PL 2018-2019 Thread

[weasel]

I did text a few Arsenal supporting mates before the game saying something along the lines of "9 games unbeaten (against no one decent), people talking about Arsenal still being in contention for the title etc, that's exactly the time arsenal lose before going on another unbeaten run and repeating the whole thing again....again."

We can't really judge them until they play a few decent sides.
Saying that Liverpool haven't been great recently, the final ball and forward three are in a bit of a rut. Fingers crossed that changes tonight.

Watched bits of Utd last nite, before getting bored and turning over to the goals show (they are a hard team to watch). It did look like Juve were a class above. People talking about Juve being favourites for CL? I don't see it. Real, Barca, Atletico or City for me.

 

[Richard_H]

I will say we'd not have won those games without a change in manager. Needed freshened up

 

[edd_jedi]

Arsenal will keep 4th for the next couple of weeks at least, there's no way we'll beat City on Monday on their current form. It's classic Spurs - any other team would bend over for the big boys and make sure they win the small games. Instead we make City a 'must win' game, and I know how that will end :roll:

 

[lejackal]

I did text a few Arsenal supporting mates before the game saying something along the lines of "9 games unbeaten (against no one decent), people talking about Arsenal still being in contention for the title etc, that's exactly the time arsenal lose before going on another unbeaten run and repeating the whole thing again....again."

I agree, although if you're within two points then you're still in contention.....top four is more a more realistic target though. Plus, even if we lose 8 against the other top 5 that still gives us 90 points from the 30 games we win :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[spoons]

I will say we'd not have won those games without a change in manager. Needed freshened up

Away games definitely as any points away from home would be a massive improvement, but Arsenal had the best home record (other than City) last year. Another interesting stat is that Aubmamyang is only behind Salah in goals scored per appearances since he arrived.

Either way they've definitely ridden their luck at times but top 4 looks on with Man Utd on a Mourinho implosion and Tottenham an injury or two off falling away.

If any decent defenders can be added a challenge next year could be on the cards.

 

[weasel]

I will say we'd not have won those games without a change in manager. Needed freshened up

Agreed. It was sad to see but Wenger over stayed his time at Arsenal by probably 3 years.

Arsenal will keep 4th for the next couple of weeks at least, there's no way we'll beat City on Monday on their current form. It's classic Spurs - any other team would bend over for the big boys and make sure they win the small games. Instead we make City a 'must win' game, and I know how that will end :roll:

Yup. I don't see many sides beating that City team this year. Anyone finishing above them is proper class act. Not just this season but in terms of the all time PL.

I agree, although if you're within two points then you're still in contention.....top four is more a more realistic target though. Plus, even if we lose 8 against the other top 5 that still gives us 90 points from the 30 games we win :lol: :lol: :lol:

Lol, Yeah at this stage everyone is still in contention, but realistically City will win the league and ATM you would fancy Pool and Chelsea to make top four. The other spot could be one from three. Though I would favour Spurs. I think Arsenal will have a dip at some point, probably around xmas when Emery/Aubamayang etc have the shock of playing 47 games in 10 days rather than a nice winter break.

I will say we'd not have won those games without a change in manager. Needed freshened up

Away games definitely as any points away from home would be a massive improvement, but Arsenal had the best home record (other than City) last year. Another interesting stat is that Aubmamyang is only behind Salah in goals scored per appearances since he arrived.

Either way they've definitely ridden their luck at times but top 4 looks on with Man Utd on a Mourinho implosion and Tottenham an injury or two off falling away.

If any decent defenders can be added a challenge next year could be on the cards.

That ALMOST sounds like "next year will be our year!" lol. I know what you mean though. The malaise that engulfed Arsenal has been lifted. There's still a good way to go before I would consider them contenders for the title mind.

 

[weasel]

**** me Spurs :roll:

There was absolutely **** all with that disallowed goal in the first half but if you are going to defend like that, TWICE, you don't deserve to be in the bloody Champions league.

It wasn't two young players making rookie mistakes either, it was one of the (supposed) best CB's in the league and a world cup winning captain (though Erikson cops a fair bit of blame for giving it away so needlessly).

