Football 16-17

[The Nal]

 

7 minutes ago, mjsell said:

I do still genuinely believe Liverpool can win the league. Games like yesterday are going to happen but their potentially destructive play in the big games means they are a real threat.

 

6 minutes ago, mjsell said:

Speaking of Phil Jones, he's return has sort of gone under the radar recently - I think he has been brilliant.

Agree on both counts. 

I think Liverpool have only lost 1 in 15? Press saying yesterday was a "humiliation" for them.   

[TheGayTent]

15 minutes ago, mjsell said:

The age old question at every level. Would you rather play more enjoyable football and underacheive or boring football and overachieve. 

I've always thought the question a shit one. Plenty have teams have proved it's possible to win playing good football and lose playing shit football. 

[Hugh Jass]

I don't buy this "needs another window" line at all. Whatever managed to working with and improving what you have?

Mourinho took over a team that already contained de Gea, Shaw, Herrera, Marital, Mata, Rashford, even Rooney. Spent £160m in fees plus Zlatan's wages and there has been absolutely no improvement on the much maligned van Gaal.

By any measure his time so far has been a failure.

[Hugh Jass]

4 minutes ago, TheGayTent said:

I've always thought the question a shit one. Plenty have teams have proved it's possible to win playing good football and lose playing shit football.

What even is "good football" anymore? It's totally subjective, Leicester proved you can win the league despite having 30-40% possession. They weren't big on pretty possession football, but it was certainly exhillerating watching them when they broke forward.

[TheGayTent]

6 minutes ago, Hugh Jass said:

What even is "good football" anymore? It's totally subjective, Leicester proved you can win the league despite having 30-40% possession. They weren't big on pretty possession football, but it was certainly exhillerating watching them when they broke forward.

Quite. I don't think possession football is always good to watch. Arsenal and Barcelona have often bored me in recent seasons. 

Possession football at pace is a different matter entirely, and both of those clubs have achieved that too and been very exciting to watch. 

[eFestivals]

18 minutes ago, The Nal said:

I think Liverpool have only lost 1 in 15? Press saying yesterday was a "humiliation" for them.   

It wasn't a humiliation. They weren't shit and they weren't outplayed or outclassed by Bournemouth.

Without wanting to diminish the result for Bournemouth, it was just one of those games in the main. There's some of Liverpool's defensive frailties in there too, and some of them switching off before the game is won, but mostly it was a bit of a freak result (but fair play to B'mouth, i'm chuffed for them, that's a great result for team spirit, etc).

I've been expecting a result like that for Liverpool about now (it's them last season), and if they're going to win the league this year it's the kick up the arse they need to take on board. I think, for their season, losing like that yesterday is a better thing for them than if S'land last week had somehow shaded a 0-1 against them.

 

[zahidf]

48 minutes ago, The Nal said:

He played shite football, spent £250m and finished 5th. In a poor league.

And he had Phil Jones taking the corners at one stage.

At this point last season, he also had 7 points than Utd do now and was third!

Jose isnt exactly measuring up that well

[zahidf]

14 minutes ago, eFestivals said:

It wasn't a humiliation. They weren't shit and they weren't outplayed or outclassed by Bournemouth.

Without wanting to diminish the result for Bournemouth, it was just one of those games in the main. There's some of Liverpool's defensive frailties in there too, and some of them switching off before the game is won, but mostly it was a bit of a freak result (but fair play to B'mouth, i'm chuffed for them, that's a great result for team spirit, etc).

I've been expecting a result like that for Liverpool about now (it's them last season), and if they're going to win the league this year it's the kick up the arse they need to take on board. I think, for their season, losing like that yesterday is a better thing for them than if S'land last week had somehow shaded a 0-1 against them.

 

Maybe, but losing a 2 goal lead twice is pretty terrible. 

I think they will learn going forward from it, but at the moment, they have shipped 14 goals in away matches this season. Worse than sunderland!

Edited December 5, 2016 by zahidf

[TheGayTent]

Tonight BBC2 19:10. One of the highlights of the football season. 

[thetime]

17 minutes ago, TheGayTent said:

Tonight BBC2 19:10. One of the highlights of the football season. 

Remember the days at school when everyone was hurrying around for a radio.

Used to be the competition to win.

Edited December 5, 2016 by thetime

[Wooderson]

If LFC take 9 points from the next three games we can say that yesterday was "one of them". Klopp taking the team to Barcelona for a mini break looks shrewd however. Get it out their heads etc. No panic.

