Premier League 23/24 Thread

[weasel]

FAC draw just made. Liverpool get their sixth PL side in seven years* with a cushy trip to Arsenal. While City get a very unusual home draw against the mighty Huddersfield.

It got boring three years ago. Can some PLEASE change the record here.

* Everton, Wolves, Everton, Villa, Wolves, now Arsenal.

Spuds Burnley, Wigan Utd, WH Bristol City, Sunderland Newcastle, Chelsea Preston. Five cushy draws there.

 

[theforceuk]

Bayern and Chelsea before Anfield. The wolly with the brolly will be in charge by then and for the record the players, board and owners should be sacked before the coach IMO. Sacking Ten Hag is like changing the tires on a car that won't start.

 

[edd_jedi]

Even with two thirds of our starting 11 out, it's very Spurs to lose to Wolves and Villa and then draw with City. Nearly won dare I say, if not for Bissouma's moment of madness trying to take on 4 city players outside his penalty area

Great game though, I think the point was fully deserved. And after a sorry run of both luck and results, being six points off top and 2 from fourth doesn't feel quite so bad. If we can just hang on in the mix til January when a few key players start getting fit again, I think we'll be alright for a CL spot.

 

[edd_jedi]

Spuds Burnley, Wigan Utd, WH Bristol City, Sunderland Newcastle, Chelsea Preston. Five cushy draws there.

Not too bad, but the only other team drawing a PL side. I'll put the violins away when we get a Championship side in the final

 

[weasel]

Saw bits of Spuds City, looked a great game. Fair ***** to Ange, and Spuds, for still going for it even though they had so many out. Nice bit if refereeing at the end, see the foul, play advantage and once you realise City are in one on one, blow for the free and bring it back. Slap that right up City. Too many times referees and VAR find ways to give them a helping hand. They are long over due a few things going against them.


And yeah, dafuq was bissouma doing?

ps, this could be a long few weeks if Liverpool insist on defending like that while Alison is injured. It was woeful. Some glorious goals by Pool, but the defending for Fulham's was *****.

 

[Cazza]

Game of two halves! We were awful first half- completely outplayed, although for all their possession, Spurs didn't create many chances. Thought we were awesome second half, though. Bowen is some player.

 

[theforceuk]

Everton 0-3 Man Utd
Newcastle 1-0 Man Utd
Everton 3-0 Newcastle

Crazy league!

 

[Robstyley]

Game of two halves! We were awful first half- completely outplayed, although for all their possession, Spurs didn't create many chances. Thought we were awesome second half, though. Bowen is some player.

I didn't watch it, was at the cinema. But there's nothing better than beating the Yids in their own back yard!

 

[edd_jedi]

While West Ham vastly improved in the second half (which wasn't difficult as they barely touched the ball in the first) both goals were INCREDIBLY lucky, two flukey bounces straight to a player in front of an open goal. And we should have had at least one penalty, if not two. Funny how every time the ball hits a Spurs players arm accidentally it's a penalty, but not when it happens to us. So while I'm pissed off about the result (again) I don't think we deserved to lose, and it was an overall positive performance, for most of the game anyway.

 

[edd_jedi]

I'm getting serious Deja vu of the Poch era though, last night was a classic example - huge possession, great looking football, but the two (and only two) times they get near our goal, somehow it ends up in the net through no quality of their own, either a mistake on our part or a huge bit of luck. It's not any more enjoying to watch than Jose or Conte ball

 

[Cazza]

Yep, goals were pretty lucky, but they were from errors and in part down to WH putting the defenders under pressure. That sort of thing usually goes against is, so nice to get a break. We'll have to agree to disagree about the pens- no way in the world for me. Can only remember the Zouma one, which was never, ever going to be given- I was surprised there was such a lengthy check, as it was very obviously not a pen, even in real time.

Thought Paqueta stank the place out all night- disinterested, giving the ball away, falling over and missed probably the best chance of the night at the end of the first half. That header...

I was very impressed (and jealous!) with Spurs in the first half. Second half, we made a few tweaks and went for it more and it made a massive difference. I know Ange says he won't change, but he will need to be able to adapt better to the different styles of opposition. I like him and think he could do really well.

 

[edd_jedi]

For both penalties the ball was kicked from miles away, the arm moved towards it, and it was on the upper arm (not shoulder.) I don't like to see that given either, but why do we always get punished for them (I won't post the Dier / Newcastle image for the 20th time) but nobody else does? It's the lack of consistency as usual.

