PL 2016-2017 Thread

Yeah the red card which was way OTT completely ruined the game, which WH had a decent chance of winning considering it took UTD so long to score against 10 men.
 
Talking to a few utd fans (by txt) during the game and both said it was a harsh red. Looked harsh from the 2 views I saw. It's Mike Dean though, he HAS to be the centre of attention. People come to watch him, not to watch football. :roll:
And yes, Utd's second goal was clearly offside. That's 2 offside goals they've had in a week. Though Ibra did have one harshly disallowed the other day.

Felt sorry for WH, cos that red ended the game as a contest.
 
It did indeed ruin the game- we looked really up for it and Feghouli was looking good. Thought we did well up to around 70 mins when we really started to run out of steam. Rashford really stretched things when he came on.

It really is all about Mike Dean- the fans were singing 'all about you, all about you, Mike Dean, it's all about you'. Quite amusing, but sadly true. This is interesting as well https://twitter.com/WHUFC_News/status/815991508168036352

Arrogant twat
 
edd_jedi said:
Henrikh Mkhitaryan's looks a bit more deliberate, at least he was looking where the ball ended up!

Come on Edd take off the Spurs glasses for this one, he was watching it onto his foot with the goal in front of him. No need to give the goalie the eyes for that. Huge slice of luck but no more than most 30 yard screamers that actually find the net :)
 
:lol: nah I'd have said the same if Harry Kane scored it, goals like that don't have a lot of skill involved. It's the equivalent of scoring with a blindfold on or throwing a basketball backwards into the hoop, a great spectacle but 99% luck.
 
Well that was my favourite game of the season so far! I think Spurs thoroughly deserved to win although it was neck and neck until the first goal, and Chelsea came close a few times near the end. Spurs seem to have no problem beating the big boys, I just wish they weren't so complacent against the smaller teams, it's the losses to Newcastle and draws against Middlesbrough that prevent them achieving anything. I predict a draw or loss against West Brom next week :roll:
 
Certainly looking interesting now, Spurs looking really good.

The West Ham - Man Utd game was a bit of a farce to say the least Phill Jones part it in was as bad if not worse. :roll:

The two Scorpean kicks were brilliant, yes lucky to a certain point but both players meant to score and that's why they are top players because they do it when it counts not just in training.

Still think it will boil down to Liverpool or Chelsea for the league with no European commitments.

We'll find out how far Man Utd have come on the 15 January at Old Trafford against Liverpool. :wink:

I'm not holding my breath!
 
Yeah fair play to Spuds they were well worth that win. Unusually they actually managed it when I was cheering for them. Normally when I want them to win (ie when they play Utd, Chelsea or in Europe) they get humped.

Good to see Pochetino picking up on the flaw in the 3 at the back system Chelsea employ. There is always a gap between the widest of the 3 CB's and the wing back. That's the exact gap Alli was stood in when he scored both his headers. Also it was the gap Erikson crossed from for at least one of the goals.
Exploiting that gap is the way you beat that system. It either means the wing backs sit deep to close the space in which case you end up with a back 5 and your midfield get over run, or your widest CB's step across to cover the gap and you are left 1 on 1 in the middle or there's a gap for a midfield runner to exploit. Wenger did it brilliantly when Liverpool played it under Rodgers. Obviously Brendan didn't feel any need to change the formation or react to Wenger's tactics, I mean why would he!? :roll:
But two high wide players, old school wingers if you like, is the way to beat three at the back. It's also why I think Liverpool have the ideal set up when they play Chelsea. If they can keep their two wide forwards in those gaps Chelsea's defence will have nightmares. Watch Chelsea win 5-0 now! :lol:

Regardless that result last night keeps the title and CL race interesting.

Well...........as interesting as the usual 6 suspects fighting it out can be.
 
weasel said:
Well...........as interesting as the usual 6 suspects fighting it out can be.

Well there is one exception this year, Leicester! Nobody is really talking about them but they are doing this season what Chelsea did last, making no attempt to defend their title. Will they even make the top half of the table, or dare I say it stay up? Will Ranieri last the season?
 
edd_jedi said:
Well there is one exception this year, Leicester! Will they even make the top half of the table, or dare I say it stay up? Will Ranieri last the season?

Easy, No, not a mission they'll make top half, TBF ( :wink: ) they are a bottom half side the stars just aligned for them last year.
As for Ranieri, I don't know if he will or not. 50:50 I'd say. Either way I can't see him being in charge come the start of next season. He'll go in the summer if not before.
 
I could see them going down, although I do think there are 4 or 5 much worse sides, but no mission will they will the CL.
They will get found out when they play some decent top level European sides. It would be funny though
 
I reckon Palace are gonna go down, big Sam will loose is record of never being relegated.

Leicester have been found out in the Premeirship, most domestic top flight leagues would have found them out last Christmas and they wouldn't have won the league. :roll:

Leicester got Chelsea next I think?
 
