Premier League 2023/2024

[ComfortablyNumb]

Given the fixtures, I wouldn't have expected anything less than 3 points for the teams around us really... We probably had the hardest fixture, Utd was also a potential banana skin for City but there is a huge gulf between them really, and City usually roll them over.

Next weekend is when things start getting thrown up in the air. Us against Chelscum. Arse away to Newcastle.

Liverpool and City will likely both win comfortably. So too will Villa. But you never know...

‘Pool play Bournemouth away midweek, so maybe Luton have a chance? Doesn’t sound likely when I say it out loud, mind.

 

[hughy]

The realist in me is happy with the Manc derby result.

 

[spursfan77]

Next weekend’s fixtures-
Saturday
View attachment 133885

We need a Newcastle win big time.

 

[Danny1]

We could actually be 4th by the time we kick off next week! Strange!

 

[ComfortablyNumb]

We could actually be 4th by the time we kick off next week! Strange!

I prefer to think that the worst we can be before our next game is fourth, feels better…

 

[Tezza1978]

It’s staggering how often their lack of discipline comes into play. Praise Daniel for thinking Erik was too weird.

Levy - quite rightly - comes in for an enormous mount of stick and anger for many past decisions - but he got that one absolutely spot on.

See also - refusing to bow to fan and media pressure to reappoint Poch - which looks like an excellent decision too.

 

[ljinko888]

Catching up with the highlights and looks like City carved them open at will all game. However there was one moment at 1-0 where Hojlund was through on goal but his touch took him too wide to even take a shot. No doubt they wanted Kane and if that were him it would have been 1-1 most likely. I think if United stumped up the cash Kane would have gone there rather than abroad so very happy they chose a raw kid instead.

 

[Cochise]

Catching up with the highlights and looks like City carved them open at will all game. However there was one moment at 1-0 where Hojlund was through on goal but his touch took him too wide to even take a shot. No doubt they wanted Kane and if that were him it would have been 1-1 most likely. I think if United stumped up the cash Kane would have gone there rather than abroad so very happy they chose a raw kid instead.

Kane wouldn't have had the pace to get there though. Hojlund has a nice burst of acceleration and that's what got him through before that poor touch took him wide.

 

[RuskyM]

Levy - quite rightly - comes in for an enormous mount of stick and anger for many past decisions - but he got that one absolutely spot on.

See also - refusing to bow to fan and media pressure to reappoint Poch - which looks like an excellent decision too.

I guess it's the other side of being the big boss: us fans can make whatever barmy statement we want and no one remembers them cos we had no power to enact it, and that's then quickly forgotten when we want to insist Daniel's daft and if only we had more power we'd be so much smarter with it.

Sincerely, someone who wanted De Boer over Pochettino/was certain Soldado, Ndombele and Berahino were the missing pieces/thought Conte was a sure thing/thought Kieran Trippier wasn't good enough/though selling Nabil Bentaleb was sacrilege/thought putting Gareth Bale into that Stewart Downing deal could be good business cos he's never gonna make it is he?

 

[HNIM]

I prefer to think that the worst we can be before our next game is fourth, feels better…

As long as the top four are putting distance between them and the rest of the table, and Spurs are in the top four, I'm down with that.

 

[spurs9]

So do we think the Brighton and Hove Albion bubble has burst or are they just struggling with the midweek European fixtures? Or does it amount to the same thing?

It could just be a tough run of fixtures. Fulham dew with Arsenal don't forget and the other 3 games they failed to win were a draw with Liverpool and away losses to Man City and Villa, who have been exceptional at home since Emery took over.

If you look at the same fixtures under De Zerbi last year, they lost at home to Fulham, Lost away to City and Villa but won at home to Liverpool, who were a very different team last year.

This is the Liverpool team they beat:

 

[DenverSpur]

I know but just think West Ham are a mediocre squad and Bowen is so stand out for them.

We still have a very good squad even without, say, Maddison.

We've stand out players all over the pitch.

I disagree slightly. I think Moyes has slowly built a pretty good squad with good depth. Where they are lacking is a consistent goal scoring CF. What hampers them mostly is Moyes over cautious approach to games. If Ange, De Zebri or even Howe had this squad they would look a much more appealing outfit.
Having said that they were very poor today as they have been over the last 3 games. Again I believe that just like us under Mourinho and Conte it’s hard for the players to perform to their best when they’re constantly asked to play with the handbrake on.

