Football 16-17

[pink_triangle]

1 minute ago, Hugh Jass said:

We've been doing the former rather than the latter recently. Today was a grind though. The conditions were not conducive to good football.

Try watching your team play in Solihull Moors stadium if you want to see atrocious conditions! It was chilly in the Midlands today!

[Hugh Jass]

2 minutes ago, pink_triangle said:

That's why I don't understand fans talking about the financial implications of relegation because if a club can't take advantage of the financial advantage from being in the league followed by parachute payments, I have little sympathy.

Having witnessed my club being relegated 3 times, I can say it sucks. However the financial implications were far from mind.

It's the teams who are complacent enough to think it won't happen to them who suffer. Who massively overspend, who don't include relegation clauses in player contracts (wonder if they were in those new Leicester contracts this season?)

The reality these days is that apart from the big 6 no team is 100% secure in the PL anymore.We're all capable of going on the sort of run that leads to relegation. Just look at Leicester, Champions to bottom three in less than 30 games.

[Hugh Jass]

3 minutes ago, pink_triangle said:

Try watching your team play in Solihull Moors stadium if you want to see atrocious conditions! It was chilly in the Midlands today!

That's not at all far from where I was born. Almost back at my home in London after an afternoon at the Hawthorns. The weather up there has been awful.

[The Nal]

Zlatan. What a hero.

Southampton very unlucky. Better team for most of the game. 

[DareToDibble]

Anyone fancy a bet that'll pay quite well.. put some money on Leicester tonight.

Henderson out injured and we miss him when he isn't there. That and the fact we love dropping points to relegation fighters. Think I saw them at 6/1 on Sky Bet.

Not read some of the conversation over the last few pages but I think the way Ranieri is shocking. He gave them their best season in history.. he deserved the chance to see the season out and try to turn things around.

I have heard that Mancini is in the running? That would be some appointment but I can't see him having long enough to turn it around and I don't see him doing a Rafa and staying down in The Championship.

[The Nal]

Would a Mancini or a Hiddink take on a team in the relegation zone who haven't scored a goal this year yet? They'd need to throw serious cash at them. And obviously a clause past relegation.

Tough and important games now too. Still have to play Liverpool, Arsenal, Spurs and City. And a few relegation rivals - Hull, Sunderland, Palace. 7 out of the remaining 13 right there.

Interesting to see what impact tonights performance will have on Shakespeare keeping the job.  

Interesting times at LFC too. Leicester, Arsenal, Burnley, City and Everton their next 5. They'll surely improve now thats its back to 1 game a week. 

[eFestivals]

1 minute ago, The Nal said:

Interesting times at LFC too. Leicester, Arsenal, Burnley, City and Everton their next 5. They'll surely improve now thats its back to 1 game a week. 

that'll be a lose, a win, a lose, a win and a win - if they stick to their normal.

 

[mjsell]

41 minutes ago, The Nal said:

Interesting times at LFC too. Leicester, Arsenal, Burnley, City and Everton their next 5. They'll surely improve now thats its back to 1 game a week. 

 

39 minutes ago, eFestivals said:

that'll be a lose, a win, a lose, a win and a win - if they stick to their normal.

 

Depends on if they are playing Burnley at home or away. If Burnley are at home then Liverpool don't have a chance. 

[eFestivals]

6 minutes ago, mjsell said:

 

Depends on if they are playing Burnley at home or away. If Burnley are at home then Liverpool don't have a chance. 

the Burnley is at Anfield. I only know that cos I remember they got beat at Burnley 2nd match of the season.

[mjsell]

2 minutes ago, eFestivals said:

the Burnley is at Anfield. I only know that cos I remember they got beat at Burnley 2nd match of the season.

Ah Liverpool will win then. Burnely have only picked up 2 points away from home (Worst in the league) - But incredibly have picked up 29 at home (joint 3rd - 4th on GD) Has there ever been a team with a bigger difference between the two?

[pink_triangle]

I'm far from convinced Mancini would take the Leicester job.

[zahidf]

Ive got  a tenner at 16-1 for shakespeare to get the leciester job full time. here is hopin

[The Nal]

8 minutes ago, zahidf said:

Ive got  a tenner at 16-1 for shakespeare to get the leciester job full time. here is hopin

Money down the drain if they get stuffed tonight! He could end up looking more Falstaff than The Bard. 

Edited February 27, 2017 by The Nal

[JSmurphy]

That Craig Shakespeare talks a great talk doesn't he? Can't hurt his chances of getting the job full time.

[Hugh Jass]

Would Leicester be playing like this if Ranieri was still in charge?

[zahidf]

4 hours ago, The Nal said:

Money down the drain if they get stuffed tonight! He could end up looking more Falstaff than The Bard. 

