SOCCER SPORT !

[Raza]

Jesus a couple of bad weeks in fantasy and I've dropped to 4th.

[Raza]

Plenty of people - maybe even most. Central defenders can take a while to mature. Rio Ferdinand was a bit shaky at the start of his career, John Terry wasn't an instant success, nor was Gerard Pique. I wouldn't write John Stones off just yet. He would benefit from a mentor type alongside him, and in the absence of Vincent Kompany he hasn't really had that.

I'm not saying he won't be good. Just that I have a hard time believing that he'll be world class, and I think City paid a £30m English Player Tax.

[Raza]

The FA Cup replay against Plymouth Argyle is at 4:45AM tomorrow morning for me. I think I'll get up to watch it.

[shameless]

Jesus a couple of bad weeks in fantasy and I've dropped to 4th.

i was happy as larry when Kane scored a hatrick because i had made him captain -later realised i hadnt saved my selection -otherwise i would be right up there -

[OTGabe]

Net spend over the last 5 years for the current top 6. As much fun as it is to have a laugh at Tottenham's expense, they deserve a lot of credit for building a team from the bottom up and spending wisely. Of course the Manchester clubs dwarf the other 4 combined, which is funny because it seems most articles I read talk about how Pep and Jose don't have enough good players to be truly successful.

Manchester City - £402.55m
Manchester United- £368.65m
Arsenal - £205.89m
Chelsea - £192.3m
Liverpool - £121.52m
Tottenham - £1m

[93EXCivic]

It is amazing how much Man City has spent on defenders that can't defend and a keeper that can't make saves.

[Raza]

Good win by Liverpool this morning. Or, yesterday afternoon, I think. I'll admit I nodded off for a lot of it, but a 4:45AM kickoff is tough, even if I had gotten any sleep the previous evening.

[tribe125]

Pretty useful team, Plymouth, considering they play in the 2nd Division. More chances than Liverpool and hit the post. They can hold their heads up after those two games.

[hayday]

He's having a hard time adapting to the English game again and dealing with the pressure that comes with the price tag and expectation--predictably so.

It's frustrating to watch him play because he has so much talent and he can make such beautiful plays, and then there are those moments when he can't find his mark on a set piece. Then again, given the talent United has, this whole season has been frustrating. They really are the team with the most raw talent, so it's just a matter of getting the players to function as a single, solitary unit. The last month has been quite good, though.

-hayday

[hayday]

[QUOTE=OTGabe;314272]which is funny because it seems most articles I read talk about how Pep and Jose don't have enough good players to be truly successful./QUOTE]

Rubbish. United has an embarrassment of riches regarding talent. United hasn't gelled as a team, and the team hasn't gelled with their coach.

-hayday