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The 2018-2019 Football Thread

Mitthrawnuruodo said:
A lot of commentators here in Norway are pointing out that Man Utd has been underperforming this season, not in small part because of discontent in the squad. OGS is - in many ways - the opposite of Mourinho: He's calm, he talk's up player's and he likes his teams attacking. If he makes the squad enthusiastic, and pull together as a team (with the arguably talented squad they possess), there's a fair chance they'll perform better in the second half. Basically: They cannot do any worse...

The Guardian (again) are on to some of the same here: https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...nar-solskjaer-manchester-united-profile-molde

I'm really curious on how they'll perform this holiday season, where there's 4 "easy" matches (5 counting the FA cup). Can OGS pull of a perfect record before they are going to London to meet Spurs? If so - anything can happen, I think... (remember what happened when di Matteo took over Chelsea... ;))

With another meh-season for Everton, this (and to a lesser degree Joshua King's form in Bournemouth) are the only thing worth following for this less and less enthusiastic Norwegian football fan...
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I read that article with interest, and think that OGS may well succeed in encouraging a positive environment and crafting a decent team spirit while managing Manchester United in a care-taker capacity.
 
I read the same Guardian article, the points about his learning his lessons from his experience at Cardiff are important ones, even if that job was a poisoned chalice to begin with.

Build back some positivity and belief within the squad, especially amongst the younger players, and start playing some better football, is about all I'm asking at the moment. All indications seem to be that Woodward is looking to hire a Director of Football and take the time to get the permanent hire right this time.
 
Silencio said:
I read the same Guardian article, the points about his learning his lessons from his experience at Cardiff are important ones, even if that job was a poisoned chalice to begin with.

Build back some positivity and belief within the squad, especially amongst the younger players, and start playing some better football, is about all I'm asking at the moment. All indications seem to be that Woodward is looking to hire a Director of Football and take the time to get the permanent hire right this time.
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Positivity, belief, praise will work with youngsters; and with some of the older players, too.

Then, the challenge is to craft some sort of team spirit out of a team with some outrageously talented individuals, some journeymen, and some who simply cannot or were not able, to deliver under Mourinho.

Of course, for the past two seasons, the skills and talents of David de Gea have ensured that Manchester United at times looked a lot better than they actually were.

OGS also has to try to persuade some of the seriously good players at his disposal (de Gea is the obvious case, but there are others) to wish to remain with United; some may seek to pursue their ambitions and dreams elsewhere.
 
As I was out last night I’m catching up on last nights football. Spurs and Arsenal game seemed marred by idiots in the crowd. Not the first time we have seen issues this year.
I do hope it’s the last we hear for a while.

Racism or throwing things at players or on the pitch is never acceptable.
 
Apple fanboy said:
As I was out last night I’m catching up on last nights football. Spurs and Arsenal game seemed marred by idiots in the crowd. Not the first time we have seen issues this year.
I do hope it’s the last we hear for a while.

Racism or throwing things at players or on the pitch is never acceptable.
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Agreed.

And also agreed that this issue has become a little more unpleasantly and viciously visible this year.

No excuses, no justification, no matter what team's supporters are culpable.
 
Scepticalscribe said:
Agreed.

And also agreed that this issue has become a little more unpleasantly and viciously visible this year.

No excuses, no justification, no matter what team's supporters are culpable.
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Agreed. I know my own teams supporters are not whiter than white, and I would be just as disgusted in them.

Come on England. It’s 2019 nearly. Can’t we just keep it to friendly banter?
 
Apple fanboy said:
Agreed. I know my own teams supporters are not whiter than white, and I would be just as disgusted in them.

Come on England. It’s 2019 nearly. Can’t we just keep it to friendly banter?
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Agreed.

I hope Arsenal are able to deal with that utter thug who hurled a bottle at Dele Alli this week - details to the police, please, and a permanent ban would be the least that I would expect.

However, I do think some individuals derive a sense of identity that goes well beyond what is healthy from their allegiance to football clubs, be they national, regional or local and use that as justification for thuggish behaviour.
 
