Blasphemy! Seven clubs lock horns for the title after sir Alex Ferguson's retirement!

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Premier League 2015/16 Awards

2015/16 English Player of the Year:
Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester City)
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2015/16 English Players' Player of the Year:
Neymar (Chelsea)
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2015/16 English Players' Young Player of the Year:
Paul Pogba (Manchester United)
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2015/16 English Premier Division Top Goalscorer:
Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester City)
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2015/16 English Premier Division Golden Glove:
Thibaut Courtois (Chelsea)
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2015/16 English Premier Division Manager of the Year:
1. Jose Mourinho (Chelsea)
2. Dimiter Hristov (Newcastle)
3. Lee Clark (Stoke)​
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2015/16 English Players' Premier Division Select:
GK. Thibaut Courtois (Chelsea)
DR. Sergio Ramos (Chelsea)
DL. Jordi Alba (Manchester United)
DC. Vincent Kompany (Manchester City)
DC. Thiago Silva (Manchester City)

MC. Luka Modric (Manchester City)

MC. Paul Pogba (Manchester United)
MR. Eden Hazard (Chelsea)
ML. Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester City)
ST. Memphis Depay (Newcastle)

ST. Luis Suarez (Newcastle)
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Mark Lawrenson FA Cup Final preview

14 May 2016


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villa.png


The Magpies will look to forget the disappointing end of the season they had in the Premier League and the Champions League by trying to capture one trophy that evaded them last time - the FA Cup. Aston Villa booked a surprise place in the final of the competition after beating Arsenal in extra time and will certainly try to add further misery on Newcastle.

Team news:
Newcastle - Kurt Zouma injured
Aston Villa - Alberto Cerri ineligible, Danny Rose and Jordan Graham injured
Weather report:
Breezy, 14C

We will be with you at Wembley after a quick commercial break!

 
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Mark Lawrenson FA Cup Final watch

14 May 2016


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13' Yellow Card! Kozak (Aston Villa)
14' Goal!! 1-0 Adnan Januzaj
18' Goal!! 2-0 Luis Suarez

45+1' Half Time
53' Red Card! Alvarez Balanta (Newcastle)
90+3' Full Time

FINAL SCORE: Newcastle United 2-0 Aston Villa

It was uneven as predicted and the Magpies quickly got to a two-goal lead. The Villains missed on a great chance to take advantage of Alvarez Balanta's red card just after the break but in all honesty Newcastle's subs made them even more dangerous and they were the ones with more chances to score even after reduced to ten men on the pitch. This win allows the Magpies to end the season in a positive fashion as they have now completed a treble by adding the FA Cup to the Community Shield and the Capital One Cup! Now let's take a look at match stats and individual performances:
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FA Cup 2015/16 - holders Newcastle!
 

Harry Redknapp has retired from his position as Queens Park Rangers manager. Q.P.R. confirmed Redknapp's departure was by mutual consent and that the club wished him well for the future. Rangers lifted the Sky Bet Championship in 2014 under Redknapp and finished the season in 16th place in the Premier League after losing their last seven games.

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Redknapp retires

Speculation as to Redknapp's replacement at Queens Park Rangers is certainly keeping everyone guessing, with Brendan Rodgers, Alan Pardew and Gianfranco Zola being linked to the vacancy. The favorite however remains Roberto Martinez, who the oddsmakers believe might make the move to Loftus Road in the near future.

Odds for next Q.P.R. manager:
5-2 Roberto Martinez (unemployed)
3-1 Brendan Rodgers (unemployed)
5-1 Alan Pardew (unemployed)

Odds for next manager to get the sack:
2-1 Steve Bruce (Hull)
2-1 Bernd Schuster (Leeds)
2-1 Jurgen Klopp (Manchester City)
 

The Queens Park Rangers board have announced the appointment of Roberto Martinez as the club's new manager. Martinez is said to be relishing the opportunity to develop his soccer coaching skills at Loftus Road and the Rangers supporters are sure to be hoping he can make a difference to their team.

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Martinez stays in the Premier League after taking over Q.P.R.

Roberto Martinez begun his career as manager at Swansea back in February 2007. The Swans lifted the Sky Bet League 1 under his reign in 2008. He then had a spell at the helm of Wigan until 2013 and lifted the FA Cup with Latics in the same year. He was also briefly manager of Everton and Cardiff, the latter just relegated from the Premier League.
 