Yeah we looked like 2008 Real Madrid in the first half, don't know how it finished 1-0. If Zouma's near own goal had bounced off the post straight to Son's feet like the West Ham goals did, different story. And how often do you hit the post from 6 yards out and it goes straight back to you for a second attempt?! I can understand the joy of the "win" but it was not a fair result.

 

[Cazza]

I would feel (and do regularly!) feel aggrieved if I was a Spurs fan after that result, but I think we forced the errors and got a grip of the game tactically in the second half. Bowen and JWP pressing, anticipating and gambling really paid off, as Shearer said in the commentary. Apart from Richarlison's header, I can't remember too many other clear chances for Spurs. Paqueta's was the best chance of the lot. Re: penalties, the arms were close to the body and both times (have watched the Coufal one again) it hit the badge on the sleeve and in Coufal's case, his arm was half behind his back. The Dier one was a very poor decision from memory.

 

[weasel]

I can understand the joy of the "win" but it was not a fair result.

I know that feeling, it reminds me of certain game at the end of September….

 

[edd_jedi]

Yes that was a lucky result for sure... fair to say we paid for it 10 times over in the Chelsea game and still paying for it now :LOL:

 

[weasel]

Utd going from strength to strength. ETH has to be in danger of losing his job soon. Bayern in midweek and they will be keen to bounce back from the hiding they got yesterday, followed by a trip to Anfield on Sunday. Utd have barely played well this season, albeit they have won a few games despite being dung, and I don't blame ETH entirely (but picking Martial is utterly bizarre, he has been ***** for 8yrs, he won't suddenly get good) the whole club is a shambles. But it is easier to sack a manager than sell 10+ players and the Board have let ETH and various predecessors down by not selling the ***** that needed sold and sacking him is easier than admitting they were wrong not to sell them.

Arsenal a tad unlucky not to get anything from Villa, though the Haevrtz goal was fairly disallowed it hit his hand (about three times). Not sure I would have given the Penalty for Jesus getting his leg kicked either. Yes, there is contact but, as I keep saying, it's a contact sport. Contact does not equal a foul. I don't think here was enough contact there to warrant a penalty, or to warrant the way he went down. I think it was less of a penalty than the one Palace got against Pool. That one was a BIT soft, but Quansha (spelling) does boot what would be his standing leg and he doesnt get the ball. Daft "tackle" by the young CB. The arsenal one, Jesus still has his other foot planted and goes down like a fairy. We've seen them given but it wasn't a penalty for me.
Arsenal still missed enough decent chances to get a point, or more.

Sounds like Pool got a bit lucky too, ropey as hell and did just enough.

 

[weasel]

Bloody Spurs got lucky there, that game was totally in the balance until ehhh kick off. I only half watched it, but from what I saw it was shooting practice. No idea if it was Spurs being brilliant, Newcastle being dung (their away record is shocking), or just one of those games. But fair ***** to Spurs.


Oohhh and Romero is very lucky boy, I would have given him a red all day long for that tackle, and he is just back from a 3 game ban. Idiot

 

[weasel]

Just seen the disallowed Haevertz goal again, it definitely does strike Cash's hand first. I missed that on the night. It looks like it hits his hand, unintentionally and via Haevertz' header, it then hits Haevertz hand, then Cash's, then Haevertz's twice. I still think not giving it was right, but the fact that Cash's initial handball is allowed under the rules (I haven't seen enough angles to say if his hand was in a "natural" position and the deflection is from 2 feet) and yet had Haevertz done the identical thing it would have been disallowed….is ******* stupid. That whole rule needs to be sorted out. Especially as had Haeverts handled it but then passed it, it's fine. ********.


Anyway, no other football of note at all today and nothing that anyone will want to talk about either. No other games played

 

[lejackal]

The Jesus penalty is one that you see given, as soft as it would have been. Again it comes down to consistency- and all PGMOL are consistent at is being wrong and inconsistent

 

[edd_jedi]

Oohhh and Romero is very lucky boy, I would have given him a red all day long for that tackle, and he is just back from a 3 game ban. Idiot

Yep he definitely deserved to go off again, absolute maniac!

 

[theforceuk]

Why does ETH have to be in danger of losing his job @weasel ? Second ever Man Utd coach to win a trophy in first season, took the worst ever PL Man Utd team from 8th to 3rd with an improvement of 15 points in 12 months. Had a better first season than Klopp, Pep and Artetta, joint first fastest manager at Utd to get 50 wins. Unbelievable amount of off field ****, lazy overpaid players. Who sacks a manager that is 6 points from top 4 in December and has just won PL manager of the month? 18 months into a 5 year project, why would you give him less time than every other manger in the last 10 years. Absolute nonsense sacking him now.

