2016/17 English Premier League/ Champion's League season

[bobbubka]

^ For me he's the difference. Does the job of two men in the middle. Luiz has been brilliant also, flip of a coin for my player of the season so far between those two.... and I'm a West Ham STH, so have no love for the blues.


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[nffclsr]

^ For me he's the difference. Does the job of two men in the middle. Luiz has been brilliant also, flip of a coin for my player of the season so far between those two.... and I'm a West Ham STH, so have no love for the blues.


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Great to see a Hammers supporter on here, a great traditional working man's club who teach players to play football on the grass.

How are you liking the new stadium? The club sure got a great deal on the renovation and rent.

I really regret never traveling to Upton Park to see a match. I take old grounds for granted as my Reds (Nottingham Forest) have been in the same place since 1898, but the old grounds are becoming rare indeed these days.

How is Antonio settling in down there? When he played for us I was sure he'd be an England player once he moved up a division, but for some reason that hasn't happened yet. I can't think of another English winger who scares defenders as much as he does when he runs at them.

 

[RealPretendPsychic]

My basketball and hockey teams are struggling and supporting the Philadelphia Union and USM/WNT just isn't enough soccer for me, so I'm looking for an EPL team to support. There's no clear front runner at the moment, but I'm doing some searches on club history and fan base to point me in the right direction (I'm a Philadelphia fan so I don't scare off easy). Big decisions...

 

[nffclsr]

My basketball and hockey teams are struggling and supporting the Philadelphia Union and USM/WNT just isn't enough soccer for me, so I'm looking for an EPL team to support. There's no clear front runner at the moment, but I'm doing some searches on club history and fan base to point me in the right direction (I'm a Philadelphia fan so I don't scare off easy). Big decisions...

That is a tough call. In my experience, supporting a football club usually comes from life experiences like having a family member introduce you to a club, or living in the proximity of a club. My Dad is a Nottingham forest supporter, and as far back as I can recall I have been too. I love my football club, I mean I REALLY love it even though it is usually a painful relationship. I can honestly say though, when a match is being played in our stadium that there is no other place I would rather be. I have paid a small fortune to support my club, and traveled tens of thousands of miles, and I will continue to do so until my last breath.

I find people who don't have that influence in their lives often go the so called "glory hunter" route, supporting the popular or successful teams of the time as that is what they are most exposed to in the media. Occasionally, I have heard of people who support say Man U for a few seasons because that is what they see on TV, but as they get more into the depths of the game they sometimes find appreciation for other clubs and switch allegiances. There is nothing wrong with that no matter what some supporters may say.

My advice, if you are going to be a casual supporter, pick a big club in the top 5 or 6 of the league, as that is what you will see the most of on the TV. However, if you are planning to travel to see some games you might not always be able to get tickets to some of the bigger clubs fixtures. But, if you are going to support a club for life, take your time, check out their history, get a feel for what their fans expect and appreciate about their club, try to go to a few games if possible and see if it feels right.

Let us know what club you decide on.

 

[bobbubka]

Great to see a Hammers supporter on here, a great traditional working man's club who teach players to play football on the grass.

How are you liking the new stadium? The club sure got a great deal on the renovation and rent.

I really regret never traveling to Upton Park to see a match. I take old grounds for granted as my Reds (Nottingham Forest) have been in the same place since 1898, but the old grounds are becoming rare indeed these days.

How is Antonio settling in down there? When he played for us I was sure he'd be an England player once he moved up a division, but for some reason that hasn't happened yet. I can't think of another English winger who scares defenders as much as he does when he runs at them.

The old grounds are the best, no question about it. You can feel the history the minute you enter the turnstiles.

I was a STH at UP for many years and, as a result, I am struggling with the OS. It's a wonderful arena, but simply not a football stadium. The distance from the pitch is a problem, but having said that the sight lines are excellent and the noise can really crank up. Eventually I will get used to it. It's not perfect, but I'd watch WH on the village green if I had to.

The press haven't helped the situation either. There has been trouble, but it's been blown out of proportion I believe. The last season at the Boleyn got so much positive attention also, that the move was always going to be difficult.

Antonio is a good player. His strength and pace are frightening and the work rate is second to none. His touch and positioning isn't the best at times, but in the air there are few better. He's very versatile as well. I'd say he deserves a chance in the England line up at some point. He's been linked with Chelsea for a while now, not sure where he gets a game there, but that would secure the England spot for him.

Forest are a proper club and deserve to be back in the top tier. Problem is, you could say that for half the championship these days - tough, tough league.


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[nffclsr]

Unbelievable, rumors have been twirling around for weeks, but I still can't believe Leicester have got rid of Ranieri.

 

[beginish]

Unbelievable, rumors have been twirling around for weeks, but I still can't believe Leicester have got rid of Ranieri.

Sadly, if they were going to stay up in the PL, they had no choice. Whatever he was doing didn't work. The players should be ashamed of themselves.

