The 2020-2021 Football Thread

[Lord Blackadder]

Spurs seem better suited to this moment because of their more conservative, counterattacking setup, as do the other teams like Leicester, West Ham, Soton, etc.

2020 would be a perfect year for a Mourinho triumph - his negative, attritional brand of football is certainly suited to a punishing, injury/illness-ridden season.

He's never happier than when he can watch (and contribute to) the failure of managers and teams that are seen as attractive, attacking, and "systems"-based. "Ha - look how I broke it!"

 

[Apple fanboy]

2020 would be a perfect year for a Mourinho triumph - his negative, attritional brand of football is certainly suited to a punishing, injury/illness-ridden season.

He's never happier than when he can watch (and contribute to) the failure of managers and teams that are seen as attractive, attacking, and "systems"-based. "Ha - look how I broke it!"

Indeed. But I did find myself agreeing with him. I’m fed up with Klopp going on about injuries. We all have to deal with it. They are in second place on goal difference. It’s hardly like they are languishing in the bottom half of the table!

 

[Scepticalscribe]

2020 would be a perfect year for a Mourinho triumph - his negative, attritional brand of football is certainly suited to a punishing, injury/illness-ridden season.

He's never happier than when he can watch (and contribute to) the failure of managers and teams that are seen as attractive, attacking, and "systems"-based. "Ha - look how I broke it!"

Paradoxically, yes, agreed, current conditions do indeed seem to favour his spoiler mindset, and Spurs could do very well with him.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Indeed. But I did find myself agreeing with him. I’m fed up with Klopp going on about injuries. We all have to deal with it. They are in second place on goal difference. It’s hardly like they are languishing in the bottom half of the table!

I must admit that I'm laughing reading this.

 

[Apple fanboy]

I must admit that I'm laughing reading this.

Pleased to be of service.

 

[HandsomeDanNZ]

'More than just a manager': Gerrard and Klopp pay tribute to Houllier

Jürgen Klopp and a visibly emotional Steven Gerrard have delivered warm tributes to Gérard Houllier, whose death at the age of 73 was announced on Monday

www.theguardian.com

'More than just a manager': Gerrard and Klopp pay tribute to Houllier​

I think they're right - I am not a Liverpool fan...was once in the 1970's but I was a child who loved success back then.

Gerard Houllier took everyone on an emotional ride with that club when he was there. I can't think of anyone that outright disliked the man...he just seemed genuinely nice. And he had a team playing good football and achieving great things.

RIP Gerard Houllier. You'll be missed.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Indeed. But I did find myself agreeing with him. I’m fed up with Klopp going on about injuries. We all have to deal with it. They are in second place on goal difference. It’s hardly like they are languishing in the bottom half of the table!

I get that a lot of people see Klopp as a privileged whiner when he complains about injuries...if I weren't a Liverpool fan I would feel exactly the same as you.

Between Liverpool and Columbus, it's been an extremely attritional year for me though...capped by the Crew having to go into their MLS cup match missing the better half of their midfield. They did win it, but nobody saw that 3-0 coming beforehand. So I'm sympathetic to Jurgen even if everyone's tired of hearing it.

Gerard Houllier took everyone on an emotional ride with that club when he was there. I can't think of anyone that outright disliked the man...he just seemed genuinely nice. And he had a team playing good football and achieving great things.

RIP Gerard Houllier. You'll be missed.

Wenger is often cited as a key figure in bringing modernity to English football - better diets, more systematic training, and so forth. But he wasn't the only pioneer. Houllier, it could be argued, played a similar role at Liverpool.

He didn't reach the same heights of success in England as Wenger, Ferguson, and Mourinho in the same era but he left a strong legacy everywhere he worked and played a significant role in Frances 1998 World Cup win as well.

 

[Silencio]

After taking a point off City, West Brom turn around and sack Slaven Bilic, replacing him with Relegation Escape Specialist™ Sam Allardyce.

Personally I think they were a bit hasty to pull the trigger, and WBA has been pretty unlucky with their results so far this season. I don't see them being as bad as, say, Sheffield Utd or Fulham, and could very well overtake Burnley and stay up. Maybe they just felt they needed to get in Allardyce before Arsenal snatched him up.