Got to win your last three games now. Not gonna happen. Europa League is calling.

 

[edd_jedi]

You're right, but I still feel hard done by. No complaints about Lloris's sending off or PSV's second goal, both completely unneccassary. However their first goal - what are the odds of a) a top CB making a primary school mistake, and b) the resulting shot deflecting off him and going over the keepers head in to the goal? Any other team and that deflection is going out for a throw in. And I'm still baffled about the disallowed goal, I haven't seen many refs give offside when there are still players behind the ball.

I knew we were going to lose/draw as soon as Lloris was sent off. 99 out of 100 times, teams will hold on for 10 minutes with ten men (I've seen Arsenal do it for 80 minutes.) But of course Spurs are that 1%. You need a bit of luck to succeed in football, and Spurs just NEVER get it.

Oh and let's not forget the fact Spurs got stitched up with the only CL group with three if not four teams with a chance of progressing. Liverpool get ****ing Crvena Zvezda (who?) and United get Young Boys (who again?) We were gone as soon as the draw was made.

 

[weasel]

Oh and let's not forget the fact Spurs got stitched up with the only CL group with three if not four teams with a chance of progressing. Liverpool get ****ing Crvena Zvezda (who?) and United get Young Boys (who again?) We were gone as soon as the draw was made.

**** all wrong with the goal. I think it was disallowed cos harry kane was offside but he is stood behind the keeper and to his right, the keeper probably doesnt even know he is there. The ball flies past the keeper's left so no reason at all to disallow it. That's pretty much the definition of "not interfering with play".

Gotta disagree on Spurs group. You did get a toughie, three teams could realistically have expected to get out of that group. Barca and then one from Inter and Spurs. PSV are just making up the numbers. There's no chance they'd ever get out of that group. Maybe, MAYBE, they might have sneaked out of an easy group like Group D (Porto, Schalke, Galatasaray, and Lokomotiv Moscow) but in Spurs group they are cannon fodder. TBH they are the caliber of side that you should be able to beat fairly comfortably if you have realistic ambitions of going far in the CL's.
Liverpool's group is far from easy, PSG and Napoli are not push overs. Napoli finished above Inter last tear. Granted Red Star are dung. They now go by their name in Serbian and it's unpronounceable, but we all know them as Red Star Belgrade. They have the same European pedigree as PSV, both one time CL/ European Cup winners, but both also cannon fodder. I think Liverpool's was the only group where three sides had a 60%+ chance of qualification once the draw was made. Obviously Red Star had bog all chance.
As for Utd, they are pretty similar to Pool and Spuds. I feel bad, not slagging off Utd. You can't say Juve are a weak team and Valencia were very solid in La Liga last year. You don't see many bad Spanish sides in the CL.
Young boys were cannon fodder though.

Now, City's group.......that's a different story.

Spurs have shot themselves in the foot twice in three games. The last five minutes in Milan and the defensive errors yesterday. Had they held on in Milan that 1 win would probably have been enough to get them through. The confidence boost would have seen the, win last night, even a draw and a win in London would have done, then don't lose at home to Inter and hey presto.
Sorry, groups not to blame, Spurs shooting themselves in the foot.

 

[edd_jedi]

Well put it this way - I would trade with any team in groups D, E, F, and G. And probably H on United's current form. So that makes two equal/tougher groups out of 8. And sure, PSV are no Real, but they are top of the Dutch league, which makes them a hell of a lot better than half the teams in the group stages where some teams are runners up in Greek or Serbian leagues that nobody has ever heard of.

 

[weasel]

No arguments group D is a farce (I think I said that when the draaw was made). Whoever wins that group will be hammered by most of the runners up from the other groups.

A, B, C and H are the tough groups. But then there will alays be tough groups and easy groups, it's the luck of the draw. Spuds got a **** draw this year and got a **** draw last year AND then got punished for winning their group by getting Juve. Though they out played them for large chunks of the tie, suicidal defending cost them.