As a Philadelphia fan myself I found myself in a similar situation. Though I nominally call myself a Liverpool fan, I am not committed. I enjoy watching whatever game is on at the time. I do try to gauge which teams make me cringe when a goal is scored against them as an indicator of a team I want to see win. There are only a few of those: Liverpool, Arsenal, ManU, Spurs and ...... Bournemouth. Go figure. I know for sure I don't care about Man City, and Chelsea is always winning, so I don't have too many cringe-inducing moments from them.

 

[G-Dogg]

As a Leicester fan, my head is spinning with all that has been going on of late! My overwhelming feeling is of great sadness for Claudio Ranieri, who is a gentleman, and who deserved better treatment than this. My head understands why the owners have acted as they have, but my heart says that he should at least have been given the chance to depart with more dignity. Sacking him so soon after a statement of unwavering support is crass, and does nothing for the credibility of the owners. Until now, the owners have enjoyed strong support from the fans, whom they have treated with the greatest of respect - buying beers, food, T-shirts and the like, and generally behaving impeccably towards them. While a lot of fans would recognise that things couldn't continue as they were, Ranieri was at the helm for our greatest ever achievement, one that I never in my wildest dreams thought I would live to see. If he had to go, I wish it could have been done with more dignity for him, for example allowing him to step down, or perhaps moving him to a director of football role at the club, for which he has a genuine affection, and which is fully reciprocated. I thought my club had more class than they've shown over the last few days, and that saddens me beyond words.

That said, Ranieri has made many poor decisions this season. He has bought unwisely, most notably in failing to secure decent centre backs. His team selections and tactics have often been incomprehensible, and he's guilty of showing too much loyalty to players for what they did last season, but who have been in poor form this year.

But the players must take their share of the blame as well. With the exceptions of Kasper Schmeichel and Deme Gray, they're shadows of who they were last season. Mahrez has been peripheral; Huth uncertain; Morgan an inept liability; Vardy has been feeding off scraps, but hasn't shown that killer instinct. Kante's departure was a huge loss, but it's too easy to say that's the sole reason. Maybe last season went to their heads and the same hunger isn't there; maybe we didn't realise that other teams now know how better to play us by dropping back more, and we've been unable to adapt. Even when Leicester were flirting with the drop a couple of seasons ago, they were still playing well, and together as a team; and when the luck finally turned our way, we managed the Great Escape. But for the first time in years, we have looked clueless and disorganised. We thoroughly deserve to be where we are in the league and I suppose one can only hope that being in the bottom three will at last shake some life into the team.

Nothing surprises me any more, and who would bet against Leicester winning the Champions' League and getting relegated in the same season? The atmosphere at the KP for tomorrow's match against Liverpool will be, well, interesting!

Addio Maestro Ranieri - ci mancherai tantissimo.

 

[beginish]

Liverpool has done nothing to effectively compete for my dedicated affections. Now Spurs....that's a fun team to watch.

 

[nffclsr]

As a Leicester fan, my head is spinning with all that has been going on of late! My overwhelming feeling is of great sadness for Claudio Ranieri, who is a gentleman, and who deserved better treatment than this. My head understands why the owners have acted as they have, but my heart says that he should at least have been given the chance to depart with more dignity. Sacking him so soon after a statement of unwavering support is crass, and does nothing for the credibility of the owners. Until now, the owners have enjoyed strong support from the fans, whom they have treated with the greatest of respect - buying beers, food, T-shirts and the like, and generally behaving impeccably towards them. While a lot of fans would recognise that things couldn't continue as they were, Ranieri was at the helm for our greatest ever achievement, one that I never in my wildest dreams thought I would live to see. If he had to go, I wish it could have been done with more dignity for him, for example allowing him to step down, or perhaps moving him to a director of football role at the club, for which he has a genuine affection, and which is fully reciprocated. I thought my club had more class than they've shown over the last few days, and that saddens me beyond words.

That said, Ranieri has made many poor decisions this season. He has bought unwisely, most notably in failing to secure decent centre backs. His team selections and tactics have often been incomprehensible, and he's guilty of showing too much loyalty to players for what they did last season, but who have been in poor form this year.

But the players must take their share of the blame as well. With the exceptions of Kasper Schmeichel and Deme Gray, they're shadows of who they were last season. Mahrez has been peripheral; Huth uncertain; Morgan an inept liability; Vardy has been feeding off scraps, but hasn't shown that killer instinct. Kante's departure was a huge loss, but it's too easy to say that's the sole reason. Maybe last season went to their heads and the same hunger isn't there; maybe we didn't realise that other teams now know how better to play us by dropping back more, and we've been unable to adapt. Even when Leicester were flirting with the drop a couple of seasons ago, they were still playing well, and together as a team; and when the luck finally turned our way, we managed the Great Escape. But for the first time in years, we have looked clueless and disorganised. We thoroughly deserve to be where we are in the league and I suppose one can only hope that being in the bottom three will at last shake some life into the team.

Nothing surprises me any more, and who would bet against Leicester winning the Champions' League and getting relegated in the same season? The atmosphere at the KP for tomorrow's match against Liverpool will be, well, interesting!