 

[Scissors&Tape]

Kane wouldn't have had the pace to get there though. Hojlund has a nice burst of acceleration and that's what got him through before that poor touch took him wide.

Plus Stones pulled Hojlund back just outside the box.

 

[DenverSpur]

Too easy for City. How was nobody marking the best striker in the league?

Agree. That is my biggest gripe with modern defenders. They mark zones/ space and leave opponents top goal scorer unmarked in the box. The thing is zones/space don’t score goals players do so it’s better to mark them than a patch of grass.
Back in prehistoric times( ie. pre PL) nearly every team played 442. It was simple then. The 2 CBS marked the 2 strikers, the FBs marked the 2 wingers, and the 2 CMs picked up the opposition’s CMs. Good players still scored goals by clever movement to lose their markers or by out muscling them. Whilst nowadays formations and tactics are more fluid there is still no excuse for leaving the other teams main goal threat in acres of space in the penalty area. It’s not like this today was an anomaly. To the contrary this happens all the time, game after game, week after week. I sit at home in front of my TV incredulous at how often this happens. Even my wife who has no interest or knowledge of football has asked why no one is near the goal scorer. I know, and care little, that I sound like an old fogey but I’ve simply come to the conclusion that modern coaches and players just don’t know how to defend. If Greaves was playing nowadays he’d leave the likes of Haaland and Kane in his wake. He’d break records all over the place.

 

[DenverSpur]

Newcastle and Villa seem to be our main competitors for top 4…United are really average.

Would you take a single one of their players for our first 11?

European games for them may work to our advantage.

 

[SirHarryHotspur]

Looking at next weekend's fixtures before the Chelsea game we are almost certain to be third on goal difference or fourth if The Woolwich win.
Man C & Liverpool are bankers to win.
Newcastle v Woolwich hard to call , passionate crowd but that hasn't helped the Geordies at home to Liverpool or Dortmund and The Woolwich record against Newcastle is pretty good they don't often get beaten home or away.
If results went their way Villa could break into top four but they have a tough game at Forest , Forest are not bad at home and will be up for it against their midland rivals so expecting Villa to remain in fifth place.
Not going to try and predict our match , it's always a recipe for disaster
COYS.

 

[PCozzie]

What the hell happened here? He was never a top tier player but that move to Chelsea must rank as just about the worst in Premier League history. Drinkwater was a PL winner and should have had a proper go in a mid-table PL side at least.

 

[Tezza1978]

Looking at next weekend's fixtures before the Chelsea game we are almost certain to be third on goal difference or fourth if The Woolwich win.
Man C & Liverpool are bankers to win.
Newcastle v Woolwich hard to call , passionate crowd but that hasn't helped the Geordies at home to Liverpool or Dortmund and The Woolwich record against Newcastle is pretty good they don't often get beaten home or away.
If results went their way Villa could break into top four but they have a tough game at Forest , Forest are not bad at home and will be up for it against their midland rivals so expecting Villa to remain in fifth place.
Not going to try and predict our match , it's always a recipe for disaster
COYS.

I think we are well capable of beating Chelsea next week and my gut reaction is that we will do so narrowly, but I certainly wouldnt be devastated with a point.

If we keep beating all the teams below the top 5/6 consistently with only the odd draw ......and pick up points here and there against the top 6 with a mixture of draws, a few defeats and the odd win, thats still more than enough to challenge for the big prize come the end of the season.

 

[Spursmatty87]

4 pts separating the top 5 after 10 games can’t of happened to often.

 

[Tucker]

What the hell happened here? He was never a top tier player but that move to Chelsea must rank as just about the worst in Premier League history. Drinkwater was a PL winner and should have had a proper go in a mid-table PL side at least.

Another player in a long list of players who foolishly went to Chelsea and took the grubby Russian money over their career.

It could be argued that at the end of the day a professional footballers main job is to earn as much money as they can while they can, so in that respect he’s done ok. It’s a shame so many sacrifice a good career playing football for this option though.