''Soccer'' 2017-2018

[WestPhillyPunisher]

The Manchester Derby (City vs. United) is today. Even for a soccer novice like myself, I understand that's a big deal!

[Ken Ashcroft]

It's a big deal in that it's a derby between currently the top 2 teams in the PL table but some here would argue it's not even the biggest derby match being played today.

For me the biggest derby match of the season was a few weeks ago, when Arsenal annihilated Spurs. Others depended on where they live or support would say the biggest derbies in the U.K. are

Celtic vs Rangers
Newcastle vs Sunderland
Liverpool vs Everton
Aston Villa Vs Birmingham
Swansea vs Cardiff
Sheffield Utd vs Sheffield Wednesday

There's plenty more that I've missed but those are some of the most high profile ones.

[TheInvisibleMan]

The Manchester Derby (City vs. United) is today. Even for a soccer novice like myself, I understand that's a big deal!

pfft

the Merseyside Derby - Liverpool vs Everton - is where it's at

[John Ossie]

game is in Toronto - temp is going to be about 40 degrees Fahrenheit / 4 Celsius

I want to say Seattle....buuuuut Toronto has been a grinding team this season

Toronto, but only slightly

I bow to your superior knowledge of the MLS.

I was hoping West Ham would lose today but you can't win them all. I'm over the moon we got 3 points today. Bony has scored in consecutive games, clean sheet, and it's put us in touching distance with the teams above us. I can watch MOTD tonight and actually enjoy it!

Hope you enjoyed it Fluffy. Always nice when your team picks up an important win.

Yeah, West Ham winning was a real coupon buster but Palace should have won their game right at the end with the penalty. They will be kicking themselves for missing that. Those 2 dropped points could prove to be vital at the end of the season.

Today my predictions are

Southampton 1 Arsenal 2
Liverpool 3 Everton 2
Man Utd 1 Man City 1

Well, you got Arsenal's wrong LOL. Best thing Pellegrino has ever done for Liverpool, though to be fair when we signed him he was basically at the end of his career. Still, I'm happy with a 1-1 draw.

As for other predictions

Liverpool 3-1 Everton
Man City 2-0 Man Utd (I always predict United to lose of course LOL)

The Manchester Derby (City vs. United) is today. Even for a soccer novice like myself, I understand that's a big deal!

Meh. Maybe for them. In all seriousness though, it is one of the big ones.

pfft

the Merseyside Derby - Liverpool vs Everton - is where it's at

Of course.

[John Ossie]

Well, I suppose 1-1 isn't a bad result as Everton were always going to be up for it. Just a shame we couldn't score our second goal as that would've been enough, we certainly had enough chances to beat them even though they did get a rather...''soft'' penalty IMO (Course, I'm not biased or anything LOL)

Ah well, on the plus side we didn't lose and Salah got yet another goal for us, just a shame we let a lead slip and/or couldn't add to Salah's goal.

[Ken Ashcroft]

I'll be honest but after dropping 2 points against Southampton earlier in the day, I wasn't too unhappy that Everton got a equaliser against Liverpool. Even though it's not even half way into the season, I think that the fight for a top 4 finish will be so tight that every point will count.

As for Arsenal, we had got to stop these slow starts to the matches. Last week 2 early goals by Man U eventually did for us and it almost cost us another loss today when Soton scored in the 3rd minute. Luckily we managed to salvage something right at the end but we can't keep playing catchup early every match. It just throws your rhythm and gameplan right off before the games even settles down. I also think it may be time to give Giroud a proper run out in the starting lineup. Lacazette had done well in his first season here and is arguably our best finisher but he is still very dependent on the service that he gets and sometimes tends to drift out of games too much IMO. Giroud as well as having a pretty scoring touch himself, offers a bit more as a good link up man that can hold up the ball better and as a plan b target man.

[John Ossie]

I was going to ask you about Giroud after today's game actually, but I forgot so I'm glad you reminded me. I was wondering, do you think it'd be a good idea to start BOTH Lacazette and Giroud? Or just start one of them in the match?

Great weekend for Spurs fans, Liverpool, Chelsea AND Arsenal all dropping points whilst they won their game. And here I was ruling them out of the Champions League spot LOL, now they're only two points behind my team.

Also, the Ladies matches were all postponed apparently due to the weather, with the exception of Everton Ladies v Sunderland Ladies which ended 5-1 to the Everton Ladies. Apparently the Sunderland Ladies team are as good as their Men's team from what I've heard.

Also, Man Utd lost today so I'm pleased with that personally

[Ken Ashcroft]

I was going to ask you about Giroud after today's game actually, but I forgot so I'm glad you reminded me. I was wondering, do you think it'd be a good idea to start BOTH Lacazette and Giroud? Or just start one of them in the match?

