And finally, The Arsenal gets a decent draw in the Champions League. Wenger gets his old club Monaco, sans James and Falcao of course. This should be someone the Gunners can beat for a change.
Damn, that's rough. Any injury word on Drogba & Zouma? TIA.Originally posted by Rishi:
Capitol One Cup semis:
Liverpool/Chelsea
Spurs/Sheffield Wed.
Chelsea has another busy Jan. with potentially 8 matches (if they get by Watford in the first FA Cup match).
City catches a break as they have a full week b/w their 2nd FA Cup (assuming they win their 1st) and Chelsea on the 31st whereas Chelsea is playing the 2nd leg of the COC b/w the 2nd FA Cup match and City.
The 31st is also about a week after Aguero is supposed to return so unless he suffers a set back, Chelsea will likely be seeing him at the Bridge.
Both expected to be available for Stoke on Monday, same with Courtois.Originally posted by NoleLizards:
Damn, that's rough. Any injury word on Drogba & Zouma? TIA.Originally posted by Rishi:
Capitol One Cup semis:
Liverpool/Chelsea
Spurs/Sheffield Wed.
Chelsea has another busy Jan. with potentially 8 matches (if they get by Watford in the first FA Cup match).
City catches a break as they have a full week b/w their 2nd FA Cup (assuming they win their 1st) and Chelsea on the 31st whereas Chelsea is playing the 2nd leg of the COC b/w the 2nd FA Cup match and City.
The 31st is also about a week after Aguero is supposed to return so unless he suffers a set back, Chelsea will likely be seeing him at the Bridge.
I'd be shocked. Now that he's played in the Champions League it would greatly reduce the number of teams that would have interest in him. Likely to go in the summer IMO.Originally posted by Manch.:
Rishi,
Is Cech gone in January?
Call me naive, but why would Cech keeping in the CL prevent other teams from trying to acquire him? If he stays the rest of the season(s), I'll be thrilled to death. Having two great keepers during this demanding schedule is much better than one!Originally posted by Rishi:
I'd be shocked. Now that he's played in the Champions League it would greatly reduce the number of teams that would have interest in him. Likely to go in the summer IMO.Originally posted by Manch.:
Rishi,
Is Cech gone in January?
As well Mourinho doesn't want to sell him in case something happens to Courtois (who's already missed a few games due to illness and minor injury).
Because one of those teams would have been the most likely to try to acquire him and he would be ineligible (cup tied) to play in the UCL the rest of the year.Originally posted by NoleLizards:
Call me naive, but why would Cech keeping in the CL prevent other teams from trying to acquire him? If he stays the rest of the season(s), I'll be thrilled to death. Having two great keepers during this demanding schedule is much better than one!Originally posted by Rishi:
I'd be shocked. Now that he's played in the Champions League it would greatly reduce the number of teams that would have interest in him. Likely to go in the summer IMO.Originally posted by Manch.:
Rishi,
Is Cech gone in January?
As well Mourinho doesn't want to sell him in case something happens to Courtois (who's already missed a few games due to illness and minor injury).
Yeah, that's everyone's schedule this year. At least there is some space before the 26th -> with Chelsea and Stoke playing last on the 22nd everyone's got at least 4 days before that 1st game.Originally posted by Manch.:
Noticed that United is playing on the 26th, 28th and 1st in the EPL. Damn, I don't remember the schedule being that bunched in December.
Ahhh...I get it now. Thanks.Originally posted by Rishi:
Because one of those teams would have been the most likely to try to acquire him and he would be ineligible (cup tied) to play in the UCL the rest of the year.Originally posted by NoleLizards:
Call me naive, but why would Cech keeping in the CL prevent other teams from trying to acquire him? If he stays the rest of the season(s), I'll be thrilled to death. Having two great keepers during this demanding schedule is much better than one!Originally posted by Rishi:
I'd be shocked. Now that he's played in the Champions League it would greatly reduce the number of teams that would have interest in him. Likely to go in the summer IMO.Originally posted by Manch.:
Rishi,
Is Cech gone in January?
As well Mourinho doesn't want to sell him in case something happens to Courtois (who's already missed a few games due to illness and minor injury).
Originally posted by Manch.:
NL, do you know how long it took me to figure out Cup tied and also the several team Cups, within the league and Europe, especially with the formats and overtime advancement rules as the League Cup and free pass to Wembley.
Cech played 3 games in the CL group stage (2 shit games against Maribor and then on match day 6, after Chelsea locked into the top spot). I think that if he wasn't cup-tied, that he'd have more value in black January.
One thing that I still struggle with, is when does a player become cup-tied as it appears that every Cup is different. For the CL, does Cech become cup-tied when he first sees the field on match day #3, or if he is on the game day roster or if he is on the CL 25 man team roster of a cup team but is never on a match day roster?
I am sure that Kooter has a simple one sentence answer.
For UCL, they become cup tied when they see the field. eg, Cech was the backup for the 1st couple of UCL games for Chelsea but since he hadn't played he wasn't cup tied.Originally posted by Manch.:
NL, do you know how long it took me to figure out Cup tied and also the several team Cups, within the league and Europe, especially with the formats and overtime advancement rules as the League Cup and free pass to Wembley.
