Premier League 2020/2021 Thread

[weasel]

Agreed, Salah missed two great chances and Darlow made a great save from Firmino and a couple of good saves in the goal mouth scramble. Those were the kind of games Pool won last year though. I guess, given the injuries, I shouldn't be too hard on them. It's just frustrating, I said to a mate after the Palace game, that sides that score bucket loads in one game tend to struggle to find the net in the next game. For Pool that has been two games now. Albeit two games were the opponents haven't exactly tried to attack too much.

On that note, if anyone is still of the opinion that the PL is the best league in the world, watch Liverpool WBA, Man U Wolves, and Toon Liverpool, and then come back to me.
Three utterly dreadful games, devoid of much in the way of entertainment (bar Utd's goal, if you're a Utd fan) and pretty low on skill. I dunno if it's just coincidence, the festive fixtures taking their toll, or the condensed season doing the same, but those three games were a woeful advertisement for the PL product.

 

[edd_jedi]

The big games are rarely the most entertaining, the last Manchester derby was pretty horrendous.

 

[weasel]

True. Pool Spurs wasn't a classic either. Though I blame Jose for that.

 

[edd_jedi]

This is interesting, City have 5 players isolating but this weekends game is still going ahead. So I guess that means games will only be postponed if the scale of the outbreak is unclear, apparently the rest of City have tested negative so they have to play. No surprises that Kyle Walker is one of them!

 

[weasel]

Yeah, it does make you wonder quite why the Everton game was postponed. Given you can get COVID test results in an hour, test City's player pre leaving for Goodison and then test them again when they arrive. Allow them to take more than 16 down there. Any who fail, obv can't play. Not like City have a small squad.
You would have thought the FA/PL would have sat down and worked out protocols for what happens in situations like this. Obviously not.

But then Fulham Burnley tomorrow is now off too. :roll:

 

[edd_jedi]

Pochettino to PSG confirmed! Glad to see him back in the game, and not in the PL :lol: Watch him win multiple trophies in his first season now :roll:

 

[Michael Sith]

Agreed, Salah missed two great chances and Darlow made a great save from Firmino and a couple of good saves in the goal mouth scramble. Those were the kind of games Pool won last year though. I guess, given the injuries, I shouldn't be too hard on them. It's just frustrating, I said to a mate after the Palace game, that sides that score bucket loads in one game tend to struggle to find the net in the next game. For Pool that has been two games now. Albeit two games were the opponents haven't exactly tried to attack too much.

On that note, if anyone is still of the opinion that the PL is the best league in the world, watch Liverpool WBA, Man U Wolves, and Toon Liverpool, and then come back to me.
Three utterly dreadful games, devoid of much in the way of entertainment (bar Utd's goal, if you're a Utd fan) and pretty low on skill. I dunno if it's just coincidence, the festive fixtures taking their toll, or the condensed season doing the same, but those three games were a woeful advertisement for the PL product.

I think we need to remember, PL footballers, managers, support staff are all human beings dealing with C19, dealing with condensed fixtures, dealing with no fans in the ground, it's going to be different, the money players are on doesn't change having to deal with the pandemic, we are in uncharted waters,the PL at least is a closer affair this season, OGS for me is doing a great job, 2 years in Top of the league at NY ( I know Liverpool are top on GD, but as a Utd fan I'll take that)
Bruno has been a pivotal signing for Utd, just hope he doesn't get injured.

Sooner we all get the vaccine the better and we can try and get some normality back.

 

[Michael Sith]

Yeah, it does make you wonder quite why the Everton game was postponed. Given you can get COVID test results in an hour, test City's player pre leaving for Goodison and then test them again when they arrive. Allow them to take more than 16 down there. Any who fail, obv can't play. Not like City have a small squad.
You would have thought the FA/PL would have sat down and worked out protocols for what happens in situations like this. Obviously not.

But then Fulham Burnley tomorrow is now off too. :roll:

Ha ha ...let Boris organise the protocols .... " that game can go ahead, oh hang on, no it can't, well maybe it can"

 

[theforceuk]

Pochettino to PSG confirmed! Glad to see him back in the game, and not in the PL :lol: Watch him win multiple trophies in his first season now :roll:

Yes his trophie jinx will surely end at PSG!

 

[weasel]

OGS for me is doing a great job, 2 years in Top of the league at NY ( I know Liverpool are top on GD, but as a Utd fan I'll take that)
Bruno has been a pivotal signing for Utd, just hope he doesn't get injured.

Cough, not top.....SECOND on GD cough cough.

