lmk if this already exists and I'll delete it.

Can't wait for LFC to sign a new keeper.

Meanwhile...

Fred to ManU for £43.7m
Fabinho to LFC for £40m

& so on

70 mil euro? And Bayern might want Digne? YES DO IT DO IT NOW PLEASE JUST DO IT.
-----------
you think we playing chess, but i'm playing mad-making. Basaglia

FUCK
YES.


BRING MY NIGGA HOME

--

"You can't beat white people. You can only knock them out."

<--- Big Baller World Order

that's a HELL of a midfield upgrade.

___

it is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. - sherlock holmes

outclassed we were against an elite midfield.

------
"I can't promise I'll try. But I'll try to try."

hope he's as quietly great there as he was on the pitch.

-----------
you think we playing chess, but i'm playing mad-making. Basaglia

https://soccer.nbcsports.com/2018/06/07/report-liverpool-lyon-agree-77m-fee-for-french-wizard-fekir/

------
"I can't promise I'll try. But I'll try to try."

Looks like something came up during the physical (L’Equipe reporting cartilage-related), and now Lyon is saying the deal’s off. OL prez JM Aulas is customary of these dramatic announcements, so perhaps this is just part of the negotiations. No one in France really expects Fekir to stay next season so we’ll see what the next chapter brings

------------------------------
For the record, my teams:
MLB: Mets / Soccer: PSG
NCAA BB: Arizona / NCAA FB: Michigan
NBA: Spurs / NFL: Jets

------------------
One Hundred.

----
bshelly

"You (Fisher) could get fired, Les Snead could get fired, Kevin Demoff could get fired, but I will always be Eric Dickerson.” (c) The God

Reports from the unreliable sources saying we're making offers for Willian. Please no. Stop it.

--

"You can't beat white people. You can only knock them out."

I really want this to be true

------------------------------
For the record, my teams:
MLB: Mets / Soccer: PSG
NCAA BB: Arizona / NCAA FB: Michigan
NBA: Spurs / NFL: Jets

Or so says one of their more reliable sources.
I was so fucking happy to see that.

--

"You can't beat white people. You can only knock them out."

he's definitely gonna be a headache next season if he stays between his ridiculous self-exclusion from les Bleus and how highly he seems to view himself.

------------------------------
For the record, my teams:
MLB: Mets / Soccer: PSG
NCAA BB: Arizona / NCAA FB: Michigan
NBA: Spurs / NFL: Jets

anyway, Abidal supposedly trying for thiago, but there's still too many damn players on the squad as is. need more guys sold.

and fuck this willian rumors. noooooo.

-----------
you think we playing chess, but i'm playing mad-making. Basaglia

aka our strongly rumored first summer signing? all i know is that he apparently likes to party.

----
bshelly

"You (Fisher) could get fired, Les Snead could get fired, Kevin Demoff could get fired, but I will always be Eric Dickerson.” (c) The God

He was supposed to be the next great English midfielder a few years back but he became an immense fuckup off the field, a bit of a shithead on it, and stopped physically growing. I didn't watch much Villa last year, but he apparently got his shit together and started progressing more. Still, not the highest of ceilings left for him.

Grealish suffered a lacerated kidney just before the season started (got landed on in a challenge). The time off basically set his mind right- prior to that, he had spells of brilliance (he spearheaded Villa's FA Cup semifinal win over Liverpool to ruin Stevie Me's grand sendoff https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEWZpTSxI-k) and spells of frustration coupled with some ill-advised partying (google Grealish Tenerife).

The hair and socks make people think he's flashy, but what he's really good at is drawing contact and keeping going. I say this with no irony: the boy doesn't dive. If he goes over, he was kicked (and I would have gladly told you that Ashley Young had become an inveterate diver toward the end of his time at Villa), and he gets right back up and plays on. He will take people on. His vision and pass-weighting is sublime when he's on his game. For Villa he doesn't have a ton of goals and assists, but he's often the guy that makes the pass that opens the defense up. He started to play well in a "Drinkwater" kind of role toward the end of last season. As a third man with Dele and Dier he'd do quite well.

Of the Villa squad, he's the guy I least want to see exit the club.

Also, dude's 22. Plenty of time for him.

---------------------------------
Photo zine(some images NSFW): http://bit.ly/USaSPhoto

"This (and every, actually) conversation needs more Chesterton and less Mike Francesa." - Walleye

much as i love our attacking midfield, physicality gives it all sorts of problems and can shut the whole attack down. a guy willing to mix it up is necessary.

