General Premier League Thread 2020-21 - Mod Notes in 1st post. [Updated 17/12/20]

DVDM93

ERG89 wrote: »

I don't think Salah would score much in that team the way they play. They just get it wide and cross it in. Teams figured them out after playing them in the first half of last season and they struggled to adapt to that all year.

Yeah that's very true actually, good point.

As I said I hope it works out for him, if not at Sheffield then elsewhere hopefully.

Father Hernandez

eagle eye wrote: »

I don't see anything outlandish there although being in a group with last year's finalists and semi-finalists meant getting out of that group was very difficult in the Champion's league and I wouldn't be putting it down as a major black mark not getting out of the group. Fact you got to the last day with an opportunity to qualify was a decent achievement.

Difficult but not impossible. They had 6 points from 6 after 2 games and had to get just 4 points in their last 4 games to qualify. They bottled it, had it in their hands and failed miserably so I'd put it down as a major black mark. If they can't do that, it doesn't give fans any confidence to push on as a club.

I agree that the owners are the big issue. What happened to the protests wearing the old scarves and hats?

Pre covid, there was lots of anger aimed at the ownership, Glazers and Woodward in particular. This would've continued in a parallel universe.

I presume making it to the top 4 was a satisfactory achievement last season?

Satisfactory but again, minimum requirement. The addition of Bruno Fernandes led the team to a top 4 finish. Without him, I'd be confident they finish outside the top 4.

I understand that OGS hasn't the previous success that a United manager normally has coming in. I think he is growing into the job though. I'm still not sure how he'll do but I think he needs more support from above.

I don't think there is any question OGS wasn't backed in the Summer to push on. Cavani came in as a panic transfer on the final day and has a good start. VDB came in for £40mil and can't get a game over Pogba even after everything in the last week. There are still glaring holes in the starting 11. Neither was Jose but that's another matter. United can't be waiting on a manager to grow into the job, he's been there 2 years and historically, has done nothing to prove he can be the man to push United on.

A lot of players seemed to have improved under him. Lindelof, Shaw and Fred all seemed to be struggling before he arrived if my memory serves me, Pogba seems to have improved a bit too.

I'd agree and disagree here. They've improved at times and had great games. But on other occasions, they've regressed to the mean and had poor games. Martial had a good season by his standards last season but his form has completely dropped off a cliff this season. A better manager will get more out of this squad IMO.

DVDM93

This is already a better game than the Manchester derby yesterday, even before the goal.

Not what a lot of people expected with Jose & Roy but I say fair play to them both.

You need to have a pair of balls & go for these things if you have any aspirations of winning the league.

Spurs 1-0 via Harry Kane, terrible goalkeeping by Guaita although Kane put a wicked swerve on it.

Unearthly

I remember looking a few weeks ago thinking Spurs have a horrible fixture list coming. Win today and get a draw at Anfield and they are in a great position.

Pochettino did wonderful things at Spurs but was poor in big games. This season Mourinho seems to have them picking up a lot of points in them. Interesting times for Spurs

Palace will comeback in 2nd half and win won't they?

DVDM93

Unearthly wrote: »

Palace will comeback in 2nd half and win won't they?

If Benteke is as eager as this again then you'd never know.

https://twitter.com/afcjxmes/status/1338126228927246336?s=24

SlickRic

Unearthly wrote: »

I remember looking a few weeks ago thinking Spurs have a horrible fixture list coming. Win today and get a draw at Anfield and they are in a great position.

Pochettino did wonderful things at Spurs but was poor in big games. This season Mourinho seems to have them picking up a lot of points in them. Interesting times for Spurs

Palace will comeback in 2nd half and win won't they?

Everyone needs to remember Mourinho got the financial backing that Poch was dreaming of though.