[ThomThomDrum]

1 hour ago, thetime said:

Used to be the competition to win.

I do remember conversations about what thropy you would prefer to win and it always seemed the vast majority of the kids picked the FA cup. We used to play knockout competitions on the streets called "FA Cup" and there was a particular patch of grass we like to play on in a local park that we nick named Wembley.  It really did have a prestige about it all seemingly..........then along came the the FA Premier League..............

[eFestivals]

Just now, ThomThomDrum said:

I do remember conversations about what thropy you would prefer to win and it always seemed the vast majority of the kids picked the FA cup. We used to play knockout competitions on the streets called "FA Cup" and there was a particular patch of grass we like to play on in a local park that we nick named Wembley.  It really did have a prestige about it all seemingly..........then along came the the FA Premier League..............

when I was kid it was all about the cup, too.

Tho I wonder if that was really about getting a live game on TV, as the cup final was the only time it happened for club games. 

[Wooderson]

It's still a brilliant cup. I'd take winning it over poxy 4th.

[TheGayTent]

2 hours ago, Wooderson said:

It's still a brilliant cup. I'd take winning it over poxy 4th.

We do agree on some things occasionally 

[TheGayTent]

What a crap draw, and not just for us. Not much there to whet the appetite at all. 

[kaosmark2]

Yeah, really unexciting draw. Happy with pulling Birmingham from a "good opportunity to go through" standpoint but so little of interest in those ties.

[mjsell]

I really enjoyed Gerard's quip about being hopeful the good draw he got Liverpool would 'get him a job'. Plus his not so subtle admiration for Jurgen Klopp (although who can blame him) - Liverpool coaching role certainly on the cards me thinks. 

Edited December 5, 2016 by mjsell

[pink_triangle]

4 hours ago, Wooderson said:

It's still a brilliant cup. I'd take winning it over poxy 4th.

Watching wrexham beat arsenal was the highlight of my sporting life. The trouble is the gap between big and small has increased to the extent I have heard them talk about giantkilling when a good championship side beats a poor premiership side at home.

However while it's not as magical as it once was, there is still plenty of magic left.

[pink_triangle]

17 minutes ago, mjsell said:

I really enjoyed Gerard's quip about being hopeful the good draw he got Liverpool would 'get him a job'. Plus his not so subtle admiration for Jurgen Klopp (although who can blame him) - Liverpool coaching role certainly on the cards me thinks. 

If I was Liverpool I would keep Gerrard as far from the training pitch as possible. Firstly I think he would be a distraction and secondly I'm not convinced he has a good footballing brain. Of course Klopp has to give a diplomatic response if asked about him.

[eFestivals]

9 hours ago, pink_triangle said:

If I was Liverpool I would keep Gerrard as far from the training pitch as possible. Firstly I think he would be a distraction and secondly I'm not convinced he has a good footballing brain. Of course Klopp has to give a diplomatic response if asked about him.

reading comments of Liverpool fans a few weeks back when the news came out Gerrard was leaving LAG, I was amazed to see that just about all of them wanted Stevie kept well away from the club, regarding him as a jinx.

[Hugh Jass]

Preston - Arsenal will be the big televised tie. Then Bolton - Palace and West Ham - City.

Plus United - Reading because the BBC always shows United, regardless of who they draw.

Edited December 6, 2016 by Hugh Jass

[TheGayTent]

2 minutes ago, Hugh Jass said:

Preston - Arsenal will be the big televised tie. Then Bolton - Palace and West Ham - City.

Plus United - Reading because the BBC always shows United, regardless of who they draw.

What am I missing with Bolton v Palace?

[TheGayTent]

41 minutes ago, eFestivals said:

reading comments of Liverpool fans a few weeks back when the news came out Gerrard was leaving LAG, I was amazed to see that just about all of them wanted Stevie kept well away from the club, regarding him as a jinx.

Very good ex players don't automatically make good coaches. Especially ones who had little positional discipline? 

[Wooderson]

43 minutes ago, eFestivals said:

reading comments of Liverpool fans a few weeks back when the news came out Gerrard was leaving LAG, I was amazed to see that just about all of them wanted Stevie kept well away from the club, regarding him as a jinx.

Away from the pitch where his presence is most certainly a distraction. Coaching young players however? A no brainer. Get him onboard asap.