All discussion involving other European leagues here

Just to get things rolling, Pogba will apparently have to sit out Man U's first game due to yellow card accumulation in the Coppa Italia

What?? How does that even work? They're two different leagues and two different competitions.

Have absolutely no clue, but the English FA said that the suspension has been transferred to England.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2016/0...r-uniteds-firs/

Why are United playing with Blind at the back? Goal was comical

He's always played as CB under Jose thus far.

Isn't it ridiculous that they spent a 100m on Pogba but failed to bring in proper CBs? Not to mention having Fellaini in midfield

Thought City were toying with them in the first half

Fellaini was really good. He's really become critical for the team in that defensive mid role. It was the two wingers who were terrible. You could see the difference in the second half.

You thought Fellaini was really good? Really?

I thought he was just a parade of awkward limbs out there. One of the most unnatural players I've ever watched in my life.

Maybe by his standards he was good, and he wasn't the worst player out there for Man U today, but he certainly didn't help their cause either

Also on a scale of 1 to 10, how finished do you guys think Rooney is? Because I think he's surpassed that counter and moved into completely over the hill status. And it's not like he's really old or anything like that is he? How old is he now anyway, 30, 31? He shouldn't be this physically unfit

Let's face it han, you have a problem with such players. Ambrosini, Motta, etc. I know you too well

Nah, Fellaini is just bad.

He's been a starter under the last three coaches. Including one of the best coaches in the world. I guess they're all wrong.

One of my all time favourite Milan players; Rino Gattuso. Hardly a slinky skilful player.

The style of player has nothing to do with why I don't rate certain players. I think Ambrosini, even in his best of times had major limitations as a player. Motta is cringe worthy for various reasons and Fellaini is just awful, awful, awful.

Just overall awkward, questionable footballing ability, low footballing IQ to go along with all that as well. Plus his face and hair just irritate the sh!t out of me so there

2 of them have already failed terribly while Man U have spent record sums... Not the best advertisement there Jack. And Mourinho is off to a rocky start as well. Getting outplayed like that is such a highly touted fixture is not something to write home about. I'm sure he will do well overall, but I don't think he'll win the title tbh

I don't think you're watching enough Manchester United then han. Fellaini was their best player in the field. Unlike Pogba, Mkhitaryan or Lingaard who were so out of position. Most of the Man Utd fans have now turned in their opinion.

He's an unfashionable player I get it. But he's very effective in his role as a midfield destroyer plus a late runner. A step below Essien but very important in that squad.

+1

I doubt he'll win the title. He took over a pretty bad team. People seem to focus a lot on the Pogba transfer and ignore the fact that Man City - who had a much superior squad to begin with - spent more than Man U this summer, even though Man U broke the transfer record.

As for Fellaini, if you compare reputation to ability, he's one of the most underrated players around. He's started the season on fire, winning the ball back a ridiculous amount.

Does simply winning the ball justify his overall presence on the pitch? I personally don't think so.

3-1 loss today as well. after the defeat to City and in the EL.

I never said that. He happens to be exceptional at winning the ball back. He's also a very big threat in the box and allows Man U's midfield to put a physical stamp on the game.

I think Man U are still a year or 2 off being able to compete. Defensively they are a mess and they're a bit like Madrid of 4/5 years ago in that they have arguably the most overrated goalkeeper in the planet. Rashford/Martial are still not ready yet. Mata and Depay are awful.

Today's word is schadenfreude.

What? I don't see where and how? Did something happen? Neymar to PSG?

That would be it.

I'm not really sure how that's schadenfreude?

It is if you're watching Barca twitter melt down.

I saw a bunch of people act like it's totally justified. Neymar is poison and should move on. They will buy Veratti and Coutinho and some fullback etc etc.

Non-Barca fans are sticking up for Neymar saying he's being pushed out by Messi and Suarez and it's a Latin American racist thing etc. etc.

There are also the 'Neymar is a traitor' folks, the 'Neymar only wants money' folks (not always the same group), and the 'now the Board will waste the money' folks.

Personally, I think money played a big part (Neymar and his father seem very fond of lots of $$), but I suspect there's also an element of being the star of the team out from Messi's shadow to it as well.

Ah, yes, I thought you meant on Neymar's part. Barca fans can go f*ck themselves as can their club.

I also find it hilarious they put in a 222M release clause and when a team actually legitimately activates it they grass them up to Uefa.

Disgusting football club, dislike them intensely.