Why is it Spurs are so good defensively in the PL but so poor in the CL?

 

[edd_jedi]

So back to the PL. I am sure City will beat Spurs on Monday, and they can afford to lose to City, but what they absolutely cannot afford is a 5-0 battering because goal difference is all that currently separates them from third place. Right now it is within reach, but a heavy loss could put a top 4 finish beyond us at this early stage as it's looking tight enough to come down to goal difference.

So Poch, for heavens sake PLEASE just go out there on Monday, do a Jose, and at least make it hard for them to score. The minute I see Davies or Trippier (Rose is still injured so I can't single him out) in City's penalty box and then jogging back as City break I will be switching off the telly. Sadly I don't hold out much hope.

And that's really the only interesting match this weekend, the rest all look like gimmes.

 

[theforceuk]

I assume you mean Man Utd v Everton is a given for Everton! :lol:

 

[weasel]

Yeap, I fear for Spurs on Monday night. City are scary. I'll be cheering for them (Spurs) but I'll be expecting a comfortable City win.

 

[edd_jedi]

Holy ****, Leicester owners helicopter crashes leaving the ground

 

[weasel]

Heard that. Tragic. Fingers crossed he got out ok, but the odds aren't good.

In less tragic news Glen "the disabled and paying the price for sins in a previous life" Hoddle, has paid the price for sins in his previous life. Zero sympathy for him. I wouldn't wish death on anyone, but if you say things like that in his position you can't expect me to gve a **** about you.

 

[edd_jedi]

Despite the loss I'm happy with that result and performance, could have been worse and dare I say Spurs were the better team for much of the game, City weren't great and we certainly had more clear cut chances. It's not often you see Pep look worried and frustrated.

Of course the cynic in me would say we had yet more bad luck - Lamella missed an open goal, Kane's one-on-one was not offside, but somehow City managed to score from a goal kick :twisted: On another night (or if another team were playing) City would have lost.

 

[weasel]

It wasn't a great game, the neutral (ie me) was pretty disappointed. I was expecting a decent open free flowing game, instead I got two teams struggling to play on something that looked and played like a cross between a 1990's pitch and astroturf.
No wonder UEFA are on at Spurs for updates on the condition of the Wembley pitch. It was dreadful. Granted, that isn't surprising if you play American Football on it 28 hours previously, but I'm not sure that pitch is CL standard. In fact, it isn't, in its current state.

I did think there was some woeful defending in the game. What Trippier was doing for City's goal I'll never know. And Mendy was abysmal for 90 minutes. He was so bad he reminded me of Moreno. There is no bigger insult in football. How he gets a game for City I do not know. He can't defend and his attacking play was woeful. Him getting the ball resulted in Spurs getting a goal kick or throw in 9 times out of ten.

Yes, Lamela should have scored, but the replay showed the ball bobbling all over the place. Still, in games like that those are the things that make the difference between a very good point (not many teams will get anything from City this year) and well, nothing.

 

[theforceuk]

I enjoyed the Spurs - City game, although I missed the first 20 minutes and only goal. :roll: Have to say City edged it although they couldn't have complained if it had finished 1 - 1. Think Spurs missed some big players in Erikson and Alli, may have been a different game if they had both started fully fit?

 

[weasel]

Not sure how to feel about that result.
A tad disappointed given Pool had a goal disallowed for off side. Though I must admit my first reaction when he 'scored' was "that's offside". Plus VVD hit the post and missed a great chance too. Arsenal impressed me though. Saying that quite a few times Pool had them on the break but the last ditch tackle or block smothered the chance, so on another day....

Not too sure on Alison for Arsenal's goal, he had to close La-cassette down but once the initial chance was gone he should be back in his goal for me. Some finish mind.

I guess a draw was probably about a fair result. But if anyone id going to catch City those are the kind of games you need to win, cos City would.....comfortably.

Saw most if Utd Bournemouth too. I thought Utd were lucky to go in level. Bournemouth were much much the better side in the first half. Second half Utd were a different team tho. I still felt sorry for Bournemouth, they could have got something from that on another day.