Football 2024/25

[charlierc]

14 hours ago, thetime said:

 

You will need maximum points in those to keep the pressure on for a top 4 place. Liverpool and City away, forest at home sandwiched after those games in the league. 

 

Will be interesting if you will be in top 4 or mid table come end of Feb. 

 

As someone that isn't just a utd fan but a football one, finding this season fascinating. 

I'm expecting a competitive squabble for a European place with the teams around us, especially that close together cluster directly below us tbf. But that would be in keeping with the season to this point.

 

It is a fascinating scenario though. I'm sure there's a few twisty bits yet to come. In a way, it's almost like being back in the Championship where there were paper thin gaps in quality between teams and there is always the capacity to drop a bollock out of nowhere.

 

Actually, as a Man Utd fan, did van Nistlerooy's run as caretaker manager suggest he would do better than his current run of 7 defeats in a row at Leicester?

Edited January 19, 2025 by charlierc

[thetime]

1 hour ago, charlierc said:

 

Actually, as a Man Utd fan, did van Nistlerooy's run as caretaker manager suggest he would do better than his current run of 7 defeats in a row at Leicester?

 

Not really, one might argue he got lucky with the fixtures. 4 home games 2 against Leicester, one game in the europa against the current 4th placed team in Greece. I would say the Chelsea game gaining a point was the only unexpected result. 

 

That being said he has been a bit unlucky with the fixtures, during these 7 losses. Away games against Liverpool, Villa, Newcastle and a home game against city. 

 

The only 2 results they shoud of got points against, Wolves and Palace was somewhat difficult. Palace are on a 6 game unbeaten run and flying up the table. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[thetime]

 

🤣🤣

[charlierc]

34 minutes ago, thetime said:

 

🤣🤣

I see it's going well there then. Not least with Onana's rubbish pat out for the third Brighton goal being the rotten cherry on the soured icing on the mouldy cake.

 

Dread to think what that makes Spurs given how abysmal they currently look.

5 hours ago, thetime said:

 

Not really, one might argue he got lucky with the fixtures. 4 home games 2 against Leicester, one game in the europa against the current 4th placed team in Greece. I would say the Chelsea game gaining a point was the only unexpected result. 

 

That being said he has been a bit unlucky with the fixtures, during these 7 losses. Away games against Liverpool, Villa, Newcastle and a home game against city. 

 

The only 2 results they shoud of got points against, Wolves and Palace was somewhat difficult. Palace are on a 6 game unbeaten run and flying up the table. 

 

 

It is a curio that Leicester's season is defined by Ruud given he beat the Foxes twice as Man Utd caretaker and now can't get a win at Old Trafford. But it is what it is. I agree that their fixture list has been tricky and even in some of those games, they looked competitive, but it was a risk to throw him into the bottom battle and it's not working out. Maybe the original sin was hiring Steve Cooper with a philosophy that was incompatible with the players they had.

[Neil]

the man utd comedy continues. 😄 

[thetime]

3 hours ago, charlierc said:

 

It is a curio that Leicester's season is defined by Ruud given he beat the Foxes twice as Man Utd caretaker and now can't get a win at Old Trafford. But it is what it is. I agree that their fixture list has been tricky and even in some of those games, they looked competitive, but it was a risk to throw him into the bottom battle and it's not working out. Maybe the original sin was hiring Steve Cooper with a philosophy that was incompatible with the players they had.

 

And Utd have them in the cup as well.

 

Leicester's still starting vardy at 38, is perhaps not the greatest idea. Especially as he usually plays 90 minutes.

[charlierc]

17 hours ago, thetime said:

 

And Utd have them in the cup as well.

 

Leicester's still starting vardy at 38, is perhaps not the greatest idea. Especially as he usually plays 90 minutes.

It doesn't really paint his back-up options in the best light that Vardy is still Leicester's most reliable goal getter. Particularly as I don't think he's scored in his seven game losing run.

 

Losing their well regarded keeper Hermansen during their loss at Newcastle in the first game of this run seems to have been the main catalyst, given none of their alternative goalie options seem to cut the mustard.

[thetime]

Will be interesting, if city get through these set of fixtures within 7 - 10 points from liverpool. 

 

[kaosmark2]

I'm wondering if half my criticisms of the new CL format were wrong. I'd still prefer 2/3/4 large groups where every team plays each other, but there's definitely a lot more spice right now than recent years at the end of the group stage.

[thetime]

10 hours ago, kaosmark2 said:

I'm wondering if half my criticisms of the new CL format were wrong. I'd still prefer 2/3/4 large groups where every team plays each other, but there's definitely a lot more spice right now than recent years at the end of the group stage.

 

More interesting this new version imo. With 1 game to go the likes of Bayern, Juventus, PSG, Real Madrid only guaranteed a play off. Plus City in danger going out all together.

 

The old format would of been done and dusted. 

 

Not sure on the knock out draws though.

 

Although

 

 

Edited January 23, 2025 by thetime

[pink_triangle]

24 minutes ago, thetime said:

 

More interesting this new version imo. With 1 game to go the likes of Bayern, Juventus, PSG, Real Madrid only guaranteed a play off. Plus City in danger going out all together.

