The imaginatively titled Premier League 21/22 Thread

edd_jedi

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I take it David Moyes didn't watch the Euros then. Bringing on substitutes to take last-ditch penalties hasn't worked out well recently. What was he thinking. Lucky, lucky Man United too, it was definitely a penalty so they really got away with one there.
 

edd_jedi

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I was expecting today's result, but it was very frustrating to end that way having arguably played better than Chelsea in the first half. We missed a couple of sitters. Chelsea's second goal was pure fluke so in a way I'm glad the third went in, or I would have felt hard done by. One of those results that looks like a hammering on paper but really wasn't.

And great, we have Arsenal next weekend. That honeymoon period didn't last long :ROFLMAO: the only consolation is a few other surprising results, 3 wins out of five isn't terrible but conceding six goals in two games is very worrying.
 

lejackal

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I was expecting today's result, but it was very frustrating to end that way having arguably played better than Chelsea in the first half. We missed a couple of sitters. Chelsea's second goal was pure fluke so in a way I'm glad the third went in, or I would have felt hard done by. One of those results that looks like a hammering on paper but really wasn't.

And great, we have Arsenal next weekend. That honeymoon period didn't last long :ROFLMAO: the only consolation is a few other surprising results, 3 wins out of five isn't terrible but conceding six goals in two games is very worrying.
Don't worry, we'll oblige you by rolling over next week 🙄
 

lejackal

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An interesting article on the recent trend for unknown gambling sponsors in the PL and beyond…..


football and dirty money probably shouldn't be too much of a surprise given the state of the governing body (allegedly)
 

weasel

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I take it David Moyes didn't watch the Euros then. Bringing on substitutes to take last-ditch penalties hasn't worked out well recently. What was he thinking. Lucky, lucky Man United too, it was definitely a penalty so they really got away with one there.
I guess Moyesy knew DDg hasn't saved any of the last 50 odd penalties he has faced (ok, I think it's 20-30 ish) and thus thought he was save enough brinign on Noble. On that note, I assume Mark Noble has retired? I mean, being the first person to get a penalty saved by DDG in 40 years has got to be embarrassing enough to warrant instant retirement!

They were lucky against Wolves too from what I saw on MOTD. If Wolves had a forward who could shoot straight that game would have been 3/4-1.

I was expecting today's result, but it was very frustrating to end that way having arguably played better than Chelsea in the first half. We missed a couple of sitters. Chelsea's second goal was pure fluke so in a way I'm glad the third went in, or I would have felt hard done by. One of those results that looks like a hammering on paper but really wasn't.

And great, we have Arsenal next weekend. That honeymoon period didn't last long :ROFLMAO: the only consolation is a few other surprising results, 3 wins out of five isn't terrible but conceding six goals in two games is very worrying.
I watched the guts of that game on a dodgy French stream. The second goal was horrible. Massive deflection, hits the post, rolls across the line and then trickles in. The kinda **** that happens when your luck is out. Had Spurs been top of the league, that flies straight to Lloris and the game carries on.

Saying that, from what I saw, Spurs were woeful. What exactly is the style of play Nuno wants? I know it takes time to get your message across and the first few games are always going to be hit and miss. But HOW do Spurs expect to score goals? They created nothing that I saw. Chelsea are a good side, but Spurs were poor.

Ohh and was that Deli Ali who was out jumped for one for one of the goals and instantly turned round looking for someone to blame!? Ehhh YOUR man just scored dickhead, that makes it YOUR fault!
 

weasel

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Ohh and HOW THE **** did the ref think, after looking at the replay, that Kyle Walker DIDN'T foul yer Saints boy? He doesn't get the ball. At no stage is he within 3 feet of getting the ball. If that is anywhere else on the pitch it's a free all day long. I get that VAR said to look again, cos it was a harsh red (I don't know what the rules are on 'double jeopardy') but to over turn the pen as well. City got away with one there, big style.
 

Cazza

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That certainly looked like a pen to me! Some very poor decisions at the mo.

I sincerely hope Matic gets some retrospective punishment for his assault on Coufal last night. Never seen anything quite like it! Fairplay to Coufal, just shrugged it off. Ronaldo et all would've screamed and rolled around in agony until the culprit was sent off.
 

