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

CSF

Don’t forget that Villa sold off a bunch of homegrown players in the offseason and that counts as pure profit.

Probably will need to make 1 significant sale if we don’t get CL though.

El Gato De Negocios

There is an almost zero chance Villa don't get CL this year. There is a high probability 5th spot will get a place this year and the fact is United et al will no way go on enough of a run to get 5th, never mind 4th. It would take an unprecedented capitulation for them to drop to 6th.

CSF

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121969658#Comment_121969658

Remaining fixture list is very difficult, but yes, chances are very high.

I think Spurs will overtake Villa tbh.

CSF

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121970244#Comment_121970244

Quite possible (bookies have it dead 50/50), but the chances are that both teams get into CL, unless United reel someone in, or the teams underperform in Europe.

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121970244#Comment_121970244

They had a chance to get ahead of them last night and failed despite taking the lead. In the end they could have lost.

jacool

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121969307#Comment_121969307

Leicester are by no means guaranteed promotion. This is the form table for the last 6 games and they are 15th there. From a 17 point lead, they now lie outside the automatic promotion places and have gone off the boil. Unless you mean when they eventually get promoted. Can a punishment hang over a club, like the sword of Damocles, indefinitely?

mobydopy

State of that Villa team

adaminho

In fairness they are missing a few through injury/suspension and can't even name a full bench.

SlickRic

That Villa team is sad.

Dave0301

They didn't waste any time on that VAR check for City.

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121971520#Comment_121971520

Why would they? it was very obvious he was on side.

SlickRic

Seriously amazing how Haaland happens to need a rest, while other City players are out injured, and this just happens to be the game Emery puts out a diabolical team - even with injuries, he's rested key players and essentially given up the game bar a miracle.

eagle eye

Duran scores. Legend.

I have to say he's looked like a real talent the few times I've seen him play, mainly Europa league

ShamoBuc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121971544#Comment_121971544

Very obvious? I thought he was offside.

Nice equaliser.

eagle eye

That yellow card for Douglas Luiz is wrong imo. It's a foul, he momentarily grabbed Grealish's arm but he let go and never pulled him back and Grealish goes down like a sack of potatoes.

SlickRic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121971634#Comment_121971634

Grealish gets fouls and general decisions that nobody else in the league gets.

eagle eye

...

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121971549#Comment_121971549

I was wondering why this was annoying you and then I rememhered you are a Liverpool fan.

It seems like a smart move to me. They are after a Champions league spot and it's hard to see them getting anything from this game with all the injuries so do what's best for your team to make sure you get that ECL spot.

SlickRic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121971651#Comment_121971651

many Villa fans were perplexed by the apparent giving up of the game before kickoff.

Kiith

I hate being up for City 😫

DellyBelly

That's a poor goal for Villa to give away...a wall in a Donegal house would have done better than that

mosstin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121971686#Comment_121971686

Put Mica Richards in it so.

pjohnson

I dont see much odd with that Villa team, Tielemans and Torres for Carlos and Iroegbunam but not outlandish midweek games have much changed team.

Reiss Nelson starting a league game for the first time in 4 years aswell as Smith-Rowe appearing for Arsenal.

NITRO95

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121971721#Comment_121971721

Yes but have you considered how the Liverpool fans feel?

Fitz*

Rotation in this round of fixtures is expected to be fair. Some will rotate more than others, some get forced into it. It's just who gets rotated really.

I don't think Nunez will start tomorrow for Liverpool and would expect Quansah, Gomez, Endos & maybe 1 more change from last Sunday.

Loafing Oaf

from wee Phil…

pjohnson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121971822#Comment_121971822

Fair point haha

Robson99

Foden surely a cert for POTY

doc_17

Grealish is the worst player in the league to watch. Slow, boring, looks for fouls, gets decisions. It’s horrible.
Foden having a really good season, I wouldn’t be shocked in KDB headed to Saudi in the summer.

SlickRic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121971860#Comment_121971860

if it's a City player, it'd be absolutely criminal if it wasn't Rodri.

an absolutely ludicrous footballer.

Loafing Oaf

Well Roy Keane says (in effect) Haaland would be hopeless at Foden's job but I'd say Phil would make a decent fist of Erling's…

noodler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121971822#Comment_121971822

At it again, eh?

Bluebb993

What a cracker of a 3rd goal from foden

El Gato De Negocios

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121971884#Comment_121971884

Tbf, when there are insinuations on thread that City knew they could rest Haaland cos villa were going to field a weakened team, the ridicuicule is fully deserved.

DellyBelly

Don't think these mid-week games meant much. City probably the happiest as Villa could have been a banana skin but they dealt with them easily enough. Liverpool will also win comfortably tomorrow. This weekend might tell us more who I'd going to win it...

theoneeyedman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121971967#Comment_121971967

3 games in a week like this fvxks the smaller squads up.

SlickRic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121971935#Comment_121971935

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121971549#Comment_121971549

but it IS amazing that an injury depleted City played such a depleted Villa. it's not a conspiracy, obviously. it's not collusion, obviously. it's not corruption, obviously. i didn't think i'd need to explain that.

but there is no denying it's quite fortuitous. that's all. Tielemans, Pau and Bailey all rested to further weaken a team that would already be weak. it's just what it is. Villa did what they felt they had to do for them. I'm biased. I'm a Liverpool fan. But it's obvious they didn't want to risk anything on this game at all.

Sheffield Utd could well weaken their team tomorrow. we'll see. Luton didn't, and they've as bad a injury crisis as Villa with an obviously worse squad. and many Villa fans before the game felt the team didn't need to be further weakened like it was, so none of what I'm saying is really that controversial.