Addio Maestro Ranieri - ci mancherai tantissimo.

I'm very pleased to see the Foxes have an upturn of form, especially beating Liverpool. I love it when these so called "unfashionable backwater" clubs from the midlands stuff Liverpool.

The way they have come together over the past two matches now makes me think they will survive in the top flight (before that I thought they looked doomed), however the next match against high flying Seville could be a real test. Seville have the 2nd best current form in La Liga right now.

Newspapers are saying Seville might just be tired, as the high tempo style they play, combined with fixtures, might be taking it's tole on them. Seville's match on the 11th is still on as far as I know, whereas Leicester's match against Arsenal on the 11th was postponed.

I also think Sevillemight have one eye on their next fixture against Athletico Madrid which could play to the Foxes favour.

Either way, yes even as a lifelong Nottingham Forest supporter, I will be cheering on the Foxes both in their European adventures and in their Premiership struggles.

 

[beginish]

Over the last 2 weeks, the table seems to be shaking out a bit. I'm hard-pressed to see how Sunderland does not get relegated. They're not as bad as Villa was last year, but the teams around and just above them and shifted into a higher gear these last couple of weeks. Leicester clearly have stepped up their game, as have Swansea (Paul Clement has been such a breath of fresh air for them). Allardyce's reputation as the guy to pull teams out of relegation will probably save Palace as well. Boro just doesn't score, and I can't see Hull really pulling out of it enough to catch Palace, all things being equal.

Spurs really are impressing me right now, as Kane has shifted into high gear. Almost all of the teams at the top have these dominating forward mid-fielders who consistently put their teams in a position to score (Chelsea-Hazard, Spurs-Eriksen, City-Silva, ManU-Pogba). I think Arsenal's problem is that Özil has really dropped off in the last year, and for Liverpool, Coutinho is that guy, but his injuries really cramped the team's style.

 

[G-Dogg]

Right from the first minute against Liverpool, Leicester were playing with the confidence and team spirit that they've rarely shown this season. I think Shakespeare will get the job until the end of the season, and that gives me hope that we will pull away from the relegation zone.

I can't see Sunderland or Middlesbrough surviving on their current form, and the last relegation place would come down to Palace or Hull.

Spurs are a great team to watch at the moment. Chelsea are unlikely to slip up this season, though.

 

[beginish]

Spurs are a great team to watch at the moment. Chelsea are unlikely to slip up this season, though.

Chelsea have looked super consistent, and I can't see anyone catching them, especially since they don't have Europa or Champions League distractions to wear them down, physically.

 

[G-Dogg]

Blimey, Leicester are the only British club left in the Champions League after that memorable win over Sevilla. I never thought I'd find myself writing that! Atlético Madrid is not a bad draw at all and we are definitely in with a chance.

Air tickets and hotel in Madrid already booked...

 

[nffclsr]

Blimey, Leicester are the only British club left in the Champions League after that memorable win over Sevilla. I never thought I'd find myself writing that! Atlético Madrid is not a bad draw at all and we are definitely in with a chance.

Air tickets and hotel in Madrid already booked...

I couldn't believe they beat Sevilla! I think they have the Great Dane's son to thank for that one (and perhaps the fixture makers in Spain, oh and of course Nasri).

Enjoy the trip to Madrid, keep you ticket stub and program forever, trust me on that. NEVER give them away!

I have to say I am very impressed with Leicester's form since shipping out everyone's favorite old Grandfather. It's shocking how much happier the team seems to be on match days.

Chances against Madrid? Well, I'm not so sure, but I've said that too many times about Leicester (as I'm sure most people have done over the last year or so). But once again the fixtures are kind to Leicester, 4 days before their first leg tie, Atletico take on Real so they will be a little weary after that.

Looking at the squads, Atletico's French forwards will give Morgan and Huth the run around, Griezmann and Gameiro are so fluid and mobile. I think Atletico's midfield is better too, Saul, Koke and Carrasco are all fine players.

However, and this is a big one, their defenders are getting old, Godin, Juanfran and Felipe Luis are all 31 or older so if Vardy and Okazaki (no spring chickens themselves these days) can play like they have been, then there is a very good chance of goals.

Just maybe, maybe, Atletico was a good draw for the Foxes.

I hope they make England proud!

 

[chaturvedi11]

And Manchester United are the only English club in Europa now. Hope we win the Europa, clearly the favorites compared to other teams.

 

[beginish]

And just like that, Leicester is in good shape to be top 10. It really was a Ranieri problem. Spurs pulled out a nice one today, but they really miss Kane.

 

[chaturvedi11]

Well kudos to Chelsea for winning the title , but i just fail to understand how United keep on drawing their matches!!

 

[Rotato]

West Brom really are having a cracker of a season, great to see the club doing so well without HUGE money!

 

[beginish]

I still can't get over the draw that Bournemouth pulled off at Anfield yesterday. Josh King is quietly putting together a nice season up front.