General Premier League Thread - 2016/2017

GreNoLi

Manchester United

Bye hull.

davycc

Manchester United

Feck off Sunderland! Come on Hull still time to nick 2

The Talking Bread

Hull go a goal down, that should make Palace safe! Unless they get 2! That fiver bet didn't last long!

GreNoLi

Manchester United

Burnley and watford losing as well.

The Talking Bread

GreNoLi wrote: »

Burnley and watford losing as well.

Burnley have got an equaliser which makes them safe now. Watford are safe as are Palace (not mathematically but almost certainly).

Hull deserve to be relegated if they lose 2 nil at home to a team already relegated and one of the worst in PL history when they are fighting for survival.

theoneeyedman

ERG89 wrote: »

Grosicki looks like Berbatov's doppelganger & to a lesser extent Joe from Impractical Jokers.

Except that Grosiski actually moves....

Cunning Alias

Watched the Hull game. Officials decided the game. 2 penalties could have easily been given for Hull and the 2nd goal was well offside. Amazing the level of incompetence when a game is so important. Pickford was excellent to be fair though.

Im delighted to see Sunderland go. Just like Villa before them, they are a horrible team to watch. After their first goal it was non stop timewasting and trying to buy fouls. Cant imagine what it would be like to watch them every week.

GreNoLi

Manchester United

Everton to win 4-3, you read it here first.

Iused2likebusts

Burnley stay up which is a great achievement. The lowest wage bill in the league and find it hard to attract players to sign. Dyche has got absolutely everything out of what is a very limited bunch of players.

Paully D

Cunning Alias wrote: »

Watched the Hull game. Officials decided the game. 2 penalties could have easily been given for Hull and the 2nd goal was well offside. Amazing the level of incompetence when a game is so important. Pickford was excellent to be fair though.

Jesus wept. Neither of those were even close to being penalties and would have been outrageous decisions. Defoe's goal was clearly offside and I have no idea what was going through the linesman's head, but it came while they were already 1-0 up and in the 92nd minute. The game was done at that point.

The officials didn't decide the game. Pickford was superb throughout and N'Diaye had a miss of the year contender shout at 0-0. Sunderland took their chance when it arrived and like most teams fighting relegation, Hull's arses dropped when they went 1-0 down.

I would be far more concerned about why Hull, in their position, couldn't win a home banker against a team that are already down and threw in the towel months ago. It's big boy stuff at this point. They couldn't have asked for a better fixture. Stand up and be counted or join Sunderland in the Championship.

Agent Coulson

Leicester

Iused2likebusts wrote: »

Burnley stay up which is a great achievement. The lowest wage bill in the league and find it hard to attract players to sign. Dyche has got absolutely everything out of what is a very limited bunch of players.

Also great for Hendrick & Brady to be playing PL football next season.

Iused2likebusts

Agent Coulson wrote: »

Also great for Hendrick & Brady to be playing PL football next season.

And ward after Keane and heaton he has been their best player this season. He is a fans favourite there and I think his performances for Ireland the past year have improved greatly.

GreNoLi

Manchester United

Swansea looking comfortable, Williams is a knob.

fullstop

SlickRic wrote: »

I specifically said in this thread it wasn't a bottle job.

Twice.

Failing doesn't equal bottling.

So, just out of curiosity, what's the difference between choking and bottling it?

bill66

fullstop wrote: »

So, just out of curiosity, what's the difference between choking and bottling it?

There is no difference, they are just used to abuse someone else's team when they draw or lose a match, such is the high level of debate and analysis in the football forum. Looking at the table, It would appear that Spurs have only choked/bottled it slightly less than Chelsea this season, with every other team in the league choking/bottling it a lot more often than these two.

The Talking Bread

The reason Spurs probably didn't win the league is because that stagnant month of results in October. I know there is such a thing as a butterfly effect and ifs, buts and maybes but if they even had won one of those games Chelsea would have had a bit of pressure on themselves. As it is they have been almost pressure free and coasting comfortably for almost 8 months.
There is clearly a good mental attitude in that team.

GavRedKing

Chelsea

Home points:
Spurs - 50 - 1 home game left
Chelsea - 42 - 3 home games left

Away points:
Spurs - 27 - 2 away games left
Chelsea - 39 - 1 away game left

Spurs have been brilliant at home and unbeaten but too many dropped points away and around Octobwr has cost them when it matters.

theoneeyedman

GavRedKing wrote: »

Home points:
Spurs - 50 - 1 home game left
Chelsea - 42 - 3 home games left

Away points:
Spurs - 27 - 2 away games left
Chelsea - 39 - 1 away game left

Spurs have been brilliant at home and unbeaten but too many dropped points away and around Octobwr has cost them when it matters.

Unbeaten runs are a poor way of judging teams at or near the top of the table, instead look at points dropped. Both Spurs and Manchester United are good examples this year. Both have long unbeaten runs as you say, but stagnant draws instead of pushing on for wins cost them both.
In many cases, long unbeaten runs can mean **** all. It's 3 points for the win you know....