Cech played 3 games in the CL group stage (2 shit games against Maribor and then on match day 6, after Chelsea locked into the top spot). I think that if he wasn't cup-tied, that he'd have more value in black January.
One thing that I still struggle with, is when does a player become cup-tied as it appears that every Cup is different. For the CL, does Cech become cup-tied when he first sees the field on match day #3, or if he is on the game day roster or if he is on the CL 25 man team roster of a cup team but is never on a match day roster?
I am sure that Kooter has a simple one sentence answer.
You may be right, but I think you're wrong. Not pressing you or arguing, but do you have a link? I think you're cup-tied once you're named to a match day roster (ie on the bench). I think you MIGHT even be cup-tied if you're merely named to the preliminary CL/UEFA Cup list of available players.Originally posted by Rishi:
For UCL, they become cup tied when they see the field.
Everything I've ever read says "played" specifically. I haven't read the actual rules, but they are out there if you want to find them and read them. I believe I saw a link with the number being 17.4 (or something around there).Originally posted by LesClaypool:
You may be right, but I think you're wrong. Not pressing you or arguing, but do you have a link? I think you're cup-tied once you're named to a match day roster (ie on the bench). I think you MIGHT even be cup-tied if you're merely named to the preliminary CL/UEFA Cup list of available players.Originally posted by Rishi:
For UCL, they become cup tied when they see the field.
This is is why it's so important to do your transfer business (for the big clubs) in August b/c anyone worth having has been at least named to a match-day roster in one of the two competitions. (I think)
If Wikipedia is correct, it sounds like the player needs to actually play to be cup tied to a specific team.Originally posted by fsugrad06:
Everything I've ever read says "played" specifically. I haven't read the actual rules, but they are out there if you want to find them and read them. I believe I saw a link with the number being 17.4 (or something around there).Originally posted by LesClaypool:
You may be right, but I think you're wrong. Not pressing you or arguing, but do you have a link? I think you're cup-tied once you're named to a match day roster (ie on the bench). I think you MIGHT even be cup-tied if you're merely named to the preliminary CL/UEFA Cup list of available players.Originally posted by Rishi:
For UCL, they become cup tied when they see the field.
This is is why it's so important to do your transfer business (for the big clubs) in August b/c anyone worth having has been at least named to a match-day roster in one of the two competitions. (I think)
Don't worry about the title until Jan. 31st. That is the biggest day of the campaign as City head to SW6. If Chelsea have a 6 point lead at that point (i.e. we win that match), the title is ours. If we are even on points (i.e. City win) they'll win the title as they'll end the campaign with a better goal differential and we won't control our own destiny at that point.Originally posted by NoleLizards:
Once again my Blues are choking away the BPL by leaving points on the pitch. Chelsea lived nearly the entire 2nd half in Southampton's deep end today and for some reason can't get one decent shot on goal. Meanwhile, City continues to bulldoze along. The lead will be the slightest single point after today's action.
I don't believe what I just saw. Burnley, fighting to avoid relegation, comes back in the 2nd half to draw at Man City to keep Chelsea three points clear. The more I watch this sport, the less I know.
This post was edited on 12/28 11:57 AM by NoleLizards
Thankfully, it's next season and not two years hence. I was afraid he'd be the centerpiece of Atlanta's new team when it starts.Originally posted by Manch.:
Gerrard to the MLS after this season. I knew he was out of Liverpool, but the MLS? The EPL's graveyard.
My envy has no limits. I saw a game back in the day at Highbury, but hope some day to see the lads kick off in the Emirates.Originally posted by LesClaypool:
Off-topic bragging moment...
I'm in London for a few days right now and I took a tour of Emirates Stadium today. F'ing incredible! Took about an hour and they give you full access to every part of the stadium. Only sad I won't get to see the boys play tomorrow vs Hull in the FA Cup, but luckily I caught a match here last year vs Fulham (2-0 Cazorla brace).
Happy New Year PGSF'ers!
Joke on Chelsea site is:Originally posted by Manch.:
Gerrard to the MLS after this season. I knew he was out of Liverpool, but the MLS? The EPL's graveyard.
I'm not a Gerrard fan at all, and I'm glad to see him leave Liverpool. I do think it would be funny to see him at NYCFC and loaned back to City.Originally posted by Rishi:
Joke on Chelsea site is:Originally posted by Manch.:
Gerrard to the MLS after this season. I knew he was out of Liverpool, but the MLS? The EPL's graveyard.
Gerrard to sign with NYCFC and then get loaned to City. Finally gets to play with Lamps.
CR gets his share of PK's, as does Messi and several other top goal scorers, but absolutely nothing like Gerrard. In the 2013/2014 season, Gerrard scored 12 goals, 11 were from the spot and the other was from a free kick, heck, today he doubled the # of open goals than he had all of last year.Originally posted by FSUdawg:
One annoying thing to me about his goal scoring is it seems a large percentage of his goals come from penalty kicks. I understand this is part of the game, but I personally don't like it...same with CR7. I respect goals from open play a lot more than penalty kicks from the spot.