The amount of last minute goals scored by Sporting this season is insane. Not even including the goals scored in the last 7 minutes of the game.
I think this will be a theme all second half of the season. Teams are going to start staying back all game.
I think Gil have the right players to counter our playing style, the first game against them was also very tough.
Not even the money from Benfica and Porto to the referees can stop Sporting for the title this season
I agree with everything except the Joao Mario part. He came on and did well this game but he has been on a bad run of form for a long time now. Matheus Nunes has played very well the last few gamesome Bragança does well every time he comes on and is our most talented midfielder but I understand why he is not playing as much.
STOP!Not even the money from Benfica and Porto to the referees can stop Sporting for the title this season
Not yet. Tomorrow we have a very tough game as Paços are class this year but yes, things are looking good for us.
I would agree with the second paragraph. feck Porto. As for the first part, you are right, it's not over until it's over and you never know, I just don't see Porto and especially Benfica having anything like the consistency needed. Though I understand your hesitancy
If we win tomorrow I think we might actually do it. My mind has not fully allowed itself to believe it because being a Sporting fan makes you numb to happiness
)Very promising young coach, Very promising young youth academy talents, then we also went and made transfers of young and or good players within the league who mixed in flawlessly with the squad and we made smart transfers by adding experience with feddal and Adan.How are Sporting clube so good all of a sudden? You changed president and 99% of your squad as you were all demanding about 18 months back?!
Seems you've got a decent up and coming manager in now given he was at Braga last year.
Must be some good up and coming talent given vast majority of squad is home grown again. Had completely forgot about Joao Mario's existence!
You are from Brasil?This is what happens when you leave the greatest non-European club in the world and go back trying to dominate a league you’ve already squeezed the life out of.
(I’d still take you back in a second, JJ
No, but I got hooked on Flamengo a couple of years ago and they have been my 2nd team since then (after United).
I wish Sporting would give him a real chance but if I was Gauld I don’t know if I would risk my career again by going there and not playing. It took him a while for him to bounce back after sporting.
I think you're memory is being tricked by their results between 1998 and 2002. Before that period they finished in the top 3 once or twice in 70 years and played a little over 20 europeans rounds, only once going further than the last 16.
We’re not as good in terms of squad quality as the league table might suggest but there have been a lot of improvements, we had our best summer ever imo, every signing has looked good and a bunch of kids from the academy have turned out great. We’ve had a lot of late winners and no European football has helped a lot, also Benfica are having a disastrous season after huge investment and Porto have been pretty average so we’re benefitting from that too.How are Sporting clube so good all of a sudden? You changed president and 99% of your squad as you were all demanding about 18 months back?!
Seems you've got a decent up and coming manager in now given he was at Braga last year.
Must be some good up and coming talent given vast majority of squad is home grown again. Had completely forgot about Joao Mario's existence!
They’re better than their league position suggests, Jesualdo should be able to keep them up. Been very unlucky with referee decision just like Ryan Gauld’s Farense. Would be very unfair if either of those teams go down.
I suspect you aren't old enough to having started following them since Zico. But yes that Flamengo under Jesus was very good by South American recent standards, but his return to Portugal has been a semi disaster.
His Flamengo played great football by recent Brazilian standards, in the last 10 years JJ Flamengo and Corinthians under Tite were the 2 only teams from South America who could play at a good level vs European teams. But his return has been a disaster, I don't know if his mental condition is good, trying to make a sub with 94 minutes played and later saying that he didn't noticed that, he certainly isn't what he was 5/10 years ago.
The league this season though has been an absolute dogfight at all parts of the table and we still won’t win it. With JJ we walked the league after he put us on an insane run for the second half of the season. Also, his achievements in Libertadores is mainly why he is revered in Rio, not as much as the domestic league. Being knocked out by Racing in the last 16 is pretty hard evidence that we are miles worse without him now.
Why such low confidence? A win in the next game and a draw at Sao Paulo is enough, I think they can pull it off
They lost on penalties in the last 16. With JJ they also went to penalties in the round of 16 against Emelec, just happened to win one and lose the other. He also won the final at the end like Abel.
With a small/big difference. He didn't had not even close the same type of financial investment like Flamengo had.
It's not like that because in Brazil if you lose 2 matches in a row the media already starts to demand the coach to be sacked, the competition between the clubs is very thight, there's not big differences as you see in Europe. But yes that Flamengo team was way better than Palmeiras.
Absolutely. By the way I think it would be a big mistake for Flamengo to bring him back, the only other club in Brazil where I can see him having the type of investment he likes is Atletico Mineiro, honestly he is a disgrace working with players coming from the youth teams. He was very good until 5 years ago, but not as good as he thinks he is.
I would agree, with a couple of exceptions. Sa Pinto for example came to Vasco and took them to the relegation zone and they are still there. They might actually get relegated in 2 weeks. That’s shocking for a club their size.
I just think it’s too much of a GD swing required. Like you, I believe that’s what will happen, which (assuming Inter beat Corinthians in their final game) would put us both on 72 points. The first tiebreaker in Brazil is number of wins and we would both have 21 wins. And then it comes to GD; currently it’s a difference of 7. To turn that around in 2 games we would have to beat them by 4 or 5, and then hope they only win by 1 v Corinthians. We have to win both games really and SP away is always a terrible game.
You make a fair point. However the football concepts as you mentioned is a major factor somewhere like Brazil. There are a lot of coaches who play like Abel plays but very few, if any, who can implement a style like JJ did with the high line and attacking football (this may change next season with Ramirez and Crespo). So I think it’s more than just preparation and investment. Whatever he has turned into now, JJ deserves credit for that.
Mineiro have reported record profits strangely and have been making some really crazy deals for a Brazilian club; Matias Zaracho (who should be in Europe already), Vargas, Hulk, and they are even going for Nacho Fernandez of River. You can imagine what kind of money it takes to handpick one of Gallardo’s main starters at River for the past 5 years. They are backing Sampaoli like there is no tomorrow, and if he doesn’t bring the title next season he’s gone.
Apologies for the random reply but that goal is Nani-esque, as was the turn to fool the defender.
I am not so sure Sampaoli will stay, there are rumours he is going to Marseille, reason why I mentioned JJ.
We're due a result there, it's been 5 years since we've managed to not lose a game away to Porto. I'm going to take this week to mentally prepare myself to deal with all kinds of dirty tricks that will be coming our way in that game
I am not prepared. I am bracing myself to ignore that match. This century we only won there 2 times for the League, and at best 2 or 3 draws. I don't want to give Ceição the pleasure of sarcastically saying "Yes they are favourites but we are better". Not used to feel anxiety again watching a football match, I am only preparing for the worst because I am fed up of being mocked when we fail.We're due a result there, it's been 5 years since we've managed to not lose a game away to Porto. I'm going to take this week to mentally prepare myself to deal with all kinds of dirty tricks that will be coming our way in that game
Not paying much attention to what Conceição says should be a requirement to watch football in this country
Hope you guys win the league.
Selfishly I hope Estoril make it! My daughter goes to school literally 2 minutes away from their ground (or at least she did prior to the recent lockdown). Strongly considering buying a season ticket assuming attending matches is a possibility next season.
