How good would it be to have them promoted and another kiwi with a premier league gig!!
I wasn’t going to back United over the other clubs in the play offs as I would prefer Sunderland or Bristol City making it but on the off chance this may be true, I am all in!!
Sheffield should get promoted - by far the best team in the playoffs. The thing with them is they're more prone to sharkting the bed than Leeds and Burnley were all season. They should get through against the Robins, but I wouldn't be overly surprised if they bottle it against Sunderland or a Coventry side that's looking dangerous in the back end of this season.
Anyway, either way I hope Libby goes there. Sheffield are a massive club and it's a fantastic opportunity for him
Big win in the playoff semifinal first leg for Sheffield United, they take a 3-0 win home for the second leg. They'll be at the playoff final at Wembley
Dunno about this to be honest - he's been a versatile, consistent starter for a Serie A team, and on the balance of things one of Empoli's better players this season. I think that's the sort of profile a promoted team would be looking at
Dunno about this to be honest - he's been a versatile, consistent starter for a Serie A team, and on the balance of things one of Empoli's better players this season. I think that's the sort of profile a promoted team would be looking at
It's kind of a win-win for Shef Utd, as his transfer fee and wages wouldn't be high by Premier League standards. If he does well, they've done a great piece of business and keep him. If it doesn't quite gel, he has a decent professional profile to this point and so there'd be no shortage of potential suitors in Europe and even the English championship, so they'd be able to recoup some of the original outlay. With the way scouting and analysis works these days, there's no way he's being looked at on a whim or by accident - they will have mapped out all these possibilities, which means that if they're still keen, they clearly see something in him that's worth a look. And that's awesome :)
I hope he stays in Italy. LBs are rare and he is a solid performer in Italy div 1. Surely another Italian club would pick him up. Sheffield compared to Empoli is an absolute dump. You would only go there for the $$
Or if the Blades were promoted to test yourself week in, week out in agruably the world's best league. Certainly most high profile.
EPL footballers don't tend to live in Sheffield, Burnley, Hull, Ipswich etc. It's a big home in a leafy country estate with their WAG. Even the training bases are more rural idyllic than inner city grim.
Libby has ticked off his dream of playing in Serie A. He ain't ever likely to play for his boyhood club Napoli, so yeah why not try the UK. Especially yes if it's a nice jump in pay.
I hope he stays in Italy. LBs are rare and he is a solid performer in Italy div 1. Surely another Italian club would pick him up. Sheffield compared to Empoli is an absolute dump. You would only go there for the $$
€20,000 a week is probably just enough in the bank to offset the 'dump' factor to be honest. 😂
Would be cool to see it eventuate, but it will very likely be a struggle of a season ahead for Sheffield if they do end up being promoted - As it seems to be the case with most clubs promoted out of the Championship over the past few years.
I hope he stays in Italy. LBs are rare and he is a solid performer in Italy div 1. Surely another Italian club would pick him up. Sheffield compared to Empoli is an absolute dump. You would only go there for the $$
Idk man, I was on a train that stopped in Empoli a few weeks back and I gotta say - it looked very small, quite rundown and with not a whole lot going on. Mind you, being a stones throw from Florence is better than being close to... Leeds or Nottingham I guess.
Still, as Coochie said, no one who plays for Sheffield, Wolves, Burnley, etc actually live in the city - although to be fair to Sheffield it's a lot cooler these days, it's no longer quite what the full monty would have you believe
100% with Jeff...Empoli is a very crappy place...compared to Florence of course. But it's close to the region's capital and of course well positioned for those wanting to visit the rest of the country/Europe.
I watched the game. Empoli are really poor this season. They played 11 v 10 for three quarters of the game and you couldn't even tell. After they conceded the equaliser, they completely fell apart and got very lucky with that wonder strike... I have a soft spot for them since the early 2000s (half my fantasy team was made of Empoli players) and of course Libby is there... I'd like to see him stay in Italy, but then again how many chances will he get to play in the EPL?
