Premier League 2019/2020 Thread

[weasel]

Well, as I've said before, I'd like to see offside scrapped entirely. It worked in hockey and it could work in football too.

As a retired hockey play I can confirm it did work in hockey but I think football might be different.
Hockey is quite a flat game. The ball rarely leaves the ground/mid shin height, bar shots on goal. Sure top level players can "throw an aerial" the length of the pitch but 90% of the people who play the game can't. In football pretty much anyone can boot a ball the length of the pitch, well 60-70 yards anyway. Hockey balls are harder than a football and thus there is the "dangerous play" rule, to stop me just whacking a ball clear at head height. In football no such rule exists, probably because taking a football full whack in the face, whilst not exactly enjoyable, is not likely to leave you requiring multiple operations, a dentist and possibly an undertaker.
I do worry if football scrapped off sides we would end up with Fat Sam style football as every just hoofed it long. But then people worried about that with hockey when they first scrapped it. IT would be interesting to see a game played with no off sides.

 

[theforceuk]

Off side rule will never get scrapped, they could do away with it from set pieces, but it will never happen.

 

[edd_jedi]

Tottenham have sacked Pocchetino! I'm sure a lot of people (myself included) will be shocked, but I can't argue that results over the last 11 months just haven't been anywhere near good enough. The question is though, who's going to do a better job with that squad? Interesting times ahead, it was good while it lasted.

 

[lejackal]

A separation of some kind looked to have been on the cards for a while but I'm a little surprised that it's a straight up sacking and not a mutual consent thing.

Next out: Emery please :lol:

 

[Snaketibe]

In all honesty, I can't say I'm that disappointed to see Poch go. I have always loathed his playing style (basically, exactly the same as England's, only more so) with nothing but side-to-side play and back-passing, zero ambition or invention moving forwards, and a constant obsession with passing the ball back to the sodding keeper!

It's been an incredibly infuriating and frustrating watch most of the time over the past few years, even when we were winning games (but of course, you sound churlish and ungrateful to complain when you're winning, and usually get told to shut up), but the simple truth is that whilst years ago it was fair to shout, 'Boring, boring Arsenal!' at their lacklustre playing style, it's actually been 'Boring, boring Tottenham!' for quite some time now :-(

And it's all very well for Lineker and co to say that we won't find a better replacement than Poch; look at our results in the league and cups (admittedly not Europe) for the entirety of this calendar year! Quite simply, they've been ****. I struggle to see how any manager could do any worse with those players. Yes, of course Levy needs to open his ****ing wallet and do something to either keep Alderweireld, Eriksen and co who are now in the final years of their contracts, or else sell them and buy new replacements (although Eriksen's form has also been pretty dire of late, but not as dire as Dier's), but even so, with those players against 'mighty' opposition like Sheffield United, Everton and Watford, we should be winning easily, not scraping draws. Pure and simple.

As for who now replaces him, apparently Mourinho is favourite, and I'm not sure I like that prospect much either! :roll:

 

[theforceuk]

JM favourite to take over, Poch will be the next Real Madrid manager, he will be sacked again by the end of the season and be the Man Utd manager next season. :lol:

 

[weasel]

In all honesty, I can't say I'm that disappointed to see Poch go. I have always loathed his playing style (basically, exactly the same as England's, only more so) with nothing but side-to-side play and back-passing, zero ambition or invention moving forwards, and a constant obsession with passing the ball back to the sodding keeper!

It's been an incredibly infuriating and frustrating watch most of the time over the past few years, even when we were winning games (but of course, you sound churlish and ungrateful to complain when you're winning, and usually get told to shut up), but the simple truth is that whilst years ago it was fair to shout, 'Boring, boring Arsenal!' at their lacklustre playing style, it's actually been 'Boring, boring Tottenham!' for quite some time now :-(

And it's all very well for Lineker and co to say that we won't find a better replacement than Poch; look at our results in the league and cups (admittedly not Europe) for the entirety of this calendar year! Quite simply, they've been ****. I struggle to see how any manager could do any worse with those players. Yes, of course Levy needs to open his ****ing wallet and do something to either keep Alderweireld, Eriksen and co who are now in the final years of their contracts, or else sell them and buy new replacements (although Eriksen's form has also been pretty dire of late, but not as dire as Dier's), but even so, with those players against 'mighty' opposition like Sheffield United, Everton and Watford, we should be winning easily, not scraping draws. Pure and simple.

As for who now replaces him, apparently Mourinho is favourite, and I'm not sure I like that prospect much either! :roll:

If you hated his style of play you are gonna LOVE Jose's joyless shite.
Spuds just appointed him.
I now despise Spuds. I hope they lose every single game 100-0 and get relegated. I don't mind sacking Poch, as Edd said the results had been poor, but appointing that **** is unforgivable. He is a miserable tosser who plays yesterday's football and who leaves every club as mess.

Very surprised at Levy. I thought he was smarter than that.
Either he is going to have to start spending the cash of Jose has agreed to try and manage without getting a blank cheque book every transfer window.

