General Premier League Thread - 2017/2018

KingdomYid

Agent Coulson wrote: »

The former Arsenal youth player?

Haha your disdain for all things Spurs is really amusing at this stage :pac:

Esse85

Absolutely shambolic defending from Delaney there. Comes on for the last 5 mins, experienced player, and let's Kane get a free header. No wonder he hasn't gotten a game in 4 months.

Kirby

Esse85 wrote: »

Absolutely shambolic defending from Delaney there. Comes on for the last 5 mins, experienced player, and let's Kane get a free header. No wonder he hasn't gotten a game in 4 months.

Yup. Awful stuff. He's on his last legs for sure. Though in fairness, its Harry Kane. Delaney isnt the first defender to lose out to him.

And with Wayne Hennessey in goal, one of the worst keepers to ever play premier league football (inclduing Taibi).....you are going to concede goals. Case in point, makes a good save to tip round the post. A minute later? Remembers he's Wayne Hennessey and comes for a ball he gets absolutely nowhere near.

bill66

Agent Coulson wrote: »

The former Arsenal youth player?

Just to put the stupidity of this post in to perspective. Harry Kane trained for a few months at the age of 8 with Woolwich wanderers before being let go for being non athletic and overweight. It's clear who the losers are here.

Agent Coulson

Liverpool

bill66 wrote: »

Just to put the stupidity of this post in to perspective. Harry Kane trained for a few months at the age of 8 with Woolwich wanderers before being let go for being non athletic and overweight. It's clear who the losers are here.

So he was a former Arsenal youth player for one season before joining Spurs then so I am stating a fact.

Didn't he also fail his first trial at Spurs for the same reasons?


Where did I say Arsenal weren't losers I have admired Kane for years in fact I was calling for Liverpool to sign him while he was being sent out on loan by Spurs many times when it seemed no one at Spurs rated him.

Probably the only good thing Sherwood did as manager at Spurs was giving Kane the chance.

davycc

Man City

Sky just said spurs should have had a stonewall first half penalty for a foul on Davies but the ref missed it or bottled it, I'll have to wait till Motd tonight to see eventually

Gbear

Liverpool

Utd have looked like they don't give a ****e. That goal came out of nothing and Utd have been septic.

Willian really is a gem. I still think Chelsea will win this. They've looked very sharp.

Berserker

Gbear wrote: »

Willian really is a gem. I still think Chelsea will win this. They've looked very sharp.

Would make the race for the top four really interesting if they could pull off the win. Hope they do it.

Gbear

Liverpool

Huge improvement from Utd this half. Mourinho must have given them a bollicking

Unearthly

Everton

shamrock55 wrote: »

Liverpool going 2nd and I think it's where they will stay tbh

Oops took you less than 24 hours to be wrong

shamrock55

Unearthly wrote: »

Oops took you less than 24 hours to be wrong

Well it was dependent on today's result obviously,I'd still fancy Liverpool for 2nd though

bill66

Agent Coulson wrote: »

So he was a former Arsenal youth player for one season before joining Spurs then so I am stating a fact.

Didn't he also fail his first trial at Spurs for the same reasons?


Where did I say Arsenal weren't losers I have admired Kane for years in fact I was calling for Liverpool to sign him while he was being sent out on loan by Spurs many times when it seemed no one at Spurs rated him.

Probably the only good thing Sherwood did as manager at Spurs was giving Kane the chance.

You are wrong and it is not a fact at all. No one can sign a Youth contract at a Premiere league club until they are 16. Between the ages of 9 and 16 they can sign associate schoolboy forms.

Harry Kane took part in what the woolwich call development groups for players under 9. The idea that he played Youth football for Woolwich is absurd.

I can only imagine the overuse of this non fact is a sad attempt to somehow downplay the work that Spurs have done in developing such a great player.

Agent Coulson

Liverpool

bill66 wrote: »

You are wrong and it is not a fact at all. No one can sign a Youth contract at a Premiere league club until they are 16. Between the ages of 9 and 16 they can sign associate schoolboy forms.

Harry Kane took part in what the woolwich call development groups for players under 9. The idea that he played Youth football for Woolwich is absurd.

I can only imagine the overuse of this non fact is a sad attempt to somehow downplay the work that Spurs have done in developing such a great player.

I guess Wenger is wrong as well.