So yes Empoli beat 10 man Parma (red card 31 mins), 2-1. For the moment Empoli (17th, 28 pts) climb out of the drop zone, to go 17th, and 1 point ahead of Lecce.
Lecce (18th, 27 pts) play tonight away at Verona. Venezia (19th, 26 pts) also play tonight hosting Fiorentina
2 games left for Empoli who face Monza (last, already relegated) away, and in the final game host Verona (15th). Verona 5 pts above the drop zone, will hopefully have nothing meaningful to play for by that match.
Who knows both Libby and Old's clubs may avoid the drop.
And yeah have noticed Empoli's home games often seem only half full, so doesn't give the impression of being a big vibrant city.
Isn't Sheffield a big uni town? You don't get half full stadiums in the EPL or even in The Championship.
Blades (up 3-0) host Bristol City in their promotion playoff 2nd leg tonight. Sunderland up 2-1 host Coventry in te other playoff semi 2nd leg.
Wood, Bindon, Stamenic, Gray, Paulsen and Dibley-Dias at EPL clubs. Free agents Crocombe, Tzanev & Waine who knows. Rumours about possible UK moves for Bell, Libby & Sims. Could be a host of Kiwis around the top 2-3 tiers of the UK football pyramid next seson.
Totally forgot to say, those win ended a staggering 20 match winless streak for Empoli! It was their first win since December. Talk about winning a 6 pointer! They do have easier games than Venezia and Lecce, so here's hoping. Empoli is just a big town, and they have made their home stadium a bit of a fortress in the past, but this year their home record is on par with the Nix, so that may explain reduced patronage
Lecce drew with Verona and overtook Empoli overnight, albeit just on goal difference. Libby's team is back in the relegation zone, though much closer to their opponents. Tonight (NZT), Venezia has a chance to overtake them both as they host Fiorentina.
Obviously the win is preferred, but they can also do it with a draw, as long as Lecce lose to Lazio and Venezia lose to Juventus - both rather probable outcomes too, considering Lazio and Juve are battling for Champions League spots.
Factor in Verona's abysmal defence, and all things considered I think Empoli have a decent shot at staying up again.
'The Great Escape is still on for Empoli'. That's what the commentator calls it at the end of the highlights.
Libby playing that left side attacking role yet again. Must be getting to the stage where he has played more there this season than at LB/LWB?
He very nearly scores early on. Assist was his swinging corner. Seems the game changed at HT (Monza 1-0 up) and the Empoli coach making 2 changes down the right side. Colombo one of the subs scoring mins after coming on.
Empoli win 1 - 3 so it all comes down to the last day. Libby assist for the second goal.
Win vs Verona and Empoli are safe no matter other results, above Verona on goal difference.
If two teams finish level on points. I think they will have a playoff to see who stays up. Not determined by goal difference. Anyone know the exact rule here.
Looks like you are correct. If Wiki is to be believed these are the tie breaking rules.
Looks like it would get complicated if after the weekend's games, the 3 teams of Lecce (currently 17th, 31 pts), Empoli (18th, 31 pts) and Venezia (19th, 29 pts) were all tied on 32 pts.
Best Empoli just win their game against Verona to make the equation simpler.
If after all 38 games, two teams are tied on points for either first place or for 17th (the last safety spot), the outcome is decided by a single-legged play-off match. This match consists of 90 minutes of regulation time followed by penalties if necessary (no extra time). The game is to be held at a neutral venue, with the designated "home" team determined by the tiebreakers listed below.
In cases where there are at least three teams tied for one of these positions, a mini table is created using the same tiebreakers to determine which two teams will play in the decider. For ties concerning all other league positions, the following tiebreakers are applied:
with the head to head taking precedence over goal difference in Italy, and it’d take too long to get into all of them here. There’s even the possibility of a playoff if two teams are level for seventeenth (as they are right now). Lucky for the Azzurri, the three teams closest to them on the table are all facing top six opponents in their last games. The short version is that Empoli can stay up with a draw if Lecce and Venezia both lose but more realistically they’ll need three more points. And they might get them because they already beat Verona 4-1 earlier in the season... it was the game in which Libby Cacace scored his first Serie A goal. Remember they scored a 90+3rd minute winner in the last game to ensure survival last season so they’ve been here before.
