Premier League 23/24 Thread
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Well done, Luton!
_Lee_
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I can't believe it. Just got back. Can hardly speak but am still on the booze so that will soothe that. Just makes me so proud, I was there during rhe NL days and remember getting beaten by amateur teams but now we are back.
I just hope Tommy Lockyer gets sorted out. It was very worrying when he fell over today but his dad just said he is fine and talking.
I just hope Tommy Lockyer gets sorted out. It was very worrying when he fell over today but his dad just said he is fine and talking.
Yeah, fair ***** to Luton.
Commiserations to Coventry, there wasn't much between the sides and that is a horrible way to lose. Hopefully whoever missed the pen doesn't get dogs abuse over it. When you are number 7 to take a pen you can't really expect it to into the bottom corner every time (though on target would be a start).
Commiserations to Coventry, there wasn't much between the sides and that is a horrible way to lose. Hopefully whoever missed the pen doesn't get dogs abuse over it. When you are number 7 to take a pen you can't really expect it to into the bottom corner every time (though on target would be a start).
lejackal
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The new season fixtures have been released this morning.
Forum interest for the opening weekend has Arsenal starting at home to Forest, Man U welcoming Wolves, Luton have a date on the coast with Brighton, Liverpool & Spurs go to west London to face Chelsea & Brentford respectively and West Ham kick off away to Bournemouth.
Apologies if I've missed your team, but I think I've remembered everyone that normally posts!
So who's happy with the fixtures and who thinks the PL has conspired against them?
Forum interest for the opening weekend has Arsenal starting at home to Forest, Man U welcoming Wolves, Luton have a date on the coast with Brighton, Liverpool & Spurs go to west London to face Chelsea & Brentford respectively and West Ham kick off away to Bournemouth.
Apologies if I've missed your team, but I think I've remembered everyone that normally posts!
So who's happy with the fixtures and who thinks the PL has conspired against them?
Pool away to Chelsea the first week then away to Newcastle in the 3rd week. Not sure many clubs will have a harder start.
Then a lovely run around xmas, Utd (H) Dec 16th, Arsenal (H) Dec 23rd, Burnley (A) Dec 26th and then Newcastle (H) Dec 30th.
Three home games but feck me, Utd, Arsenal and Newcastle.
Then a lovely run around xmas, Utd (H) Dec 16th, Arsenal (H) Dec 23rd, Burnley (A) Dec 26th and then Newcastle (H) Dec 30th.
Three home games but feck me, Utd, Arsenal and Newcastle.
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Wolves home, spurs away, Forest home and Arsenal away. Probably 6 points from first 4 games for Man Utd.
Every season I look at the fixture list and think it looks unfair, but I guess you have to play everyone eventually! Serious point though, momentum and confidence are huge so starting with an away game always puts you on the back foot, it would be interesting to see stats over time on how teams that start with an away match do over the course of a season. An obvious example was Arsenal being bottom of the table with 0 points after 3 games, I think the season before last?
Some teams, Pool and Luton, have asked to start with away games due to on going work on their grounds.
I take your point though. I think Arsenal's fairly easy start to last season helped them build momentum. I guess if Pool beat Chelsea and Newcastle that's two tricky away games won and nice confidence booster as well as a leg up on two sides who will be expected to be in and around the fight for the CL spots. It's probably swings and roundabouts, an away game against City is different to an away game against Everton/Bournemouth. Like wise, a home game against City is no banker, whereas a home game against Everton/Bournemouth is a lot more favourable.
I take your point though. I think Arsenal's fairly easy start to last season helped them build momentum. I guess if Pool beat Chelsea and Newcastle that's two tricky away games won and nice confidence booster as well as a leg up on two sides who will be expected to be in and around the fight for the CL spots. It's probably swings and roundabouts, an away game against City is different to an away game against Everton/Bournemouth. Like wise, a home game against City is no banker, whereas a home game against Everton/Bournemouth is a lot more favourable.
lejackal
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At the business end of things games against sides facing relegation are tougher in theory than the same team in October. Also I'd potentially rather have Anfield away in August than once they've got a bit of a head of steam.
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I would just rather not have Liverpool away. 
I feel the same about Arsenal away, I don't even watch it!I would just rather not have Liverpool away.
lejackal
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We've not had many good trips to your place in recent years (last season aside)
True dat, on the flip side, playing a newly promoted side early in the season when they are fresh and full of confidence from their promotion/keen to impress the fans can be a lot harder than playing them midway through the season when they have been ground down by the relentless nature of the PL and defeat after defeat. Or when they are already down.
It's all swings and roundabouts. You can find an argument for and against playing most sides at any stage of the season. Bar getting City between CL semi finals when they have already won the league and have a knock out tie in the balance and are thus gonna rest half a team. Even at that, City's second team beats most teams in the league.
Mbappe saying he wont extend his contract may help Spurs. Real were probably an option for Kane, and they will go for Mbappe over Kane every day of the week. Mbappe is better and younger. Given Levy doesnt seem to want to sell to another PL side without getting proper top dollar (100m+) that probably leaves Bayern, who won't pay that, or Utd/Chelsea agreeing to being ripped off. Not sure I can see any of those happening.
Yeah we have a shocking record at The Emirates but it's not even the results that put me off watching, just the animosity of the games.
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Yes seen as Chelsea have turned down an offer of £40 million from Man Utd for Mount. 1 year left on his contract.
What's all this about Arteta going to PSG and taking Saliba and Odegaard with him and Saka going to Citeh?
Google it- it's everywhere. An in the know on Knees Up Mother Brown (WHU forum) said a few weeks ago that the two players might be off to PSG and that all would become clear. Might all be nonsense of course!