Newcastle 2015/16 individual analysis

May , 2016

By Kevin Keegan

Newcastle failed to win the Premier League for the third time in a row, slipping down to second on the final day of the competition and dropped off in the Semi Final of the Champions League - both upsets occurring at Stamford Bridge. The Magpies managed to lift the Community Shield, Capital One Cup and FA Cup to complete a treble of trophies though and it eased the disappointments in the more high-profile competitions... to an extent. Now the time has come for me to share my thoughts on the team and the role each of the players had towards this mixed year of success and failure.

Goalkeepers:

Tim Krul (28)
View attachment 410668
2013/14: 48 appearances, 58 conceded, 15 shutouts, 1 assist, 1 PoM award, 6.83 average rating
2014/15: 57 appearances, 62 conceded, 22 shutouts, 1 PoM award, 6.76 average rating
2015/16: 60 appearances, 67 conceded, 24 shutouts, 6.90 average rating

The Dutch keeper had his best season under Hristov even though he conceded the most goals this term as well. He is certainly at his peak now and it will be interesting to see how he performs next season.

Jak Alnwick (22)
View attachment 410669
2013/14: 4 appearances, 1 condeded, 3 shutouts, 6.75 average rating
2014/15: 7 appearances, 6 conceded, 3 shutouts, 6.90 average rating
2015/16: 3 appearances, 2 conceded, 1 shutout, 7.27 average rating

The young keeper has featured even less this term and his cup appearances weren't exactly against top clubs but he did a steady job when called upon. This doesn't mean the calls for solid experienced back-up at this position aren't justified though.

Central Defenders:

Marquinhos (22)
View attachment 410670
2013/14: 12 (6) appearances, 1 goal, 6.75 average rating *Paris Saint-Germain
2014/15: 13 (4) appearances, 4 goals, 5 assists, 7.06 average rating *Paris Saint-Germain
2015/16: 33 (6) appearances, 2 goals, 7.26 average rating
Marquinhos had the best season of his career so far during his first campaign with the Magpies and the first team football Hristov gave him has definitely helped him grow as a footballer even though it is obvious the talented defender has a lot to learn before reaching his full potential.

Eder Alvarez Balanta (23)
View attachment 410671
2013/14: 33 (5) appearances, 1 goal, 1 assist, 3 PoM awards, 7.41 average rating
2014/15: 31 (7) appearances, 4 goals, 1 assist, 2 PoM awards, 7.35 average rating
2015/16: 34 (4) appearances, 7 goals, 2 PoM awards, 7.47 average rating
Eder had his best season with the Magpies so far, delivering goals from set pieces and that's obviously something he has worked on the training pitch over the past few years as there is a trend there.

Kurt Zouma (21)
View attachment 410672
2013/14: 19 (5) appearances, 1 goal, 1 PoM award, 7.40 average rating
2014/15: 36 (1) appearances, 2 goals, 1 assist, 2 PoM awards, 7.44 average rating
2015/16: 26 (2) appearances, 6 goals, 1 assist, 3 PoM awards, 7.69 average rating
Kurt massively improved his performances for Newcastle this season and was a genuine force to be reckoned with in both boxes. Sadly a bad injury ended his season prematurely but he was one of the stars in Hristov's lineup this season.

Raphael Varane (23)
View attachment 410673
2013/14: 11(4) appearances, 1 goal, 1 PoM award, 7.53 average rating *Real Madrid
2014/15: 32 (5) appearances, 3 goals, 1 PoM award, 7.38 average rating
2015/16: 33 (5) appearances, 4 assists, 1 PoM award, 7.45 average rating
Varane was even better during his second season with the Magpies and performed exceptionally in defense while also contributing in the opposition half with several key passes which his teammates turned into goals!

Wing Backs:

Gino Peruzzi (23)
View attachment 410674
2013/14: 21 (7) appearances, 1 goal, 6 assists, 2 PoM awards, 7.40 average rating
2014/15: 29 (2) appearances, 2 goals, 8 assists, 2 PoM awards, 7.30 average rating
2015/16: 21 (2) appearances, 2 goals, 4 assists, 1 PoM award, 7.52 average rating
Gino had his best season with the Magpies so far even though he featured a little less regularly this time. He was great defensively down the right wing although perhaps a little more is expected from him going forward.