SuprSi

GavRedKing wrote: »

Home points:
Spurs - 50 - 1 home game left
Chelsea - 42 - 3 home games left

Away points:
Spurs - 27 - 2 away games left
Chelsea - 39 - 1 away game left

Spurs have been brilliant at home and unbeaten but too many dropped points away and around Octobwr has cost them when it matters.

And this is the key thing. At that time, back in October, nobody would've considered Spurs PL championship contenders. Just look at the poll results here! The thought that results so (comparatively) early in the season would ultimately mean Spurs were chasing another team for the title rather than leading the race were simply not considered! That period in October coincided with Harry Kane being injured too.

It just goes to show that if you're chasing the title you have to be consistent throughout the whole season. Any period where your results drop off mean you'll likely be on the back foot at some point, unless you have managed to build up a lead. For Spurs, it was at the end of the season (and last).

Bridge93

theoneeyedman wrote: »

Unbeaten runs are a poor way of judging teams at or near the top of the table, instead look at points dropped. Both Spurs and Manchester United are good examples this year. Both have long unbeaten runs as you say, but stagnant draws instead of pushing on for wins cost them both.
In many cases, long unbeaten runs can mean **** all. It's 3 points for the win you know....

Spurs have only had two unbeaten run of any notable length, both 9 games long. The most recent was played 9 won 9. The other was played 9 won 7 drew 2 (away to Sunderland and City). Draws on unbeaten runs was not what cost Spurs, it was an average enough first half of the season

The game before that first unbeaten run they lost at OT. They were in 5th place and 10 points behind Chelsea after 15 games. They fact they've got as close as they did is a good effort given the first half they had (Chelsea were in the middle of their record run at the time.)

tanko

Eddie Howe talking through his hole on MOTD about Harry Arters tackle. Horrific tackle, how is that not a red card. Joe Allen lucky not to get his leg broken.

monkey9

Tottenham weren't really in any title race anyway to bottle anything. That title has been Chelsea's to lose from a long way out.

Spurs have had a fantastic season and they just lost a game last night after a terrific run of results. Ridiculous to be claiming they bottled anything.

Shanotheslayer

The Talking Bread wrote: »

I wasn't getting defensive, not in an emotional manner anyway! It isn't the most sensitive of topics for me personally!!

Just explaining my post in case you misinterpreted it!

I actually am going to stick a tiny fiver on them at 12/1. Can't find any better odds? Realistically, it will take a bit of asking, but by my logic it is not the most absurd of wagers!

They're as high as 20/1

Skybet have them in 18/1

https://www.oddschecker.com/football/english/premier-league/relegation

martyos121

Just seen that starting next Friday, there's 7 consecutive days of live PL football on Sky Sports. That'll do nicely.

The Talking Bread

Shanotheslayer wrote: »

The Talking Bread wrote: »

I wasn't getting defensive, not in an emotional manner anyway! It isn't the most sensitive of topics for me personally!!

Just explaining my post in case you misinterpreted it!

I actually am going to stick a tiny fiver on them at 12/1. Can't find any better odds? Realistically, it will take a bit of asking, but by my logic it is not the most absurd of wagers!

They're as high as 20/1

Skybet have them in 18/1

https://www.oddschecker.com/football/english/premier-league/relegation

That was AFTER yesterday's fixtures! Look at the time of my post!

PhilipsR

martyos121 wrote: »

Just seen that starting next Friday, there's 7 consecutive days of live PL football on Sky Sports. That'll do nicely.

Not when probably half of them are now duds. Especially from Mon-Thurs.

Chelsea

https://twitter.com/ManUtd_HQ/status/861228047856529409

Wonder will the FA get the finger out?
Doubt it....

ricero

Manchester United

Ah jasus

Chelsea

Can't decide to have one rule one day and not apply it another day. No consistency.

ArmaniJeanss

M!Ck^ wrote: »

Can't decide to have one rule one day and not apply it another day. No consistency.

One difference is that Klopp is always all apologetic to the 4th official 10 seconds later and manages to diffuse the situation with a toothy grin and some friendly body language, whereas Jose keeps the argument bubbling for the next 6 hours. This helps him (JK) avoid being sent to the stands and/or disrepute charge.

MD1990

Agree 100% with Phil Neville.
PL has been very poor this season

https://twitter.com/BBCMOTD/status/861346730578558976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.balls.ie%2Ffootball%2Fphil-neville-disgusted-premier-league-364549

5starpool

Manchester United

Poor utd. Everything is a conspiracy. Woe is you.

callaway92

Manchester United

MD1990 wrote: »

Agree 100% with Phil Neville.
PL has been very poor this season

https://twitter.com/BBCMOTD/status/861346730578558976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.balls.ie%2Ffootball%2Fphil-neville-disgusted-premier-league-364549

It has been garbage

5starpool

Chelsea

5starpool wrote: »

Poor utd. Everything is a conspiracy. Woe is you.

