2014/15 International Football

[VictoriaGooner]

For anyone interested in the North American summer pre-season tour friendlies tonight:

Toronto FC 2-3 Tottenham Hotspur

Ottawa Fury FC 0-1 Rangers FC

Supporters Shield: Sporting KC 1-4 Manchester City

[JayMac]

For anyone interested in the North American summer pre-season tour friendlies tonight:

Toronto FC 2-3 Tottenham Hotspur (FT)

Ottawa Fury FC 0-1 Rangers FC (FT)

Sporting KC 1-2 Manchester City (51')

The Toronto vs spurs match was fun to watch.

[AnythingChicago]

Ten early bold predictions for the 2014/15 Premier League:

1. Arsenal will win the title

2. Chelsea, Manchester City, and Liverpool will round out the Champions League berths in that order.

3. Manchester United will secure the lone Europa League bid in another disappointing season.

4. Swansea City will finish in the top half of the table.

5. Everton, Tottenham, Southampton, and Newcastle will round out the top ten.

5. QPR will be the most successful newly promoted club, finishing in 13th.

6. Leicester City will narrowly escape relegation, finishing in 17th.

7. Aston Villa, Burnley, and West Bromwich Albion will be relegated.

8. Alexis Sánchez, Daniel Sturridge, Robin van Persie, Wilfried Bony, and Diego Costa will be the top five goalscorers (in no particular order).

9. Arsenal will score the most goals and concede the least.

10. Burnley will score the fewest goals, but Aston Villa will concede the most.

[VictoriaGooner]

AC, you have some pretty good predictions there for the upcoming Premier L:eague season. I actually echo you on most of your predictions except one:

I think Leicester City will be relegated and WBA will narrowly miss the drop. West Brom always seems to pull it together after the Christmas schedule and push with some crucial wins against the clubs that are around them in the table. If WBA can pick up the crucial 6 pointers against Villa, Burnley and Leicester City with a couple draws v QPR, they will survive. The Foxes had a really good run in the Championship last season but I don't think their striking ability of Vardy, Nugent, and ex-Albion Wood will make much of an impact in the PL. Yes they signed Ulloa from Brighton & Hove Albion where he scored 14 goals last season, but I can see the Argentinean having a lot less space in the PL to get the chances on net like he did in the Championship.

[IanC]

Arsenal will not win the Premier League. Thats my prediction. It will be either of the Manchester clubs or Chelsea.

Ben Davies and Michel Vorm are now officially Tottenham players with Gylfi Sigurdsson heading in the direction of Swansea.

[VictoriaGooner]

What's with Louis Van Gaal already complaining about everything already? He's barely been in the top position at United and he's already complaining about the club's pre-season tour schedule. And now about how they are not balanced due to having four number 10's even though they hammered LA Galaxy last night 7-0. First world problems I take it...If he is doing this during the pre-season, how do you think he'll be during the Premier League and associated domestic cup competitions?

If I didn't see Van Gaal in the article title, I could have thought SAF was still in charge.

[JayMac]

What's with Louis Van Gaal already complaining about everything already? He's barely been in the top position at United and he's already complaining about the club's pre-season tour schedule. And now about how they are not balanced due to having four number 10's even though they hammered LA Galaxy last night 7-0. First world problems I take it...If he is doing this during the pre-season, how do you think he'll be during the Premier League and associated domestic cup competitions?

If I didn't see Van Gaal in the article title, I could have thought SAF was still in charge.

He didn't complain when he was at the helm for the Netherlands. All of the sudden, he goes to the Devils and he becomes a complainer. Must be a Manchester United thing. Lol

[TorinK92]

I'll hazard a prediction at the final table. Part of me wants to pencil in Everton at 5th again, but I know they're not that good of a team this year so far.

1: Chelsea - 88 Pts

2: Arsenal - 82 Pts

3: Man City - 78 Pts

4: Man United - 76 Pts

5: Liverpool - 71 Pts

-----------------------------------

16: QPR - 40 Pts

17: West Brom - 37 Pts

18: Aston Villa - 36 Pts

19: Leicester - 33 Pts

20: Burnley - 29 Pts

[Pabig]

Qarabag should be an easy opponent for my Red Bulls, but then again there was that team from Luxembourg in 2012...

[crashcarson15]

Ten early bold predictions for the 2014/15 Premier League:

7. Aston Villa, Burnley, and West Bromwich Albion will be relegated.

10. Burnley will score the fewest goals, but Aston Villa will concede the most.

Thought you said "bold" predictions?

If WBA can pick up the crucial 6 pointers against Villa.

Real funny joke here!

For the record, I think this is the best Villa team since the 2010-11 team that ultimately finishes in the top-half. They've effectively brought in 7 new signings that all can't suck and only lost one player of any real consequence.

