Football 2024/25

[Crazyfool01]

12 hours ago, Skip997 said:

As I said. Heads have gone, can’t take the pressure 

still 8 points clear , its fine 

[thetime]

Liverpool don't really need to be in sparkling form or go on a fantastic run. They've done the hard work in the first 20 games.

 

To many problems for those behind Liverpool. Arsenal attack has been decimated, they've done well to be even this close. I can't see Arsenal going on a run needed without the likes of Saka, Martinelli and Havertz. 

 

Forest and Newcastle will do well to finish 3rd-6th and city will probably just get top 4. 

[charlierc]

22 hours ago, Skip997 said:

As I said. Heads have gone, can’t take the pressure 

 

19 hours ago, Gnomicide said:

 

Nonsense.

I think the truth is somewhere in-between. They're a healthy margin clear in the league table, have the attacking talent and Arsenal's attacking injury crisis means they could have problems closing in. If Liverpool beat Arsenal at Anfield, realistically, it's done.

 

They do however come across as losing focus and having defensive issues that weren't there before Christmas. Much as I don't think it'll hurt them in the PL, the challenge is keeping that on the straight and narrow in the other competitions.

[Skip997]

1 minute ago, charlierc said:

 

They're a healthy margin clear in the league table

Not really. Lose away to Man City at the weekend, which on current form looks likely, Arsenal will almost certainly beat West Ham, down to 5 points. Arsenal win their game in hand, down to 2 points.

[charlierc]

8 minutes ago, Skip997 said:

Not really. Lose away to Man City at the weekend, which on current form looks likely, Arsenal will almost certainly beat West Ham, down to 5 points. Arsenal win their game in hand, down to 2 points.

I bet Arsenal would rather be in your position than theirs though. And with their lack of players in attacking positions, every game feels like it could be a challenge for them to win.

[Gnomicide]

Liverpool put in a decent performance last night, not brilliant but they weren't bad, no-one was losing their heads apart from maybe Nunez, and he may never have found his (much as I love him).

 

They've not been in form lately, but Villa away is not an easy game. 

 

Arsenal will drop more points than Liverpool between now and the end of the season, it'll be fine.

 

[thetime]

39 minutes ago, Gnomicide said:

Liverpool put in a decent performance last night, not brilliant but they weren't bad, no-one was losing their heads apart from maybe Nunez, and he may never have found his (much as I love him).

 

They've not been in form lately, but Villa away is not an easy game. 

 

Arsenal will drop more points than Liverpool between now and the end of the season, it'll be fine.

 

 

The only thing that will change the course of the title, would be Salah getting injured for a few weeks. 

 

[Gnomicide]

9 minutes ago, thetime said:

 

The only thing that will change the course of the title, would be Salah getting injured for a few weeks. 

 

 

Or Virg.

[thetime]

1 hour ago, Gnomicide said:

 

Or Virg.

 

I'm unsure of your centre back injuries, I don't think losing virgil van dijk a big loss. He hasn't  been that great last few months. Which perhaps is understandable as he is coming up to 34 in the summer. 

 

Certainly Salah would be a bigger loss. 

 

 

[charlierc]

1 hour ago, thetime said:

 

The only thing that will change the course of the title, would be Salah getting injured for a few weeks. 

 

Well we're aware of how much injuries can change things - Rodri at Man City is being painted as the decisive turning point that tilted Man City out of their optimal zone.

[thetime]

7 minutes ago, charlierc said:

Well we're aware of how much injuries can change things - Rodri at Man City is being painted as the decisive turning point that tilted Man City out of their optimal zone.

 

I would say that can't be true. Then I look back at the 90s. From 93 to 2001, the only time utd lost the league was Cantona long suspension and keanes Haaland injury. 

 

For me Liverpool win it by 10 points, Arsenal just dont have the fire power. Will be interesting what happens at Liverpool with the sagas of trent, Salah and dijk. If they don't win it this year, could be a while for there next go. 

[Gnomicide]

1 hour ago, thetime said:

 

I'm unsure of your centre back injuries, I don't think losing virgil van dijk a big loss. He hasn't  been that great last few months. Which perhaps is understandable as he is coming up to 34 in the summer. 

 

Certainly Salah would be a bigger loss. 

 

 

 

Gomez has just had an operation so only really Quansah as cover. Endo has played there a couple of times and he's about 5 foot 2.

[thetime]

If Real Madrid win it this year, they will certainly be doing it the hard way.

[Skip997]

So winning the CL group was a mistake. Our “reward”, playing a resurgent and on form PSG

[thetime]

Managers getting 2 clubs relegated in 1 season, any ideas?

 

With Leicester being woeful and Utd nosediving fast, any ideas about managers getting 2 clubs relegated in the same season? 

 

I'm thinking the last one was Billy McNeil a fair few years back (villa and city). 

[charlierc]

On 2/20/2025 at 6:43 PM, Skip997 said:

Not really. Lose away to Man City at the weekend, which on current form looks likely, Arsenal will almost certainly beat West Ham, down to 5 points. Arsenal win their game in hand, down to 2 points.

Given West Ham's poor form before today, you would have thought that was the likeliest result. But here we are.

Edited February 22, 2025 by charlierc

[charlierc]

18 hours ago, thetime said:

Managers getting 2 clubs relegated in 1 season, any ideas?

 

With Leicester being woeful and Utd nosediving fast, any ideas about managers getting 2 clubs relegated in the same season? 

 

I'm thinking the last one was Billy McNeil a fair few years back (villa and city). 

I recall Mark Hughes was a near-miss - was fired by Stoke in 2018 with the Potters going down, then only just kept Southampton above water.

[Crazyfool01]

On 2/20/2025 at 6:43 PM, Skip997 said:

Not really. Lose away to Man City at the weekend, which on current form looks likely, Arsenal will almost certainly beat West Ham, down to 5 points. Arsenal win their game in hand, down to 2 points.

hope you didnt have money on 🙂 

[Skip997]

Well I didn’t expect that 

 

😁

[lost]

starting to look like the last day maybe quite boring, for the relegation places as well as 1st.

[Gnomicide]

1 hour ago, lost said:

starting to look like the last day maybe quite boring, for the relegation places as well as 1st.

 

Hope so, I'm at a festival, I want it to be all over by then.

[charlierc]

20 hours ago, lost said:

starting to look like the last day maybe quite boring, for the relegation places as well as 1st.

I think there looks like there'll be a scramble for the European places. But yeah, Liverpool look like they'll need to do an almighty collapse to blow the league from here while Wolves' 5 point gap to an increasingly awful Leicester and an Ipswich side that have been defending really badly since Christmas increasingly feels like it'll need something big to reverse.

 

Back-to-back seasons of the 3 promoted teams going straight back down is going to have to provoke some questions about the PL-EFL gap if we're in a situation where 2023 was somehow an arbitrary cut-off for there to be a 17+3 forever (though this is when somebody crashes and burns next season now I've said it).

[charlierc]

I have no idea where to start. We won, yippee. We scored 4 goals in 10-ish minutes, awesome. We spent the second half looking like we couldn't be arsed and nearly let a 4-1 lead slip, less impressive.

 

Liverpool's good looking first half against Man City isn't a promising sign for us being competitive when we go to Anfield on Wednesday.

[Skip997]

Starting to look a bit better 

[Crazyfool01]

3 minutes ago, Skip997 said:

Starting to look a bit better 

the award for most understated  post goes to ....