You're probably right. Time will tell...
Aye that Spuds offer of 50m is a joke. If I was Leicester I would tell them they now have to pay 25% more than the next highest bid, for either player, as an "arsehole/that'll teach you tax".
Naggelsmann has binned the idea of PSG, so not many managers left they would want. I thought it was Jose they were after though!?
Naggelsmann has binned the idea of PSG, so not many managers left they would want. I thought it was Jose they were after though!?
60-65 million for Haevertz. Someone is gonna have to explain that to me. Big big money for a player who is ehhh solid if unspectacular. He's a "forward" but not a striker, so ehh whose position does he take, Martinelli or Saka?
He's not a bad player and Arsenal do need more depth, but that one just looks like big auld money on a player they dont really need for a position they don't really need to strengthen (or at least they have more pressing needs).
Plus they have paid Chelsea a decent wedge which helps them with their own FFP issues. Add in whatever they got for Kante and the fact Utd look like being dumb enough to pay 60m for Mount and Chelsea's rivals are all very kindly having a whip round to bail them out. Which is, obviously, a very good idea.
Arsenal are also looking at spending 100m on Rice. WHERE THE **** are Arsenal getting all this money? Pool never spent anything like that when they were in the CL, bar when they sold Coutinho. On that note, according to Twitter Arsenal's net spend since 2019 is 550m. Is FFP calling?
Apparently City (the only other club mentioned in the tweet) have a net spend of 239m over the same period. Yes, they cheated before, but the difference is clear.
I suspect Liverpool's net spend is about 27pence.
He's not a bad player and Arsenal do need more depth, but that one just looks like big auld money on a player they dont really need for a position they don't really need to strengthen (or at least they have more pressing needs).
Plus they have paid Chelsea a decent wedge which helps them with their own FFP issues. Add in whatever they got for Kante and the fact Utd look like being dumb enough to pay 60m for Mount and Chelsea's rivals are all very kindly having a whip round to bail them out. Which is, obviously, a very good idea.
Arsenal are also looking at spending 100m on Rice. WHERE THE **** are Arsenal getting all this money? Pool never spent anything like that when they were in the CL, bar when they sold Coutinho. On that note, according to Twitter Arsenal's net spend since 2019 is 550m. Is FFP calling?
Apparently City (the only other club mentioned in the tweet) have a net spend of 239m over the same period. Yes, they cheated before, but the difference is clear.
I suspect Liverpool's net spend is about 27pence.
lejackal
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Net spend and profit and loss are not the same (although you know that already)
Arsenal have increased matchday revenue, increased merchandise revenue, finished higher up the league so got more funds there, have CL football next season and are likely to get 80-120 back in sales this summer.
As for the Havertz deal at this point I have to trust that Arteta knows what he's doing. There's some speculation that he could actually be the Xhaka replacement in the left 8 position and Rice is replacing Partey.
Arsenal have increased matchday revenue, increased merchandise revenue, finished higher up the league so got more funds there, have CL football next season and are likely to get 80-120 back in sales this summer.
As for the Havertz deal at this point I have to trust that Arteta knows what he's doing. There's some speculation that he could actually be the Xhaka replacement in the left 8 position and Rice is replacing Partey.
Oh aye, I know the difference between all the financial terms (I kinda have to, it's what I do for a living) but I am just amazed Arsenal are spending so much, relative to Liverpool. The Emirates is a bit bigger and their season tickets are more expensive, but Pool must have earned more prize money and TV money over the last 5 yrs (not last yr obv). I am just trying to get my head round how Arsenal can spend so much, again, relative to Pool.
Surely you cant play Havertz as a midfielder?
Gundogan supposedly off to Barca, which I guess is a case of he has won it all at City so he wants a change and they offered a longer contract. Does look a step down. As does City signing Kovacevic (spelling) from Chelsea As a replacement
Surely you cant play Havertz as a midfielder?
Gundogan supposedly off to Barca, which I guess is a case of he has won it all at City so he wants a change and they offered a longer contract. Does look a step down. As does City signing Kovacevic (spelling) from Chelsea As a replacement
lejackal
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I think the way we structure deals helps, paying in instalments etc
I think we've had loans from KSE as well.
The Xhaka role from last season was a lot more advanced than previous years, often ending up in and around the box. He got 9 goals last season and I think Havertz is probably a more natural finisher, plus he would give us a bit of much needed height in a still mostly small team in the attacking five players. I would think Arteta expects him to return 12-15 goals.
I think we've had loans from KSE as well.
The Xhaka role from last season was a lot more advanced than previous years, often ending up in and around the box. He got 9 goals last season and I think Havertz is probably a more natural finisher, plus he would give us a bit of much needed height in a still mostly small team in the attacking five players. I would think Arteta expects him to return 12-15 goals.
I'll take your word for it on Xhaka's role, I didn't see enough of Arsenal to comment. I would be amazed if Arteta wants Havertz to play in midfield though. That's a whole different skill set, much more work rate and positional importance than being a forward. I guess we'll see. I still think Arsenal over paid.
Talk of Bernardo Silva going to Saudi now too. What a waste of a career if he does, he is 28. He'll spend his peak years playing along side some semi pro fella.
Talk of Bernardo Silva going to Saudi now too. What a waste of a career if he does, he is 28. He'll spend his peak years playing along side some semi pro fella.
lejackal
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I mean I'll take their 40 million to get Partey gone but it's a pretty worrying time for the future of the game if they can get prime age talent away from the PL where players are not exactly underpaid.
Anyone seen the Liv Golf stuff recently?
Anyone seen the Liv Golf stuff recently?
