The English Football Thread

[Atomiswave 6,072]

8 hours ago, Magic Lamps said:

Another runaway title for Liverpool will harm the attractiveness of the league. Wonder whether and when refs and fA turn on them

I wouldnt put money on it mate

7 hours ago, Fulham Broadway said:

Manes elbow was a red for any other team. Everybody knows it's fixed... the decision for all this was taken in the immediate aftermath of City humiliating them in May 2019...not good for the PL product to have a team without millions of far eastern plazzers. None of the penalties City conceded on Sunday would have been given in an opponents favour at the victimdrome. Give the victims the title now.

[Vesper 29,218]

David Squires on … being trapped in a Premier League fever dream

Armpits! Penalties after full-time whistles! Everton! Our cartoonist is struggling to wake up right now

https://www.theguardian.com/football/ng-interactive/2020/sep/29/david-squires-on-being-trapped-in-a-premier-league-fever-dream

 

[Jase 43,479]

 

[NikkiCFC 8,085]

All players should live in a bubble. 

[Vesper 29,218]

Arsenal making progress but Arteta needs backing to compete with the champions

https://theathletic.com/2101402/2020/09/29/arsenal-liverpool-arteta/

In the interests of silver linings — and for any manager, they are just as important as hours spent scrutinising clouds — maybe a reminder about the distance Arsenal are from the highest peak at this precise moment in time is no bad thing. There is nothing quite like coming up against the defending champions, who finished 43 points above you just a few weeks ago, for holding up a mirror to stop you in your tracks. 

With a week to go in the transfer market, Arsenal can recognise where they are in the context of something much bigger than their own encouraging sense of improvement. In relation to the best playing at their best, there is still a long way to go. Now what matters is how Arsenal fare in relation to all the others who were in Liverpool’s slipstream last season. They are into a sequence of five games that includes meetings with the teams that finished first, second, third and fifth in July. The worst of those fixtures is now out the way but these next few games can put a realistic slant on this season’s ambitions. 

Defeat at Anfield was not all bad in that Arsenal had enough substance to avoid another of those harrowing drubbings they have experienced on a regular basis in that stadium in recent years. The fact they were still in the game until the 88th-minute third goal, the feeling they took a lot of punishment but rallied enough that they might have equalised midway through the second half, are small positives that have to be clung to in order to not be too badly derailed.

Arsenal are making progress overall. That wasn’t enough to stop them resembling a puppy chased out of town by the biggest, glossiest, leader of the Premier League pack and manager Mikel Arteta didn’t even sound too surprised about that. “The standards are this,” he said, looking around him at the champions’ home ground. “This” is the whole shebang. Players, recruitment, coaching, time together, the highest standards. 

In fairness, he spoke just as respectfully about the gap he wishes to close in July, when Arsenal actually beat Liverpool 2-1 at the Emirates shortly after their title win had been confirmed. He knows what he is up against and the amount of time, commitment and resources needed to even attempt the climb to the top of the mountain Liverpool have scaled. 

The interesting thing is that Arteta gives the impression he can do it. He doesn’t regard it as impossible. But he could use some better materials and the hierarchy at Arsenal need to dig deep, to fish around at the back of every available sofa, to help him. It might be a tricky market but Lyon and Atletico Madrid have named their prices for midfielders who could make a telling difference. Arsenal have to stump up or risk Arteta setting off with some blunt crampons. 

Exhibit A: Liverpool didn’t even have shiny new midfielder Thiago Alcantara in their match-day squad while Arsenal toiled away with the Granit Xhaka-Mohamed Elneny axis that has at arguably been their most pedestrian midfield blend in recent years. That’s what Arteta is up against. 

There were many specifics to take on board. The selection of a humdrum midfield without any creative impetus, the significance of the snatched chance that made Alexandre Lacazette cover his face with his shirt to try to make the guilt go away, the wastefulness of Nicolas Pepe’s corners, the ticking-off for Hector Bellerin’s foul throws (plural), the uncertainty of David Luiz’s headed clearance at the end that turned a close scoreline into a more comprehensive one, the reality of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang having zero shots for the first time in more than a season (the last time, fact fans, was also against Liverpool in that win two months ago). 

