General Premier League Thread 2020-21 [Mod notes in OP - Updated 29.01.21]

McFly85 · 20-01-2021 12:37am

It’s been clear for a while now that Lampard is not the man for Chelsea. The club spent big in the summer when few others could, so there was always going to be pressure.

But halfway into the season and it still looks like Lampard still has no idea how to use his new players, so he’s trying to shoehorn them into a style they’re unfamiliar with and will publicly criticise them when it doesn’t work, like Kepa last season.

Will be shocked if he lasts until May.

Weepsie · 20-01-2021 12:41am

Frank isn't a particularly good manager. They fell over the line last year. Even with a transfer ban, they hardly had a poor squad.

He's marginalised a few players, he has hung players out all too often, he can't organise a defence, he keeps changing the midfield all too often. He bought one of the most prolific strikers in the world for 3 years and stuck him on the wing to accommodate a solid but no more Tammy abraham.

He has a job on his name and no more.

Rodgers is a former chelsea coach and a careerist. I could see him thinking he could do a job there if he was promised the kind of backing frank has got

adaminho · 20-01-2021 1:01am

Trigger wrote: »

He really can't set his teams up defensively so I don't even think a lower half team would be a good place for him as you really need a good defensive set up down there

Most people know that! I can see him getting another fairly good job in the future (West Ham/Fulham, Mid Championship. After that he'll have to stand on his own two feet or more than likely end up with cousin Jamie!

thebaz · 20-01-2021 1:04am

I certainly hope Rodgers doesnt consider leaving Leicester for Chelsea - Leicester have a great team, better than the one that one the league - owners seam to support him, if Leicester won the league it would another wonderful achievement , unlike just buying a league at Chelsea.

doc_17 · 20-01-2021 3:33am

jayo26 wrote: »

Did i say klopp should be under pressure? Or are you just getting giddy?

Eitherway i never said said kopp was doing a good or bad Job you're the one that commented on how they were playing this season i just pointed it out to you that they aint any worse then they have been for most of the previous seasons apart from the last two seasons and a season here or there.

People are focusing on a young manager finding his feet in management because they have had a few dodgey results but he is only 5 points off liverpool in 4th.

You were attempting some sort of false equivalence between Lampard and the best manager in the league? Chelsea are muck because of Frank. Liverpool were top last week. Lampard had a nice run of fixtures against middling teams and kept some clean sheets. Aside from that they’ve been poor this season. 29 points at halfway won’t keep them on track for CL.
Sarri got the bullet for less.

kowloonkev · 20-01-2021 3:49am

thebaz wrote: »

I certainly hope Rodgers doesnt consider leaving Leicester for Chelsea - Leicester have a great team, better than the one that one the league - owners seam to support him, if Leicester won the league it would another wonderful achievement , unlike just buying a league at Chelsea.

Rodgers would be crazy to turn down the Chelsea job. I don't think he would be on Roman's radar though.

me89 · 20-01-2021 7:35am

adaminho wrote: »

It'd be interesting to see where Lampard would turn up yet as manager if he did get sacked! West Ham would be obvious if Moyes ever left but where else? A lot of Utd would never give Ole another Job in the premiership! Is he destined to be another Mark Hughes/Steve Bruce/ Alan Pardew? Knocking around the lower half teams?

Ha no hope he would ever be the West Ham manager, West ham fans hate him.

irelandrover · 20-01-2021 8:18am

doc_17 wrote: »

You were attempting some sort of false equivalence between Lampard and the best manager in the league? Chelsea are muck because of Frank. Liverpool were top last week. Lampard had a nice run of fixtures against middling teams and kept some clean sheets. Aside from that they’ve been poor this season. 29 points at halfway won’t keep them on track for CL.
Sarri got the bullet for less.

I honestly read it as he was comparing Lampards Chelsea to the best team in the league. Chelsea are apparently doing terrible but they are only 5 points off Liverpool.

More using Liverpool as the benchmark of a good team rather than any slight against Liverpool.

jayo26 · 20-01-2021 8:44am

doc_17 wrote: »

You were attempting some sort of false equivalence between Lampard and the best manager in the league?

