2015/2016 Barclays Premier League Thread

[devo22]

Garry Monk is the new manager of Leeds. Obviously they aren't in the PL, but this stat regarding them and Jack Wilshere is simply too good to not share.

Telegraph Football ‏@TeleFootball
Leeds have had six managers since Jack Wilshere completed 90 minutes

wonder how long Monk's going to last.

[Locke]

Brilliant. This is a big part of what I love about lower-league sports. And just crazy enough that Zlatan might consider it.

Lowly German outfit SC Rot-Weiss Oberhausen has made a cheeky attempt to land Zlatan Ibrahimovic, although other clubs would struggle to match the incentives written into the contract.

The club has offered to create a monarchy in the city of Oberhausen with King Zlatan in its top seat, and has also included sweeteners such as having a stand at the Niederrheinstadion built by Ikea, the matchday cuisine being entirely Swedish, and having a local pilsner named in his honour.

At Manchester United, who appear to be the front-runners for the 34-year-old striker's signature, he would get a decent wage, but there are no reported promises of local brewery Marble Beers changing the name of its popular pour Manchester Bitter to Malmo Bitter, nor of a palace being hastily erected in Stretford.

Jose Mourinho will have to work overtime if he's to encourage Ibrahimovic to shun the overtures of Oberhausen.

http://www.thescore.com/bund/news/1037248

[Senator Clay Davis]

What a great gig Leeds is, sign a contract for like 2-3 years and get fully paid after 2-3 months. Easiest money any of them will ever earn.

[devo22]

I remember when they signed Darko Milanic out of the blue. Extremely average coach in Austria, no idea how they even found him and thought "that guy is great!". Obviously he made the move because it was an amazing financial opportunity. I believe he lasted 5 or 6 games. That Italian owner there is a really weird dude.

[afc wimbledon]

Originally Posted by Addick

If my parent hadn't left England, the original Dons would have been my local. Can only imagine what I would have been feeling this week.

Used to do first aid (st johns ambulance brigade cadets) at Plough Lane when they were southern premier league, can remember the great draws against Middlesborough and Leeds in the FA cup back in the seventies that propelled them into the then fourth division!!

They were a fairy tale team then, theyre a miracle now.

[Locke]

To no great surprise it looks like Giggs is peacing out. No shock really, I wouldnt want to work under Mourinho for 3 years after slugging it out under LvG.

[Addick]

Originally Posted by devo22

looks like Ronald Koeman is about to leave Southampton and become Evertons new manager. Money talks I guess.

Everton need to piss off. Koeman would be a great replacement for Wenger and their contracts expire simultaneously.

[devo22]

hell yeah.

"Talk about Jose Mourinho and you're talking about a winner," De Gea told MARCA. "Winning is United's, Jose's and my philosophy. We can make a great team and I welcome him."
[...]
"People talk a lot and they know little," the keeper continued. "I know how all this works, but what I think is disrespectful is when people start making out that it's something I have said. I've got three more years on my contract with United and the desire to win more titles here."

[cam_wmh]

Formal offer to Juve for Pogba made yesterday. That'd be a great bit of business.

https://www.theguardian.com/football...chester-united

[SuperMatt18]

Pogba is a star - would really hurt Juventus to lose him. Pirlo, Vidal, and Pogba in consecutive years - ouch.

[cam_wmh]

Is he Fergie's biggest mistake? Hard to argue against £60m

[Senator Clay Davis]

I doubt Pogba is actually going to United. United are just the team that every player gets linked to because every British rag uses them to drive pages views and clicks with so there being so many United fans. Last summer they got linked to pretty much everyone.

[devo22]

it's based on a Sun article. Not even worth the time.

[devo22]

meanwhile ESPN is linking United with Griezmann. Given that Mourinho rates him very highly, United have the need and Griezmann is known to be a big United fan, it makes for an easy rumour, to be fair. Also fairly straightforward because there's a release clause. I think there's zero chance that he leaves Atletico IF Simeone stays, but if Simeone leaves ... who knows. One can dream, right?

[nik-]

Well PSG is going to be talking with Simeone, so it could be true.

Not sure why PSG would even bother with Simeone tbh. They own that league and going full defensive seems a little radical. Big, splashy name I guess.

[devo22]

yeah seems a bit weird. Wasn't their downfall in the CL that they lined up way too defensively vs City? Bringing in an even bigger defensive coach seems weird. Plus I think Blanc has done fairly well there.

[d_phaneuf]

Originally Posted by devo22

hell yeah.

does Jorge Mendes implant the words right in to his head via some kind of chip? or did they just practice that beforehand

[nik-]

I don't know if that was their downfall as much as they just bully a weak league and aren't as good as the other deep CL teams. But to be honest, I didn't watch a whole lot of those two games.

[devo22]

Originally Posted by diane_phaneuf

does Jorge Mendes implant the words right in to his head via some kind of chip? or did they just practice that beforehand

I really don't care. Last year he didn't say a word all summer and we all knew what that meant. So the quotes in Marca are a great sign for United fans, no matter the circumstances behind them

[Bagor]

Originally Posted by diane_phaneuf

does Jorge Mendes implant the words right in to his head via some kind of chip? or did they just practice that beforehand

Does it matter? The message is still the same regardless if the tea lady scripted it for him. He's going nowhere.