Tbf that's not what I said

GavRedKing

Chelsea

M!Ck^ wrote: »

Can't decide to have one rule one day and not apply it another day. No consistency.

Its the FA, theyre pretty inept, especailly when it comes to consistency.

Dirty Dingus McGee

callaway92 wrote: »

It has been garbage

The standard across the league is incredibly poor this year evidenced by the massive gap from Everton to West Brom in 8th.The standard at the top has improved a bit from last year but overall it's been another poor enough year unfortunately.

callaway92

Manchester United

Dirty Dingus McGee wrote: »

The standard across the league is incredibly poor this year evidenced by the massive gap from Everton to West Brom in 8th.The standard at the top has improved a bit from last year but overall it's been another poor enough year unfortunately.

What hit me too (and it's almost becoming a bit of a cliché at this stage) was that there was literally no bite in the Arsenal v Man U match yesterday. It's all gone a bit soft.

ERG89

MD1990 wrote: »

Agree 100% with Phil Neville.
PL has been very poor this season

Its not only this season, last season Leicester went from relegation candidates to winning it. A nice story but it said so much. Its actually strange the more money they pump in the quality hasn't gone up.

Dirty Dingus McGee

ERG89 wrote: »

Its not only this season, last season Leicester went from relegation candidates to winning it. A nice story but it said so much. Its actually strange the more money they pump in the quality hasn't gone up.

This just results in inflated prices being paid for players.The clubs on the continent must have been jumping for joy when they saw the EPL's new TV deal and realized they could stick them for way more money for mediocre players.

There is only a limited number of high quality players and they all want to play in the champions league so the mediocre clubs are going to be left with pretty much the same quality of player they have always had except they will just cost much more than in the past.

rob316

Spurs and Chelsea are the best the league have to offer, they would be beaten by the top 2 or 3 in Spain, Germany, Italy I reckon.

The standard is so poor and you only have to look at some of the encounters of the Top 6 which have been exceptionally poor and bereft of quality.

Iused2likebusts

Barcelona and real Madrid would stroll to the title if in england. The argument always trotted out is that there are no easy games like in Spain. The reason is because the top English teams aren't that good.

Arghus

It's amazing that given the dominance in Europe by Spanish sides over the last few years people still fall back onto the La Liga being a mickey mouse league argument.

greendom

rob316 wrote: »

Spurs and Chelsea are the best the league have to offer, they would be beaten by the top 2 or 3 in Spain, Germany, Italy I reckon.

The standard is so poor and you only have to look at some of the encounters of the Top 6 which have been exceptionally poor and bereft of quality.

you could add France to that - Monaco proved it by comfortably dispatching Spurs this season

Lukker-

Experience counts on the European stage, it's why it took so long for City to actually get past the knockout stages. People love to sh*t on Spurs but they have a small young squad who do lack a bit in that area. The fact that they do so well in league is more of an indictment on how badly mismanaged clubs like United, City, Arsenal and to a lesser extent even Liverpool.

Clubs are never going to dominate in England the way they do in Germany or Spain, the split is more even and you go into each season now not knowing what order the top 6 will be, just look at the voting for this thread as proof.

Neville is bored with the PL because he's bored of watching United and equates them doing poorly with poor health overall.

rob316

M!Ck^ wrote: »

https://twitter.com/ManUtd_HQ/status/861228047856529409

Wonder will the FA get the finger out?
Doubt it....

He was trying to make the pitch less dry

Jurgen Klopp blames 'dry pitch' as Liverpool labour in the sunshine
'We gave it all the water we had' declares Reds boss

irishman86

rob316 wrote: »

Spurs and Chelsea are the best the league have to offer, they would be beaten by the top 2 or 3 in Spain, Germany, Italy I reckon.

The standard is so poor and you only have to look at some of the encounters of the Top 6 which have been exceptionally poor and bereft of quality.

Top 3 in Spain possibly but outside Munich/Juve they wouldnt
Dortmund arent better than Chelsea, maybe on the same level as Spurs
Italy doesnt have the standard in depth to match any of the top 6 clubs in England

irishman86

Arghus wrote: »

It's amazing that given the dominance in Europe by Spanish sides over the last few years people still fall back onto the La Liga being a mickey mouse league argument.

Its not so much a mickey mouse league, more the gap between Barca/Real and the rest is a chasm
Doesnt mean the league is weak

ERG89

irishman86 wrote: »

Italy doesnt have the standard in depth to match any of the top 6 clubs in England

I think right now Napoli would beat most of the PL top 6 despite their own flaws and a bonus are very good to watch.

blueser

Carragher's voice getting higher by the second. The local dogs are going mad around here!

ricero

Manchester United

blueser wrote: »

Carragher's voice getting higher by the second. The local dogs are going mad around here!

Neville with the red goggles on there, a bit too nice to jose