I never once mentioned Pep

jayo26 · 20-01-2021 8:48am

irelandrover wrote: »

I honestly read it as he was comparing Lampards Chelsea to the best team in the league. Chelsea are apparently doing terrible but they are only 5 points off Liverpool.

More using Liverpool as the benchmark of a good team rather than any slight against Liverpool.

Exactly this and fair play to you for pointing it out.

gimli2112 · 20-01-2021 8:48am

Arghus wrote: »

Pretty funny how Redknapp just can't blame the manager on Sky.

It's the players fault etc, etc.

isn't he related to Lampard, if not their famillies are pretty close? You're never going to get an unbiased view in that situation.

jayo26 · 20-01-2021 8:49am

gimli2112 wrote: »

isn't he related to Lampard, if not their famillies are pretty close? You're never going to get an unbiased view in that situation.

Cousins aint it.

theoneeyedman · 20-01-2021 8:55am

gimli2112 wrote: »

isn't he related to Lampard, if not their famillies are pretty close? You're never going to get an unbiased view in that situation.

First cousin innit.

doc_17 · 20-01-2021 9:08am

irelandrover wrote: »

I honestly read it as he was comparing Lampards Chelsea to the best team in the league. Chelsea are apparently doing terrible but they are only 5 points off Liverpool.

More using Liverpool as the benchmark of a good team rather than any slight against Liverpool.

But Chelsea are doing terrible, as are Liverpool. But Klopp has lots of credit built up after a decade of competing at a very high level and a track record of success. The two mangers shouldn’t be mentioned in the same breath! If I misunderstood, because I was giddy (whatever that means), then ok.

Cookiemunster · 20-01-2021 9:46am

irelandrover wrote: »

I honestly read it as he was comparing Lampards Chelsea to the best team in the league. Chelsea are apparently doing terrible but they are only 5 points off Liverpool.

More using Liverpool as the benchmark of a good team rather than any slight against Liverpool.

They're currently 5 behind Liverpool, but by 10pm on Thursday they could be 8 points behind Liverpool and the CL places.

We're talking about a team that spent £220m last summer. They should be top of this league.

Chuck Noland · 20-01-2021 9:56am

Cookiemunster wrote: »

We're talking about a team that spent £220m last summer. They should be top of this league.

Money doesn’t always equal immediate success in this league tho

purple hands · 20-01-2021 10:02am

2 wins in 8 since playing Leeds. Have Chelsea burned out?

DVDM93 · 20-01-2021 10:06am

If Lampard's only goal is to stay within 5 points of Liverpool come seasons end then I think he'll there or thereabouts & ultimately be OK.

However, I think Roman Abramovich has a little more sense than that & won't be satisfied with said ambitions.

If the benchmark is Liverpool at this stage last season, 13 points clear, then fair enough.

However, I don't think £220 odd million was spent to be using a team that are significantly weakened for most of the season due to injuries & 18 points worse off than this stage last season as a benchmark.

Using Liverpool purely as your benchmark, particularly with the way this season is going for them, is a dangerous game to play imo.

By that logic Liverpool could be 17th on 16 points & Chelsea could be 19th on 11 points but it's fine, because they'd be only 5 points off Liverpool.

JPA · 20-01-2021 10:31am

Werner has been a big disappointment so far but the biggest signing, Havertz, has been basically anonymous.

What are Chelsea fans take on him?

doc_17 · 20-01-2021 12:12pm

JPA wrote: »

Werner has been a big disappointment so far but the biggest signing, Havertz, has been basically anonymous.

What are Chelsea fans take on him?

Didn’t he have that “long” COVID? Seems to have really affected him.

JPA · 20-01-2021 12:17pm

doc_17 wrote: »

Didn’t he have that “long” COVID? Seems to have really affected him.

He had Covid and was symptomatic, in bed etc.

But he says he has fully recovered.

Fitz* · 20-01-2021 12:20pm

To be fair to Havertz, he is only 21 and has moved to a new league and a new country. That can affect young lads at the best of times, let alone in the middle of a pandemic where typical moving home exercises cannot be undertaken. Did his family move with him? Does he speak the language yet etc. And then add in having COIVD on top of that, and the after affects that that brings.