----
bshelly

"You (Fisher) could get fired, Les Snead could get fired, Kevin Demoff could get fired, but I will always be Eric Dickerson.” (c) The God

https://www.instagram.com/p/BlNzMm5ADui/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=19zyas71i3lwj

---------------------------------
Photo zine(some images NSFW): http://bit.ly/USaSPhoto

"This (and every, actually) conversation needs more Chesterton and less Mike Francesa." - Walleye

Turns out we got that Egypt Moneyyyyyyyyyyy (and Wes Edens from the Bucks). FFP issues will still remain, but now at least we don't have to sell players to stay afloat. Word is any transfer negotiations have been halted until a meeting on Tuesday. Other word is there's interest in replacing Bruce with Thierry Henry.

---------------------------------
Photo zine(some images NSFW): http://bit.ly/USaSPhoto

"This (and every, actually) conversation needs more Chesterton and less Mike Francesa." - Walleye

(his teammate Marchand too), I know JMS didn't have the most consistent season but what a strange turnaround after last summer's Barca saga

------------------------------
For the record, my teams:
MLB: Mets / Soccer: PSG
NCAA BB: Arizona / NCAA FB: Michigan
NBA: Spurs / NFL: Jets

He was basically a day away from going to Barça, and a year later he goes to fucking Fulham

--

"You can't beat white people. You can only knock them out."

Yet another world class player signing for a superteam where he'll split time.

I'll never fully understand it.

What the hell is their line-up supposed to be?

--

"You can't beat white people. You can only knock them out."

they just collect talent

rn we're in "sell-to-buy" mode, except we want a premium for Daley Blind and trash like Darmian so we cant sell or buy rn.
shameful for a club of our financial might.

<--- Big Baller World Order

you're welcome

------------------------------
For the record, my teams:
MLB: Mets / Soccer: PSG
NCAA BB: Arizona / NCAA FB: Michigan
NBA: Spurs / NFL: Jets

he has shown to have no issue during the world cup. so that will be the expectation. no more temper tantrums. no more showoff dribbles in dangerous areas. no more walking around on defense and letting runners go free.

<--- Big Baller World Order

----
bshelly

"You (Fisher) could get fired, Les Snead could get fired, Kevin Demoff could get fired, but I will always be Eric Dickerson.” (c) The God

kind of a lateral move at best (for Pool)

------------------------------
For the record, my teams:
MLB: Mets / Soccer: PSG
NCAA BB: Arizona / NCAA FB: Michigan
NBA: Spurs / NFL: Jets

Going into the CL final I’m not sure they had a single healthy midfielder on the bench.

man that sucks. he was playing phenomenally well.

------
"I can't promise I'll try. But I'll try to try."

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/jul/17/liverpool-bid-alisson-roma-bid-world-record

Liverpool have opened talks with Roma over the possible signing of the Brazil goalkeeper Alisson, with an initial offer of €70m (£62.2m) including add-ons being lodged with the Serie A club.

Roma are holding out for another €5m to take the total fee to €75m (£66.6m) for the 25-year-old but both clubs are hopeful that an agreement can be reached.

Chelsea are also still interested in the Brazilian, should Thibaut Courtois leave. Real Madrid, another possible suitor, have yet to make contact with Roma.

Liverpool signed Mohamed Salah from Roma last season but despite the good relationship the clubs enjoy the Italian club would not hesitate to sell Alisson to any other club that matches their valuation.

If the deal goes through it would make Alisson the world’s most expensive goalkeeper, eclipsing the €53m paid by Juventus for Gianluigi Buffon in 2001 and the €40m it cost Manchester City to buy Ederson from Benfica last summer.

Loris Karius ended last season as Liverpool’s No 1 but was embarrassed by two mistakes in the Champions League final defeat by Real Madrid.

------
"I can't promise I'll try. But I'll try to try."

that way it makes a bit more sense.

------
"I can't promise I'll try. But I'll try to try."

vvd and Alisson are both excessive fees, but as they were/are filling gaping needs to help finalize one of the best clubs in the PL, cost is no object.

> cost is no object.
>
>

<--- Big Baller World Order

another wise move for them this summer after Flaco

DiMarzio reporting Barca swooping in on the move (please this and not the stupid fucking Willian rumors).

if this is just about being petty to Roma after the CL loss, I'm here for it. petty petty petty. but also, stop this shit AND JUST BUY THIAGO.

-----------
you think we playing chess, but i'm playing mad-making. Basaglia

there were roma fans in the airport ready to cheer him when he got there, but he didn't get on the flight. if this is real, wow.

so. petty. and such good business

-----------
you think we playing chess, but i'm playing mad-making. Basaglia

both Bordeaux and Roma had announced the deal. Then Barca swoops in and Bordeaux is like wait a minute. Then word was Roma was gonna match the 41m bid. But now Malcom’s agents would be in Barcelona negotiating directly with the club.

