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The 2018-2019 Football Thread
- Thread starter Lord Blackadder
- Start date
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Relief.
Arsenal defeat Everton 2-0; their first goal was excellent, their second a lot more questionable, their defence the kind that still gives me kittens although I can see some signs of strengthening in midfield as Emery's vision begins to take hold, to some extent.
Arsenal defeat Everton 2-0; their first goal was excellent, their second a lot more questionable, their defence the kind that still gives me kittens although I can see some signs of strengthening in midfield as Emery's vision begins to take hold, to some extent.
Nice win for Arsenal, though I think they showed plenty of defensive frailty again that Everton failed to exploit, and the first goal was offside. With that being said, Cech had a strong match, so given the criticism he's gotten this season that deserves to be mentioned.
I can think of one - Chelsea are very good at football! I agree that these are tough but winnable matches, but streaks always make me nervous so I am prepared to see a draw or even a loss between the two matches.
I can think of one - Chelsea are very good at football! I agree that these are tough but winnable matches, but streaks always make me nervous so I am prepared to see a draw or even a loss between the two matches.
With all those new players and a new manager, it was always going to be a difficult start to the season. But as time goes on, hopefully we can improve more and more.
Not gone unnoticed that are two good results we have been absent Wiltshire. Not sure if he is not quite fitting in, or coincidence.
That defensive frailty reduces me to a quivering wreck, gnawing nails, on a regular basis.
Klopp and Guardiola each took a few seasons to catch their breath, learn what needed to be done, work with their squads, and add strategically to them; I expect with Emery it will be the same; actually, I expect that it will take him the proverbial three or four transfer windows to mould the team to his satisfaction.
Re Jack Wilshere, I think he has been injured yet again - that brittle ankle.
Minor surgery I believe. He will be out for a couple weeks at least. Which gives pundits plenty of time to write various pieces about how bad of a signing he was for West Ham. It seems he has a big hill to climb to get back on the England radar.
I'm not sure that he will ever succeed in putting himself on England's radar except in the most peripheral way in the future; Southgate had made that quite clear early in the summer, - those endless injuries and fitness issues influencing his decision - and, if anything, from what I can see, Wilshere's chances of being considered for an England call-up have reduced further since then.
For him, the best thing would be to attempt to return to fitness and a first team place at West Ham and try to make a name for himself with the team. Even then, that will present challenges as their best performances of the season (after a dismal start) have taken place without him.
Credit to Derby - they got lucky in that some of their mistakes went unpunished by a lackluster Man Utd side, but nobody can fault their effort and grit, and they fully earned their win.
In some ways, getting knocked out of the league cup simplifies Mourinho's season a bit, and he still has the rest of a pretty easy Champions League group stage draw ahead of him. The team beaten by derby was a B squad as well, so Mou will argue that it is not representative of what his side are capable of.
On the other hand, you get the sense that the overall trajectory of the club is not where most fans and the club suits want it to be headed. The only thing that will keep this from snowballing is winning football matches - often.
I admit I'm a biased Liverpool supporter, but this is not Man Utd anymore. At least, it's not the relentlessly successful Ferguson version I grew up loving to hate. All eras come to an end, but perhaps Mourinho is the man who definitively closes the book on United's era of dominance. He was supposed to bring them back to greatness, but instead he's transformed them into a Mourinho team, and a second-rate Mourinho team at that - not the same thing at all.
As for tomorrow's Liverpool-Chelsea match...Mignolet and Lovren will start, and there will surely be other changes. Assuming Chelsea play well, my guess is Liverpool will need to build an early lead if they want to win. Interested to see if Klopp gives Shaqiri a full match this time.
In some ways, getting knocked out of the league cup simplifies Mourinho's season a bit, and he still has the rest of a pretty easy Champions League group stage draw ahead of him. The team beaten by derby was a B squad as well, so Mou will argue that it is not representative of what his side are capable of.
On the other hand, you get the sense that the overall trajectory of the club is not where most fans and the club suits want it to be headed. The only thing that will keep this from snowballing is winning football matches - often.
I admit I'm a biased Liverpool supporter, but this is not Man Utd anymore. At least, it's not the relentlessly successful Ferguson version I grew up loving to hate. All eras come to an end, but perhaps Mourinho is the man who definitively closes the book on United's era of dominance. He was supposed to bring them back to greatness, but instead he's transformed them into a Mourinho team, and a second-rate Mourinho team at that - not the same thing at all.
As for tomorrow's Liverpool-Chelsea match...Mignolet and Lovren will start, and there will surely be other changes. Assuming Chelsea play well, my guess is Liverpool will need to build an early lead if they want to win. Interested to see if Klopp gives Shaqiri a full match this time.
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Hope there isn’t a Man U backlash on Saturday!
One of the things I dislike about the league cup is the ‘b’ teams some put out.
I get if you’ve got Champions League games, you might not make it your top priority. But there is a difference between resting a few players than wholesale changes.
One of the things I dislike about the league cup is the ‘b’ teams some put out.
I get if you’ve got Champions League games, you might not make it your top priority. But there is a difference between resting a few players than wholesale changes.
Sending out B teams is also showing a sort of contempt for such competitions, although it can also be a good way of blooding youngsters and seeing how some potential players actually perform on the pitch in a match, rather than on the training ground.
However, whatever about the League Cup (or whatever it is called these days), one of the things I disliked most about Manchester United was their arrogance in the years when they dominated the Premiership.
