General Premier League Thread - 2017/2018

duffman13

Tom Mann Centuria wrote: »

Intimidating atmosphere at Vicarage Road though, I think Chelsea players probably feared for their lives. Plus Watford are a quality side who will be challenging (with Chelsea the way they things are going) for a top 12 finish.

You'd a few players who looked to have downed tools at the end of that game. Luiz in particular looks like he couldn't give a ****e what happened st the end

Harry Palmr

Last 5 Form table - Bournemouth 2nd!

Tom Mann Centuria

Liverpool

Chelsea ineptitude gives the other also rans something to chat about whilst they look at Manchester City disappear into the distance. So it's like a public service.

theballz

MD1990 wrote: »

Sounds like Conte has had enough at Chelsea.

Yeah I think so too. He looked completely deflated, the players have downed tools again but the manager will get the axe

Harry Palmr

Players never play better than their manager, fact. There is no such thing as a good side with a ****/angry/distracted/unhappy manager. The corollary does not apply of course.

fyfe79

Giroud's not had a good week, has he?

Swansea 3 Arsenal 1
Chelsea 0 Bournemouth 3
Watford 4 Chelsea 1

Beaten by Swansea, Bournemouth and Watford. All within a week. Let that sink in.

Turtwig

You really have to wonder if Jose tilted Conte? Their form has gone on a cliff since sometime around that exchange.

~Rebel~

Turtwig wrote: »

You really have to wonder if Jose tilted Conte? Their form has gone on a cliff since sometime around that exchange.

Dunno, I think way too much emphasis and narrative space is given to these 'mind games' all the time.

It's one thing when one player gets in another players head in direct competition with each other... but does a player particularly give a toss about two managers having a fairly tame verbal joust?

Conte's mood is of course something that could translate to the team a bit, but I suspect his mood was more affected by Chelsea's January business than some bollocks spouted by Jose.

theballz

Turtwig wrote: »

You really have to wonder if Jose tilted Conte? Their form has gone on a cliff since sometime around that exchange.

Jose is simply noise so it’s doubtful. It’s the lack of control outside of the changing room that will be every managers down fall at Chelsea. From what Conte is saying (and he has been extremely vocal) he has little say in transfers. When thinks aren’t going right that has to be frustrating

The team Conte puts out is average at best, the way he sets the team up gets the best out of nobody.

theballz

~Rebel~ wrote: »

Dunno, I think way too much emphasis and narrative space is given to these 'mind games' all the time.

It's one thing when one player gets in another players head in direct competition with each other... but does a player particularly give a toss about two managers having a fairly tame verbal joust?

Conte's mood is of course something that could translate to the team a bit, but I suspect his mood was more affected by Chelsea's January business than some bollocks spouted by Jose.

This exactly.

Liam McPoyle

Cowardly stuff from Lallana last night, grabbing little more than a kid by the throat from behind, I wonder would he try the same thing with someone like Matic or Luiz.

Turtwig

Turtwig wrote: »

You really have to wonder if Jose tilted Conte? Their form has gone on a cliff since sometime around that exchange.

He should have tried it on Pep being the mind game genius he is.

I'd say managers just roll their eyes when they hear Mourinho moaning.

Giggsy11

RoboKlopp wrote: »

He should have tried it on Pep being the mind game genius he is.

I'd say managers just roll their eyes when they hear Mourinho moaning.

And laugh their asses off when they hear Klopp moaning about some broadcasting company conspired against them or lineman wanted to be some kind of hero, or moaning about wind in Southampton or plymouth population defending the box.

Quick. Mourinhio was criticised. Criticise Klopp.


The two of them are full of ****.

Trigger

Liverpool

All managers talk ****e to take away from their teams performances..

It’s just a humorous coincidence that Contes demise started at the same time as they started chatting shît

Giggsy11

astradave wrote: »

All managers talk ****e to take away from their teams performances..

It’s just a humorous coincidence that Contes demise started at the same time as they started chatting shît

Funny thing is, it was all started by 1 journalist who said it was directed at Conte.

Don't think it had anything to do with results though, from the start of the season there was lot of noise behind the scenes that Conte felt he wasn't backed enough.

ERG89

~Rebel~ wrote:

Conte's mood is of course something that could translate to the team a bit, but I suspect his mood was more affected by Chelsea's January business than some bollocks spouted by Jose.