But to be honest these days that doesn't surprise me at all.

Arsène Wenger has admitted he did not know whether to laugh or cry when he discovered last season that Harry Kane had been on Arsenal’s books as an eight-year-old.

The manager said he found out via the newspapers, having been unaware at the time and he promptly asked questions behind the scenes as to how Kane could have got away to join Tottenham Hotspur, who his club host in Sunday’s derby at the Emirates Stadium.

“I didn’t know, I read it in the papers,” Wenger said. “I found it quite funny, you know, and you are always a bit angry as well because I asked: ‘Why did he go?’ But at that age, boys can move here and there.”

Kane spent a year at the Arsenal academy before they let him go and he was also rejected by Tottenham before they took him on at the age of 11

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/nov/06/arsene-wenger-arsenal-tottenham-harry-kane

Unearthly

Unearthly wrote: »

Oops took you less than 24 hours to be wrong

Daring to dream again

johnpatrick81

Spurs with more diving, Alli again. Shearer and Jenas giving him plenty of stick at least.

Rekop dog

Spurs

Wonder how many games next weekend will fall victim to the weather. You'd imagine major disruptions.

Mitch Connor

Looks like from the 19/20 season there is going to be a winter break.

FA Fifth round to be all midweek with no replays to facilitate it.

THink I read it will be the first two weeks in Feb. Would have though it was more 'needed' in early January after the busy festive period.

Still a couple of week (or a week) warm weather training will do most clubs some good, if they are professional about it. I also imagine we will see friendlies being played, and people whinging about it - but a friendly is completely different in term of intensity, and the reality is they would need to play a match to keep their sharpness us with the CL fixtures (for example) starting up very quickly after the break is over.

ERG89

Hasn't the FA Cup been a winter break in all but name. Most of the time there isn't a need to pick a strong side even if you are a championship team. I'd rather they drop the league cup and start the FA cup earlier or drop the league to 18 teams but neither of those will happen as TV companies want airtime to be filled more than anything.

Agent Coulson

Liverpool

Two weeks is to long and February is to late I would think myself.

GavRedKing

Liverpool

February is far too late for a break, IMO.

They wouldnt shift around the PL Xmas games because its far too lucrative in terms of viewership numbers, I'd imagine.

Benimar

Mitch Connor wrote: »

Looks like from the 19/20 season there is going to be a winter break.

FA Fifth round to be all midweek with no replays to facilitate it.

THink I read it will be the first two weeks in Feb. Would have though it was more 'needed' in early January after the busy festive period.

Still a couple of week (or a week) warm weather training will do most clubs some good, if they are professional about it. I also imagine we will see friendlies being played, and people whinging about it - but a friendly is completely different in term of intensity, and the reality is they would need to play a match to keep their sharpness us with the CL fixtures (for example) starting up very quickly after the break is over.

This is true. However, these friendlies don't need to be played in Singapore, Abu Dhabi, Los Angeles etc.

Thats my issue with it. OK, the intensity is less than a league game, but travelling half way round the world is a bit different to an away trip to Huddersfield.

brianregan09

Man Utd

Also wouldn't this mess with champions league preparation for the big sides aswell

GavRedKing

Liverpool

The PL will be the only decent league on a "winter" break at that stage.

They might do warm weather camps but they wont be playing top quality sides in friendlies.

It will basically be a few days off with the club or their families.

Mitch Connor

Benimar wrote: »

This is true. However, these friendlies don't need to be played in Singapore, Abu Dhabi, Los Angeles etc.

Thats my issue with it. OK, the intensity is less than a league game, but travelling half way round the world is a bit different to an away trip to Huddersfield.

A bit of warm weather training in those places would be a good change of pace for the clubs though - so fitting in a friendly at the same time, in those places, makes sense imo.

Just look at United a few weeks ago - they had a decent break between games with the way the FA Cup played out, so they went for some warm weather training (without the friendly). I would assume United will look to do the same with this break - head off somewhere warm for some more relaxed training and tactical work.

I would be surprised if sides were staying in England and travelling just for the friendly match and back again, that would be a bit silly.

GavRedKing

Liverpool

Mitch Connor wrote: »

A bit of warm weather training in those places would be a good change of pace for the clubs though - so fitting in a friendly at the same time, in those places, makes sense imo.

