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The 2021-2022 Football Thread
- Thread starter Scepticalscribe
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While Arsenal are improving - and have improved considerably - this season, tonight's match (while closely fought, especially in the first half) - offered a demonstration of what Mr Arteta correctly described as the gulf that yet remains between Arsenal and the very top teams.
A very good victory for Liverpool.
A very good victory for Liverpool.
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UEFA Champions League: League phase draw | UEFA Champions League 2024/25
UEFA Champions League 2024/2025 league phase draw schedule confirmed. Find out who is facing who in UEFA Champions League 2024/2025 league phase.
Can’t believe we won tonight! Quarter finals of the Europa league. My favourite Ukrainian does the business again.
Well done lads. Next stop Barcelona (maybe!).
Well done lads. Next stop Barcelona (maybe!).
An excellent victory for West Ham; congrats and very well done.
Just had a chance to watch Arsenal v Liverpool. Really tight in the first half. I thought Arsenal looked really good and on the front foot for the first half hour especially. Martinelli had Trent's number for long spells of the match. Arsenal should have scored at 0-0. But Klopp had lots fo firepower to bring off the bench and the team maintained a really high work rate in the second half, and eventually broke through.
I remain hugely impressed with Luiz Diaz. He was brought in as a forward and has been a big success as a goalscorer and creator - but just as importantly he fits Liverpool's system very well. In every match he's played he's been pressing hard and doing lots of important defensive work, both in the middle of the pitch and deep in his own half when his fullbacks need help. He was a readymade Liverpool player and credit has to go to the club who continue to to make really smart buys in the transfer market. Without the depth that they have built Liverpool would not be competing for a title.
I remain hugely impressed with Luiz Diaz. He was brought in as a forward and has been a big success as a goalscorer and creator - but just as importantly he fits Liverpool's system very well. In every match he's played he's been pressing hard and doing lots of important defensive work, both in the middle of the pitch and deep in his own half when his fullbacks need help. He was a readymade Liverpool player and credit has to go to the club who continue to to make really smart buys in the transfer market. Without the depth that they have built Liverpool would not be competing for a title.
Big, big win for the Hammers. Now Moyes has the unenviable job to try and manage his resources for both the league and European campaigns/
Wow. 70% possession and still didn't win... Stuck in 7th with 8 to play..
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The international break may be a drag, but I'm looking forward to the final two legs of CONMEBOL qualifiers. Ecuador can fully punch their ticket by beating 9th place Paraguay on Thursday. A lot of other teams are in the mix for 4th and 5th place. Uruguay has been inconsistent, to say the least, but they have an intriguing mix of old stalwarts and intriguing young talent, so I hope they can pull through.
Egypt and Senegal have an upcoming knockout grudge match in their WC qualifying campaigns, so Liverpool fans will have mixed feelings there.
It's hard not to have a soft spot for Uruguay, the original World Cup champions.
I watched El Clasico last night and it was the worst edition of that fixture I've seen in years. Barca bossed the game but my goodness, the amount of standing around from both sets of players. Very poor quality match from two of the 'best' teams in the world. Another damning indictment of the way those clubs are run.
It's hard not to have a soft spot for Uruguay, the original World Cup champions.
I watched El Clasico last night and it was the worst edition of that fixture I've seen in years. Barca bossed the game but my goodness, the amount of standing around from both sets of players. Very poor quality match from two of the 'best' teams in the world. Another damning indictment of the way those clubs are run.
Ecuador, missing numerous key players due to suspension, got smashed 3-1 by formerly ninth-place Paraguay. Due to results elsewhere in the other CONMEBOL qualifiers, they nonetheless clinched their berth at the World Cup.
Uruguay beat Peru, so they're also qualified. They've really turned things around under their new coach, but it also goes to show how a few good results can catapult you up in the CONMEBOL standings pretty quickly.
Elsewhere, Mexico and USA played to a 0-0 draw that probably suits both sides well enough, though it was not much of a game to watch.
Uruguay beat Peru, so they're also qualified. They've really turned things around under their new coach, but it also goes to show how a few good results can catapult you up in the CONMEBOL standings pretty quickly.
Elsewhere, Mexico and USA played to a 0-0 draw that probably suits both sides well enough, though it was not much of a game to watch.
A draw at the Aztec feels like a win for USA, and Canada lost. A good night for USA, who are missing a handful of their best players. Now we need to go and beat Panama, which is not going to be easy - but if we can't do that then we don't deserve to be at the World Cup. Having said that, we just don't have a full-strength squad and there is nothing we can do about that.
Lots of hand-wringing in Italy after the shocking loss to North Macedonia, who now have a reputation for giant-killing. Incredible result for them, I just wish it didn't mean Portugal are probably going through now. Ugh.
The current Italy squad might not be a vintage unit, but in spite of all the pundit 'analysis' the fact that stands out is that they should have qualified given their resources. They dropped points in at least four qualifying matches where they faced an inferior team to the one they sent on the pitch. The same thing happened to USA in the last cycle.
Lots of hand-wringing in Italy after the shocking loss to North Macedonia, who now have a reputation for giant-killing. Incredible result for them, I just wish it didn't mean Portugal are probably going through now. Ugh.
The current Italy squad might not be a vintage unit, but in spite of all the pundit 'analysis' the fact that stands out is that they should have qualified given their resources. They dropped points in at least four qualifying matches where they faced an inferior team to the one they sent on the pitch. The same thing happened to USA in the last cycle.
Italy's aging defense and lack of quality up front finally caught up to them.
Maybe North Macedonia will repeat the trick against Portugal, but the current Portugal squad is much deeper and more talented than Italy's — I expect they'll find a way.
USA had better find a way to beat Panama. Otherwise, they'd have to go to Costa Rica and earn a result there. They've never won a qualifying match there.
Maybe North Macedonia will repeat the trick against Portugal, but the current Portugal squad is much deeper and more talented than Italy's — I expect they'll find a way.
USA had better find a way to beat Panama. Otherwise, they'd have to go to Costa Rica and earn a result there. They've never won a qualifying match there.
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Columbus Crew have won in Costa Rica many years ago, in the CONCACAF Champions League against Saprissa. On a terrible 1st gen plastic pitch. Shudder.
But yes, the Panama game is huge. This is one of those days that the team just need to grind out a result in a tough game. Panama will try slow the game down, they will kick our best players, they will dive, they will pressure the ref, etc. We need to go out there and just be better, tougher, smarter than them. Don't expect to win with style, and don't get beaten.
RE: The Salah situation: if it comes down to either giving him a 400k/week salary or him going, I say let him go. I have no problem making him among our highest paid players, but we should not break the wage structure just to keep him.
You’ll regret him going. Without him you’ll struggle to maintain your top 2 form.
All things come to an end. I’d be happy to re-sign him, but not at 400k a week. Liverpool’s scouting network has been consistently turning up great value, so it makes sense to trust them to be able to rebuild this squad as it ages rather than hanging on to one talismanic player at all costs.