Scepticalscribe said:
Agreed.

I hope Arsenal are able to deal with that utter thug who hurled a bottle at Dele Alli this week - details to the police, please, and a permanent ban would be the least that I would expect.

However, I do think some individuals derive a sense of identity that goes well beyond what is healthy from their allegiance to football clubs, be they national, regional or local and use that as justification for thuggish behaviour.
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Oh absolutely. When you are for example shouting racist things to the oppositions black player, how do the black players in your own team feel?
Absolute idiots. Nothing to do with football. Just mindless idiots.
 
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Apple fanboy said:
Oh absolutely. When you are for example shouting racist things to the oppositions black player, how do the black players in your own team feel?
Absolute idiots. Nothing to do with football. Just mindless idiots.
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Completely agree.

Have just read about some disgusting anti-Semitic stuff from some Arsenal fans when meeting Spurs; ugh. Very ugly and needs to be dealt with.
 
Mind you, I was impressed when I read that Arsene Wenger (then still manager of Arsenal) had been invited to attend the inauguration of President George Weah, when the latter was inaugurated as President of Liberia at the beginning of this year.

Wenger had no truck whatsoever with racism, and mentored some extraordinarily talented young black players (including Weah) in his day.

Apple fanboy said:
Oh absolutely. When you are for example shouting racist things to the oppositions black player, how do the black players in your own team feel?
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Excellent point and one that needs to be drilled into the heads of those troglodytes.
 
Wolves have terrorized Liverpool for long stretches of the first half. Liverpool are 1-0 up but have made a handful of mistakes and Wolves have actually created more chances.

Liverpool need to get a grip or they will lose this match. Wolves look really up for it.

EDIT: And Liverpool see it through. Virgil van Dyke was absolutely imperious today, and Salah had another excellent match. He's not quite at last-season's level, but he doesn't need to be at that level to be the league's top scorer.

Wolves were very very good, matching Liverpool's work rate and physicality and creating some great chances. Liverpool also got very lucky with a couple mistakes going unpunished.

This was a tougher match than the win over Man Utd. Hopefully the injury Keita picked up is not significant.
 
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A big win for Roy the Boy's Crystal Palace, while Puel hangs on to his job at Leicester by beating Chelsea by the skin of his teeth.

Liverpool now four points clear at the top - an easy margin for Man City to overhaul, but an advantage nonetheless. Chelsea's stumble also means Arsenal's campaign for a top-four spot is looking increasingly solid.
 
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While the timing of the Mourinho sacking is a little puzzling, perhaps the potential of an interim manager bounce against a pretty hapless Cardiff side was a factor...even Mou’s listless United would probably have beaten them, but not by a 5-1 scoreline.

EDIT: looking at Man Utd's schedule, the next three matches are against Huddersfield, Bournemouth, and Newcastle...you almost couldn't pick easier premier league matches if you tried. This gives OGS a chance to build some momentum and raise morale. This surely factored into the decision to sack Mou.
 
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Lord Blackadder said:
While the timing of the Mourinho sacking is a little puzzling, perhaps the potential of an interim manager bounce against a pretty hapless Cardiff side was a factor...even Mou’s listless United would probably have beaten them, but not by a 5-1 scoreline.

EDIT: looking at Man Utd's schedule, the next three matches are against Huddersfield, Bournemouth, and Newcastle...you almost couldn't pick easier premier league matches if you tried. This gives OGS a chance to build some momentum and raise morale. This surely factored into the decision to sack Mou.
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Quite possibly; that, and the coming transfer window.

Nevertheless, it was almost inevitable that Third Season Syndrome would have and affect on Mourinho sooner or later; it is not only tactics that have changed and progressed since Mourinho was in his prime a decade ago, but his the skills needed to motivate and ensure the loyalty of a football team staffed and stuffed with gifted, high maintenance man-children have also changed.
 
Watching MOTD this morning. We might have lost to Watford yesterday, but we should have scored at least three. Antonio hit the woodwork twice and Foster made a series of outstanding saves.

Still we are still more or less where I expected to be this season. Mid table. For any team to break into that top 6 is going to take a lot of money, effort and luck.

At least there is plenty of football over the next week to look forward to.
 
I enjoyed the Man U match for sure! The 5-1 victory gives the temporary manager some breathing space to work the team into a new attitude and the next few matches will help with that.
 
Everton 2 - 6 Spurs
What a goal fest! Great game for the neutral.
[doublepost=1545592331][/doublepost]Everton 2 - 6 Spurs
What a goal fest! Great game for the neutral.
 
3 defeats in 4 games for City. Where did that come from?
Leicester could have easily had a couple more goals today.
And they weren’t even your typical Vardy goals either. But a well organised attacking game. Defending wasn’t great from City.

And Everton have swung from being big losers on Sunday to big winners today. Obviously no hangovers for them!

Ole continues to correct the wrongs of the muppet he replaced. I’d expect them to put a good run together for the remainder of the season.
Pogba seems like a different player. But will he still be there when the transfer window closes?
 
Sigi Schmidt, MLS's all-time winningest manager, has died aged 65.

Sigi guided Columbus Crew to their league championship in 2008, and I can still remember him prowling the sideline that season as I attended matches. He'll always be a legendary figure in Columbus.

Sad news for all US soccer fans, he was a great manager and by all accounts a real gentleman.

Apple fanboy said:
3 defeats in 4 games for City. Where did that come from?
Leicester could have easily had a couple more goals today.
And they weren’t even your typical Vardy goals either. But a well organised attacking game. Defending wasn’t great from City.
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Leicester are playing well, and earned their win. Man City are clearly underperforming...however, there is a looooooooong way to go yet. Man City were seen to be walking this league just a few short weeks ago.

It's certainly exciting to see a real title race. Spurs, Man City and Liverpool are really pushing, and Arsenal and Chelsea are still very much in the hunt. I hope the title race comes down to the wire (I won't cry if Liverpool run away with it though!) It's to early to do anything but dream, but Klopp is doing great things at Liverpool and I hope he keeps the club on this trajectory.

Apple fanboy said:
Ole continues to correct the wrongs of the muppet he replaced. I’d expect them to put a good run together for the remainder of the season.
Pogba seems like a different player. But will he still be there when the transfer window closes?
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Mou's absence pretty much solved the morale problem in short order. One place are where Mou's absence might be felt in the short term, however, is in the Champion's League, where even late-stage Mou still knew how to get results in a one-off match.
 
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Lord Blackadder said:
Sigi Schmidt, MLS's all-time winningest manager, has died aged 65.

Sigi guided Columbus Crew to their league championship in 2008, and I can still remember him prowling the sideline that season as I attended matches. He'll always be a legendary figure in Columbus.

Sad news for all US soccer fans, he was a great manager and by all accounts a real gentleman.



Leicester are playing well, and earned their win. Man City are clearly underperforming...however, there is a looooooooong way to go yet. Man City were seen to be walking this league just a few short weeks ago.

It's certainly exciting to see a real title race. Spurs, Man City and Liverpool are really pushing, and Arsenal and Chelsea are still very much in the hunt. I hope the title race comes down to the wire (I won't cry if Liverpool run away with it though!) It's to early to do anything but dream, but Klopp is doing great things at Liverpool and I hope he keeps the club on this trajectory.



Mou's absence pretty much solved the morale problem in short order. One place are where Mou's absence might be felt in the short term, however, is in the Champion's League, where even late-stage Mou still knew how to get results in a one-off match.
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Liverpool play Man City soon and if Man City lose, I think they will have to bigger gap to climb.
Spurs look very good at the moment but most people aren’t expecting them to maintain that form until the end of the season. Especially if they pick up some injuries as I think they lack the strength in depth of their rivals.

But at least it’s a three way competition at this point!
 
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