General Premier League Thread 2022-23 - mod note in OP 12/03/23

It is a Dunne Deal

You'd swear Ten Hag had Fulham up in 3rd and winning the league Cup the way some are talking the starting line up today had 3 world cup winners and a 5 time Champions league winner in it roy of the rovers stuff it ain't. Getting stuffed 7 nil with that team is unforgivable.

For the record I think Ten Hag has done a good job and is a proper manger but he has a squad full of quality and has already spent 200 million plus.

Augme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120318841#Comment_120318841

No worries.

Certainly not, but with the way Liverpool play they have the ability to put up a big score on any team. This season I'd also say they have shown the ability to have it done to them too though.

From the last 6 games we have 13 points from a possible 18, which is joint first with Arsenal and City. But I also woukdnt say I'm confident we are back either. Top 4 is the aim and I still think its a going to a big battle but after this weekend I'd say we are favourites now ahead of spurs and Newcastle. The big question for United is how will they bounce back and how will competing on multiple fronts impact then in the run in.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120318448#Comment_120318448

The Indo would definitely agree with me they just wouldn't admit it.

They know the game.

AidoEirE

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120318900#Comment_120318900

On 4 players,

Marinez has been excellent since he joined.

Casimiro has been unreal, poor game today for sure but can't fault him for the season so far.

Anthony we over paid for definitely, but only 22 and needs to work on not cutting in all the time and just take the man on and cross.

Malacia back up to Shaw who has been quality with the competition for position.

Eriksen was a free

Sab & Wer on loan and prob won't stay on after the season.

Ten Hag will have learnt a lot from this beating and a good humbling to the team that there's plenty more to do.

Its 3 points lost at the end of the day, how we react is what matters.

It'll be a long week listening to media and pools fans but that will only last till the next set of games.

Wasnt to long ago I was reading the pool thread and some (daft albeit) posters were wondering should klopp walk away.

Utd will need to keep looking forward up the table, Spurs will be looking behind them and Newcastle are looking like slipping out of it altogether if they dont get their scoring boots on to keep at the heels for some European competition next season. Liverpool could be hitting some form at the right time to get in to top 4.

nullzero

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120318933#Comment_120318933

I wouldn't be surprised to see United out of Europe after the thumping we got today.

Our squad is criminally thin for any big club, particularly one competing on so many fronts.

There's always going to be a bit of banter and piss taking after a result like today but in reality United haven't looked like a side who would lose a game so comprehensively for the last few months and have acquitted themselves well recently, maybe outpacing peoples expectations.

Playing three times a week for a couple of months including the dreaded Thursday nights of the Europa league isn't ideal. If we'd lost 7-0 under Rangnick or Ole I'd expect further humiliations to follow, I think we could be in trouble against Real Betis* but beyond that based in what Ten Hag has managed previously I'd expect the response to today to be positive, but I could be wrong.

As for Liverpool, its hard to know what you get out of a huge win like that beyond confidence. United did cut them open a few times in the first half and spurned a number of chances to take the lead. I don't think the issues at the back have gone away for Liverpool. It's been a weird season inasmuch as its not following any narrative we would have predicted(Arsenal clear at the top on the run in?) so absolutely anything is possible.

NIMAN

It's Real Betis, not Celta Vigo.

nullzero

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120318997#Comment_120318997

Corrected. I always mix those two up in my head for some reason. (probably something to do with Betis wearing green and white that I associate with a club with Celta in its name).

giveitholly

Quick question,Salah got booked after celebrating his second goal for taking off his shirt. The goal was reviewed for offside by Var. If it had been offside would the booking of stood? I presume it would

doc_17

If Bruno Fernandes was captain of my team, I’d change my team. A desperately selfish individual who shows you what he’s made off when you need help the most.

He should also get banned for that incident with the linesman. A pathetic Captain. A loser of the highest calibre who should be run out of that club.

ShamoBuc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120319052#Comment_120319052

Yes it would.

In fact, since joining Liverpool, Salah actually has more Yellows for celebrating goals against United than United have scored goals at Anfield.

Fitz*

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120318708#Comment_120318708

The players are playing every game - there is very little rotation. And maybe this is the start of a tricky run for ETH perhaps, because players are being over-worked?

For example is there a need to start Casemiro, Eriksen, Bruno, Fernandes etc in a home cup tie against a lower league side like Reading? It's the perfect opportunity to rotate the squad. Correct me if I'm wrong but is that also the game that Eriksen got injured in? He brought Casemiro on as sub in another cup game against Charlton for 30 mins. Man Utd had the league cup semi final in the bag after a comfortable first leg win away from home. What does ETH do? Plays a full strength team at home to Notts Forest who were more concerned with avoiding relegation. Again, no need to do that. Casemiro, Bruno & Fred all played 90 mins here again. He subbed Rashford on, while the tie was still 3-0 and comfortable. Both these cup games were 3 days apart. They are not the primary competitions.

Why has Shaw being played as a CB while 3 CBs sit on the bench? That's a choice the manager is making. It's not being forced into playing because of injury, and it's a double hit here - extra mins in the legs of Shaw while also degrading the likes of Maguire and Lindelof, telling them that they cannot be trusted. If you don't rate them as a CB for a team that wants to be at the top, fine. But they are good enough to be rotated in to play cup games against a very bad Everton team for example.

