Premier League 2019/2020 Thread

[theforceuk]

Oh yes no doubt Fergie rode a crest of a wave and exploited it, he was also very fortunate to have a group of players come through at the same time that were all £25 million players in the early 00's. He wasn't fortunate to put them all in the team at once, that was a big gamble that paid off.

If you look at it up until Fergies retirement Utd's spending wasn't much more than Liverpool's in the PL era.

 

[weasel]

If you look at it up until Fergies retirement Utd's spending wasn't much more than Liverpool's in the PL era.

Probably true, due to the Neville, Beckham, Scholes, Butt and Giggs factors. Those six alone would have cost you feck knows how much. Pool were behind in needing to find players like that. Sure they had Fowler, Owen, McManaman and Redknapp but one ran down his contract and left on a Bosman, one was doing the same so we flogge him for a pittance, Redders was very injury prone and Robbie Fowler was one of those who seemed to peak in his early 20's rather than late 20's.

Plus Pool did some shockingly bad business as well. More than Utd, every club has a few bad buys but Pool seemed to specialise in over paying for players who under-delivered.

 

[theforceuk]

If you look at it up until Fergies retirement Utd's spending wasn't much more than Liverpool's in the PL era.

Probably true, due to the Neville, Beckham, Scholes, Butt and Giggs factors. Those six alone would have cost you feck knows how much. Pool were behind in needing to find players like that. Sure they had Fowler, Owen, McManaman and Redknapp but one ran down his contract and left on a Bosman, one was doing the same so we flogge him for a pittance, Redders was very injury prone and Robbie Fowler was one of those who seemed to peak in his early 20's rather than late 20's.

Plus Pool did some shockingly bad business as well. More than Utd, every club has a few bad buys but Pool seemed to specialise in over paying for players who under-delivered.

Specialised in over paying for players that under-delivered, who does that sound like now? :lol:

 

[lejackal]

Errr, most of the top flight :lol:

 

[weasel]

If you look at it up until Fergies retirement Utd's spending wasn't much more than Liverpool's in the PL era.

Probably true, due to the Neville, Beckham, Scholes, Butt and Giggs factors. Those six alone would have cost you feck knows how much. Pool were behind in needing to find players like that. Sure they had Fowler, Owen, McManaman and Redknapp but one ran down his contract and left on a Bosman, one was doing the same so we flogge him for a pittance, Redders was very injury prone and Robbie Fowler was one of those who seemed to peak in his early 20's rather than late 20's.

Plus Pool did some shockingly bad business as well. More than Utd, every club has a few bad buys but Pool seemed to specialise in over paying for players who under-delivered.

Specialised in over paying for players that under-delivered, who does that sound like now? :lol:

Yeap, see my earlier comment about football going in cycles.

 

[theforceuk]

Football's back soon then, going to be strange but fingers crossed we get some good games. Spurs away for Man Utd, I really hope the season gets finished on all fronts.

 

[weasel]

I watched a bit of the Bundesliga when it started back. Very weird. It's like a meaningless pre season friendly. Gonna be very strange to see two PL sides playing in front of an empty stadium.

The fight for the final CL spot, or spots if City lose their appeal, along with the relegation battle will be interesting. I THINK we know who the Champions are gonna be. Though it will be a very surreal and slightly anticlimactic way to win a PL title after all these years, no fans present = no atmosphere.

 

[theforceuk]

I watched a bit of the Bundesliga when it started back. Very weird. It's like a meaningless pre season friendly. Gonna be very strange to see two PL sides playing in front of an empty stadium.

The fight for the final CL spot, or spots if City lose their appeal, along with the relegation battle will be interesting. I THINK we know who the Champions are gonna be. Though it will be a very surreal and slightly anticlimactic way to win a PL title after all these years, no fans present = no atmosphere.

Yes will be strange, as for Liverpool winning the league I won't watch any news or turn anything of where the report starts with Liverpool, for a good week after they win it.


It is a shame for the fans though, I can't begrudge them having a right the celebrate. Main thing for Liverpool is they get it in the bag, so they can update their flags. :wink:

 

[edd_jedi]

Just over a week to go until the football resumes so one simple question to you all - as this has been a longer break than they normall get during the summer, things are going to change. Do you think your team will come back better or worse?

