PL 2017-2018 Thread

[Richard_H]

So Chelsea do a Mourinho and Mourinho is not happy about it. I really do detest this guy. I agree above when said he's a money bags manager. Although what he achieved at Porto was staggering (many of those players were ex-Barca and the like) the rest of the clubs threw money at him and then sacked him when results dipped later. Presumably when he was wanting another 200 million to bolster the squad.

However some players have got better under Mourinho. Lampard and Essien spring to mind.

 

[Snaketibe]

So Chelsea do a Mourinho and Mourinho is not happy about it.

Yes, I thought exactly the same. What a truly gigantic hypocrite that man is. You can bet your life if Man U had won playing with exactly the same tactics as Chelsea, he would be saying how well-deserved the win was. Idiot!

 

[weasel]

So Chelsea do a Mourinho and Mourinho is not happy about it.

Yes, I thought exactly the same. What a truly gigantic hypocrite that man is. You can bet your life if Man U had won playing with exactly the same tactics as Chelsea, he would be saying how well-deserved the win was. Idiot!

Aaahhh that's just Jose trying to deflect the attention away from the fact his side were woeful. Actually the game was woeful, but it's two teams who are horrible to watch so the odds were it was going to be a poor game.
Jose is quite happy for people to sit and slag him for being a hypocrite. It's water off a duck's back and he knows what he's doing. He'd rather you do that than realise that a team with Pogba, Sanchez, Mata, Rashford, Martial, Lukaku and Lingard created two half decent chances in 90 mins and have generally been woefully poor from an attacking point of view all season. With that list of players no team should struggle for creativity. Quite the opposite. Jose knows it, and thus to stop people talking about that, and highlighting that it's his job to sort it, he comes out with shite like he did and gets people talking about something else instead. He's done it from day one in his first stint at Chelsea.
Ignore him and talk about how ****ing piss poor his Utd team are, after two years under him and £500 million in signings.

However some players have got better under Mourinho. Lampard and Essien spring to mind.

Touche, though I meant have any Man U players improved under Jose. Lingard is arguable. The rest, have stagnated or regressed.

 

[theforceuk]

Could have gone either way at the end of the day, Utd got going in the second half. But Jones was a shambles and probably should have gone. I didn't think Jose was angry the way Chelsea won, just pointing out if he had won like that everyone would have moaned about the way he won.

As for what players have got better under Jose? When he took over we had just finished 5th and were in the Europa league. Two seasons on and we're the only side that looks any where near challenging City to the title next season and the club is in a much better position than two seasons ago in general.

Funny listening to 606 after the game loads of Utd fans wanting him sacked! Ridiculous. :lol:

 

[weasel]

we're the only side that looks any where near challenging City to the title next season and the club is in a much better position than two seasons ago in general.

ARE YOU DRUNK!?
"Anywhere near challenging City"? Utd are MILES away from challenging City. Absolutely MILES. (For the record, so is everyone else)
If that City team stick together next year and there is no Chelsea-like falling out with the big brass, I don't see anyone stopping them winning the title. They are streets ahead of everyone else.
I also don't see Utd suddenly picking up a lot of extra points to challenge them either. Actually, I'd say it's more likely that members of the Utd squad will get tired of Jose and his tactics, persona and liking of throwing people under the bus. Jose doesn't do long term, and that will be his third year at Utd, I think that's a record for him. That says a lot.

Funny listening to 606 after the game loads of Utd fans wanting him sacked! Ridiculous. :lol:

Tiz always the way when a "big club" is in crisis or loses a game like that. No doubt the usual morons spouting "give it giggsy" etc where out in force. Comedy gold. But those people, and all clubs have them, are safer just ignored.

Though everyone knows my opinion of the job Jose is doing at Utd.

 

[edd_jedi]

Got to agree, City were the best team by far and Utd only looked like they were clear second because both Spurs and Liverpool did such a spectacular job of trying to blow their CL spots in the last few games. Any of those three could have come second, but none were near challenging City IMO. And I actually don't dislike Utd or Jose particularly, this is a fairly subjective opinion. I would have preferred Utd to win the FA cup.

 

[theforceuk]

No I'm not drunk and City will probably win the league next season, but they will walk the league again if Utd were to get rid of Jose. Who else is going to get near them? Spurs will be the same, Chelsea may suprize everyone with a good season bad season carrying on, Liverpool need to learn how to defend, which is never going to happen with Klopp in charge and are Arsenal even worth mentioning?

My point is Weasel if your so sure Jose is doing a **** job surely you want him to stay! You may be correct about Jose but sacking him after 2 seasons makes no sense. :lol: And we are looking like the only side that will challenge City next season at the moment, that's completely different to saying we were the only side that got near to challenging them this season, which is not what I typed at all. :? Are you a journalist by any chance, taking quotes out of context? :lol:

Really disappointed about the Cup final, but it was alsways 50/50 on the day just like the semi final against Spurs which went our way.

 

[weasel]

Are you a journalist by any chance, taking quotes out of context? :lol.

