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

SlickRic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121465306#Comment_121465306

I couldn't believe he got away with that tackle. I was delighted he did, but it was a foul all day long.

but as you say, Sheffield got away with a crazy amount. I'd love to know how many times Jack Robinson committed fouls. it became comical after a while.

eigrod

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121465496#Comment_121465496

It was patently obvious that Wilder worked on defending corners in the 24 hours he had with them - the work consisting of pulling & dragging the Liverpool players in the box and then going down themselves claiming it was they that was fouled. Horrible manager with horrible tactics.

ArmaniJeanss

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121464868#Comment_121464868

I think its on at a reasonably normal time (22:40) in most BBC regions, but BBCNI usually take the piss by scheduling an hour of local content programmes before it.

SlickRic

it's still between City, Arsenal and Liverpool.

there is no other team that can put the string of wins together that are needed. Villa are great to watch, and a superb team, but when they've dipped in form this season they haven't the ability to get through those games in the same manner. those other 3 teams do. that is what sets them apart.

SlickRic

it won't be mentioned because he's such a fúcking beast in the box, but City's inability to control without Rodri and the new midfielders they've had to get has shown up the flaws in having Haaland in this team.

he's an unbelievable player, should've won the Ballon D'Or, and is miles ahead in the scoring charts again. but when the team is not able to fully control a game in the way Stones, Dias, Rodri, Gundogan and KDB did last season, you are seeing his limitations. they got mown through by Villa, and that simply doesn't happen to a Pep team to that degree.

Ottoman_1000

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121465656#Comment_121465656

It drives me insane these days, City get 2 penalties 2 weeks on the trot for holding a playing make a run for a corner/cross.

There's was at least 2 incidents where a Sheffield UTD player had his 2 arms fully wrapped around the Liverpool player on a corner, it wasn't even subtle, and its not even addressed. I know these are rarely giving and it generally wouldn't bother me, but going back to those 2 City incidents it just pi**es me off now.

citytillidie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121464868#Comment_121464868

That is just for NI it is on at the same time as normal in the rest of the UK

citytillidie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121464778#Comment_121464778

If there was any question marks on VVD goal Liverpool should have had 4 pens and Nunez won the ball and it was a tackle that Sheff Utd were doing with out giving fouls away all game.

machiavellianme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121465142#Comment_121465142

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121464778#Comment_121464778

So you weren't "looking at the Liverpool sheff Utd game" after all? You watched a few highlights and regurgitated the biased views of pundits. No one can be informed enough to make an absolute statement based on a few minutes of high or low lights.

There was no luck, one side dominated but made a few mistakes and easily recovered from them, the other side dragged all aspects of play into the gutter as best they could. There were VAR reviews of all potential penalty incidents and no suggestions of offering 1 to SU or multiple to Liverpool. Ditto var reviewed both goals and saw no issue. The first wasn't even remotely disputed so even if it was the only goal, the outcome would have been the same.

rob316

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121465676#Comment_121465676

Looks like we have a proper title race anyway. This was always going to be the season Citys level would drop and they'd give someone else a chance.

Suvarnabhumi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121465111#Comment_121465111

This.

Financial doping pays off when other teams players are tired, injured and carrying knocks towards the end of the season, city have a much bigger and fresher squad to pick from.

djan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121465814#Comment_121465814

I notice that too, to be honest there were calls on both sides. I will say for the VVD goal it looked like he purposefully tripped the defender going past him and should have been disallowed by VAR, Nunez tackle was also a bit questionable but didn't get a chance to see it properly. Then of course, there was the pulls and tackles flying in from the other side so another sub-par refereeing game.

Dick phelan

It may be Man City but not having the two best midfielders in the league if not the world is obviously going to have a big impact. I think they also definitely miss Gundegon as what they bought in the summer has yet to show the ability to replace him.

