The imaginatively titled Premier League 21/22 Thread

[weasel]

Pool's line up should be fun today. VVD, Fabinho, Curtis Jones, and Thiago all have Covid. Second time Thiago has had it. Henderson is sick. That leaves a midfield of Ox, Milner and …….where are my football boots!?

I dunno how many Spurs have or had out with COVID, but they'll not get many better chances to beat Pool.

 

[weasel]

I forgot about Keita, ooops.

Tyler Morton starts. Big game for him, but he has started in the CL and TAA's debut was away to Utd. If you're good enough, you're old enough.

 

[weasel]

Half an hour gone and it should be 3-1. Robbo should have scored as should Son and Ali. Harry Kane is a lucky boy, definitely seen those given as more than a yellow. One of those, that a yellow doesnt quite feel like enough punishment (albeit there was no intent) but a red is probably harsh. Seen them given though.

Spurs been the better side. Not sure Pool, going man for man with Spurs front 2 on the half way line is such a good idea.

 

[weasel]

How this is a draw I'll never know. Spurs should probably be out of sight. Saying that Pool had a few good chances too.
Far too open (both teams) for my liking.

 

[edd_jedi]

How this is a draw I'll never know. Spurs should probably be out of sight. Saying that Pool had a few good chances too.
Far too open (both teams) for my liking.

Yes, I wasn't expecting to feel hard done by after this match! Spurs had plenty of decent chances, a couple of good penalty shouts for both teams, and I'm not sure why Liverpool's second goal wasn't disallowed when the ball clearly hit Salah's hand a few seconds before it went in the net. But I'll take a draw against Pool and day!

 

[weasel]

Yeah, a few talking points.

Pool's pen was one of them, I have seen them given and seen them not, prob a 50:50 call. The Deli Ali one was never a pen for me (or the Liverpool supporting Gnev) not enough contact.
Robbo's tackle was ****ing daft. WHY WHY WHY he is 70 yards from your goal and there is no danger. Don't do that!!!!
Saying that, and I freely admit I am not neutral, how his was upgraded by VAR and yet Kane's wasn't I will never know. I'm not saying Robbo's wasnt a red, just that it was a less bad tackle than Kane's. Kane could have broken a leg. Robbo's was just a petulant follow through. Robbo's was still red worthy, but not a 'cert' red IMO. But how VAR, having okayed Kane's yellow, looks at Robbo's and deems it worse…. It's the lack of consistency that pisses me off.

Having watched that game, and then looked at the match stats (pre the last 10 mins so they may have changed) I'm wondering did I watch the same game? Pool had more possession, shots, shots on target and touches in Spurs box!? Spurs had the better chances from what I saw. I guess it's one of those games where the stats don't tell the whole picture.

As for Salah's handball on the second. Hands up, I have no ****ing idea what way they interpret hand ball now. It does hit his hand, but it's head onto hand. Does that stop the defender getting it or benefit Liverpool by redirecting it? I haven't seen it enough to be able to say. Do either of those matter as far as the new interpretation goes? Is it "second phase"? Not a clue.

Neutrals, thoughts on Robbo and Kane's tackles? Am I biased or is the latter worse!?

Good weekend for City!

 

[weasel]

On another note, Pool and Chelsea have just played with 4/5 first team players missing with COVID, Chelsea even asked for a postponement and where told to **** off. Genuinely, I have no issue with clubs being forced to play if they have 14+ fit players. But you can be dammed sure some of the games called off in the last week where for less than 4/5 first teamers out.

Why haven't the FA/PL come out and said "these are the rules"?
I'm all for sides being forced to play, weakened/much changed sides do often make for a better spectacle, BUT it must be consistently applied across all teams/games.

Watch the PL agree to postponements if 3 players test positive tomorrow. AFTER Pool and Chelsea have done the decent thing and played with weakened sides.

They should either postpone all games or force sides to play, but it's the PL….

 

[weasel]

Looks like I'm not alone in being bemused how Kane's a yellow and later in the same game Robbo gets a red. Those die hard Liverpool fans, Chris Sutton, Oliver Holt, Henry Winter and Mark Goldbridge all agree.

Why do we have VAR again!?

 

[edd_jedi]

Yep I agree Kane was lucky to stay on the pitch, it was 1.5 yellow cards IMO, a red would have been harsh (especially after only 15 minutes and such a positive start) but I can see why Klopp was pissed. I missed the Liverpool red (and Son's goal) due to 2 year old having a meltdown

 

[theforceuk]

What a game! I'm a bit tanked up so may be a bit one sided. No joking, Kane straight red no doubts, full body weight behind the tackle uncontrolled force could have broke a leg. Liverpools was at least a yellow card he was on a yellow so certainly a red card. Not sure how Liverpools second goal stood. More fouls than a Vinnie Jones best tackles DVD. Deli Ali should have had a pen but probably need to see it again.

The PL need to come out with some criteria that constitutes a game being postponed. It's a bit odd to me, City, Liverpool on a role so they keep playing. Man Utd and Spurs have new coaches in and they can't pay. Obviously I'm not saying it's as clean cut as that!, but I can't help thinking Somethings off. At least we got a very entertaining game of football, so fair play to both teams.

 

[lejackal]

After checking VAR they confirmed Kane is the England Captain so no further action was allowed

 

[weasel]

What a game! I'm a bit tanked up so may be a bit one sided. No joking, Kane straight red no doubts, full body weight behind the tackle uncontrolled force could have broke a leg. Liverpools was at least a yellow card he was on a yellow so certainly a red card. Not sure how Liverpools second goal stood. More fouls than a Vinnie Jones best tackles DVD. Deli Ali should have had a pen but probably need to see it again.

The PL need to come out with some criteria that constitutes a game being postponed. It's a bit odd to me, City, Liverpool on a role so they keep playing. Man Utd and Spurs have new coaches in and they can't pay. Obviously I'm not saying it's as clean cut as that!, but I can't help thinking Somethings off. At least we got a very entertaining game of football, so fair play to both teams.

Robbo hadn't been booked pre that tackle. He was initially booked for it, the VAR said look at the monitor and it was upgraded to a straight red. Having seen it again and now the heat of the moment has passed, it's more a red than not. It's SOOOOOO stupid as well. That's the worst part.
Kane's is still worse. Much worse.
If you thought the Deli Alli one was a pen, then the Jota one must be stonewall In your eye. Alli is barely touched and goes down, Jota is barged over. It is, literally, a shoulder in the back. I'm a Pool fan and I don't think Jota's was more than 50:50, and it's the more clear cut of the two.

As for Pool's second, I still have no idea what way the refs interpret handball so I can't say.

After checking VAR they confirmed Kane is the England Captain so no further action was allowed

I actually said that at the time. If he wasn't England captain, he was gone. Not the first, second, or third time, the England Captain (Kane and his predecessors) have got away with a shocking tackle.

 

[weasel]

And I meant to say, another absolzute shocker for VAR in the City game. City defender clears the ball and Ederson comes sliding in and cleans the Newcastle forward, it was what's his name the ex Bournemouth winger. He takes him clean out. VAR looks at it and says "the ball has been cleared, no pen." ANYWHERE else on the pitch and the ref gives that as a free 100% of the time. It's horrendously blatant.

Add that to James Madison's dive, also against Newcastsle last week, that VAR didn't spot SOMEHOW, and VAR is having a stinker ATM. And Newcastle are being shafted by it. Albeit it wouldn't have affected the result against City but it was the opening goal against Leicester.

We seem to be sliding back to last season's utterly useless version of VAR. Hopefully it's just a few poor decisions, but either way they REALLY REALLY need to sort it out. If you look at a dozen replays and can't see Madison dive, the clue is the complete lack of contact, there is 2 feet between the players, or see Ederson clean yer man…..then you should be nowhere near a PL game. I hate the old boys network, but there is something to be said for having an ex pro work VAR. Or sit along side a ref and splat sense into him. At least they know what should and shouldn't be given and don't go off on some obscure interpretation of a rule no one knows just so they can look big/ruin a game. Or talk about 'second phase of play'

 

[theforceuk]

Yeah your probably right @weasel as I said before I've had a couple drinks. If Robertson was a red then Kane is a red. ???

Spurs struggled to cope with Liverpools high press, not sure where conte thinks he's going with spurs if they can't compete with that.

 

[weasel]

Spurs thrown out of the Europa fizzy cup for "forfeiting" their game against Rennes, In UEFA's eyes. It was always gonna happen. On the one hand it's one less game for Spurs to have to fit in, but it was also their best chance of winning something. Okay, it's the shittiest of **** trophies but, without meaning to antagonise Spurs fans, they haven't exactly won much in the last few years.

 

[Cazza]

So many awful decisions recently. How was Coufal a red and a pen vs Arsenal? Then pretty much the same thing happened for Liverpool vs Newcastle and it was simply 'play on'. Injured opposition players on the floor playing Jota onside, so he could score. If that's down the other end, no way in a million years that gets allowed. All the big teams seemed to win a load of penalties last week, yet the same sort of incidents down the other end all went unpunished. It's really clouding the game at the mo- never a level playing field. It's clear who the Premier League would like to keep in their top 6. Who was it who said 'The Premier League needs a successful Man Utd' a few years back? Sums the situation up really well. Haven't seen the Kane one, but he generally gets away with everything. Xhaka should've gone for Arsenal against Leeds, but don't think he even got a yellow for his deliberate stamp. Laughing and joking about it as well.

Total farce with the COVID cancellations as well. The footballing authorities need to get a grip very quickly. There need to be strict rules on numbers etc. I reckon if you can field a team with 4-5 subs (inc a goalie), you should have to play. Surely that's what a squad is for?

 

[theforceuk]

Completely agree with all above, the Kane tackle could have easily ended with a broken leg, shocking really.

 

[weasel]

I forgot to mention the coufal one at the time. Utter shocker, that was NEVER a red. The pen was harsh, the red was an utter kick in the nuts.

I agree on Xhaka's stamp, I've just seen it. WTF is VAR doing if it doesn't pick up on that and tell the ref to send him off? I can see how the ref missed it, but VAR has no excuse.

As for the Pool/Jota one with a man down, I half agree. Not the attacking side's job to out the ball out, but good sportsmanship would dictate you do more often than not. But then he was 'injured' by his own player…..
Eddie Howe gurning about how it was a head injury and he was dazed for 3-4 minutes afterwards. Eeehhh Eddie, YOU LEFT HIM ON THE PITCH! If he was dazed and confused and you were that worried, why the **** did you leave him on, and why did he play the full 90mins? The PL has concussion protocols now so it's not even as if you would have lost a substitution. Head injuries, when concussed/agreed by another doc, allow a bonus free sub.
The fact yer man got up and was running about quite freely 5 seconds after the ball goes in the net tell you how badly injured he was.

Looks like PL sides have ageed 13 fit players plus a keeper means a game gets played. This could be fun.
Cue the title, CL or relegation being decided by a game played some side's under 11's and a handful of first teamers getting thumped when they fulfilled a game.

 

[edd_jedi]

Funny that today's Spurs result against Palace was a carbon copy of the away game earlier this season, 3-0 due to an early red card.

 

[weasel]

Poor Wilfred Zaha. He has sooo hard done by. The first was never a foul and the second was barely a wrestling throw to the ground at all. Maybe a yellow on a bad day, but definitely not worth a second yellow. I mean, if either of those tackles were done on him, he would barely have reacted. He definitely wouldn't still be rolling around the ground squealing like a little girl.

The first was a foul, a soft one, and an arguable yellow. But given his history of diving and play acting I have no sympathy for him, as you might have noticed. The second was a yellow card all day long and utter madness given he had already been booked. The thing is, neither tackle needed to be made, both were pointless fouls. What the feck he was thinking I'll never know.