As a Spurs fan, I am optimistic that things will improve. They couldn't really have been much worse before the break. We had loads of injuries, I think everyone is fit again now. Whatever else was going on, you can't underestimate what a difference having Kane and Son fit makes to this team, having 10 midfielders on the pitch is no good to anyone. I also think Jose has now had time to learn from his first few games in charge, see what a challenge he has on his hands (DEFENCE!) and hopefully to have done somerthing about it. Park the bus, do whatever it takes not to concede so many goals. I don't think we'll make top four, but I would at least like to see an improvement on the **** show we were watching for the first half of the season.

 

[lejackal]

We steamrollered Charlton yesterday 6-0 so naturally we'll win the, er, nothing :lol:

To be fair I'm glad we did hammer them as even though they are looking likely to be in League 1 next year we rarely put teams to the sword so maybe there's a bit more of a killer instinct about the team now?

As you said edd_jedi it'll be interesting to see what effect the lay-off has on clubs, especially those who were missing key players.

 

[weasel]

Ehhh Pool had lost 1 game all season pre break so I suspect they will come back a bit rustier and probably not quite hit the heights of before. Although, I guess all sides will be rusty and not match sharp so there could be a few "surprise results". It's effectively a new start to the season so form goes out the window.

 

[theforceuk]

Utd will come back better, Pogba is fit! :?

No really it's so hard to tell, in the 60's their was a 3 month break from football as the UK was in a deep freeze. Man Utd were flying high and going to win the league. When football resumed, they couldn't win a game and lost the league.

If I had to put money on it I would say much the same at the top, but the bottom will be interesting.

 

[weasel]

Pool will win the league, that much is all but certain. Even if they lose all 9 games (and I don't see that happening) City probably won't win all 10 of their (see my comment about it being an effectively new season and form being out the window) so the title is sorted. City will come second for similar reasons.
3rd is probably Leicester's bar a massive collapse in form. That leaves 4th - 9th to be sorted. Any of the sides in there could nick a CL spot, especially with City possibly being banned so there being 2 CL spots. Even Palace in 11th have a remote shot at it. It would require 9 wins, or prob a min of 8, but it is possible, remotely.
Then the bottom 6 are fighting it out to stay up. Norwich looked gone, but given the unprecedented circumstances, if they can hit a patch of form who knows, they may save themselves. There is normally one team who implodes at the end of the season. That could even be one who looks safe ATM, but comes back from Covid having been on the pies for 10 weeks.

 

[edd_jedi]

This is exactly why I think it's going to be interesting. Leicester and Chelsea are only in third and fourth because of how diabolical Arsenal, Utd and Spurs have been. If one or two of those sides finds the form they've had over the last five years, it's wide open again. But I do think Spurs have made too much of a hash of the season so far to earn (or deserve) a PL spot.

At the bottom, I don't fancy Brighton's chances, there's a very somber mood there at the moment. I have always liked Norwich's spirit, they could do alright if they find a bit of it.

 

[edd_jedi]

IT'S BACK!!!!

Just thought I'd get that in before Spurs start playing again and I change my mind :lol:

 

[lejackal]

IT'S BACK!!!!

Just thought I'd get that in before Spurs start playing again and I change my mind :lol:

:lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[theforceuk]

Its back with a bang! 0-0. :lol:

 

[weasel]

Did you see the first game?

Villa keeper carries the ball over the line and goal line technology doesn't give it. VAR sees no need to look at it and then at half time the ref's watch thing vibrates and says "goal".

Not like the extra point Villa get as a result (yes, I know there was 45 mins to go still) will help their attempts to stay up/shaft Norwich, Bournemouth, Watford and WH. Nor will the 2pts Sheffield Utd miss out on affect their CL chances, or help Utd, Wolves etc.

What is the point in technology if it doesn't work? Apparently all the cameras were blocked by players etc, for the goal line tech. Ehhh what happened to the transistor thing that is supposed to be in the ball that gives its exact position so the computer can know exactly where it is? Should that not have given away it was over the line? If not, ehhh WTF is VAR for? It was BLATANTLY obvious that it was over the line.

Utter utter farce.

Decide for yourself, if you missed it.

https://twitter.com/Footy_Tipster/status/1273312455242940416

 

[lejackal]

Open eyes as well, never mind technology

 

[edd_jedi]

Yeah that was ridiculous, how can VAR not be allowed to intervene just because a watch doesn't buzz!