That's all there is. Neymar's ego expects to be the main man. He thought he'd be it by now. If an entire country idolises him as the modern Pele or Ronaldo, he expects to have earned it from his club's city by now.

But nowhere near it, and Messi stays as the power.

Neymar wants to be number one, and while it's an immature way to be, you could equally argue it's justified with the ability the guy has.

And it'll never happen at Barca.

He's not being pushed out. He's got to a point in his career where he expects to be the top dog. And with Messi ahead of him it won't happen at Barca, so he's going somewhere he will be the main man.

And PSG are flirting with being a European superpower - with the addition of Neymar they could make that final step.

But no one is ready for Milan's assault

COMIN' ATCHA!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40804584

Really good article. Nails my point.

I really don't believe any of that. It's just a matter of $$$, nothing more. If he really wants to be the best, PSG and the French league certainly ain't the way to do it.

Why not? Mpabbe managed it. He's now arguably a top 5 striker at age 18 and worth 150M.

Bit dismissive of the French league I'd say there!

He emerged in the French league, and he'll soon be gone cos nobody gives a sh*t about that league. PSG are the only exception because they got the $$$.

You actually sound angry about all this.

?

Nothing wrong with it being about the $$$, but it's probably the need to be THE STAR at a club as well. I think it's about time he had that shot.

PSG are in the Champions League and they've got a damn good squad. They do need to attract a proper coach though.

Beats me too Pippo.

Agreed about Barca

I find it hilarious that they have no reservation when they themselves have been tapping up Verratti all summer, but once it's their player they're up in arms, shouting foul, FFP, UEFA, FIFA, courts, etc, etc

I don't like what the likes of PSG and City have done to the sport, but this serves Barca right. Finally getting a taste of their own medicine and man is it bitter!

As for the release clause, Spanish clubs are forced by law to include one in the contract. Barca have some ridiculous ones, which just a few months ago, no one though anyone would get anywhere near...


Agreed. He was still a star at Barca and could have made the move elsewhere. PSG and France were the cop out easy solution to get bucket loads


To say Mbappe is anywhere near Neymar's level is a stretch, the kid has had a break out half a year with Monaco. Sure he produced some really stellar stuff but come on!

He's not a top 5 striker in the world, not yet. This massive over-hype job that the media and fans have been doing for the last few months is ridiculous, especially when 90% of them have only watched him in a handful of CL games and don't follow him in France


He's a star at Barca already. He's loved (or was) by the fans. Messi is 30, Neymar is still young. And had he wanted to really be a STAR he would have chosen another club. He's going to France where he'll be forgotten for the majority of the season by the majority of football watchers as no one really follows PSG avidly in the French league unless they're PSG or League 1 fans to begin with. The amount of coverage he had at Barca will drop significantly now. So how is this not a move for the moula again?

Wow, the dismissing here of the French ligue is obtuse!

How so?



What's your question?

Are you denying that it is a second rate league that has about 25% the amount of viewership the EPL/La Liga do?

I'm denying it's a second rate league, yes. I don't think Mbappe is a worse player for not having the same viewers he would in Spain.

Out of interest, is Serie A a second rate league?

Everyone and their grandmas know the French league is a joke. Just ask yourself: when was the last time a French club won a European competition? For all of the 00s it was dominated by Lyon who made zero impact in Europe, then PSG came with the big bucks and established a new hegemony yet I don't think they've ever passed the quarter-finals. In-between you have the varios Marseille, Auxerre, Lille, Monaco etc. would have one good season in a decade.

To compare it to Spain, England, Italy and even Germany is ridiculous. Second-rate league indeed.

Yup, you're definitely angry.

The tone in your posts the past week or so is aggressive and spiteful.

I think you're looking things the wrong way man. Every move out of Barcelona can be considered a move fore the moula. Moving to the EPL would be even more stupid, because Neymar isn't the type of player that would suit English football and he'd soon end up butchered by the various Stones' of the league.

However, at Barcelona he achieved everything. Won CL, won La Liga, everything. He would have always been compared to Messi who's the real boss there and never became the real star, always in a shadow.

A move to PSG makes sense. Teams like Monaco, Nice, even Marseille and Lyon show some interesting competitive signs. Saying that no one will care now that he's gone to a league "that no one watches" other then "league fans" is very simplistic. He'll be the hero of Paris, he can build a new legacy there and take a serious shot at the Champions league, something they really want (and tried) for years now. If he achieves that, he'll be a bigger star than he ever would have been at Barcelona.


