''Soccer'' 2017-2018

[FluffySheep]

And here's the Europa League draw...

Viktoria Plzen v Dinamo Zagreb
Club Brugge v Red Bull Salzburg
Rapid Vienna v Inter Milan
Slavia Prague v Genk
Krasnodar v Bayer Leverkusen
FC Zurich v Napoli
Malmo v Chelsea
Shakhtar Donetsk v Eintracht Frankfurt
Celtic v Valencia
Rennes v Real Betis
Olympiakos v Dinamo Kiev
Lazio v Sevilla
Fenerbache v Zenit St Petersburg
Sporting Lisbon v Villarreal
Bate Borisov v Arsenal
Galatasaray v Benfica

Celtic have got a tough draw. Chelsea and Arsenal should be fine.

[John Ossie]

Fair play to Liverpool. These are the sort of games that can cost a team the title but today they pushed through it and won. Christmas is always a test but hopefully they're still top come late January.

Fingers crossed obviously that we do. Ideally we'll have opened up a four point gap over City during that time period (preferably more than that but I'm being realistic LOL). But yeah it was a terrific result against United.

Well the Champions League draw has just been completed. Here it is...

Schalke v Man City
Atletico Madrid v Juventus
Man Utd v PSG
Tottenham v Borussia Dortmund
Lyon v Barcelona
Roma v Porto
Ajax v Real Madrid
Liverpool v Bayern Munich

What do you make of that John and DebkoX? Dortmund are flying and even though Bayern aren't doing that well this season, they're always good in Europe. Both winnable ties for Liverpool and Spurs though.

I'd expect City to get past Schalke, all due respect to Schalke but I'd say City are the favourites in that game and are obviously my pick to win. Atletico v Juventus is a mouthwatering tie IMO, with Atletico being my pick to win (barely), Utd have a tough tie against PSG they're a good team even if they do seem a bit inconsistent once they get out of the group stages but they have a chance if they actually turn up for work that is, having said that I pick PSG to win that (as if I'm ever going to pick United to win LOL).

Dortmund is a really, really tough tie for Spurs so they'll have to be at their best against them, speaking as a neutral though that's a great tie for the neutral, if I had to pick a winner however I'd say Dortmund. I'd expect Barcelona to get past Lyon, again all due respect to Lyon but Barcelona must be favourites in that tie and are clearly my pick LOL. Roma v Porto is probably the tie I'm least interested in and I'd say it's pretty much even, if I had to pick a winner I'd say Porto.

Ajax have a really difficult tie with Real Madrid and Real Madrid are my pick for that tie. And finally, my team against Bayern Munich. ****, that's a difficult game. I know Munich haven't been as good as previous years but still...ah well never mind LOL. I'll still pick us to win since I'm a die-hard Liverpool fan

That's my thoughts on the Champions League ties anyway, FluffySheep.

And here's the Europa League draw...

Viktoria Plzen v Dinamo Zagreb
Club Brugge v Red Bull Salzburg
Rapid Vienna v Inter Milan
Slavia Prague v Genk
Krasnodar v Bayer Leverkusen
FC Zurich v Napoli
Malmo v Chelsea
Shakhtar Donetsk v Eintracht Frankfurt
Celtic v Valencia
Rennes v Real Betis
Olympiakos v Dinamo Kiev
Lazio v Sevilla
Fenerbache v Zenit St Petersburg
Sporting Lisbon v Villarreal
Bate Borisov v Arsenal
Galatasaray v Benfica

Celtic have got a tough draw. Chelsea and Arsenal should be fine.

Yeah, Chelsea and Arsenal should be fine. Particularly Chelsea. Celtic, I'd be surprised if they went through if I'm honest. Only other tie I'd make any note of is Lazio's tie with Sevilla since Lucas plays for Lazio and that'll be a good tie. Then again Galatasaray and Benfica could be good as could Fenerbache v Zenit St Petersburg.

[FluffySheep]

Mourinho has gone! I wasn't expecting it this early but there we go. Zidane, Simeone and Pochettino are being linked. Seeing as it's cost Man Utd a reported £18m to sack Mourinho, they may go down the route of hiring Zidane, because he's on a free.

Makes you think how great it must be to be a top football manager. Mourinho has been given Christmas off, £18m in compensation (for failing) and will no doubt walk into another multi million pound job sometime in 2019. Why did I choose to go for a career in I.T.?

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Mourinho has gone! I wasn't expecting it this early but there we go. Zidane, Simeone and Pochettino are being linked. Seeing as it's cost Man Utd a reported £18m to sack Mourinho, they may go down the route of hiring Zidane, because he's on a free.

Makes you think how great it must be to be a top football manager. Mourinho has been given Christmas off, £18m in compensation (for failing) and will no doubt walk into another multi million pound job sometime in 2019. Why did I choose to go for a career in I.T.?

I know, right? How many teams in how many leagues has Rafa Benitez managed? Hell, he’s been just about everywhere except for MLS. As for Man U, it must be murder to follow in the Godzilla sized shadow of Sir Alex Ferguson, how many managers have they’ve been through since he retired? Four, including Mourinho? It can’t be easy.

[FluffySheep]

I know, right? How many teams in how many leagues has Rafa Benitez managed? Hell, he’s been just about everywhere except for MLS. As for Man U, it must be murder to follow in the Godzilla sized shadow of Sir Alex Ferguson, how many managers have they’ve been through since he retired? Four, including Mourinho? It can’t be easy.

Rafa has been sacked at Liverpool, Inter Milan and Real Madird, so no doubt he's had a hefty amount of compensation in his career!

I still think Fergie was very crafty/lucky to win the league in his last season at Man Utd. He had a fairly average squad compared to what he'd had in the past, so whoever took on the manager job after him was already inheriting a weaker team. If they try and get Pochettino, it'll certainly shake the Premiership up (and make DebkoX cry probably lol).

[DebkoX]

Rafa has been sacked at Liverpool, Inter Milan and Real Madird, so no doubt he's had a hefty amount of compensation in his career!

I still think Fergie was very crafty/lucky to win the league in his last season at Man Utd. He had a fairly average squad compared to what he'd had in the past, so whoever took on the manager job after him was already inheriting a weaker team. If they try and get Pochettino, it'll certainly shake the Premiership up (and make DebkoX cry probably lol).

- Wiping tears -

....

I'm just going to say this:

Poch is a superb coach, but he would fail at United and Madrid.

[FluffySheep]

Poch is a superb coach, but he would fail at United and Madrid.

But would he/could he turn them down if they come calling? Madrid is a much more attractive proposition for him at the moment. Man Utd need some serious work and he probably won't be getting Champions League football for at least a couple of seasons at Man Utd. Depends what his ambitions are I suppose. I don't know much about him.

[John Ossie]

Pocchettino is a young manager so he'd have time on his side if he did go to United as he'd still have plenty of years left to go to Madrid, plus as far as I'm aware Madrid still have a manager don't they? Also, I'm not so sure he'd ''fail'' at those clubs either but we'd have to wait and see on that I suppose.

Having said that, if Pocchettino DOES go to United than I do wonder DebkoX who you'd like to take over from him?

Also, can't say I'm sad to see Mourinho go especially since, as has been mentioned, he's getting quite a hefty sum of money for ''only'' winning a League Cup and Europa League in the 2 and a half years that he was there. Still, hopefully the next United boss will fail to bring United back to their glory days. And just think, it was losing to Liverpool at Anfield that broke the camel's back so to speak which makes that win all the sweeter still, I suppose I mustn't brag too much as I'm sure United will have a honeymoon period under whoever their new manager is.

In the meantime I'll be keeping my fingers crossed about Liverpool between now and the end of the season.

[John Ossie]

I know, right? How many teams in how many leagues has Rafa Benitez managed? Hell, he’s been just about everywhere except for MLS. As for Man U, it must be murder to follow in the Godzilla sized shadow of Sir Alex Ferguson, how many managers have they’ve been through since he retired? Four, including Mourinho? It can’t be easy.

Here is his C.V.

1993–1995 -Real Madrid B
1995–1996 - Real Valladolid
1996 - Osasuna
1997–1999 - Extremadura
2000–2001 - Tenerife
2001–2004 - Valencia
2004–2010 - Liverpool
2010 - Inter Milan
2012–2013 - Chelsea (interim)
2013–2015 - Napoli
2015–2016 - Real Madrid
2016– present Newcastle United

Honours Won

Valencia - La Liga: 2001–02, 2003–04, UEFA Cup: 2003–04
Liverpool - FA Cup: 2005–06, FA Community Shield: 2006, UEFA Champions League: 2004–05, UEFA Super Cup: 2005
Inter Milan - Supercoppa Italiana: 2010, FIFA Club World Cup: 2010
Chelsea - UEFA Europa League: 2012–13
Napoli - Coppa Italia: 2013–14, Supercoppa Italiana: 2014
Newcastle United - EFL Championship: 2016–17

Individual

La Liga Best Coach: 2002
UEFA Manager of the Year: 2003–04, 2004–05
European Coach of the Year—Alf Ramsey Award: 2005
LMA Special Merit Award: 2006
Premier League Manager of the Month: November 2005, December 2005, January 2007, October 2008, March 2009, April 2013, November 2018
EFL Championship Manager of the Month: October 2016

So he's certainly been around that's for sure and he hasn't done TOO badly as manager.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

I stand corrected. Rafa hasn’t managed in France or Germany, still, that’s quite a resume. Thanks for the info, John.

[John Ossie]

I stand corrected. Rafa hasn’t managed in France or Germany, still, that’s quite a resume. Thanks for the info, John.

Not a problem WestPhillyPunisher I'll always have a soft spot for him due to winning the Champions League in 2005 and the close title race in 2009 as well as the F.A. Cup win 2006. Ironically he's had a better career as a Coach than he did as a player from what I can tell. And there's still time for him to take a job in France or Germany I suppose.

[FluffySheep]

Not a problem WestPhillyPunisher I'll always have a soft spot for him due to winning the Champions League in 2005 and the close title race in 2009 as well as the F.A. Cup win 2006. Ironically he's had a better career as a Coach than he did as a player from what I can tell. And there's still time for him to take a job in France or Germany I suppose.

It's funny that there really aren't many great players who also became great managers. It's usually one or the other. Zidane is on the path for it though.

[John Ossie]

It's funny that there really aren't many great players who also became great managers. It's usually one or the other. Zidane is on the path for it though.

My guess would be because of the expectation levels associated with great players when they become managers. Whereas a player who wasn't great won't have as much pressure to succeed and has more time to develop even if they have a poor start. Whereas the likes of Henry and Gerrard would just be dismissed as failures if they don't have quick success as managers even though they're inexperienced at the moment.

Just my two pence anyhow LOL.

[DebkoX]

But would he/could he turn them down if they come calling? Madrid is a much more attractive proposition for him at the moment. Man Utd need some serious work and he probably won't be getting Champions League football for at least a couple of seasons at Man Utd. Depends what his ambitions are I suppose. I don't know much about him.

I can see him wanting to go. Problem is Levy doesn't back him financially. We can only go so far.

[DebkoX]

Magical Alli goal.