JM takes France to the Euro's Semi Finals - worth 250 ranking points. Edging closer to that coveted #1 spot still held by SB.
As of August 2016:
1. SB - 2,950 points
2. JM - 2,100 points
Friday, August 5, 2016
Premier League Season...Mid-Season Review
Wow how time flies...It appears its been 6 months since the FPA last reported any news coming out of England. Not that there hasn't been any - we've just been lazy as f*ck to write about it.
But we're back...so lets re-cap. The worst kept secret in football was finally revealed when SB joined his old hunting ground Chelsea FC for a standard 2 year deal. Although rumours in London suggest he won't be seeing out that 2nd year, instead he may find himself looking after the light blue half of Manchester next season. Stay tuned.
We also reported back in February JM re-joining his boyhood club Manchester United for at least 2 seasons, with an option for 6 more in his favour in a record 8 season deal.
On the pitch - SB has taken better to English football than his rival JM. Chelsea going through the first half of the season with solid results and currently find themselves only a couple of wins behind league pace setters Man City.
JM on the other hand has taken time to adjust to his new squad. Currently sitting 7th on the league table, he will need to improve fast with suggestions anything less than a top 4 finish deemed a failure.
In the game of the season so far, Chelsea met Manchester United at a full Old Trafford on Wednesday night. Although United were clearly the better team on the night, they would have to share the points this time.
A Memphis Depay header gave Man U the lead early in the 2nd half, until a late Fabregas goal equalled the scores in what can only be said to be a game that got away from the Red Devils.
What will the 2nd half of the season bring...well we can certainly guarantee plenty of action ahead, not just in the league, but also the Champions League and the FA Cup. Full steam ahead!!!
But we're back...so lets re-cap. The worst kept secret in football was finally revealed when SB joined his old hunting ground Chelsea FC for a standard 2 year deal. Although rumours in London suggest he won't be seeing out that 2nd year, instead he may find himself looking after the light blue half of Manchester next season. Stay tuned.
We also reported back in February JM re-joining his boyhood club Manchester United for at least 2 seasons, with an option for 6 more in his favour in a record 8 season deal.
On the pitch - SB has taken better to English football than his rival JM. Chelsea going through the first half of the season with solid results and currently find themselves only a couple of wins behind league pace setters Man City.
 |
| SB talks to a packed media conference in London |
| JM barks orders to his troops at training Friday |
A Memphis Depay header gave Man U the lead early in the 2nd half, until a late Fabregas goal equalled the scores in what can only be said to be a game that got away from the Red Devils.
 |
| Rooney and Fabregas were in the thick of things all night |
Euro 16 Let Down
After all the expectation and build up - Euro 16 came and went without the expected fireworks and fanfare we all had hoped would eventuate. For FPA fans out there we'll stick to the teams that mattered, and that's the SB and JM managed Portugal and France respectively.
Portugal looked the goods through the group stages. Comfortable without really ever looking threatened. We all just assumed they would come alive in the Finals. How wrong we were.
France on the other hand, started like a shot out of a canon in the groups. Easing to victory in game 1, before slowly losing momentum with a draw and then a loss. But once again we all expected they would breathe new life once in the final stages and to some extent JM's team didn't disappoint.
But it would be going against tradition if there wasn't a 'glitch' to have the fans and pundits complaining. An error in the draw meant the FIFA 16 God's would need to intervene with the dreaded SIM - and who knows what this would mean for our likely heroes.
For Portugal you would say it did very little except give them a dream run through to the final. Conspiracy theorists once again out in force to say SB had somehow conspired with 'the system' to rig another competition in his favour. We will never know.
For France, it gave them a more difficult draw, and a massive disadvantage of losing first Payet to injury, and Giroud to suspension. Neither would get to feature again in the competition.
France however to their credit pushed through in the Quarter Finals - hammering a hapless Austria 4-1 to progress and started to look every bit the favourites.
Portugal however had no answer to a spirited Switzerland who were never going to be beaten on a day SB and his chargers will likely want to forget. Portugal eliminated. The Euro dream over - and SB would lament on where he went wrong after putting so much energy into this Portugal team. Some would say he and Ronaldo never saw eye to eye - considering the Classico rivalries of years gone past. Its hard to argue when Ronaldo looked a shadow of his usual self in this Cup.
For France, it would also end in shock horror. A difficult game against Italy is all that stood between them and a Finals spot and it would only take one moment, one second of lapsed concentration, for Italy to steal a late goal and take the spoils on France's home turf. Sadness gripped a nation - and JM would be left in tatters.
For the record Belgium beat Italy to lift the trophy for the first time in their history.
Truly a disappointing cup. See you at the World Cup.
Portugal looked the goods through the group stages. Comfortable without really ever looking threatened. We all just assumed they would come alive in the Finals. How wrong we were.
France on the other hand, started like a shot out of a canon in the groups. Easing to victory in game 1, before slowly losing momentum with a draw and then a loss. But once again we all expected they would breathe new life once in the final stages and to some extent JM's team didn't disappoint.
But it would be going against tradition if there wasn't a 'glitch' to have the fans and pundits complaining. An error in the draw meant the FIFA 16 God's would need to intervene with the dreaded SIM - and who knows what this would mean for our likely heroes.
For Portugal you would say it did very little except give them a dream run through to the final. Conspiracy theorists once again out in force to say SB had somehow conspired with 'the system' to rig another competition in his favour. We will never know.
For France, it gave them a more difficult draw, and a massive disadvantage of losing first Payet to injury, and Giroud to suspension. Neither would get to feature again in the competition.
France however to their credit pushed through in the Quarter Finals - hammering a hapless Austria 4-1 to progress and started to look every bit the favourites.
Portugal however had no answer to a spirited Switzerland who were never going to be beaten on a day SB and his chargers will likely want to forget. Portugal eliminated. The Euro dream over - and SB would lament on where he went wrong after putting so much energy into this Portugal team. Some would say he and Ronaldo never saw eye to eye - considering the Classico rivalries of years gone past. Its hard to argue when Ronaldo looked a shadow of his usual self in this Cup.
| Ronaldo grimaces in pain as the ref blows full time against Switzerland |
For France, it would also end in shock horror. A difficult game against Italy is all that stood between them and a Finals spot and it would only take one moment, one second of lapsed concentration, for Italy to steal a late goal and take the spoils on France's home turf. Sadness gripped a nation - and JM would be left in tatters.
 |
| So much hope ends in sadness for France |
For the record Belgium beat Italy to lift the trophy for the first time in their history.
Truly a disappointing cup. See you at the World Cup.
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