A journalist? Have you seen how much I swear? :lol:

I just can't see Utd making sufficient strides between now and nxt season. Granted there have been no signings or departures yet but I haven't seen any signs that make me think they are making progress as a club.
I actually don't think there is much between Utd, Spurs, Pool and Chelsea as it stands. Again that can and prob will change over the summer.
Oh and as for Utd doing worse without Jose. Who knows. They could do worse, they could reappoint Moyesy. Or they could do better. It depends who they appoint and who he brings in.
And Pool's defending has actually been a lot less bad since Moreno and Mingers got dropped. Amazing what happens when you pick players who actually know how to play ****ing football.

Emery to Arsenal looks a great appointment if it goes through.
The squad there needs a massive overhaul though, it'll take more than two transfer windows to sort out.

 

[theforceuk]

I agree City are huge favourites for not just next season but for the next 2 or 3 seasons, althouth things can change quickly. It's surely going to be a defining season for Jose, but I beleive he is capable of turning Utd around. If you look at the league table on the 1 January 2018, City were 13 points in front with a game in hand, so they only won the second half of the season by 6 points! :?

Don't think changing managers for Utd every two seasons unless we win the league is the answer and I'm looking forward to the stability of having the same manager for a third season. Not sure about that Arsenal appointment, apparently he will only have £50 million to spend?!! Plus he does not speak much English, that said it could be worse.

Apparently City are after Hazard, £100 million. :shock: :roll:

 

[edd_jedi]

Emery to Arsenal and Pellegrini to West Ham, what's going on, that's two decent appointments!

 

[weasel]

I think the simple fact that he ISN'T Arsene will shale a few of the Arsenal boys up. Too many of them have been phoning their performances for the last few years. Now they will actually have to pull the finger out.
He did well enough at Sevilla on a small budget, I think that is half the reason Arsenal picked him, and Poch didn't speak much English when he arrived. I think, realistically, he was about as good as Arsenal were going to get. There aren't a huge amount of 'good' managers available atm.

As for Utd changing manager, I think you're right. I'm never convinced by clubs that chop and change manager every other year. Although Chelsea and Real seem to manage ok. Maybe that is more the culture at the club than anything. After 20 odd years of Fergy and then the (daft) appointment of Moyesy and then the ball achingly dull job LVG did I guess 2 or 3 years under one manager isn't a bad thing. Though if I was the board I would be pointing out we expected a title or CL, or to get bloody close to them, this season. Possibly unrealistic, but this is Utd.

 

[weasel]

Emery to Arsenal and Pellegrini to West Ham, what's going on, that's two decent appointments!

WH have done well there. Now they just need to get rid of the owners and half the Board.

 

[theforceuk]

Yeah West Ham have done well although it's an impossible job, as the owners will not be happy unless they get Champions League football or at least Europa League and I'll be suprised if he lasts the season.

The changing manager thing does work for Real Madrid and Chelsea like you say, although if you look at it Barcelona have dominated domestically for pretty much a decade now, think Real have won 2 or 3 league titles out of the last 10! But when you win 3 out of the last 4 Champions Leagues who's going to complain? If they loose on Saturday Zidane will be out. Chelsea have won 16 major trophies since RA took over in 2003, thats 3 more than Man Utd, not bad at all.

Thing for me with Man Utd is they have spent a lot of money on so called big players but they haven't produced the goods, yes thats down to Jose at the end of the day. The biggest problem with the players I think is they have not brought into his style and way of playing like the Man City players have with Pep. Ok you can say it's because it's a boring style, but he's the manager and the players are payed millions to do what he say's. Take Paul Pogba for example, he is no where near the level he should be at with his talent. He walks around thinking he's Zidane and plays like Utd are 19 points clear in the league, not City. You can say he's not given the freedom, but when he is it's still the same. Rant over.

 

[weasel]

Yeah, He has never looked a 90million Pound player. TBH even when he was at Juve he was good but I didn't think he was £90million good. Obviously, that's ignoring the fact no one is "worth" £90million. But I just got the impression Utd dropped a bollock in paying that much for him. He's good, but they massively over paid. NOt the first time that has happened, and Utd aren't the first and won't be the last club to do it either.

Although, apparently Pogba is Muslim, so that may excuse him being so **** on Saturday. Ramadan can't help a player. No food or drink during daylight hours is bloody tough. Even more so if you have to run about in the sun and chase a football.
Thankfully Liverpool don't have any Muslim's in their team for Saturd.......ohhh apart from Salah, but he's not that important ehhhh and Mane who ehhh isn't that important either, honest. Ohh and Emre Can (who is apparently fit again, quell surprise). Bollocks. Gonna lose. :roll:

 

[edd_jedi]

That was a hell of a final, it had everything! Drama, bloopers, and quality. And thank **** Ronaldo got zero of the glory (I loved the guy running on to the pitch at him at the end!) The Bale overhead kick is one of the best goals I've ever seen, and despite his second goal looking like keeper error I saw him score several similar goals for Spurs from miles out, they are not as easy to stop as people think. The first Real goal though, WTF was the keeper doing, that will haunt him. Sadly I felt Liverpool were doomed as soon as Salah went off, they were the better team up to then. They were definitely unlucky, no shame in that defeat.