 

You were saying?

He is 7/4 and odds favourite for the permanent job now...

 

[DavisO89]

Footballs a funny ol' game..

[eFestivals]

10 hours ago, Hugh Jass said:

Would Leicester be playing like this if Ranieri was still in charge?

they'd defo had their weetabix.

But their style is about perfect to whip Liverpool anyway. A team that sits back - which Liverpool always find difficult to break down - while also being quick and effective on the break (which most of the lowly teams are not).

And what I discovered last night is that when Hendo isn't playing, Milner needs to play in the middle. The last 15 minutes when he moved into the centre were like a different game, where effective balls were played forwards.

Not enough sidewards running by the Liverpool front line, too. That's something they need to discover to help break down those sit-back teams.

PS: four nice goals too, with the Drinkwater and Coutinho ones both rather lovely.

Edited February 28, 2017 by eFestivals

[The Nal]

Loving Liverpools continuing demise. 3 nil down away from home? Time to unleash Moreno and a 17 year old Ben Woodburn.  

Their squad is so shit. They play shit football too. Arsenal on Saturday. 

Leicester will have no problem if they play 4-5 games like last night. 

[mjsell]

Other than the liverpool goal, Emre Can was dump. And playing Lucas at centre back against Vardy was a recipe for disaster if you are playing so far up the pitch - would have actually been better putting someone like Moreno there, or Clyne as he offers nothing going forward anyway. 

But it there was any question about the Leicester players wanting Ranieri out then they were all answered last night.

[eFestivals]

14 minutes ago, The Nal said:

Loving Liverpools continuing demise. 3 nil down away from home? Time to unleash Moreno and a 17 year old Ben Woodburn.  

Still above Utd and still beating the teams at the top - which Utd can't do.

That beating the teams at the top is what is going to ensure them finishing in the top four, as long as they keep it up.

Meanwhile, Moreno and Woodburn on the pitch turned the team - tho more to do with Milner dominating the midfield and knowing how to play a pass. Milner needs to be played in the middle when Hendo is out.

 

Quote

Their squad is so shit. They play shit football too. Arsenal on Saturday. 

so shit they're above Utd, and mostly playing with a style that Utd can't muster after spending the GDP of a small country.

 

Quote

Leicester will have no problem if they play 4-5 games like last night. 

I'm not sure they will. A lot of their success last night is simply because their style is the perfect counter to what Liverpool try to do (as I said earlier).

They put a shift in, tho I reckon it would have been a completely different game if Liverpool had scored first (not that they looked like scoring first).

Edited February 28, 2017 by eFestivals

[pink_triangle]

6 hours ago, eFestivals said:

Still above Utd and still beating the teams at the top - which Utd can't do.

That beating the teams at the top is what is going to ensure them finishing in the top four, as long as they keep it up

Surely by the nature of the league there are more matches against non top sides than top sides?

[eFestivals]

10 minutes ago, pink_triangle said:

Surely by the nature of the league there are more matches against non top sides than top sides?

yep, but while they drop points against lower teams, they still don't drop too many points. They've been on a bad run for the last 3 months, yet they're still 5th - so actually, it's not been that bad really.

It's injuries that'll screw them I reckon, if they're going to be screwed. That squad is paper thin apart from the non-firing front line.

While they got well spanked last night - Leicester were very worthy winners - it was at least useful for remembering what Milner can add to the team if he's played in the middle. I get there's no place for him there when Henderson is fit, but without Henderson they lose their penetration, and Milner brought some of that back in the last 15 minutes when he was moved into the centre. I reckon even Lucas can do a better job there than Can manages.

Can frustrates the shit out of me, cos he's shown plenty of times he can be a great player - for that goal last night, for example - but mostly he's too hesitant or too sideways, and doesn't give the team the drive and rhythm they need.

[pink_triangle]

Liverpool, Arsenal and Man Utd all have similar point totals which suggests to me all 3 have been pretty similar all the season. To me it's fairly simple that the one of those 3 who accumulates the most points between now and the end will probably finish in the top 4. I personally can't see Liverpool winning that 3 way league.

[eFestivals]

15 minutes ago, pink_triangle said:

Liverpool, Arsenal and Man Utd all have similar point totals which suggests to me all 3 have been pretty similar all the season. 

I don't really disagree.

Some of what i've written has been written in that way cos it's back at Nal, who's been posting for the last 3 months how shit Liverpool are when they're outperforming his own massively-spending team.

As long as Liverpool aren't on a terminal slide - they might be, tho i don't think so - then I reckon it's going to be beating the teams around them which sees them in the top 4 at the end of the season and other teams miss out as a result. I reckon that part of their form is what is going to make the difference.

Edited February 28, 2017 by eFestivals