He joined Chelsea thinking it would allow him to compete financially at a higher level than Juve who sell to buy but quickly discovered even when money is spent it rarely was from his own input. Wanted Sandro got Alonso, wanted Bonucci got David Luiz & wanted Llorente a year ago but got nobody until Giroud joined recently who he didn't even play last night. I doubt he was happy last summer when they got Drinkwater & Barkley who looks short of everything since he joined. Not sure how much Hazard or Courtois want to sign a new contract either as they see the trend managerially & they also sold 2 of the best performing players in the league so it's not been a great season but they're still in the top 4 after this run.

gucci

~Rebel~ wrote: »

Dunno, I think way too much emphasis and narrative space is given to these 'mind games' all the time.

It's one thing when one player gets in another players head in direct competition with each other... but does a player particularly give a toss about two managers having a fairly tame verbal joust?

Conte's mood is of course something that could translate to the team a bit, but I suspect his mood was more affected by Chelsea's January business than some bollocks spouted by Jose.

This exactly, I'm sure all the managers are pretty competitive with each other and do things to piss each other off, but generally speaking they know all the talk is just BS designed to fill air space and promote the game to try and manage the narrative of the press for the fans.

I compare most of the press stuff to WWE type storylines, deep down you know they are all laughing to themselves at home lying on their bed made from money wondering how the flip they manage to absolutely cream millions per year for a glorified babysitting/ marketing job that they also have the perk of having ring side seats to 60 top level games a year.

theoneeyedman

fyfe79 wrote: »

Giroud's not had a good week, has he?

Swansea 3 Arsenal 1
Chelsea 0 Bournemouth 3
Watford 4 Chelsea 1

Beaten by Swansea, Bournemouth and Watford. All within a week. Let that sink in.

Probably pocketed a few million in his signing on fee, and penned a new contract at Chelsea, so he'll get over it I suspect.

fyfe79

Everton

fyfe79 wrote: »

Giroud's not had a good week, has he?

Swansea 3 Arsenal 1
Chelsea 0 Bournemouth 3
Watford 4 Chelsea 1

Beaten by Swansea, Bournemouth and Watford. All within a week. Let that sink in.

TBf to him he actually helped Chelsea somewhat when he came on last night. He created space for Hazard by getting in behind the defenders.
Yes they failed miserably after that but I wouldn't be blaming him.
He will be grand anyway as I agree above, more mon more fun.

Harry Palmr

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/42954835

The Premier League is considering introducing a winter break when a television rights deal is next agreed.

The top leagues in Germany, France, Italy and Spain all take time out in mid-season.

The Football Association has previously said a winter break is not feasible until the end of the current television deal in 2019.

Talks have been ongoing for several months and are understood to have been constructive.

A January break has been under discussion, so if it gets agreed it would not impact on the traditional festive football schedule.

An announcement on the next Premier League TV rights is expected next week. The league is seeking an increase on the current £5.14bn deal which includes 168 live matches a season, with Sky holding five packages of games and BT two.

The prospect of a winter break is referenced in the tender documents that have been sent to broadcasters. The next TV deal will cover 2019 to 2022.

Trigger

Liverpool

Harry Palmr wrote: »

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/42954835

Tv companies will never go with that.. most of their advertising is centred around the Christmas period.. last year was a game a day from Dec 4th to Jan 3rd..

citytillidie

astradave wrote: »

Tv companies will never go with that.. most of their advertising is centred around the Christmas period.. last year was a game a day from Dec 4th to Jan 3rd..

I say they would do it after the 3rd round the the FA Cup, they should get rid of cup replays and just have it winner takes all on the day.

If a smaller team is drawn at home to a big team they can either host the game and hope for a giant kill or switch the game and hope for a big pay day.

Harry Palmr

Exactly! It'll be 3rd round and then two weekends off.

Quite why this is considered so hard to do beats me - Drop LC two legged semi finals, drop FA Cup replays. Loads of space. I'd nearly say drop 2 sides from the Prem as well but I think it would not be a good thing. 20 is fine.

Tom Mann Centuria

Liverpool

FA Cup replay is huge financially and as an event for many lower league/non league teams, no reason why the poor downtrodden Premier league team's with their resources can't cope.

Have a winter break for the top flight, maybe more people might go to their local league team for a couple of weeks and boost their coffers.

FA has bent over and taken it from the Premier league for years, they should protect the interest of the rest of football as well.

finno

https://twitter.com/_pauljoyce/status/960933292496375808

Harry Palmr

They really will sign anyone.