The other possibility to consider is that this could be Cacace’s last game for the club. If they get relegated, he’s going to have enough of a profile that some other club will come swooping in with a transfer fee and with only one year left on his deal, Empoli wouldn’t be able to match that from Serie B. Even if they stay up, he might still get poached. Who knows.
On top of all that, this is what it looks like when you get shortlisted for the Premio Emiliano Del Rosso...
This award – which is named after a fan who died far too young back in 2004 – is not a Player of the Year thing, but rather a recognition of the players who best represent: “the values of loyalty, dedication, and commitment to club”. It was Emmanuel Gyasi who ended up getting the overall recognition but Cacace’s place in the top three shows how much he’s appreciated at the club. Cacace was also in the running for the Sauro Cappelli Award which is sort of a Clubman of the Year gong. Gyasi won that too. The Fans’ Player of the Year went to Giuseppe Pezzella (the bloke keeping Cacace out of the left wing-back spot), while Liam Henderson won the other Player of the Year trophy (voted for by a panel of media, analysts, and ex-players).
Rumoured transfer destination for Cacace, Sheffield United, choke in the playoff final (yet again) and will play in the Championship next season. Sunderland go up
Relegation confirmed. No last minute heroics this time around.
Dare I say Libby should have plenty of suitors, but relegation will hurt and of course it's a bitter pill to swallow.
Probably doesn't mean too much right now either, but he's had his best output in a European season since moving there from the Nix - 2 goals & 5 assists across all competitions. So at least something to hold on to at a personal level...
So Libby off at 60 mins (1-1) in the 1-2 loss. Lecce played the whole 2nd half with 10 men but somehow won 1-0 at Lazio. They finished 3 pts clear of Empoli.
You'd think with the Blades not being promoted to the EPL, Libby isn't going there. Really hope he doesn't go to Besiktas.
If he was new to Europe like Old, then yeah a season in the 2nd tier would be okay.
But Libby's been in Europe coming up 5 years, and started 52 games in Serie A. Lots of potential suitors by the sounds of it. Time to move on.
Would love him to sign with the Dons. Exactly the type of player we need and would be nice to put the McGarry situation behind us. Europe group stages, big investment coming, would be a perfect window for him.
Would staying and playing down a lvl be an acceptable outcome? Or do we think he needs to move on?
From his time with the Nix in the A-League, through his years in Belgium and Italy, he is one of the very few All Whites who has made it through to Europe and maintained a career exclusively in top tier competition.
Anything outside staying in that top tier bracket - and we're talking about a player of high calibre here - Well it would be nigh on inexcusable in my opinion.
I vaguely recall at the backend of last season when he talked to Piney that relegation to Serie B back then was going to be about a 50% pay decrease. Well I think he's done more than enough this season to have several clubs come in for his services and rescue him from that demise.
Only question remaining now is whether it's Italian, German, or Turkish clubs that come in for him, as has been previously rumoured.
If he was new to Europe like Old, then yeah a season in the 2nd tier would be okay.
But Libby's been in Europe coming up 5 years, and started 52 games in Serie A. Lots of potential suitors by the sounds of it. Time to move on.
Would love him to sign with the Dons. Exactly the type of player we need and would be nice to put the McGarry situation behind us. Europe group stages, big investment coming, would be a perfect window for him.
Sorry WS, but we don't want him in the SPL. As YH says a top 5 league please.
If he was new to Europe like Old, then yeah a season in the 2nd tier would be okay.
But Libby's been in Europe coming up 5 years, and started 52 games in Serie A. Lots of potential suitors by the sounds of it. Time to move on.
Would love him to sign with the Dons. Exactly the type of player we need and would be nice to put the McGarry situation behind us. Europe group stages, big investment coming, would be a perfect window for him.
Sorry WS, but we don't want him in the SPL. As YH says a top 5 league please.
Ha no offence taken. You'd absolutely want him at the highest he could be.
