*Official* English Football Season 2016-17

[flibbertyjibber]

Liverpool have accepted a £15m bid for Jordan Ibe from Bournemouth.

Thought he was the next big thing for them?

Could be a good deal for Bournemouth. Shows how stupid the money is in the league now though that a club like Bournemouth can spend that amount on an unproven player.

 

[Furball]

Dybala doesn't count as a better striker than Mandzukic? Had Morata last season too.

Juve will only ever be outsiders for the CL. 5th favourites at best and only competing in the 4th best league. I can understand why someone would prefer that to United, but others would pretty reasonably take the money in the PL while they wait out a move to one of the superclubs, and saying he'd be 'insane' to leave is way too strong.

They need a striker alonside Dybala (who's awesome). They've got an oustanding back 3, an amazing central midfield (Khedira, Pogba, Pjanic), Dybala, just need a really good striker to seal the deal.

Don't think they're outsiders at all. Finalists in 2015 and only have themselves to blame for not going one better last season. They're a seriously massive club, they maybe don't have the riches of the Premier League but I think Pogba would be daft to leave Juve for a Europa League side.

 

[Tangles]

I thought Pogbas dad was talking up Real as the preferred destination.

 

[Ikki]

Thought he was the next big thing for them?

Could be a good deal for Bournemouth. Shows how stupid the money is in the league now though that a club like Bournemouth can spend that amount on an unproven player.

Shows that Klopp didn't rate him and from last season neither did I. He was a brain-dead player. You can't know now if it's youth or that he's just a dumb ****, but I trust Klopp and think it's the latter.

 

[Uppercut]

Ibe was a decent prospect but his career is stagnating at Liverpool and £15m is a good price. Bournemouth tend to get a lot out of players so it'll be interesting to see what their plans are for him.

 

[Niall]

I thought Pogbas dad was talking up Real as the preferred destination.

I think so as well.

Man Utd would probably pay him and his agent more, but if Real really want they should get him unless he absolutely obsessed with money, and even then not as if Real Madrid won't pay him fortunes anyhow.

 

[Tangles]

I think so as well.

Man Utd would probably pay him and his agent more, but if Real really want they should get him unless he absolutely obsessed with money, and even then not as if Real Madrid won't pay him fortunes anyhow.

I forget the exact quote but the bit from his dad sounded more like a come and get me statement to Real.

 

[Cabinet96]

Replacing Pogba with Pjanic and making a €90-100m profit is amazing tbf. No reason to think Juve won't be even stronger next season.

Hearing rumours that Arsenal/Chelsea could fund Pogba to Madrid by signing Morata, which would be kind of funny.

 

[Furball]

I hope we don't sign Morata. Fails the 'better than Giroud' test quite comprehensively.

 

[GIMH]

Better than Giroud seems a stiff benchmark for potential signings by a club just promoted from the Scottish second tier

 

[Furball]

hardeharhar

 

[Cabinet96]

Would take someone being a worse goalscorer than Giroud if it meant we played better.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Klopp has signed a new long term contract extension. Presumably lasting until they finish 7th and he gets sacked.

 

[Uppercut]

Morata is 23. As sceptical as I am about him I'd be really surprised if he doesn't end up better than Giroud.

 

[sledger]

So would I. That said, I'd also be surprised if he ended up being a great deal better than him.

 

[Uppercut]

He has the enormous baseline advantage of being able to move faster than 2mph. I mean, his goal against Bayern was already something Giroud could never come close to matching.

 

[sledger]

Yeah, but you could say that about a bunch of players. Plenty that already play for Arsenal, come to think of it.

 

[Uppercut]

Yeah but Morata is fine at Giroud's traditional strengths too. Solid link-up, good in the air. Plus he occasionally dribbles past entire teams.

I'm definitely not one of Giroud's haters, nor am I a huge fan of Morata. But there's no point pretending that Giroud isn't incredibly limited in a way that Morata isn't. Can't press, can't counter. Realistically he's there to make breakthroughs in games you expect to dominate anyway.

 

[sledger]

Yeah but Morata is fine at Giroud's traditional strengths too. Solid link-up, good in the air. Plus he occasionally dribbles past entire teams.

I'm definitely not one of Giroud's haters, nor am I a huge fan of Morata. But there's no point pretending that Giroud isn't incredibly limited in a way that Morata isn't. Can't press, can't counter. Realistically he's there to make breakthroughs in games you expect to dominate anyway.

Yeah, fair enough. I don't really disagree, but I guess I still just don't rate Morata enough to think of him as ever having the potential to make a noticeably bigger contribution to a team like Arsenal than Giroud would.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Petr Čech has retired from international football.