But this was one of those situations which needs everything to be viewed through the prism of Liverpool’s dazzle. They were masters at work. Sometimes you come across opponents who dim the effectiveness of all the preparation, all the choices, all the best efforts to make something turn your way and this was one of those times. In the most intense periods, when Liverpool were hunting from the front, the gripping pressure almost seeped through the cameras, through the satellite dishes and cables, into homes to force tension onto people just watching. Imagine actually playing against this. Receiving the ball, looking up, and seeing advancing red flags closing down every angle. 

Arteta is a very straightforward communicator but there was a tinge of awe and admiration in the way he spoke about Liverpool after a defeat that ended a sequence of six straight wins, linking the end of last season with the start of this, which included victory in the FA Cup final and a Community Shield lift over Jurgen Klopp’s title winners. He noted that Liverpool were five years, some expert coaching and a few special players ahead of Arsenal. “They have different weapons,” as he put it. 

But even so, he also observed that, despite everything, Arsenal believed in themselves. They believed they could recover — they almost did as Lacazette found himself one-on-one with Allison in position to make it 2-2 just after the hour. Arteta uttered the word “belief” a lot after the game. He felt his players believed at half-time, even though they had been so thoroughly dominated. He still absolutely believes his team are moving in the right direction and his players apparently believe him too. 

“The boys are really disappointed. They really believed we could do it,” he said. “A lot of things in our hands we can do better and this will help us. I want to see my players upset and angry when they lose a game.” 

The extent of that belief is going to be tested in the next few Premier League league games and the nature of the response will tell Arsenal a lot more about themselves: Liverpool, Sheffield United, Manchester City, Leicester, Manchester United. 

Now Arsenal’s ownership, board and negotiating team must do everything in their power to help Arteta prepare his squad to face the hardest challenges out there.  

[Vesper 29,218]

On 11/03/2020 at 1:33 AM, Vesper said:

City should ditch Otamendi just like they did Demichelis after derby nightmare

https://theathletic.com/1660681/2020/03/09/nicolas-otamendi-manchester-city-demichelis/?source=dailyemail

NICOLAS OTAMENDI JOINS BENFICA

https://www.mancity.com/news/mens/nicolas-otamendi-joins-benfica-63736978

[NikkiCFC 8,085]

13 minutes ago, Vesper said:

NICOLAS OTAMENDI JOINS BENFICA

https://www.mancity.com/news/mens/nicolas-otamendi-joins-benfica-63736978

After back to back titles City spent more money than us. From the beginning of summer 2019 transfer window.

Laporte-Dias starters. Ake and Stones backups. And now hearing they want Alaba or Tagliafico. I think Cancelo will take Walker place soon considering Walker is regressing.

[Vesper 29,218]

1 minute ago, NikkiCFC said:

After back to back titles City spent more money than us. From the beginning of summer 2019 transfer window.

Laporte-Dias starters. Ake and Stones backups. And now hearing they want Alaba or Tagliafico. I think Cancelo will take Walker place soon considering Walker is regressing.

Cancelo should excel under Pop, it is why I listed him as puzzling ina post ripping the Shitty defensive players pre buys

fullback is the position I am, for whatever reason, the best at predicting how players rate out

I was on the Davies bandwagon since I saw his first games at LB for Bayern

and tonight, when people where slating Reguillon, I warned that thsi was silly

and he lit us up on that goal

the lad is talented

 

it figures, out of all, the one fullback I cannot truly get my head around, is Reece, lol

but I have a shedload of patience with him, as his upside is insane

now that Kimmich has basically moved to DMF

the only WC RB on the planet is TAA

its a horridly weak position atm

Reece could easily become the 2nd best on the planet if he develops the right mindset

he coasts too damn much

the only other ones atm who remotely interest me in terms of doable buys are

no real order

Nordi Mukiele   
Takehiro Tomiyasu   <<< 1.88m big, pacey Japanese 21yo on Bologna
Mert Müldür   <<<< 1.84m Turkish player, 21yo, on Sassuolo
Sergiño Dest  
Youcef Atal
Emerson (on loan from Barca at Real Betis)

