[han2503]

Uhhhh Monaco just won the title. Och you and X have a chip on your shoulders about Ligue 1 and you won't hear otherwise.

So I will move on!

Did I deny that Monaco won the league? They were great last season no doubt about that, but look what happened after. They've sold practically all their best players, so even the French champions, unless they can sustain wages like PSG, can't keep their squad intact. Simply because players would rather make the move to England/Spain/Italy/Germany

And why does it have to be a chip on my shoulder? Can't I just not rate Ligue 1 simply because I think it's not as good as other European leagues? Do you have a chip on your shoulder about Pogba? Did he do something specific to you? Or are you well within your right to not rate him as a player simply because you don't see what the fuss is about?

[Fillipo Simone]

Sorry, this will easily sound like a provocation but - when you say other European leagues in plural, you mean - England, Spain, Germany and Italy, right?

[han2503]

Sorry, this will easily sound like a provocation but - when you say other European leagues in plural, you mean - England, Spain, Germany and Italy, right?

Well why would that be a provocation? It's obvious I was referring to those and that's why you also easily came to that conclusion, because I feel like it's common knowledge that those leagues are better than the French league

Look at Monaco, the team they had last season is basically dismantled completely, Mbappe most likely going to PSG along with Fabinho. The gap is about to become light-years apart now from the rest of the league, while they'll still struggle as a collective in the CL

[Danny]

Well why would that be a provocation? It's obvious I was referring to those and that's why you also easily came to that conclusion, because I feel like it's common knowledge that those leagues are better than the French league

Look at Monaco, the team they had last season is basically dismantled completely, Mbappe most likely going to PSG along with Fabinho. The gap is about to become light-years apart now from the rest of the league, while they'll still struggle as a collective in the CL

Yeah because losing Rodriguez destroyed Monaco (!)

Yeah because losing Contrao destroyed Monaco (!)

Yeah because losing Love destroyed Monaco (!)

Yeah because losing Martial destroyed Monaco (!)

Yeah because losing Berbatov destroyed Monaco (!)

Yeah because losing Kondogbia destroyed Monaco (!)

Yeah because losing Carasco destroyed Monaco (!)

Yeah because losing R Carvalho destroyed Monaco (!)

Yeah because losing M Carvalho destroyed Monaco (!)

'yeah but...'

This post has been edited by Danny: Aug 13 2017, 12:47 PM

[Danny]

Conte's Chelsea wheels have already come off.

They signed no one they wanted and lost at home to Burnley opening day of the season on top of a shitey pre-season.

If they'd actually done good work in the window they'd be cementing their place as best in England.

But they did what we did in 2011 after winning the title. Hee haw.

English football is getting worse. Arsenal pushed all the way by Leicester, Man Utd unconvincing in the window so far, City also not doing great in the window although at least they won, Liverpool look diabolical.

Only Spurs seem to be keeping their heads above water although I guess how high will emerge today.

[Danny]

What's that? Alexis Sanchez going to Ligue 1 you say?

'yeah but...'

[han2503]

Conte's Chelsea wheels have already come off.

They signed no one they wanted and lost at home to Burnley opening day of the season on top of a shitey pre-season.

If they'd actually done good work in the window they'd be cementing their place as best in England.

But they did what we did in 2011 after winning the title. Hee haw.

English football is getting worse. Arsenal pushed all the way by Leicester, Man Utd unconvincing in the window so far, City also not doing great in the window although at least they won, Liverpool look diabolical.

Only Spurs seem to be keeping their heads above water although I guess how high will emerge today.

1 qame hardly spells the end for Conte, he's the best coach in that league imo and he'll make it work.

Man U looking good today btw.

What's that? Alexis Sanchez going to Ligue 1 you say?

'yeah but...'

Yeah, for the cash, the only thing he seems to be chasing now. He could have gone to Bayern but his demands were too much, his last option is PSG as they're the only club willing to meet his 500k a week request.

As said before, no one is denying that PSG are a good team, they have world class players sure, but the majority of them were lured there for a single reason only, the money. They apparently offered Donna 13m a year. That says it all. No other club would offer an 18 yea old 13m a year. PSG bought their way to the top, but that doesn't make the league great. In fact the league is even more boring nowadays compared to when Lyon were the top dogs, at least they achieved their success in a more organic way.

[han2503]

Yeah because losing Rodriguez destroyed Monaco (!)

Yeah because losing Contrao destroyed Monaco (!)

Yeah because losing Love destroyed Monaco (!)

Yeah because losing Martial destroyed Monaco (!)

Yeah because losing Berbatov destroyed Monaco (!)

Yeah because losing Kondogbia destroyed Monaco (!)

Yeah because losing Carasco destroyed Monaco (!)

Yeah because losing R Carvalho destroyed Monaco (!)

Yeah because losing M Carvalho destroyed Monaco (!)

'yeah but...'

Don't get the point of this

Monaco reached a peak last season, now they're selling their best players same as every other club in Ligue 1 bar PSG

[Danny]

They got BETTER after they lost their best players, Han.

[Danny]

1 qame hardly spells the end for Conte, he's the best coach in that league imo and he'll make it work.

Nope, for me it's done now. Tone was set pre-season and it's continued.

Yeah, for the cash, the only thing he seems to be chasing now. He could have gone to Bayern but his demands were too much, his last option is PSG as they're the only club willing to meet his 500k a week request.

