PL 2016-2017 Thread

[theforceuk]

No that ad always comes up for me as well really annoying it's not that long though. Will try another one.

Try this one.

http://metro.co.uk/2015/08/12/the-sold-southampton-xi-that-could-challenge-for-premier-league-honours-5339224/

 

[mumbo]

Is it just the Portuguese you dont like :lol:

Lol, yeah it does seem like that given my hatred of Ballbag (Ronaldo) and Mourinho. I'm not a fan of Pepe either, but that surely isn't uncommon?
They are the only Portugese i hate, honest!

:lol:

I'm sure you are not in the minority over this but I will be keeping an eye on any future references about the pork and cheese :wink:

 

[mumbo]

No that ad always comes up for me as well really annoying it's not that long though. Will try another one.

Try this one.

http://metro.co.uk/2015/08/12/the-sold-southampton-xi-that-could-challenge-for-premier-league-honours-5339224/

The first one was slightly better...

Swap Mane for Lambert, Alderweireld for Chambers, Fonte for Lovren, Forster for Boruc.

Not strictly all ex players though like the second one.

 

[theforceuk]

Is it just the Portuguese you dont like :lol:

Lol, yeah it does seem like that given my hatred of Ballbag (Ronaldo) and Mourinho. I'm not a fan of Pepe either, but that surely isn't uncommon?
They are the only Portugese i hate, honest!

:lol:

I'm sure you are not in the minority over this but I will be keeping an eye on any future references about the pork and cheese :wink:

What about Nani and Pepe?

 

[mumbo]

Lol, yeah it does seem like that given my hatred of Ballbag (Ronaldo) and Mourinho. I'm not a fan of Pepe either, but that surely isn't uncommon?
They are the only Portugese i hate, honest!

:lol:

I'm sure you are not in the minority over this but I will be keeping an eye on any future references about the pork and cheese :wink:

What about Nani and Pepe?

I was trying ot think of other people and yes Pepe goes without saying and Nani whilst he was annoying at Utd since then he has been less so, in fact during the Euro's he didn't come across as annoying at all so he has clearly has a word with himself :lol:

 

[weasel]

No that ad always comes up for me as well really annoying it's not that long though. Will try another one.

Try this one.

http://metro.co.uk/2015/08/12/the-sold-southampton-xi-that-could-challenge-for-premier-league-honours-5339224/

The first one was slightly better...

Swap Mane for Lambert, Alderweireld for Chambers, Fonte for Lovren, Forster for Boruc.

Not strictly all ex players though like the second one.

That's some team! Fair dos to any club that can produce that many players. Especially one that isn't a traditional "big" club.

 

[weasel]

I suppose I should comment that dross from last night. **** ME THAT WAS DREADFUL!!!!!

If I was a neutral watching that, especially one from Spain or Germany I would be looking at that game going "Best league in the world? Most entertaining league in the world? **** off!!"
Not only was it a poor 0-0 but the standard of the football was bloody low. You can have poor 0-0's were two decent sides just cancel each other out. This was a poor nil nil were two ehh sides were both shite. Ok, it was only one game and every side can, and will, play badly at some stage across the season, but if you put those two teams in the CL, on that evidence the phrase 'cannon fodder' springs to mind.

Not sure how I would feel about that result if I was Utd fan. A point away to 'big' rival is by no means a bad result, but Utd didn't ever really try to win the game. Jose had them set up to negate Liverpool and the not lose. Fair dos it worked well, especially the first 30 mins, but surely someone like Utd should be trying to win games like that? Am I being harsh and judging them on what I think Fergy would have done? At no stage did they look like scoring. The one header Ibrahimovic had (which he should have done better with) wasn't even on target. That was pretty much Utd's first choice 11 as well. Rooney on the bench where he belongs. Ok, maybe you could add Luke Shaw to it and Mata against a weaker side, but effectively that was their full strength side. Liverpool had a keeper who was playing his 3rd game, and who looked ropey as hell (wonderful, ANOTHER dodgy keeper, that makes a nice change) and a midfield three that had Can making his first start and Coutinho and Firminio with a million mile return flight in their legs. Ohh and a midfielder at LB, but that's his default position so we'll give that one a by ball. It wasn't exactly a "weak" Liverpool side but if you had to pick a side who were further from their preferred starting 11 it would have been Pool. Yet Jose decided not to go for it, at any point. Strange.

