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The 2018-2019 Football Thread
- Thread starter Lord Blackadder
- Start date
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I think a Man City win would have been harsh on Liverpool, but it wasn't a classic.
Both teams approached this game with more than their usual amount of caution, and two good defenses cancelled each other out. It reminded me a bit of the Liverpool-Chelsea matches of the Benitez-Mourinho era. Liverpool started both halves fast but Man City exercised pretty good control throughout. With both keepers happy to dribble around in their own box the pitch became very big and that slowed the match down. Nobody wanted to take big risks.
Salah is horribly out of form in terms of finishing; he duffed the best chance in open play of the match, not a sitter but a chance he'd have buried every time last season. Firmino, Mane, and Salah are all still working very hard and getting into good positions, but they have lost that final killer move that leads to goals, and they've all gone cold at the same time. Sturridge is evolving into a useful super sub at last, but he isn't going to light up the league.
It's been a frustrating run for Liverpool, and it comes down entirely to an inability to score goals. The team have done a total 180 - instead of a terrifying attacking team with no ability to defend, Liverpool are now an extremely defensively solid team incapable of scoring.
I don't know what is happening or how to fix it, but Klopp needs to figure out how to get Liverpool's attacking players out of their funk.
Both teams approached this game with more than their usual amount of caution, and two good defenses cancelled each other out. It reminded me a bit of the Liverpool-Chelsea matches of the Benitez-Mourinho era. Liverpool started both halves fast but Man City exercised pretty good control throughout. With both keepers happy to dribble around in their own box the pitch became very big and that slowed the match down. Nobody wanted to take big risks.
Salah is horribly out of form in terms of finishing; he duffed the best chance in open play of the match, not a sitter but a chance he'd have buried every time last season. Firmino, Mane, and Salah are all still working very hard and getting into good positions, but they have lost that final killer move that leads to goals, and they've all gone cold at the same time. Sturridge is evolving into a useful super sub at last, but he isn't going to light up the league.
It's been a frustrating run for Liverpool, and it comes down entirely to an inability to score goals. The team have done a total 180 - instead of a terrifying attacking team with no ability to defend, Liverpool are now an extremely defensively solid team incapable of scoring.
I don't know what is happening or how to fix it, but Klopp needs to figure out how to get Liverpool's attacking players out of their funk.
So Lopetegui and Real stabbed Spanish soccer in the back in order to do their deal to bring Lopetegui on as manager, and now Lopetegui's Real have lost again, and again against weak opponents. Karmic.
How soon will the notoriously trigger-happy Real Madrid fire him? Zinedine Zidane would have been fired early in his tenure as manager of Real - except that his name and reputation shielded him, and he was wise enough to quit after winning the CL, assuring he went out on a high. Lopetegui does not have those credentials - nor does he have Crispy Ronaldo to bail him out.
How soon will the notoriously trigger-happy Real Madrid fire him? Zinedine Zidane would have been fired early in his tenure as manager of Real - except that his name and reputation shielded him, and he was wise enough to quit after winning the CL, assuring he went out on a high. Lopetegui does not have those credentials - nor does he have Crispy Ronaldo to bail him out.
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macrumors Haswell
Arsenal's 5-1 victory - their eighth or ninth in a row - (granted, now all against equally challenging or testing opponents, but it is still good to build up a winning habit) was still very nice to behold.
I was a Wenger fan for a very long time, but am impressed by what Mr Emery has attempted to achieve so far.
I was a Wenger fan for a very long time, but am impressed by what Mr Emery has attempted to achieve so far.
It's going to be really tough for Arsenal to qualify for the CL this season, though I would argue that shouldn't be Emery's assignment. This is a rebuilding phase, so he should not be expected to win anything as yet, even fourth place.
Their most immediate rivals are - conveniently - Spurs, and to a lesser extent Man Utd. Emery's goal is to rebuild the team and impose his playing style while avoiding a big slide down the table (the kind Liverpool, Chelsea, and Man Utd have recently suffered during transition periods). So far he is accomplishing that.
Though, he needs to build a functioning defense sooner rather than later.
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macrumors Haswell
Agreed.
