lol at "Europa League Player of the Season "
We've basically got a tour of eastern Europe.
Everton's group is harder than United's.
Wiki gives them a refreshing lack of tattooed mixed race Brazilians (who utterly dominate world football outside the big leagues) but a couple of random Spaniards, eastern med journeyman Dino Ndlovu, and 'Wilde-Donald Guerrier'. Haiti may lag behind in some respects, but in terms of great names it leads the world.
Bigging up Haiti probably isn't a bad way to get Sincere off your back.
Spain just called up David Villa, fresh off his successes at New York City FC
MLS
Their striker choices have always been abysmal outside the few big names.
In other news AEK got back to Europe (proper) and even though we were 4th seed we got a group of Milan, Austria Vienna and Rijeka. Can't complain.
Coutinho in and Clyne out, Ibrahimovic in, Costa out, Janssen out of the Champions League squads announced today. These can be amended again after the Group Stage.
Trent.
I'm a twit
How bad is Clyne's injury? Jesus.
Probably banned for coke.
Ah the old Wilshere injury
Same with Eric Lamela.
I always thought Rosicky was the original.
Would it not be a whole lot cheaper to just re-lay the pitch 2 or 3 times a season after the NFL games?
https://www.balls.ie/football/spurs-jigsaw-pitch-373137
Seedings are out.
Derry City Vs The Rangers needs to happen
Relaying it requires the roots to go back into the turf so needs more time otherwise you have the turf coming up underneath you like they did after the last NFL game. IIRC this retractable thing is what the Emirates does (or they build it on top of a platform or something) which always gets top ratings.
Pity Derry couldn't squeak through. The Hibs match sounds a bit daft.
I see the new format gives Cork at least a very good chance of getting into the Europa group stages.
I can't wait for the Europa League. I might even go to our home group games (I never go these days as going to Chelsea regularly is basically like burning bank notes all evening). The pokier random teams we get drawn against, the better. Would love a Cork City, or some Armenian side, or whatever.
We've got some Croatians up next, fully expect that to be the end of it.
That didn't go well.
Rosenborg nearly lost to some Icelanders the other day, every chance of doing them.
Was just looking at Dundalks possible opponents if they beat Larnaca too and I had never realised Burnley were in this (playing Aberdeen apparently).
Ajax or Sturm Graz for Dundalk if they come through against the Cypriots. No group stages this year then, but it'll at least mean the fixtures for the end of the season won't be a total mess like last year.
Rosenborg's new manager got the bin from Twente a couple of years ago after maybe the worst preseason ever. He was in charge for six weeks and managed them to a loss against St Kitts & Nevis and St Vincent.
They'll be very beatable.
Even still, they're a fair step above our teams though. Even Dundalk.
We basically have to win the thing in the next two seasons. Three, tops.
Dundalk are playing like shit.
Hoban just got sent off for a second yellow and then told to come back on and given his first yellow. He probably would have been better off tonight.
@John How is Morelos doing for you? I saw he scored yesterday. Didn’t he have a good fall last season too and then didn’t score almost at all in Spring?
That’s pretty much it yeah. Great first half, poor second half with lots of missed chances. Had his head turned by a supposed £8m offer from China and never looked the same player.
He was poor in the first two games this year, but was excellent last night. He’s a bit of a conundrum, but he’s young and cost under a million. Scored about 20 goals last season.
The Greek teams had 2 proper FM games yesterday. Asteras were 2 goals up at Hibs after an hour of play and ended up losing 3-2 and Atromitos were losing 4-0 with 20 minutes to go and managed to score 3.
I can only imagine the silky, one touch football that was doubtless on display at Aberdeen 1 Burnley 1.
I don't think any Greek fan travelled to see the Hibs game. When we drove near the stadium yesterday it was just pure green.
I was at Celtic park on Wednesday. There were no more than twenty five Rosenberg fans in the away end, but I did see a guy wearing a Greek flag on the way out.
I'm quite in love with Kristoffer Ajer. The best Norwegian on the pitch by quite a bit.
Haven't seen Dundalk play as badly in about five years.
Taking in the delights of Slovan Bratislava vs Balzan and the home fans have just given Balzan's black forward a round of monkey chants. I wonder if anything will come of it.
I saw Valur play Santa Coloma (Andorran side) yesterday.
How we managed to lose the first leg will forever remain a mystery since they are quite possibly the worst footballing side I have ever seen. They honestly would not look out of place in the Icelandic third tier.
They didn't even attempt to play football in the first half. It was just timewasting, feigning injury and crowding the ref at every opportunity. It looked like they had taken a leaf from Panama's book at the World Cup.
Anyway, Valur's win means that they are the only Icelandic side left in Europe this year. We get Sheriff Tiraspol in the next round and they look somewhat beatable, on paper at least.
Dundalk needn't feel too bad after all, Larnaca did Sturm Graz 7-0.
Burnley
Eleven Sports are showing Burnley v Olympiakos on Thursday.