The 2019-2020 Football Thread

[Lord Blackadder]

No need to rub it in! We lost to Liverpool last season on our opening game. We then lost our next three. Hopefully we don’t follow the same pattern!

Man City have "hammered" West Ham...honestly I don't see how Pep fails to win a league title this season, regardless of how good Liverpool are. Man City are simply too deep, too settled as a squad, and too united under their manager. It would take an unprecedented injury crisis and / or an inexplicable drop in form for them not to do it again in the league. Pep wants to win the Champions league more - but he doesn't need to prioritize because he has two world-class players at every position.

No news on Alisson yet but the rumor is a possible six week layoff (please, let that be wrong), which could be disastrous for the title race given how key he has been for Liverpool. Man City could be so far ahead by Christmas that it becomes a procession.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Man City have "hammered" West Ham...honestly I don't see how Pep fails to win a league title this season, regardless of how good Liverpool are. Man City are simply too deep, too settled as a squad, and too united under their manager. It would take an unprecedented injury crisis and / or an inexplicable drop in form for them not to do it again in the league. Pep wants to win the Champions league more - but he doesn't need to prioritize because he has two world-class players at every position.

No news on Alisson yet but the rumor is a possible six week layoff (please, let that be wrong), which could be disastrous for the title race given how key he has been for Liverpool. Man City could be so far ahead by Christmas that it becomes a procession.

I think you are right in that Man City will be hard to beat, but I don’t see Liverpool falling a long way behind even without Alisson.

It will be between the two of them I’m sure. With Spurs, Man U, Chelsea and Arsenal making up the rest of the top 6.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I think you are right in that Man City will be hard to beat, but I don’t see Liverpool falling a long way behind even without Alisson.

It will be between the two of them I’m sure. With Spurs, Man U, Chelsea and Arsenal making up the rest of the top 6.

No, neither do I; the will be a ferocious contest (again) - remember, last season, Liverpool lost out on winning the PL by a single point, after amassing the third highest points total ever - that will last all season.

Chelsea have lost their star player, have a new manager (and must endure a two window transfer ban that affects would be purchases), while Manchester United are still very much less than the sum of their respective (sometimes very talented) parts, have a decent if relatively inexperienced manager, and are not yet playing to a collective vision or with a collective spirit, or even playing properly and coherently as a team

Arsenal lost out on fourth place by a single point (having imploded and self-destructed spectacularly in their last three or four games), with third a further point ahead again; if their defensive frailties have been even ever so slightly addressed, they might be in a position to capture a CL place.

Tottenham Hotspur have an excellent manager and an excellent team; their main problem (moving - eventually - to a new stadium, with resources somewhat straitened as a consequence) is a lack of strength in depth n their squad.

 

[JamesMike]

Getting ready for the Spurs/Aston Villa match, I always enjoy watching Harry Kane play.

 

[JamesMike]

Aston Villa scores first! Good on them, but I expect the Spurs to come on strong.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Aston Villa scores first! Good on them, but I expect the Spurs to come on strong.

I’d agree.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I’d agree.

Yes, and miss half a dozen decent chances.

Am I the only person who is arriving at the opinion that Harry Kane is not quite the player he was two seasons ago?

 

[pachyderm]

The Wednesday!!

 

[Lord Blackadder]

It is not often that one gets to witness the birth of a derby match, but just minutes ago the ref whistled an end to the first ever Hell is Real (league match) derby between Columbus and MLS upstarts Cincinnati. The match ended 2-2...a classic derby as Cincinnati have been pretty hopeless all season, yet came out fighting and went 2-0 up int the first half thanks partially to some poor refereeing. Columbus fought back and the match ended all square, meaning Columbus have now gone four games unbeaten.

It's a rivalry that almost never happened, as Cincinnati won their bid to become an MLS team just as Columbus were fighting for their very existence against their own sleazy owner with the connivance of cowardly league suits like Don "The Con" Garber.

I can now look forward to despising the upstarts from down south for many years to come.

Yes, and miss half a dozen decent chances.

Am I the only person who is arriving at the opinion that Harry Kane is not quite the player he was two seasons ago?

Apparently he has finally discovered how to score in August.

 

[circatee]

Not long to go now. Looking forward to see how we (Arsenal), come out.
Carroll has a habit of scoring against us, at the most inopportune time. Hoping he does not get a re-debut goal against us tomorrow...

 

[Apple fanboy]

Not long to go now. Looking forward to see how we (Arsenal), come out.
Carroll has a habit of scoring against us, at the most inopportune time. Hoping he does not get a re-debut goal against us tomorrow...

Is he fit? He’ll probably pull up in the warm up if he even gets that far.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Apparently he has finally discovered how to score in August.

Belatedly, but better late than never.

He seems to have missed quite a few rather good chances.

Not long to go now. Looking forward to see how we (Arsenal), come out.
Carroll has a habit of scoring against us, at the most inopportune time. Hoping he does not get a re-debut goal against us tomorrow...

In this sort of situation, I tend to blame the (our) leaky, porous, notoriously brittle defence, rather than an opportunistic poacher who manages to score a goal.

Is he fit? He’ll probably pull up in the warm up if he even gets that far.

Now, that's more like it; the tone of a disappointed fan.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Belatedly, but better late than never.