 

[theforceuk]

That Bale goal was a cracker, not bad to bring someone like him off the bench and then he produces the goods like that.

I've been crapping myself for the past month thinking Liverpool were going to win it, then Liverpoool forget to take a keeper with them.

 

[weasel]

Arse.

My thoughts, in rough chronological order.

1) I thought Liverpool were the better side for the first half hour. Madrid were struggling with Pool's press and Pool had created a few half chances. Madrid had started to come in to it a bit more towards the half hour mark but whether that was a permanent thing or not we'll never know. Once Salah went off it was a different game. Pool never really created much.

2) The first Madrid goal was a tad unlucky. I don't know what Karius was doing, he could have waited, but even at that he would probably get away with that 9 times out of ten. It did look woeful though.

3) Pool's equaliser was against the run of play, but fair play to Mane he really stepped up once Salah went off.

4) Bale's goal deserved to win ANY final. That is a worldy. The fact there was a deflection on the cross as well just makes it even better. That is up there with Zidane's volley all those years ago, as one of THE greatest CL goals ever. It also killed Liverpool. You knew, they knew, there was no come back from that.

5) The third Madrid goal was atrocious keeping. No two ways about it. The shot was from 35 yards and he could see it all the way. Really poor. I suspect he is now finished at Liverpool. I do feel for the guy. A quick look on Twitter after the game and the hundreds of comments about him were disgusting. Yeah he ****ed up in the biggest club game of them all, but he knows that and IT'S ONLY A ****ING GAME. I'm not sure Liverpool would have scored anyway even if he had saved it, so I suspect it only affected the scale of the result and the result itself.

6) The pitch invader denying ballbag a shot was comedy. Ronaldo won't like Bale getting the headlines. Though I noticed post match he said something about possibly leaving Real, which just translates as "talk about me". Utter tosser. Your team mate has just scored a wordly to win the CL and you try and make it all about you. Twat.

7) If in September, you had offered me Pool making the CL again and making it to this year's quarter finals I would have bitten your hands off. To make the semi's was a massive bonus, the final was amazing. Disappointing to lose, obviously, but there is definitely progress being made.

8) In the end I think Pool paid the price for such a thin squad. Klopp had no real options once Salah came off. Lallanna looked every bit a guy who hasn't played for a year and Klopp's only other attacking option was Solanke who would hardly have struck fear into the Real back four. At the start of the season most Pool fans would have said we needed a keeper, LB, CB and maybe a bit of midfield cover. LB and CB have been solved, the injuries in midfield really didnt help but the keeper is what ultimately cost them. Saying that....

9) There's no shame in losing to that Madrid side. They will go down as European football's greats, despite not even being the best side in Spain. Saying that though, the fact 9 of them started the final 4 years ago is both a plus and a minus. Sides need to slowly evolve as players move on. That Madrid team has been a constant unit for 4 or 5 years now. When the time comes to change it, it won't be a case of needing 2 or 3 new faces, they will need 5/6/7/8. Teams that change that many tend to take a few years to gel.

10) Gutted for Salah. You could see what it meant to him and I suspect he knew his WC was in doubt as well. For him personally, I hope he makes it. Egypt don't make many WC's and he sure as hell deserves the chance to play in one. Although, if he doesn't make it, as a Liverpool fan, I won't be too disappointed. The extra weeks rest can only help, especially given the high tempo style Liverpool play. I'm expecting a lot of PL players (who make the WC) to pick up injuries next year.

11) I still hate Real, Ramos is still a **** and Ronaldo is still a narcissistic child.

 

[Richard_H]

When was the last time Liverpool had a decent goalkeeper? From Grobelaar right through to now they've always been suspect.

 

[weasel]

Pepe Reina.

Other than that, Karius, Mingers, Westerveld, Dudek, Kirkland, James, and a dozen even more dodgy understudies.....a more underwhelming list of keepers you'll struggle to find.

They'll prob sign Butland for 40million and he'll pick up where the others left off.
That bloke Buffon would be nice, I think he's won a few things in his time, though he'll prob end up at PSG on half a million a week and get another league and cup double, albeit in a 1 team league.

I wonder if Real will come in for DDG, again, again. Keeper is the one weak link in that squad and Utd have done well to keep hold of him this long. Much as I don't like Utd I also don't the Spanish big two and their constant tapping up and pinching of players from other clubs. Do it once or twice is excusable but every time and over so many years it just grates. No one else would get away with it.

 

[edd_jedi]

Despite Bale's great goals I did think his post match interview was a bit rich. Don't complain about being a bench warmer at Real, you left a club that treated you like a superstar and dare I say you could have won things with if you'd have stayed, to join the most soulless club for money and gimme trophies. No sympathy at all.