Premier League 23/24 Thread

[theforceuk]

You can't kick an apposition player in the penalty box and not expect to give a penalty away, not at that level and especially not with Anthony Taylor refereeing!!! I think it was harsh but you just can't be that clumsy, I would have no complaints if it was the other way around it's as clear as it will ever be. Contact is excepted if you win the ball first.

Like I said before I don't agree with it, but you can see they will always give that as a pen……….role on this weekend and VAR is involved with a similar incident and no pen is given. @weasel

 

[lejackal]

And here was me thinking it's the winter break this weekend - looks like it's half and half again though

 

[weasel]

You can't kick an apposition player in the penalty box and not expect to give a penalty away, not at that level and especially not with Anthony Taylor refereeing!!! I think it was harsh but you just can't be that clumsy, I would have no complaints if it was the other way around it's as clear as it will ever be. Contact is excepted if you win the ball first.

Like I said before I don't agree with it, but you can see they will always give that as a pen……….role on this weekend and VAR is involved with a similar incident and no pen is given. @weasel

I just can't see how any sane person (insert your funny joke about your sanity given the team you support ;-)) thinks that level of contact warrants a foul. In that case every single corner should be a penalty as CB's almost always touch/hold the striker/forward with more force than was used to gently clean the tip of Bruno's boot.

 

[weasel]

And here was me thinking it's the winter break this weekend - looks like it's half and half again though

Aye, half the teams play this week and half next week. With FAC replays thrown in so some clubs don't actually get a break.

 

[theforceuk]

Touching and holding isn't the same as striking another player. You can't just kick another player who's gone past you. It's not a man's game like Hockey. @weasel

 

[lejackal]

Touching and holding isn't the same as striking another player. You can't just kick another player who's gone past you. It's not a man's game like Hockey. @weasel

Hockey isn't a man's game, they need sticks to aid their violent tendencies

 

[weasel]

Just cos we wear skirts when we play, doesn't make it a girl's game!

ps, I haven't played for 10yrs, hamstrings destroyed. #TooFuckingOld

 

[lejackal]

Just cos we wear skirts when we play, doesn't make it a girl's game!

ps, I haven't played for 10yrs, hamstrings destroyed. #TooFuckingOld

Still got the skirt on though…..

 

[theforceuk]

10 years retired, that's a really long time. You must be old @weasel !

 

[weasel]

@lejackal, I might occasionally put the skirt on…..just for 'Old time's sake' though. Honest

10 years retired, that's a really long time. You must be old @weasel !

It's a young man's game. Auto-pass and rolling subs means very few players, at a decent level, make it beyond their mid 30's. Even fewer midfielders. I was a holding midfielder and did bloody well to last as long as I did.
I'd say the average age of top teams over here is probably very early 20's.


@edd_jedi any ideas on that new CB Spuds signed? I know FA about him, but he must be more use than two full backs's playing at CB surely?

And Sancho shipped off to Dortmund. Be interesting to see if he gets move in the summer, or if his form picks up. Him turning up late for his medical does sum up his problems perfectly.

 

[lejackal]

His medical was nearly midnight apparently- such an inconsiderate entitled arsehole to treat people like that. My nine and ten year olds have more respect as players than him.

 

[theforceuk]

Embarrassing the Sancho loan is. Man Utd sign him for £75 million. 2 and half years later loan him back to Dortmand for £3 million but are still paying £100k a week. So we're basically getting £1 million for a 5 month loan.

I hope he never plays for Utd again, you just no ETH will get sacked by next season, new manager comes in and gives everyone a 'clean slate' rinse and repeat.

 

[weasel]

Is he not on 300kpw?! I heard Dortmund were paying about 100k of that.

….role on this weekend and VAR is involved with a similar incident and no pen is given. @weasel

And there it is already, striker jumps kinda into the Burnley keeper in stoppage time, the keeper goes down like a poof and VAR says "no foul".
I do think keepers are over protected, and yer man makes a proper meal of it. But compare that level of contact to the Bruno pen. The consistency is the problem

 

[theforceuk]

Yeah he's on £300k a week and Utd are paying £100k of that.

 

[edd_jedi]

Nope, good to see we've got some signings in but no idea how either will pan out. More concerned about getting our injuries back than new signings, Van Der Ven should be fit for Sunday hopefully

 

[weasel]

Utd ONLY paying 100kpw? I wouldn't have thought Dortmund could afford 200kpw.

 

[lejackal]

And I thought Reiss Nelson on 100k was bad enough

 

[weasel]

Nice wee dive by Sterling yesterday. So out of character for him too. The same as Jota and Fernandes, there may be minimal contact but he CHOSE to go down and that should not be a penalty. That's a yellow card. No way was there enough force there to knock over a grown man. As I keep saying, it's a contact sport, contact does not equal a foul.

Your Chelsea boy, Gusto?, was ******* lucky not to get sent off for that. IMO it's a red all day long. It was quite similar to the Curtis Jones tackle earlier in the season, there was no intent, but it was studs on shin and could have been a leg breaker. He had to go. I will be disappointed if that isn't upgraded, or at least PGMOL don't come out and say it should be.
I think he's already had a 3 game ban as well. Yet again, the inconsistency is the thing that pisses you off the most. Red card one week, yellow the next.


