The Mighty Football Thread - Page 617

demonrail666 · 07.17.2019, 07:50 AM

Sebastian Haller confirmed to West Ham from Eintracht Frankfurt. I can't pretend to have known about him before but everything I'm hearing is he's a big improvement on Arnie and by all accounts even Maxi Gomez. Pessimism is my default position when it comes to all things West Ham but even I can't deny that our squad looks serious this season and I wouldn't be surprised if there's another big signing to come, especially if Diop goes to Man U.

------------------------------Fabianski
Fredericks-Diop (or Ogbonna/Reid if he's sold)-Balbuena-Masuaku
---------------------------Rice-Fornals
----------------Antonio-Lanzini/Wilshire-Anderson
------------------------------Haller

Top 6 is out of the question but I see no reason why that team shouldn't consider 7th place a realistic target .

_tunic_ · 07.17.2019, 08:26 AM

Haller played in Utrecht before Frankfurt and was very well liked by their supporters. Can't say if he will be an improvement over Arnie, which one? Schwarzenegger?

Utrecht will still get about 4 million euros for the transfer. Don't know if he's worth that much money, he's still not playing for the French national team as far as I know.

demonrail666 · 07.17.2019, 09:23 AM

West Ham's position means they'll always pay over the odds for players with any kind of reputation. That's just how it is.

He scored 19 goals in 27 appearances last season for Frankfurt and is supposedly a good team player with more to his game than just finishing. He can't squeeze past Mbappe or Griezmann but those are players on a different level altogether. West Ham are currently a mid-table team at best with aspirations to become a consistent 7th-8th placed one. Haller's at least at that level by the sound of things.

choc e-Claire · 07.17.2019, 03:29 PM

They had the draw for the Asian qualifiers for the 2022 WC yesterday, and it's amazing.

Australia v Jordan again, Iran v Iraq, Saudi Arabia/Palestine in the same group, Group E looking more like a cricket league than a football one, the massive derby of Group G, and North v South Korea in the same group...

!@#$%! · 07.17.2019, 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by choc e-Claire

They had the draw for the Asian qualifiers for the 2022 WC yesterday, and it's amazing.

Australia v Jordan again, Iran v Iraq, Saudi Arabia/Palestine in the same group, Group E looking more like a cricket league than a football one, the massive derby of Group G, and North v South Korea in the same group...

by amazing you mean... comedy gold? you know, the cosmic type?

!@#$%! · 07.17.2019, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by demonrail666

Haller's at least at that level by the sound of things.

i wish i had some juicy intel for you re:haller, but the prem sucked me into its bubble and i have only very vague recollections of having seen frankfurt play once, or was it maybe twice... drawing a blank really. sorry.

choc e-Claire · 07.17.2019, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by !@#$%!

by amazing you mean... comedy gold? you know, the cosmic type?

The AFC is the best confederation, because this is just the second round. There's a whole second group stage after this!

!@#$%! · 07.17.2019, 04:45 PM

hahaha!

would rep if i could

choc e-Claire · 07.17.2019, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by choc e-Claire

The AFC is the best confederation

Honestly, the more research I do the truer this gets. I just found out about the 2018 South Asian Football Federation Championship - won by the Maldives(!) after they reached the knockout stage on a coin toss(!!!).

(Doing my research for some football stats projects.)

choc e-Claire · 07.17.2019, 10:17 PM

Quote:

During the first match of [the 2015 SAFF Championship], both Sri Lanka and Nepal were wearing the same dark red jersey in the first half before Nepal changed into their blue second-kit for the second half.

This is amazing.

h8kurdt · 07.19.2019, 01:21 PM

Some comedy gold from Everton's favourite terrible player

demonrail666 · 07.19.2019, 04:07 PM

Oh dear, lol.

