I'll be betting on any leagues that I know anything about and can get some coverage on. Today Tractor Sazi kick off their Iran Pro league campaign against the reining champions Esteghlal Khuzestan. I don't know what the story is over there. :lol: And you clearly know a little bit about betting, so ...

I think only because for many Mark Noble was very unlucky to be overlooked for the Euro 2016 squad, and certainly deserved to go moreso than Henderson or Wilshere. Not saying he's our next England captain, only that it is difficult to imagine, especially since neither of those two covered themselves...

Allardyce. I dunno. There's lots to like - old school English manager, will get respect of players and instil discipline in the side. But in many respects the modern England team isn't a traditional English football team. Some of the current squad might find themselves square pegs in Allardyce's rou...

No Fixed Abode

Sanguine By first-team spot I meant a regular berth. .

Ah right, moving the goalposts.

No m9, just having a conversation.

By first-team spot I meant a regular berth. I can't see either pushing Terry, Cahill or Zouma for a regular spot, and isn't Clarke-Salter the next big thing at the back, too? And Ivanovic can play centre-back. Unless Conte decides Hector is the new Jon Obi Mikel I can't see him getting a look-in, wh...

That photo is literally as close as either will come to a first-team spot. Whoever updates the Chelsea wiki page hasn't even listed Hector in the squad. On better news for Chelsea youngsters - following a decent season at Watford, will be interesting to see if Nathan Ake continues to develop, he's g...

No, was that rumoured? I'd read about interest 'in England and in Spain' - and when he first broke through at Dortmund he looked like becoming one of the world's best footballers. Add Gotze's decision to Kante's as weird ones, imho. How can you say Kante's decision is a weird one? He's left a club ...

No, was that rumoured? I'd read about interest 'in England and in Spain' - and when he first broke through at Dortmund he looked like becoming one of the world's best footballers.

Add Gotze's decision to Kante's as weird ones, imho.

Winston Smith Mario Gotze back to Dortmund for €28M

Looked a little boy lost in the Euros and this just smacks of a guy without the confidence to test himself. He's left Bayern to play for his former club, and a club that won't challenge them.

Barcelona very much going French as they revamp their back line. Following Samuel Umtiti's signing, they've now got Lucas Digne, from PSG, too.

Agreed on the CL, but I do rather think Dembele is going to enjoy league defences.

A reported wage increase for Pelle from £1.7M per year to £13M a year putting him in the top 10 highest paid players in the world. :shock: Err lol? Lol indeed! Daily Mail says he will be the 5th highest paid player in the world, behind the 'big three' and Hulk. Absolutely mental money in the Chines...

If the papers are to be believed there was some money to be made on the early England manager markets - Allardyce and Klinsmann emerging as the favourites.

Winston Smith Marcelo Bielsa was named Lazio boss on Wednesday
Marcelo Bielsa just resigned as Lazio boss

Looks like the Argentina job he craved became available whilst he was signing his Lazio contract.

Another story, in a similar vein - worked with someone who had played on the same academy team as a subsequent Chelsea recruit at 17 years old. He was earning close to £200k pa on his first professional contract, signing which earned him £20k. When he was loaned out to the lower leagues, he received...

Hoop Blah What's dull about Hoddle's approach then?

+1.

Of all the summarisers, Hoddle is generally the most listenabababababable, and offers genuine tactical insight.

File this with HM's insistence that Cook and Anderson should be dropped, I think.

Winston Smith

jojo1

Brosef Stalin I guarantee England will beat Iceland

Don't think England could beat an eleven from Farm Foods let alone Iceland.

right, that's it, your f*cking dead!

you're

Refreshing from Vardy. A decision that has some similarities to Sterling's. Player who was an integral part of a side over-performing has a chance to move to a 'bigger club', albeit with uncertainty as to how much gametime they will get and how they would fit into their new side. Sure, 'Arsenal' loo...

Tbf he scored 50 goals in 51 games last season - and he will always be a bit of 'a Rougier', totally shite with intermittent flashes of utter genius. But yeah, he's finally looked his age at these Euros.

You're right, thinking about it - if League A contains the 12 top ranked teams in UEFA, one might expect the vast majority of them to qualify the normal way, so this is almost a second chance for any big team that screws up qualifying.