The Barclays Premier League thread 2015/2016

[TCO]

The ref seemed out of his depth on the whole really, maybe this is a way to take the shine off him to an extent. 

Him being completely terrified of booking Cattermole no matter how many times he committed fouls was another one of his highlights.

[Gazz]

This weekend should be fun.

He's reffing the Man City game. RIP Hughes.

[Rafael]

This weekend should be fun.

He's reffing the Man City game. RIP Hughes.

But what if he does it in their favor? Happy Hughes.

[Gazz]

Nah, he obviously prefers the shit, anti-football provincial teams.

[Lineker]

 

Quote

Lawyers acting for the former Chelsea team doctor Eva Carneiro have served notice on the club that she intends to bring a claim for constructive dismissal, having failed as yet to agree a severance package following her departure last month.

Legal papers are understood to have been served on the Premier League champions earlier this week as time in the three-month window permitted for claimants to lodge any complaint ticked down towards its deadline of 8 November. The papers will trigger an employment tribunal unless an out-of-court settlement can be agreed before a hearing takes place. Such tribunals are conducted in public and could be embarrassing for either defendant or claimant, meaning a compromise is usually struck beforehand.

Carneiro and the club’s physio Jon Fearn were publicly criticised by Chelsea’s manager, José Mourinho, for legitimately entering the field of play to treat Eden Hazard in stoppage time at the end of the 2-2 draw with Swansea City on 8 August. The referee, Michael Oliver, had waved the medical staff on to the pitch, with the Belgium international apparently in need of treatment – the medics were obliged to comply – although that meant the hosts played out a period of added time with only nine men on the field after the earlier dismissal of Thibaut Courtois.

The doctor and physio were subsequently dropped from first-team duties. Chelsea have consistently refused to comment publicly on what they consider to be an internal staffing matter but, whereas Fearn remains at the club, Carneiro did not report for work in the period after the incident and formally left last month, with her legal team entering negotiations to stave off any legal action. Mourinho has since been cleared by the Football Association of using discriminatory language towards Carneiro on the touchline, although the doctorreleased a statement criticising the governing body over its investigation of the incident.

“I was surprised to learn that the FA was allegedly investigating the incident of 8 August via the press,” she said this month. “I was at no stage requested by the FA to make a statement. I wonder whether this might be the only formal investigation in this country where the evidence of the individuals involved in the incident was not considered relevant. Choosing to ignore some of the evidence will surely influence the outcome of the findings.”

Although there is still scope for compromise to be reached, the ramifications of the fallout have added to the sense of chaos at Chelsea over what has been a traumatic season. Mourinho and his team go into Saturday’s potentially pivotal game against Liverpool 15th in the Premier League table after five defeats in 10 matches and with two disciplinary issues hanging over the manager. The Portuguese and his assistant Silvino Louro will be in the dugout at Stamford Bridge, despite being sent to the stands at West Ham last Saturday, with their misconduct charges to be heard by a commission next week at the earliest.

The Chelsea manager is also appealing against a £50,000 fine and suspended one-match stadium ban for suggesting officials were “afraid” to award his side decisions following the defeat by Southampton on 3 October. That appeal over the scale of the punishment was initially expected to be heard this week.

The champions’ Brazil midfielder Ramires signed a new contract through to 2019 on Thursday, in effect serving as a two-year extension, although even that was overshadowed by news that his compatriot Lucas Piazon, a young forward on a season-long loan at Reading, iswanted by police in Toronto in connection with an alleged sexual assault.

A warrant has been issued for the arrest of Piazon and his Brazil Under-22s team-mate Andrey da Silva Ventura after an alleged incident during the Pan-Am Games last summer. Police allege a 21-year-old woman was sexually assaulted by two men who met her at a downtown club on 25 July and then went to her home. It is alleged the woman was sexually assaulted after she fell asleep and the two men fled the scene.

The alleged incident occurred on the same day Brazil won the bronze medal in the tournament, with Piazon, who moved to Chelsea for £5m in 2011 from São Paulo, scoring in a 3-1 win over Panama. Both Chelsea and Reading, for whom Piazon scored at Fulham on Saturday, confirmed they were “aware of the reports” but made no further comment. The forward is understood to have trained as normal with Steve Clarke’s squad on Thursday.

