Premier League 2020/2021 Thread

[weasel]

Awwww FFS.

Saw that coming from 10 mins into second half. It had 'shitty equaliser' written all over it.
The worst bit is ****ing Fat Sam will be sat at home patting himself on the back for his amazing tactics. In the first half West Brom LITERALLY played 4-6-0 and set up shop 5 yards from the edge of their own box. Pool had 84% possession and i'm genuinely not sure a WB player touched the ball in Pool's half. Second half they half tried to attack, but **** me I could not watch that shite every week. I'm not even sure I'll bother with the return leg it was that bad.

I really really hope WB go down and that smug prick and his anti football shite ****s off and stays ****ed off.

 

[jayjedi]

Awwww FFS.

Saw that coming from 10 mins into second half. It had 'shitty equaliser' written all over it.
The worst bit is ****ing Fat Sam will be sat at home patting himself on the back for his amazing tactics. In the first half West Brom LITERALLY played 4-6-0 and set up shop 5 yards from the edge of their own box. Pool had 84% possession and i'm genuinely not sure a WB player touched the ball in Pool's half. Second half they half tried to attack, but **** me I could not watch that shite every week. I'm not even sure I'll bother with the return leg it was that bad.

I really really hope WB go down and that smug prick and his anti football shite ****s off and stays ****ed off.

Breathe buddy :lol:

 

[edd_jedi]

Well if you thought West Brom were **** today, I hope you didn't watch the Spurs game. I thought we were unlucky against Liverpool and Leicester, but tonight was diabolical. I know people love to make the 'park the bus' jokes which I don't think we did in the previous two games, but tonight they fully deserved that banner, absolute shite from start to finish. I don't know what Jose was thinking, you don't take off Son and bring on "hoof it" Sissoko when you need a bit of creativity. Fully deserved to draw tonight, if not lose. Typical because while every result went against us last week taking Spurs from 1st to 8th, the last couple of days helped us out mostly and 3rd was on a plate tonight, but they just didn't earn it.

 

[theforceuk]

Who would have thought Liverpool, Leicester, Man Utd and Spurs would draw this round of fixtures. Also Arsenal winning against Chelsea. Very strange season, good weekend for City.

 

[weasel]

Breathe buddy :lol:

Can you tell I don't like Fat Sam and his brand if anti-football!?

Well if you thought West Brom were **** today, I hope you didn't watch the Spurs game. I thought we were unlucky against Liverpool and Leicester, but tonight was diabolical. I know people love to make the 'park the bus' jokes which I don't think we did in the previous two games, but tonight they fully deserved that banner, absolute shite from start to finish. I don't know what Jose was thinking, you don't take off Son and bring on "hoof it" Sissoko when you need a bit of creativity. Fully deserved to draw tonight, if not lose. Typical because while every result went against us last week taking Spurs from 1st to 8th, the last couple of days helped us out mostly and 3rd was on a plate tonight, but they just didn't earn it.

I heard Spurs made absolutely no effort to attack, again, when 1 up. I have said before, I don't get that tactic. Maybe, at Anfield, but against Palace, the worst Arsenal team in PL history, and a Wolves side with their best/only striker missing!? Jose doing what he does best, blames the players. DEFINITELY not his fault. Nope. He never tells his teams to sit in. "Attack, attack, attack" that's the Jose way. :roll:

Who would have thought Liverpool, Leicester, Man Utd and Spurs would draw this round of fixtures. Also Arsenal winning against Chelsea. Very strange season, good weekend for City.

Yeah, it's gonna be a very tight season. Record low points total is a distinct possibility. TBF that is probably to be expected given the lack of a pre season and the condensed nature of this season. But everyone is dropping points

 

[edd_jedi]

Yes, the only team with four wins out of their last 5 games is Everton, no team has won all of their last five games. In fact only a few teams have won three out of five. 10 points separating 1st and tenth leaves it wide open still, should be a good end to the season.

 

[weasel]

Everton City off cos of Covid.
Why!?

FFS Pool have had half a team out all season and they have played on. They have had Salah, Mane and Thiago all down with Covid, and they played on. City have a few down and the game is off. :roll:
They should be made to play, or forfeit the points. In fact they should both be docked 70pts for taking the piss. I think that's only fair! Lol

Calling it off sets a stupid precedent in a season like this too. Unless City, literally, don't have 15 fit players, that game should be on. Same for any club affected by Covid.

