General Premier League Thread - 2017/2018

deaddonkey15

Everton

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

He won the FA Cup last year, defeating the Premier League champions to do so, and it was his third win in four years which helped make him the most decorated FA Cup winning manager in the 147 years of the competition. If that's presiding over a "mess", everyone might as well pack it in.

No team in the league - and less than a handful in Europe - could live with City on that first half showing. They were outrageously good.

The modern fickle fan and his hyperbole will dismiss that. After all, we have Premier League title winners one season being dismissed as "past it" a season later; we have FA Cup winning - and three-time Premier League winning, and only invincible team in the league-winning - managers described as clueless by a random cockney geeza screaming "He's the devil incarnate, fam. He needs to go, innit" so that he can become an internet celebrity. And it's believed. It's why we have a sport where a guy like Marco Silva is the next superstar coach in August, and then anonymous by January. And this is seen as okay.

What's really sad is how people actually believe this. I've suggested this before - as a thought experiment write down 20 names on a piece of paper that you think are the best coaches in the world right now. Put the paper away in a drawer and come back to it a year later and see how many you think are still highly regarded. Many will now be out of work or strugglign for their careers - look at what has happened to Zidane this season, or Ranieri a few seasons back, consider Conte's stock in the game etc. What's more likely: that it's a fact of life that an elite coach only has a shelf life of quality that lasts a year, or that the sport is becoming a ridiculous revolving door of coaches who are too easily made scapegoats for the failings of others to keep the circus going?

Don't get me wrong. I don't expect this post to provide much, if any, pause for thought; after all a few days ago someone told me - in dead seriousness - that the FA Cup was a "nothing trophy". If I had to guess I'd say it will be met by most with some top notch retorts including, but not limited to, rolleyes smilies, glib 'witty' one liners that hunger for some thanks, and a couple of hilarious memes. So be it.

But in the land of the crazies, the sane man must always be the loon. And whatever we all may be, my conviction remains this: it's not Wenger and Arsenal that are the mess; it's the sport itself.

Arsenal have been in decline for about 10 years now. Regardless of how Arsenal did on Thursday, it's been clear for years that Wenger needs to be moved on from that club.

His FA Cup success is impressive, but the trophy doesn't have the same prestige as it once did. If the FA Cup was the trophy to win every season then I highly doubt Arsenal would have had as much recent success in it.

I've seen a lot of people have a go at the lads on Arsenal Fan TV and regardless of what you think of them or their lingo, they are proper fans who pay money to attend practically every game, every season - unlike the vast majority of posters here I would say. They're entitled to their opinions, especially when they pay some of the highest ticket prices in Europe yet see the same mistakes being made every single season.

davycc

Man City

Come on you Burnley!

davycc

Man City

What a sitter skyed over the bar by Walcott

Agent Coulson

Liverpool

Everton 1 up and it's on Sky1.

Minderbinder

Happy for Tosun to get his first goal. Clever from Coleman too.

Trigger

Liverpool

Coleman was great there, effectively took 3 Burnley players out of the game

Minderbinder

Walcott really gives Everton another dimension. Think he’ll be a really good signing for Everton.

davycc

Man City

Coleman with first assist of year delighted.

Clever header to take the defenders away from tosic

Everton

Good ball through but poor defending in general from Everton

Thought the keeper should have closed him down

blueser

M!Ck^ wrote: »

Good ball through but poor defending in general from Everton

Thought the keeper should have closed him down

Bang on. Keane let Barnes behind him way too easily, and Pickford was rooted to his spot. Ederson or De Gea would have been off their line in a flash, narrowing down the angle.

dr.kenneth noisewater

Liverpool

Just watching this the last few mins, is there a low crowd? Very quiet, strange to hear players shouting so clearly on TV

martyos121

Liverpool

You could fly a plane through the gap between Williams and Keane every time Burnley are on the counter. Only a matter of time before Barnes gets through for another 1v1 to win it for Burnley.

Everton

That goal was always coming

Sam failing to adjust tactically, the defence is all over the place

martyos121

Liverpool

Ashley Williams is just hilarious to watch sometimes. :pac:

applehunter

Ashley Williams must be the worst CB in the Premier League.

Minderbinder

Burnley have been very good in the second half in fairness. Putting two up front has worked very well for Dyche.

Esse85

Disgraceful defending from Williams, what a con artist.

And now he's sent off.

martyos121

Liverpool

Red card for Williams to top off one of the worst individual performances of the season.

Agent Coulson

Liverpool

Will Burnley catch Arsenal before the end of the season that would surely put the final nail in Wengers time at Arsenal.

Everton

Embarrassing from Williams

Tops off one of the worst CB performances I have witnessed for some time

blueser

M!Ck^ wrote: »

Embarrassing from Williams

Tops off one of the worst CB performances I have witnessed for some time

Odd thing is, he was pretty good when he was at Swansea. But he's turned to s***e since rocking up at Goodison.

Minderbinder

M!Ck^ wrote: »

That goal was always coming

Sam failing to adjust tactically, the defence is all over the place

There wasn’t a lot he could do tactically. They don’t seem to have the players in central midfield or central defence. The loss of McCarthy was massive.

They had a lot of chances too to be out of sight before half time.

martyos121

Liverpool

Dying to hear Big Sam throw his players under the bus in a few minutes just for following his poor tactics.

Harry Palmr

Vital PL securing victory there 40 points. Look out Arsenal.

Minderbinder

martyos121 wrote: »

Dying to hear Big Sam throw his players under the bus in a few minutes just for following his poor tactics.

What were the poor tactics?

dr.kenneth noisewater

Liverpool

Didnt realise Jose Fonte had gone to China, taken off and his team lost 8-0. What a terrible waste of money he was for WH

Sam says Everton are in a good place.

martyos121

Liverpool

Minderbinder wrote: »

What were the poor tactics?

