2017/18 (Soccer) Football Thread

What I yet don't understand is Bentancur on the list - less than six months in Europe and having arrived after a poor season at Boca, being one the weak links there.
 
What I yet don't understand is Bentancur on the list - less than six months in Europe and having arrived after a poor season at Boca, being one the weak links there.
He's not even in the squad for tonight's game. Allegri likes him, but the only reason he's gotten the game-time he has so far this season is due to injuries to Pjanic, Marchisio and Khedira. Having a 20 year old the manager considers to be promising as your 5th choice CM isn't much of a weak link, in my opinion. The right-back situation is much more of a weak link for Juve's squad.
 
He's not even in the squad for tonight's game. Allegri likes him, but the only reason he's gotten the game-time he has so far this season is due to injuries to Pjanic, Marchisio and Khedira. Having a 20 year old the manager considers to be promising as your 5th choice CM isn't much of a weak link, in my opinion. The right-back situation is much more of a weak link for Juve's squad.
(I meant to say he was one of the weak links in Boca)

Pretty much everyone was begging that Bentancur left the starting eleven to put Barrios in his place. Which only happened when Bentancur was called up by Uruguay to the U20 World Cup.
 
looool Rudiger actually still playing for us. Good stuff from El Shaarawy and Perotti. And what is with Atletico? I don't watch La Liga but man they're in some bad form right now.
 

shade

be sharp, say nowt
is a Senior Staff Member Alumnusis a Smogon Discord Contributor Alumnus
well thats my accumulator down the toilet:

roma
man u
bayern
cska
atletico

fucking qarabag
 
We put 6 past a Conte-led team over 2 games and grabbed 4 points in that process. Where was this when he was with Juventus? Except now Atletico will actually destroy us because we like putting pressure on ourselves like that.
 
Can we have a moment here and talk about River's EPIC FAIL at the Copa Libertadores semifinals?



There were some incidents such as River not being awarded a penalty while being 2-0 up... but it doesn't excuse for everything else.
 

Mix

mahmood soldi
is a Past WCoP Champion
1. Manchester City. Surprise? Juventus
2. Which teams are the top favorites to win their respective leagues? Barcellona, Bayern Monaco, PSG, Manchester City, Benfica, Napoli
3. Messi, Modric. Casemiro, Varane
4. PSG
5. Neymar
 
Huddersfield > Man Utd > Spurs > Real Madrid, fact

Wake me up, before you go go who needs Bale when you've got Sissoko

Fair play though, in a group with Dortmund and Real Madrid and all but written off, Spurs are the first to qualify for the knockout rounds from that group.

 
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Ventura must've been the only one who applied for the job after Conte left to Chelsea. There's no reason this guy should still be around.

Also, Ciro Immobile?
 
Wenger thinks Wilshere is an offensive player, to my untrained eyes he looks like he should be an offensive player, but why do the last two England managers Southgate and Hodgeson and now big mouth Paul Merson insist he is a holding mid? Wilshere hates passing it long, loves to dribble past his man and can't tackle to save his life. I can't think of a player less suited to being a holding mid...
 

shade

be sharp, say nowt
is a Senior Staff Member Alumnusis a Smogon Discord Contributor Alumnus
honestly the worst part about jack wilshere being 'back' in the spotlight is you have to listen to blokes call him 'wiltshere' again
 
Italy needs to score but apparently their most in-form attackers in El Shaarawy and Insigne are unlikely to start.

You deserve to be knocked out, Italy.
 
So kind of like Italy, except Italy really doesn't have a lot of promising youth IMO. We've been lacking a reliable striker since who, Luca Toni? And even he wasn't that good.
Have to disagree on Immobile, he was good for that one season at Torino and that was it. But yeah, that's basically what I said about not having promising youth to rely on, with the exception of Donnarumma, who won't be getting the nod over Buffon any time soon.
Northern Ireland vs Switzerland
Croatia vs Greece
Denmark vs Ireland
Sweden vs Italy

Get bent, Italy
Someone tell me how I was wrong.
 
Where do I begin?
  • Ventura is trash and shouldn't have been hired in the first place
  • El Shaarawy should've started
  • Parolo, Gabbiadini, Jorginho, Darmian had no business in the starting XI
  • 3-5-2 when your game plan is to score??? Personally would've gone with a 3-4-3 with Belotti up front, El Shaarawy and Insigne by his sides
  • We lack a proper striker (see my previous posts), literally have had trouble scoring for over a decade
  • We have no young talent after the likes of Totti, Del Piero, Pirlo
... not having promising youth to rely on, with the exception of Donnarumma, who won't be getting the nod over Buffon any time soon.
Okay I was wrong there. Buffon and De Rossi retire from international football.
 
Italy's current international status is quite sad but this was bound to happen, the moment they started fielding foreign defenders... and defenders that are not good to begin with (such as Paletta, one of the worst defenders I saw at Boca)

Tiny fun fact: the last World Cup Italy had missed took place in... Sweden.
 
Chiellini and Barzagli are done too. No Euro or World Cup for us for at least 40 years lmao.

The future just isn't very bright for Italy right now (and has been a problem for 6 years). I get that FIGC wants to appoint Italian managers, but there aren't many (if any) good ones out there. Some of these guys on the roster don't deserve to be there, let alone play (I'm still talking about Gabbiadini and Parolo). Pellegrini is right there if you need someone to play some through balls, Insigne and El Shaarawy are there for your pace and creativity, but hey, let's stick with Darmian, Gabbiadini and Parolo, right? Not to mention Ciro Immobile over Belotti.
 

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