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The 2020-2021 Football Thread
- Thread starter Scepticalscribe
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Actually, it seems that - as @Apple fanboy remarks below - things got worse.
Six one to Spurs - a team led by glum, dour, negative José Mourinho.
Not a good day for Ole. We do have a very strange set of results so far.
Two undefeated teams meet each other shortly. Everton will be hoping someone can beat Liverpool.
That will put them in pole position. But hard to see anything other than a Liverpool win. Personally I don’t want to see any team running away with the league.
That will put them in pole position. But hard to see anything other than a Liverpool win. Personally I don’t want to see any team running away with the league.
Villa have much improved as a team and have made some excellent signings which represent intelligent research and use of resources; however, in all of the articles I ave read about Villa, hardly any have mentioned Martínez, the superb goalie they signed from Arsenal (and whom I was really sorry to see go, I'd have loved to have seen a way whereby both could have been played regularly), and no tea has achieved series success without an excellent player between the sticks at No 1.
I've always been in Ole's corner mostly due to the clearer and more obvious problems higher up in the club, and 1-6 can be seen as a fluke result due to an avalanche of errors and / or questionable calls by the ref (that's either two red cards or none at all), but I am leaning more strongly in the direction that he is not good enough to make United a competitive club. The question is, how will the board be able to convince Poch to take the job if they have done such a poor job with transfers for a manager who was already a club legend?
I think we're going to be lost in the weeds for a long time. And I am so completely done with Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw. United has thrown stupid money at yesterday's players for years, but Maguire really takes the cake. He is obsolete.
I think we're going to be lost in the weeds for a long time. And I am so completely done with Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw. United has thrown stupid money at yesterday's players for years, but Maguire really takes the cake. He is obsolete.
Early doors but Everton have come out of the traps pretty well. Calvert-Lewin looks really sharp. It's all over before we have even started this season though, may as well write the season off. The prodigal son has returned to N17 and will bring glory. Need I say more?
Just waiting for the flames now.........................
Just waiting for the flames now.........................
Just looked at todays result, had not seen it while I was chatting here. Man Utd 1 Tottenham 6 and our favourite son has not yet kicked a ball in anger. COYS!
And now, it is 7-2 to Villa, against Liverpool.
Yes, Liverpool's defending was sloppy, and Adrian made some brutal mistakes, and yes, Villa took their chances and are a vastly improved team.
But Martínez has been magnificent, and saved several Liverpool shots on goal.
Yes, Liverpool's defending was sloppy, and Adrian made some brutal mistakes, and yes, Villa took their chances and are a vastly improved team.
But Martínez has been magnificent, and saved several Liverpool shots on goal.
Honestly at a loss for words. Usually I listen to football podcasts all week as my escape from the dark era we live in. But this week I won't even be able to to do that...
Jeez have not been following that after last season it seems impossible 7-2???? Going to be a fun season this time around.
I am just thankful that last October I got a ticket to a Spurs game at the new stadium with a full house crowd. Just once in my life I wanted to do it and I did. Fantastic experience. Drew 1-1 with a last minute Dele goal but it didn't matter what the result was it was just such a great experience.
According to reports, Cavani’s medical lasted more than 4 hours. The doctors had to scan his brain multiple times to check if he really wants to join Manchester United😂😂😂
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‼️ Cavani & Telles Flight path ✈️↪️ “**** this”
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‼️ Cavani & Telles Flight path ✈️↪️ “**** this”
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Why? There may be some COVID-19 disturbance, there already has been. We should all be excited about how Everton have come out of the traps all guns firing. Leicester City have made a good start again also. At the bottom of the table we see clubs that may struggle all season that didn't last year (Sheffield Utd). Man City have defensive and midfield frailties, Chelsea, Tottenham, Man Utd are work in progress. Big opportunities for the likes of Everton and Leicester I think this season is going to be really exciting.
I didn't mention Arsenal for obvious reasons I just hope they will decline into a nasty quagmire of bad purchases, poor form and horrible results. Wrong side of North London for me.
In the short term, especially for the neutral fan, I agree. A shakeup of the established order makes for a great and entertaining narrative.
But there are a lot of serious big-picture issues with football right now that COVID has brought to a head, and frankly they scare me. So in short - yes, a little chaos is exciting, but not if it is a symptom of the sport unravelling. And there are reason to fear that right now.
I can well imagine you are. Unbelievable results today in three of the games. But I suppose you can bounce back from this. At least you didn’t lose any ground to Man U!
Schadenfreude is a nasty double-edged sword...
Klopp spoke of accepting risk in his tussle with Roy Keane a while back and this is what he was talking about. While he has moderated his "heavy metal football" over the years he still takes risks. And that means Liverpool under Klopp will always be capable of heavy defeats like this from time to time. The same goes for Bielsa, Guardiola - even Wenger's Arsenal - and any other teams that choose to play high up the pitch.
This is the price you pay for that type of football, and some see that price as too high. Pressing is in vogue now, but who knows - in a season or two the fashion might be something far more conservative. It goes in cycles.
I don't suddenly expect Villa to challenge for silverware now, and the worst thing they can do is believe their own hype after this result (they play Leicester and Leeds next, hardly easy matches), but they were excellent today and did exactly what you'e expect a professional club to do - ruthlessly exploit any advantage over an opponent having an off day..
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This is what football is all about. Pep came up with a winning formula for two glorious seasons but it doesn't mean that is the right methodology for the future. The game changes as do the squads. Risk and reward that is why we watch the beautiful game right? The exciting aspect is, as you say, who will move away from the in vogue high press and bring the next wave of success which all will follow?
I can't see Villa having a season of success but Everton? Hmmm, can see that.
I can't see Villa having a season of success but Everton? Hmmm, can see that.