I know a defeat would have meant Utd were 6pts behind Pool and at risk of the media spinning it as being 'cut adrift' but surely they should still have shown some desire to win?

I'm not calling it 'park the bus' like some people are. It was nothing on what Chelsea did the time Gerrard slipped. But Utd were poor. TBH I think they were helped massively by Liverpool. Pool didn't turn up until the second half. That first 45 was as bad as I have seen for a while. I do think the injuries to Winjard and Lallana were a big part in that. Look how much better Pool were for 20 mins after Lallanna came on. That was until Countinho and Firminio ran out of legs. At which point it was always ending 0-0. On that note, that hardly bodes well for Daniel Sturridge getting more pitch time. In the hour he was on Pool created the sum total of nothing. In the 20 mins after they had two decent chances. Bench warming duty for young Daniel I suspect. Cue a January/summer move.
Klopp did his best to get Utd to attack so they would leave gaps at the back, FFS he played the last 10 mins with ten men! Moreno is as much a footballer as I am Miss World! But nah, Jose had the point he came for.

As a Pool fan I was disappointed, as much in how poor a game it was, as the performance. But then Jose doesn't like exciting football. He likes to suck the joy out of things. How I love that man.

 

[theforceuk]

Thought it was a fascinating game, yes Liverpool diden't play well but Utd diden't really let them with the tactics used. Let's just think about this, a Liverpool side that have blown away Arsenal and Chelsea in the first 45 minutes already this season and Man Utd are supposed to just go for it for 90 minutes to please the football world.

Liverpool need to come up with another way of playing as well if they want to win the league, teams have been coming to Old Trafford for more than 15 years and playing like Utd did last night and when a side plays like that at Old Trafford and gets something, credit is always given. (Although most haven't spent £500 million on players in the last 5 years!) :lol:

It was probably Utds best team but that's another JM hallmark, his sides get very phew injurys because of his training methods and style of play.

I've been a Man Utd supporter for 30 years and I've always been happy with a point at Anfield, sure we should try to win every game and last night the tactics used probably gave us the best chance of doing that. It's a compliment to Liverpool on the progress they have made.

Still think Liverpool and Chelsea not being in Europe will be a factor in the title race, they both have a week before their next game now, while everyone else has a European game. Also think Liverpool need another striker, Sturridge is to in a comfort zone.

Think Utd v Liverpool at Old Trafford will be a better game, Utd are expected to win every home game.

 

[Michael Sith]

A point away at Anfield is a good result, but as a Utd fan ( of many years) you always want the win against Liverpool.
It was a typical tactical game from Jose, as said, he didn't park the bus, but did play high up the pitch, in the second half we went deep a couple of times and Liverpool were at us, but for DG and some great saves we would have been in trouble.
Pogba looked lost for most of the game but his cross was sweet and the main man should have done better with his header.
It's a credit to Liverpool that Jose played the way he did as they have been on fire recently so we managed to minimise the threat and frustrated their play, boring to watch but that's what managers are paid for, to get the right result as a minimum and not to lose.

 

[scott82]

Yeah it wasn't the best game to watch but the job was done, being a man u fan you always want to see us beat liverpool at but im happy with the point.

 

[plantman]

I thought Liverpool looked far the better side, in recent years Man Utd have come to Anfield for 3 points and controlled a lot of the game, they looked very poor in possession and no real threat at all.
Liverpool were more accomplished but didnt threaten much, saying that de gea pulled of two great saves and Utd did defend well.

 

[weasel]

Just seen some stats on Pogba from last night. Impressive stufff.

He attempted 38 passes in 90 mins, less than Loris Karius, Joel Matip, Dejan Lovren, James Milner, Philippe Coutinho, Emre Can, Jordan Henderson, Roberto Firmino, Marouane Fellaini and Ander Herrera. That first one is Liverpool's keeper.

His pass completion rate of 71.1% was worse than every single player on the pitch barring Daley Blind and Roberto Firmino. And that includes goalkeepers.

He had just 63 touches of the ball at Anfield. For context, James Milner had 74 and he was a) at left-back and b) substituted.

He attempted just two tackles and was successful once – in the 89th minute

Pogba had one touch in Liverpool's box on Monday night. And it was an offside pass right at the edge of the box. Both Liverpool's full-backs managed two touches in the opposition area.


