PL 2018-2019 Thread

[weasel]

Yeah if Alli's out as well we're definitely in trouble!

Out until March, along with Kane.
That prob ends any chances you had of winning that CL tie, which is a shame as it looked to be a great game, it will also make it a dam sight tougher to book a top four spot.
Though both will no dobt be back in time for your trip to Anfield at the end of March

 

[theforceuk]

I think Spurs will still be ok for the top 4, although their chances of winning the league cup have taken a hit, perhaps even getting to the final. Although Chelsea seem to be in more trouble. Spurs being stagnant in the summer transfer window may still be a factor in how the season ends for them.

 

[edd_jedi]

Yep I reckon Spurs are going to struggle tonight, we all know that Poch doesn't do cautious so no doubt it will be three at the back as he played against Fulham last weekend :lol:

 

[weasel]

If someone reminds Llorente what end he's supposed to score in (insert your own dodgy joke) that would be a start.

 

[edd_jedi]

You know it's not going to be your night when a defenders shot from outside the penalty area nutmegs three players. I've never seen that before says the commentator. Only Spurs!

 

[edd_jedi]

They did well to make it to the shoot out with half the team missing. Bit of a piss take having to take penalties in front of the home fans when you're playing away, is that a thing? I don't recall seeing such an unfair disadvantage in a shoot out before (and I'm not talking about having your three best penalty takers injured.) they should either be taken at alternate ends of the pitch, or at a mixed end.

 

[weasel]

I only saw the first half and then bits of the second, and the pens. As far as at what end, I assumed they tossed for that and also for who gets choice of first or second. I could be wrong.
Spuds were lucky to get in at only 2 down though. First half was all Chelsea. It's a recurring theme with Spurs but their full backs push up so far that they are left effectively two at the back. That's fine against Huddersfield but the big sides will punish them for it. I'm all for full backs pushing up, but if you are attacking up one side EITHER the FB on that side pushes up, OR the FB on the other side pushes up to give width. BOTH can't go at the same time. 1 goes and the other tucks in, or at least holds back a bit so he can get over to cover the CB's if needs be.

 

[edd_jedi]

Yep that's what I spend my whole life complaining about, our left/right backs spend most of their time in the last quarter of the pitch. And then it's a massive surprise when there's suddenly a 1-1 with the keeper! Gee Poch why do you think that keeps happening? We were **** in the first half, but the annoying thing was I knew Chelsea would score their first goal as soon as Alderweireld gave away the corner, so many of our conceded goals are from completely unnecessary mistakes that top tier defenders should not be making.

You're right about tossing a coin for the penalties, but IMO that's a stupid way to decide something that is going to win or lose you the game. Who gets first half kick off or which way you play in the first half are more or less trivial, sure use a coin for that, however it absolutely matters in a penalty shoot out. That rule needs reviewing. He might as well have just tossed a coin to choose the winner.

I reckon Chelsea will win the final as well, unlike Spurs they have that knack of putting in a performance when it counts.

 

[weasel]

From a neutrals POV, I wanted Spurs to win. I quite like the club, they play decent football and unlike Chelsea arent a rich man's play thing with no real history pre his arrival and they haven't employed some of the biggest cunts the PL has seen (Yes, Jose, I'm looking at you, and John Terry, Ashley Cole and Drogba).

Saying that, as far as who will give City a better run for the their money in a one off game, that's chelsea, all day. Spurs try and out play City and you don't do that very often. Chelsea will have no problems with sitting in, being ugly and nicking a goal. Similar to what they did to City at xmas. So from that POV, Chelsea winning stops the final being a formality. Though I'll be cheering for City as Chelsea are in a group of three with Utd and Real for me.

Do you think Poch will ever realise that playing 4 at the back but letting the full backs play as wing backs is suicidal (against the big teams)? Or is it gonna be his blind spot, like Wenger and the need for a holding midfielder, Klopp and his love of Moreno/**** keepers, Jose&Fat Sam and playing a fat has been Wazza in midfield cos he wasnt fit enough to play upfront?

 

[Stormtrooper88]

It really shouldn't matter what end a penalty shoot out is played. A professional footballer should be able to block out everything and hit the target. They practice football everyday, maybe not penalties everyday, but they should never miss the target. If the keeper saves a penalty then, fair play, but all outfield players (and goalkeepers) should have the technique to hit the target. Blaming the end penalties are taken at is a poor excuse.

 

[edd_jedi]

Surely it's got to have an effect if 2000 people behind the goal are booing, waving and trying to put you off, while they sit silently when their own team takes them? I think anyone would struggle to block that out, you're 12 yards away.

 

[lejackal]

Surely it's got to have an effect if 2000 people behind the goal are booing, waving and trying to put you off, while they sit silently when their own team takes them? I think anyone would struggle to block that out, you're 12 yards away.

It's a different game but that's another thing about rugby that football should adopt, respect for the penalty taker, that would eliminate the advantage. That or both sides take pens facing either the opposition fans or their own.

 

[weasel]

Utd did to Arsenal what they did to Spuds. I managed to miss the first 3 goals, but from what
I saw it was all arsenal with Utd sitting deep and hitting them on the break. Where Spurs insisted on shooting straight at DDG, Arsenal came up with the even less effective idea of ehh not actually shooting at all. Why have a shot when you can play a lovely pretty sideways pass? I mean, that's what people pay to see, isnt it?

Ole's Utd aren't quite 'the Utd of old' but the tactics (intentional or not) seem to be pretty effective.

 

[lejackal]

Loosing 2 CBs was unlucky and I think it was the wrong decision to take Iwobi off, Might have been different if Ramsey had scored that header but equally it would still have been us chasing, not Utd, as I suspect they would've been more than happy to take us back to OT.
As you say, it also doesn't help when there is so much side to side passing.

 

[Richard_H]

It was a poor game. All our play was down the left, most of it led to nothing. Missed passes, weak shots, too many touches... the winner of the FA cup this year was not at the Emirates last night.

Every time there was an attack it was likely to be a goal, except for most of Arsenal's final 1/3rd play

 

[weasel]

the winner of the FA cup this year was not at the Emirates last night

Well, no. City weren't invoved.

 

[edd_jedi]

Starting to run out of patience with Pochetino. For a manager who thinks he's due some silverware, he's just guaranteed we won't win anything for another year.

There's no doubt Spurs are now better than they were 5 years ago when he took charge, and for a few seasons I was happy to call him unlucky to not win anything. But that game was a textbook example of why he's not a winner. What the **** was that starting 11? Why wasn't Erriksen even in the squad? Why, when you're 2-0 down and 4 days after you've lost a shoot out, is your RIGHT BACK taking penalties when Lamella, Lorrente, Mora etc are on the pitch? That's not bad luck, it's foolish.

I can't figure out if it's arrogance or incompetence, but what I'm now 95% sure of is that a manager who has the talent and team but makes this many terrible decisions game after game is never going to win anything. I don't think the injuries are the problem, I think he is.

 

[weasel]

Only saw bits of the game but can someone explain to me why the Spurs penalty was given? The actual foul by Van Arsehold was a foul all day and from that point of view I have no issues with the pen, but when the ball is played in there is a Spuds forward stood miles offside, the Palace defender heads the ball clear (admittedly the Spurs boy makes no move to challenge for the ball as he knows he is offside, although the Palace defender doesn't know this as the Spurs boy is behind him) the header lands and is played back in and Van Arsehold does his thing.
The issue is the defender ONLY heads it cos he knows there is a player behind him. If the Spurs boy wasn't there the defender can leave it for Speroni to grab, there was no one else who could have challenged for it. So the defender only heads it cos of the Spurs player behind him, ie the Spurs boy interfered with play. He may not have intentionally done it, but the defender's instinct is to head clear and not take the chance (which is exactly what any manager would want) yet it's play on!? If that's not interfering with play what is!?
The offside rule is utter bull **** ATM. Don't give me first phase, second phase shite. The wall was only kept away from Speroni/alive cos a defender knew there was someone behind him. He was prob 99% certain yer man was offside but he takes no chances and as a result he gets punished. That's bullshit. Yer man was offside, it's a free out.

Clearly Trippier agreed and that's why he ****ed his penalty up royally.

Good to see the media in full BS mode, Spurs lose a cup semi and get beaten in FAC and suddenly it's 'crisis time' :roll:

 

[edd_jedi]

You think that was ridiculous, what about the penalty Spurs gave away (and of course conceded.) Was he possessed or something? Why would any footballer have made that handball? Maybe he's been colluding with Grobellar to match fix?

 

[edd_jedi]

Chelsea and City aside, this is a great list of teams for the 5th round draw:

1 Swansea City
2 AFC Wimbledon
3 Shrewsbury Town or Wolverhampton Wanderers
4 Millwall
5 Brighton & Hove Albion or West Bromwich Albion
6 Bristol City
7 Derby County
8 Doncaster Rovers
9 Chelsea
10 Watford
11 Middlesbrough or Newport County
12 Manchester City
13 Barnet or Brentford
14 Portsmouth or Queens Park Rangers
15 Manchester United
16 Crystal Palace

It would be really nice to see a couple of the PL teams pitched against each other so there are at least a couple of minnows left in the quarter finals.