That brittle defence still bothers me, but I like that they don't give up even when they concede goals. These days, I am a little less nervous when Arsenal take the field, or when Arsenal go behind. Indeed, when they go behind, heads and shoulders no longer droop so predictably depressingly.
Agree, too, that CL qualification shouldn't be the goal in his first year. While CL qualification would be admirable, - and something o celebrate - it may be too early during the rebuilding phase for it to be of much use to Arsenal.
Apple fanboy
macrumors Ivy Bridge
Hard to judge where Man U will finish up as we don’t know who’ll be managing them next month!
I did read an interesting article about how many of their first team were out of contract at the end of the year.
Could be a difficult time for them.
I did read an interesting article about how many of their first team were out of contract at the end of the year.
Could be a difficult time for them.
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macrumors Haswell
In a way, the longer Manchester United retain the services of Mr Mourinho, the longer the discord and negativity and underperforming and blame will continue at Manchester United, ensuring that the team is less of a threat than it might be to those it might view as its competitors.
Apple fanboy
macrumors Ivy Bridge
Man Utd, to put it bluntly, are filthy rich.
In other words, they can afford to screw up again, and again, and again, and again when it comes to player and manager recruitment - AND despite their owners loading the club with debt and constantly siphoning cash form the club...
...they can still afford to repeatedly hit the reset button and start the project over. Because kids in Asia, soccer newbies in the USA, TV viewers in Africa, and fans in South America keep buying shirts and swag, TV subscriptions, and buy the endless officially endorsed products Ed Woodward continues to pull out of his hat. And that's even before the monstrous tsunami of TV money drowns the club further in wealth.
If Man City and Chelsea can go from nowhere to champions in a handful of years with a big-spending owner, Man Utd, with all their revenue, can certainly take comfort in knowing they are surely too big to ever fail (i.e. do a Leeds) or even slide into also-ran status like Liverpool - a club who are cursed to be too well-run to do a Leeds but never quite rich enough to bust into the very top...yet.
And hey! The next time you pass through the Gulf of Guinea, don't forget to enjoy some lovely Chi - Man Utd's OFFICIAL Nigerian soft drinks partner!
In other words, they can afford to screw up again, and again, and again, and again when it comes to player and manager recruitment - AND despite their owners loading the club with debt and constantly siphoning cash form the club...
...they can still afford to repeatedly hit the reset button and start the project over. Because kids in Asia, soccer newbies in the USA, TV viewers in Africa, and fans in South America keep buying shirts and swag, TV subscriptions, and buy the endless officially endorsed products Ed Woodward continues to pull out of his hat. And that's even before the monstrous tsunami of TV money drowns the club further in wealth.
If Man City and Chelsea can go from nowhere to champions in a handful of years with a big-spending owner, Man Utd, with all their revenue, can certainly take comfort in knowing they are surely too big to ever fail (i.e. do a Leeds) or even slide into also-ran status like Liverpool - a club who are cursed to be too well-run to do a Leeds but never quite rich enough to bust into the very top...yet.
And hey! The next time you pass through the Gulf of Guinea, don't forget to enjoy some lovely Chi - Man Utd's OFFICIAL Nigerian soft drinks partner!
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macrumors Haswell
True, they are.
And the model that the owners (saddling the club with debt, siphoning cash) have pioneered is deeply unattractive.
But, I think that there is - in footballing terms - a bit of a difference between Manchester United and the other two teams you referred to: Partly tradition, and partly the way the Glazers have run the club.
Manchester United exists to generate income and money for their owners; whether they win trophies and titles on the way is something the Glazers are entirely agnostic about, unless a run of non-success interferes with a proverbial bottom line.
While Chelsea and Manchester City also exist to generate income, their primary function is to (still) do so while playing football, and hopefully winning trophies and titles. This in no way excuses the dubious economic (and political) activities of their respective owners, but I think there is a slight difference in the way the clubs present themselves to the way Manchester United currently does.
Moreover, Mourinho's divisive and negative personality and character (what a contrast from the dashing and stylish manager who first made an appearance nearly two decades ago in the UK), cannot but further harm and undermine the team at Old Trafford. For all of the outrageous talent at his disposal, none of the players ever improve or grow or develop as players under his tutelage and leadership, and he manifestly fails to craft a genuine collective, or team, identity from a group of talented individuals.
Very true. Chelsea and Man City's owners planned to lose money in their quest to build a winning franchise. Man Utd were already a big club who just happened to hire one of the game's great mangers and build a dynasty at precisely the moment the game became a financial juggernaut (the Premier League - when Sky invented football). Their timing could not have been more fortuitous, and they managed to have their cake and eat it too - with their merchandizing and TV money offsetting easily their eye-watering transfer budget/wage bill despite the Glazer parasites sucking cash at the same time.
That confluence of opportunities will likely never happen again - which is why today's big clubs will always remain big, and todays minnows will be stuck behind a glass ceiling forever. Worse still, one could argue that the main outcome of Financial Fair Play is to keep rich clubs rich and poor clubs poor, solidifying the heirarchy as it stands.
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macrumors Haswell
I think the "minnows" might make an appearance in the rankings - as both Leicester (and to a certain extent) Chelsea have done, if adopted by someone benevolent (in the area of soccer) possessed of the sort of vast wealth the origins of which do not bear too close a scrutiny.
But, by and large, I agree with your analysis.
It is interesting to see that, by and large, the Nations League is having its intended effect...players never want to lose competitive matches, and when they are paired with similarly ranked opponents (despite the inaccuracy of the FIFA rankings), we end up with closely matched games instead of meaningless boring friendlies.
You also end up with some rather nasty rivalries, like Montenegro v Serbia. Scary.
You also end up with some rather nasty rivalries, like Montenegro v Serbia. Scary.
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macrumors Haswell
Montenegro and Serbia used to be quite good friends, but things do change over time; Serbia and Croatia would be a grudge match, as would one played between Kosovo and Serbia. But, these teams might not be quite on the same level of footballing ability.
I have spent a considerable amount of time in the Balkans over the past twenty-one years (monitoring elections, as recently as these past ten days), and have long been struck by the sheer skill (and ball control, and ease with possession and confidence on the ball) of youngsters playing football in parks and schoolyards even in remote towns.
'Street football' always produces a unique blend of skill, strength, competitive sprit - and clever cheating. There is no way to create a Diego Maradona or Luis Suarez through training alone.
This is, by the by, a context that is entirely lacking in US soccer, and I would argue it hampers our ability to produce top players. We can recruit very skilled, athletic players and foster those qualities using the latest sports science and tactical approaches - but street football adds an extra 'wild' element that cannot be bottled or replicated.
Netherlands - Germany was a good match. Germany started fast and looked set to dominate, but they failed to finish their early chances. Then the Dutch gradually worked their way into the match and eventually took control. It was an open match, both sides pressing well for spells. The Dutch were dangerous with set pieces and more deadly on the counterattack.
Great to see two Liverpool players score for the Dutch (Van Dijk and Wijnaldum). Van Dijk looked imperious, as usual. Ex-Reds striker Ryan Babel also had a good night, he was involved in the first goal and created some good chances. The star for Dutch was Memphis Depay though, he tore through the German defense a number of times.
Worrying times for Germany. They looked good in flashes but also made some big mistakes and looked disorganized at times. If Germany get relegated from their Nations League group, that will surely be the end of Löw?
Great to see two Liverpool players score for the Dutch (Van Dijk and Wijnaldum). Van Dijk looked imperious, as usual. Ex-Reds striker Ryan Babel also had a good night, he was involved in the first goal and created some good chances. The star for Dutch was Memphis Depay though, he tore through the German defense a number of times.
Worrying times for Germany. They looked good in flashes but also made some big mistakes and looked disorganized at times. If Germany get relegated from their Nations League group, that will surely be the end of Löw?
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macrumors Haswell
I cannot envisage a situation where Germany do not come back, stronger than ever, - or, as strong as they ever were at their best - within around four to five years. They always do.
BIG news for #Savethecrew...
On Friday, a story was leaked to the media (and subsequently confirmed) that NFL Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam was working with a local consortium called the Columbus partnership to keep Columbus Crew SC in Columbus. There are a lot of other details around this whole affair, such as the pending lawsuit filed by the State of Ohio that seeks to retain the club by legal means. Obviously if the deal goes through that lawsuit will likely be canceled. It looks like this is actually going to happen, though I am waiting nervously for the final word.
Nothing is finalized, but the details appear to be as follows: the new Columbus owners will be given a "new" MLS franchise, and the current name, brand, logo, stadium, players/staff etc etc will be retained in Columbus by the "new" franchise. The villain in all this - greedy, duplicitous, evil Anthony Precourt - will retain the "old" MLS franchise he acquired when he bought the Crew. It will be transferred, along with his worthless carcass, to Austin and become Austin FC (spits).
The real losers in all this are cities like San Antonio and Detroit - cities that are in the process of applying to join the league with a new MLS franchise. These cities have been told that MLS will stop expanding at 28 teams, and have worked hard for years to build a competitive bid. Precourt's backdoor deal with the league (and Columbus' survival) means Austin gets a team without having to go through the bidding process, and takes up an extra slot in the league roster. That takes us up to 27 teams. In theory, only one more new franchise can now be awarded before the league hits 28 teams. This is massively unfair to the remaining bidding cities.
Precourt is a pile of excrement, and the MLS league suits like Don "The Con" Garber are craven liars for letting this all happen. They are currently taking credit for brokering the deal to keep the Crew in Columbus (there may be some truth to that), but the fact of the matter is they were completely happy to throw an entire city, team, and fan community under the bus in order to please one rich ******* owner. Disgusting.
IF the Crew survive, it at least sets a good precedent in the league from the fans' perspective: you can't just move a team willy-nilly. Fans will fight back and turn it into a PR disaster.
The pieces are there already...Germany still has a world-class squad. But the conventional wisdom suggests things have gotten stale under Löw. Whether this is really the problem or not I do not know, but I'm sure Germany's performance in the Nations League matters - if they get relegated from their group the DFB might replace him. OF course, in order for that to happen the Dutch would probably have to beat France, which is unlikely (though not impossible).
On Friday, a story was leaked to the media (and subsequently confirmed) that NFL Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam was working with a local consortium called the Columbus partnership to keep Columbus Crew SC in Columbus. There are a lot of other details around this whole affair, such as the pending lawsuit filed by the State of Ohio that seeks to retain the club by legal means. Obviously if the deal goes through that lawsuit will likely be canceled. It looks like this is actually going to happen, though I am waiting nervously for the final word.
Nothing is finalized, but the details appear to be as follows: the new Columbus owners will be given a "new" MLS franchise, and the current name, brand, logo, stadium, players/staff etc etc will be retained in Columbus by the "new" franchise. The villain in all this - greedy, duplicitous, evil Anthony Precourt - will retain the "old" MLS franchise he acquired when he bought the Crew. It will be transferred, along with his worthless carcass, to Austin and become Austin FC (spits).
The real losers in all this are cities like San Antonio and Detroit - cities that are in the process of applying to join the league with a new MLS franchise. These cities have been told that MLS will stop expanding at 28 teams, and have worked hard for years to build a competitive bid. Precourt's backdoor deal with the league (and Columbus' survival) means Austin gets a team without having to go through the bidding process, and takes up an extra slot in the league roster. That takes us up to 27 teams. In theory, only one more new franchise can now be awarded before the league hits 28 teams. This is massively unfair to the remaining bidding cities.
Precourt is a pile of excrement, and the MLS league suits like Don "The Con" Garber are craven liars for letting this all happen. They are currently taking credit for brokering the deal to keep the Crew in Columbus (there may be some truth to that), but the fact of the matter is they were completely happy to throw an entire city, team, and fan community under the bus in order to please one rich ******* owner. Disgusting.
IF the Crew survive, it at least sets a good precedent in the league from the fans' perspective: you can't just move a team willy-nilly. Fans will fight back and turn it into a PR disaster.
The pieces are there already...Germany still has a world-class squad. But the conventional wisdom suggests things have gotten stale under Löw. Whether this is really the problem or not I do not know, but I'm sure Germany's performance in the Nations League matters - if they get relegated from their group the DFB might replace him. OF course, in order for that to happen the Dutch would probably have to beat France, which is unlikely (though not impossible).
Apple fanboy
macrumors Ivy Bridge
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macrumors Haswell