Wenger this season seems intent on setting up with 3 centre backs and 2 wing backs, meaning that with 2 in central midfield and 2 out wide, usually Ozil and Sanchez, there can only be one frontman. The only time that we see 2 up front is when we are chasing the game with time running out. I don't see Wenger changing the system anytime soon so it will be one of Lacazette, Giroud or Welbeck up front. Like I said before, I would give Giroud a run of games now though with the amount of money that he paid for Lacazette, I'm not really surprised that Wenger sees him as the first choice. I do feel a bit sorry for Welbeck though. He's had terrible luck with injuries since joining us and though he's a natural central striker, whenever he comes on, he's always put out wide which doesn't suit him at all so he never gets to show what he can do and that affects his confidence and we all know that strikers thrive on confidence.

Btw I kinda pleased Utd lost as well and not only for personal preference reasons. I think Man City are more or less nailed on for the title so the more points they now take off the likes of the other CL contenders like Utd, Chelsea, Spurs and Liverpool, the better for the Arsenal.

[dzub]

Eh lukaku hasnt been useful in like my last 3 paychecks

[FluffySheep]

The Champions League draw is done. Pep will be pleased! Conte won't be!

Juventus v Tottenham
Basel v Manchester City
Porto v Liverpool
Sevilla v Manchester United
Real Madrid v PSG
Shakhtar Donetsk v Roma
Chelsea v Barcelona
Bayern Munich v Besiktas

[FluffySheep]

And the Europa League draw...

Borussia Dortmund v Atalanta
Nice v Lokomotov Moscow
Copenhagen v Atlético Madrid
Spartak Moscow v Athletic Bilbao
AEK Athens v Dynamo Kyiv
Celtic v Zenit St Petersburg
Napoli v RB Leipzig
Crvena Zvezda v CSKA Moscow
Lyon v Villarreal
Real Sociedad v Salzburg
Partizan Belgrade v Viktoria Plzen
Steaua Bucharest v Lazio
Ludogorets v Milan
Astana v Sporting
Ostersund v Arsenal
Marseille v Braga

[John Ossie]

Wenger this season seems intent on setting up with 3 centre backs and 2 wing backs, meaning that with 2 in central midfield and 2 out wide, usually Ozil and Sanchez, there can only be one frontman. The only time that we see 2 up front is when we are chasing the game with time running out. I don't see Wenger changing the system anytime soon so it will be one of Lacazette, Giroud or Welbeck up front. Like I said before, I would give Giroud a run of games now though with the amount of money that he paid for Lacazette, I'm not really surprised that Wenger sees him as the first choice. I do feel a bit sorry for Welbeck though. He's had terrible luck with injuries since joining us and though he's a natural central striker, whenever he comes on, he's always put out wide which doesn't suit him at all so he never gets to show what he can do and that affects his confidence and we all know that strikers thrive on confidence.

Btw I kinda pleased Utd lost as well and not only for personal preference reasons. I think Man City are more or less nailed on for the title so the more points they now take off the likes of the other CL contenders like Utd, Chelsea, Spurs and Liverpool, the better for the Arsenal.

Yeah, I'd forgotten about Welbeck LOL. I agree he's a decent striker who's had bad luck with injuries. And thanks for answering my question regarding Lacazette and Giroud.

As for the City result, well it's always a good thing when United lose IMO LOL.

The Champions League draw is done. Pep will be pleased! Conte won't be!

Juventus v Tottenham
Basel v Manchester City
Porto v Liverpool
Sevilla v Manchester United
Real Madrid v PSG
Shakhtar Donetsk v Roma
Chelsea v Barcelona
Bayern Munich v Besiktas

Good tie for Liverpool, Porto will be a decent test but at the same time I'm confident we'll get past them. Chelsea v Barcelona should be one of the ties of the round IMO, cracking tie for the neutral at least. Not as cracking as the Madrid v PSG tie of course, hell that's a final match right there. Good tie for City as you say Fluffy, decent test for United against Seville but sadly I can see them beating Seville but Seville are good enough to give me hope of knocking them out LOL.

Tough tie for Tottenham against Juventus as well.

And the Europa League draw...

Borussia Dortmund v Atalanta
Nice v Lokomotov Moscow
Copenhagen v Atlético Madrid
Spartak Moscow v Athletic Bilbao
AEK Athens v Dynamo Kyiv
Celtic v Zenit St Petersburg
Napoli v RB Leipzig
Crvena Zvezda v CSKA Moscow
Lyon v Villarreal
Real Sociedad v Salzburg
Partizan Belgrade v Viktoria Plzen
Steaua Bucharest v Lazio
Ludogorets v Milan
Astana v Sporting
Ostersund v Arsenal
Marseille v Braga

Good tie for Arsenal, they should get past Ostersund IMO. I don't see Celtic getting past St Petersburg. Tie of the round, on paper at least, looks like Lyon v Villareal.

[FluffySheep]

I fancy Liverpool, Utd and City to go through, and I think Spurs can squeeze past Juventus if they're at their best. I don't think Chelsea will get past Barca. Then like you say, Arsenal will go through, Celtic will go out.

[TheInvisibleMan]

I wanted Porto, so Im happy with that

I think we stick it in and break it off, Portos good - but they play in a league that really doesn't have any dominance aside from Benfica

[FluffySheep]

I'm hoping for Burnley, Watford and Chelsea wins tonight.