Topic: The Push Square Football (Soccer) Thread

Any predictions for the Charity Shield?

@ApostateMage: Nice one - now its just a case of finding out who the hell everyone is from their real names!

Charity Shield;

Leicester 1 - Man Utd 1 - Leicester to lose on pens

@daveofduncan: Thanks for joining too Dave - you are top of the league..... for now.

Bit late but I joined the Super 6 League. My dad always beats me on Super 6 though haha. Anyone else absolutely loving the Olympic Football?

Happy with the Community Shield's result but disappointed with United's performance. Surprised to see Feilani starting and Rooney was again pretty bad. I was hoping to see more of Mkhitaryan but he only played a couple of minutes. I'd be surprised if Mata stays in United this season. Which is ashamed considering he was one of the better players last season.:/

I said I wouldn't believe it until I saw the photos of him in the shirt...

... Now I believe it. Holy crap!

_{You're not allowed to swear here, Sammy. You've been warned. - get2sammyb}

@themcnoisy: Hope you don't mind but I just joined the league!!!

@mrobinson91: @ShadowofSparta: Nice one lads. Good luck! I'm really bad at picking too.

Whatever happended to financial fairplay in football? Did they just get rid of it?

@dryrain: Pretty sure it's still a thing. United are a very rich club though - they're on the New York Stock Exchange I think, so they're right up there with Madrid and Barcelona as the richest clubs in the world

Looks like Stones is definatly going to Man City no official annoucement but he is listed in Man City Champions League Team. Good bit of business for us at Everton and also Barnsely who will get 25% of the fee.

@dryrain: Confirmed now: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37020275

Pogba is going to be a cult favourite. Utd fans haven't seen the Pog's touch and skill since CR7. I think those who don't watch Serie A are in for a surprise. That said, i tip Juventus to win the Champions League if Bonucci stays. With Pjanic, Dybala, BBC, Pjaca, Alves...what a squad. BVB might go far too

So where do you guys think Mourinho will play Pogba (attack or defensive midfielder, I hope it's the former) and what his main starting eleven will be?

@ShadowofSparta: Did Mkhitaryan usually played as a winger or through the middle for his old club?

@WanderingBullet: Pogba's position is a bit of a worry. The only place he should be playing is on the left of a midfield 3 in a 4-3-3. That was his best position at Juve. When Allegri came and Pirlo left, Pogba was given the 10 shirt and was played as a 10 behind Dybala at the start of the season. It didn't work out but, on the other hand, the team wasn't performing well anyway until 6 games later so maybe it wasn't all the Pog's fault. I think he'd make an interesting 10 (although I don't think he's comfortable playing with his back to goal). When Guardiola was doing some journalism for El Pais in Mexico during the 2006 World Cup, he once wrote about how crucial Peter Crouch was to England's continuity of play. He was big but had enough technique to hold onto long balls and push the whole team up the pitch. I think Pogba could be a suped up version of that: a tall, strong and very gifted 10 to play right along the striker. BUT he's much better bursting around midfield as a box-to-box player and we already have Zlatan to hold up the ball.

The position a lot of pundits are placing him is deep next someone as a double pivot. I have no idea why, as everyone moaned about how he played there at the Euros. Personally, I think he did a really good job for France. He restrained and disciplined himself so much for the good of the team. Reminded me of matches where Juve were down to 10 or trying to protect a lead in the Champions League. However, you don't see any of the things we usually associate with Pogba when you restrain him. You miss his skill and dribbling as well as his risky passes as he takes less risks to balance the team out. He could probably be a deep-lying playmaker with time (he has the range) but you aren't using all of his repertoire. He should be a 3 in a 4-3-3. Pogba and Herrera with Carrick sitting would be the closest match to how Pogba and Vidal would play with Pirlo sitting at Juve when they were at their very best (under Conte).

As for Miki, at BVB he usually played as a winger. He doesn't mind going outside and has good crossing ability so he makes use of the width. At the same time, he used to play with Piszceck at RB so he would just as often come inside. I think that's where he'd be most useful (with his ability to take people out of a move) but he'd make a fine number 10 too (technique and skill are world class). You should see him play as a central midfielder for Armenia, he's a boss.

@ShadowofSparta: Yeah, I guess one of the issues now is Rooney, where or whether he plays will affect where Pogba's positioned. Unlike LvG, I hope Mourinho is brave enough to drop Rooney to the bench if his performance is again poor this season.

Which so much money spent, United are under huge pressure now as some pundits are tipping them to win the league. Anyways, really looking forward to start of the new season!

Thanks for the info by the way.

@WanderingBullet: I agree. A lot of the Rooney problems stem from Moyes offering him that new contract and the captaincy. It's hard to bench a club captain who earns over £250,000 a week. Even harder when pundits (who people forget are Rooney's friends) continue to ignore his decline. The team would be a whole lot more balanced. The only way Rooney gets a spot is as a frontline destroyer/ tackler. He's no number 10.

A lot of pressure haha. But I think it's good players are thinking of winning the title instead of finishing fourth. We need that mentality, as Mou says.

No worries. I'm glad all the sometimes silly hours I spend watching football have some use haha

Mouriniho is a big fan of Rooney so will not be quick to drop him from the team.

Competition for places is a good thing to be honest. Mourinho likes Rooney a lot, but he won't play him if others are performing better. That should bring out the best in everybody — including Rooney.

I personally think people are way too harsh on Rooney — I'm sure he'll play a big part this season, as he always does.

I used to be a big fan of Rooney but his form has been in a steady decline over the past 4 years or so.:/ I don't think he deserves that salary and the captaincy if he's not performing well and leading by example on the pitch. Not to mention, his first touch is pretty dodgy nowadays.