Who they gonna bring in anyway, even these owners can't be that stupid. A new coach wouldn't be put in place to the summer so would probably be Steve McC until then. And the new coach would want to get rid of most of ETH signings and spend another £400m. And get rid of the players from the previous 3 managers. Martial is starting because there is no one else, it's a joke.

 

[weasel]

I didn't say I would sack him, I agree it's daft to give him the boot, I said he must be in danger of the sack, if purely due to the results Utd have had this season. His loss record this year is almost 50%. I don't care who you are, if you manage a big six/seven side and you lose almost half your games you are going to be in danger of getting the boot. You can see the media circus gathering round OT. They sense blood and want another managerial scalp to help flog papers or generate clicks/views.

It's easier to replace a manager than sell a dozen underperforming overpaid prima-donnas. Utd are also appalling at selling players, and have been for years. Add to that the fact that a lot of those boys are on big money and won't like the ego booting from having to move from such a big club to a 'lesser club'. Harry Maguire refusing to join WH last summer was a prime example. Their wages rule out a lot of potential clubs and their egos will rule out more. Can you see any other "big" club coming in for, say, Martial? Or Dalot?

Utd's problems run very deep, and most are not ETH's fault, but it is easier to "fix" the underperforming team by sacking him than fixing the board room or the team.
Saying that ETH, doesn't help himself. Playing Martial is bizarre. The guy is dreadful and has been for most of his time at Utd (Watch him score 4 on Sunday). Also, a lot of ETH's signings have been poor. Anthony is a winger with no goals or assists this season, he cost £80m. Onana has been very patchy and is he an improvement on DDG? Mason Mount hasn't been a success, albeit he has had a few injuries. Casemiro's legs seem to have gone, and he's bound to be on megabucks so hard to shift. He was only ever going to be an expensive stopgap signing. Granted it looked a "good" signing on paper, ignoring the fee.
Compare that list, and I ignored players he signed on loan, with the list of his signings who have been a success. Martinez, that's it. He's spent how many hundred million?

Last night was hardly a ringing endorsement of ETH's Utd. Yes, they had a tonne of injuries and unavailabilities, but Bayern cruised that game in second gear. Did Neuer make a save that one of us couldn't have made?

I don't think sacking ETH is the right call, as you say, who the **** is available who would do a better job. But the longer Utd continue to regress, and this season cant be seen as anything other than 'regression' the more the pressure mounts on him. And he needs to start helping himself.

 

[theforceuk]

I agree completely apart from Casemiro, his legs haven't gone, he had a bad start to the season that's it and Antony could still come good.

My biggest concern with ETH is his midfield choices, he constantly picks one defensive midfielder and teams walk through the midfield. If he plays one holding midfielder on Sunday it will be another blood bath.

Unfortunately you are right about his job safety land although I wouldn't give a toss about his win percentage this season, fans and owners will. I think Artetta and Klopp finished 8th in there second seasons?

The club is financially screwed and part of me is loving the fact we're out of Europe because that is one revenue stream gone. Hopefully it will expose the Glazers quicker.

 

[weasel]

I think you're right on Arteta, 8th, 8th, 4th possibly.
Klopp was 8th in his first season, albeit he took over in October. Then 4th, 4th, 2nd, 1st. With a few CL finals bucked in. So he doesn't really compare with ETH once you look beyond purely league finishes. There was always clear progression with Klopp, sure there were bad results and patches, but you could see the way he wanted to play and that the team was getting better. I'm still not sure how ETH wants to play, and there definitely won't be a CL final for Utd this year. This season has been a disaster for him/Utd too. They may turn it around, who knows, but so far the first 4/5 months are more of a regression than Klopp had in his early Pool days. It doesn't mean ETH won't go on to be a success…..although, needless to say, I hope he isn't lol.

We can predict Utd's starting line up on Sunday now. It's the team that started the second half, Onana, AWB, Dalot, Evans, Varane, Amrabat, McTom, Anthony, Garnacho and Hojberg. That's only 10 cos Bruno is suspended. Add in Sir Marcus and or possibly Mainoo to shore up the midfield and that's it. I think everyone else is either a keeper, a kid or injured.
Maybe Regulion comes in at LB and one of Dalot AWB drops to the bench but for the most part I suspect that's the team.

On that note, what is wrong with Casemiro, Mount and Lindeloft?

 

[theforceuk]

All injured, Casemiro close to returning I believe. I wander how many are injured for Sunday or just scared shitless. I'm not comparing ETH to Klopp, just pointing out that he didn't have instant success, certainly not in the first 2 years AND any other manager would have got sacked last season if they had had the season that Klopp had at Liverpool. I suspect ETH would have had trouble keeping his job if he had had the start at Utd that Klopp had at Liverpool last season.