What’s strange to me is that Barca considers him a plan b for Willian, he’s not a wing player, more of an axial striker type, possibly 9 1/2 (also why William anyway when you already have a younger version of that in Dembele). As for Malcom himself, I think he’s gonna play significantly less in Barcelona than Roma so this all seems like a mistake.

(tbh, i've seen very little of hi, this is mostly from barca twitter/blogs theorizing)

at the RW and Dembouz at LW as wingers of the present/future.

very grimy. i'll take it. better than willian. and if they do get Pjanic (or thiago), i'd be ecstatic.

plus, rumor is coutinho got his portuguese passport, so mina can stay and Digne's getting sold to everton and they're promoting a youth player (Cucurella, who is capable as a backup but not special. Juan Mirand, OTOH, might be special). good.

-----------
you think we playing chess, but i'm playing mad-making. Basaglia

Sure, more talent's always nice. But we suddenly have a glut of it everywhere in attack with Kluivert coming in, Schick and Cengiz needing minutes, Dzeko still playing at a high level, El Sharaawy still kinda ok, etc.

This was just us spending dat Allison money. I'm sure we can find a home for it elsewhere.

And yeah this is the game and it's how it's played... but as ever, lol @ the much ballyhooed nobility of UEFAlona, now a husk of its former self - desperately buying up all the young wingers to fill the Neymar-sized gap in its heart (and lineup).

you sound mad.

the game is the game. barca' has had to adapt to the transfer game and this is a sign they have--good (barca's usually more transparent about who they're interested in and then overpay for them and/or tap them up unprofessionally, so I'm happy they didn't do that here). similarly good is that they've finally upped the release clause on their best youth players.

mes que un club was always:
a. marketing
b. about the politics of the region and the club
c. about using la masia players. this year they look to be doing that again.

-----------
you think we playing chess, but i'm playing mad-making. Basaglia

RE: the game is the game... I said as much 10 minutes ago. It's like, literally right there, in writing. Now as far as anger... well, I do think that in general Barcelona and its fans are the current apex of futbol corny, true. But this is a mild irritant at worst and works for me as further proof that y'all are just as squalid as anyone else with this shit.

(But hey, we don't really know each other so I will totally acknowledge the possibility that you might be the exceptional sort of Barca fan who doesn't put his squad on a pedestal over the other megapowers )

Back to Malcom - the funny thing is that there is a very real chance he could've been for us what he will be for you - a bench player. We can put that loot elsewhere and be fine. We have plenty of young guns who need big minutes next year, signing him sincerely almost felt like excess.

PS - since you threw my shit in quotes... where y'all playing Coutinho and Dembele? Can you remind me how much you spent on them? lol lol lol.

dembele's LW, Malcom inverted RW. and yes, that's one more attacker than there's space for, but there are copa games and rest and time to acclimate and he's 21. it's easy to work out. he'll get plenty of minutes, just not gala xi ones. he woulda been a lot closer to gala xi for roma.

i'm excited because, like i said, this is the board acting more competent that usual. but i'm with you--there are plenty of obnoxious barca fans (but there's no fanbase of successful teams that doesn't have a large number of dipshits, hence noting mas que un club has been mostly about marketing).

for the actual fans as opposed to fanboys, the excitement is really that barca were the ones who played the game smart instead of getting played (the neymar fiasco round 1 when they bought him and then round 2 when he left; the cesc ridiculousness, etc). And under a new sporting director (abidal!). that gives us hope that it won't be like it has been for the last 5-6 years or so of frequent, overly public negotiations where barca end up somehow paying more than was originally seen as a ridiculous price (Coutinho, dembele most recently). also, i fucks with barca going back to having a lot more black players.

Also, I think it was a position of need because Denis Saurez isn't panning out and maybe getting more wingers who aren't "midfielders" would get Valverde to go back to the 4-3-3 we enjoy as fans. Especially if the Pjanic or Thiago transfer happens. I've been on that train for a while and I hope this will work (without overpaying for a 30 year old Willian to do it.

-----------
you think we playing chess, but i'm playing mad-making. Basaglia

The price you paid for Malcom is a much smaller relative cost for Barca than what Roma was going to spend, so really why not? And it's eons better than a Willian swoop. Good business for you guys (and, agreed, much better than your recent history on the transfer market).

Dzeko is clearly a starter, don’t know the other guys you listed except El Sharaawy...what I can tell you for sure is, he’s garbage compared to Malcom. If the other 2 are at that level, Malcom would have had no problem jumping them.