So how do you see Everton doing this season? Surprised you haven't picked up a striker yet.

h8kurdt · 07.20.2019, 02:38 AM

Hmm, I'm the same as you. Cautiously optimistic but ground down after years of slightly above average, or frankly terrible seasons. I'd like us (them) get to a final at least. Been a while since there's a been a good cup run and think that's gonna be the main way to measure success given the closed off group in the top 6.

demonrail666 · 07.20.2019, 04:57 AM

Yeah, I think top 6 still picks itself (with the possible exception of Chelsea - minus Hazard, in the middle of a transfer embargo and with the random factor of a new and unproven manager) but there's a pack of teams below them where I'd put West Ham and Everton, along with Leicester and Watford that I see having their own little contest around the top half of mid-table. Be interesting to see if Wolves can be part of that too, or if they fall away (especially as they have to straddle League and Europe this time), and you usually get one newly promoted team having a stormer. I see that battle from 7th to around 11th being really tight again.

_tunic_ · 07.20.2019, 05:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by h8kurdt

I'd like us (them) get to a final at least.

how about the relegation playoff finals?

(sorry, couldn't resist. Don't mind me, I don't know what I'm talking about)

on a sidenote: our Dutch Women's goalie will be heading off to Atletico Madrid

demonrail666 · 07.20.2019, 05:21 AM

There's no relegation play-offs in the prem.

!@#$%! · 07.20.2019, 09:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by demonrail666

There's no relegation play-offs in the prem.

the carabobo final then

demonrail666 · 07.21.2019, 02:56 AM

A Carabou cup would be nice but an FA Cup would be the real prize, and one that's always possible, even if your season's not going that well in the league. But priority for West Ham has to be solidifying upper-mid-table status. Anything after that is a bonus.

_tunic_ · 07.21.2019, 03:25 AM

Oh my god. I just ruined my Sunday morning and gave myself a headache trying to understand via Wikipedia the difference between FA and EFL, EFL Cup and EFL Trophy and FA Cup, etc etc etc.
and I didn't sleep well last night, so even reading English is difficult. Finally I decided I'm just going to ignore English football for a full year

The prize money for EFL Cup is insane: "League Cup winners receive £100,000 prize money (awarded by the Football League) with the runners-up receiving £50,000"
You can't buy any reasonable good player from that money.

_tunic_ · 07.25.2019, 05:39 AM

De Ligt made his debut yesterday for Juve in a friendly match against Intel Milan, and scored an own goal after 10 minutes

This is what press wrote:

Quote:

De Ligt also hurts Juventus in the shirt of 'The Old Lady'

A déjà vu for Matthijs de Ligt during the exhibition match with Internazionale.
Just like in the quarterfinals of the Champions League, the defender scored from
a corner against Juventus. However, since his move to Turin, that means an own goal.

07.17.2019, 07:50 AM	#12321
demonrail666 invito al cielo Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 18,510	Sebastian Haller confirmed to West Ham from Eintracht Frankfurt. I can't pretend to have known about him before but everything I'm hearing is he's a big improvement on Arnie and by all accounts even Maxi Gomez. Pessimism is my default position when it comes to all things West Ham but even I can't deny that our squad looks serious this season and I wouldn't be surprised if there's another big signing to come, especially if Diop goes to Man U. ------------------------------Fabianski Fredericks-Diop (or Ogbonna/Reid if he's sold)-Balbuena-Masuaku ---------------------------Rice-Fornals ----------------Antonio-Lanzini/Wilshire-Anderson ------------------------------Haller Top 6 is out of the question but I see no reason why that team shouldn't consider 7th place a realistic target .
	\|QUOTE AND REPLY\|

07.17.2019, 08:26 AM	#12322
_tunic_ invito al cielo Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: I could live in eurHope Posts: 3,936	Haller played in Utrecht before Frankfurt and was very well liked by their supporters. Can't say if he will be an improvement over Arnie, which one? Schwarzenegger? Utrecht will still get about 4 million euros for the transfer. Don't know if he's worth that much money, he's still not playing for the French national team as far as I know. __________________ what comes first, the music or the words?
	\|QUOTE AND REPLY\|