Anyways, legitimate request here: VictoriaGooner, if you could please stop posting the near-daily "recaps," that'd be great. Most of us don't care about obscure Champions League or Europa League matches and if we do, we'll bring it up in conversation.

What's great is if you post about one or two things and then comment on them (like you did with the SAF comment upthread) rather than try and moderate things. Thanks.

[JayMac]

My bold prediction for the Premier League is that Arsenal will finish outside of the top 5. Not so bold predictions...Burnley and Leicester City will not spend much time in the top flight as they will be relegated. West Brom will join them. I will say that Manchester City will win the title. Huge reach there, too.

[-kj]

The real question: Who's coming back up?

Ugh.

[JayMac]

The real question: Who's coming back up?

Ugh.

Wigan is due. I would like to see Norwich back up. I'm gonna say no to Cardiff and Fulham. Maybe Watford?

[Berlin Wall]

Leeds man, LEEDS! They have to come back. Without them the PL isn't interesting for me.

But I'd also go with Arsenal this season. I belive they can make a stretch like Liverpool last season, but with a better ending.

[IanC]

My league predictions.

1. Manchester City

2. Chelsea

3. Manchester United

4. Arsenal

5. Liverpool

6. Tottehnham

7. Everton

8. Swansea

9. Newcastle

10. Stoke

11. Aston Villa

12. West Ham

13. Southampton

14. Crystal Palace

15. Q.P.R

16. Hull

17. Sunderland

18. West Brom

19. Leicester

20 Burnley

[VictoriaGooner]

Ten early bold predictions for the 2014/15 Premier League:

7. Aston Villa, Burnley, and West Bromwich Albion will be relegated.

10. Burnley will score the fewest goals, but Aston Villa will concede the most.

Thought you said "bold" predictions?

If WBA can pick up the crucial 6 pointers against Villa.

Real funny joke here!

For the record, I think this is the best Villa team since the 2010-11 team that ultimately finishes in the top-half. They've effectively brought in 7 new signings that all can't suck and only lost one player of any real consequence.

Anyways, legitimate request here: VictoriaGooner, if you could please stop posting the near-daily "recaps," that'd be great. Most of us don't care about obscure Champions League or Europa League matches and if we do, we'll bring it up in conversation.

What's great is if you post about one or two things and then comment on them (like you did with the SAF comment upthread) rather than try and moderate things. Thanks.

No worries Crash, I will stop the recap posts. I realized I was a little over the top and plan to sit back with more open discussions.

With clubs I would love to see back in the Premier League is Nottingham Forest and Leeds United

[Jaffa]

I'd happily see Forest promoted. Not bothered about Leeds, mind.

[VictoriaGooner]

Arsenal continue the spending by diving into their war chest with the acquisition of two more players:

1. Colombian keeper and World Cup standout David Ospina for £3 million from OGC Nice announced today (July 27). What a good pickup by Wenger. His scouting abilities never seem to amaze me. He knows how to find hidden gems like him. Ospina will fill the back role for the Gunners behind Szczesny. But I can see Ospina taking the number 1 shirt in the near future. The best thing is there is now a competition for that starting keeper role. And I believe Szczesny needs that because he was mediocre the last couple seasons with no real push from Fabianski.

2. England U19 right back standout Calum Chambers £16 million from Southampton which is suspected to be announced on Monday (July 28). Wenger knows talent when he sees it and the Southampton Academy has produced some amazing footballer over the life of the academy. Most notably recently Gareth Bale, Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Luke Shaw. I think Chambers will be a good utility player for filling in the missing role of left back or even a backup to Mertesacker and Koscielny in the center back role. The kid has a very good match perception and knows how to change the game from the back. Plus his tackling is one of the best on the U19 side. I believe with the Chambers signing, that is the end of Jenkinson at Arsenal. He has been a good servant for the club but he really was not Arsenal calibre. Of course nor is Sanogo but that is a whole new can of worms

Total Arsenal has spent £61.2 million on transfers this summer window and rumors are that they are not finished spending. I have to say since Arsenal finished paying off Emirates Stadium two years ago, the transfer budget has been getting bigger and bigger each season. Meaning their aspirations have as well. The 2014/15 prospects are looking good

[Jaffa]

...I believe with the Chambers signing, that is the end of Jenkinson at Arsenal. He has been a good servant for the club but he really was not Arsenal calibre. Of course nor is Sanogo but that is a whole new can of worms

Steve Bruce confirmed yesterday that we're looking at getting Jenkinson in on loan - there's competition for him apparently, but if Arsenal are wanting him out at a club where he's gong to get a crack at first team football they could do worse than send him up here.

[AnythingChicago]

Watching the ICC on FS1, and the commentary is far from spectacular.

"Emyr Huws, the 20 year old from Welsh, a Welsh international."

Dear God, watching the 2018 World Cup on FOX is going to be unbearable.