Just look at United a few weeks ago - they had a decent break between games with the way the FA Cup played out, so they went for some warm weather training (without the friendly). I would assume United will look to do the same with this break - head off somewhere warm for some more relaxed training and tactical work.

I would be surprised if sides were staying in England and travelling just for the friendly match and back again, that would be a bit silly.

This is what will happen for nearly every club.

If theyre a off for a few days, pack up and head to Dubai or the Canaries and get in warm weather training.

Trigger

Liverpool

No hope of the TV companies giving up the festive period anyways.. earlybJanuary after that period would have been better suited, let the clubs reenergise after it

Fitz*

They'll end up playing against 2nd division/ bottom half 1st division Spanish or Italian teams who are out of their respective cups. Spain & Italy have majority of their cup games midweek don't they?

ArmaniJeanss

FitzShane wrote: »

They'll end up playing against 2nd division/ bottom half 1st division Spanish or Italian teams who are out of their respective cups. Spain & Italy have majority of their cup games midweek don't they?

There's almost zero money in such a friendly (no attendance, no viewership seeing as there's actual competitive matches on elsewhere), so no point playing it.

Fitz*

ArmaniJeanss wrote: »

There's almost zero money in such a friendly (no attendance, no viewership seeing as there's actual competitive matches on elsewhere), so no point playing it.

Not exactly.

If the break is being used as a training camp as it should be, then what does it matter if there is no attendance or money made for it. It is a friendly game to keep players fresh and honing tactics. It is not there to make money.

If clubs want to make money, let them feck off to USA and play a friendly there, but will probably be worse off because of it when the league returns.

Benimar

GavRedKing wrote: »

This is what will happen for nearly every club.

If theyre a off for a few days, pack up and head to Dubai or the Canaries and get in warm weather training.

There is a big difference between a few days in the Canaries (shorter flight, 1 hour time difference) to going somewhere like LA or Singapore to play a 'glamour' friendly.

I've no issue with them playing a friendly in Tenerife to keep match fit, my fear is the break will be used as a revenue generating exercise.

Guy:Incognito

Squads are plenty big enough to rotate players 1or 2 at a time and give players a week off here and there. If the players coming in aren't deemed good enough to rotate in then why have them in the squad in the first place

citytillidie

ERG89 wrote: »

Hasn't the FA Cup been a winter break in all but name. Most of the time there isn't a need to pick a strong side even if you are a championship team. I'd rather they drop the league cup and start the FA cup earlier or drop the league to 18 teams but neither of those will happen as TV companies want airtime to be filled more than anything.

FA Cup starts in August

Mitch Connor

Benimar wrote: »

There is a big difference between a few days in the Canaries (shorter flight, 1 hour time difference) to going somewhere like LA or Singapore to play a 'glamour' friendly.

I've no issue with them playing a friendly in Tenerife to keep match fit, my fear is the break will be used as a revenue generating exercise.

We just had United go to Dubai for a few days when they had a week or so without a game. Lukaku has gone to New York for his three days off this week.

Both trips done without a big money spinning friendly - and more so in the case of the team trip to Dubai (obviously) United didn't feel like the travel would be a problem.

Harry Palmr

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/feb/27/premier-league-winter-break-fa-cup-switch-agreed

GavRedKing

Liverpool

Benimar wrote: »

There is a big difference between a few days in the Canaries (shorter flight, 1 hour time difference) to going somewhere like LA or Singapore to play a 'glamour' friendly.

I've no issue with them playing a friendly in Tenerife to keep match fit, my fear is the break will be used as a revenue generating exercise.

I cant see it happening, clubs will go for the break, theyve wanted a "break" for some time now and with the pre/post season now littered with money making games, they wont risk travelling for 2 or 3 days of their week off to play in a game against an Asian XI or the likes.

citytillidie

Saturday 7 April
17:30 Man City v Man Utd (Sky Sports)
*subject to participation of PL Clubs in the UEFA Champions League the following Tuesday

Sunday 8 April
14:15 Everton v Liverpool (Sky Sports)
*subject to Liverpool's involvement in the UEFA Champions League the following Tuesday
16:30 Chelsea v West Ham (Sky Sports)
*subject to Chelsea's involvement in the UEFA Champions League the following Tuesday

Monday 9 April
20:00 Arsenal v Southampton (Sky Sports)

