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

A lot to be said for making the big start to the season. It gives you the base to build from and you're already ahead of the chasing pack. Just need to maintain the form & position. Players want to play every game.

A bad start and you're already chasing and having to exert more energy etc. Players get more niggles and injuries. Out of form players trying to play themselves back into form at the same time.

He is tactically clueless. Like up there with Sherwood bad. I don’t think he gets another Premier League job when we send him on his way at last.

I think a brickie would of done OK rebuilding rangers, Gerrard has been found out as you say maybe that's his limit

What you usually find with these outlandish opinions that vary week by week, is that the answer lies somewhere in the middle...Put it simply, is ETH a dud? No. Is he the man to turn UTD's fortunes around and get the back winning titles again? No.

I'm glad to see others agreeing that Villa's football currently, is putrid.

When you are time-wasting after 15 minutes, its not a good sign. If the ref had booked Bailey for kicking the ball away, early on, it might have sent the correct message. Every throw-in and every kick-out a disaster. I thought my stream had frozen after 25 minutes, but no. it was just Martinez, standing, with the ball in his hands for ages. Wouldn't be missed if they went down.

Tell you what Maguire would have been absolute slated if he had a game like either of United CB;s yesterday the two lads have got away lightly ,

Gerrard has the problem that Villa are simply not good enough to play attacking football & when they try they simply lose,

He said himself he tried to move them to quickly along the process & that's hy they had a terrible start so its back to being hard to beat,

It difficult because where do you expect villa to finish top 10 would be a good season & they are only 2 points off that,

City,Liveprool, Chelsea,United,Spurs Arsenal, Westham , Newcastle would all be expected to finish above them ,

,

Is Lampards record really that bad. ???

nearly got Derby promoted, built a team at Chelsea with little money that won the CL the year he left , doing ok at Everton now.

Lampard will turn out to be a better manager than Gerrard.

He seems to know what he wants to do, and seems to have a hit rate of sorts when it comes to transfers. Everton are tough to beat right now, and are at least intense in how they try to do things. He's also brought the fanbase with him.

Gerrard has spent a lot of money to play that turgid rubbish.

He's lasting well though.

Lots of noise about him going a month or so ago, and again before the international break, but he's still there. Is it a thing that purslow won't sack him, he has too much of his own reputation bound up in Gerard doing well?

Crazy to think City have conceded as many goals as Liverpool this season ,

Build up play under Gerrard ‘s tenure has always been slow and ponderous, there’s a lack of urgency, initiative, creativity and bite from midfield. We saw it against Leeds yesterday it’s very easy to defend against Villa. I Agree the last 3 games have been better defensively but Villa ‘s football under Gerrard could never be described as progressive, attack minded or a team playing on the front foot.

When were we progressive? Which games? This was just one of those spins Gerrard put on things to justify going ultra defensive. We were never attacking, just poorly coached.

Ah in fairness, giving him credit for Chelsea's incomings that season is a bit much, given that he famously had no control of them (Harry Redknapp confirming that his nephew didn't want 'the Germans' in). And it was a fair chunk of money too - they were the biggest spenders at the time with Roman finally reopening the check-book on Werner, Havertz, Mendy, and Chilwell during the pandemic when no-one else could spend. The club made a fair bit of money in the market themselves on fringe players, but again nought to do with Lampard.

In reality, he came into a club with a transfer ban that was looking at generally reining in spending (cancelled stadium project etc), which is why they hired him. The opportunity afforded by covid changed that plan, and very quickly he ended up with a collection of players that he wasn't good enough to manage. Tuchel came in and instantly got significantly (and embarrassingly) more out of them than he had.

Where he does deserve credit is in that first season bringing in young players he'd worked with before, like Mount and Abraham, and getting them playing really well. He seems to be good with young players that inherently buy into who he is - particularly in attack. He's historically been very poor through the middle defensively though, with Derby and Chelsea under him coughing up the highest numbers of high quality goalscoring opportunities through the centre.

Not going to judge him on two games , but on the 6 months he has been at Everton - he kept us up last years against the odds, has half rebuilt a low achieving broken team , that are now mid table - given injuries and relative low spend , thats a pretty resonable return.

and BTW I am not his greatest fan, I'm still on the fence, but judge him fairly.