Premier League 2023/2024

[Colonel_Klinck]

The plot thickens.

I love it when teams tear themselves apart and it isn’t us.

 

[ljinko888]

Just saw the Arteta comment on Havertz.

Why do so many football managers choose such weird and bordering on creepy analogies

 

[Tucker]

I said this before I don't trust managers who look to previous clubs for players and I'll say this again a club should never just back a manager

Going back for one special talent that you trust is fine. But pretty much everyone they’ve signed or tried to sign have all been players Ten Haag has worked with before. Casemiro being the big exception there, but he wasn’t ETH’s choice.

 

[DiamondLites]

Didn’t Ronaldo allude to Ten Hag being a bit of a snake in the grass as well after he left? I chalked that up to Ronaldo being a humongous bell end but this situation with Sancho makes you wonder if there is something in it

 

[C-oops]

That's interesting because I said basically the exact same thing to my mate last week.

I described Havertz as a bit of a "luxury" player, a bit like Dele, in that he'll do very little defensively, very little creatively (As in passing, but plenty of flicks and touches in and around the box) But Havertz best position before moving to Chelsea was almost exactly the same as Dele with us, more or less a free role behind a striker to drift off and make runs in behind.

The reason I say luxury player is because this role is almost non existent today as all players are expected to press high and contribute more than just being clever and making good runs off the ball from mostly long passes.

I actually think that's why Dele's form dropped off a cliff, his play style is just too niche for most teams these days.

Also why I think Havertz will be a waste of money for those scum, they won't utilise his biggest assets because they don't play that way.

Assume you missed the Dele interview with Neville then. Think that goes some way to explaining the actual reasons for his drop off in form rather than him being "too niche".

 

[Reece_Spurs]

Assume you missed the Dele interview with Neville then. Think that goes some way to explaining the actual reasons for his drop off in form rather than him being "too niche".

No, I saw it.

I'm talking purely football.

Not sure what point you're trying to make?

So explain to me his drop off in form seeing as i'm clearly not up to date?

 

[Johnny J]

Assume you missed the Dele interview with Neville then. Think that goes some way to explaining the actual reasons for his drop off in form rather than him being "too niche".

I think both things can be true. For Dele to perform well he needs a special place in the team, and that seems to be increasingly hard for teams to accommodate.

And as well as that, he has faced huge and terrible personal challenges that will undoubtedly have affected his performances.

Whatever the causes, I'd like nothing more than to see him get back to even half of what he was before.

 

[DiamondLites]

Did I watch a different game to MOTD? Arsenal played some really nice stuff? I thought Man Utd completely stymied them in that 2nd half

 

[spurs9]

Caicedo regretting not choosing Liverpool

I think Chelsea are regretting Caicedo not choosing Liverpool too.

 

[DenverSpur]

I don't see a single player in that team I would want playing for us.

I’d take Martinez

 

[DenverSpur]

ManU don’t look fit! Many of them were blowing hard at around 75 minutes. They are undoubtedly a lucky team but I can’t see them being a force this season.

Arsenal don’t look anything like at the level they had last season although a lot of that was due to the very easy early run games they had which helped build momentum and confidence. With CL this season I don’t see them doing anywhere as good as last season.

Both those observations should be tempered by the fact that it’s a small sample size and the season has many twists and turns to come.

Nevertheless we have nothing to fear going to Legoland in 3 weeks time. I just ask that we turn up; something we haven’t done for some time. If we do turn up we have a good chance of getting a result.

 

[tommo84]

Just looking ahead to the next round of fixtures and it jumps out that neither of the two best games (on paper) of the weekend are on TV in the UK:

Utd v Brighton
West Ham v City

Both Saturday 3pm kick offs. Meanwhile Newcastle and Chelsea are both on TV again!

a) Sky have made some horrible picks so far; and
b) The 3pm blackout in the UK really needs looking at. Utterly ridiculous how much money some of us are paying so that we can’t watch the best games.

 

[allatsea]

Just looking ahead to the next round of fixtures and it jumps out that neither of the two best games (on paper) of the weekend are on TV in the UK:

Utd v Brighton
West Ham v City

Both Saturday 3pm kick offs. Meanwhile Newcastle and Chelsea are both on TV again!

a) Sky have made some horrible picks so far; and
b) The 3pm blackout in the UK really needs looking at. Utterly ridiculous how much money some of us are paying so that we can’t watch the best games.

I think the answer is in what you pay. Stop paying and they will soon either reduce what you have to pay or sort out the scheduling. Probably they would do both if enough stopped paying. What you have to pay in the UK is ridiculous.

 

[Marty]

Just looking ahead to the next round of fixtures and it jumps out that neither of the two best games (on paper) of the weekend are on TV in the UK:

Utd v Brighton
West Ham v City

Both Saturday 3pm kick offs. Meanwhile Newcastle and Chelsea are both on TV again!

a) Sky have made some horrible picks so far; and
b) The 3pm blackout in the UK really needs looking at. Utterly ridiculous how much money some of us are paying so that we can’t watch the best games.

If the authorities are so set on keeping the blackout I wouldn't be surprised to see the PL move completely away from Saturday 3pm altogether. Let lower leagues keep it and play PL games at other times so everything gets shown in the UK.

It is completely senseless that all of these games are available everywhere in the world except the country of origin. It only encourages piracy.

 

[chas vs dave]

I've seen certain betting sites claiming that declan rice has been the player of the season so far. He hasn't even been the best dm in North London this season.

I know he scored the winner, but I thought he was poor yesterday.

 

[tommo84]

I think the answer is in what you pay. Stop paying and they will soon either reduce what you have to pay or sort out the scheduling. Probably they would do both if enough stopped paying. What you have to pay in the UK is ridiculous.

I might be mistaken but I believe the broadcasters have no power over the 3pm blackout - it’s government legislation supported by the FA/EFL. The way it will maybe change is through large numbers of people paying for illegal streams which funds other nefarious activities by those controlling the pirated streams. The lawmakers and the Premier League (due to pressure from both the broadcasters and the government) will keep trying to clamp down on that sort of thing but eventually they might have to concede defeat and recognise that the only way to stop people paying illegally for something they want in the modern, online world, is to give them the option to legally pay for it.

 

[spursfan77]

How many were saying this last season after our start under Conte? Let's see.

But then we were winning games whilst playing poorly (there were numerous posts about it not lasting I seem to remember). This season we are winning and playing well, which we all hope is ingrained and will continue. So I think it’s slightly different.

 

[leray]

But then we were winning games whilst playing poorly (there were numerous posts about it not lasting I seem to remember). This season we are winning and playing well, which we all hope is ingrained and will continue. So I think it’s slightly different.

Good times back then. We were playing poorly, but it was all part of the PLAN. Conte would mastermind a brilliant campaign in 2023, because he scheduled pre season in such a way we will hit top form after World Cup when every other team would falter. Didn't age well, did it.

 

[chas vs dave]

But then we were winning games whilst playing poorly (there were numerous posts about it not lasting I seem to remember). This season we are winning and playing well, which we all hope is ingrained and will continue. So I think it’s slightly different.

Yep. We all hoped it was a sign that we will win when everything clicked into place.

The reality was that we were just digging wins out from set pieces.

 

[SlickMongoose]

I've seen certain betting sites claiming that declan rice has been the player of the season so far. He hasn't even been the best dm in North London this season.

I know he scored the winner, but I thought he was poor yesterday.

That goal was way more about Utd's defence than Rice. How can a player be allowed that much time and space directly from a corner? Crazy.