Football 2020/2021

[eastynh]

1 hour ago, eFestivals said:

why would I bet against what I think will happen?  

I can't find the post now, but I'm pretty sure I predicted City winning the league (with Liverpool 3rd, I think it was).

I've said many times that I don't think Liverpool will be able to keep up that pace for another season.

I don't think it will be a 90+ points tally to win the lague this seasoon, I reckon more like 85.

Defence is key this year and not letting your competitors get away. Think there will ne more draws between the top 6 this year. Both City and Liverpool seemed to settle for the draw with 15 minutes to go.

There will be no blowing the league awaythis year. Consistency and defence will be the key facets. Mot losing to your rivals will be so important this year.

[Comfy Bean]

30 minutes ago, eastynh said:

Both City and Liverpool seemed to settle for the draw with 15 minutes to go.

 

Yeah.....I wondered about that at the time mate. Maybe something that will happen more with no fans in ?

Thought a few games I’ve watched have seemed slower with less urgency to get the ball forward. Suppose that’s likely when you don’t have a stadium full of fans screaming at you to get it forward. 

Think I’m starting to struggle a bit with the lack of atmosphere. The last European week I didn’t watch a game over the Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday which is unheard of.

 

[Comfy Bean]

22 hours ago, pink_triangle said:

Hope you do better against England in the Euros than Wales managed!

Doubt it mate but Clarke has a system that the players understand. Huge pressure off just qualifying again at last. Other 2 games at Hampden so you never know.

I see Wembley is Friday at 8pm so something for everyone to look forward to and being the 2nd game means both teams will need a result.

Think Scotland get 10,000 so I’ll have a chance of a ticket if we get the Covid “sorted” to some extent.

Got sent a few videos of the players karaoke on Thursday night. Looked like quite the party. Seeing Robertson and Christie crying in their after match interviews showed what football can still mean. Great scenes.

[eastynh]

19 minutes ago, Comfy Bean said:

Yeah.....I wondered about that at the time mate. Maybe something that will happen more with no fans in ?

Thought a few games I’ve watched have seemed slower with less urgency to get the ball forward. Suppose that’s likely when you don’t have a stadium full of fans screaming at you to get it forward. 

Think I’m starting to struggle a bit with the lack of atmosphere. The last European week I didn’t watch a game over the Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday which is unheard of.

 

The lack of crowds does not bother me, I am a City fan remember 😉🤣

[thetime]

3 hours ago, eastynh said:

The lack of crowds does not bother me, I am a City fan remember 😉🤣

As you are season ticket holder, how is it working? Have you not paid for one? Or they just refunding games when they happen? 

[eastynh]

56 minutes ago, thetime said:

As you are season ticket holder, how is it working? Have you not paid for one? Or they just refunding games when they happen? 

No, not a season ticket holder. I do 4 on/4 off at work so it is pointless as I would miss half the matches. I just go home or away if I am off work. If its a big match or a good away tip, I will book the time off. I get to between 20-30 matches a season.

My brother in law and nephew are season ticket holders. He got reimbursed about £250 for last season and they have not started taking payments for this season at all yet.

[kingbadger]

Stop the football now. Call it off for the season and finish it on PPG. Col U are in the playoffs. 

[JSmurphy]

 

 

[CRW5252]

On 11/14/2020 at 10:24 AM, eastynh said:

I don't think it will be a 90+ points tally to win the lague this seasoon, I reckon more like 85.

Defence is key this year and not letting your competitors get away. Think there will ne more draws between the top 6 this year. Both City and Liverpool seemed to settle for the draw with 15 minutes to go.

There will be no blowing the league awaythis year. Consistency and defence will be the key facets. Mot losing to your rivals will be so important this year.

Has consistency and defence ever not been extremely important to win the league?

[eastynh]

12 hours ago, CRW5252 said:

Has consistency and defence ever not been extremely important to win the league?

Some teams blast their way to the title. It did not matter if they conceded 2 goals at home to stoke as they had scored 7 in reply. It did not matter that they lost a 2 goal half time lead to United, and ultimately lost 3-2.

I don't think instances like that will be acceptable this season. I know there has been a few freak results so far this season, but once injuries and fatigue set in, it is going to turn into a grind. Imo it will be a case of consistently beating the lower teams, there can be no slip up. Then do not allow the top teams to get away from you. Things seem to be a lot closer this year. I really can't see Liverpool or City running away with it. There can be no silly mistakes at the back and a 1-0 win this year is a great result.

 

[TheGayTent]

I see England are still shit. 

[lost]

18 minutes ago, TheGayTent said:

I see England are still shit. 

There is probably a team in there somewhere, I just don't think Southgate is the bloke to find it. The dearth of quality English centre backs though would probably undo us at the later stages of any tournament. 

[TheGayTent]

3 minutes ago, lost said:

There is probably a team in there somewhere, I just don't think Southgate is the bloke to find it. The dearth of quality English centre backs though would probably undo us at the later stages of any tournament. 

It won’t help that none of them have any faith (quite rightly) in the bloke behind them. 

