A 2015/16 Football Thread

Yes, a football thread – but I know there are some on here who like the sport of cheese-rolling and falling over dramatically!

So which team will be testing your patience, causing you stress and general disappointment this coming season?

Derby County for me – new untried manager, big money signings (for us!) and possibly more to come, and big expectations to go with it.

We bottled it last season, so I think we’d need to be 20pts clear at the top by Feb to avoid the same fate!

West Ham fan here, but have fallen out of love with the big money and big expense of the PL so have a season ticket at the Valley to see Charlton where I go with my 6 year old daughter and 85 year old grandad. Its more for the excuse to get together than the football, but the Under 11 season tickets being free helps.

West Ham, can’t believe they got rid of Big Sam with such an important season ahead of the big move this year. Saw them play Charlton in pre season and they looked uninspired, strikers are all getting injured, ‘distraction’of european football, it has all the ingredients of an awful season with the manager out by christmas. Fixtures have been kind though, with Leicester and Bournmouth to play early on so maybe points there will keep Bilic in a job for a while longer.

Charlton, They let a few go in the summer, but kept the important players. Signed a few that no one has ever heard of….as most do in that division. Keeper is out injured and it looks like the ridiculously error prone reserve keeper is going to be given a couple of months in goal rather than any sort of loan cover. In the pre season game against the hammers I thought they were brilliant, actually have a proper target man upfront to pair with one of the 2 4ft strikers we had last year. Fixtures have been very unkind, with an awful start to the season on paper at least, I’m looking forward to it. QPR on Saturday

Well it looks like there’s only two of us! 😀

‘ammers fan.

Europe we coulda done without.
Desperately seeking a striker.
Huge ask for the manager.

Leeds fan, actually have hopes of a potential push for promotion this year (if the manager isn’t sacked five games in as Cellino is likely to do). It won’t be easy and I don’t expect to be champions but I do think the squad is looking good enough to be up there with a chance.

Arsenal fan here. Starting the season optimistic (again) hoping that by the time the 2016 Road Race Season starts in earnest – think Paris Nice – we’ll still be fighting for silverwear.

As steve-g says, my 30 years of supporting the Arse is now confined to tv only. The cash in my pocket will be going to Burton Albion who will be comfortable in league 1. looking for a top half of the table finish.

Luton Town here. Season ticket holder through all the ups and downs of recent years… A number of decent signings over the summer so fingers crossed for a push on to League One.

Another Leeds fan here.

A weird summer – no huge influx of foreign rubbish from the Italian 3rd tier and with Adam Pearson coming in, everything seems to be a bit more planning for the longer term. We’ve signed some good, youngish british players whilst keeping all of the better players from the last few seasons.

Rosler seems to know what he’s doing with with the cushion of Pearson between him and Cellino, should be left to just do his job.

For the first time since Grayson’s days I’m feeling optimistic especially given that this time last year we had Dave Hockaday in charge!!

Preston north end for me, looking forward to being back in the championship this season. No real big signings this summer apart from a couple of payers we had on loan last year.
Happy with a mid table finish, as Simon Grayson’s past record in this league is patchy.
Home to Middlesbrough on Sunday, but ill miss it, as riding the ard rock.

Liverpool, going into the season with massive optimism as always… mostly found being disappointed in the end. But it’s a great journey.

Another Arsenal fan here. More optimistic than in previous years, but frustrated that we’re only 2 players or so off a genuine title challenge and we’ve got the money to address that, but dson’t. I’ll wait until the window shuts, but don’t hold out much hope.

I’ll go and see Stevenage this year too, as they’re local to me and Teddy Sheringham is now in charge.

Liverpool, going into the season with massive optimism as always… mostly found being disappointed in the end. But it’s a great journey.

You say that weeksy but I’ve looked at Liverpool’s signings this summer and thought that they must, surely, be title contenders this season. I’d say they’ve now got one of the strongest teams in the league – now we see whether Rogers is capable of getting the best out of it otherwise he’ll be gone pretty sharpish I’d imagine.

You say that weeksy but I’ve looked at Liverpool’s signings this summer and thought that they must, surely, be title contenders this season. I’d say they’ve now got one of the strongest teams in the league – now we see whether Rogers is capable of getting the best out of it otherwise he’ll be gone pretty sharpish I’d imagine.