Leighton Baines (31)
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2013/14: 29 (4) appearances, 8 goals, 15 assists, 3 PoM awards, 7.38 average rating
2014/15: 28 (7) appearances, 11 goals, 12 assists, 6 PoM awards, 7.55 average rating
2015/16: 30 (4) appearances, 7 goals, 18 assists, 3 PoM awards, 7.79 average rating
Leighton was a real monster down the left flank and his usual set-piece goals were complemented by even better key passes which created plenty of goals. That kind of form should earn him international reception and it is a miracle he has been looked over for all the major awards!

Alex Sandro (25)
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2013/14: 16 (7) appearances, 1 goal, 7 assists, 1 PoM award, 7.28 average rating
2014/15: 23 (5) appearances, 1 goal, 3 assists, 7.04 average rating
2015/16: 30 (4) appearances, 5 goals, 11 assists, 4 PoM awards, 7.32 average rating
Alex Sandro truly stepped up to the challenge of competing with Baines after disappointing in the previous season and featured as regularly as Leighton. His contribution in the final third was tremendous, especially considering he doesn't have the luxury of set-pieces duty to boost his stats.

Mathieu Debuchy (30)
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2013/14: 24 (3) appearances, 1 goal, 6 assists, 7.09 average rating
2014/15: 26 (5) appearances, 3 goals, 5 assists, 7.10 average rating
2015/16: 25 (2) appearances, 2 goals, 2 assists, 7.15 average rating
Mathieu had his usual good campaign and improved his overal rating once again even though his contribution in the opposition half remains underwhelming considering his reputation.

Davide Santon (25)
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2013/14: 14 (11) appearances, 2 goals, 3 assists, 1 PoM award, 6.98 average rating
2014/15: 22 (14) appearances, 4 goals, 6 assists, 7.22 average rating
2015/16: 20 (9) appearances, 5 goals, 10 assists, 7.46 average rating
Davide featured less this season although he shows tremendous rise in form and ability with each year and his creativity has improved dramatically since he adapted to his right wingback role. If he keeps playing this way it is unlikely Debuchy will be given the nod ahead of him for long.

Central Midfielders:

Moussa Sissoko (26)
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2013/14: 24 (13) appearances, 5 goals, 10 assists, 2 PoM awards, 7.25 average rating
2014/15: 40 (11) appearances, 8 goals, 12 assists, 5 PoM awards, 7.25 average rating
2015/16: 31 (7) appearances, 4 assists, 7.16 average rating
Moussa was asked to play deeper in the regista role this season and it understandably undermined his goals and assists although the Frenchman coped pretty well in his first campaign in that new role.

Yohan Cabaye (30)
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2013/14: 31 (10) appearances, 4 goals, 20 assists, 1 PoM award, 7.20 average rating
2014/15: 23 (3) appearances, 1 goal, 8 assists, 3 PoM awards, 7.14 average rating
2015/16: 35 (5) appearances, 3 goals, 9 assists, 7.15 average rating
Club captain Cabaye often had to cover the defensive midfield role instead of taking his usual advanced playmaker duties but even then he remained creative and performed at his usual level.

Will Hughes (21)
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2013/14: 38 appearances, 6 goals, 8 assists, 4 PoM awards, 7.29 average rating *Derby County
2014/15: 36 appearances, 13 goals, 12 assists, 7 PoM awards, 7.64 average rating *Derby County
2015/16: 30 (9) appearances, 4 goals, 11 assists, 7.37 average rating
Wonderkid Hughes took some time to adapt to the pace of top level football during his first season with the Magpies but showed class by delivering a string of great performances as advanced playmaker. It will be interesting to see if his stats improve in the next season.

Javi Martinez (27)
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2013/14: 46 appearances, 3 goals, 8 assists, 2 PoM awards, 7.30 average rating *FC Bayern
2014/15: 43 appearances, 2 assists, 4 PoM awards, 7.26 average rating *FC Bayern
2015/16: 28 (2) appearances, 3 assists, 7.17 average rating
Javi had a pretty good first season with the Magpies considering he was always and only fielded as defensive midfielder in the regista role. He outperformed both Sissoko and Cabaye in it!