Now, I know it takes a player time to bed in to a new team and a new league, and I wouldn't judge any player on one game, especially not so soon after joining. Plus, it's unfair to judge him on what was shite game for pretty much 20 of the 22 players on the pitch (DDG and Herera being the exceptions) but those are shocking statistics for one of the world's supposedly best players. Either he is taking time to get used to the PL or Jose really hasn't a clue how to best use him. Probably both.

 

[theforceuk]

Yeah Pogba is struggling, he's never been or going to be £90 million player. I think if we had paid £50 mill it would have been to much! What can you do though Real Madrid were willing to pay the same, I think with time he will settle down, but don't see him as a player who is ever going to control a game. Sure he might be a match winner every now and then but he's got a way to go.

He's still young, but as Graham Sauness said he's more of an instinctive player than a player who can see what's happening in 2 or 3 passes time and for that money he should be able to do both.

Don't agree that Man Utd have played for a win last 3 visits to Anfield, did anyone see the Europa League tie with LVG point blank refusing to get an away goal!

 

[indianawars]

Not sure if Defoe can save Sunderland this season...
Bit of a boring day for football - So far three, 0-0 results.

 

[Bootyhunter]

Just seen some stats on Pogba from last night. Impressive stufff.

He attempted 38 passes in 90 mins, less than Loris Karius, Joel Matip, Dejan Lovren, James Milner, Philippe Coutinho, Emre Can, Jordan Henderson, Roberto Firmino, Marouane Fellaini and Ander Herrera. That first one is Liverpool's keeper.

His pass completion rate of 71.1% was worse than every single player on the pitch barring Daley Blind and Roberto Firmino. And that includes goalkeepers.

He had just 63 touches of the ball at Anfield. For context, James Milner had 74 and he was a) at left-back and b) substituted.

He attempted just two tackles and was successful once – in the 89th minute

Pogba had one touch in Liverpool's box on Monday night. And it was an offside pass right at the edge of the box. Both Liverpool's full-backs managed two touches in the opposition area.


Now, I know it takes a player time to bed in to a new team and a new league, and I wouldn't judge any player on one game, especially not so soon after joining. Plus, it's unfair to judge him on what was shite game for pretty much 20 of the 22 players on the pitch (DDG and Herera being the exceptions) but those are shocking statistics for one of the world's supposedly best players. Either he is taking time to get used to the PL or Jose really hasn't a clue how to best use him. Probably both.

And that was one of his better games..apparently

 

[weasel]

Looks like Liverpool are going to good to watch this season, attractive attacking football and shambolic defending (WTF was the keeper doing to concede the corner WBA scored from?)
And Sunderland are going to stink the place out. Appointing Moyes never looked like a good decision, as the weeks go by it looks worse and worse.

What odds Jose parking the bus today?

 

[theforceuk]

Looks like Liverpool are going to good to watch this season, attractive attacking football and shambolic defending (WTF was the keeper doing to concede the corner WBA scored from?)
And Sunderland are going to stink the place out. Appointing Moyes never looked like a good decision, as the weeks go by it looks worse and worse.

What odds Jose parking the bus today?

He won't park the bus today, will be the same as against Liverpool looking to control the tempo to suit Utd.

Liverpool are looking really good, think your wait might finally be over, if City don't win today they will have no win in 5 games.

 

[edd_jedi]

Despite a very exciting looking table I think the last couple of weeks of results have been really boring, lots of draws. The one exception is obviously the Chelsea v Utd game, wasn't expecting it to be so easy for Chelsea.

I think it's pretty unfair that Spurs now have to play the champions and then three London derbies in a row, will be lucky to get three points from those four games so that's really going to increase the gap. Makes the draws with West Brom and Bournemouth all the more unforgivable, really needed those points.

 

[weasel]

He won't park the bus today, will be the same as against Liverpool looking to control the tempo to suit Utd.

Not a huge amount of difference between the two. They didn't exactly attack much at Anfield. I know what you mean though.


Ohh and obviously it's all irrelevant when Smalling sells the ranch after 30 seconds. All I saw was the second half, the third goal killed it, Utd were actually quite good up to then. Although they imploded after and some of the defending i saw was woefully bad.

As for Luis's tackle on Fellaini, straight red all day. But then Fellaini is wild for throwing his elbows about and getting away with it so my sympathy for him is limited.

 

[scott82]

Well that wasn't the result I was hoping for @ Stamford bridge