Trigger

Liverpool

I really don’t know how Moyes sees that as a good move especially after seeing Evra’s age kick in during his season at United..

martyos121

Liverpool

I’d love to see him go to West Ham actually. Dying to see what’d happen if he tried to kick one of their fans.

theoneeyedman

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Exactly! It'll be 3rd round and then two weekends off.

Quite why this is considered so hard to do beats me - Drop LC two legged semi finals, drop FA Cup replays. Loads of space. I'd nearly say drop 2 sides from the Prem as well but I think it would not be a good thing. 20 is fine.

It's badly needed tbh. Top EPL sides need time mid season to travel to Asia and America to play their money generating friendlies. Isn't there a winter break planned for 2022 for the World Cup in Qatar as well.

Agent Coulson

Liverpool

Wenger the English players are now the masters of diving.

https://twitter.com/BBCMOTD/status/961599911031689217

Lukker-

Fierce handy for City now that Mahrez won't play vs them. Mahrez has pretty much refused to train for the entire duration of Sane's supposedly lengthy injury.

Giggsy11

Lukker- wrote: »

Fierce handy for City now that Mahrez won't play vs them. Mahrez has pretty much refused to train for the entire duration of Sane's supposedly lengthy injury.

According to Sky and BBC he is training with the team today.

Lukker-

Giggsy11 wrote: »

According to Sky and BBC he is training with the team today.

Yeah, still won't play vs them I don't think.

Giggsy11

Lukker- wrote: »

Yeah, still won't play vs them I don't think.

Yeah maybe will be on bench but it's just 10 days he has missed, so shouldn't be a problem when it comes to physical condition. How mentally focused he is, is a big question.

Rekop dog

Spurs

Sanchez is playing the role of a deep lying play maker for Spurs recently. Weird how centre backs are far more prevalent in this role than deep lying midfielders these days. Like Demichelis leads the league by a long way on average passes per game, would have always been a CM in the past. Umtiti similar for Barca too. Definitely a noticeable shift in how football is being played by the top sides of late.

Rekop dog

Spurs

Mkhitaryan has been dreadful in England. Wosrt player on the park by a noticeable distance today.

KERSPLAT!

Liverpool

How will spurs line out when Alderweireld is back?

theoneeyedman

Rekop dog wrote: »

Sanchez is playing the role of a deep lying play maker for Spurs recently. Weird how centre backs are far more prevalent in this role than deep lying midfielders these days. Like Demichelis leads the league by a long way on average passes per game, would have always been a CM in the past. Umtiti similar for Barca too. Definitely a noticeable shift in how football is being played by the top sides of late.

I don't know about terming it as a playmaker tbh. Most teams are playing one up top, and backing off into zonal defences when not in possession, allowing centre backs easy possession. I'd say opposition will be happy to see centre backs like sanchez with the ball at their feet, rather than a genuine playmaker like dembele, who is quality. Stats can lie here too, how many of sanchez completed passes are short, safe passes to a full back.
Real dog of a game on now in Wembley, one shot on target in the first half. Not even any real penalty winning opportunities for the Spurs yet

pudzey101

Man Utd

Rekop dog wrote: »

Mkhitaryan has been dreadful in England. Wosrt player on the park by a noticeable distance today.

To be fair Alexis was worse when utd played spurs recently and where 2-0 down within half an hour

Rekop dog

Spurs

pudzey101 wrote: »

To be fair Alexis was worse when utd played spurs recently and where 2-0 down within half an hour

I'm talking about his entire time in England not one game whereas very few have more combined goals and assists than Alexis in his time in the premier league.

Harry Palmr

Bollox, Arsenal are not winning this one now.

theoneeyedman

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Bollox, Arsenal are not winning this one now.

Brilliant header, but the defence by kochelny... Cut open again now and a bad miss by Kane.

niallo27

Arsenal

Should be two for Kane. Arsenal look a shambles.

Harry Palmr

Arsenal are in a daze.

davycc

Man City

Perfect header from Kane should have scored 3 headers by himself already.

Seven goals now in seven games v arsenal

davycc

Man City

83,222 new premiership attendance record !

niallo27

Arsenal

Spurs are a great team when they don't have the pressure of winning anything on them.

davycc

Man City

niallo27 wrote: »

Spurs are a great team when they don't have the pressure of winning anything on them.

Top banter mate

deaddonkey15

Everton

Clever bit of time wasting by Alli there.