Fair to him for getting Levy to loosen those purse strings, but he's been able to beef up that squad impressively. So it should be no surprise they're challenging. It should've been a minimum requirement.

yourdeadwright

Spurs are pretty awful but doing what they have tto to get a win

yourdeadwright

There you go Palace deserved that

Shanotheslayer

What a save by Guaita

Fully deserved by Palace

Shanotheslayer

Guaita did some unbelievable saves at the end there

eigrod

Well done Palace. Friend gave Spurs a lot of soft free kicks. That last one there was ridiculous- Spurs player slipped - free kick. Luckily they made a balls of it.

tom1ie

eigrod wrote: »

Well done Palace. Friend gave Spurs a lot of soft free kicks. That last one there was ridiculous- Spurs player slipped - free kick. Luckily they made a balls of it.

Clearly a FK to spurs.
Palace keeper played a blinder.

niallo27

DVDM93 wrote: »

If Benteke is as eager as this again then you'd never know.

https://twitter.com/afcjxmes/status/1338126228927246336?s=24

They have to scrap that taking the knee crap, it's pointless at this stage.

Dcully

niallo27 wrote: »

They have to scrap that taking the knee crap, it's pointless at this stage.

They have more interest in it than fixing the one thing destroying the game.

tayto lover

Spurs weren’t hectic today. I wasn’t as impressed by them as in some of their other games. On today’s form they are not title challengers. It is typically of them though, great performance followed by very average.

eigrod

Unreal season from Southampton so far. 3rd is unbelievable place for them.

RasTa

niallo27 wrote: »

They have to scrap that taking the knee crap, it's pointless at this stage.

Why you always saying that?

tayto lover

RasTa wrote: »

Why you always saying that?

Because it’s true.
It’s gone very stale and is just being done for the sake of it now.
Tackle the issue.

rob316

eigrod wrote: »

Unreal season from Southampton so far. 3rd is unbelievable place for them.

Outstanding coach. A lesser man would of folded after that Leicester defeat and they have just went from strength to strength since.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

tayto lover wrote: »

Because it’s true.
[B{It’s gone very stale[/B] and is just being done for the sake of it now.
Tackle the issue.

Saying it out taking the knee?

Agent Coulson

eigrod wrote: »

Unreal season from Southampton so far. 3rd is unbelievable place for them.

I could see BVB looking at Hasenhuttl now that they sacked Favre.

tayto lover

tayto lover wrote: »

Because it’s true.
It’s gone very stale and is just being done for the sake of it now.
Tackle the issue.

So tell players they're not allowed to do it? Yeah, great idea.

RasTa

tayto lover wrote: »

Because it’s true.
It’s gone very stale and is just being done for the sake of it now.
Tackle the issue.

Let them do it, 3 seconds. What's true? Love to know how anti racism has gone stale?

tayto lover

RasTa wrote: »

Let them do it, 3 seconds. What's true? Love to know how anti racism has gone stale?

I think it has gone stale and many players have said so.
Action and court cases let’s people see that’s things are being enforced and not taking the knee.

RasTa

tayto lover wrote: »

I think it has gone stale and many players have said so.
Action and court cases let’s people see that’s things are being enforced and not taking the knee.

Who are these many players? All I'm reading is I don't like it but no real reason why.

tayto lover

RasTa wrote: »

Who are these many players? All I'm reading is I don't like it but no real reason why.

Just google it. Loads on it.
The entire QPR team are complaining about it just being about PR.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/sep/21/why-qpr-have-stopped-taking-a-knee-les-ferdinand

RasTa

tayto lover wrote: »

Just google it. Loads on it.
The entire QPR team are complaining about it just being about PR.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/sep/21/why-qpr-have-stopped-taking-a-knee-les-ferdinand

That article is almost 3 months old.

In football terms, Fulham robbed of a peno there.

chicorytip

tom1ie wrote: »

Clearly a FK to spurs.
Palace keeper played a blinder.

Eh, apart from that major clanger he dropped for the goal.

tayto lover

RasTa wrote: »

That article is almost 3 months old.

In football terms, Fulham robbed of a peno there.

So what?
They’re fed up of it. That’s the point.