Saturday 14 April
12:30 Southampton v Chelsea (Sky Sports)
17:30 Liverpool v AFC Bournemouth (BT Sport)
19:45 Spurs v Man City (Sky Sports)

Sunday 15 April
13:30 Newcastle v Arsenal (Sky Sports)
16:00 Man Utd v West Brom (Sky Sports)

Monday 16 April
20:00 West Ham v Stoke (Sky Sports)

Friday 20 April
20:00 Brighton v Spurs (Sky Sports)
*subject to possible FA Cup semi-final participation

Saturday 21 April
17:30 AFC Bournemouth v Man Utd (BT Sport)
*subject to possible FA Cup semi-final participation

Sunday 22 April
14:15 West Brom v Liverpool (Sky Sports)
*subject to Liverpool's involvement in the UEFA Champions League the following Tuesday
16:30 Man City v Swansea (Sky Sports)
*subject to Swansea's involvement in FA Cup semi-finals and Man City's involvement in the UEFA Champions League the following Tuesday

Monday 23 April
20:00 Arsenal v West Ham (Sky Sports)

Saturday 28 April
12:30 Liverpool v Stoke (Sky Sports)
*subject to participation of PL Clubs in the UEFA Champions League the following Tuesday
17:30 Swansea v Chelsea (BT Sport)

Sunday 29 April
14:15 West Ham v Man City (Sky Sports)
*subject to Man City's involvement in the UEFA Champions League the following Tuesday
16:30 Man Utd v Arsenal (Sky Sports)
*subject to Man Utd's involvement in the UEFA Champions League the following Tuesday

Monday 30 April
20:00 Spurs v Watford (Sky Sports)
*subject to Spurs' involvement in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals

To be confirmed

It is envisaged that matches taking place on the weekend of 7-8 April which are subject to UEFA Champions League quarter-final participation and the below postponed matches will be confirmed/re-scheduled on or around 19 March.

Leicester v Arsenal
Swansea v Southampton
Burnley v Chelsea
West Ham v Man Utd
Man City v Brighton

beya2009

Someone was telling me that the idea the premier league is extremely competitive is exaggerated when you have a team in Man City already 13 points clear and probably will go 16 points clear after tomorrow. But I think Man City have just been on another level and no doubt in my mind they would be top in any of the top european leagues. Whether the gap would be as big as potentially 16 points is another story. As for competitiveness of the league...again in my view this league is by far the most competitive simply because fight for top 4 more competitive than ever and top 6 teams in the league far stronger than any other league. Probably why English teams have struggled in champions league in the past few seasons then again counter argument to that is the league has got much richer with the tv deal so the top clubs have more money than ever to spend.

Iused2likebusts

Liverpool

beya2009 wrote: »

Someone was telling me that the idea the premier league is extremely competitive is exaggerated when you have a team in Man City already 13 points clear and probably will go 16 points clear after tomorrow. But I think Man City have just been on another level and no doubt in my mind they would be top in any of the top european leagues. Whether the gap would be as big as potentially 16 points is another story. As for competitiveness of the league...again in my view this league is by far the most competitive simply because fight for top 4 more competitive than ever and top 6 teams in the league far stronger than any other league. Probably why English teams have struggled in champions league in the past few seasons then again counter argument to that is the league has got much richer with the tv deal so the top clubs have more money than ever to spend.

Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern would have had a man city type season in nearly every season in the past 5 if they were in the PL. In england they finally have a team at the level those teams have been at the last few years and its no surprise they are steamrolling through the league.

beya2009

Iused2likebusts wrote: »

Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern would have had a man city type season in nearly every season in the past 5 if they were in the PL. In england they finally have a team at the level those teams have been at the last few years and its no surprise they are steamrolling through the league.

Fair point but do you not think in other leagues, say Spain for example that the bottom half of teams generally are too weak and just pack it in too easily against the big 2 in Spain? I'm not too sure how Barca would get on against a team like Stoke (let's just pretend their in good form lol) on a cold wet day in Stoke-on-Trent lol

Skylinehead

beya2009 wrote: »

Fair point but do you not think in other leagues, say Spain for example that the bottom half of teams generally are too weak and just pack it in too easily against the big 2 in Spain? I'm not too sure how Barca would get on against a team like Stoke (let's just pretend their in good form lol) on a cold wet day in Stoke-on-Trent lol

The clear and massive gap between the top 6 and bottom 14 suggests that the lower sides in England aren't nearly as good as they're mooted to be. Look at their performances in the Europa League, West Ham, Everton, Southampton, dumped out early on in the last few years.