Inside Forwards:

Erik Lamela (24)
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2013/14: 34 (8) appearances, 17 goals, 4 assists, 5 PoM awards, 7.12 average rating *Tottenham
2014/15: 29 (8) appearances, 9 goals, 7 assists, 3 PoM awards, 7.15 average rating
2015/16: 31 (9) appearances, 20 goals, 10 assists, 5 PoM awards, 7.38 average rating
This was Erik's best season with Newcastle and he even outperformed his campaign with Spurs! If he can keep improving we can expect him to break some records in the forthcoming campaign!

Markus Grimm (18)
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2013/14: -
2014/15: -
2015/16: 17 (10) appearances, 10 goals, 9 assists, 3 PoM awards, 7.30 average rating
What an explosive debut campaign in professional football for the German U21 wonderkid! Markus was the first youth signing gradually introduced in the first team and if that's the level we can expect of those we simply can't wait for the others to get their chance!

Eduardo Salvio (26)
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2013/14: 34 (9) appearances, 17 goals, 6 assists, 6 PoM awards, 7.22 average rating
2014/15: 18 (11) appearances, 2 goals, 7 assists, 6.99 average rating
2015/16: 26 (9) appearances, 15 goals, 14 assists, 4 PoM awards, 7.41 average rating
Eduardo had an inconsistent first half of the season, followed by an injury - but then came back a new man and delivered a spree of goals and assists in a key period of the campaign! His best season with the Magpies and we must admit he even outperformed Lamela!

Hatem Ben Arfa (29)
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2013/14: 26 (2) appearances, 10 goals, 7 assists, 1 PoM award, 7.20 average rating
2014/15: 34 (5) appearances, 13 goals, 15 assists, 3 PoM awards, 7.34 average rating
2015/16: 26 (9) appearances, 5 goals, 7 assists, 1 PoM award, 6.96 average rating
Very disappointing season for Ben Arfa and his injury problems can't always be an excuse. He was given more than enough chances and even if he contributed some, we know his ability well and he can do much, much better. If he doesn't - next season might well be his last in the black and white shirt.

Adnan Januzaj (21)
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2013/14: 7 (2) appearances, 3 assists, 6.87 average rating *Manchester United
2014/15: 27 (19) appearances, 7 goals, 6 assists, 6.94 average rating
2015/16: 26 (14) appearances, 14 goals, 7 assists, 7.34 average rating
Adnan improved massively in the inside forward role even though his opportunities weren't boosted by the emergence of Markus Grimm. His goalscoring touch was a tremendous asset and if he can keep developing with the same rate - sky will be the limit!

Strikers:

Memphis Depay (22)
View attachment 410691
2013/14: 12 (10) appearances, 9 goals, 2 assists, 3 PoM awards, 7.31 average rating
2014/15: 19 (11) appearances, 14 goals, 6 assists, 3 PoM awards, 7.13 average rating
2015/16: 35 (14) appearances, 28 goals, 19 assists, 9 PoM awards, 7.49 average rating

Man of the season for the Magpies! Hristov's decision to move him up front instead of put him on the wing delivered incredible amount of goals and assists and Memphis is quickly establishing himself as one of the best emerging players on the continent - or even the world!

Loic Remy (29)
View attachment 410693
2013/14: 33 (8) appearances, 24 goals, 13 assists, 5 PoM awards, 7.35 average rating
2014/15: 30 (11) appearances, 20 goals, 8 assists, 1 PoM awards, 7.04 average rating
2015/16: 31 (10) appearances, 24 goals, 13 assists, 2 PoM awards, 7.44 average rating
Loic was back at his best this season - as a matter of fact he was even better as he obviously blossomed with the chance to partner either Depay or Suarez. The Frenchman enjoyed arguably the best football of his career so far!

Landon Donovan (34)
View attachment 410694
2013/14: 24 (20) appearances, 17 goals, 10 assists, 2 PoM awards, 7.05 average rating
2014/15: 32 (18) appearances, 19 goals, 10 assists, 3 PoM awards, 7.03 average rating
2015/16: 23 (13) appearances, 14 goals, 14 assists, 2 PoM awards, 7.19 average rating
It is incredible to watch a player that age perform so well at this level but Landon does it again - his creativity was at its best while he didn't lose his goalscoring touch. This season showed how Hristov intends to use him from now on - less, giving him more rest between games and often calling upon him as an impact sub - a role which obviously puts the best out of the American.

