Men's Soccer (Football) Thread [Archived] Soccer • Page 79

If Leicester don't win, it'll be such a sad day (excepting the team who does win and their fans). Sometimes, you just really want a story line like this to make it to the end.

 

Don't get how Tottenham winning isn't a huge fun underdog story to neutrals/fans of not the big/main couple clubs. And we're actually entertaining to watch.

 

Tottenham has been top six since I started watching EPL, so it's not like they haven't been in the conversation all these seasons. Leicester pulled the bottom at Christmas miracle escape just last season.

 

It's not really a fair comparison. Two years ago, Leicester wasn't even in the Premier League.

 

Not really comparing. Just positing that both are good stories.

 

Promotion => barely escaping relegation => champions is obviously a good story

coach fired due to huge scandal involving team members racially abusing prostitutes => hire Ranieri => maybe win title with a racist top-scorer?

sorry not a fairy tale to me

Tottenham has never seriously been in the title conversation any of those years except for the first third (maybe half at most) of one of the Bale years.

 

I can agree with that. I think it also has a lot to do with the Vardy story and the history he made earlier this season. Really set the tone.

Until next year, when the cherries go all the way.

 

Suarez is gonna wear a shirt bringing awareness to PKU and a book that is funding research for it during the next game, already expecting the fine from La Liga. Apparently a young fan has it and he broke down crying talking about it today. Nice to see a different side of him.

 

Yeah, I post in the college football thread on occasion, but Texas A&M isn't a topic that comes into play very often in the soccer thread I suppose.

But I guess my job as an Aggie is to be as obnoxious about it as possible.......SO GIG 'EM EVERYBODY

 

Please help Johnny, @Jeff

 

According to Bild, Bayern are in negotiations to sign Hummels for €30 million.

 

God I hate Bayern. What's even the point of the Bundesliga if they can just buy the best players of every other team.

Being a Bayern fan is pointless.

 

Haha. Tennessee comes to your place this season in the middle of our trap section of the schedule. I think it's the first non bowl game between the two schools, so that's cool.

 

@gonz (Alex) Haha he's literally the first thing people ask about when they find out I go to A&M. He could have stayed here two more years and there'd be statues being erected. He's tarnished his reputation even amongst the cult-like following here....


@Garrett L. It'll be nice to play someone in orange again. My expectations are the lowest they've been in years though. Two straight 5-0 starts followed by complete collapses.....I can't do it anymore

 

@Jeff I hope the game goes like the last time we played y'all. It's fun to see the hype slowly creep back into Rocky Top. It's been a rough decade. Totally get your emotions.

 

#Huskers #GoBigRed #GBR

 

i don't particularly want spurs to win the league, but this x100000

i don't want to see that scumbag vardy winning anything

 

Leicester's winning the champions league next year

 

That's why it's the Bayernliga :p

 

For the people that have actually watched intently this season, is Leicester in position to maintain success?

Do they have the depth to handle CL next year? Will they have the finances to continue to improve? Will City come in and pay obscene fees to poach their best players? Etc.

 

They might get to the knockout stage if they keep most of their players. Not much more besides that. Probably stay in the league for the time being too.

 

I'm not up to date on their academy or financials but they are in a good spot to keep the sustained success with the current squad. Key players, quality manager, a lot of heart. But the chatter about selling high on Vardy, Mahrez, and Kante has been going all season. Will be interesting to see if they cash in and how they would retool.

 

In order:

Maybe, no, yes, probably.

The answer to the first is dependant on the other three of course.

Right now, they don't have depth. Their success is based on having a consistent 11 which has great unity and spirit and knows each others strengths and weaknesses. Rotation and fatigue through midweek games will serverly hamper them as beyond their first 11, the squad is mostly rather average. Players on their bench aren't up to it, and with more success comes more games and fatigue, meaning they'll need to finally change their team around regularly. Their style of play also won't help as they have little possession and play on the break quickly, both things that contribute heavily to fatigue within games (Arsenal used to have teams "die" in the final 10 minutes due to their possession wearing teams down).

However, the second part comes in here. Leicester have relatively new owners who said three years ago after a takeover: "Our aim is Champions League in five years." They were laughed at, but clearly are being proven correct. They basically broke fair play rules to get promoted, which is shady, and have since been able to pay the wages of players like Cambiasso and Inler, who are way above the paygrade of most other clubs their level. If the owners money & the new TV money is spent wisely, they could maybe expand the squad enough to at the least compete respectably on all three fronts. The lure of CL football will help for sure but would you choose City or Leicester as a player? The struggle they will have is competing for the top quality names with more established and respected clubs, so will have to hope the story is enough to make players want to join their "revolution".

Where that might fall down is the final question, as It seems many clubs will bid for their players. Kante is linked to City, Bayern, Utd, Real, PSG and Arsenal. Mahrez is linked to Arsenal, Liverpool, Utd, Chelsea, Real, Atletico, Bayern and Barca. Those are just two examples. And yes, you can argue "why would they leave", but ultimately, it's a bigger draw to play for Man Utd than Leicester.

I see them losing both the mentioned players, but spending well and ending up finishing top 7 somewhere (I think it's hard to know yet but I'd imagine Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Man City, Man Utd and Spurs will be the others) next season and establishing themselves as a middle-top PL club like Everton.

 

Even with a lack of depth, the Inler signing was a waste. He has barely played then again I don't think anyone was expecting Kante and Drinkwater to play well.

I don't think Vardy has long term success. They should try to cap on him. Mahrez is a talent, though.

Like you said, they'll settle in mid table eventually.

 

@SamLevi11 , brill post!