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

nullzero · 15-02-2023 10:04PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120246368#Comment_120246368

Arsenal were always going to have a wobble and City were always the best placed to take advantage of it.

City's money is the reason they're best placed to take advantage of Arsenals wobble.

~Rebel~ · 15-02-2023 10:06PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120246368#Comment_120246368

It may not be - though with one chunk of that wobble coming against City, they're at least responsible for some of it. The problem is that one very small wobble (which with better reffing wouldn't even be a wobble), is enough to basically derail a title run now, because anything other than complete continuous perfection is no longer enough to win a title.

Sandor Clegane · 15-02-2023 10:07PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120246386#Comment_120246386

Fair enough.

Bluebb993 · 15-02-2023 10:19PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120246160#Comment_120246160

No

nullzero · 15-02-2023 10:21PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120246400#Comment_120246400

Except it's patently unfair.

Nobody is positioned to properly challenge City for the next few years so we can get used to their continued dominance.

McFly85 · 15-02-2023 10:21PM

It will be ridiculous to watch this City team that’s been charged with dozens of financial breaches of PL rules celebrating their 7th PL title with their striker on nearly a million a week and their 100 million pound bench player.

Leaving aside City’s punishment if they’re guilty, the PL need a much swifter mechanism for reviewing team financials.

doc_17 · 15-02-2023 10:46PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120246292#Comment_120246292

That’s such a silly take. Do you understand football? Arsenal have been picking basically the same 13 players for every game in a condensed season. City have a £60m back up DM on the bench, with a £60m Laporte as back up to the £60m Dias and £40m Ake. And a £100m pound record signing who scored a vital goal and who keeps Foden on the bench? And the man who scored 4 goals in Copa De Libertaroras Final is on the bench in case they needed him - they didn’t.

Yeah, but it’s bottle according to you. Where was City’s bottle when Brentford beat them? A complete, total and maybe intended misreading of what happened tonight.

population · 15-02-2023 11:01PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120246468#Comment_120246468

If Qatar takes over UTD then they'll start running City close and overtake them eventually. They already have better players and a better manager than Newcastle.

It'll be a pity though. UTD are a proper heritage club with a legitimate claim to be considered one of the best in the history of top division football. Man City and Newcastle turning into playthings for Middle East despots is one thing but if it happens to Man Utd or Liverpool it really would be hard to swallow.

nullzero · 15-02-2023 11:10PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120246673#Comment_120246673

As a United fan I'm hoping that doesn't happen.

Ultimately the Premier League allowed this all to happen, anyone can buy a Premier league club regardless of who they are or what they do away from football.

The horse has already bolted on dodgy owners in the premier league unfortunately.

As much as we all want to see City get punished what we're really seeing is the Premier league trying to put the toothpaste back in the tube.

thebaz · 15-02-2023 11:14PM

usually don't jump on the City bashing , but every neutral must feal deflated tonight - really wanted Arsenal to do it.

DellyBelly · 15-02-2023 11:16PM

Can't see City losing it from here...I really hoped the fact this season was disrupted with the world Cup in December it would affect them like it did for the covid season in 2019 but just can't see it....it looks like City will keep dominating and we will be looking at one off winners occasionally like Leicester, Liverpool and Chelsea...sad state of affairs

SlickRic · 15-02-2023 11:17PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120246368#Comment_120246368

Historically, it's normal for any team to have a wobble.

City's wall of money has meant that in recent years you're not allowed. Again, funny that.

~Rebel~ · 15-02-2023 11:29PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120246731#Comment_120246731

Hard to say Covid affected them negatively really, they were a lot better after the break than before it, winning 8 of their 10 games after the restart. They'd just left themselves too much to do from the first half of the season though, and had the league lost well before covid struck.

I worried about this happening this year... no-one is better suited to coming back from a mid-season disruption like the WC than them with the immense depth they have. Much like we saw in 20/21 when all those covid disruptions led to a tightly packed schedule, they were able to just rotate their way through it quite happily and win it with ease. I fear they'll do the same this year from here on out.

15-02-2023 11:56PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120246183#Comment_120246183

They also beat United and Spurs when the pressure was high, this is just nonsense. They'll be called bottlers now for not keeping up a 100 point pace

hynesie08 · 16-02-2023 06:46AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120246731#Comment_120246731

Did city know about how bad COVID would be before the rest of the world and decide to be 25 points behind thinking the season would be voided in February?

hynesie08 · 16-02-2023 06:48AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120246827#Comment_120246827

Reality is, a 100 point pace is what's required these days, or at least the mentality for it, City and Liverpool changed the game the last 6 years.

McFly85 · 16-02-2023 07:12AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120247024#Comment_120247024

City’s money has made this the case.

Liverpool have done fantastically well to challenge for a few years but it’s not sustainable. Liverpool have had a couple of years where they’ve been miles off the pace due to injuries, loss of form etc. now they need a rebuild and it’s unlikely we’ll see them hit those numbers again soon.

Arsenal have done very well this season and are on course for 90+ points so far, but I don’t expect them to be doing it every year.

Having one team not have to worry about finances to the point they can constantly refresh their team or add depth isn’t normal and shouldn’t be considered so.

TheCitizen · 16-02-2023 07:44AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120246160#Comment_120246160

No. Why? Arteta was deliberately getting in the way slowing the game down. These managers make it too much about them.

AllGunsBlazing · 16-02-2023 08:15AM

Arsenal have been a shadow of themselves since exiting the cup. The confidence balloon popped then and there.

jacool · 16-02-2023 08:18AM

Back to the football.

I haven't seen Arsenal until last night, bar highlights.

Do they always play the ball out from the back like that, to draw in the opposition?

It looked very risky against who they were up against last night, and led to at least one goal. I wanted them to win but kept seeing Ramsdale doing these small passes to players who were being closed down really quickly. I wasn't surprised when City benefitted from it.

rob316 · 16-02-2023 09:17AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120246279#Comment_120246279

It takes absolute precision in recruitment and a top manager ALA Liverpool. Liverpool's recruitment has not been as good and they haven't had a big sale to refresh the squad.

There is no competing with city's resources on a sustained level. Liverpool tried to keep a winning squad together but couldn't refresh it while city can do both.

yourdeadwright · 16-02-2023 09:21AM

I said it a month or two ago a few injuries & playing the same team week in week out would catch up on them,

Last night was poor big game & they just let the second half fizzle away, no real pressure out on City in the second half ,

Arsenal will now finish 3rd ,

yourdeadwright · 16-02-2023 09:23AM

City looked a shadow of there former self's he have defiantly fallen off a level or two this season,

Dslatt · 16-02-2023 10:20AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120246368#Comment_120246368

Liverpool finished runners up with 97 and 92 points respectively in the last few seasons. Arsenals form is similar to Liverpools those seasons. It isnt a wobble, any other time they would win the league by a stretch. The fact is to beat City to the title you literally have to be perfect, which is exhausting for smaller squads as can be seen by Liverpools collapse this season