New Thread to continue discussion for General Premier League. Old thread closed.
Wait, what's wrong with academy players? Liverpool had 5 academy players on the bench today for example, bringing on 2 of them as subs. And both assists were provided by academy players.
Even Arteta made his only sub today to bring on a Liverpool academy player!
Big 2 results today. Nunez earns 3 for Liverpool while Arsenal drop 2 at home - after going 2 up aswell.
6 points ahead, plus 8 in goals and a game in hand.
Great position after a couple of very tricky fixtures.
Likely 5pts after tomorrow. Forest should beat the worst team in the league at home to become the closest challengers
Pool are 9 ahead of them though.
It’s a wonder that Arsenal fan Watkins isnt linked to Arsenal more often. Exactly the type of player most people think they need, and obviously has PL experience. Would take an 80-90m bid and would sort out any FFP issues Villa might have.
Ah OK I hadn't checked the table I thought they were ahead before today.
A simple 13-0 win and they'll be second!
He is certainly a player that would score goals for them and get them over the line in games they studder in.
Will Arsenal bite the bullet and finally buy a striker though?
Everyone knows what they need and it is surely on Arteta's shoulders that they haven't done so yet and if they don't finish top it will again be the stick used to hit him with I think.
You sort the 80-90 mill and I’ll drive him down myself
Not sure how there's even a debate on the handball - with the deflection off him he's now the goalscorer, and a goalscorer cannot even accidentally handle the ball.
It's an absolutely iron clad disallowed goal, a situation with no room for interpretation in the rules, so very much clear cut.
I think you're only the goalscorer if the original shot wasn't on target.
If the shot is on target then Merino is the goalscorer
Happy to be corrected on that though, and I don't remember noticing if it was on target or not
Nope, that's only if the deflection is off the opposition player, it only goes down as an OG if the shot was off target. But if you're on the scoring team, the last player to touch the ball is the goalscorer.
Harvey Elliott isn't a Liverpool academy player though. He made his debut for fulham before Liverpool signed him.
Ah yes, I now recall the Harry Kane screamer that grazed off his shoulder from a Christian Eriksen shot
Which of course there was no evidence of but he swore on his sister's life so they gave it to him
I don’t understand how anyone would even consider that one to be outside the spirit of the game. The touch off Havertz is clearly what takes it into the goal.
Correct but he was 16 and played plenty of games in the academy for Liverpool underage teams, but yes I was stretching the definition a little with him I guess.
No idea how Neville was so confident it was handball on that first replay and angle because it looks like it’s off his stomach
To be fair to Arsenal fans, they probably don't understand why today's was a handball when this wasn't:
Pivotal day in the Title race………if there ever really was going to be a race rather than a procession for Liverpool.
Arteta has to shoulder a lot of the blame if Arsenal don’t steady the ship and put some proper pressure on Pool.
His failure to add a top class goalscorer to the squad has helped prevent them make it over the line last both last Season and this.
Post game today Sky had a screen pic outlining how Arsenal have performed poorly against the teams in the top half this Season
Their failure to gain enough points from those games is costing them dearly……who knows…….. them having a top striker in those matches might just have provided the last piece in the jigsaw.
Sterling is QPR academy no?
Went from QPRs academy into Liverpool's academy (and was at Alpha & Omega's academy before that again). These days a fairly significant chunk of players have a couple of academies behind them. Joined Liverpool at 15 and had about 18 months with the Liverpool academy before getting into the first team.
I remember he and another lad called Toni Silva were the two wingers, both playing really well for the kids team, and I was really hoping they'd break through together for the headlines 'Sterling Silva'. Alas Silva never got above journeyman level as a pro so it was not to be.
So not originally a Liverpool academy player first, as I said.
You didnt' say first… you just asked; "Sterling is QPR academy no?"
Sterling is QPR academy no?"
I didn't disagree with you, I just answered your question with the clarificaion that he was at each of; the Alpha & Omega academy (4 years), then the QPR academy (6 years), then the Liverpool academy (2 years)…
I'm sure he gained things at all of them.
I'm fairly certain that was seen by the majority of Arsenal fans at the time as a terrible decision, just like today's is considered the correct one by most, so I'm not sure how that's meant to be some sort of gotcha?
There was me thinking Darwin cost £64m rising to £80m if conditions were met. But no, he’s apparently a £90m pound player….
I wouldn't say he's done enough since he joined to increase his value either.
Is England the only league to disallow goals for accidental handball ?
I would be surprised if there are any leagues where you’re allowed score with your hand accidentally.
Nope
But if someone kicks the against your arm it's not a foul . Just part of normal play. If it results in a goal that's tough luck but it shouldn't result in the goal being disallowed .
You’re not allowed hit the ball with your arm and score. So it is a foul. Not even one of those where there are loads of grey areas around it.