I agree with Danny here, you seem to be somehow very dismissive towards the French league and you underestimate them.


Second rate league? Man, there's no question, the French league is a top league. That being said, the money lies in the English and Spanish league and will do so for some of the coming years. Does two are, what you probably call, "first tier leagues". But you got spoiled by those standards.

Thank you for noticing but I assure you it's just a misinterpretation from your part.

As for the current matter, just because I'm calling the French league sh*t and a joke doesn't mean I'm angry. It's my personal opinion, whether you like it or not.

Firstly, we're not in the 00's anymore. Now the league is much more talented/talent-filled and competitive.

Secondly, take Germany. Just take out Lyon and insert Bayern. By the same arrogant logic you can say that the various Dortmund, Leverkusen, Wolfsburg, etc. teams are "in-betweeners". Because really, what's all that fuss about Dortmund? Before Klopp they were a bankrupt club that managed to do what? One title in a decade. But yeah, they won the CL in the 90s, right? Few years after...Marseille.

I don't get the dismissive logic applied here.

You failed to answer my question. Whether we're in the 00s or 10s matters little when the success of French clubs in Europe is almost non-existent. And it's not fair to compare the French league to the German one if you want to prove that it's not a second rate league. Compare it to England, Spain and Italy. Italy had 3 different clubs reach the final in the last 10 years, winning it twice. Engalnd and Spain likewise. This is what entails being a top league.

And even if you wanna use the Germam league as a comparison, Bayern reaches the semi-finals on a regular basis and has managed to win, Dortmund reached a final as well. This only in the last 5 years. Can we say the same about PSG and Monaco? Me thinks not.

Then why is it only a matter of time before he trades up and goes to Spain/England?

It's not just about viewership, that came out wrong on my part because I was trying to emphasise how Neymar's star power will be wasted in the French league.

What I think makes Ligue 1 a 2nd rate league is that the quality jump between it and England/Spain - Germany/Italy. Sure Monaco were a revelation this season, but they already lost practically half of their team and it will continue this summer and next. Here's a question, would you rather watch PSG vs Auxerre or Napoli vs Genoa for example? how many people do you know that follow Ligue 1 instead of any of the other mentioned leagues? Do you really think Neymar will drum up enough interest that people will avidly watch an entire season of PSG romping the league?

I think Serie A, like the Bundesliga is in this weird grey area hovering between being a 1st rate and 2nd rate. I think there's definitely much more intrigue/competition/interesting match ups in Italy and Germany compared to France. The problem with both leagues compared to EPL/La Liga is that Bayern and Juve are currently monopolizing their respective leagues so that gap is what keeps both from being in with the EPL/La Liga as 1st rate leagues


Agreed.


You make good points about Neymar maybe wanting another challenge after winning all he could with Barca, but I disagree about PSG being the correct one. it is simply a step down for him career wise. And sure at Barca he could only make a sideways move, but that's the thing with moving to a big club at such a young age.

Footballing wise and commercially it's a step back for him, no two ways about it.

How is Ligue 1 a top league? It's not just about money, the footballing aspect also is a big reason why it's not a top league.


Like I said to Danny, there are distinct qualities which make Bundesliga and Serie A much better leagues than Ligue 1.

Look guys, this discussion is pretty simple. You say La Liga and the EPL are top tier leagues. Agreed. But that doesn't automatically make every other league trash and sh@t. It's like saying Pepsi Cola is junk because their revenue and worldwide network isn't half as profitable as Coca Cola. Now, I see, the French league isn't Pepsi Cola either in this story, maybe Dr. Pepper's or who knows what.

But unleashing all the wrath of this world towards PSG and the French league won't help. And simply stating the obvious - repeating La Liga and EPL are top notch whereas others are steps back isn't helping the situation football is in. It's been long since the game turned into a Barcelona - Madrid festival with Bayern being the third wheel.

@han

I understand how you can say that Bundesliga might be a grey zone league simply out of economic perspective. But all other arguments fall into the same category - sentiment. You say the Bundesliga has far more attractive matches going on? In what terms? All up to discussion and all very subjective points. One can say the German clubs have better players and more expensive one, the other that the French have historically more significant teams, derbies and more rough talent.

You say Neymar joining PSG was a mistake. So, what would be a good choice to you? Arsenal? Citeh? Real Madrid?