EPL 2017-18 Season
- Thread starter UCFWayne
- Start date
Heard that Man City has spent the most and are the clear favorite. Cross town rival Man U should be 2nd. The 4 regulars on top should be on top.
I really wished I was following the EPL a couple of years ago when Leicester City F.C. made that Cinderella run to the Championship.
Man. City tends to spend the most nowadays (they weren't always this rich).
I hope Man U doesn't win, Mourinho is a douche and I loved watching his Chelsea team crumble.
I'm an Arsenal fan (husband is from the U.K. and that's his team). I think it would be hilarious if they actually made a run this year, the year they have the least hype around them. Lacazette was a good signing.
I think Tottenham will do quite well and yes, West Ham pulled off some major signings (but I don't think they'll win the league).
Will be interesting to see if Tottenham losing a home field advantage this season since they are playing at 90,000 Wembley Stadium while their new Facility takes shape.
While most seats will be sold when they play their London rivals and or the 3 top teams from Man/Liv, will be interesting if/when 15,000-20,000 plus visitors can get a hold of some Tix, which never happens in EPL.
Of course some lesser games might be played in front of 40,000 empty seats.
While most seats will be sold when they play their London rivals and or the 3 top teams from Man/Liv, will be interesting if/when 15,000-20,000 plus visitors can get a hold of some Tix, which never happens in EPL.
Of course some lesser games might be played in front of 40,000 empty seats.
I think Arsenal's signing was good, I just dont think it will be enough. I think for the most part everyone else got better than they did.
Tottenham at Wembly will certainly be interesting. Like KL mentioned, I wonder if itll feel like home when they play some of the bigger teams there.
I think both the Manchester teams get in, they both spent too much money not too.
Chelsea really didnt do a whole lot, but then again, they walked away with it last year and should be in good shape again this year.
come on guys, lets see your top 4 standings. it will give us something else to talk about besides politics...
Tottenham at Wembly will certainly be interesting. Like KL mentioned, I wonder if itll feel like home when they play some of the bigger teams there.
I think both the Manchester teams get in, they both spent too much money not too.
Chelsea really didnt do a whole lot, but then again, they walked away with it last year and should be in good shape again this year.
come on guys, lets see your top 4 standings. it will give us something else to talk about besides politics...
Would've said Liverpool in top 4 but with Coutinho leaving and the unlikelihood of us grabbing another mildfielder (Keita from RB), I say we land 5th.
1. City
2. United
3. Chelsea
4. Arsenal
1. City
2. United
3. Chelsea
4. Arsenal
Don't have a favorite, I like pretty much every team in that league. That being said, I hope Arsenal can stop channeling their inner Chicago Cubs and take the whole thing.
After this weekend, I stand by my top 4. Man U looks like world beaters. Hell, I thought West Ham would going to make a serious push for #5, but maybe not.
current table
1. Man U
2. Huddersfield
3. Man City
4. Tottenham
5. Arsenal
6. Burnley
7. Everton
8. West Brom
current table
1. Man U
2. Huddersfield
3. Man City
4. Tottenham
5. Arsenal
6. Burnley
7. Everton
8. West Brom
I actually watched some of these games since there's little else to watch in the morning. I will say, it's the best soccer to watch since the skill level is so high. It's hard to watch the MLS when it feels like you're watching a minor league team.
However, I again felt like throwing my TV out the window when I witnessed a team pass a ball from just outside the opponents box, back to midfield, back to defense, and back to the f'ing goalie, before restarting again.
However, I again felt like throwing my TV out the window when I witnessed a team pass a ball from just outside the opponents box, back to midfield, back to defense, and back to the f'ing goalie, before restarting again.
If you go back as little as two years ago and watch MLS games and compare them to today's MLS games, you will notice a significant boost in quality. It's impossible to compare a league that is 22 years old versus a league that has teams that have been around for over 100 years. I think the MLS is making all the right moves to become a premier soccer league in the world, the money is just not there yet. Guys like Giovinco, David Villa, they're proof that you can get high quality players that are still in their prime to come play MLS. The league is just too young, but guaranteed every week there is two, maybe three games that will be absolutely enjoyable. Toronto, Portland, Seattle, NYCFC, they're all really fun teams to watch, especially when they play each other. It sucks that Orlando has been sucking a big fat purple donkey dick this season.
I'm looking forward to Serie A next weekend to see if Juventus can make chicken soup out of chicken shit with this ghost of a roster they have.
You just don't know what is going on. Do you have the same reaction when teams do the victory formation?
Sometimes soccer teams have to pass the ball back to get the other team to come out of their box and create space to attack. Most of the time, the re-start the attack using the opposite wing. Sometimes they are able to reset the attack at midfield but you have to understand that the defenders don't usually have the skills to do it and have to kick it back
I think we will see another big jump in MLS' level of play next year. The salary cap is finally going to be over $4m and its rumored that TAM will be $2m as well.
