Weekend Football

[Winston Biscuit]

Sunderland not being 'overachievers' is really quite mental. They are currently 1 point behind Brentford, they were 2nd favourites to go down with the bookies, they came up via the play offs last season, and Brentford this season are guaranteed to finish on a lower points total than they did last season

[Sutekh]

Sunderland not being 'overachievers' is really quite mental. They are currently 1 point behind Brentford, they were 2nd favourites to go down with the bookies, they came up via the play offs last season, and Brentford this season are guaranteed to finish on a lower points total than they did last season

That's what I thought then I saw the pundits involved and decided who the **** cares.

[South Coast Royal]

This big send off for Casemiro is weird. Their fans have spent most of his time at the club calling him fat, lazy and a waste of money. Now its like some club legend is leaving.

I thought it was OTT regarding both Casemiro and Trippier getting the legend treatment when both have only been at their respective clubs for 4 years.

It will be understandable this weekend if Salah and Silva get big send-offs as both have done so well and for twice as long as these two, neither of whom has won much at their 2 clubs-a couple of cups, which pale into insignificance when compared to League, Champions League as well as a few cups.?

[BRO_BOT]

This big send off for Casemiro is weird. Their fans have spent most of his time at the club calling him fat, lazy and a waste of money. Now its like some club legend is leaving.

I thought it was OTT regarding both Casemiro and Trippier getting the legend treatment when both have only been at their respective clubs for 4 years.

It will be understandable this weekend if Salah and Silva get big send-offs as both have done so well and for twice as long as these two, neither of whom has won much at their 2 clubs-a couple of cups, which pale into insignificance when compared to League, Champions League as well as a few cups.?

A lot of the Casemiro stuff is down to circumstance. If he had gone last year when we finished 15th, there would be none of this stuff. Had mates at the game and they said it was quite a good 'feel' vibe going into the game. They described the day as 'quite wholesome', which was a bit of a surprise.

Casemiro is a legend of the game with 5 CL trophies. Plus, in an SM driven era, this stuff is more commonplace. Every game has a 'gesture'!

[BRO_BOT]

Sunderland not being 'overachievers' is really quite mental. They are currently 1 point behind Brentford, they were 2nd favourites to go down with the bookies, they came up via the play offs last season, and Brentford this season are guaranteed to finish on a lower points total than they did last season

That's what I thought then I saw the pundits involved and decided who the **** cares.

+1

I'd have given Senne Lammens the signing of the season. Eighteen million to steady the ship at the back for Utd. Can understand that it's less high profile than Cherki etc.

Xhaka not a bad choice tbf, in terms of amount spent vs impact

[Winston Biscuit]

[Ascotexgunner]

Gutted for Bournmouth tonight. Could have really turned the screw on Liverpool for 5th.
Just want Spurs to Los now. God them and Chelsea are awful.

[WestYorksRoyal]

I think Arsenal will be a force for several years now. Your first title in > 20 years is the hardest, and now that monkey is off their back. Plus City will now be in transition.

But I think PSG will still dispatch them comfortably as they're awesome.

[windermereROYAL]

Can somebody check up on Orion to make sure he`s ok?

[Sutekh]

On Sunday

West Ham have to beat Leeds at home and hope Spurs lose at home to Everton in order to stay up.

Meanwhile at the top avoiding defeat against Brentford is all the scousers need to do to get in the CL next season, but if they did lose they just need to hope Bournemouth don’t win by 5 goals or more at Forest.

You couldn’t hope for a more exciting end to the season could you

[Winston Biscuit]

I assume it will all be a damp squid, but there is a genuine chance West Ham could win and Spurs could lose.

[Dirk Gently]

On Sunday

West Ham have to beat Leeds at home and hope Spurs lose at home to Everton in order to stay up.

Meanwhile at the top avoiding defeat against Brentford is all the scousers need to do to get in the CL next season, but if they did lose they just need to hope Bournemouth don’t win by 5 goals or more at Forest.

You couldn’t hope for a more exciting end to the season could you

In some ways it's a shame that Spurs didn't win yesterday - just to see how Sky desperately try to hype up the last day of the season.

"It's all about the dramatic fight for the remaining UEFA Cup place..."

[Sanguine]

Worth coming back to how absurd it is that Bournemouth are (a well deserved) 6th. Only Arsenal and City have lost fewer games this season. What a job Iraola has done. This team lost 4/5ths of its defence last summer. They will play in the Europa League next season after a 17-game unbeaten run - their first European campaign.

