Football 2013-2014

[WS_Jack_III]

Thing is, the ref's view was blocked and given Remy was stupid enough to square up I'm not going to criticise the ref for sending him off, particularly as he sent off that little shit as well.

How long's Gouffran out for? And Cisse? I'd hope at least one might be back. Also hoping HBA will be fit, we had a really weak bench today.

We should have been out of sight at half time, and we were still the better team all through this half, but we haven't got it in the back of the net. At least we've put in a performance, but we need two attacking signings.

[pink_triangle]

I turned the Merseyside derby off at half time and watched Soton v Arsenal instead. A draw at Southampton isn't a terrible result, but you wonder if its a game you have to win if you want to take the title.

Also credit to the job Pulis has done at Palace, they seem to be winning the games they need to win. I thought this palace team were one of the weakest the premiership has seen in recent years, but I think they will finish the highest of the relegated teams.

[pink_triangle]

3rd bottom then?

[pink_triangle]

If they scrape safety, they won't be the highest of the relegated teams, they'll be the lowest of the teams that stay up.

[Bobs]

Sometimes teams have off days. Sadly we had ours at Anfield for the 15th season running,haha. The better team won, but did anyone suspect anything else when LUKAKU went off injured?

I didn't, didn't think Liverpool were great, but took their chances, we didn't have any chances!

[thetime]

Sometimes teams have off days. Sadly we had ours at Anfield for the 15th season running,haha. The better team won, but did anyone suspect anything else when LUKAKU went off injured?

I didn't, didn't think Liverpool were great, but took their chances, we didn't have any chances!

[strummer77]

Haha, that was excellent. Almost don't care what happens the rest of the season now it was so fun. Almost.

[strummer77]

What's happened with Lukaku? I know he's been off form recently but major blow for you lot if he is out for a while.

[eFestivals]

Gerrard/Henderson as the CM pairing in the derby.

Liverpool are boned.

Oh how wrong you were.

For a team that people have recently been picking apart the midfield, they didn't half tear up the team whose success in recent years has been driven by their solid midfield.

[eFestivals]

I turned the Merseyside derby off at half time and watched Soton v Arsenal instead. A draw at Southampton isn't a terrible result, but you wonder if its a game you have to win if you want to take the title.

Soton have taken points off most of the teams around the top.

While it obviously would have been better for Arsenal to not drop those points, by itself it's not much of a concern. All of the teams at the top will drop at least 8 points (more likely 10+) between now (including last night's games) and the end of the season.

[eFestivals]

Man Utd won a game!!!!!!!!

At 40 points, they are now safe from relegation

Yeah, they should be congratulated for their slim win at home against the league's weakest side.

They've clearly started their run of great form, enough to get them into the top 4.

[zahidf]

Yeah, they should be congratulated for their slim win at home against the league's weakest side.They've clearly started their run of great form, enough to get them into the top 4.

[pink_triangle]

Soton have taken points off most of the teams around the top.

While it obviously would have been better for Arsenal to not drop those points, by itself it's not much of a concern. All of the teams at the top will drop at least 8 points (more likely 10+) between now (including last night's games) and the end of the season.

[eFestivals]

Agreed, but they are now stuck in a position where they arent going to get Europa league arent going to get relegated, so in a way they are not a bad team to play away. Thats not to say a draw away there is a bad result, but with Man City looking strong (watch them mess up at spurs after me saying that) ok results may not be good enough.

yeah, it's not good for Arsenal on the basis that City might well drop fewer points. They seem to be growing in strength all the time.

But Soton have taken points so far off of all of the following higher teams...

Arsenal

City

Newc

Utd

L'pool

Chelsea are the only team so far to get the better of them twice.

(They've still to play both of Everton and Spurs for the 2nd time, so those might get max points off them from both games too.)

In light of the above a draw for Arsenal at Soton really isn't a bad result, but if Arsenal want the league they can't afford many more games like that.

[pink_triangle]

.

They've clearly started their run of great form, enough to get them into the top 4.

[eFestivals]

Isnt 18 out of a possible 24 points pretty decent form already?

Nope, not as far as making top 4 goes. They need to be around twice as good as that.

Before last night there were 48 points to play for, and form of that level means they'd get 36 points from those 16 games. It's not enough for them to make top 4 by their own efforts, it would require the teams above them to implode.

(to give some perspective, L'pool are likely to get 32 points as a conservative minimum from those 16 games [including last night]. 36 points for L'pool is not an unlikely scenario after last night's win).

Edited January 29, 2014 by eFestivals

[eFestivals]

And don't forget, Utd are going to need an extra point to finish above L'pool, cos there's not a chance in hell that Utd will have a similar goal difference.

[pink_triangle]

Nope, not as far as making top 4 goes. They need to be around twice as good as that.

[eFestivals]

You cant get 36 points out of a total 24!

lol .... but you can get 36 points from a total of 48 (48 is the total points available for any team prior to last night).

If Utd got 36 points from that possible 48 it's very unlikely that they'd make top 4 as things stand now. They'd only succeed at getting top 4 with those 36 points if all of the teams above them imploded with their form.

The "18 out of a possible 24 points" you mention is a form level that would get them 36 points. It's not likely to be good enough form.

Edited January 29, 2014 by eFestivals

[strummer77]

How did they play last night? With Rooney, RVP and Mata United should make a decent fist of it really. That's arguably a better team than what won the league!

[The Nal]

How did they play last night? With Rooney, RVP and Mata United should make a decent fist of it really. That's arguably a better team than what won the league!

[eFestivals]

How did they play last night? With Rooney, RVP and Mata United should make a decent fist of it really. That's arguably a better team than what won the league!

I saw the first ten minutes via the NBC stream I was watching for the L'pool match, and while they scored a goal in that time and Mata was being hailed for setting it up (with a mis-placed pass, it must be said ) there really wasn't anything more to them in that ten minutes than they'd been so far this season.

And that was despite the place going absolutely mental after that goal went in. If the "12th man" were to mean much at OT these days then on the basis of that volume against the league's worst team it should have been 5-0 at least.

Utd have clocked up a draw over 210 minutes with 2nd-from-bottom Sunderland, followed by a 2-0 home win against the very-bottom team.

It's hardly hailing a bright future, is it?

Edited January 29, 2014 by eFestivals

[DomDom1984]

I don't think they'll "pip" United. United still have major problems in that team and will drop nearly as many points as they have done. Liverpool will be in front of them with ease, whether that be 4th or wherever.

[eFestivals]

United still have major problems in that team and will drop nearly as many points as they have done.

This ^^^

I can't see it changing without further players coming in.

[LondonTom]

Soton have taken points off most of the teams around the top.

While it obviously would have been better for Arsenal to not drop those points, by itself it's not much of a concern. All of the teams at the top will drop at least 8 points (more likely 10+) between now (including last night's games) and the end of the season.