I did feel sorry for Newcastle losing so late to City yesterday. You suspect if they didn't have so many injuries that Eddie Howe would have made changes 25mins out, but if City hadn't won that game it would have been daylight robbery. They toyed with Newcastle in the first half. The fact Newcastle went in ahead at HT, was comedy. The second half was just backs to the wall. Newcastle defended quite well but City were never out of their half. I think Newcastle had three chances in the whole game. City definitely deserved it. Much as it pains me to say it.

Nice to see KDB back, he is a class act, and one of few footballers who doesn't strike me as a complete bell end. But him back in a City side isn't good news for the rest of the league. Cue City winning 16 on the spin now

 

[theforceuk]

Just seen Villas's goal in the first half ruled out by VAR. Am I missing something or was it a foul?

I fancy Utd to beat Spurs today, Maddison and Son will be hugely missed and Spurs play a high line that will suit Man Utd. Can even see Rashford scoring! Mind you this Utd side is always on the brink of getting smacked up. So I'm not confident at all.

 

[weasel]

Just seen Villas's goal in the first half ruled out by VAR. Am I missing something or was it a foul?

I fancy Utd to beat Spurs today, Maddison and Son will be hugely missed and Spurs play a high line that will suit Man Utd. Can even see Rashford scoring! Mind you this Utd side is always on the brink of getting smacked up. So I'm not confident at all.

I saw it live and I THINK it was disallowed for offside, but I was saying in real time that it had to be disallowed cos the Villa striker is holding the Everton defender and stopping him getting out, thus allowing yer man to look possibly onside. Knowing VAR they disallowed it for a hand ball in the warm up.
Either, it was the correct decision IMO

You got Rashford scoring correct, though from what I saw of the game, Spurs were the better side.

 

[theforceuk]

Oh ok, didn't really know what was going on with the Villa game, sound was off.

I kind of saw the Utd game, think Spurs were unfortunate in the second half and who would have known they score 2 goals, 1 from a set piece and the other because they walked through the Utd midfield.

Glad Hojland scored, he actually scored the only chance he got which was a Rashford shot that randomly bounced to him. He is literally the only forward from the front 3 that passes. I saw an interesting stat, Hojland is the least passed to forward in the PL. And Roy Keane was having a pop at him before the game for not doing enough!! Nothing about Rashford being 7 years older than him and on £350k a week and being far worse than Hojland this season. But he came through the academy so he gets a free pass.

 

[weasel]

Yeah, I have seen similar stats that highlight just how little service Hojlund gets. I still dunno what to make of him (or Nunez) but I dunno if he (or Nunez) will ever look like value for the money. They are by no means donkey's in the Andy Carroll mold, there is definite potential in both, but the jury is still out for me.

And from memory Rashford is on more than Salah, and has been for a few years. Who would you rather have?


Forest and Everton chsrged with breaking FFP regs. From the little I have heard you are allowed to over spend by 105m in a 3 yr period and Everton have been charged for a period that includes two years of the three year period they have already had a pts deduction for. Rules are rules and they broke them, but to penalise them twice in one season for breaches over a preceding four year period does seem harsh.
I guess the counter argument comes from sides who feel they went down as a result of Everton breaking the rules.
Chelsea must be treading an incredibly fine line and City ehhh…….

 

[theforceuk]

I think Hojland will be a star, he's only 20. I actually think Nunez is decent, can't compare them IMO.

Yeah I also see Newcastle have said they won't be signing anyone this January to stay with the FFP rules. Just goes to show how Man City have cooked the books.

 

[weasel]

I'm only comparing them in terms of broadly equal transfer fees and both being strikers. Clearly Nunez is better .

City inflated their income which allowed them to spend more. Their owners also own the firms who sponsor them. "Naming rights for the stadium, sure, 600m. I know no one else gets more than 50m but sure."
The others are just over spending. So City's is a bit more complicated or sneaky which is why they haven't been shafted yet. Chelsea seem to be spending over 5 (previously 8) yrs budget now. They are ****** if their signings flop and then refuse to leave.

 

[theforceuk]

I would agree Nunez is doing better than Hojland for now. One things for sure, Hojland would have more PL goals this season if he was in that Liverpool team.

 

[weasel]

Lol, that is true. I do feel sorry for Hojlund, he is being fed on scraps and playing in a team that is devoid of convidence. I don't know when that changes though. Probably slowly.

 

[weasel]

Benrahma you idiot.
Might not have been a great tackle on you, but you can't kick people in the chest.

 

[Cazza]

Stupid. He looks finished at WHU now.

 

[weasel]

Understandable after that. Given he was struggling before hand

 

[lejackal]

Hard to always control yourself though in fairness to him. The Bristol player swinging his arms around (not really punching out) a bit later was lucky to stay on the pitch imo. WH should probably feel a little hard done by after that