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A few minutes later he did a studs up stamp tackle on Lanzini, that left Lanzini injured and needing to be subbed.
 

theforceuk

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Yeah, he is a "yes man" who won't rock the boat and knows he has been appointed to a job he would never have got on merit. No other top 6 PL side or top European side would even have considered him for the manager's job, but Utd employed him.

He said Rolando should have had a penalty in that game, and a red card for Young Boys. If it was the incident I saw ehhhh, that's not a penalty. The give away was the fact the defender didn't actually touch him and Ronaldo dived like a bitch. What it actually is, is a yellow card for simulation. It wasn't even close to being a penalty. Not even one of those that "you see them given". It just wasn't a penalty or even a foul.

His tactics are, 'get your best 11 on the pitch and let them do their thing'. A more cycnical version would be 'get your best 11 on the pitch and........hope'. It's bloody simplistic, and TBF it does work, unsurprisingly. But should a "top" manager not be capable of a little bit more?
There doesn't seem to be a style of play as such. Every one knows how Pool, City, Bayern, (pre bankruptcy) Barca and Real will play. But Utd are just a hodgepodge of players. Now, they do have some fantastic players, plenty of whom are more than capable of a moment of genius to win a game. But I just can't help feel that a decent manager would get so much more out of them as a team.
He would start by letting Van De Beek actually play a bit. He's not a DCM as such but he will do a much better job in there than Matic over the course of a season. Matic was a great player, but his legs are gone, and that is the one thing a DCM needs.
There's only so long OGS will get away with playing the same boys week in week out. Tiredness will catch up with them. As will injuries. Utd have been quite lucky over the last 2 years, most of their injuries have been minor or in positions where they have relative strength in depth. I'm not going to compare them, or anyone's, injuries to Pool's last year, but most clubs have a period during a season when they have 2/3/4 players injured/suspended and have to field a make shift back four/midfield/front line, Utd have escaped that (for the most part). If they get a couple of big injuries OGS could be in trouble.

Genuine question, IF Utd win nothing this season (and I don't count the worthless cup, FAC is arguable) will OGS keep his job?
I suspect the Board would be happy to keep him, but will the fans? He can't really have any excuses if he doesn't win anything. He has had time and a **** tonne of money.

Obviously, If they lose a CL final narrowly, or even a semi, and come close in PL (within half a dozen points) then that's different from a 1/8 final tame knock out in CL and finishing 18pts off PL top.
Been meaning to reply to the question will OGS keep his job if we don't win anything, I beleive top 4 is the minimum requirement from the owners. Look at Moyes, didn't get top 4, was sacked, LVG won the FA Cup but finished 5th, got sacked and Jose got sacked when it was looking impossible to get top 4. If Man Utd don't get top 4 this season then what a shambles that would be, looks to me like we will win 2, draw 1 and lose 1 pretty much all season. I would sack him now, he's clueless, completely! Why he persist's with McFred while benching Matic and Van De Beek I will never fathom. He even shoe horns Pogba onto the left wing to fit them in, leaving £75 million Sancho out as well to accommodate McFred what does he see in them?

We've lost 3 of our last 4 games, lost our last 2 home games without scoreing, it's embarassing how bad OGS is. When you look at who Chelsea, City and Liverpool have at the helm. Also look at Ronaldo today, probably the best number 9 in the world or one of them, but what's the point having him if you can't get the ball to him?! What did OGS do bring on another number 9, Cavani. Yeah perfect two number 9's will work!!!!! OGS didn't want a DCM this summer either, so the club spent £75 million on a winger that now can't get in the team becasue Ole picks two midfielders that wouldn't get in most Premier League teams.

I love OGS, he's a club legend, but he's killing us and has to be removed before another season has gone. Any other manager in charge would be under huge pressure by now, it's absolutely nowhere near good enough.
 
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edd_jedi

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Some surprising results this weekend, Arsenals win sadly was not one of them. I knew we were going to lose the minute I saw Sanchez and Dier had been selected as centre backs. Granted Nuno didn't have much choice due to injuries etc, but Jesus how bad were the first three goals. It would honestly have been better if we were playing with nine men because then at least Kane and Hojberg, who are no joke two of our best defenders, would have been drafted in to help at the back. The first goal was literally a sideways pass to an unmarked man in the middle of the box, how does that even happen!?