And also the Lampard factor where Lampard might not actually know how the bring the best out of him, or even his best position. A struggling manager can find it difficult to develop a younger player, or even how to handle him.

yourdeadwright · 20-01-2021 12:27pm

It's hard to judge any players on this season, especially ones who moved country in the middle of an pandemic and are young,
There's no chance for team building or meeting your team mates out side of trying to build bonds and so on ,
No fans or atmosphere's in stadiums to push you on ,

Life is absolutely mental for everyone and id imagine a lot of footballer like people are just in the "get through this" mode,
I reckon football will only kick back into life when fans are back ,

Across Europe all lot of top teams seem to be struggling , Liverpool , City , Juventus , Barcelona even PSG have challengers this year ,

Liam O · 20-01-2021 1:28pm

JPA wrote: »

Werner has been a big disappointment so far but the biggest signing, Havertz, has been basically anonymous.

What are Chelsea fans take on him?

Play him behind Werner up front or as a false 9. It's simple enough. He's shown he can be great in those roles or even as a wide forward. Lampard has done an awful job this season at incorporating both of them and it should have already cost him his job.

DeanAustin · 20-01-2021 1:36pm

Liam O wrote: »

Play him behind Werner up front or as a false 9. It's simple enough. He's shown he can be great in those roles or even as a wide forward. Lampard has done an awful job this season at incorporating both of them and it should have already cost him his job.

It's not quite that simple though. Players can take time to adjust particularly in a new country. Look at Ndombele at Spurs...no matter where he was played last year, he wasn't at it. You watch him in the documentary and you see a young man in a new country, at a new club struggling with the language and culture.

I'm still apprehensive about travelling places where I don't know the language and I'm in my 40s and have travelled a lot of the world. For a young lad who has been probably moddycoddled for years and now has to live and work somewhere completely different, it must be a bit scary and that can impact their performance on the pitch.

TitianGerm · 20-01-2021 1:37pm

Liam O wrote: »

Play him behind Werner up front or as a false 9. It's simple enough. He's shown he can be great in those roles or even as a wide forward. Lampard has done an awful job this season at incorporating both of them and it should have already cost him his job.

If Chelsea got a good manager they'd be lethal going forward.

Werner
Pulusic, Havertz, Ziyech
Kante, Kovacic/Jorghino

Get a DM to play beside Kante and it's an excellent midfield and attack.

thebaz · 20-01-2021 1:56pm

kowloonkev wrote: »

Rodgers would be crazy to turn down the Chelsea job. I don't think he would be on Roman's radar though.

I think he would be crazy to take the Chelsea - as I said far bigger achievement winning league with Leicester, the squad and team at Leicester seam way better , I guess he could try and buy at it at Chelsea , but where City and others are , think he would be much better staying at Leicester and have equal chance of success, that would be much higher respected.

Shanotheslayer · 20-01-2021 2:15pm

thebaz wrote: »

I think he would be crazy to take the Chelsea - as I said far bigger achievement winning league with Leicester, the squad and team at Leicester seam way better , I guess he could try and buy at it at Chelsea , but where City and others are , think he would be much better staying at Leicester and have equal chance of success, that would be much higher respected.

But it's not an equal chance of success? It would be a much higher chance of success if he went to Chelsea.

Absolutely agree that it's a much bigger achievement if he did win it with Leicester but I wouldn't say they both have equal chance given the resources etc.

Tbh I think Leicester will still be in a battle for 4th come end of Season.

thebaz · 20-01-2021 2:24pm

Shanotheslayer wrote: »

But it's not an equal chance of success? It would be a much higher chance of success if he went to Chelsea.

I would say the gap between City and Chelsea is massive , what he has going at Leicseter is possibly closer , and way less pressure

Liam O · 20-01-2021 2:34pm

thebaz wrote: »

I would say the gap between City and Chelsea is massive , what he has going at Leicseter is possibly closer , and way less pressure

In terms of personnel it's probably not that far at this stage. It's the setup and one manager getting more out of his expensively assembled squad that's different between City and Chelsea at the moment.

theoneeyedman · 20-01-2021 3:42pm

Shanotheslayer wrote: »

But it's not an equal chance of success? It would be a much higher chance of success if he went to Chelsea.