I get it. But I think the EPL hurts the MLS and will continue hurting it when shown by NBC. If you wake up and watch the best players in the world from 7-10 am, it's a hard sell to get that person to tune back later to watch an MLS game.
This is like showing Dodgers vs Cardinals and then asking people to watch a AA game later.
I know NBC doesn't care since they're drawing well on weekends. Hell, non soccer fans like me are tuning in. But I think it will always sort of undermine the MLS ability to increase TV ratings and get more people invested in their teams. I know many people who are Manchester fans or whatever but don't watch MLS
Agree to a certain extent. The bulk of the MLS season has already passed when EPL starts. MLS is in the thick of the playoff hunt, so there's some excitement if you follow a team. But, yeah, to the casual observer, you get your soccer fix in the morning and that's it, no need to watch MLS.
The league keeps thriving though. I know that "technically" they're in competition with other leagues in the world, but they really have no competition in the US and that's good. Liga MX is less popular in this country than EPL, that tells you how much of an advantage the MLS has already. Like I said before, the league needs money. Money to be on tv more often, money to bring in more stars, money to have a more visual presence. It's getting there.
it comes out to roughly $117m per team a year, which is more than the current $90m tv contract. Of course, both go down each time mls expands but that that also adds value to the league as well. that is part of why tam will increase to over $2m a year in 2018.
you are absolutely right. it is very similar to mlb vs a, aa, or aaa baseball. of course mls is only 20 years old and doesnt have 30/32 teams like the other big leagues in this country. its taking a slow and measured growth. at times its hard, but like jets mentioned, mls talent is way better than it was just 2 or 3 years ago. unfortunately mls hasnt been able to really get big contracts that allow for even better players yet, but its working on it.
i know its years away, but likely in 2023, you will see the line between epl/bundesliga/laliga and mls get a lot closer. by then you will likely see more guys coming to mls for a few years before going to europe. then, mls will be much more popular than it is today.
Agreed! The trend now is that the really good players go to Europe first and come here to end their careers. I think those players will come here first for s few years, THEN go to Europe, which will make the MLS a sexy pick to start and will give the league and the teams leverage over players which will in turn bring large transfer money deals, etc, etc.
mls needs to do away with some of it older rules in place to help make it a buying and selling league. Tenorio did a good little write up.
https://www.fourfourtwo.com/us/feat...-open-market-distorted-pay-scale-mls-analysis
But, why would that reverse?
I just looked it up- the average EPL salary is $3M/player. The average MLS salary is.....$316K/player. The MLS salary would have to increase by 846% to be on par.
Even if somehow the MLS made monumental leaps forward in terms of wealth, and the average salary went to $1M/player, that's still just a third of what an EPL player makes.
I'm not sure players would sacrifice that type of money in their prime playing days to stick around the MLS.
mls isnt going to catch the epl, bundesliga, or la liga any time soon. however, it will bridge the gap to may of the other european leagues fairly soon (2023). what it can do is become the next best league. a league that the others look to get their talent. similar to how the p5 often uses the g5 to get its coaches.
mls also has a rule called the designated player. each team can have 3 guys that only cost $500k towards the cap but can pay a guy whatever they want. orlando city has kaka that makes $7m yet only counts as $500k towards the cap. so mls can use this rule to grab a couple bigger/better talented guys and prop up the league a bit.
Wow, really good article indeed. The MLS needs to stop pretending it's a small league anymore.
The MLS is never going to catch those leagues, not in our lifetime I believe, but it can become the next best league. Right now, players that can't get money and playing time in Europe turn to Mexico and China. MLS needs to be in that conversation alongside Mexico and China and I think the league is growing at a rate that will get them there in the next 10 years.
MLS needs to look to South America and get young players from Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Colombia, etc before they become famous and then sell them to Europe. MLS can pick almost anyone they want from the professional teams in SA because the teams have to survive with ticket sales and minimal TV money. Link to average salaries from 2014:
https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-medi...ogressive,q_80,w_636/lvgtcrasc6yrdxiuqtxx.jpg
Number for Brazil is high but they have like 10 different leagues that play soccer. What the table doesn't show is players in some teams go months without getting paid.
I think Barcelona "discovered" Messi when he was 14. MLS teams could do the same and mention the name of prospects to universities so they can offer them scholarships
https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-medi...ogressive,q_80,w_636/lvgtcrasc6yrdxiuqtxx.jpg
Number for Brazil is high but they have like 10 different leagues that play soccer. What the table doesn't show is players in some teams go months without getting paid.
I think Barcelona "discovered" Messi when he was 14. MLS teams could do the same and mention the name of prospects to universities so they can offer them scholarships
Did the contract ever get finalized for the new MLS vs Liga MX tournament? Like, the new SuperLiga or something like that? I think that will be a great opportunity for the MLS to poach all the young talent from Liga MX and lure them with higher salaries, provided they can actually compete.