[tidus_mi2]

There are a lot of Spurs fans in my family but oh man am I gonna find it hilarious if they get relegated on Sunday.

[South Coast Royal]

Worth coming back to how absurd it is that Bournemouth are (a well deserved) 6th. Only Arsenal and City have lost fewer games this season. What a job Iraola has done. This team lost 4/5ths of its defence last summer. They will play in the Europa League next season after a 17-game unbeaten run - their first European campaign.

They might even make Champs League.
This run they are on is sensational and from a neutral point of view (I remain neutral despite my deep-seated envy of how well they are doing) they are so much better to watch at the moment than the likes of Arsenal, City and Liverpool who all play the same islow build-up possession football..

Locals here are quite rightly excited at the prospect of European football and sadly accept that Iraola, Senesi and probably Kroupi won't be with them next season and possibly Alex Scott.
Their recruitment has been outstanding but can they keep on picking up these young players?

Turning the clock back they were most fortunate to get a Russian owner who (unlike us) had a lot of money.
They then got a Yank (unlike us?) who has a lot of money and has invested big time.
By nature I am not normally an envious person but looking at today's Premier League table I am full of envy towards clubs that not so long ago were our equals/competitors in Bournemouth, Brighton and Brentford.

I don't expect Reading to compete with them in my lifetime but hope that one day we will.

[Sutekh]

Worth coming back to how absurd it is that Bournemouth are (a well deserved) 6th. Only Arsenal and City have lost fewer games this season. What a job Iraola has done. This team lost 4/5ths of its defence last summer. They will play in the Europa League next season after a 17-game unbeaten run - their first European campaign.

They might even make Champs League.
This run they are on is sensational and from a neutral point of view (I remain neutral despite my deep-seated envy of how well they are doing) they are so much better to watch at the moment than the likes of Arsenal, City and Liverpool who all play the same islow build-up possession football..

Locals here are quite rightly excited at the prospect of European football and sadly accept that Iraola, Senesi and probably Kroupi won't be with them next season and possibly Alex Scott.
Their recruitment has been outstanding but can they keep on picking up these young players?

Turning the clock back they were most fortunate to get a Russian owner who (unlike us) had a lot of money.
They then got a Yank (unlike us?) who has a lot of money and has invested big time.
By nature I am not normally an envious person but looking at today's Premier League table I am full of envy towards clubs that not so long ago were our equals/competitors in Bournemouth, Brighton and Brentford.

I don't expect Reading to compete with them in my lifetime but hope that one day we will.

Iraola is being linked with Liverpool, Stuttgart and Frankfurt - and no doubt a whole heap of other of this season’s also-rans.

Sensi is being linked with Spurs and Liverpool (as is Scott), think Bournemouth may well be able to keep Kroupi. 20 years ago I expect their fans could well have said the same thing about competing with Reading again. Sadly we blew it due to the unfortunate lack of investment at the key time.

[Dirk Gently]

But ... never forget they massively broke the FFP rules to get promotion in the first place.

And because that meant they left the EFL's jurisdiction, all that they could do is get a fine.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/44721788

That's one of the major flaws in the FFP rules below the PL - there's incentive to break the rules because if you cheat financially and it works you're laughing, but if you cheat financially and it fails you're well and truly screwed, as you have the loss to cover plus a fine.

[Sanguine]

Iraola is being linked with Liverpool, Stuttgart and Frankfurt - and no doubt a whole heap of other of this season’s also-rans.

And, interestingly, Athletic Bilbao. Ernesto Valverde leaving in the summer, and whilst 'officially' Iraola is considered unlikely to take the job, it is the club for whom he played 500 games, the link will be made.

[Sanguine]

They might even make Champs League.

Possible,albeit would take a wild result at Anfield for it to happen.

A shame Liverpool lost to Villa, as that ended the possibility of Villa finishing fifth and, potentially, opening up 6th spot to the Champions League.

[Brum Royal]

By nature I am not normally an envious person but looking at today's Premier League table I am full of envy towards clubs that not so long ago were our equals/competitors in Bournemouth, Brighton and Brentford.

I don't expect Reading to compete with them in my lifetime but hope that one day we will.

Go back 19/20 years to when we were at our peak and it's an almost exact role reversal. I may be slightly hazy in my memory but I think all 3 would have been league 1 (or maybe Champ/league 1 yoyo for Brighton) at the time. All of them looking at us enviously as we so nearly qualified for Europe