SlickRic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121466370#Comment_121466370

i love to stick the boot in on City, but they actually don't have a massive squad now. Rodri, Haaland, Gundogan, Bernardo and Stones simply kept fit for the most part last season - Pep did an awful lot of subbing people early when they were obliterating teams, which meant they could rest players, and so they all kept fit at the business end.

the problem they're having is that KDB is injured. Stones is just back from injury. Rodri has been suspended for a few games. Gundogan has gone. Kovacic and Nunes aren't trusted. Phillips never has been. they let Palmer go as he felt he was ready to start, and City couldn't guarantee it.

if you talked to Pep right now, and got him to be fully honest with you, he would say he's played some players far more than he wanted to - Alvarez, Walker, Bernardo, even Haaland. definitely Alvarez anyway.

i've no sympathy, but this isn't the same Man City as last season when you see how things are going.

DellyBelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121466214#Comment_121466214

You'd still fancy City to win it but would not be surprised if Arsenal or even Liverpool won it. Only issue I see for Liverpool is that they will be losing Salah for the Africa cup and if they have to rely on Nunez for goals then they are in big trouble....

chicorytip

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121460006#Comment_121460006

I'm not sure Ramsdale is superior to Raya in that particular facet of goalkeeping - catching crosses. Most keepers seem incapable of doing so these days.

POKERKING

Since when have Sheff United being called Sheffield? I might be old school because Sheff Wed were a good prem team back in the day but its quite annoying and has been mentioned a few times in this thread. Its like calling Man City or Man United Manchester….

McFly85

I would say it’s City then Arsenal slightly ahead of Liverpool - Arsenal look a more balanced side, but Klopps Liverpool are the only team outside of City to put the sort of run needed to compete - even on last years dreadful run they manage to string a decent number of wins together near the end.

jacool

Just realised that tonight is the return visit of former Everton "once-star-but-more-recently-chased-after-a-game" Anthony Gordon.

If he isn't involved in some key moment in the game, there's no "narrative" in football. He won't let amazon, and us, down, surely!

Fitz*

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121467565#Comment_121467565

Yeah Salah is missing because of the AFCON, and if I remember correctly he will be missing games against Chelsea & Arsenal at least and maybe more depending on how far Egypt progress. Endo will also be missing because of the Asian cup. One key player, one squad player.

Arsenal will have Partey, Tomiyasu & Elneny playing in those tournaments. Mostly squad players there.

Man City will have no players going to those tournaments.

FWIW, Spurs would be missing Son, Sarr, Bissouma and I don't think Villa would be affected.

Liam O

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121467593#Comment_121467593

People seem to think keepers caught every cross before they were able to kick footballs.

If you asked people here they would probably think Neuer never had any calamities either.

rob316

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121467740#Comment_121467740

I can't see arsenal winning the league, they lack what city and Liverpool have, a world class goalscorer, it's very difficult to win it without one.

City will win it but if they don't it'll be Liverpool.

Arsenal have villa and Liverpool away in the next couple weeks it will tell alot about their title credentials.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121468151#Comment_121468151

City won it without a striker in 2022

noodler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121460453#Comment_121460453

Can't be having 81 points as a collapse either.

Liverpool essentially won the league in January.

Fitz*

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121468236#Comment_121468236

Gabriel Jesus was playing a lot for City that year. Alternated between CF & RW.

~Rebel~

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121468304#Comment_121468304

by collapse I meant their standard significantly dropped. They didn’t collapse mid season, their season was a collapse in comparison to their established level. As you say, Liverpool practically had the job done halfway through the season - that’s obviously an outlier for City.

Liverpool were amazing, but they’d been amazing the previous season too, and two years later - the difference between the three seasons that Liverpool were amazing is that City had an awful year by their standards in one of them. Maybe they’d have been able to take it if they’d kept their level up, maybe they wouldn’t, but they effectively took themselves out of the equation that year and made it easy for ‘pool.

My point is that I think someone else only has a chance this season if City do similar to that season, as when they’re ’on it’ they always always find a way to do just enough to take it.

irelandrover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121468304#Comment_121468304

81 points in a season is impressive. Unless in the previous two seasons you had 100 and 98 points.

Find another team that finished 17 points fewer than the previous season and not have it described as a terrible season.

It doesn't take away from Liverpool. They were amazing that season. They fully deserved the league.

Ottoman_1000

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121468392#Comment_121468392

Ya Liverpool were expeptional that season. They won 26 of their first 27 premier league games with 1 draw, like WTF! Just ridiculous stat that is...

