PL 2018-2019 Thread

[weasel]

Well that was shite. All the finishing power of a turd.
Never seen Salah play so badly. He stuffed up two great chances with stinking touches. Him, Mane or Origi seemed to be having a three man competition to see who could pick the wrong option the most times in the final third. The midfield weren't much better. So unlike Liverpool.
Still not sure what the logic in bringing Lallana on was. He hasn't looked the same player for a year now. Granted, he needs game time to get match sharp, which he won't get until he plays well, catch 22, but he just looks lost. What Shakira and Sturridge must be thinking while they sit there and watch him and Milner go on as Pool's subs with the aim of scoring a goal I will never know.

I have said all along City are the best team in that league and that they would take some stopping. Disappointing that Pool stuff it up with a series of draws, Leicester, WH, Utd and now Everton, but that good run had to come to an end at some point.

 

[theforceuk]

There will be plenty of twists and turns yet, it's only a point and Man City aren't exactly blowing teams away like they were. That's two 1-0's in a row for them. I think Spurs have got a fight on their hands for third, if Chelsea win their game in hand, the gap will be 2 points! Out of Spurs, Arsenal, Man Utd and Chelsea I actually think Arsenal and Man Utd have been the better teams over the last month, but can see them both missing out on a top 4 spot.

 

[edd_jedi]

Yeah obviously I would say this, but I think Spurs have the hardest run in and the most chance of losing their top 4 spot due to the remaining games. As Rich said Arsenal have a real chance of winning every game left. This is definitely the closest top four in recent seasons.

 

[lejackal]

Pochettino looks to be getting the excuses in early in case you get turned over in Germany, someone should tell him that 9pm Friday to 12.30 Saturday is not a 24 hour advantage :lol:

I know it sucks but it happens to all teams playing in Europe at some stage.

 

[edd_jedi]

I think it's bullshit anyway, how often do teams get turned over after a long break, or players look rusty after a few months out (Kane!)

 

[lejackal]

I think it's bullshit anyway, how often do teams get turned over after a long break, or players look rusty after a few months out (Kane!)

Agreed. As a top professional they should be fit to play regardless, any tactics they choose to employ will have been practiced hundreds of times.

 

[theforceuk]

I totally agree a proffesional footballer should be able to play twice a week no problem. Most 'normal' people would do anything to be in their position and would love to play at Wembley one week and in Germany the next. :shock:

 

[edd_jedi]

Real out of the CL, Weasel will be happy! And Spurs through... this is our year! :lol:

 

[theforceuk]

Hey I'm not joking but Spurs have got a chance I reckon. Them or Athletico Madrid is worth a punt. I think everyone is happy to see Real Madrid go out and in typical Real Madrid fashion, player sent off and most the stadium gone before the final wistle. They are the most spoilt fans in the world without a doubt. If you look and Real Madrids record in league and Europe over the last 10 years Barcelona have been way better IMO.

 

[edd_jedi]

Real out definitely makes it a more interesting competition, if City and Barcelona could also please do the honours, we might get an interesting winner for a change!

 

[weasel]

I totally agree a proffesional footballer should be able to play twice a week no problem. Most 'normal' people would do anything to be in their position and would love to play at Wembley one week and in Germany the next. :shock:

I disagree, to an extent. There is a limit to what you can expect someone to do, physically. I mean if we doubled every PL players wages would we then be justified in expecting them to play four times a week (at the same level/tempo)?
Whilst Kane may have been physically fit enough to play there is always a degree of rustiness that creeps in with not playing. The top level player is pretty finely tuned and a few weeks away from the game will lead to them not quite being 100%. Sure, they may only be 95% but at that level games are decided by the smallest margins and if that 5% is the difference between him reacting to a chance in 0.5 of a second or 0.8 of a second that can be the difference between scoring or Jason Lee-ing it 30 yards wide.

Real out of the CL, Weasel will be happy! And Spurs through... this is our year! :lol:

That put such a smile on my face. I missed the Spurs game cos Ajax were 1 up by the time I got the wee man fed and I thought I'd watch it on the off chance they fluked it. In the end they steam rollered Madrid. They could have won by more, the score was not flattering to them at all. So nice to see Real's luck desert them after the amount of time they have bailed out by soft pens (Juve in the semis last year), Keepers deciding to change teams midway through the ****ing final (Karius) or the other team getting a man sent off (Atletico in the final a few years ago) is unreal. You need a degree of luck but that shower get the rub of the green every time.
Sadly I suspect all that will happen is the new manager, has Solari been sacked yet? he won't see out the season, will be given 300m yoyos and they will restart their old "ohhh look shiny thing, I like shiny, I want shiny, I get shiny" policy. Expect large bids for Hazard, assuming Chelsea get their ban over turned and possibly also for Kane/Salah/Neymar.
I'm not even sure FFP is a worry. UEFA are hardly likely to put their favourite club on the naughty step. The whole idea behind FFP was to keep the old boys network intact and to stop clubs like City and PSG muscling in on it.