Arsenal fans will obviously enjoy the win and comedy leapfrog in the table, but that was one of the worst performances I've ever seen Spurs play in the first half, luckily due to a long drive home I didn't have to endure the second half.

Big problems for Nuno, I said a few weeks ago none of the three wins were convincing, that now makes six consecutive average/poor performances and we're lucky to be mid table. He needs to stop playing Eric Dier, get Levy on the pitch, anyone would be an improvement.
 

edd_jedi

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Also look at Ronaldo today, probably the best number 9 in the world or one of them, but what's the point having him if you can't get the ball to him?!
This is exactly the problem we have with Kane. People are saying "where is the attacking football" implying they think we should be shooting at goal every 30 seconds. In the modern game attacks start from the goalkeeper, so with oafs like Eric Dier between the keeper and midfield we have no chance of playing this attacking football or giving Harry the service he needs.
 

edd_jedi

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Got to love the papers, apparently Arteta is now the next Wenger :ROFLMAO: and Spurs are in crisis. These are two teams with exactly the same amount of points and negative goal difference. Now don't get me wrong Spurs are playing badly at the moment, but out of six games we've had one bad result - the game against Palace, in which we only lost when we went down to 10 men. Anything can happen in a London derby, so although I agree yesterday was embarrassing, shameful etc, it's a blip rather than a bad result (in fact arguably it was only a bad half, we 'won' the second half.) Don't people always say the great teams win when playing badly?!

Arsenal on the other hand have had one good result out of six - yesterday. Beating Norwich and Burnley 1-0 are the absolute bare minimum any PL side should achieve, and the other three results have all been howlers.

Struggling to see how anyone can argue Arsenal are having a better season so far. 🤔
 

lejackal

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In fairness Gael Clichy was responsible for the next Wenger quote and he said it before the game
 

weasel

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A few minutes later he did a studs up stamp tackle on Lanzini, that left Lanzini injured and needing to be subbed.

Aye, ehhh WTF is he doing there and WHY does he feel the need/think the cameras won't pick it up?!
It was probably barely even a yellow, more a verbal warning, but it is totally brainless.
Been meaning to reply to the question will OGS keep his job if we don't win anything, I beleive top 4 is the minimum requirement from the owners. Look at Moyes, didn't get top 4, was sacked, LVG won the FA Cup but finished 5th, got sacked and Jose got sacked when it was looking impossible to get top 4. If Man Utd don't get top 4 this season then what a shambles that would be, looks to me like we will win 2, draw 1 and lose 1 pretty much all season. I would sack him now, he's clueless, completely! Why he persist's with McFred while benching Matic and Van De Beek I will never fathom. He even shoe horns Pogba onto the left wing to fit them in, leaving £75 million Sancho out as well to accommodate McFred what does he see in them?

We've lost 3 of our last 4 games, lost our last 2 home games without scoreing, it's embarassing how bad OGS is. When you look at who Chelsea, City and Liverpool have at the helm. Also look at Ronaldo today, probably the best number 9 in the world or one of them, but what's the point having him if you can't get the ball to him?! What did OGS do bring on another number 9, Cavani. Yeah perfect two number 9's will work!!!!! OGS didn't want a DCM this summer either, so the club spent £75 million on a winger that now can't get in the team becasue Ole picks two midfielders that wouldn't get in most Premier League teams.

I love OGS, he's a club legend, but he's killing us and has to be removed before another season has gone. Any other manager in charge would be under huge pressure by now, it's absolutely nowhere near good enough.

You'll make the top four, easily. There are four sides who are head and shoulders better than the others, we all know who, and UTd are one of them. The question is more 'where do Utd finish in the top 4?' Would 4th be acceptable? Does it matter if you come 4th (two places lower than last year) but get more points? Would it matter if 4th was followed up with, say, an FAC win/final and or a great run in the CL? Does it matter if you are 4th, or 3rd, but only a hanful of points (say, less than 6) off winning the title? Or is 2nd but being 20pts off the eventual winners better?

Some surprising results this weekend, Arsenals win sadly was not one of them. I knew we were going to lose the minute I saw Sanchez and Dier had been selected as centre backs. Granted Nuno didn't have much choice due to injuries etc, but Jesus how bad were the first three goals. It would honestly have been better if we were playing with nine men because then at least Kane and Hojberg, who are no joke two of our best defenders, would have been drafted in to help at the back. The first goal was literally a sideways pass to an unmarked man in the middle of the box, how does that even happen!?

