Indeed. Very impressive. Let’s hope it’s a long honeymoon!
Not looking to bad in your game either. Just as well. You need the points!
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I always said he was the man for us!
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The 2019-2020 Football Thread
- Thread starter Lord Blackadder
- Start date
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Not looking to bad in your game either. Just as well. You need the points!
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Man Utd tend to take points off the good teams and struggle against the crap teams. Arsenal just beat Man Utd. Ergo, Arsenal must be a crap team.
Joking aside, it was a very good performance from Arsenal, and a rather disjointed one from Man Utd. De Gea was a bit shaky again, Ozil actually put in the hard work. A few Arsenal players picked up injuries though, so that will dampen the celebrations a bit.
Joking aside, it was a very good performance from Arsenal, and a rather disjointed one from Man Utd. De Gea was a bit shaky again, Ozil actually put in the hard work. A few Arsenal players picked up injuries though, so that will dampen the celebrations a bit.
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They have scored once more - and are now leading by two goals to nil, as the game reaches its 90th minute.
We need the points, true, but, it is also becoming increasingly clear that we need improved levels of fitness.
This business of fading in the second half of a game when you are on six figures a week is inexcusable.
Manchester City, Liverpool and Leicester have all set the standards of fitness expected and assumed at this level; whenever about defensive frailties, and a brittle and porous defence, (which may require additional defensive expenditure and some midfield purchases), there is no excuse for inadequacies in the field of fitness, which is something I would expect Arteta to be able to address, irrespective of how much spending money he is granted this January for the duration of the transfer window.
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Man Utd tend to take points off the good teams and struggle against the crap teams. Arsenal just beat Man Utd. Ergo, Arsenal must be a crap team.
Joking aside, it was a very good performance from Arsenal, and a rather disjointed one fro Man Utd. De Gea was a bit shaky again, Ozil actually put in the hard work. A few Arsenal players picked up injuries though, so that will dampen the celebrations a bit.
Again, I expect that fitness may well be an issue with some of the Arsenal squad.
Agreed, Ozil seems to have been putting in the work ever since Arteta arrived, but then, the entire squad were reassured that they would start with "a clean slate" under Arteta.
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It certainly looked that way - they fell off a cliff about 10 minutes before the end of the match. Against more dangerous opposition that could have had disastrous results, but Man Utd were pretty blunt today.
I can well imagine Arteta addressing the fitness issues - in fact, I'll be astounded if he doesn't; against Chelsea, Arsenal also ran out of energy, so, clearly fitness is an issue.
At this level, this is inexcusable, but it is something that lies well within their capability to improve.
Hey folks, wanted to post this earlier. It's a photo of our grand son taken by our daughter-in-law right after the Seahawk loos. I laughed so much, and it's very appropriate!
Wrong "football" thread, granddad.
(Go 49ers!)
Anyway, back to the discussion of what the rest of the world calls "football":
Ugh, United is always good for taking a big step back. Squad depth issues reared their ugly head today with McTominay and Pogba both out for an extended spell, but it's equally depressing to have to endure watching Jesse Lingard, Nemanja Matic, and Luke Shaw for extended periods — none of them are good enough to play for United anymore. Rashford was pretty poor today, but he looked exhausted. Harry Maguire — our worst yet most expensive signing — also needs a sit-down for a bit, if Axel Tuanzebe can stay fit. David De Gea is still making inexcusable errors in goal.
That said, I was impressed with Arsenal's work rate tonight. I haven't seen Özil play so hard in quite some time.
(Go 49ers!)
Anyway, back to the discussion of what the rest of the world calls "football":
Ugh, United is always good for taking a big step back. Squad depth issues reared their ugly head today with McTominay and Pogba both out for an extended spell, but it's equally depressing to have to endure watching Jesse Lingard, Nemanja Matic, and Luke Shaw for extended periods — none of them are good enough to play for United anymore. Rashford was pretty poor today, but he looked exhausted. Harry Maguire — our worst yet most expensive signing — also needs a sit-down for a bit, if Axel Tuanzebe can stay fit. David De Gea is still making inexcusable errors in goal.
That said, I was impressed with Arsenal's work rate tonight. I haven't seen Özil play so hard in quite some time.
Oops! Sorry about that! And hopefully the Hawks will defeat the 49ers again! That would be sweet.
This reminds me of having to watch some of Liverpool's non-vintage sides of the early 2010s.
United is going to keep going through their own Liverpool-like period. I have no idea if the league title drought will last as long, but it's going to be a shock to the system for a lot of United fans that grew up knowing nothing but success. I don't have very strong memories of United before their successful run under Fergie myself, only a vague recollection of the Ron Atkinson days, at best. It was not easy following the First Division / Premier League in the US back in those days.
At least for Matic and Shaw, there are better, younger alternatives available in James Garner and Brandon Williams, respectively. Options at the #10 are pretty slim right now: Andrea Pereira is in better form in that position right now, Angel Gomes has not taken the step up yet.
With the injuries to Pogba and McTominay, it would be absolute malpractice if Ed Woodward didn't bring in another midfielder in the winter window. Not sure who that would be, though...
I would have zero confidence in Ed Woodward going forward. If he signs a good player it will come about either through sheer luck or because the player was so obviously good even Woodward couldn't miss seeing the talent. And in either case he'll be swindled on the price.