Luis Suarez (29)
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2013/14: 29 (4) appearances, 10 goals, 8 assists, 3 PoM awards, 6.99 average rating *Liverpool
2014/15: 42 (8) appearances, 22 goals, 12 assists, 3 PoM awards, 7.09 average rating
2015/16: 39 (12) appearances, 30 goals, 16 assists, 10 PoM awards, 7.44 average rating
This is what we want to see from Luis - goals galore. He was Newcastle's top scorer this season and Hristov's main worry was how to keep him fresh and use him in as many important games as possible. Hopefully Suarez will keep improving and do even better next season!
 
Newcastle 2015/16 individual analysis

May , 2016

By Kevin Keegan

Newcastle failed to win the Premier League for the third time in a row, slipping down to second on the final day of the competition and dropped off in the Semi Final of the Champions League - both upsets occurring at Stamford Bridge. The Magpies managed to lift the Community Shield, Capital One Cup and FA Cup to complete a treble of trophies though and it eased the disappointments in the more high-profile competitions... to an extent. Now the time has come for me to share my thoughts on the team and the role each of the players had towards this mixed year of success and failure.
After considering what Kevin Keegan had to say about our season, a meeting was called at Newcastle. We are currently discussing what went wrong during the campaign and how we can address that in the transfer market. If you have any input to offer, please share! Do you think we are poor in a specific position? Have a player in mind who can drive us forward (and isn't with the other contenders yet)? Let us know! What can we do to get on a level playing field with the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City? Your opinion and advice will be greatly appreciated!
 
I feel that getting either a top, top class striker in to partner Suarez, or a left inside forward would help out a lot. If only you'd gotten Neymar instead of either Martinez or Marquinhos, I feel you would have won the title. One or the other though, Depay can help with the other one, and if you get both it would stunt his development.
 
I feel that getting either a top, top class striker in to partner Suarez, or a left inside forward would help out a lot. If only you'd gotten Neymar instead of either Martinez or Marquinhos, I feel you would have won the title. One or the other though, Depay can help with the other one, and if you get both it would stunt his development.

Although Neymar went elsewhere, mate - couldn't even try, the wages Chelsea offer are ridiculous. Any suggestions for a striker?

You are unhappy with out options at left wing? Who is it decreasing our quality there? Who would you recommend?
 
It's not so much that they're bad, but when I look at the rest of the team, it looks to be the weakest area. As for improvements, I don't recall every single player who's moved recently, you could try for Marco Reus?
 
It's not so much that they're bad, but when I look at the rest of the team, it looks to be the weakest area. As for improvements, I don't recall every single player who's moved recently, you could try for Marco Reus?

I'll check him out, anything else popping in your mind? I seem to be struggling with attempt to discover a true gem of a potential world class striker, both regen or normal player. Nobody better than Depay in terms of potential and since I already have Campbell and Cerri who should make that grade I can't get myself to spend on another one if he's not going to be significantly better :(
 
Jese, or Werner maybe? But just thinking about it, the only other world class strikers are either too old (Ibrahimovic) or have gone to a title rival (Lewandowski, Cavani, Falcao). The only thing I could suggest would be to look and see if any of the 'big' names are either unhappy or can be made unhappy, especially if they're not on a long contract.
 
The difference b/w top 4 and 5th place was quite huge. So tight at the top then mediocrity.
 
Jese, or Werner maybe? But just thinking about it, the only other world class strikers are either too old (Ibrahimovic) or have gone to a title rival (Lewandowski, Cavani, Falcao). The only thing I could suggest would be to look and see if any of the 'big' names are either unhappy or can be made unhappy, especially if they're not on a long contract.

Jese and Werner, as well as Volland fall in the same bracket :(
 
The difference b/w top 4 and 5th place was quite huge. So tight at the top then mediocrity.

You consider Man Utd in the same league as Chelsea and Man City? Arsenal aren't that far in terms of a squad, they just always get so MANY injuries.
 
You consider Man Utd in the same league as Chelsea and Man City? Arsenal aren't that far in terms of a squad, they just always get so MANY injuries.
City's squad is unreal. Best in the game-universe probably.
 
He's on the 14.0 database, so Sturridge isn't that good. Cisse and Remy are both rated higher than him in the original database. And I think Kroos is a CM not an inside forward.
 
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