He seems to have missed quite a few rather good chances.



In this sort of situation, I tend to blame the leaky, porous, notoriously brittle defence, rather than an opportunistic poacher who manages to score a goal.



Now, that's more like it; the tone of a disappointed fan.

Bitter experience!

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Bitter experience!

Ah, I know it well.

But it now appears that Mr Mesut Ozil shall not be embarking upon the lengthy journey to the north east today, and neither will Sead Kolasinac.

Curiouser and curiouser.

 

[circatee]

Sterling really seems to be making a serious mark in the Premiership now. Pep must be making a big difference.

Oh the days of him getting lip from Rogers, on the training pitch (if you watched the Liverpool series from years and years ago)...

 

[Apple fanboy]

Ah, I know it well.

But it now appears that Mr Mesut Ozil shall not be embarking upon the lengthy journey to the north east today, and neither will Sead Kolasinac.

Curiouser and curiouser.

Well at least Wiltshire was on the pitch for us yesterday!

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Sterling really seems to be making a serious mark in the Premiership now. Pep must be making a big difference.

Oh the days of him getting lip from Rogers, on the training pitch (if you watched the Liverpool series from years and years ago)...

Pep is a brilliant coach; this is one area where the contrast between himself and "the Special One" speaks volumes and is very striking. There was hardly a player at Manchester United who grew, matured, improved or otherwise somehow became a better player while Mourinho managed the club; whereas the very opposite is the case with Pep Guardiola.

Under Pep's guidance, instruction, training and mentoring, players grow, mature, improve, learn - and then improve yet more - all the while gaining confidence in themselves as players and in their team-mates and in the team. And they seem to have pride in themselves as people off the pitch, as well.

Well at least Wiltshire was on the pitch for us yesterday!

A very talented player, in fairness, just with what appear to be brittle bones and rather prone to injury.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Arsenal ground out a 1-0 victory over Newcastle in St James's Park; well, I'll take an ugly win, though I'd prefer it if it was somewhat prettier.

Still, an away win, uninspiring though it may be, and a clean sheet, are not to be sneezed at.

Have said that, the gulf in class between Liverpool and Manchester City and the rest of the table is already evident and more than painfully clear.

 

[circatee]

To me, if Newcastle had another 10 minutes or so of ‘extra time’, they might have gotten a draw.

Yes, this was the first game of the season, but, I expected a more prolific game. Oh well, roll on next week...

 

[Scepticalscribe]

To me, if Newcastle had another 10 minutes or so of ‘extra time’, they might have gotten a draw.

Yes, this was the first game of the season, but, I expected a more prolific game. Oh well, roll on next week...

Well, I remind myself that Arsenal lost their first two games last season, and took a few games to find some sort of balance.

And I tell myself not be so critical of ground out victories when playing away; last season, Arsenal's away form left a lot to be desired.

In truth, once Arsenal scored, - though they made heavy enough weather of it - Newcastle didn't really look like claiming a point back.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

How are Chelsea not wining this match?

 

[Scepticalscribe]

How are Chelsea not wining this match?

They are failing to take - or put away - their chances.

Indeed, they might be missing a certain Mr Hazard.

Having said that, precisely because of the absence of Eden Hazard, and the transfer ban, for once, I think that the fans (and the absent owner) might be a bit more forgiving of a lack of obvious success on the field, or pitch, this year, (although they did qualify for the CL) and may well give the team time to develop and to craft a fresh (collective) identity in the absence of their goal-scoring talisman.

 

[JamesMike]

Man U up 3-0 and I hope to scoring continues.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Man U up 3-0 and I hope to scoring continues.

In truth, that is not a fair reflection of the course of the match (though it is a fair reflection of Manchester United's ability to take their chances when their strike team decides to be in form), but, as my wonderful late mum (an excellent tennis and hockey player at school in the 40s, Games Captain etc, and playing table tennis in the 50s at just under international level, and a fine golfer later in life) used to say, sagely, when I would rail at what I considered to be an unfair or unjust result, "it's the scoreboard that counts, dear."

 

[Lord Blackadder]

In truth, that is not a fair reflection of the course of the match (though it is a fair reflection of Manchester United's ability to take their chances when their strike team decides to be in form), but, as my wonderful late mum (an excellent tennis and hockey player at school in the 40s, Games Captain etc, and playing table tennis in the 50s at just under international level, and a fine golfer later in life) used to say, sagely, when I would rail at what I considered to be an unfair or unjust result, "it's the scoreboard that counts, dear."

A truly bizarre match. Man Utd fans will point to the scoreline, but it's about the weirdest 4-0 I've ever seen. Chelsea dominated most of the first half and failed to get a goal for their efforts. But their defending was some of the worst I've witnessed in the Premier league, and they paid for it. Norwich would have torn them to pieces. Man Utd's defense was shaky in the first half, and I don't think they've done much to satisfy the doubters as yet. But, it's the first game of the season so all the major caveats apply. We'll need to get 5-6 matches in before we can really see how things are going.

Its so hard to judge these two teams right now, they are both in a state of transition and arguably things will get worse for them before it gets better. Both Man Utd and Chelsea will feel they must finish in the Champions League places or the season will be a failure (ditto Arsenal). On the surface, it looks like of the three teams Chelsea have the biggest mountain to climb to get there.