5000-1 - The 2016/17 Premier League thread

[Dolphin Ziggler]

First topic message reminder :

The other thread is coming to an end and I think it's nice to have a new memory to take us through this year.

And with the new season starting today, what better time to refresh things and start again. The preamble of pre-season is over: 2016/17 LETS BE AVIN YA

[Ent]

Need to bounce back today.

More intensity and effort needed.

Front line of
Rashfor Rooney martial
Ibra

[Ent]

Another poor start from United.

Not pressing or engaging as a unit, when forward line press midfield and defense don't come up behind them and allow easy out balls to watfords forwards.

[Ent]

Watford miss an open net when smalling ignores de geas shout and takes him out.

Very poor from United so far.

[Ent]

Good save from de gea from Deeny header.

Watford been excellent, well set up and good game plan. Playing very direct and long with great success.

United not at it again, not engaging, no effort and poor tempo.

[Ent]

Pogba hits cross bar with long range effort.

United coming into it a bit more now.

[Ent]

1-0 Watford.

Martial gave it away on the edge of the box as we sought to counter (he was fouled).

Cut back to capoue on edge of box who finished well.

[Ent]

Martial off injured, seems to be from an earlier clash of heads.

Ashley Young on in his place.

[Guest]

Essentially, Mourinho has just thrown all the big named offensive threats onto the pitch & just hoping it works out. Looks pretty inept of ideas already with this United side.

[Ent]

Dunno if I agree with that, it has been very poor though and it is continuous against any competent side.

The whole team is quite a dysfunctional unit.

[Guest]

At what point do we come to the conclusion that Wayne Rooney is no longer good enough to do a job for Man Utd?

He'll be in goal next.

[Ent]

Problem is when he is dropped the team plays terribly and he then gets picked again.

[Ent]

United are just so slack it is incredible to see.

Long throw no body in front igahlo just controlled it and laid it back.

Sunday league stuff.

[Ent]

Mata on for Valencia...

No idea what that's about.

Rooney has been appalling today.

[Guest]

Great drive by Zlatan.

[Ent]

1-1 rashford.

Dropped to him in the box and he finished under Gomes.

[Ent]

2-1 Watford.

Good move from Watford down the right wing, pull back to unmarked man (again) and good finish from Zuniga.

Pogba let his man run off him, Fellaini had to leave Zuniga to cover and he was in acres of space to score.

Very poor again from United, sleeping, no effort.

[GSC]

Its amazing how everyone but his managers can see just how badly United suffer for trying to pigeonhole Rooney into the side. Put Herrera in and you'll get a lot more from Pogba in 3 a man midfield.

[Ent]

Let's be honest pogba is Poopie.

[GSC]

Even if 90m is insane, hes a quality player.

But even Mourinho persists with squeezing in a player way past his best at the expense of compromising the rest of the team.

[Ent]

Embarrassing, Bailly can't even hoof it up the pitch properly.

Barely any contact though.

[Ent]

Even if 90m is insane, hes a quality player.

But even Mourinho persists with squeezing in a player way past his best at the expense of compromising the rest of the team.

Rooney is crap, however it is not his fault that pogba just danders round doing nothing when he's meant to be playing in central midfield.

He is a big time Charlie.

[Crimey]

Three losses in a row now for Manchester United.

[GSC]

It forces Pogba to go against his instincts and play a more reserved game because hes one of two and Fellaini has the mobility of a snail. Unsurprisingly it has mixed results. Put an extra man in midfield and you get much more balance and more from your best players.

Disappointed in Mourinho, thought he was big enough to take the brave decisions. But its very LVG esque so far.

[Ent]

Anyway, Watford well deserved the win. We created one chance in 99 minutes of football and were completely dysfunctional off the ball.

No effort put in, compare us trying to attack and Watford. They competed and made it hard every time we tried to go forward, we just let them take it down or fouled them.

[Ent]

It forces Pogba to go against his instincts and play a more reserved game because hes one of two and Fellaini has the mobility of a snail. Unsurprisingly it has mixed results. Put an extra man in midfield and you get much more balance and more from your best players.

Disappointed in Mourinho, thought he was big enough to take the brave decisions. But its very LVG esque so far.

Pogba has to just accept that and play for the team, not wander about aimlessly doing nothing for 90% of the game then trying 30 yard shots and flicks when he gets it further forward. It's maddening to watch.

[GSC]

Thats fine, but hes still being asked to perform an unfamiliar role to accommodate Rooney. Fine to say he should just accept it, its not quite that simple to adjust.

[Ent]

It is though, you're given your role and you play it to the best of your ability. You don't wander about doing nothing letting your team down.

No one is asking him to be brilliant at it, maybe just don't leave all the defensive work to Fellaini and take the ball off the defenders occasionally.

[Josiah Maiestas]

Mourinho hasn't been right since the Eva incident a year and a half ago, lost 14 of his past 32 games, gives too much time to certain players etc.

[GSC]

Doesn't feel like hes gotten a team to really play for him since Inter. Chelsea for a year maybe.

Players beginning to work him out?

[Preacher]

If you buy a top drawer player then you build the team around that player, you don't stick him into a role that's not best for him whilst still revolving the team around a player whose best days are long behind him.

[Ent]

If you buy a top drawer player then you build the team around that player, you don't stick him into a role that's not best for him whilst still revolving the team around a player whose best days are long behind him.

If you are asked to play a role you do it, he's not a child - "i don't play there gaffer"

I'd alsocdispute he's a top drawer player, he's a fancy Dan. No substance to him.

[GSC]

Pretty clear Pogba hasn't refused to play there, but also pretty clear its not a role well suited to his talents.

United have bought a Ferrari to do the school run atm.

[Guest]

Maybe Manchester Utd are going through the process where they come to realise "rapid" manager changes doesn't work. It is going to take Mourinho time to sort this out and his big buy Pogba is finding it difficult. Van Gaal was a big name manager with past success. At least he seemed to have a plan for succession - Ryan Giggs, and was slowly working out how to stabilise Man Utd into the top four - six. He only missed out on fourth place on goal difference last season. He also brought in big name stars that didn't work out in the Premiership and it seemed like he was beginning to consider supporting a youth policy.

Mourinho still has the same miserable demeanour. It surely can't be motivating for the players. Commentators are saying that Man Utd players seem to be playing with fear and uncertainty ... rather like what happened with Chelsea last year. Maybe Mourinho has lost his magic in this league. It is said that Mourinho only lasts about three years before having to move on to another club ... in another league. That said now he has been appointed he has to be given time.

[Guest]

Ps Watford are playing well. I think the owner of Watford knows what he is doing.

[Guest]

Pretty much knew Pogba was going to be a huge letdown, saw nothing to suggest he'd start dominating the PL.

Southampton 1-0 Swansea - Austin
Crystal Palace 4-1 Stoke - Tomkins, Dann, McArthur & Townsend

Wonder how much longer Hughes has at Stoke?

[Guest]

It's taken him a while but Mark Hughes has made another QPR.

[Guest]

Of Stokes first five games they have played and lost to Man City, Everton and Tottenham.  These three teams will likely be first, second and third in the league come the end of this weekends games.  Sunderland have played and lost to Man City and Everton and play Tottenham today and will likely lose.

That said Stoke seem to have lost something defensively with a goal difference of -11 after five matches!

Good to see Crystal Palace getting into winning ways.  Palace and in particular the teams of Pardew are characterised by streaky play: winning streaks and losing streaks, often playing well for half a season, and playing poorly for the other half a season.

[Ent]

Not strictly pl related but given the slagging Gary Neville got last year for his stint at Valencia interesting to see they are bottom of la liga having lost every game so far.

[Guest]

Hardly surprising, given the sales of Mustafi, Andre Gomes & Paco Alcacer. They've also got Mangala, so they obviously aren't interested in clean sheets.

[dyrewolfe]

1 win in 6 for us now. Definitely looking like a relegation battle for Boro this season.

[compelling and rich]

anyone know what gazzas has meant to have said, was it just a joke and pc brigade got on there high horse or was it genuinely offensive?

not sure why you'd go to an alcoholics evening then get upset because of something he said. we all know he's not exactly the saneness out there

[Ent]

Paul Gascoigne guilty over racist comment - BBC News
https://apple.news/AHDr55fTDTzypxqbpgoBpNQ

[dyrewolfe]

Ill-advised to say the least and if it were anyone but Gazza, you'd have to say downright stupid and mildly offensive.

However, given he was never the sharpest tool in the box, even before he let drink get the better of him and that he's always seemed a genuinely nice guy, I don't believe he intended to cause offence.

But, he's a public figure with a high profile and despite his well documented history of problems, I don't think they could just let it go.

[GSC]

Probably wasn't malicious, but deserving of the guilty verdict

[Guest]

Harry Kane out for two months. Unless Janssen suddenly starts performing, instead of smashing everything over the bar, then you feel this could pretty much end Spurs in Europe & any hopes of a title challenge.

[Fernando]

Like Spurs had hope of a title challenge anyway John. He looked like a guy that needed a break so will do him good i think tbh.

[Ent]

He might be mad but toures agent is a laugh.

[kingraf]

Yaya Toure's agent deciding to go out in a blaze of glory is my favorite thing of the season so far

[compelling and rich]

you know footballs gone mad when even footballers agents have massive egos

[Hammersmith harrier]

His agent is spot on in everything he said though.

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