General Premier League Thread 2023-24 Mod Note in op 27/6/23 And 21/05/24

SlickRic

Rodri is absolutely sensational, but his interview with MOTD last night exemplified everything that's detestable about City.

There was absolutely nothing contentious in that game. Nothing. But yet, he went out of his way to mention the referee. He even said something interesting when he commented that he'd never seen so many decisions go to VAR after a team asked for a decision and that team nor get any of them their way.

Entitled nonsense.

Just because you bítch endlessly and protest every decision, no matter how mundane, doesn't mean you're entitled to a decision. He seemed to infer that based on the amount of referrals, they should've had a decision go their way. Batshít logic.

And then Walker's reaction during the game to the tackle on him ... embarrassing.

AdamD

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121784030#Comment_121784030

Partey has been out all season, Zinchenko & Tomiyasu have missed chunks too.

Osmosis Jones

I know it's basically instinct for players but how do you seriously plead innocence after a challenge like that

CSF

It’s a massive problem that i don’t think they even have the framework to give him more than a 3 game ban.

IncognitoMan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121781637#Comment_121781637

As you said, the quality of the players on the pitch but I also think there is another factor that has helped those players more often than not show that quality.

That is that basically every team now wants to be a footballing side first - they want to play good football week in week out. Very few teams will set up to shithouse a game of football they way the did 10-15 years ago.

When these teams play the likes of City they haven't the skillset to switch into being a deep defensive unit that looks to break on the counter.

When City end up pushing these teams back they aren't able to defend their own area for prolonged periods and maybe more importantly they aren't able to sit with that 25% of the ball and know how to hurt the opponent.

Now, the flip side of that is the football on show when 2 mid / lower tables sides play each other is of a higher standard to the viewer but we have lost those shithouse teams that would cause so many issues to the top teams years ago.

I think a team that was very well coached defensively and able to sit in 2 banks of 4 with 2 quick players left high up the pitch for outballs would cause City big problems. That problem is teams often have to pull back 1 of those extra players because they can't defend in the 2 banks of 4 effectively enough so they try to congest the middle of the pitch which in turn leaves City more room to build up and then dominate possession even further. 

A catch 22 situation.

It's something a team needs to work on each week to be able to pull it off to a high standard but that isn't acceptable for the modern fan so those teams don't really exist at the top level anymore.

Osmosis Jones

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121784197#Comment_121784197

I think the Sheffield fans would be glad to see a long ban for him, awful player.

Quazzie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121784030#Comment_121784030

Partey would be ahead of Havertz.

You're also conveniently ignoring the fact that despite not being "starting XI" players there have been plenty of injuries which has affected the match day squad which results in there been much less of an impact off the bench and much less choice when it comes to squad rotation. Breaking it down to starting XI (and even doing a piss-poor attempt at that) is totally ignoring the bigger picture.

Fitz*

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121784145#Comment_121784145

Zinchenko has only missed 4 PL games (played in 21 out of 25) and only 1 of him & Tomiyasu can play at a time really.

And even then, it'd nit picking at the 10th position from 11. Which just backs up my point further really.

Having a very settled team with at least 8/9 of your expected starting 11 fit every week is a great thing to have. Of course there will be weeks when some players are missing, but having the core all available at the same time while having 1 or 2 players missing is key. It's not like there's been 3 or 4 missing for any run of games, let alone having a rotating list of 5,6 or 7 different players missing that other clubs have had.

martyos121

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121784128#Comment_121784128

Heard that alright. Coming from the same lad who committed “that” handball against Everton, he’d want to STFU about being on the wrong end of refereeing and VAR decisions.

If a player from any other club came out with the nonsense he did, they’d have been slaughtered by the media.

IncognitoMan

Rodri would I expect know he is talking rubbish but it is done to put pressure on match officials.

"poor us, we never get any decisions".

Complain about everything that goes against you and ignore everything that goes for you

Fitz*

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121784207#Comment_121784207

If you include squad players, Arsenal have still had a much bigger availability than other clubs. It actually makes the gap even bigger.

Out of interest, how many times have Arsenal given an academy player a debut in the league this season? Or played multiple teenagers in successive games to show how stretched the squad has been? Let alone start them.