 

[Lineker]

Lucas Piazon, a Chelsea forward on loan at Reading, is wanted by Toronto police in connection with an alleged sexual assault.

A warrant has been issued for the arrest of the 21-year-old and his Brazil Under-22 team-mate Andrey, a goalkeeper who plays in his homeland for Botafogo, following an incident that allegedly took place during the Pan-Am Games tournament in July.

A Chelsea spokesman said: “We are aware of the reports.” The club made no further comment. Reading are also aware of the reports after Toronto police issued a media release on Thursday.

Police allege a 21-year-old woman was sexually assaulted by two men who met her at a club on 25 July and then went to her home. It is alleged the woman was sexually assaulted after she fell asleep and the two men fled the scene.

Police say the men would have to be extradited to Canada if they are to face charges.

The alleged incident happened on the same day Brazil clinched the bronze medal in the tournament, with Piazon scoring in a 3-1 win over Panama.

Piazon joined Chelsea in August 2011 and is contracted to the Premier League champions until 2017. He travelled on the first team’s 2013 pre-season tour to Asia after a short spell with Málaga towards the end of the 2012-13 campaign.

He spent the 2013-14 season at Vitesse Arnhem, the 2014-15 campaign at Eintracht Frankfurt and is on a season-long loan at Reading, for whom he has made eight appearances.

[Lineker]

Kevin MacDonald expects Remi Garde to be Aston Villa’s next manager. Villa made Garde their first choice after sacking Tim Sherwood last Sunday on the back of six straight defeats.

MacDonald is the caretaker manager and preparing the team for Monday’s trip to Tottenham. He has given the clearest indication yet Garde, a former Lyon manager, is set for Villa.

He said: “Obviously, the hierarchy think he is the man for the job. I’ve been told I need to prepare the team for Monday. Whether Remi has been given the position and is maybe in the stand to watch, I don’t know, that is going to be an ongoing thing.

“He was a decent footballer at Arsenal, they don’t have many bad players over the years, and he has got a good pedigree as a coach. If, at the end of the season, Aston Villa are still in the Premier League then it’s a good appointment. Arsène Wenger came in and never had any Premier League experience.”

Garde, 49, is keen on bringing the Lyon coaches Bruno Genesio and Gérald Baticle with him but the French club’s president Jean-Michel Aulas has said they are going nowhere.

Wenger signed Garde for Arsenal in 1996, on the same day as Patrick Vieira, and has backed him to be a success at Villa Park should he join.

Arsenal’s manager said: “It is a challenge that he should take. Are assistants of Lyon free or not? It doesn’t matter, it’s a challenge he should take. Remi is an intelligent man who has experience in Lyon now. He will try to get his ideas through, the ideas he got through in Lyon, and hopefully it can work.

“They have five or six French players there who haven’t all had an impact, maybe he will give them a chance, I don’t know.”

[DavidMarrio]

Mignolet, Clyne, Sakho, Skrtel, Moreno, Milner. Lucas, Can, Coutinho, Lallana and Firmino. 

Benteke, Ibe, Bogdan, Lovren, Texierra, Randall and Allen on the bench. 

[stokeriño]

Interesting midfield choices for Chelsea. The central three are switched from Matic/Ramires/Fabregas to Mikel/Ramires/Oscar. Otherwise it's unchanged, I think.

[DavidMarrio]

Is Matic suspended for this game or was it the league cup match?

[stokeriño]

That was the cup match. He's on the bench.

[Lineker]

1-0 Chelsea already. Ramires.

Shocking marking.

[DavidMarrio]

It's part of the plan. We always do shit against Chelsea, keep Mourinho in a job and they do shit against everyone else <_<

[Szumi]

Can and Moreno were absolutely awful on the marking. Lucas giving free kicks away in dangerous positions too. Looking like a long day ahead.

[DavidMarrio]

Started to look a bit brighter like but Chelsea will be hard to break down. 

[DavidMarrio]

Getting beat but we've been the better team here despite not having any real clear cut chances. 

Got to imagine Benteke will be on at the start of the second half

Edit: fucking get in, great finish. Deserved that. Klopp time!!

[Szumi]

COUTINHO!!

[Lineker]

Perfect time for Coutinho to level it up, last kick of the first half.

[DavidMarrio]

It'll give José something to moan about too!! 

[Szumi]

23 second after the two minutes of stoppage time. Klopp Time has begun!