It's modern football for you, no one is aloud a bad season any more, Klopp has completely rebuilt Liverpools midfield in 2 transfer windows and they're back on track. I can see exactly what ETH is trying to do there are glimpses of it when the players can be bothered. If he gets Martinez and Casimero fit before he gets sacked it will make a difference, to ball playing defensive players that go straight into the team.

 

[weasel]

Looks like Rashford and Shaw might be fit for Sunday, that will help Utd (I think).

And I think Klopp even said last year that he would have been fired at most other clubs given how poor Liverpool were for huge chunks of it.


Ohh and he rebuilt Pool's midfield in ONE window, last summer. McAllister, Sobozlai, Endo (I know), and Gravenbarch all in over the summer.


All the talk in the media is about how Utd are going to Anfield for a hiding and Liverpool are brilliant etc. That's exactly the opposite of what it was for most of the 90's and early 2000's and Danny Murphy scored the winner at OT, was it two or three season's running?
No one seems to be talking about how Pool have been poor in their last 3 games, I'm ignoring the EL defeat in midweek cos it was a glorified under 20's team. Yes, they won those games, but they were ***** for huge chunks of all of them. This is NOT a 'firing on all cylinders' Liverpool. Throw in a few injuries, yes Utd have more, but my point is more that it is not the foregone conclusion the media seem to make it out to be.

Regardless, we'd both take being played off the park for 90 mins plus stoppage time and scoring with the one quarter chance you get after it deflects off 3 players and a seagull to wrong foot a barely awake Alison/Onana.

 

[theforceuk]

Yes definitely! Football has a funny way of surprising everyone sometimes. I've gone 7-1 on my prediction thing I do. I may well change it by kick off.

Haven't seen the red card tonight but heard it was harsh. Another VAR error perhaps?

Unbelievable Jeff!

 

[jayjedi]

Looks like Rashford and Shaw might be fit for Sunday, that will help Utd (I think).

And I think Klopp even said last year that he would have been fired at most other clubs given how poor Liverpool were for huge chunks of it.


Ohh and he rebuilt Pool's midfield in ONE window, last summer. McAllister, Sobozlai, Endo (I know), and Gravenbarch all in over the summer.


All the talk in the media is about how Utd are going to Anfield for a hiding and Liverpool are brilliant etc. That's exactly the opposite of what it was for most of the 90's and early 2000's and Danny Murphy scored the winner at OT, was it two or three season's running?
No one seems to be talking about how Pool have been poor in their last 3 games, I'm ignoring the EL defeat in midweek cos it was a glorified under 20's team. Yes, they won those games, but they were ***** for huge chunks of all of them. This is NOT a 'firing on all cylinders' Liverpool. Throw in a few injuries, yes Utd have more, but my point is more that it is not the foregone conclusion the media seem to make it out to be.

Regardless, we'd both take being played off the park for 90 mins plus stoppage time and scoring with the one quarter chance you get after it deflects off 3 players and a seagull to wrong foot a barely awake Alison/Onana.

Hi Weasel, I can see another 7-1 mate, we are terrible at the moment, going to take the kids to a zoo and just forget about it :D

 

[weasel]

@jayjedi hello mate, been far too long. I didn't even know you still frequented these boards, good to see you about! Even if you still support that shower of *****.


I can see Utd sitting in, like they sort of did against Bayern, and playing on the break. TBF to Utd they do play best when the other team dominates possession. If they score first it could be interesting, albeit Pool's record of coming from behind (insert your own schoolboy joke there) is very good as is their ability to score late. But then Utd are in that all too familiar pattern of be ****, be ****, do JUST enough to make it seem harsh to sack a manager and repeat. If they do get something on Sunday I would put money on them losing 8-0 to Forest in a few weeks. It's just how they seem to roll.


I saw chunks of the Spuds game last night, a bit workman like. If Forest could score…..or hit the ******* target…they might have got something but Spuds deserved the points. And the red card was very fair. Studs to the opponents shin. In a way it was similar to Curtis Jones' red against Spurs. There is/was no intent to hurt the opponent it was just slightly mistimed and looked worse in slow mo. 5 years ago you get a yellow, now you get a red.

 

[edd_jedi]

Yep another idiotic red card for Spurs, it's hampering us more than injuries at the moment. But why wasn't Yates booked for his imaginary yellow card? I thought that was supposed to be an instant booking now. Instead the referee took his advice! :oops: