Shocking. There is no way my Dad would have let me get away with that when I was about 6. He'd have told me never get caught in possession in front of your own goal.
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The 2022-2023 Football Thread
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Man Utd looked mostly dominant against Brentford, but could only manage the one goal. Rashford always looks a real menace when running at goal, but he needs more consistent help from his fellow attacking players.
Newcastle looking strong again for third place, but it feels like every team that's tried to cement that spot recently would fall back on hard times soon enough.
Lampard as interim manager at Chelsea is a no-lose situation for him. Good results he could parlay into another full time job elsewhere, and he won't get much blame if they continue to struggle.
Newcastle looking strong again for third place, but it feels like every team that's tried to cement that spot recently would fall back on hard times soon enough.
Lampard as interim manager at Chelsea is a no-lose situation for him. Good results he could parlay into another full time job elsewhere, and he won't get much blame if they continue to struggle.
Actually, I beg to differ.
This is an appointment fuelled and informed by a witless nostalgia.
For one thing, I don't think that Lampard is actually good enough, and, for another, his previous tenure at Chelsea ended with a truly dreadful run. Unlike Potter - at Brighton - Lampard's record as a manager - to my mind - has left a lot to be desired.
Moreover, that exceptionally expensively constructed collection of players do not look like a team, rather, they look like an assembly of individuals who have some vague connection with one another; I'm not sure that Lampard is the person to be able to address this and mould them, craft them, into team.
Actually, I have a lot more sympathy for Potter; despite the stratospheric - almost ludicrous - sums spent at Chelsea, he lacked (through injury) some of the players - such as Kanté - that could have made a difference, had little to no say in purchasing decisions, and was expected to produce miracles in a truly dysfunctional, lunatic and surreal environment.
Lampard, I don't rate, (not as a manager), even if he is something of a darling to the Chelsea faithful, on account of his excellent record as a player.
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Granted, Moyes is stifling whatever creativity still lingers in West Ham, yes, but tonight's game - and those inexcusable defensive errors which led to two of the Newcastle goals - are entirely the fault of the players.
I’m surprised they haven’t announced it yet. Defensively we were so poor tonight. Schoolboy stuff. Lost about half our goal difference advantage over our relegation rivals.
Even if he is fired, it will only be a sacrificial offering; the team were dreadful, for, as you say, they made a succession of basic errors, schoolboy errors, stuff you wouldn't expect to see from highly paid professional footballers.
Seems too late to sack Moyes and give an interim manager any chance of making a significant difference. Might as well hire Nate Shelley at this point.
I don't see Lampard succeeding at Chelsea, either — he just won't get blamed for anything else that goes wrong. Even though he's a club legend, as an interim manager, the players don't really have to pay him any attention whatsoever. Chelsea's had weirdly good success with interim managers lately, especially in the UCL. Not this time.
I don't see Lampard succeeding at Chelsea, either — he just won't get blamed for anything else that goes wrong. Even though he's a club legend, as an interim manager, the players don't really have to pay him any attention whatsoever. Chelsea's had weirdly good success with interim managers lately, especially in the UCL. Not this time.
I think this seems to be an issue at many of the relegation battlers at the moment.
The teams have the theoretical talent and the managers are doing what they can (mostly), but the players just seem to have become unable to play good quality football for any stretch of time.
Saints are the same - I have no doubt that we are capable of taking points off Man City in our upcoming match, but we are just as likely to feel that sense of inevitability against all or most of our relegation rivals when they come to play - it's never a good feeling.
But, but, but.....
Leaving aside the feeling of inevitable doom, and the seeping away of confidence or self-belief (as a team)....there are (or, one would think that there are) other considerations to bear in mind:
After all, one might think that teams would be prepared to fight ferociously for survival, both for the good of the team (as there is such a difference in the wealth and welfare - the sheer opportunities - for the team between playing in the Championship and in the Premier League, it is not as though there isn't something of significance to fight for), for their own personal and professional pride, and - at the crudest and most basic level of self-interest - one might think that the players would be sufficiently motivated to put themselves in the shop window, to promote themselves as skilled, talented and motivated players for when the inevitable buyers from other clubs come knocking at the door with a spot of asset stripping in mind.
I guess all of that assumes some level of sensibility in football...and that's likely the first error. The second error is assuming that the players have any kind of pride...recent playing behaviour would suggest otherwise.
Good grief.
Chelsea have gone ahead and have appointed Lampard as their caretaker manager until the end of the season.
They deserve everything that will happen to them.
Chelsea have gone ahead and have appointed Lampard as their caretaker manager until the end of the season.
They deserve everything that will happen to them.
Confidence plays a vital part in a team.
Fabianski made some good saves last night. But the goal he gifted Newcastle because he rushed out of his area, was probably because he didn’t have the confidence in his defence to deal with the situation.
The legendary Arsenal back four played so well because they had an outstanding goalkeeper behind them.
Changing the manager now at West Ham would probably not make a difference. Unless he has ‘lost’ the dressing room.
Fabianski made some good saves last night. But the goal he gifted Newcastle because he rushed out of his area, was probably because he didn’t have the confidence in his defence to deal with the situation.
The legendary Arsenal back four played so well because they had an outstanding goalkeeper behind them.
Changing the manager now at West Ham would probably not make a difference. Unless he has ‘lost’ the dressing room.
Agreed that Fabianski had probably lost confidence in his defence; I don't really blame Fabianski - West Ham had been well defeated by then - but while the entire defence was generally pretty dreadful, out of a dire lot, Aguerd had an absolute nightmare, a genuine shocker of a game.
An exquisite sentence from an article in the Guardian about Lampard and his re-appointment as manager of Chelsea: "...(Lampard is)...a footballing aristo so effortlessly entitled he somehow projects the sense he is being unfairly denied his rightful opportunities even while simultaneously promoted way beyond his objective level purely on the basis of his name and his playing days."
Gorgeous.
A perfectly expressed sentiment (with which I agree) wrapped in wonderful writing and gorgeous prose.
Congrats to Kompany for bringing Burnley straight back up. That's one of Pep's pupils completing his objective.
Will Xavi and Arteta follow through with their respective positions in their leagues
Will Xavi and Arteta follow through with their respective positions in their leagues
Happy with our three points. Most of the other results went our way as well.
Southampton look to have one foot in the Championship. They have two wins to get to 17th. Their goal difference is the second worse in the league. There are also a few teams who have a game in hand over them.
But still pretty tight immediately above that.
Southampton look to have one foot in the Championship. They have two wins to get to 17th. Their goal difference is the second worse in the league. There are also a few teams who have a game in hand over them.
But still pretty tight immediately above that.
You must be pretty pleased with today's result, which gives you a cushion and some margin of safety.
Agree about Southampton. They are in serious trouble, and a gap opening up between teams at the bottom and what is needed for safety is ominous at this stage of the season.
Not only do they need to wins to get to 17th, with a mere six wins to their credit so far this season, I don't see how those wins will happen, or where they can expect them to come from.
At this stage, barring an unexpected - and a wholly improbably - surge, I think Southampton are teetering and tottering on the brink of relegation. The probem is that they are beginning to run out of games where they can effect a rescue.
Likewise, I think Leicester are in trouble, but one victory would bring them to temporary safety. The real cardiac arrest stuff is taking place among the teams placed immediately above Leicester.
wow!
Look at Everton dangling so close to relegation !!
When will Bournemouth's bubble burst? I feel like they've overstayed their welcome up there...
Bournemouth have had a better season (so far) than several clubs lying below them on the table; thus, as things stand, (subject to change), I don't see them as a "bubble", although, their goal difference is dire, and, should the pattern of defeats continue (and they have suffered more defeats than any team outside of the bottom three), they could well be in trouble.
For now, - with eight victories to their name - I would argue they are not in any immediate danger.
Everton - who fancied themselves the sort of team capable of challenging for a European spot as recently as a few years ago, - have been flirting with the danger zone for much of this season.
They have an excellent goal-keeper, who has probably helped ensure that they are not in a worse postion than they currently occupy.