This was total dirtbag behavior on Bordeaux part

------------------------------
For the record, my teams:
MLB: Mets / Soccer: PSG
NCAA BB: Arizona / NCAA FB: Michigan
NBA: Spurs / NFL: Jets

they say they’re looking for a midfield and a left back only. Also, Tuchel hints at using Nkunku more this year. That’d be cool.

lot of opinions in France on whether this is a good idea for him, what's the fan take?

------------------------------
For the record, my teams:
MLB: Mets / Soccer: PSG
NCAA BB: Arizona / NCAA FB: Michigan
NBA: Spurs / NFL: Jets

<--- Big Baller World Order

There are some who think that firing a manager with a 47% win rate sets a bad precedent. That in these turbulent times with the club, we need stability more than anything. I . . . am not one of those. Xia appointed Bruce because he's a "promotion specialist" with "experience in the league." His entire remit was to get the team promoted as soon as possible. He didn't do that. He did a few good things (Johnstone and Snodgrass loans were smart bits of business). But he gutted out affordable young decent players in favor of a one-year rental of John Terry and signing Chris fucking Samba in the year of our lord 2018. Seriously, if Alan Hutton is your player of the season, you're doing something wrong. Plus the football fucking sucked - it was worse to watch than the hoofball of the MON days (and at least we were winning against EPL opposition then).

Henry is an exciting name, and he's really interested in football management; he wouldn't have quit the easy money of Sky to go help Robby Martinez if he didn't. Yeah, he had De Bruyne, Hazard and Lukaku to work with, but names don't always mean you win- just look at Argentina. Yes, national team management is a very different than club management, which is why I consider Klopp and Simeone to be better and more accomplished than Deschamps and Loew. I think if we bring on Henry and Grealish stays, the young lad's either going to set the world alight and help us storm the Prem next year or he'll go for 80 mill next summer.

All of this, of course, is caveated by whatever FFP restrictions are still on the team, and how much the new majority owners can open the purse for Henry. Though I suspect that with the current squad, Thierry will do a better job than Bruce would.

---------------------------------
Photo zine(some images NSFW): http://bit.ly/USaSPhoto

"This (and every, actually) conversation needs more Chesterton and less Mike Francesa." - Walleye

still feels like he could've picked his spot better for a first club experience (assistant in a PL club ideally), but those don't just materialize out of thin air. He definitely judged correctly that another two years with Belgium was not gonna give him a leg up in his coaching journey, but the history of storied clubs welcoming new flashy investors is littered with cautionary tales

------------------------------
For the record, my teams:
MLB: Mets / Soccer: PSG
NCAA BB: Arizona / NCAA FB: Michigan
NBA: Spurs / NFL: Jets

There's a wealth of good strikers and attacking mids - Kodjia, Hogan, Grealish, Hourihane, McCormick (who fell out spectacularly with Bruce), Bjarnasson, plus youngsters like Andre Green and Keinan Davis could all start for like the Southamptons of the world.

On defense, James Chester has turned into a sought-after center half. Tommy Elphick is decent. Mile Jedinak seems like he'll shift to the center of defense. Neil Taylor, Ritchie De Laet, James Bree and Ahmed Elmohamady are all solid fullbacks. You could do a lot worse for talent for your first job.The big question is if he brings in Robert Duverne as the fitness coach, which every continental manager Villa has had does, and which pisses off the "established players" at Villa (most of whom are no longer there).

---------------------------------
Photo zine(some images NSFW): http://bit.ly/USaSPhoto

"This (and every, actually) conversation needs more Chesterton and less Mike Francesa." - Walleye

Following a meeting with the new owners Bruce is staying on.

---------------------------------
Photo zine(some images NSFW): http://bit.ly/USaSPhoto

"This (and every, actually) conversation needs more Chesterton and less Mike Francesa." - Walleye

Russians often turn out to be busts but I’m looking forward to seeing how this plays out. I liked the kid a lot at the WC.

Maybe this kid is better prepared for the big move

------------------------------
For the record, my teams:
MLB: Mets / Soccer: PSG
NCAA BB: Arizona / NCAA FB: Michigan
NBA: Spurs / NFL: Jets

torn between my hate for Emery and my desire to see PEA ransack the league (I realize I let that agenda sleep for too long, I’m ready to bring it back)

>my desire to see PEA ransack the league

___

it is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. - sherlock holmes

Guendouzi irrational hype train!


Dams he looked good Saturday against the psg kids though

The idea that tactics or a good defensive midfielder is enough to give solidity to this collection of trash is a fairytale.

Sokratis has per's pace. Mustafi still lol status. Holding and Chambers - both will be playing in the championship in 3 years.

On the+ guandouzi is a future stud. Love that kid, honestly not sure we need to keep elneny around anymore. But I'd he gonna get in way of Dat Douz.

But I'm really ready for the season, since I've watched every minute of the friendlies so far