 

[edd_jedi]

Yeah I guess we'll have to wait and hear their reasoning, like you say plenty of other clubs have had a couple of players test positive and play on, so maybe the entire team is having to self isolate

 

[theforceuk]

I thought if a team has 14 fit players they have to play.

 

[weasel]

I thought if a team has 14 fit players they have to play.

I think that is EPL. I know someone had to forfeit a game, possibly Leyton Orient. I also know Lazio travelled in the CL with about 14 players, 3 of whom where straight from their under 18's. Although, Newcastle did get their game with Villa called off at the start of the month, so I guess that is the most relevant precedent.

Given how condensed this season is though, I think it's a bad precedent to set. Granted, forcing a club to play when it is shafted by Covid, and risking it being passed on is not a good look either. But, I think you can get test results in 45mins now (happy to be corrected there). So test the team before they leave for the game and again upon arrival at the ground. Surely someone like City has a big enough squad to cope, even if the rumoured 3 more first teamers are out (added to Walker and Jesus). As I said originally, Pool have played with 9 first team squad players out, granted only one or two have been covid related, but the point is they have played when down to the bare bones. I think Burnley did likewise at the start of the season, albeit with a smaller squad. I just think letting City cancel the game (and Newcastle 3 weeks ago) is the wrong decision.
Added to that City have CL, and Worthless cup games to play. Semi with Utd this week,
I think, AND a postponed PL game from the first week of the season. They could well be playing Sat, midweek, sat until the end of the season. That won't help their CL chances. Especially given their penchant for cushy home draws in domestic cups.

I guess the FA/PL are dammed either way, especially as we don't know the full details yet. But it strikes me as a poor choice. Let's see what the facts are though.


But I do think my suggestion of a 70pt deduction for both clubs is a fair and reasonable solution!

 

[edd_jedi]

Looks like Fulham are going to get off the hook today, in fact I'm pretty sure the whole league is going to be paused again any day now.

 

[weasel]

The villa newcastle postponement set the precedent for City to claim the same, now anyone with a couple of tests will follow suit.
Not sure how the league restarts in a few weeks if it stops now. There would need to be a big old drop off in positive tests. Is that national positive tests or just tests amongst players and staff though? When in the name of good **** are these games going to be played? It's one thing for Newcastle/Villa who don't have Europe but ehhh City are already 2 PL games behind, they have CL, worthless cup and will probably go far in the FAC. So when exactly are they going to find time to fit in the 3/4/5 games that will be postponed, on top of the 2 they already have to rearrange? Euros in June mean there's no possibility of lengthening the season, and you can't have games hanging over until after the Euros as clubs will need to know what league they are in and players will have moved club by then.

I get the whole, pandemic, players safety comes first thing, but ehh answers on a postcard here?
With no other European league postponed that complicates things. Plus CL/EL due to start in late Feb. Those sides in it will want to be match fit/sharp by then.

I see a huge mess ahead.

 

[edd_jedi]

I had forgotten about 'Euro 2020' I don't see that going ahead either.

 

[weasel]

Agreed, but at this stage you have to assume it is.

 

[theforceuk]

It will go ahead to much money involved. All the players will get vaccinated soon, it all comes down to money as always.

 

[weasel]

Fulham spuds called off.

 

[edd_jedi]

Fulham spuds called off.

Yep who'd have thought, we have 7 cuntish fixtures in a row, and then as soon as an easy game comes along to restore some form, cancelled :roll:

 

[weasel]

Yeah, and any postponement of the season will come as Pool get the bulk of their injured players back** (TAA, Keita, Ox, Shakira, Milner, and Thiago is back in training) and Utd actually start to look like a half decent football team for the first time in years.

Fat Sam wants a two week break though. That ranks up there with Karen Brady calling for the season to be voided last season. Self-interested much!?

** Still got VVD, Gomez, yonder Greek LB and Jota out. With Matip injured and undiagnosed as far as I know. Five injuries is a veritable insignificance compared to what they had a few weeks ago.

 

[weasel]

Well that was ****ing shite

 

[theforceuk]

Could have easily won that game and think Liverpool edged it, still think you will be ok though. Another night Liverpool would have banged in one of those first half chances and the game would have been over. Still think City will be Liverpool's closest rivals.