 

The old format would of been done and dusted. 

 

Not sure on the knock out draws though.

 

Although

 

 

I’m not sure Club Bruges at home will reflect grave danger to City. I see that as a game they win fairly comfortable. In some ways it probably suits everyone, the same old teams probably get through in the end, but there is a bit more drama in the process.

[kaosmark2]

3 hours ago, thetime said:

 

More interesting this new version imo. With 1 game to go the likes of Bayern, Juventus, PSG, Real Madrid only guaranteed a play off. Plus City in danger going out all together.

 

The old format would of been done and dusted. 

 

Not sure on the knock out draws though.

 

Although

 

 

Well this knockout draw tension is like the thing of "would it be better to finish 2nd in our world cup group" stuff.

 

You can't plan/predict how other teams will do. I'd also say that Sporting are definitely a bigger threat to the big boys than Juve or Celtic.

[Gnomicide]

All Bruge, aren't we?

[thetime]

15 minutes ago, kaosmark2 said:

 I'd also say that Sporting are definitely a bigger threat to the big boys than Juve or Celtic.

 

They seemed to have gone to sh*t in the CL since Amorim left. 3 defeats on the spin. Getting walloped at home to Arsenal, losing to brugge. 23rd in the league, will probably need to win last game for a play off place. 

 

With city likely to win against Brugge, could be between Sporting and Stuttgart who get eliminated.  

 

Teams from 4th - 27th have something to play for, UEFA dream outcome from this seasons change of format. 

Edited January 23, 2025 by thetime

[charlierc]

19 hours ago, kaosmark2 said:

I'm wondering if half my criticisms of the new CL format were wrong. I'd still prefer 2/3/4 large groups where every team plays each other, but there's definitely a lot more spice right now than recent years at the end of the group stage.

It is working out in a more fascinating way than I expected tbf.

[kaosmark2]

7 hours ago, thetime said:

 

They seemed to have gone to sh*t in the CL since Amorim left. 3 defeats on the spin. Getting walloped at home to Arsenal, losing to brugge. 23rd in the league, will probably need to win last game for a play off place. 

 

With city likely to win against Brugge, could be between Sporting and Stuttgart who get eliminated.  

 

Teams from 4th - 27th have something to play for, UEFA dream outcome from this seasons change of format. 

True. I do still think they could get it together at some point.

[kaosmark2]

3 hours ago, charlierc said:

It is working out in a more fascinating way than I expected tbf.

Same. Particularly with the 3 favourites all looking like being in the bottom half of the playoffs.

[charlierc]

On 1/23/2025 at 1:49 PM, Gnomicide said:

All Bruge, aren't we?

I mean, that would be rather spectacular.

 

High stakes too - Man City have to win or else it's over, and given how secure they've been defensively, it's not a guarantee they'll achieve a shutout either.

[charlierc]

23 hours ago, kaosmark2 said:

True. I do still think they could get it together at some point.

In theory an eliminated Bologna side should be straight forward enough to see off for Sporting.

 

Though given Sporting just lost to a previously winless Leipzig and Bologna beat Dortmund, who reacted to that by sacking the manager, perhaps not.

23 hours ago, kaosmark2 said:

Same. Particularly with the 3 favourites all looking like being in the bottom half of the playoffs.

It's certainly shaping in such a way that the play-off games next month will produce some heavyweight contests. Something I'm guessing UEFA weren't necessarily expecting but are pleased as punch they're going to get.

[thetime]

52 minutes ago, charlierc said:

 

It's certainly shaping in such a way that the play-off games next month will produce some heavyweight contests. Something I'm guessing UEFA weren't necessarily expecting but are pleased as punch they're going to get.

 

The draw for the play offs seem a bit complicated, although I'm sure it's not going to be corrupt in any way. 

 

9th playing 24th

10th playing 23rd 

 

And so on, would of been the fairest solution. 

[charlierc]

11 hours ago, thetime said:

 

The draw for the play offs seem a bit complicated, although I'm sure it's not going to be corrupt in any way. 

 

9th playing 24th

10th playing 23rd 

 

And so on, would of been the fairest solution. 

I thought that's what they were doing tbh. Didn't realise they'd found a way to overcomplicate it.

 

Or maybe they felt the need to do something to give themselves a big event, scheduled to take place on Friday after this final round of games is done, apparently.

[Gnomicide]

Drawing teams seems completely unnecessary, when they can only face 1 of 2 teams. 

 

[thetime]

2 hours ago, Gnomicide said:

Drawing teams seems completely unnecessary, when they can only face 1 of 2 teams. 

 

 

How's it working playing teams from your own country? In the play offs and last 16? 

[Gnomicide]

3 hours ago, thetime said:

 

How's it working playing teams from your own country? In the play offs and last 16? 

 

I don't think it matters, the draw is the draw.

[charlierc]

I swear Arsenal seem to always get involved in strange scrapes with the officials that other teams do. Even if I sort-of understand the Myles-Skelly red but equally think the second yellow to Wolves' Gomes was for a worse tackle.

 

Least I can be content Newcastle got the points on the board. Even if some argue we were being a little mean in giving Southampton false hope this might be the day they get closer to a double digit points total.