(I'm sorry. I'm sorry. That was a bit... edgy joke there. 😂)

 

[Lord Blackadder]

After taking a point off City, West Brom turn around and sack Slaven Bilic, replacing him with Relegation Escape Specialist™ Sam Allardyce.

Personally I think they were a bit hasty to pull the trigger, and WBA has been pretty unlucky with their results so far this season. I don't see them being as bad as, say, Sheffield Utd or Fulham, and could very well overtake Burnley and stay up. Maybe they just felt they needed to get in Allardyce before Arsenal snatched him up.

(I'm sorry. I'm sorry. That was a bit... edgy joke there. 😂)

If I were an Arsenal fan I'd breathe a bit easier today.

 

[Apple fanboy]

After taking a point off City, West Brom turn around and sack Slaven Bilic, replacing him with Relegation Escape Specialist™ Sam Allardyce.

Personally I think they were a bit hasty to pull the trigger, and WBA has been pretty unlucky with their results so far this season. I don't see them being as bad as, say, Sheffield Utd or Fulham, and could very well overtake Burnley and stay up. Maybe they just felt they needed to get in Allardyce before Arsenal snatched him up.

(I'm sorry. I'm sorry. That was a bit... edgy joke there. 😂)

Looks like West Brom are working through all the ex West Ham managers!
Sorry to see Slavan go as I like him a lot as he’s an ex West Ham player and manager. I’m not really sure what West Brom expected? They are in a relegation scrap yes. But they were always going to be. But they are hardly facing an immediate drop at this stage. They have every chance of stopping up.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

To be perfectly honest, I'm just as happy to see Sam Allardyce snatched up by West Brom, as I would not have cared to have seen him turning up at the Emirates (I was about to write Highbury....)

Slaven Bilic did about as well as could have been expected with the resources at his disposal - in a way, perhaps it could be said that WBA achieved promotion a season too early, and I'm sorry to see him go.

 

[Apple fanboy]

To be perfectly honest, I'm just as happy to see Sam Allardyce snatched up by West Brom, as I would not have cared to have seen him turning up at the Emirates (I was about to write Highbury....)

Slaven Bilic did about as well as could have been expected with the resources at his disposal - in a way, perhaps it could be said that WBA achieved promotion a season too early, and I'm sorry to see him go.

Well given a new manager often brings a couple of good results, they could end up in front of you!
Meanwhile the big one tonight. Liverpool Spurs. Is a draw out of the question? That way if we win we are only three points off the top!

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Another red card for Arsenal (Gabriel), - this is becoming a bit of an unfortunate habit, but - mirabile dictu - Aubameyang actually scored a goal from open play, after (quelle surprise), Arsenal had gone behind (deservedly).

So, a point apiece secured with a one all draw between Arsenal and Southampton.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Another red card for Arsenal (Gabriel), - this is becoming a bit of an unfortunate habit, but - mirabile dictu - Aubameyang actually scored a goal from open play.

So, a point apiece secured after a one all draw between Arsenal and Southampton.

No offence bad I was sad Southampton couldn’t hold on for the victory. It’s good to see them up there mixing it up at the top.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

No offence bad I was sad Southampton couldn’t hold on for the victory. It’s good to see them up there mixing it up at the top.

I'll take the points and goals where they come.

While - in the normal course of events - I'm happy to see Southampton do well, I'd just as soon prefer if it wasn't against us.

And, while Arsenal were characteristically brutally bad for much of the first half (quelle surprise) - and received another idiotic red card as a result of yet another descent of a seriously stupid red mist - they did score from play, they did hold on (with ten men, as per usual) and they did secure a point.

These days, we should be grateful for such small mercies.

 

[Apple fanboy]

I'll take the points and goals where they come.

While - in the normal course of events - I'm happy to see Southampton do well, I'd just as soon prefer if it wasn't against us.

And, while Arsenal were characteristically brutally bad for much of the first half (quelle surprise) - and received another idiotic red card as a result of yet another descent of a seriously stupid red mist - they did score from play, they did hold on (with ten men, as per usual) and they did secure a point.

These days, we should be grateful for such small mercies.

Indeed. We’ve just kicked off against Palace. Come on you Irons!

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Liverpool versus Spurs: An attack minded team - the high press of Liverpool - versus the masters of dogged defence, lying deep, (but also with a very impressive counter-attacking option courtesy of Son and Kane), a fascinating tactical game.