Weirdly, I am hoping he gets injured ASAP. He single handed turns Utd from dross into a half decent side. I much prefer Utd as dross. :wink:

 

[edd_jedi]

While I think United are doing well and improving, I do think their league position flatters them a bit at the moment. I mean look at the form of the teams around them:

Nobody wins the title with that inconsistency so the real test for United will be when Liverpool, City, possibly Spurs and Leicester? Start churning out some results. OGS was a game away from the sack a month ago, it's funny how things can change so quickly :lol:

 

[weasel]

Luck is favouring Utd, slightly, at the minute too.
That Wolves game was one that neither side deserved to win. The penalty against Villa was soft, Pogba trips himself. Little things like that are dropping for Utd ATM. Every team gets patches like that in a season. The real test is can they dig results out when luck isn't quite with them.

I guess maybe the counter argument there is they have gone behind in so many games that they have had to grind out results in those games.

I guess time will tell.

I still think OGS is piss poor manager for a club of Utd's size. And they have real problems if Fernandes breaks.

Good to see Fat Sam getting another hiding here. His 6-4-0 tactics have no place in football. Hopefully the dinosaur goes down with WBA and we never see his fat smug face in the PL again.

 

[theforceuk]

All its going to take now to win the league is for a side to go on a couple of 8+ wins in a row, easier said than done I know, but its their for the taking. I fully expect City or Liuverpool to win the league, but Man Utd have made progress. At least were not talking about them struggling to get in the top 4. There form over the last 12 months has been as good as Liverpool's in the league.

Eric Bailey playing centre back has made a difference because he's got pace, when he gets injured and he will it will be back to the fridge and freezer paring and we start every game 1 or 2 goals down. If the board go out and buy another quick decent centre back this month then Utd will have some cover in that position and who knows! We might walk 4th spot for once! lol

 

[edd_jedi]

I see Brendan is getting a bit big for his boots again this morning, he's played one or two more games than the rest of the top 9 so could theoretically be 7th after those are played, and about to be sacked like Lampard :roll:

 

[weasel]

That's not like Brendan!

I bet you Leicester definitely don't choke when the pressure is on. Brendan is very good at making sure his teams don't do that.

 

[edd_jedi]

Not the result you wanted last night Weas but it's brilliant for the neutral, arguably the top 7 or even 9 are all in with a real chance as it stands! I hope it remains this open, I would still bite your arm off for Spurs to finish fourth but it's just nice to see a bit of drama at the end of the season, it's been a while.

 

[theforceuk]

Yeah 4 points seperating 1rst and 7th, any of the top 3 lose 2 games and they could find themselves 8th!

 

[edd_jedi]

**** 40 positive tests in the PL, how many days until it's paused again? Probably down to all those moron players partying over xmas and posting it on social media :roll:

 

[jayjedi]

Bloody Kyle Walker :lol:

 

[weasel]

Not the result you wanted last night Weas but it's brilliant for the neutral, arguably the top 7 or even 9 are all in with a real chance as it stands! I hope it remains this open, I would still bite your arm off for Spurs to finish fourth but it's just nice to see a bit of drama at the end of the season, it's been a while.

There was A LOT of swearing done during and after that game. Pool created the sum total of FA squared and got what they deserved.....nothing.
It was like "bad Arsenal" loads of possession but all 30 yards from goal and with 8 Saints players between them and the goal. Not saying Saints set up shop, far from it, Pool just had the cutting edge of a wooden spoon.
I have said a few times that teams who score a bucket load often struggle the next game as everyone subconsciously takes their foot off the gas, or they used up their luck in the previous game. That's three stinkers in a row for Pool, since Palace.

Fair play to Danny Ings, that was a great dig.
Some absolute shockers from Pool tho. TAA fast asleep for the goal and then I think I heard the commentator say he gave it away 38 times before he was subbed, a record in the PL this season. He was certainly miles below his usual level. Ox was no better, but he has the excuse of rustiness. Ditto Thiago. Not sure on Klopp's new "no CB" formation, but I see his logic.

He has a big call this weekend. Does he play a strong side hoping they will play themselves back into form, with the risk of someone injuring themselves? Or does he **** the FAC off, as normal, and play kids/Origi etc and risk the usual starters turning up to play Utd and picking up where they left off.
One thing is for certain, I'll not be watching it. Saints, Newcastle and WBA were all as much fun a root canal. Fulham and Mitylund where the same. Bar Wolves and Palace, Pool/their games have been dire in the last month.

I'm gonna call the Pool Utd game now. Utd will turn up and play on the break/be pinned in their own half. Pool will get 60+% possession and create **** all squared. Utd will get a couple of breaks, score one and get a ridiculously soft pen to win 2-1.
Pool couldn't pick a worse team to lose their home record to and it will, most likely, send Utd 6pts clear (despite the fact they are dung), so it's a cert to happen.
If Utd have any sense they will target whoever partners Fabinho at the back for Pool, is he will either be a kid or a CM playing out of position.


Ohh and I thought yer Brentford boy was a bit unlucky to be sent off. ONLY seen the red card, but it looked like he slipped as he went in to tackle him. It was a horrible tackle, but it looks like an accident to me. I can see why he was sent off, but he was a bit unlucky for me.