Mushy

Trippier has had a disastrous 10 mins, at fault for both goals. Relatively low pressure mistakes too, both punished

happyoutscan

Newcastle under Eddie Howe will never be a serious threat.

Mushy

Clinical at the end from Everton. Already out of the relegation zone, best season to get a deduction

klose

1 points from the last 15 available, 3 home losses in a row I believe l, shines gotta be coming off Ange now.

Boos at the end. The wheels have well and truly come off.

citytillidie

Game week 15 Table

TitianGerm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121468859#Comment_121468859

1 point since the start of November.

Royale with Cheese

Assuming you'll need 90 points to win the league, 15 games in and Chelsea mathematically can't do it anymore? That's actually a crazy stat.

CSF

Do Howe and Big Ange have to give their manager of the season awards back now or how does that work?

SlickRic

It's taken a dozen games to figure out Ange-ball.

It's essentially an attempt at Pepball, except It's far more chaotic. The first halfhour of every game is them on the front foot, popping it around, getting in good areas, making some chances. And then, at some point, the legs start going, because you can't go 100mph relentlessly. There has to be control. There has to be space to let yourself breathe. And so the pace drops to the point where their opponents get into the game.

If the opposition hasn't been blown away, it becomes a bit of a basketball game, and we just see who wins.

Ottoman_1000

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121468866#Comment_121468866

Spurs had some very handy fixtures and rode their luck a lot the first 9/10 games. It was pointed out here a few weeks back that their big test was going to be the block of fixtures of Chelsea/Wolves/Villa/City/West Ham and they took 1 point from them...

Hammer Archer

Our football has been abominable at times but we just seem to find a way to win. Bowen is just phenomenal away from home this season. He's scored in every away game he's played in this season.

Spurs are always good for some entertainment. Bloody hilarious way for them to lose it. Double ricochet and a hospital backpass. They've been ahead in each of their last 5 games and have managed one point.

CSF

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121468904#Comment_121468904

All jokes aside, they'll probably be good again with Van De Ven and Maddison back unfortunately.

TitianGerm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121468894#Comment_121468894

I'd guess Newcastle are feeling the effects of two games a week and that's why they are fairly inconsistent.

Maybe Ange needs to adjust his game plan slightly to stop giving up decent chances.

CSF

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121468937#Comment_121468937

I think the decline is absolutely down to fitness and injuries for both teams, yes. Think they may both have been a bit overhyped every time they win in the first place, mind.

El Gato De Negocios

Tottenham are the first side in Premier League history to fail to win five consecutive games despite going 1-0 up in each match and lose three consecutive home games despite going up 1-0 up in each match.

Ottoman_1000

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121468904#Comment_121468904

I know it's entertaining and what fans want to see, but everytime I watch Spurs and see this onslaught of non stop pressure gung-ho style for the first 20 minutes, I immediately think this is not sustainable.

But they never seem to try and rein it in, or slow it down for 10/15 minutes. It's either this way or no way. Like you're never going to consistently get results playing like that.

CSF

Brave Big Ange's Spurs v Eddie Howe's Newcastle on Sunday. Gary Neville's creepy groans are going to be at uncontrollable levels.

TitianGerm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121468978#Comment_121468978

Newcastle to up it for the weekend or will they be playing within themselves with an eye on Wednesday?

ShamoBuc

Fine 3 points for Everton, Newcastle got a bit of a shock tonight.

Hammers got a fine win too - Spurs doing what Spurs do, Agne isn't all that in reality and the Shine is well and truly gone off him.

Fitz*

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121468921#Comment_121468921

Bowen in some brilliant away form alright. The game state helps him with counter attacking football but he is delivering yet again this season. Lovely player.

CSF

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121468996#Comment_121468996

If I was Eddie Howe, I would be resting serious bodies on Sunday (yes I know they don't have a huge amount of bodies to throw in but the likes of Krafth, Dummett, Ritchie and Hall would all be getting a game if it were me). That Milan game is an opportunity they haven't had in a long long time. Does Trippier make those 2 errors today if he isn't absolutely wrecked from playing 15 games in the last 60 days at the age of 33?