 

[theforceuk]

:lol: :lol: :lol:

But he will put a trophy in the cabinet. :lol:

 

[edd_jedi]

I must admit I am not happy about the change. It was clear that Spurs had peaked and were declining, and that Poch had lost some of the players, and that something needed to change. I'm not sure this is the right solution to solve those problems.

HOWEVER I think there is one potential silver lining here. I have been critical of Poch for not being able to get over the line in recent years. He's clearly a great manager, did an amazing job with the squad he had, BUT he had plenty of chances to win trophies and squandered every one of those opportunities. He can get 95% of the job done, but then his arrogannce gets the better of him. I can think of dozens of occasions over the last few seasons where his poor decisions have cost us matches, points or even trophies. That's one thing you can't accuse Jose of - he might get the job done by being boring, but he will get it done.

So even if Spurs get a League Cup out of him (not this season because they're already out) I would consider that an improvement on Poch, who was capable of getting to finals but just lacked that killer instinct to win them.

Saying that, Spurs have a habit of going against the grain, so I'd put good money on this being the only club Jose manages NOT to win a trophy at :roll:

 

[edd_jedi]

The other thing in Mourinho's favour is that Spurs' predicament is not as bad as it looks. Yes being 14th near xmas sounds terrible, but the fact is they are only 3 points/one win from 5th. They could be 5th by 3pm on Saturday (for a couple of hours at least.) Let's assume the top 4 is already wrapped up this season, the 10 clubs below that are within 3 points of each other so he almost has a fresh start with 26 games left to play. And although the League Cup is gone, Mourinho has won FA cups before and who knows could even fluke the CL (I bet he would have won that game against Liverpool in the summer.)

So optimistic? No, but it's not as bad as it looks. yet.

 

[weasel]

I agree the PL table is ridiculously close outside the top four and Spurs are a lot better than their current position implies. And, yes, it did look like Poch's time was up.
I just don't see Jose as any kind of solution.
His track record is of a cheque book manager. Spurs, whilst by no means paupers, are not a club that is famed for splashing the cash. So what gives!? Levy has had to fork out £20m to pay off Poch and his staff, does he really have another few £100m tucked away for Jose to spend? Has Jose agreed to do the job with no funds at xmas but a big wad in the summer? Where is that coming from? Not for a second do I believe Jose has changed his spots and is now going to try and manage without the nice safely blanket of being able to buy 3 or 4 new very good players every window.

How does Jose sort out the contract situation of those 3/4/5 players who are blatantly running them down and who want out? Is his "my way or the highway" style going to encourage them to stay? Will the eye gougingly bad football encourage them to stay? No chance has Jose become an attacking manager during his time away from the game. All he will have done is convince himself that it wasn't his fault and that his methods still work. Narcissists don't do self doubt/admitting they were wrong. How does he sort out the fact Vertongen shagged Erikson's wife!? Suggest Erikson has a crack at Mrs Vertongen!? :roll:

Levy has spotted that Poch's time was probably up and that he needed to make a change but he has come up with completely the wrong answer. It's hard to think how he could be more wrong without employing Moyesy or Fat Sam.

Sad to say that I will be cheering for Utd when they play Spuds in a few weeks, and cheering for that shower breaks my heart.
That'll be twice I have cheered for them in a year. I feel dirty now

 

[edd_jedi]

It will certainly be an interesting match if United have any sense and snap up Poch! Although obviously I hope he goes abroad somewhere, what I really don't need is him winning half a dozen trophies at his next PL club :lol:

 

[theforceuk]

Thats Matic on his way to Spurs in January! :lol:

You never know Jose may have reinvented himself.

What I don't need is Jose winning the league with Spurs.

 

[weasel]

Apparently Spurs first choice was Brendan Rodgers but Leicester told them where to go.
I wonder how far down the list Jose was!? Lol

 

[edd_jedi]

I read that apparently Levy has always wanted Jose and approached him back in 2007. Seems odd for someboy who doesn't like spending money.

 

[weasel]

Back in 2007? Just after Chelsea sacked him the first time. Hmmm. **** knows what Levy sees in him as he is not the kind of manager Levy normally likes.

 

[lejackal]

Something different to watch on Saturday, the Copa Libertadores final between River Plate and Flamengo

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/50503501

 

[weasel]

I saw that.

Good old BBC buy the right to the Copa Libertadores, where you'd be hard pressed to name a single player, rather than getting some football people would actually want to watch!

Still, I guess it beats the first round of the FAC and women's "football"

 

[edd_jedi]

If they are willing to buy the rights to games like that (which I'm not against by the way) can anyone explain to me why the BBC, ITV etc don't try and get the rights for the many PL games not shown on UK TV every season? I understand the Saturday 3pm rule (it's bullshit but I respect there is a rule) but there are loads of other Sunday and weekday evening games that are not aired on any UK channels?

 

[UKS]

Price! That south american game will be cheap as chips.

Prem games are not.

(also some games are sold in bundles - so it could be part of some larger deal, but I don't know what as I no expert in football rights!)