Having not seen much of Firminio I’m not really sure what to expect from him, obviously he’s very highly regarded though.

Benteke I think with passes from Lallana and Cout will be a complete weapon and score 25+. Ings, I’m not so sure, along with Origi. But if Benteke and possibly sturridge can get firing, they’ll certainly cause defences some problems.

the biggest potential weakness is CM, Hendo seems to drift in and out of games too often and too easily… but IMO if he can get Emre Can playing in the middle regularly then I think Liverpool can make top 4.

I don’t believe they’re contenders though due to a slightly flakey defence.

I hope I’m wrong of course… but not sure.

Leeds again. Cautiously optimistic provided Pearson can keep Cellino’s fingers out of the pie.

Grayson’s previous form in this division isn’t that bad considering how hamstrung he was by Bates’ constant selling of the best players without adequately replacing them.

Also looking out for Guiseley in the conference and Bratfud in league 1. Valley Parade is going to be busy this season, 18k season tickets sold… Quite impressive for third tier

Spurs for me. Watched them in Denver last week and some of the newer guys looked alright, but there was still the indecision in front of goal that has typified them recently. Hoping for 4th expecting top 10.

Also Spurs. Like some above, largely disenchanted/bored/not bothered with football these days, but I’d like to see Spurs play a youth side in the dreaded Europe cup. They might make fourth if the new defenders settle in quickly, I don’t think goals will be a problem. I’d take a gamble on moving Chadli to a more forward role to assist Kane.

United have improved their 1st team, as have arsenal with Cech, so far city and chelsea have only improved their squads, I suspect city still have a couple of big deals to do. Losing De Gea will cost united points, but the rest of the team may gain them more.

I think Liverpool will be 5th, they have bought better this season and improved the team rather than taking a punt on squad players with potential.

Arsenal are being overrated by the pundits IMO, and city underrated. Still chelsea to win it, and city 2nd depending on business to be done. United and Aresenel need one last years top 2 to under perform to take their position, and liverpool need one of the 4 to under perform to break into that group.

The interesting stuff will probably be the fight for the top half, can southampton dnd swansea keep up their good work.

Swans fan here.
Excellent season last year but don’t think we’ll match it this year – finish 10-11th is my prediction.
Toughest start imaginable away at Chelsea later so we’ll be bottom at 7.15 tonight!
Top 4 as last year – prob same order too.
Villa, Sunderland to go down with Watford.

The top four will remain unchanged, but the order might change. I still can’t see past Chelski winning it, but they’ll be run a lot closer, probably by Arsenal. Cech is the buy of the season, and if he manages to Marshall the usually wobbly defence in front of him, then Jose could really rue that decision.

An improvement on 4th for us would be progress, but that probably means 3rd. Midfield now looks tasty, but Rooney as a lone striker? Hmmmmmmm. And it looks like De Gea is gone. Let’s see if the rumoured big name striker appears. I can’t see where they’d come from. Depay might get the goals to make the difference, if he settles quickly

City will challenge properly. Aguero as the leagues top scorer, if he stays fit

I’ve just had a punt on Arsenal to win it, on the vague chance they don’t ‘do an Arsenal’ as per usual, post christmas. I note the injury list has started already. Oh well.

The surprise package will be Stoke, who I reckon could finish 5th. Spurs 6th due to the Harry Kane show. Liverpool will be 7th at best, at least 15 – 20 points behind Chelski

Bournmouth will be this seasons Burnley. Everyone’s second team. They’ll give it a proper go, play good attacking football, but ultimately be doomed.

Oh…. and Villa to infuriate me for yet another season by being utterly crap, boring , and guaranteed ‘last match shown on MOTD’ every week, yet somehow managing to avoid relegation, yet again. I wish they’d just **** off to the championship where they belong, never to darken the premiership again with their spirit-crushingly dull, shouting at the telly provoking anti-football

Everton fan here. Mixed feelings about our summer. I’m obviously happy to have kept Stones and McCarthy, but at the same time we could have rebuilt the squad with those funds. Deulofeu and Cleverly should be good additions but squad has nowhere near enough depth so I fear a couple of injuries could land us straight into a relegation battle.

I expected Mirallas to leave, looked as though he was losing interest last season but he is one of the best players when on form, so hopefully the new contract means he is committed.