[lost]

5 minutes ago, TheGayTent said:

It won’t help that none of them have any faith (quite rightly) in the bloke behind them. 

agreed but Southgate seems the type of guy to clearly have favourites (Pickford, Dier, Mount) and at the other end probably holds grudges ( Grealish, Foden)

Edited November 16, 2020 by lost

[DareToDibble]

The crazy thing about England for me is that even if Southgate goes the odds currently show Sean Dyche and Graham Potter a s the 2 favourites to take over (granted these are just odds but can sometimes be a good indicator).

Top 8: Dyche, Potter, Howe, Wilder, Lampard, Gerrard, P. Neville & Wenger. 

I can't really see any of them working, although I would love to see Wenger give international football a go!

[TheGayTent]

1 hour ago, lost said:

agreed but Southgate seems the type of guy to clearly have favourites (Pickford, Dier, Mount) and at the other end probably holds grudges ( Grealish, Foden)

I’m in favour of giving players a few caps too many than constant chopping and changing. In that regard I quite like Southgate’s approach. However, I do scratch my head at the amount of game time the players you mention have had. 
 

Clemence’s death really made me a think about our goalkeepers in the 70s and 80s. To think Corrigan and Parkes only got 10 caps between them yet Jordan has three times as many. As the old saying goes, he’s not fit to lace their boots. To think he’s already half way towards the number Clemence got 

[TheGayTent]

1 hour ago, DareToDibble said:

The crazy thing about England for me is that even if Southgate goes the odds currently show Sean Dyche and Graham Potter a s the 2 favourites to take over (granted these are just odds but can sometimes be a good indicator).

Top 8: Dyche, Potter, Howe, Wilder, Lampard, Gerrard, P. Neville & Wenger. 

I can't really see any of them working, although I would love to see Wenger give international football a go!

Basically you have to be English (or German...) to be considered? 

[lost]

5 minutes ago, TheGayTent said:

Clemence’s death really made me a think about our goalkeepers in the 70s and 80s. To think Corrigan and Parkes only got 10 caps between them yet Jordan has three times as many. As the old saying goes, he’s not fit to lace their boots. To think he’s already half way towards the number Clemence got 

When Olsen came out of his 6 yard box well into the 18 and simply claimed a cross without flapping or punching against Newcastle I was ready to award the man of the match right there its been so long since I've seen that.

Apparently Southgate sticks with Pickford as during training he's the best out of the 3? I guess he doesn't see it as an issue that when he's put under any sort of pressure he starts acting like a 6 year old at a birthday party who's had too much sugar.

[eastynh]

Last night we had a rb and cm playing in a back 3. We then had 2 defensive midfielders. That is 7 defensively minded players on the pitch, with a number of those playing out of position. 

Then we had Kane and Grealish trying to take on Belgium on their own. Mason Mount offers absolutely nothing. 

With for formation we played, we were just inviting pressure onto us. Belgium played that match in 5th gear. 

We have absolutely zero creativity in the middle of the park. There was no one to gather the ball, turn and then play a defence splitting ball. The only way we were ever going to score was by Grealish beating every Belgium player on his own. 

We have scored one goal from open in 5 competitive matches. The total number of goals from open play under Southgate must be abysmal. 

The football we play is absolutely dreadful.

As a poster mentioned earlier, there is a decent team in there somewhere. Southgate needs to grow some bollocks and take the stabilisers off. 

[eastynh]

34 minutes ago, TheGayTent said:

I’m in favour of giving players a few caps too many than constant chopping and changing. In that regard I quite like Southgate’s approach. However, I do scratch my head at the amount of game time the players you mention have had. 
 

Clemence’s death really made me a think about our goalkeepers in the 70s and 80s. To think Corrigan and Parkes only got 10 caps between them yet Jordan has three times as many. As the old saying goes, he’s not fit to lace their boots. To think he’s already half way towards the number Clemence got 

Tony Coton never got a full England cap and he was light year ahead of Pickford. 

[Hugh Jass]

2 hours ago, TheGayTent said:

I see England are still shit. 

Being beaten away by the highest ranked team in the world is hardly a disaster.

I like Southgate, and he is still in credit for me, but he needs to put together a team that plays to our strengths rather than one that tries to nullify the opposition. We have attacking options that most nations would kill for yet our defenders are shite. We should be setting out to score more as we certainly can’t concede less.

[TheGayTent]

1 hour ago, Hugh Jass said:

Being beaten away by the highest ranked team in the world is hardly a disaster.

Highest ranked team is by no means the best as I’m sure you’ll agree?

I don’t think it is a disaster not qualifying, I do think we’re pretty shit though. 

 

[Hugh Jass]

9 minutes ago, TheGayTent said:

Highest ranked team is by no means the best as I’m sure you’ll agree?

 

No arguments there, but losing to Belgium doesn’t mean in isolation that we are shit.

There’s a lot of potential in that squad, especially going forward, which is why it’s frustrating that we play so negatively.

[pink_triangle]

A really good interview with the great Mike Ingham on the Quickly Kevin podcast for anyone interested. Comfortably the best radio commentator in my lifetime.

[jyoung]

The Mason Mount slander 🤦‍♂️