Mitch Connor

Skylinehead wrote: »

The clear and massive gap between the top 6 and bottom 14 suggests that the lower sides in England aren't nearly as good as they're mooted to be. Look at their performances in the Europa League, West Ham, Everton, Southampton, dumped out early on in the last few years.

Part of that is down to the clubs not trying, at all, to progress, in those competitions. I think if they treated it as a priority, they would do a lot better. I'm not saying they would win it, but the performances aren't a full picture of the quality imo.

Also, West Ham were stinking in the league at the same time too - if they played to the same level that qualified them they may have done better in the competition (and in the league)

Fitz*

Skylinehead wrote: »

The clear and massive gap between the top 6 and bottom 14 suggests that the lower sides in England aren't nearly as good as they're mooted to be. Look at their performances in the Europa League, West Ham, Everton, Southampton, dumped out early on in the last few years.

Mitch Connor wrote: »

Part of that is down to the clubs not trying, at all, to progress, in those competitions. I think if they treated it as a priority, they would do a lot better. I'm not saying they would win it, but the performances aren't a full picture of the quality imo.

Also, West Ham were stinking in the league at the same time too - if they played to the same level that qualified them they may have done better in the competition (and in the league)

I think a lot is down to mentality myself. So many fans of certain teams and pundits like Gary Neville especially, and then his copycats afterwards, keep calling the Europa League "a distraction", and other similar names.

They put out this perception that the competition is not good enough and that it is beneath English clubs. They put out the perception that a second string team should be played in it. They put out the perception that it will hamper your league position.

And then fans start to believe it. What is the point in someone like Southampton or Everton etc working hard all season and getting 7th and being rewarded by getting a European place, only to then turn around and not try a leg in it so you can concentrate on your league form, only to do the same again next season.

I know that certain pundits use the stat that X amount of teams perform worse in the league they year they compete in the EL, but of a lot of the teams used in that stat are the likes of West Ham, Newcastle, Southampton etc who sold good players and were just having worse seasons anyways, but are choosing to 'blame' Europa League for it.

beya2009

FitzShane wrote: »

I think a lot is down to mentality myself.

Spot on. Even Mourinho has been belittled the competition in the past but I'm sure his tone changed when it helped them get back to champions league lol Other leagues takes it seriously. A team like Atletico and Sevilla have enjoyed success and even Atletico who dropped back to this competition will go out to win it.

Wrongway1985

beya2009 wrote: »

Spot on. Even Mourinho has been belittled the competition in the past but I'm sure his tone changed when it helped them get back to champions league lol Other leagues takes it seriously. A team like Atletico and Sevilla have enjoyed success and even Atletico who dropped back to this competition will go out to win it.

Mourinho also had his side not commit themselves against a team 30 points behind Barcelona :eek:

Goes without saying more refreshing when a team shows up in everything they contest, would find it strange many supporters would rather not win a cup today in favor of just qualifying for a competition where the task may potentially be beyond them next year.

Napoli had more than enough for RB Leipzig but threw it in the team selection for the first leg, Sarri will look stupid if they don't get the league title over the line.

niallo27

Arsenal

Is this game on tonight.

Lucas Hood

niallo27 wrote: »

Is this game on tonight.

Yeah so far anyway.

ArmaniJeanss

citytillidie wrote: »

Saturday 14 April
19:45 Spurs v Man City (Sky Sports)

That's quite a Saturday night treat, must admit I thought the Saturday night games in the new TV deal from 2019/20 would be poor fixtures but if that's anything to go by......

Harry Palmr

So then Arsenal v City v Snow.

Arsenal XI: Cech, Bellerin, Koscielny, Mustafi, Kolasinac, Xhaka, Mkhitaryan, Ramsey, Ozil, Aubameyang, Welbeck.

Man City XI: Ederson, Walker, Danilo, Kompany, Otamendi, B Silva, Gundogan, D Silva, De Bruyne, Sane, Aguero.

Trigger

Liverpool

Dizzy Welbz to steal the show in his portrayal of Bambi on ice

Everton

Wenger needs some sort of reaction.

Emirates will go into meltdown if they get thrashed I suspect