As said before, no one is denying that PSG are a good team, they have world class players sure, but the majority of them were lured there for a single reason only, the money. They apparently offered Donna 13m a year. That says it all. No other club would offer an 18 yea old 13m a year.

Didn't City offer Donna 12M? Didn't Real offer Mbappe nearly 10M?

PSG bought their way to the top, but that doesn't make the league great. In fact the league is even more boring nowadays compared to when Lyon were the top dogs, at least they achieved their success in a more organic way.

Wow, your ligue 1 knowledge stinks. No offence. If you knew anything about Lyon you'd know it was anything but organic.

Actually, no, I said before I was done on this topic and it's p*ssing into the wind. You can have all the last words you like, I ain't chatting about this again.

This post has been edited by Danny: Aug 13 2017, 09:33 PM

[Danny]

Man U looking good today btw.

Against a woeful West Ham! At home! I'd peg Bilic's men as relegation candidates.

[Fillipo Simone]

Nope, for me it's done now. Tone was set pre-season and it's continued.

Really? Even though he had several key players like Hazard missing and Cahill got himself a early red? Well, I'll be waiting still. Lot's of room for improvement, surely.

[Danny]

Really? Even though he had several key players like Hazard missing and Cahill got himself a early red? Well, I'll be waiting still. Lot's of room for improvement, surely.

He willfully benched one of his key players, ditched another (Costa) and honestly Hazard aside there was no one else missing of enough gravity that the defending champions can say they were justified in losing at home to Burnley, who were fourth bottom last season if I'm not in error?

They had an awful pre-season and it's continued. You say room for improvement but maybe they've already peaked and they're on the slide, Jose style.

The only top five team I'm fairly convinced by remains Spurs. Best team in that division over the past two years. Hate their fans though.

[Fishdoll]

So this weekend I was playing around with translating Italian renaissance embroidery patterns into a sweater design. I had the English league games on in the background and admittedly wasn't paying close attention. But....good lord, is the defending always that appalling in that league?

[han2503]

They got BETTER after they lost their best players, Han.

They've been losing their best players for years now aside from that 1 season when they got new ownership. Then he had divorce drama and started to sell again. Last season was a flash in the pan for them. They didn't build up gradually to it. I can't remember them having such a great season is recent history

Nope, for me it's done now. Tone was set pre-season and it's continued.

Your finality and rash judgment are a real mystery to me Danny. There's obvious tension at Cheslea, not denying that, but Conte is one man I'd bet on to pull through it. He went through similar tensions at Juve and with the NT, yet he was successful with both.

Chelsea played with 10 men for more than an hour. That plays into it, obviously they've got things to work on as they didn't look good before the red card either, but to completely dismiss them after an off day is ridiculous

Plenty of teams have bad pre-seasons btw. Carlo's teams for example always have a bad pre-season, yet they generally do the job when it matters

Didn't City offer Donna 12M? Didn't Real offer Mbappe nearly 10M?

Sky confirmed yesterday that PSG offer him 13m a year, which basically means he'd be earning twice what he does with us. Don't know about City, I don't think that was ever concrete, Pep wanted a ball playing keeper and Donna is hardly that

Wow, your ligue 1 knowledge stinks. No offence. If you knew anything about Lyon you'd know it was anything but organic.

Actually, no, I said before I was done on this topic and it's p*ssing into the wind. You can have all the last words you like, I ain't chatting about this again.

When did Lyon spend nearly spend a billion dollars in players? They had a great scouting system, and sure they bullied the other French sides, as generally happens when there is a top dog, but they rarely bought finished products, unlike PSG

Also what is up with you continually cutting off good discussions. We're discussing a footballing topic in a civil manner, why the need to have the last word and peace out? And you do this constantly with practically every topic we disagree upon.

Can't we just continue the discussion in the civilised manner we were carrying on in?

Against a woeful West Ham! At home! I'd peg Bilic's men as relegation candidates.

Last season they were awful, even against the relegation sides. They played well yesterday, it doesn't matter who their opponents were, at least they showed flowing cohesive football which is something I haven't seen from United since the Ferguson days

He willfully benched one of his key players, ditched another (Costa) and honestly Hazard aside there was no one else missing of enough gravity that the defending champions can say they were justified in losing at home to Burnley, who were fourth bottom last season if I'm not in error?

They had an awful pre-season and it's continued. You say room for improvement but maybe they've already peaked and they're on the slide, Jose style.

The only top five team I'm fairly convinced by remains Spurs. Best team in that division over the past two years. Hate their fans though.

Conte is a character no doubt about that. If you get on his bad side he won't stand for it. Juve were so great under him because he drilled them like robots, and that drilling continues to show it's fruits even to this day. Some players have trouble with that kind of coaching style, no doubt about that, but I believe he'll do well. We'll see if he can win the league again, I think he has the team to do it

So this weekend I was playing around with translating Italian renaissance embroidery patterns into a sweater design. I had the English league games on in the background and admittedly wasn't paying close attention. But....good lord, is the defending always that appalling in that league?

Yeah, week one was a terrible advert for defending. But I generally find that the art of defending is just taking a massive hit with each new season. We're seeing worse defending, the game is tilted to an attacking style anyway, so it's gotten to the point of teams outscoring each other