Football 2024/25

[kaosmark2]

What's batshit is that if we'd just made 2 signings - even "reserve-ish" ones using that £65m budgeted for Guehi, key players would be less exhausted and we could rotate better and this sort of performance would be more sustainable over more of the season. Or even kept hold of Minteh and Anderson. Sustainability rules are batshit and our transfer strategy even more so.

[charlierc]

12 hours ago, FeverDream said:

Waiting for a bus back from the match in the dreary rain so I’ll pass the time with my thoughts…

 

Far, far better than Palace but still some work to do. I thought it was anyone’s game up until about 80 mins until we had a rough 3 or so minutes and subsequently went 3-2 down. Defence is still a worry for me. That third goal from Liverpool was entirely preventable if I (think) Joelinton hasn’t essentially left the ball for a Liverpool player after advantage was given to us. Could have been game over at that point on another day.

 

Right wing also a worry. Murphy often a liability.
 

Agree about the whistle, infuriating because the opportunist in me says we’d have put that in the back of the net if we were allowed to take it all the way. The crowd made their thoughts known about that and rightly so. 
 

My issue is we’ve been here after Arsenal and Man City. Put up a fight against the teams you don’t expect to beat and then drop points to teams you should be beating. Let’s see if this builds some momentum and we can get a result against a revitalised Leicester.

We have a trip to Brentford in-between, which will be tricky given they have the PLs best home form and are very good at scoring goals... not so much at keeping them out tbf.

 

It was a game that could've pivoted in several different directions tbf. We had some great chances in the first half to add to the Isak thunderbastard that we couldn't take, but Liverpool really upped their game after the break. If you're a neutral, it was a good watch.

[charlierc]

12 hours ago, thetime said:

Chelsea are looking impressive, nice run until 25th January after spurs. If they get 3 points from spurs, I fancy them being top come Feb. 

Yeah I really underestimated Chelsea pre-season.

 

Admittedly last night they were assisted by Southampton's ridiculous defending but a side that had seven changes in the starting line-up winning 5-1 is decent going.

[FeverDream]

9 minutes ago, charlierc said:

We have a trip to Brentford in-between, which will be tricky given they have the PLs best home form and are very good at scoring goals... not so much at keeping them out tbf.

 

It was a game that could've pivoted in several different directions tbf. We had some great chances in the first half to add to the Isak thunderbastard that we couldn't take, but Liverpool really upped their game after the break. If you're a neutral, it was a good watch.

Forgot about the trip to Brentford. I was thinking next time we play them is EFL cup but that’s in 2 weeks isn’t it. Yeah that’ll be a tough one, hopefully we get something. Great chance to climb the table too given they’re just above us.

Edited December 5, 2024 by FeverDream

[Gnomicide]

Disappointed in the end not to win that one, given the mistake that led to Newcastle's third, but Liverpool probably didn't deserve 3 points. Not a bad result on reflection, the derby will now be a nervy one with Everton suddenly finding their scoring boots and our defence unsettled.

[thetime]

Could be a really good race this season. Media over playing Liverpool's lead for me, pundits were saying it's there's to lose. 24 games left and a 7 point lead, far from over. 3 of the big guns ready to pounce, very intriguing. 

 

[kaosmark2]

4 hours ago, thetime said:

Could be a really good race this season. Media over playing Liverpool's lead for me, pundits were saying it's there's to lose. 24 games left and a 7 point lead, far from over. 3 of the big guns ready to pounce, very intriguing. 

 

 There's been a thing of Liverpool have played teams at good times. Not to say they haven't performed well, but if they play City in early October I don't think that game is comfortable. Similar with if they'd played Chelsea later in the season. I imagine there's more but I've not followed every result/timing precisely.

[thetime]

33 minutes ago, kaosmark2 said:

 There's been a thing of Liverpool have played teams at good times. Not to say they haven't performed well, but if they play City in early October I don't think that game is comfortable. Similar with if they'd played Chelsea later in the season. I imagine there's more but I've not followed every result/timing precisely.

 

I'd imagine that's the same every season with clubs to be fair. 

 

 

[kaosmark2]

1 hour ago, thetime said:

 

I'd imagine that's the same every season with clubs to be fair. 

True enough, Liverpool always get an easy ride.

[thetime]

4 minutes ago, kaosmark2 said:

True enough, Liverpool always get an easy ride.

 

Geesh you are so bitter. 😂

[kaosmark2]

14 hours ago, thetime said:

 

Geesh you are so bitter. 😂

Apparently noone's biting!

[thetime]

1 hour ago, kaosmark2 said:

Apparently noone's biting!

 

They didn't win last game..

[charlierc]

Weather has been bad enough on Merseyside that Everton v Liverpool has been canned. 

 

Feels like it's been a while for the weather to get in the way at PL level, let alone such a high-profile contest, but I'm aware sport is not operating in a vacuum independent of the weather. I know it's usual this time of year for EFL and non-league games to get postponed, and indeed several already have this weekend as they were for Storm Bert a couple of weeks back.