TitianGerm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121971860#Comment_121971860

I wouldn't say so. Rodri of City win the league, Rice if Arsenal win it, VVD probably if Liverpool win it.

Other notable shouts are Ollie Watkins, Salah, Saka and Vicaro. Foden has been very good but I wouldn't say he's up there with the ones mentioned above, to me he's had a very similar season to Palmer who I think is going to win the YPOTY.

Necro

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121971721#Comment_121971721

Nelson started and scored twice vs Forest last season when Arsenal beat them 5-0... I was at that one. Not exactly a regular but definitely not 4 years since his last one!

Fitz*

Foden is having a very good season but I'd still have VVD, Rice & Rodri ahead of him in the POTY shouts.

I'm not a fan of saying whoever wins the title should get the POTY, as the title is a team award and this is an individual award but it's bound to happen.

Arsenal's title charge has been built on an excellent defence and that is helped by Rice, who has added some drive from midfield too. He's a great screen for the CBs who are also playing very well and either of the 2 can have claims for the TOTY. Rice has also kicked on in terms of attacking play and drive from midfield and pitched in with a few important goals too. Proven to be a leader too, already, in his first season at the club.

But saying that, Liverpool's defensive record is not too dissimilar to Arsenal's. There's only 3 goals conceded difference between Arsenal & Liverpool and that is while Liverpool have had constant upheaval and injuries to the defence with each of Alisson, Trent, Konate, Matip, Robbo all missing big chunks of games and often multiple of those missing at the same time. Liverpool's defence has been built on VVD as he marshalls the team, with young lads and inexperienced players around him. His quality has helped them see stay in games, take the lead, and then see out games with victory. He'll be in the TOTY minimum, and in my eyes could get POTY too.

~Rebel~

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121972092#Comment_121972092

Apparently he came on early in that Forest game after Saka was injured.

Mad stat, he seems a better player than that.

Necro

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121972153#Comment_121972153

My memory must be worse than I thought cos that's exactly what happened 😅

TitianGerm

If I'd to look at players for a TOTS now it'd be

Vicario,

Walker/White, Gabriel, VVD, (LB?)

Rice, Rodri, Mac Allister

Salah, Watkins, (LW?)

LB and LW I'm not sure. Maybe Ake or Udogie for LB?

Foden or Palmer for LW? But both have played more central. Don't want to put Saka over there because he's played RW. Mitoma was superb but been injured for ages now. Maybe Gordon or Martenli who've done well?

Toss up for me at RB between Walker and White. Both have been brilliant.

Saliba, VDV and Stones have all been excellent at CB as well but the two I've picked have just shaded it for me and I think they'd compliment each other very well.

I think my midfield three would dominate most games. Has a bit of everything and I think it'd be hard to pick three midfielders who've done better this season?

I think you'll have people look for Saka over Salah which is fair enough I feel but Salah is a scoring and assisting machine so he's my pick.

Halaand is better than Watkins as a CF but Watkins is having a better season so he's getting the nod.

CSF

Baffled by the inclusion of Vicario. Only 6 keepers in the league have conceded more than him and he’s not particularly high up in quantity of saves either.

Hes also routinely targeted by attacks on corners, so I don’t understand where this whole thing about him being amazing has come from.

TitianGerm

He's made some massive saves this season that have earned Spurs more points than they should have had. He was shakey for the first two weeks or so but has grown into the role since.

Spurs always give away fairly high quality chances so and if I'm right I'd imagine he's probably top or very close to the top of goals prevented that you'd expect to be scored.

Next best I'd say would be Martinez.

I took the absolute piss out of Onana this season but he's doing much better now and most of his shocking performances were in the CL.

Can't pick Ederson or Alison because they've both missed a good few games. Kelleher has been great since he came in but hasn't played enough games.

Raya has been good but not to the same level as Vicaro and I'd imagine he's faced the fewest shots out of the two (with Onana facing the second most in the league going by Sky the other day).

eagle eye

VVD shouldn't be in the conversation imo, I think Mac Allister has been the outstanding Liverpool player. Agree as regards Rice. For me Bernardo Silva has been outstanding for City but so has Rodri and Foden is a good shout as well.

If you asked me who the best player I've seen in the Premier league this season the first one that comes to mind is Douglas Luiz. Son and Watkins would be a contenders as well, Solanke has had a great season, Cole Palmer too and Jarrod Bowen has been excellent.

Its going to be somebody from the three teams fighting it out though and for me I think I'd give it to Rice no matter which of them wins it.

Straight up though, no bias I'd pick Douglas Luiz.

TitianGerm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121972506#Comment_121972506

VVD has been the best CB in the league this year without question. His levels are beck to that before his knee injury and his high level performances have come beside a changeable back four all season which adds to the impressiveness.

CSF

For all the Emery criticism last night (not that he or anyone at Villa will be too upset by it), the only 3 that were actually rested were Tielemans, Pau and Bailey all of whom are either returning from injury, or the kind of guy whose fitness levels never really lend themselves to doing 90 minutes 3 games a week.

Martinez (late illness), Cash, Kamara, McGinn, Ramsey, Watkins all unavailable through injury or suspension.

TitianGerm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121972635#Comment_121972635

I don't think there was any criticism. What I saw was that people said it fell well for City that Villa were missing so many and others weren't 100% fit while City were also not at their strongest.

After Spurs dropped points the night before there was less need to try get something from the City game so why not rest some guys for an extra few days and have a better condition squad for the weekend.