[Vesper 29,218]

2020-21 English Carabao Cup, Fourth Round

Brighton & Hove Albion
Manchester United

http://www.sportnews.to/sports/2020/capital-one-cup-brighton-hove-albion-vs-manchester-united-s4/

https://www.totalsportek.com/manchester-united-matches-stream/

[Vesper 29,218]

another hat trick for Calvert-Lewin

I said last season he was going to explode 

[LAM09 6,844]

another hat trick for Calvert-Lewin
I said last season he was going to explode 

He has a strong supporting cast this season.

[killer1257 3,282]

Declan Rice played as a CB and got destroyed, so it seems to me. This is probably the reason why he plays DM.

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[Vesper 29,218]

13 minutes ago, killer1257 said:

Declan Rice played as a CB and got destroyed, so it seems to me. This is probably the reason why he plays DM.

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eeek, he did?

not good

[killer1257 3,282]

https://mobile.twitter.com/chessyhour_dan/status/1311395928532803584?s=20

 

His pace is pretty bad for a CB that wants to play high line. Either he sorts out his positioning, or he plays DM. Looked also bad in the second goal

 

 

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[Vesper 29,218]

On 30/09/2020 at 23:15, killer1257 said:

Declan Rice played as a CB and got destroyed, so it seems to me. This is probably the reason why he plays DM.

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assuming Rice is a no go at CB

then

Milan Skriniar   <<< I think people are far too harsh on him, all because Conte insists on a back 3, if this was a year ago, he was on everyone's top 10 list for CB, he is still my 4th option

Theo Hernández (conversion from LB, like his smaller brother) <<< my number 2 option, and also would be a superb LB option when Chilwell cannot go

 

 

other big names, but with  major issues

Matthijs de Ligt  Juve will not sell
Kalidou Koulibaly   too old for the price
David Alaba  will not come here, wages are also too high, and I am not sold on him as a CB in the EPL
Stefan de Vrij   next summer will be too old for the money demanded 
Marquinhos  PSG will not sell   
Alessandro Bastoni  Inter will not sell 
Lucas Hernández  overrated IMHO  at CB

then the rest

Ibrahima Konaté   
Evan N'Dicka   
Edmond Tapsoba   
Jules Koundé    
Pau Torres    
Nico Elvedi    
Nikola Milenkovic   
Presnel Kimpembe    
Merih Demiral   
Felipe (Swap Kante for him and Thomas Partey) 
Duje Caleta-Car    
Luiz Felipe     
Benoît Badiashile    
Manuel Akanji    
Axel Disasi   
Zinho Vanheusden   
Mohamed Simakan    
Mohammed Salisu    
Ferro   
Ronald Araújo   
Wesley Fofana << on verge of Leicester move
Bafodé Diakité    
Jhon Lucumí 
Eduardo Quaresma  
David Carmo
Jean Marcelin  
Perr Schuurs    
Josko Gvardiol  
Robson Bambu    
Sven Botman    
Chidozie Awaziem 
Odilon Kossounou  
Oumar Solet    
Tiago Djaló 

Edited July 25, 2022 by Vesper

[Vesper 29,218]

42 minutes ago, killer1257 said:

https://mobile.twitter.com/chessyhour_dan/status/1311395928532803584?s=20

 

His pace is pretty bad for a CB that wants to play high line. Either he sorts out his positioning, or he plays DM. Looked also bad in the second goal

 

 

 

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roasted like a dodgy coffee bean

CB switch looks grim

[DDA 9,731]

Did anyone just see that Benrama goal? Insane.

Go buy him.

[Fulham Broadway 16,977]

Alexander de Pfeffel Boris Johnson isnt the only public school boy Oxbridge educated posh twat fucking up our lives...,

178 changes to the laws of football over four years (including handball) - all overseen by ex referee David Elleray.