I’m looking forward to this season, Arsenal, Man Utd and Liverpool all looking much stronger, Chelsea not done much and if Aguero stays fit City should have plenty of goals in them. The next 10 teams could all realistically aim for 6th this season.

If anyone’s into having a flutter on the footy (I know some on here do) , then all the online bookies are doing daft offers for the start of the season. £30 in free bets for a £10 stake on Paddy Power.

I’ve used one of my free £10 bets on Stoke starting the season as they finished the last one, by turning over Liverpool at the Brittania tomorrow. I’ve also had a hopelessly optimistic one on Swansea to beat Chelsea today. Very unlikely (8 – 1), but stranger things have happened, and it’s free money, so why not? 😀

Celtic, we’ve just made hard work of getting by azerbijani teams in the CL qualifiers! Malmo up next for a place in the CL or it’s the Europa league if we can’t get by them. I’m fairly confident we should. Then we’ll probably get scuddied about in the CL group stages if we don’t buy a decent striker and replace virgil van dijk once he ventually heads to englandshire(I could see him staying till xmas if we get into the CL groups, if not he’ll be punted)..

Otherwise, the league will be the usual cakewalk, but there’s still the treble to aim for (we’ve only ever done it 3 times in our history, so it’s not that easy.)

Occasionally go and watch Reading when not biking and lent a season ticket – mid table obscurity beckons and overseas owners now control the purse, so might try and watch an Arsenal game if i sell the house for a ticket.

Well I’ll take that! A winning start! It looked like the first game of the season, and Spurs only woke up for the last 5 minutes. But the new additions all looked good. Particularly Romero. Maybe De Gea won’t be such a huge loss, after all? Schweinsteiger looked like the proverbial brick ****house in midfield.

Looking good! And my first bet of the weekend is a winner. 😀

Well well well…a point at Chelsea…very happy with that! 😀

Rangers fan here. After years of mismanagement, both on and off the field, things finally seem to be looking up. Attractive football being played on the pitch, all the over paid dross cleared out with a young squad (hopefully) on realistic wages. Off the pitch it’s all been very quiet which is a nice change from the shite that have been running the company in the last few years.

Leeds fan here and went to Elland Road today. Impressive performance against a team I expect to be in the promotion mix up. We’ve finally got rid of the cloggers Colin brought in and actually have some width for the first time in ages.

Dallas looks a great buy, Wood a better version of Matt Smith and all the young lads have stepped up.

From today’s showing I expect top 10 with a possible dabble at the play-offs.

Life-long Chelsea fan, but hate the way the club’s run and haven’t been since Bobby was sacked. I predict mid table by Christmas and a second exit for Jose.
Have settled in East Anglia and now go and watch Norwich. Nice little club but I predict a swift exit from the PL I’m afraid.

Top of the league, we’re Leicester City, we’re top of the league.

That a was a nice ‘**** you’ to all of those supposed pundit experts, we were rampant.

Will be upset if we don’t take the title off Chelsea now.

whatnobeer – Member
Rangers fan here. After years of mismanagement, both on and off the field, things finally seem to be looking up. Attractive football being played on the pitch, all the over paid dross cleared out with a young squad (hopefully) on realistic wages. Off the pitch it’s all been very quiet which is a nice change from the shite that have been running the company in the last few years.

Bring on the cups! let’s see!

The comedy value has been sensational over the last 4 years, long may it continue! 😆

Well my confident assertion that Cech was the buy of the season and Arsenal were title contenders seems to have worked its usual Magic 😀

Looks like binbins has wasted his free bets. 😀

My predictions are going great, aren’t they?

😆

I’m still up, thanks to a Kyle Walker own goal.

Great goal from Cortinho, to be fair. Was that the only shot on goal?

Leicester fan here.

‘We’re Leicester City, we’re top of the league!”

😀

The only one on target I reckon. Has to go down as a MASSIVE result though. 😆

(Bizarrely, the first time it’s happened in the history of the premier league ie back to back identical fixtures at end of one season, beginning of next!)

Reading fan here. We can’t be as bad as we were last season.

Although our African violet away strip suggests otherwise. Lilac in the real world.

Spurs fan here, aah usual start to the season, quite happy to come away at only conceding one goal.

Trouble for spurs is they are becoming a one-trick pony.