Arsenal fans will obviously enjoy the win and comedy leapfrog in the table, but that was one of the worst performances I've ever seen Spurs play in the first half, luckily due to a long drive home I didn't have to endure the second half.

Big problems for Nuno, I said a few weeks ago none of the three wins were convincing, that now makes six consecutive average/poor performances and we're lucky to be mid table. He needs to stop playing Eric Dier, get Levy on the pitch, anyone would be an improvement.

I saw bits of the North London derby, between being attacked by a toddler and nagged at by a grumpy wife. The 3rd goal sort of summed up the first half for me, Arsenal score from a ricochet in the box that dropped perfectly for one of their players. Don't get me wrong, they were head and shoulders better than spuds in the first half, but it just fell so nicely for them. It was the kinda goal, had Spurs been 1 up and top of the league, the ball would have rolled through to Lloris.
Spurs do look to have a few issues, but we all knew that pre season. Their squad needs an overhaul, and has done for a few years. Nuno will need time to work out who he wants and who he doesn't. but performances like that will not help.

As for Arteta, give it 6 weeks and he'll be the worst manager in the world again. It's how the media work. Someone HAS to be in "crisis". The bigger the club the more papers/clicks they get. So the crisis gets manufactured.
If City hump Pool this weekend Pool will be in crisis, "1 pt from 6" blah, blah, blah. Vice Versa if Pool win, tiz gubbins really.

On that note, not entirely sure WTF Pool were doing on Sat nite. I watched the game and called it from 10 mins in. It had the feel of "dropped points" right from the off. Some really poor defending, for all 3 goals, by Pool. Again, a ball bouncing about a box drops for Brentford, three times. They deserved something from the game, I don't deny that, I am more annoyed at Pool's pish defending. Poor TAA was getting gangbanged (I wonder will our swear word checking pick that up!?) at the back post all day long. Yet he didn't have the sense to call over help, nor did the CB/DCM/RM drop in to help him.
Not sure on Klopp's substitution at the end either. As soon as Pool went 3-2 up Jones came off and Firminio went on. I assume they changed to a 4-2-3-1 shape, with the idea of pinning Brentford in. But ehhh it didn't really work. Brentford for going direct and quickly so that was always a long shot. I would have preferred Milner on and a forward off. Firm things up in midfield and play out time. But I guess everything is obvious in hindsight.

That's both of Pool's dropped points being games I can't help but feel they would have found a way to win 2 yrs ago. This could well be a very tight title race, and silly results will come back to haunt teams in May.
 

theforceuk

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@weasel OGS won't get sacked unless Man Utd finish 5th or lower, doesn't matter about winning anything or progress from last year, or if we're playing boring Jose/LVG style football. The Glaziers have only ever sacked a manager for missing out on CL and that's all they care about. Infact I wouldn't be surprised if that's all they do to follow the club, check the league table once a month to see if were still in the top 4. The club is making so much money at the moment they've never had it so good.
 

weasel

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You are probably right. That hardly bodes well for the long term prospects for Utd though. Look what happened at Arsenal once CL qualification became the only goal.
 

theforceuk

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Thats it, we really only need another billionaire take over of Arsenal or Newcastle and all of a sudden Man Utd are pushed out of the top 4. It's going to happen at some point. For me nothing has changed with Man Utd since they took over, some of OGS comments recently.

April 2021 - 'Trophies are for managers with egos.'
After the West Ham defeat - 'It was a good game for the neatrals.'
Asked why he keeps picking Fred and McTominay? Answer - 'There good at breaking the play up, they have a lot of energy and I trust them.' That translates into I need 2 players to do 1 players job, they run around a lot and I don't trust Matic, Pogba or Van De Beek.

Also I noticed at half time in the league cup last week when we were 0-1 down to West Ham, OGS came out for the second half loughing and joking with the coaching staff.

Anyone wants to argue with me that OGS is the right man to take Man Utd to a league or CL title feel free to chip in, because he's been in charge for 3 years now and were no closser to winning either of those than we were before he took over. Fully respect him as a club legend, but only as a player.
 
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