 

[theforceuk]

I totally agree a proffesional footballer should be able to play twice a week no problem. Most 'normal' people would do anything to be in their position and would love to play at Wembley one week and in Germany the next. :shock:

I disagree, to an extent. There is a limit to what you can expect someone to do, physically. I mean if we doubled every PL players wages would we then be justified in expecting them to play four times a week (at the same level/tempo)?
Whilst Kane may have been physically fit enough to play there is always a degree of rustiness that creeps in with not playing. The top level player is pretty finely tuned and a few weeks away from the game will lead to them not quite being 100%. Sure, they may only be 95% but at that level games are decided by the smallest margins and if that 5% is the difference between him reacting to a chance in 0.5 of a second or 0.8 of a second that can be the difference between scoring or Jason Lee-ing it 30 yards wide.

Any fine tuned athlete should be able to run around after a ball twice a week for 90 minutes no problem. Money has nothing to do with it. I've always been an active person and the less I do, the less I want to do. But if I keep to a certain schedule, my body is always up for more. Latest research is showing that resting for long periods actually stops your body from out performing it's present fitness level.

Take LIverpool and City. Which team has had the more games since Christmas, City. And who's got the best momentum at the moment, City.

 

[edd_jedi]

Yeah I kind of agree, it's hard to feel sorry for footballers having to play football twice a week when a tennis player can play a 4 hour match and be expected to finish it off the next morning. Of course recovery time is important, but 48 hours must be enough unless you're injured.

 

[weasel]

I disagree. Having played a bit of sport at a decent level, you can certainly play 2 games a week without any issues, the problem arises when it's 2 games a week, every week. Especially in such high level and high intensity sport as PL footy. There is a limit to what the body can cope with.

 

[theforceuk]

Your probably right Weasel, players are to soft these days. :lol:

 

[edd_jedi]

Amazing turnaround by United last night, I didn't see the VAR penalty, was Neymar right to moan about it? Seems bizarre to get a decision WRONG using it.

 

[weasel]

Superb result by Utd last night. Slap that right up PSG. I lost any respect I had for that club (which wasn't much to start with, they are just a rich man's play thing) with their play acting, hounding of the ref, ridiculous OTT celebrating and general cunty behaviour when Pool played them.
It was fantastic to see them choke, AGAIN, in their home stadium, beaten by half of Utd's first team and a few kids they picked up off the streets of Manchester en route to the game.

Neymar had a point. It wasn't a pen. Yer PSG defender is turning his back and his arm is kinda down by his side as he jumps and turns. It does hit his arm, but it is ball to hand and pretty unintentional. The fact that all three BT studio "analysts" agreed it wasn't a pen say it all. And for the record they were the balanced and neutral panel of Michael Owen, Owen Hargreaves and Rio Ferdinand, not a single link to Man U among them. Though BT's in studio retired ref said he gave it as a pen straight away. It seems to be one of them where refs see it hit ur hand and ur hand is out from the side of ur body, in this case by about a foot and half, and assume "unnatural position" therefore a pen. Whereas anyone who has played the game realises you cant jump with your arms by your side and when you do your arms cant just disappear. He isn't looking at the ball and it shouldn't be a penalty.

Pretty soon we are going to get forwards running in and aiming for a defenders arm when he comes to close them down and refs then giving a pen cos it hits his hand/arm.

Take nothing away from Utd, great result and probably deserved, bar the first 20 mins when bailly was all over the shop, they gave as good as they got and PSG weren't exactly carving them open.

 

[theforceuk]

Yeah I think Man Utd were lucky last night, although PSG are pretty poor. I thought they would turn us over and can't believe we have gone through. They gave us two goals and the ref gave us the third. Personally I think UEFA/FIFA are going to have to look at the rules now VAR is going to be a huge part of the game. Goals are being ruled out for a players little toe being offside and silly pens are being given. Surely those decisions/rules are not good for the game.

The penalty last night is never a pen IMO and even if the rules say it is then they need to change it. The punishment for a hand ball like that should be a direct free kick inside the box. If he had been stood on the goal line and the defender had stopped a certain goal, then yes penalty. I can remember some shocking decisions in the CL down the years which have cost Man Utd big time. The Nani red card against Real Madrid and the perfectly good Paul Scholes goal against Porto in 2004 which was disallowed spring to mind and I will never forget them! So to have something go our way against a team like PSG feels good. It was actually like watching Liverpool in Europe last night. :wink: :lol:

All we need now is Juventus to go out and that will be the end of Ronaldo in the CL this season as well.

 

[edd_jedi]

I reckon Juve will win it this year, things just tend to go Ronaldo's way

 

[theforceuk]

I reckon Juve will win it this year, things just tend to go Ronaldo's way

If that happens I couldn't begrudge Juve winning it they have come close for many years and have played some good football. But imagine Ronaldo, he will begin to think he's Jesus. They're 2-0 down, I can't see Athletico letting that slip............ :?