Absolutely agree that it's a much bigger achievement if he did win it with Leicester but I wouldn't say they both have equal chance given the resources etc.

Tbh I think Leicester will still be in a battle for 4th come end of Season.

How do you define success? I'd say its different things to different teams/clubs, for instance are 19 teams in the EPL a failure each year?

Agian, Leicester finishing in top 4 again this year would be a success. Chelsea finishing 4th given the amount spent over many years on transfers and youth talent could be seen as a failure.

Brendan is doing OK, very well in fact. Needs to close out the second half of the season strongly, all the way to the finish line though. We've been here before with him and his teams have fallen away.

Shanotheslayer · 20-01-2021 3:44pm

theoneeyedman wrote: »

How do you define success?

Well considering the conversation I was referring to winning the league. You don't go to Chelsea and hope to get top 4. You go to win the league.

c.p.w.g.w · 20-01-2021 4:07pm

Anyone listening to SSN bit on Lampard...it's laughable the mental gymnastics to justify the position that lamps is the best man for them...he has the worst points average, his taken them backwards in his 18 months

McFly85 · 20-01-2021 4:09pm

I think Rodgers would be mad to go right now while he's doing so well at Leicester. He's at a club with a very good team and everyone looks to be on the same page as to how they move the club forward.

At Chelsea, it looks like there's a complete disconnect between the footballing operations side and the coaching side. The manager is basically given players the club wants and then is asked to make them work. Werner is case in point: why would you buy him and then complain when you've essentially asked him to play a different role in a team that plays a different way?

So while you'll have a bigger budget a Chelsea, it will ultimately be up to the club what players you'll get, so you'll have the pressure of competing for a league with a team you might not want and could be written off as a failure by fans who will only compare you to how much money has been invested in the team.

Rodgers has done very well at Celtic and now Leicester, and is still young in managerial terms. There will be plenty more suited opportunities you'd imagine should he continue to do well.

I think only managers with a proven track record should look at Chelsea, onces where if it doesn't work it won't affect their reputation too much. I don't think Lampard is a good manager but he took that move far too early in his career. After Chelsea the only way is down, and he'll have to prove himself all over again if he wants to go for another top job.

yourdeadwright · 20-01-2021 4:17pm

McFly85 wrote: »

I think Rodgers would be mad to go right now while he's doing so well at Leicester. He's at a club with a very good team and everyone looks to be on the same page as to how they move the club forward.

At Chelsea, it looks like there's a complete disconnect between the footballing operations side and the coaching side. The manager is basically given players the club wants and then is asked to make them work. Werner is case in point: why would you buy him and then complain when you've essentially asked him to play a different role in a team that plays a different way?

So while you'll have a bigger budget a Chelsea, it will ultimately be up to the club what players you'll get, so you'll have the pressure of competing for a league with a team you might not want and could be written off as a failure by fans who will only compare you to how much money has been invested in the team.

Rodgers has done very well at Celtic and now Leicester, and is still young in managerial terms. There will be plenty more suited opportunities you'd imagine should he continue to do well.

I think only managers with a proven track record should look at Chelsea, onces where if it doesn't work it won't affect their reputation too much. I don't think Lampard is a good manager but he took that move far too early in his career. After Chelsea the only way is down, and he'll have to prove himself all over again if he wants to go for another top job.