07.17.2019, 09:23 AM	#12323
demonrail666 invito al cielo Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 18,510	West Ham's position means they'll always pay over the odds for players with any kind of reputation. That's just how it is. He scored 19 goals in 27 appearances last season for Frankfurt and is supposedly a good team player with more to his game than just finishing. He can't squeeze past Mbappe or Griezmann but those are players on a different level altogether. West Ham are currently a mid-table team at best with aspirations to become a consistent 7th-8th placed one. Haller's at least at that level by the sound of things.
	\|QUOTE AND REPLY\|

07.17.2019, 03:29 PM	#12324
choc e-Claire expwy. to yr skull Join Date: Oct 2018 Location: Victoria, Australia Posts: 2,460	They had the draw for the Asian qualifiers for the 2022 WC yesterday, and it's amazing. Australia v Jordan again, Iran v Iraq, Saudi Arabia/Palestine in the same group, Group E looking more like a cricket league than a football one, the massive derby of Group G, and North v South Korea in the same group... __________________ Making myself up as I go along. Check out my music-themed blog, 79:57.
	\|QUOTE AND REPLY\|

07.17.2019, 04:45 PM	#12328
!@#$%! invito al cielo Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: mars attacks Posts: 42,546	hahaha! would rep if i could
	\|QUOTE AND REPLY\|

07.19.2019, 01:21 PM	#12331
h8kurdt invito al cielo Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: In Mulder's Basement room Posts: 5,459	Some comedy gold from Everton's favourite terrible player __________________ Down with this sort of thing.
	\|QUOTE AND REPLY\|

07.19.2019, 04:07 PM	#12332
demonrail666 invito al cielo Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 18,510	Oh dear, lol. So how do you see Everton doing this season? Surprised you haven't picked up a striker yet.
	\|QUOTE AND REPLY\|

07.20.2019, 02:38 AM	#12333
h8kurdt invito al cielo Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: In Mulder's Basement room Posts: 5,459	Hmm, I'm the same as you. Cautiously optimistic but ground down after years of slightly above average, or frankly terrible seasons. I'd like us (them) get to a final at least. Been a while since there's a been a good cup run and think that's gonna be the main way to measure success given the closed off group in the top 6. __________________ Down with this sort of thing.
	\|QUOTE AND REPLY\|

07.20.2019, 04:57 AM	#12334
demonrail666 invito al cielo Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 18,510	Yeah, I think top 6 still picks itself (with the possible exception of Chelsea - minus Hazard, in the middle of a transfer embargo and with the random factor of a new and unproven manager) but there's a pack of teams below them where I'd put West Ham and Everton, along with Leicester and Watford that I see having their own little contest around the top half of mid-table. Be interesting to see if Wolves can be part of that too, or if they fall away (especially as they have to straddle League and Europe this time), and you usually get one newly promoted team having a stormer. I see that battle from 7th to around 11th being really tight again.
	\|QUOTE AND REPLY\|

07.20.2019, 05:21 AM	#12336
demonrail666 invito al cielo Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 18,510	There's no relegation play-offs in the prem.
	\|QUOTE AND REPLY\|

07.21.2019, 02:56 AM	#12338
demonrail666 invito al cielo Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 18,510	A Carabou cup would be nice but an FA Cup would be the real prize, and one that's always possible, even if your season's not going that well in the league. But priority for West Ham has to be solidifying upper-mid-table status. Anything after that is a bonus.
	\|QUOTE AND REPLY\|

07.21.2019, 03:25 AM	#12339
_tunic_ invito al cielo Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: I could live in eurHope Posts: 3,936	Oh my god. I just ruined my Sunday morning and gave myself a headache trying to understand via Wikipedia the difference between FA and EFL, EFL Cup and EFL Trophy and FA Cup, etc etc etc. and I didn't sleep well last night, so even reading English is difficult. Finally I decided I'm just going to ignore English football for a full year The prize money for EFL Cup is insane: "League Cup winners receive £100,000 prize money (awarded by the Football League) with the runners-up receiving £50,000" You can't buy any reasonable good player from that money. __________________ what comes first, the music or the words?
	\|QUOTE AND REPLY\|