SlickRic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121784233#Comment_121784233

It's not even the complaining about decisions after the game. Plenty do that. Klopp moaned about the disparity between free kicks Liverpool and Brentford received for instance.

My big issue in Rodri's case is the brazen way in which City players always protest decisions, and then the inference that because that many went to VAR (in part as a result of the OTT protests), that at least one should've gone their way, in some weird nonsensical 'law of averages' argument.

y0ssar1an22

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121784233#Comment_121784233

it defo works, albeit only my gut feeling.

50:50 decisions have gone against united since a certain manager had a rant about it. that prob going on 18 months now.

pjohnson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121784203#Comment_121784203

The fact he couldn't get a game at Southampton yet got straight into the Sheffield lineup is a pretty hilarious indication of just how abysmal Sheffield are.

Fitz*

Fair play to James Maddison.

Certainly made this lads day I'd say.

https://twitter.com/FPLGOAT7/status/1759169799396192442?t=5FE4JxyGnfYxhjvSWatS0Q&s=19

klose

Casameiro on thin ice for the remainder of the game here

Dr. Bre

Casemiro could have walked

eigrod

How is that not a second yellow? Oh, it’s David Coote…carry on.

Fitz*

Both Rashford & Casemiro could/should have received cards but didn't.

Luton surrounding the referee then after and he didn't say a word.

Fitz*

That Maguire booking is a direct result of no cover from midfield / Casemiro can't tackle anymore.

doc_17

Casemiro is a lucky man. But two yellows for those two fouls would be a harsh red. One more and he’s gone though I’d say.

theoneeyedman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121784257#Comment_121784257

That's the City way.... Appeal/appeal/appeal /delay/sue etc....

Comes from the top.

castletownman

We need more old-school, compact grounds in the Barclays, if only to hear the crowd going apeshit

klose

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121784788#Comment_121784788

Couple choice bloopers form the crowd alright, got a good laugh off it.

klose

The kid Mainoo looks the business for united, Hojlund really coming into it of late too, how much did he know about the second? Who cares, strange auld goal it was. Other then that united looking pretty average, lot of money still needed in that team to get back to the top table. Casameiro and Maguire will have to be careful second half, I assume Ogbene will be told to turn on the afterburners all second half to try get em to foul him. Will ETH sub either off? Already forced into losing Shaw.

klose

Never mind, both of em subbed off.

theoneeyedman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121784788#Comment_121784788

Yea if you like racist, homophonic and overall 1970s style chanting and all around sh1tty behavior, then Luton is the place to be!

ctrl-alt-delete

As good as a goal that block.

TitianGerm

Looks like the dogs*ite Man United will be 3 points behind high-flying, hugely praised, mate-ball playing Spurs at the end of the day.

It just goes to show that points on the board are the main thing no matter how you get them.

klose

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121785063#Comment_121785063

And some woeful finishing from united means they should have won it very handy.

Edit: United essentially 4 behind spurs with their shocking goal difference.

L'prof

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121784030#Comment_121784030

They might be slightly better off injury wise but I still don’t think they have a squad as good as even Liverpool and certainly not City.

First XI I think Arsenal can finally hold their own against Pool & City, squad they’re a bit short

Fitz*

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121786217#Comment_121786217

Quality means nothing without availability.

L'prof

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121786273#Comment_121786273

Just levels the playing field a bit is all. City should still have too much

~Rebel~

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121784909#Comment_121784909

Yeah, I quite like the team, and the ground is great, but bloody hell their fans are a fairly horrible bunch.

klose

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121786340#Comment_121786340

Was listening to a Liverpool podcast today, TAW, and one of the guests mentioned muscular injuries are up 10% this year, now I assume there was a reputable source for it.

I don’t think anyone can pin their woes on injuries this year, pretty much everyone gunning for honours has or is currently going through bad patches of injuries. Even city a while back had a pretty weak bench for a couple games. Of course, with one or two injuries in key positions city are still incredible, Arsenal or Liverpool lose two players in key positions and it’s looking not as good.

klose

Newcastle want 20 million off united for this Ashworth chap, who’s been placed on gardening leave by Newcastle after telling em he wants to leave. All a bit mad that.

klose

Also, can you not post links from twitter/X on here anymore?