Leicester are a brilliantly run club and its a great job Rodgers is doing but lets not kid ourselves there is only 3 bigger jobs than Chelsea in England ,

Liverpool - he's done it
United - he manged Liverpool so nope
City - Always likely to go for Europe best mangers

I honestly don't think he gets a better job than Chelsea and can't see how he could refuse it ,

If it goes bad people will say it happens at Chelsea he will get another top 10 job no problem ,

If it goes ok he gets mange in the champions league & probably win a domestic cup

If it goes well he probably win a league or Champions league

I honestly can't see how he refuses it ,

Maybe you could argue the Arsenal job would be better fit for Rodgers but by the time they get rid of Arteta who know where Rodgers stock will be ,

Shanotheslayer · 20-01-2021 4:31pm

yourdeadwright wrote: »

Maybe you could argue the Arsenal job would be better fit for Rodgers but by the time they get rid of Arteta who know where Rodgers stock will be ,

I don't know why this gave me visions of Rodgers absolutely boxing the head off Aubameyang shouting '' Vardy wouldn't miss these chances''

citytillidie · 20-01-2021 5:06pm

Saturday 30 January
12:30 Everton v Newcastle (BT Sport)
15:00 Crystal Palace v Wolves (Sky Sports)
15:00 Man City v Sheff Utd (Sky Sports)
15:00 West Brom v Fulham (BBC)
17:30 Arsenal v Man Utd (Sky Sports)
20:00 Southampton v Aston Villa (Sky Sports)

Sunday 31 January
12:00 Chelsea v Burnley (BT Sport)
14:00 Leicester v Leeds (Sky Sports)
16:30 West Ham v Liverpool (Sky Sports)
19:15 Brighton v Spurs (Sky Sports)

Tuesday 2 February
18:00 Sheffield Utd v West Brom (BT Sport)
18:00 Wolves v Arsenal (BT Sport)
20:15 Man Utd v Southampton (BT Sport)
20:15 Newcastle v Crystal Palace (BT Sport)

Wednesday 3 February
18:00 Burnley v Man City (BT Sport)
18:00 Fulham v Leicester (BT Sport)
19:30 Leeds v Everton (BT Sport)
20:15 Aston Villa v West Ham (BT Sport)
20:15 Liverpool v Brighton (BT Sport)

Thursday 4 February
20:00 Spurs v Chelsea (BT Sport)

Saturday 6 February
12:30 Aston Villa v Arsenal (BT Sport)
17:30 Fulham v West Ham (Sky Sports)

Sunday 7 February
14:00 Wolves v Leicester (Sky Sports)
16:30 Liverpool v Man City (Sky Sports)

Monday 8 February
20:00 Man Utd v Everton (Sky Sports)
*Subject to FA Cup participation

Saturday 13 February
12:30 Leicester v Liverpool (BT Sport)
17:30 Man City v Spurs (Sky Sports)

Sunday 14 February
16:30 Arsenal v Leeds (Sky Sports)

Monday 15 February
20:00 Chelsea v Newcastle (Sky Sports)

Saturday 20 February
12:30 Southampton v Chelsea (BT Sport)
17:30 Liverpool v Everton (Sky Sports)

Sunday 21 February
14:00 Aston Villa v Leicester (Sky Sports)
16:30 Arsenal v Man City (Sky Sports)
19:00 Man Utd v Newcastle (BT Sport)

Monday 22 February
20:00 Brighton v Crystal Palace (Sky Sports)

Saturday 27 February
12:30 Man City v West Ham (BT Sport)
17:30 Leeds v Aston Villa (Sky Sports)

Sunday 28 February
14:00 Spurs v Burnley (Sky Sports)
16:30 Chelsea v Man Utd (Sky Sports)

Monday 1 March
20:00 Everton v Southampton (Sky Sports)

gimli2112 · 20-01-2021 6:30pm

If Rodgers gets the Chelsea job I hope he's refined his "I have three envelopes in my hand" speech.
You lose the Chelsea dressing room fast but he could set a record.

rob316 · 20-01-2021 6:38pm

gimli2112 wrote: »

If Rodgers gets the Chelsea job I hope he's refined his "I have three envelopes in my hand" speech.
You lose the Chelsea dressing room fast but he could set a record.

From what I've seen of him lately, he has really matured and cut out the cringey stupid talk and showing what we all knew what a brilliant coach he is.

DVDM93 · 20-01-2021 6:54pm

gimli2112 wrote: »

If Rodgers gets the Chelsea job I hope he's refined his "I have three envelopes in my hand" speech.
You lose the Chelsea dressing room fast but he could set a record.

I could have sworn that was David Brent in The Office.