2015/2016 Premier League
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="KiwiPie" data-cid="564467" data-time="1457915048">
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<p>S Newcastle with Rafa Benitez as the new manager (<strong><em>biggest fall from grace in management in one season, start at Real Madrid, end at Newcastle?)</em></strong></p>
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<p>9 game contract, 3 year option that he can exercise & a <strong><em>£</em></strong><em><strong>3 million bonus if he keeps them up</strong></em>. I think he can live with the fall from grace. 9 games, 2 months. minimum 500k, max £3.5m. And he lives in Liverpool anyway</p> -
He's a good manager but was never going to work out at Real, not with his methods and those egos. <br><br>
But I don't think even he can save Newcastle -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="mariner4life" data-cid="564558" data-time="1457949116"><p>He's a good manager but was never going to work out at Real, not with his methods and those egos. <br>
But I don't think even he can save Newcastle</p></blockquote>As long as they get a good bounce and beat Leicester
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="mariner4life" data-cid="564558" data-time="1457949116">
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<p>He's a good manager but was never going to work out at Real, not with his methods and those egos.<br><br>
But I don't think even he can save Newcastle</p>
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<p>The issue he ran into at Real was more to do with the board. He wanted to play non "galactico" signings because they could win games - and did, but there was a lot of board presure to play guys like James when a no name was a lot better than him. So he'd play no-name, win ugly, the board would rant that James sells shirts, so he'd play James & lose.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="gollum" data-cid="564552" data-time="1457948344">
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<p>9 game contract, 3 year option that he can exercise & a <strong><em>£</em></strong><em><strong>3 million bonus if he keeps them up</strong></em>. I think he can live with the fall from grace. 9 games, 2 months. minimum 500k, max £3.5m. And he lives in Liverpool anyway</p>
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<p>Definitely - no poor managers on the "big name" merry-go-round that's for sure. Of the 3 contesting relegation actively (Villa are goneburger), Newcastle have the most star power and if he can find a way to harness that and get a couple of wins, that could be enough.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="gollum" data-cid="564583" data-time="1457963720">
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<p>The issue he ran into at Real was more to do with the board. He wanted to play non "galactico" signings because they could win games - and did, but there was a lot of board presure to play guys like James when a no name was a lot better than him. So he'd play no-name, win ugly, the board would rant that James sells shirts, so he'd play James & lose.</p>
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<p>yea that's pretty much what I was on about (egos was both players and board/chairman).</p>
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<p>Rafa is very pragmatic, and statistically driven, that shit is never going to fly in Madrid, at any level.</p>
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<p>He improved Newcastle in half a week, only gave up one shot on target all game, and lost 1-0. They're players are still inept though</p> -
<p>Their......</p>
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<p>fuck off</p>
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<p>I don't know why I post that but I felt the hypocritical need to!</p>
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<p>Looks like Leicester really ground out that win - their free-scoring seems to have stopped but has been replaced by a miserly defence. They have only conceded 6 goals in 12 games in 2016. Putting the pressure back on Spurs to win at home tomorrow against Bournemouth - which they should but if they don't, Leicester will have a point per game left lead.</p>
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<p>Another great weekend for Leicester - another 1-0 win to them and Spurs drop 2 points at Liverpool. Now a 7 point lead with 6 games to go. 12 points guarantees then the title, realistically they will need fewer than that.</p>
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<p>Nice graphic on the EPL top 6 in the calendar year since April 4, 2015</p>
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<p><img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CfLw6XqUIAA8b9B.png" alt="CfLw6XqUIAA8b9B.png"></p> -
<p>Incredibly Leicester could lose all 6 of their remaining games and still make the top 3 and that means the group stage of the Champions League.</p>
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<p>On that note, Barca scraped past Athletico 2-1 in their home tie and Bayern scraped 1-0 past Benfica in theirs - so those 2 ties are still winnable for the under-dogs. Didn't see the games but Torres managed to cram a goal and a red card into 10 minutes and Suarez scored twice and apparently should have been red carded twice but only got a single yellow.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="KiwiPie" data-cid="570076" data-time="1459912814">
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<p>Incredibly Leicester could lose all 6 of their remaining games and still make the top 3 and that means the group stage of the Champions League.</p>
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<p>On that note, Barca scraped past Athletico 2-1 in their home tie and Bayern scraped 1-0 past Benfica in theirs - so those 2 ties are still winnable for the under-dogs. Didn't see the games but Torres managed to cram a goal and a red card into 10 minutes and Suarez scored twice and apparently should have been red carded twice but only got a single yellow.</p>
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<p> Suarez must have been biting with a mouth guard this time. Not as serious.</p> -
<p>Leicester are getting very hard to run down. Another win this morning. And even with Spurs hammering Man U, the gap is still 7, now with 5 to play. Arsenal are a mile back in 3rd, and City are firming in 4th. West Ham, Man U, Southampton and Liverpool all around the late 40-early 50 mark chasing the Europa spots. </p>
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<p>At the bottom Villa are gone (lets face it, they've been gone all year), Palace seem to have got themselves to safety, leaving Norwich, Sunderland and Newcastle to fight for 17th</p>
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<p>Great season.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="mariner4life" data-cid="571494" data-time="1460336336">
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<p>Leicester are getting very hard to run down. Another win this morning. And even with Spurs hammering Man U, the gap is still 7, now with 5 to play. Arsenal are a mile back in 3rd, and City are firming in 4th. West Ham, Man U, Southampton and Liverpool all around the late 40-early 50 mark chasing the Europa spots. </p>
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<p>At the bottom Villa are gone (lets face it, they've been gone all year), Palace seem to have got themselves to safety, leaving Norwich, Sunderland and Newcastle to fight for 17th</p>
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<p>Great season.</p>
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<p>Yeah, everybody is talking about 3 more wins this morning, but I don't even think they need that. Tottenham won't go 5 for 5 on their run in. It's not bad but they have both Stoke & Chelsea away and they are not even closer to bankers. Southampton, West Brom at home and Newcastle away are less challenging, but Newcastle are in a relegation fight, so a draw there is very plausable.</p>
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<p>so lets assume Spurs drop one of the Stoke/Chelsea matches and draw one of the other 3. that gives them 10 points, which means Leicester need one win and a draw (or 4 draws) to take out the league. With West Ham, Swansea at home, Everton away, and then tough matches of Chelsea / Man U (is that still tough) away ... Should be 4 points there for the win.</p>
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<p>So exciting, I'll be gutted for LC if they don't do it. If I had to choose between the Bledisloe this year or LC for the premiership, I'd probably sacrifice the Bled.</p>