Man Utd's recruitment structure is irretrievably inept. This means the manager (whoever that happens to be) is working from an unstable foundation. And that's before we bring up the Glazers. Again, this reminds me of some of Liverpool's more recent barren years. While there were always flashes of hope, and occasionally genuinely good runs of form, the structural problems at the club nearly always prevented any sort of real, long-term success.
Agree with what both you and @Lord Blackadder have written about United, and structural deficiencies.
And the problem of disgruntled and entitled fans (amplified by their own TV stations and social media in a way which wasn't the case in the past) who have been used to success is always an issue when a team has been such a success for so long but has lost its way in recent times.
However, while McTominay's absence and injury is a real loss to United, I cannot help but wonder whether Pogba's is a diplomatic injury or something more genuinely troubling.
I think Wayne Rooney will always be able to conjure up a magical touch or two on the football field, - he was a very gifted player - irrespective of whether he can last 90 minutes - but whether he has any ability or skill as a manager (and he has been appointed as player-manager-coach, as far as I know), remains to be seen.
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Indeed. Time will tell. I see you have lost Chambers for 9 months through injury.
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4 minutes in and captain Salah is helping my cause. Hope it’s a hat trick!
Yes, I imagine that the loss of Chambers - which is serious - will (despite howls from the board suggesting that the war chest for the January transfer window is not bottomless) expedite the decision to purchase a decent defender or two.
Watching Liverpool tonight was a unique experience...I have never see the team play so professionally. Before this season, it seemed the good Liverpool teams of the last 15 years or so felt the weight of Anfield, of the Liverpool fans and tradition, whenever they had a good run the league. Less so perhaps in Europe, but the weight of expectation in the league could be stifling.
Tonight Liverpool beat a very good Sheffield United side and they did it without any drama, and easily. Not easily in the sense of winning without effort - they had to be very skillful and work very hard to win - but easily in the sense that they are, for the present, capable of achieving a very high standard day after day. I think you can chalk that, and their lack of nervousness, up to a very special group of players working under a great manager who may be at the peak of his powers.
I envy their mental focus and strength - because I am still a bag of nerves about this season. Better me than the players!
Tonight Liverpool beat a very good Sheffield United side and they did it without any drama, and easily. Not easily in the sense of winning without effort - they had to be very skillful and work very hard to win - but easily in the sense that they are, for the present, capable of achieving a very high standard day after day. I think you can chalk that, and their lack of nervousness, up to a very special group of players working under a great manager who may be at the peak of his powers.
I envy their mental focus and strength - because I am still a bag of nerves about this season. Better me than the players!
Agreed, - I think that Liverpool are where Manchester City were two seasons ago, just before they won the Premiership, but, but but, the weight of Anfield, the weight of the expectations of Anfield, as you so eloquently expressed it, has been - or have been - lifted to a large extent by their Champions League form over the past two years.
Two years ago, in 2018, they reached the final; last year, they actually won the CL trophy, and that, I would argue, has boosted their confidence to the extent that the niggling doubts (do we bottle it at the last minute, do we bottle it or flake or collapse in the final stretch, or, when it matters, - yes, Steven Gerrard - and so on) are no longer moot.
Last year, they chased Manchester City in the Premier League to the very last day, losing one match all season, and failing to win the PL by one point. Manchester City could only win by being at their very best for the entire season. This is not a crisis of confidence or self-belief.
Liverpool now know that they can deliver at the highest level, and this - to my mind - has liberated them from the burdens of the histories, legacies, and traditions of the past.
And yes, of course, this is a superb team, working under an outstanding manager who have learned to win stylishly, win ugly, and win professionally as you say. But, now they also play with the confidence of knowing that they can deliver at the very highest level.
I have said all along that (barring catastrophic injury to key players) I expect Liverpool to win the Premiership this season, and they will have deserved it.
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Even injuries won’t stop them. They have strength in depth.
But to go a year without being beaten is a tremendous feat. I just wish it was a different team! I’d be happy to go 5 games unbeaten!
Agree, very much a tremendous feat.
This is now a full calendar year, and not just a season (as was the case with The Invincibles from Arsenal); a most impressive achievement, and bear in mind that they were defeated only once last season, and have yet to be beaten this season.
Yes, they have strength in depth, but catastrophic injures to really good players playing in key positions can unsettle a team.
Strength in depth is all very well, but the current team is beautifully balanced and plays together superbly as a cohesive unit.
No, neither would I.
Indeed, in recent years, Liverpool and Manchester City have set new standards of excellence - in squad cohesion, game plans, defence, fitness, vision - and, of course, results - that the rest must aim to aspire to if they are to have any hope of achieving any serious success whatsoever.
New (old) manager bounce! And a couple signings on the way by the sounds of it. Getting into the top 10 might be a stretch, but there are at least three teams above West Ham who could be caught if Moyes turns things around.
Here’s hoping. A long honeymoon would be good. As long as he keeps us up and puts some groundwork in for next season I’ll be happy.
Harry Kane has torn his hamstring, and will be out till March. Mourinho, Spurs, and England are all kind of up a creek at this point.
That’s terrible news. A real blow for England. Not so bothered about Spurs.
Really not bothered about Mourinho!