I remember the cavalier contempt that they showed for the FA Cup, one of the years that Alex Ferguson was in charge; the oldest cup competition in the world, and they thought that they were too good to grace it with their presence.
If Mourinho didn't take the League Cup seriously, he would have selected a squad with a lot of youth in it. But he didn't do that — looked like a pretty strong squad but for the omissions of Pogba and De Gea.
The situation in the dressing room is starting to get really bad, even beyond the obvious clashes with Pogba (who is not exactly covering himself in glory at the moment, either). Management is still publicly backing Mourinho at this time, so I expect the effort on the field will keep declining until things really come to a head. Woodward and the Glazers had better wake up soon.
The situation in the dressing room is starting to get really bad, even beyond the obvious clashes with Pogba (who is not exactly covering himself in glory at the moment, either). Management is still publicly backing Mourinho at this time, so I expect the effort on the field will keep declining until things really come to a head. Woodward and the Glazers had better wake up soon.
Pogba does need to be careful - Mourinho is not covering himself in glory, but neither is Pogba. I think it is fair to say that he appears less than totally committed to his current employer.
And - while I have absolutely no sympathy for Mourinho - to be less than committed when paid almost £300,000 per week does strike me as exceedingly self-indulgent.
Wow, Klopp is really putting out a B team...Mignolet in goal in front of a back four of Moreno, Matip, Lovren, Clyne. That gives me the willies. Fabinho and Shaqiri both start. This could be a discombobulated performance.
Hazard and Kante start from the bench for Chelsea.
Hazard and Kante start from the bench for Chelsea.
How wrong was I? 8-0 was a great win. Yes I know it wasn’t the best opposition, but our young players did very well indeed. Hope we can take that confidence boost into our Saturday game with Man U. Who knows? If we beat them it could be the not so special ones last game!
I certainly care about the cup - it's a big disappointment and robs Klopp of the chance to give his bench/squad players valuable minutes. I'm sure Klopp will be disappointed too.
It was a weird match to watch - neither team was really recognizable, and the play was sloppy. Shaqiri did an excellent job of being a creative outlet, but the team weren't on the same wavelength and many promising moves were wasted. The same could be said for Chelsea. Chelsea had the upper hand for the first 25 minutes, Liverpool grew into the match but their B squad back line couldn't keep things tight enough.
Because of the lack of cohesion, the match hinged entirely on the actions of individuals at key moments - Emerson being just a tiny bit quicker to the rebound for a tap-in, Sturridge missing a sitter (key moment of the match, in my opinion) and then scoring a much more difficult chance with a scissor volley, and then of course Hazard being Hazard.
Liverpool created more than enough chances to convincingly beat Chelsea, but failed to finish them, and the scratch defense was simply not good enough.
Apart from the psychological blow of losing at Anfield, it was a meaningless game in terms of what happens Saturday. Liverpool will bring a vastly superior defense to Stamford Bridge and the team will be much more precise and fluid. When the full strength squads are considered, Chelsea do not defend as well as Liverpool, and while they possess the best individual player between the two teams in the form of Hazard, Liverpool are better as a unit. It will be a tough game and Chelsea will be confident they can win again, but Liverpool will be highly motivated to win.
Gosh: Two nil up against Manchester United by half time - a good day, so far, I'd imagine, @Apple fanboy?
Indeed. Found an app to watch it on to. The second took a very lucky deflection, but who cares? The score seems to reflect the run of play. Three up front is the way to go.
Plus let’s be honest the Man U dressing room is hardly a harmonious place to be.
With so many new faces at WH it was always going to take a while to gel. Our midweek thrashing 8-0 and the draw with Chelsea have given us a confidence boost. This win could only help with that. Still long way to go yet.
Jose Mourinho does not know how to craft a team from a collection of very talented, exceptionally well paid individuals. And he undermines the confidence of, and diminishes his players.
No player has left a team managed by Mourinho in recent years better, more confident, more fully rounded, than he was when he arrived.
Alex Ferguson used to demand loyalty from his players, but he gave it to them as well; for example, he would never criticise a player in public (as Mourinho does incessantly) but would give them the proverbial "hair-dryer treatment" in the dressing room in private.
That way, he never lost the dressing room in the way it seems inevitable that Mourinho will do, given time.
Likewise, he would never allow a player to think that he was bigger or of greater importance than the club: Once that began to happen, the player was on his way out. In their day, each of David Beckham, Roy Keane, Ronaldo, Cantona, - among many others - all learned that lesson in turn.
Now, personally, I am not impressed by Pogba's conduct; pride alone should suggest that he play his best when he cost that much and when he commands those silly, stratospheric wages; however, it is telling that Manchester United had sold him ages ago unable to develop his potential, and even more telling and damning that he has always played better elsewhere, fully realising his potential - for example, at this summer's World Cup. In Manchester, he is a shadow of what he could be.
Re West Ham, some of those summer buys were good ones; but transfers - unless it is into a settled and stable team, where development is a priority, can be unsettling and destabilising. It does take time to gel.
We haven’t played the same starting 11 in two games yet. Man U are now coming back into this. But I do hope we can hold off.
Anderson in particular has looked like a good signing. As has Diop and Fabianski.
You have to mix and match to find out which combinations work together well on the football pitch as well as on the training ground.
Arsenal have the same issue, and will continue to have it for the coming year, at the very least. Judge a good new manager after three transfer cycles, rather than expecting instant success.