Liverpool win - at the death - by 2-1.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Spurs were a classic Mourinho team today, letting Liverpool come at them and looking to exploit any mistake. Son's goal came out of nowhere but Bobby Firmino sent all three points to 'Pool in the 90th minute after an early Salah goal.

I was actually impressed at how Mourinho seems to have gotten his mojo back a little - in the sense that Spurs are recognizably a Mourinho-style team but are getting results. As with all of Mou's teams, the defense is solid but success depends on attacking players effectively improvising, as Jose famously does not really orchestrate an attacking system as such. In Kane and Son he does have the right tools.

 

[Silencio]

Spurs blew a couple of glorious chances in the second half; Bergwijn was clear on goal but struck the post. On the subsequent corner kick, Harry Kane spiked a free header into the ground and bounced it over the bar, incredibly.

Feels like this Spurs squad is far better suited to Mourinhoball than United was. Leading a counterattack with Kane and Son is pretty daunting for any defense, and Højbjerg was a crucial addition for them.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

What is genuinely surprising - well, for me, at any rate - is how well Jose Mourinho seems to fit Spurs, and they him, notwithstanding his corrosive negativity.

He seems a better fit, in some ways, than Pochettino - whom I greatly admired - was.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Feels like this Spurs squad is far better suited to Mourinhoball than United was. Leading a counterattack with Kane and Son is pretty daunting for any defense, and Højbjerg was a crucial addition for them.

It's partially a cultural difference between clubs and fans. Mourinho has always cultivated an "us against them" underdog mentality and I think Spurs fans will find it easier to buy into that than Man Utd fans, who have experienced years of domination through Fergie, and who want to return to that dominating position. Spurs fans, on the other hand, just want to win a big trophy. Mourinho might be able to give them that.

History teaches us, of course, that Mourinho always self-destructs within three-ish years. He had a few wobbles early on at Spurs, but seems to have righted himself. How long before Good Mourinho begins to turn irrevocably into Whiny Eye-Poker Mourinho?

As for the match, I think the xG actually predicted a Spurs win based on chances created, though it was obvious that Liverpool controlled most of the match and Liverpool had a few additional chances of their own that might, on a different night, have been goals. It will be interesting to see of Mourinho can maintain this title challenge.

 

[mrsmith1]

2020 would be a perfect year for a Mourinho triumph - his negative, attritional brand of football is certainly suited to a punishing, injury/illness-ridden season.

He's never happier than when he can watch (and contribute to) the failure of managers and teams that are seen as attractive, attacking, and "systems"-based. "Ha - look how I broke it!"

Id really like to see Spurs win the PL. They play really good, intelligent, counter attacking football. I never thought Id want to see a Mourinho team win anything but its a weird world we live in.

 

[mrsmith1]

Really looking forward to another Leicester City collapse and fat Frank getting the boot at Chelsea.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Id really like to see Spurs win the PL. They play really good, intelligent, counter attacking football. I never thought Id want to see a Mourinho team win anything but its a weird world we live in.

With all due respect to Leicester (a wonderful story that I was thrilled to see play out), Spurs should have won the league in 2015-2016. Or perhaps Arsenal. Neither was able to get over the line.

EDIT: Nothing like a game against Sheffield United to boost morale! The poor Blades are little better than training cones this season.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

With all due respect to Leicester (a wonderful story that I was thrilled to see play out), Spurs should have won the league in 2015-2016. Or perhaps Arsenal. Neither was able to get over the line.

EDIT: Nothing like a game against Sheffield United to boost morale! The poor Blades are little better than training cones this season.

In fairness to Leicester, (if memory serves, Arsenal were runners-up, that year, my, my, how things have changed, and not for the better), they led from the front for a long time, - from Christmas, or shortly after it, - and fully deserved the title, as nobody really came close to catching them. Again, I seem to recall that they were defeated - twice, perhaps three times? - all season; with that kind of consistency, your success is fully merited.

Yes, Arsenal and Spurs could have - maybe, should have - done better, but they didn't. I suppose that the unusual feature of that year was that all of the top teams stumbled simultaneously, but Leicester delivered when opportunity knocked and good luck to them.