[FeverDream]

Well, pathetic performance from Newcastle. Thought we responded well to the first 2 Brentford goals, but everything after than was awful. Give away cheap goals far too often. Think that’s us out of the Europe race now. Teams above us just seem far more consistent.

[steviewevie]

Looks pretty bad for West Ham's Antonio. Hope he pulls through.

[charlierc]

22 minutes ago, FeverDream said:

Well, pathetic performance from Newcastle. Thought we responded well to the first 2 Brentford goals, but everything after than was awful. Give away cheap goals far too often. Think that’s us out of the Europe race now. Teams above us just seem far more consistent.

I don't think the Europe race is out of reach just yet - 3 points to the top six is not insurmountable. But the margin for error is disappearing and if this continues, it will reach that point.

 

Something is really not clicking, whether it's players who only turn up when we play big teams, a defence that suddenly seems quite flaky, the continuing search to play Tonali & Bruno together, the attack not creating/scoring enough, any combination of these problems each week, the transfer market, PSR, Howe's tactics being stale, etc.

[FeverDream]

27 minutes ago, charlierc said:

I don't think the Europe race is out of reach just yet - 3 points to the top six is not insurmountable. But the margin for error is disappearing and if this continues, it will reach that point.

 

Something is really not clicking, whether it's players who only turn up when we play big teams, a defence that suddenly seems quite flaky, the continuing search to play Tonali & Bruno together, the attack not creating/scoring enough, any combination of these problems each week, the transfer market, PSR, Howe's tactics being stale, etc.

Yeah on hindsight I was a little reactive and we still have a decent run of fixtures compared to teams around us. Believing we can get anything from them is another matter though, haha. 
 

I’d like see Tonali back in the 6 position to allow Bruno to push further up. Genuinely baffled he was benched after the Liverpool game. Must have been fatigued (as with Gordon) given he did put a shift in but god was it frustrating not having them start.

 

I am starting to worry about our transfer strategy in going for players like Bruno, Gordon, Isak and Tonali, and I’m not surprised Mitchell said as much when he came in. They’re all in their prime and will want consistent European football and if we don’t deliver that for a second year running then I think we will say end up saying goodbye to 2 or 3 of them.

[charlierc]

34 minutes ago, steviewevie said:

Looks pretty bad for West Ham's Antonio. Hope he pulls through.

West Ham have confirmed Antonio is stable, conscious and communicative in hospital. So that's promising. Hopefully it continues to improve from there.

[charlierc]

Just now, FeverDream said:

Yeah on hindsight I was a little reactive and we still have a decent run of fixtures compared to teams around us. Believing we can get anything from them is another matter though, haha. 
 

I’d like see Tonali back in the 6 position to allow Bruno to push further up. Genuinely baffled he was benched after the Liverpool game. Must have been fatigued (as with Gordon) given he did put a shift in but god was it frustrating not having them start.

 

I am starting to worry about our transfer strategy in going for players like Bruno, Gordon, Isak and Tonali, and I’m not surprised Mitchell said as much when he came in. They’re all in their prime and will want consistent European football and if we don’t deliver that for a second year running then I think we will say end up saying goodbye to 2 or 3 of them.

I think there's going to need to be work in January. FFP/PSR is still being talked of as a pain in the arse and in a sell-to-buy position, but the mismanagement of the summer window is biting us on the arse and is going to require amendment. Really I think we need a CB, CDM and RW as potential priority positions. Shame a PL-worthy one in each of those positions is now about £30-40m and will want substantial wages, but resting on the laurels isn't an option anymore.

 

I do ponder if we got things wrong with our investments in 2023, although equally, we could at least say we were hit by injuries and weren't a million miles away from the top 4 again. To be worse this season with no European football is going to have to be questioned.

[charlierc]

How are we still above Man United ffs

[thetime]

51 minutes ago, charlierc said:

How are we still above Man United ffs

 

I don't think we are in the days, if you finish above utd you win the league. 

[charlierc]

12 hours ago, thetime said:

 

I don't think we are in the days, if you finish above utd you win the league. 

Well no - not since 2013, which is an increasingly long period of time ago.

 

Even then, having noted some positive qualities in Amorim's first games in charge, I was expecting a home win against Forest yesterday and I see that in practice that turned out to be wide of the mark. The defending on the second and third Forest goals was particularly bad.

[pink_triangle]

Added Burton on to my list of stadiums yesterday. Horrific conditions for watching football , although the wind did help with one of my favourite goals, the one directly from the corner!

[thetime]

5 hours ago, charlierc said:

Well no - not since 2013, which is an increasingly long period of time ago.

 

Even then, having noted some positive qualities in Amorim's first games in charge, I was expecting a home win against Forest yesterday and I see that in practice that turned out to be wide of the mark. The defending on the second and third Forest goals was particularly bad.

 

With Dean Ashworth leaving utd, it's all as shambolic as ever. 

[charlierc]

13 minutes ago, thetime said:

 

With Dean Ashworth leaving utd, it's all as shambolic as ever. 

Yeah. All the arguments between Man U and Newcastle for months over what compensation Newcastle were owed for him to spend a lot of money in one window and a resignation because he didn't gel with the new boss Amorim. So not worth it.