Sad to see that it looks like the FA Cup is finally on its way out. I remember it being the highlight of the season when I was a kid. This weekend every PL team put out their Sunday League team, and most of them barely scraped through. I can't believe that teams like Bournemouth think they're such big shots now that they can just forfeit the FA Cup.
 
Do you think they believe they cam forfeit it because they're too big or is it more likely they are too scared of failure in the Prem to risk their best team
 
I don't know why they don't make the FA and League Cup a possible route to the Champions League. The winners of both cups could play a one off play off game to then play the team that finishes 4th in the league for the final Champions League spot.

More games I know but I reckon it would help improve the interest of both Cups only stumbling point I could see is UEFA would probably say no.
 
theforceuk said:
I don't know why they don't make the FA and League Cup a possible route to the Champions League. The winners of both cups could play a one off play off game to then play the team that finishes 4th in the league for the final Champions League spot.

More games I know but I reckon it would help improve the interest of both Cups only stumbling point I could see is UEFA would probably say no.

You got it in the last sentence. UEFA won't allow it. CL spots HAVE to go to the teams who finish in the top four (in England's case) places in the league. Simple as. UEFA aren't even remotely tempted to discuss any alternative arrangements.

I do agree it's sad to see the FAC dying a slow death. I don't quite get it though. Ok, the "big 6" will field 'weakened' sides in the early rounds if they are up against a lower league side because the CL and qualification for it is much more important financially than winning the FAC. Sad, but true. Saying that Utd's 'weakened' team wasn't exactly a bunch of kids and nobodies, granted Liverpool's was.

It's the sides in the bracket of not good enough to make CL but in no danger of going down who I don't understand. Everton, Stoke, Southampton etc. Those sides won't make CL. Okay, Leicester won the PL last year but the FAC starts in Jan and none of those three are anywhere near CL spots, so I think it's fair to say barring a miracle they won't make it. Surely having a decent crack at winning a trophy is better than resting players to try and finish 2-3 places higher? You don't hear fans going on about "do you remember that year we finished 9th? Wow, what a season that was." But you would hear them going about "that year we made the cup final" hell even the semi finals are now played at Wembley (for some ****ing stupid reason) so all they need to do is make the semis and the fans get a day out to remember.

I understand the likes of Hull/Swansea and those at the bottom not taking it too seriously as PL survival is more important than an FAC run, besides, their odds of getting to the semis are slim. Though even at that, surely the confidence from a cup run, ie some victories, should feed through to the league form?

Again the top of the Championship is probably more concerned about trying to get into the PL.

It all boils down to money. Sadly.

The BBC and BT sport don't help either. They spout on about the magic of the cup and what games did they televise, WH v's Man City, geee you don't get to see them play very often. Ohhh wait, they are playing each other in the PL next month........and it's being televised! :roll:
They also showed, Utd, Pool and Arsenal. Again, never see those sides playing at all.
Why not show some of the minnows, some of the teams that never get shown on tv? The Leeds game was on last night, but even they are probably one of the 'biggest' sides in the Championship. Though, I guess if they put on two smaller sides, no one would watch and their advertisers would be complaining about paying for slots when no one was watching.

I saw a stat somewhere that said something along the lines of 90% (if not more) of Man Utd's FAC games have been chosen for television over the last 5-10 years. Sad. I get that Utd are the biggest team in the country and more people will watch them, but what does that say about the magic of the cup, and what does it do for fans of lower league sides who rarely get to see their side on tv.

Money money money.
 
The FA cup has lost a bit of magic but I think the big teams do still take it very seriosuly - just look at the recent winners. The teams determined not to get relegated do put in reserves and are happy to be knocked out, but considering the money in the prem that is understandable. Once the big boys are past the early stages they do generally put out decent teams.

2016 Manchester Utd
2015 Arsenal
2014 Arsenal
2013 Wigan (beating City!)
2012 Chelsea
2011 Man city
2010 Chelsea
2009 Chelsea
2008 Portsmouth (beating Cardiff in a bit of a freak year)
2007 Chelsea
2006 Liverpool

To me its the best chance of a trophy for most of the top 6 and once out of the early rounds the list above shows that the big 6 still dominate, but there is a chance for the little clubs to have some glory.

A lot of the magic has disappeared since TV has changed. The FA cup being an all day event on telly made it more special than perhaps it really should have been. If anything the list of recent winners above is as depressing as the list of recent prem winners - most little clubs have no chance of winning it but there is always the chance for an upset, just as its always been. Can you really tell fans of Wigan, Portsmouth and Liverpool that the cup has lost its magic :lol:
 
spoons said:
most little clubs have no chance of winning it but there is always the chance for an upset, just as its always been. Can you really tell fans of Wigan, Portsmouth and Liverpool that the cup has lost its magic :lol:


I'm not biting I'm just sat here looking at a PL table :lol:
 
weasel said:
spoons said:
most little clubs have no chance of winning it but there is always the chance for an upset, just as its always been. Can you really tell fans of Wigan, Portsmouth and Liverpool that the cup has lost its magic :lol:


I'm not biting I'm just sat here looking at a PL table :lol:

touche :lol: (but dont get a nosebleed)
 
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