Premier League 2019/2020 Thread

[theforceuk]

I agree on the centre half thing, Kompany was a huge loss and you don't replace players like that easily. I just think you have Aguero getting injured, is that because of his age? Not sure he's always been injury prone, but David Silva used to save them and he is no where near the player he was.

As for the Liverpool/Utd rivalry, don't get me wrong it's hard watching this Liverpool win the league and Champions league in succession, it's pretty much the worst case scenario for Man Utd fans. BUT I'm not in my 20's or early 30's any more and it is just football! Also the trophy counting is funny and a lot of Liverpool fans have always droned on about it, back in the 00's when Utd had won 8 league titles in 11 or 12 seasons I had to deal with a lot of Liverpool banter banging on about 18 league titles! For me the trophy counting stops at CL trophies and league titles added together and it's now 23-25 to Liverpool. Utd still have one more league title but I can see that being matched and even surpassed quickly.

Bayern Munich for this seasons CL I reckon.

 

[weasel]

Yeah, gotta agree on footy banter. I long since stopped worrying about football as much. It is just a game after all. It is nice to rub some Utd fans noses in it though. Those who acted like prats when Utd were a class act, now get it back in spades.

Though, as I have always said, I would rather win the CL than the PL. Even when Chelsea scored/won the other night, I barely reacted. Possibly that is cos, without sounding arrogant, the title was all but assured and has been for quite a while. Possibly it was cos munchkin had me up at 3 and 5 the night before and I was shattered.
I still see the CL as the top trophy though.

 

[theforceuk]

I think when I had kids it made me look at football differently, yes it's still a big part of my life, but it's a game and your team can't always win (unless you live in Germany, Scotland or Spain) and you need to teach your kids how to lose with dignity!

It's funny the league is often boring to win, take Liverpool this season, don't get me wrong there has been nothing boring about the way they have won it, but they won it over a period of months and on a night where they weren't even playing, so unlike the CL there isn't one moment where Liverpool went from not winning it to winning it. All the times Utd won the league through the 90's and 00's there was only really 99' where we won it on the last day of the season and it felt like winning a cup final, we've lost more than I care to remember on the last day as well, 1995 and 2012 were horrible.

I still crave cup finals now, that said you can't beat the feeling of your team winning the league and CL is even more special for me.

 

[weasel]

Yeah, I think you hit the nail on the head there.

 

[edd_jedi]

Yes, the latter is tue, but only if you forget football existed before '92.

I'd like to forget football existed after 92 :lol:

 

[theforceuk]

1991 FA Cup final, the last time Spurs were in one? It all went wrong when you sold Gascoigne and Lineker.

 

[weasel]

Utd were pish last night.
Saying that, if they get Arsenal in the semi they will have a great shot at the final and anything can happen on the day.

 

[theforceuk]

Yeah it was painfull watching that and I thought we were going out on pens, which would have been a shame as it was basically a buy to the semis. I fancy Chelsea to win it, though will be nice to get to the final.

Thing is for Utd I think OGS has been told Champions League football next season is a must so he had to chop and change for that game. It's going to come down a lot to who can use their squad the best. Looking at the football calendar if your an international player your not going to get a brake now until at least the summer of 2022 and that may change as the season will have to start early for the World Cup in December 2022.

 

[edd_jedi]

It's going to be interesting because Pep and to an extent Rodgers are the only two seasoned managers left in the competiton. If Lampard, Arteta or OGS win the FA Cup in their first full seasons as managers, I think it would be a great achievement, but also a bit of a pisstake considering how many experienced managers have yet to win anything. I think they call it fluke!

 

[weasel]

I can see why OGS made so many changes. Norwich are piss poor. They do play some nice stuff but are far far too open at the back. I assume OGS thought that even a Utd team with 4 or 5 changes should be enough to beat them. He wasn't entirely wrong. Utd were the better side, they just didn't turn possession into chances.
ET was just Utd trying to break down a flat back 10.

As for Maguire as MOTM. What the **** does Krull have to do to win it. He made four or five superb saves and kept his side in it. Fat Maguire mis-hits the winner, having done FA bar hoof aimless long balls at no one, and Jenas gives him MOTM.

Given, Utd, Arsenal, Wolves, Chelsea and City all have Europe and at the time of writing 4 of them have FAC footy too, the race for the CL spots could well be interesting.

Last weekend fixtures, leicester Utd, Chelsea Wolves, and WH Villa, could be a great day for the neutral.

 

[edd_jedi]

Sheffield United 3 - 2 Arsenal (Arsenal win 1-2 on VAR) :lol:

 

[theforceuk]

Last 4 of the FA Cup are the last 4 winners, some good games to look forward to. Man Utd v Chelsea to play Man City in the final.

 

[edd_jedi]

Man Utd v Chelsea to play Man City in the final.

:lol: I wouldn't be so sure, Arsenal have a knack for winning FA Cups

 

[weasel]

Sheffield United 3 - 2 Arsenal (Arsenal win 1-2 on VAR) :lol:

Yeah, I did feel a little sorry for SU as they were on the wrong end of all 3 VAR calls in that game. Albeit, all three were the correct decision.

Last 4 of the FA Cup are the last 4 winners, some good games to look forward to. Man Utd v Chelsea to play Man City in the final.

Ohh look, City got the easiest draw possible in a domestic cup, again. Now where have we seen that before!? Ohh yeah, in every ****ing round for the last few years. Surely to christ they are long since over-due a non cushy draw sometime soon?

Cue them getting Pool in the first round of both cups next yr! :roll:

 

[edd_jedi]

Yes they were all clearly the correct decisions, in fact the first goal was so far offside I don't know how the linesman didn't spot it!

 

[weasel]

Yeap, I THINK Linesmen are told not to flag for stuff like that now and to let VAR sort it out. It does seem stupid, but I have seen a few cases of player in on goal, who was 5 or 6 yards off side when he got the ball, NOT being flagged and then VAR gets on to the ref and says "offside".

It's an accident waiting to happen though. What happens if a striker is clean in on goal, having been a yard or two offside, and the linesman doesn't flag so a desperate CB comes in with a leg breaker tackle that leaves the striker in a heap and out for months!? By the current rules, the CB gets a free instead of a red as it was offside and thus any action that happened after the initial foul is disregarded. Genius.

 

[Cazza]

What a win for the Hammers! VAR though... seriously?

 

[theforceuk]

Yeah that was shocking, good result though. You should stay up? :?

 

[weasel]

Bournemouth are gone now, next 4 games are Utd, spuds, Arse and City. Then Saints and Everton. Not many points there and they will need about 9.
Sad to see as I like Bournemouth as a club, their style of play and also don't seem to have any arsehole players. Plus they have been punching above their weight for years now. Sadly too many **** purchases on a shoe string budget have come back to bite them.

Add in Norwich and we are left with 1 from 3 for the final spot. Hammers, Watford and Villa.

Leicester look to trying to avoid the CL next year. Chelsea too. We could end up with Utd and Wolves in 3rd and 4th (or vice versa) and Chelsea/Leicester fighting it out for 5th and hoping City lose their appeal. On that note, I think the verdict from City's appeal is due any day now.

 

[weasel]

**** me Spurs.

The defending for the second and third goals is woeful.

Clearly unsettled by the disallowed goal. Which I actually don't think was the wrong decision. Yes, it is harsh, BUT the ball hits his arm and you don't get a much clearer advantage than it dropping to your unmarked striker in their box. No mission ref or lino cud be 100% sure what it hit so VAR look at it. Mousa (I think it hit his arm) knew FA about it but the rebound still favoured Spurs so it was chalked off. Harsh, but those are the rules.

From memory Spurs got a lucky VAR decision in the home leg so I guess things have evened out.

I would be worried at how bad Spurs have been, especially defensively. Jose used to be able to organise a defence, and he has been there long enough to impart his methods on Spurs. They were all over the place at the back there.