TitianGerm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121786421#Comment_121786421

https://twitter.com/David_Ornstein/status/1759333384617140602?t=vUjvNFb2oCRfQqP1J_we-w&s=19.

Course you can.

klose

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121786452#Comment_121786452

Ah the very link I tried to post, cheers, was getting an error message when positing it saying X won’t allow sharing of links or something to that degree, strange.

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121786217#Comment_121786217

It looks pretty good to me

GK: Raya, Ramsdale

RB: White, Soares, Partey, Sweet,Tomiyasu, Timber

LB: Zinchenko, Kiwior, Timber, Tomiyasu

CB: Gabriel, Saliba, White, Timber

DM: Rice, Partey, Jorginho, El Neny

AM: Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli, Havertz, Trossard, Nelson, Smith-Rowe

CF: Jesus, Nketiah, Havertz

Quazzie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121786530#Comment_121786530

You only have to get to RB to realise how paper thin the squad is. White is the only player available in that position all season. I'm ignoring James Sweet who's never made a senior appearance. Due to this White can't be considered in the CB position which from your list means we only have 2 CBs at the club. You've listed Timber but again he's been injured since the first game.

El Gato De Negocios

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121786475#Comment_121786475

When adding a link, change the "X" at the start of the link to "twitter" and that will allow you to post them.

TitianGerm

Did anyone see this attempt of a "press" from Rashford in the game yesterday?

https://twitter.com/Nkwameeee/status/1759466738322723103?t=3AL7eSlp3eIMk2cM0M-ckw&s=19

That would actually boil my blood looking at one of my teammates putting in effort like that.

TitianGerm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121786452#Comment_121786452

Just on this as well, there's no way I see United paying £20m. I assume that £20m would also need to be expensed for FFP in the next set of accounts due to the nature of the payment and United can't afford that as far as I'm aware? They'll probably agree on £10m which is far more palatable.

The one question I would have over Ashworth is how involved was he in the Tonali signing. That's something that should have been caught but outside that he's had a very strong record.

martyos121

Crazy that £20m gets you a glorified scout these days.

That would've got Shearer in his prime in 1996, with a million to spare.

noodler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121786697#Comment_121786697

I dunno.

Acknowledging the point on RB, was pretty impressed with the lineup on Saturday given the lads who are out.

Fitz*

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121786697#Comment_121786697

In every single game (all comps) that Ben White did not start this season, an experienced RB started in his place.

In each of those games, a combination of Zinchenko, Gabriel, Saliba, Kiwior or Tomiyasu started. So it was at least 3 out of the 4 first choice defenders starting each time White was on the bench. Arsenal never had a multitude of injuries in defence to warrant a crisis talk or having to play multiple inexperienced players at once etc. Cedric Soares also played a game at RB, in a dead rubber CL group game. Arteta still brought White on though, when he didn't need to.

Again, that's nit picking on your part to try and attempt that the squad is paper thin when Arsenal have had the luxury of having a settled back 5 all season. Never being forced into playing reserves when they don't want to.

The availability rates are extremely high;

Raya - 92% only because of his loan deal with Ramsdale available for that game.

White - 96%

Saliba -100%

Gabriel - 100%

Zinchenko - 84%

Kiwior - 100%

Tomiyasu - 56%

Zinchecko & Tomiyasu have only been injured at the same time for 2 out of 25 PL games, that's the biggest defence crisis Arsenal have had this season. In both games, Raya Gabriel Saliba White all started, along with Kiwior. 4 out of the regular back 5 starting, with Kiwior a strong reserve to have.

Still waiting on your evidence of Arsneal been forced into playing kids in the league to emphasize how stretched the squad was btw?

Ottoman_1000

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121786530#Comment_121786530

Compared to City and Liverpool. That is not good strength in depth. I do however think Arsenal have the best, most balanced starting 11 of the 3...

But if they were without 5/6 first teamers ala Liverpool at the minute, they would struggle in a title race. If they could sign a proper goal scorer, replace Partly with someone who can actually keep themselves fit, and solve their left back situation they would be title favourites for me going into next season.

artanevilla

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121786839#Comment_121786839

1996 is closer to the moon landings than we are to 1996.

jacool

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121787080#Comment_121787080

and you only have to swap the last two digits, to be fair.