

Thibaut Courtois has reiterated his desire to stay at Chelsea, ruling out a summer move to Real Madrid.
The Belgian goalkeeper has enjoyed a fantastic season at Stamford Bridge, helping Antonio Conte’s side storm to the Premier League title.


Courtois is said to have emerged as a target for Real, with Zinedine Zidane on the look-out for a new first-choice stopper.
However, when asked whether he expected to stay at Chelsea, the 25-year-old said: ‘Yes, of course. I am committed to Chelsea.’


Read more: http://metro.co.uk/2017/05/14/chelsea-goalkeeper-thibaut-courtois-responds-to-real-madrid-transfer-links-6636105/#ixzz4h34hUald

In other words De Gea is a done deal and I gotta look committed to the Blues!