Casemiro, Shaw, Rashford, Antony all put in bad, tired perfomances today.

You can't blame fatigue and scheduling on bad performances when the manager isn't helping things.

retalivity

This is a mad stat from the arsenal game on saturday

https://mobile.twitter.com/HarveyDownes92/status/1632018501534711810

giveitholly

Watching MOTD and Anthony was an embarrassment today. Didn't break sweat at all.

AidoEirE

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120319062#Comment_120319062

Actually broke even in only today in the last 7 games at Anfield. Not good

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120319054#Comment_120319054

Some of us are old enough to remember a very selfish action by a Liverpool captain who got sent off a matter of seconds after coming on in the same fixture previously when his team needed help the most. You don't seem to have switched team then?

irishguitarlad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120318980#Comment_120318980

Still think they'll beat Betis, we're without Fekir and I'm not sure will Canales be back.

doc_17

You’re comparing a mistimed tackle to what went on yesterday? That’s a nice take. And what was the score at that time? A captain who was angry that he wasn’t taken off yesterday when the team had their backs to the wall? Ran around moaning. Even Gary Neville hates him. The difference with Bruno is that he’s at every time his team are struggling and even when they aren’t.

TitianGerm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120319394#Comment_120319394

It's called Whataboutary Doc.

TitianGerm

I wonder will the FA give Bruno a ban for pushing the linesman?

https://dubz.co/video/e62356

Edit: and a classic Bruno move. Throw yourself to the ground as soon as you feel something tip you.

https://twitter.com/MrProWestie/status/1632444341443543040?t=66sXyiWI14tZntKuhty69Q&s=19

No leaders in that Utd team yesterday. Fernandez was atrocious.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120319410#Comment_120319410

Hope he's ok. That looked nasty...

TheCitizen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120318221#Comment_120318221

Yep didn’t like that and I’m not a Man U or Neville fan. A bit of gentle ribbing is a bit of craic but Souness was just nasty and not funny. He’s also a coward. Easy take the piss out of Gary Neville, he wouldn’t go at Keane like that. Keane would split him in two.

Ottoman_1000

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120319738#Comment_120319738

I serious doubt Keane is going to throw a punch at a 70 year old man live on Sky!

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120319394#Comment_120319394

As ever, what the fan remembers and what actually happened are 2 different things. I think the ghost had somehow gone in the game yesterday by the 80th whatever minute.

You said that you would stop supporting a team which is a bizarre statement considering there has been much worse than Bruno knocking around Liverpool in the not too distant past.

TheCitizen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120319755#Comment_120319755

I was speaking metaphorically. Keane would empty him. Souness is a bitter old fart it’s good that his time is nearly done on SKY and hopefully everywhere else.

sligeach

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120318708#Comment_120318708

Barcelona are not in good form at the moment, despite being top of La Liga. Last week they lost to Almeria who are in the relegation zone and last night they barely beat Valencia at the Nou Camp, 1-0, who again are in the relegation zone.

Spirited West Ham? They lost 4-0 to Brighton on Saturday. Newcastle's form is on a big slide. United have had very favourable Cup draws, all of the domestic ones being at home(where possible). They didn't beat any big team in the Carabao Cup. They played I think it was Aston Villa, Burnley, Charlton Athletic, Nottingham Forest and Newcastle. The first 3 games at home, the semi-final was home and away and the final neutral. They've been equally blessed with their FA Cup draws, all at home.

sligeach

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120318603#Comment_120318603

Fatigue? 😂 It's the beginning of March. Liverpool last season competed at the top for every competition, going to extra-time and penalties in both the Carabao and FA Cup finals. Played in the Champions League final and battled for the League down to the last day. Their last game was 28th May.

United aren't competing for the Premier League title and they're playing in the Europa League. Plus they've had some very handy Cup draws.

POKERKING

This narrative that united have a thin squad keeps appearing. Id argue they have as big a squad as anybodies and an expensive one at that. They have two players for every position and most if not all are internationals that were bought for considerable fees.

IncognitoMan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120319987#Comment_120319987

Barcelona also beat Real Madrid 1-0 this week. They are the best side in Spain this season and were the strongest possible opponents for Utd in the EL and Utd fully deserved their win over 2 legs.

I know there is club bias going on here as always but I mean come on!!

Also for those favorable draws... Well I suppose they could have had more difficult ones if the bigger teams didn't get knocked out.

Luck of the draw - you beat who you get. The joys of cup football.

Fitz*

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120320233#Comment_120320233

Yeah cups are the luck of the draw alright - you can only beat who you are drawn with. It's just the way it fell this year with Man City, Arsenal, Liverpool & Chelsea all drawing each other and knocking each other out of the cups. Brighton also drew a couple of these teams while they are having a strong season.

Maybe if ETH had rotated more while having the soft cup ties at home every time, then the tiredness and fatigue on display yesterday wouldn't have had such an impact? Everyone knew about the fixture congestion that was upcoming. Managers have to be smart about it. We won't know how much fatigue will affect Man Utd until the end of the season and take stock then, but at the moment, it's looking like a few players are at risk of burning out. The international break is coming at the perfect time for ETH - I'm sure a few players will get a 'knock' next weekend and be unavailable for it.