What were the ones that were anything else?

ERG89

dr.kenneth noisewater wrote:

Didnt realise Jose Fonte had gone to China, taken off and his team lost 8-0. What a terrible waste of money he was for WH

What a debut for Carrasco & Gaitan tho
Imagine losing your debut 8-0

Bret Hart

Liverpool

If Arsenal don't pick up some form soon,Burnley will overtake them. Dark days for a ex-great club.

johnpatrick81

Results go a certain way this round of fixtures and Everton might only be 4 clear of relegation.....

Skylinehead

Bret Hart wrote: »

If Arsenal don't pick up some form soon,Burnley will overtake them. Dark days for a ex-great club.

Isn't that their first win in 11 games?

tayto lover

Skylinehead wrote: »

Isn't that their first win in 11 games?

Arsenal won't be caught by Burnley but have lost 7 games this year alone (8 weeks).

Skylinehead

tayto lover wrote: »

Arsenal won't be caught by Burnley but have lost 7 games this year alone (8 weeks).

Ah we've obviously been terrible but that's all I was saying, Burnley are in even worse form (somehow )

Agent Coulson

Liverpool

Ki puts Swansea one up against West Ham.

Minderbinder

martyos121 wrote: »

Minderbinder wrote: »

What were the poor tactics?

What were the ones that were anything else?

A couple of people have mentioned poor tactics, but not backed it up. You’ve avoided the question. I didn’t claim his tactics were spot on but I do think that the players made some basic mistakes. Keane was beaten far too easily for the winner and should have nudged Wood enough to put him off, without giving away a penalty.

The team seemed to be set up to counter attack utilising the pace of Walcott and Calvert Lewin and it worked very well in the first half as they created a bunch of good opportunities.

Dyche changed it to two up front in the 2nd half and the two very weak centre halves were outmuscled and outwitted. If he had options on the bench Sam would surely have changed things. He brought on Rooney for Davies which probably isn’t ideal when you’re under pressure but Davies was doing nothing anyway. If he had McCarthy I’m sure he would have brought him on as another one to sit in front of the backline. Though I doubt it would have made a difference against balls into the box.

Berserker

Skylinehead wrote: »

Ah we've obviously been terrible but that's all I was saying, Burnley are in even worse form (somehow )

Do you think you'll beat Brighton tomorrow?

Agent Coulson

Liverpool

Spurs one up from a very good Son goal.

Minderbinder

Son is quality.

Berserker

Swansea 2-0 West Ham. West Ham looking like a relegation outfit.

tayto lover

Berserker wrote: »

Do you think you'll beat Brighton tomorrow?

Gone for a score draw.

Minderbinder

Brighton is the perfect away game for Arsenal, if ever there was a perfect away game.

Berserker

Minderbinder wrote: »

Brighton is the perfect away game for Arsenal, if ever there was a perfect away game.

Why would you say that? They are in a relegation battle. Would have thought that a team with nothing to play for would be a better/easier opponent.

Berserker

Everton

Berserker wrote: »

Why would you say that? They are in a relegation battle. Would have thought that a team with nothing to play for would be a better/easier opponent.

Exactly. Brighton are in a good run of form too.
Think they could get a result against this Arsenal team.

pjohnson

I dunno what people expected Sam to do Everton were dire when he took over and Koeman left an absolute mess of a squad behind.

A heap of attacking midfielders signed (Klaasen, Sigurdsson, Rooney) with a severe lack of wide players until Bolasie got fit, off the very few defenders at the club 3 of them were over 32 (Baines, Williams, Jagielka) and Coleman was injured for 1st half of the season and Funes Mori is still injured, there was no proper striker after Sandro flopped and he had to turn back to Niasse, McCarthy was injured until he got fit enough to get injured again. Koeman adressed none of the issues at the club except for signing Pickford.

Sam signed a striker (Tosun) and a wide player (Walcott) to try and give them some offence. Obviously ran out of funds then before he could sort defence out.

tayto lover

Berserker wrote: »

Why would you say that? They are in a relegation battle. Would have thought that a team with nothing to play for would be a better/easier opponent.

Arsenal are at an all time low now. The players are not playing for the manager. Some should have been dropped but under Wenger he doesn't punish lack of effort.
Brighton have a good defence and are playing well.
I went for a score draw however rather than a Brighton win hoping that the Arsenal players will play with a bit of pride in themselves..

Harry Palmr

Agent Coulson wrote: »

Spurs one up from a very good Son goal.

Minderbinder wrote: »

Son is quality.

Three years ago I was advocating that he and Firmino would be great buys for Liverpool. Got one but always thought not getting the other was missing a trick.

Bournemouth up away to Foxes.

Oh yes that Scottish bird on the red button is doing my head in so much I'm following the afternoon on 5live.

Gbear

Liverpool

Brighton have only lost 2 at home this season in the league.
Could be tricky for Arsenal.

Minderbinder

Berserker wrote: »

Minderbinder wrote: »

Brighton is the perfect away game for Arsenal, if ever there was a perfect away game.

Why would you say that? They are in a relegation battle. Would have thought that a team with nothing to play for would be a better/easier opponent.

Basically their style of play is easy to play against for the better teams.

They haven’t beaten a team in the top eight. They’ve lost every game against teams in the top six on an aggregate of 18-1. They were beaten a couple of weeks ago 4-0 at home by a Chelsea team who can’t score goals.

They’ve had a few good results that will have eased the pressure a bit.

I’m not saying Arsenal WILL win the game but I think it’s as ideal an away game as they could hope for.

Kiith

That pass from Kane...unreal.