5000-1 - The 2016/17 Premier League thread

[Crimey]

Also, considering mine and pretty much everybody's doubts Mane has been a fantastic signing.

[Hammersmith harrier]

Mane when he's motivated is a quality player, it's keeping him motivated for the whole season that could be the problem, United should have continued their pursuit of him instead of Mkhitaryan.

[westisbest]

Mane, hmm sadly can't forget the hatrick he scored against the villa 2 seasons ago.

Good player.

[Ent]

Swansea need to sack Bradley asap.

[wisden]

yeah i agree, they look well and truly doomed

[Ent]

Game is essentially over and ibrahaimovic gets a stupid booking and will now miss arsenal game.

[Hammersmith harrier]

Pogba a yellow card away from a suspension too and is still on.

[Ent]

At 3-1 up he'd be stupid to get a booking.

[Hammersmith harrier]

Shocking second half, about time we tried playing for the full 90 minutes instead of switching off, it's meant to be an entertainment business.

[Afro]

Have been feeling that Liverpool have been typically overhyped this season, but today was a day that they actually fully deserve the praise coming their way. Great entertainment!

Will they win the league? Well they could. I think City, and even more so, Chelsea look better, so I don't think they will. But they will be challengers.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Have been feeling that Liverpool have been typically overhyped this season, but today was a day that they actually fully deserve the praise coming their way. Great entertainment!

Will they win the league? Well they could. I think City, and even more so, Chelsea look better, so I don't think they will. But they will be challengers.

Liverpool's achilles heel is their defence - it'll cost them eventually

[Crimey]

Have been feeling that Liverpool have been typically overhyped this season, but today was a day that they actually fully deserve the praise coming their way. Great entertainment!

Will they win the league? Well they could. I think City, and even more so, Chelsea look better, so I don't think they will. But they will be challengers.

Liverpool's achilles heel is their defence - it'll cost them eventually

I agree that defence is the worst part of the side, but to be fair have only conceded three and four more than Man City and Arsenal respectively. Bearing in mind that Hull and Watford both got consolation goals.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Consolation goals are often a thing the better teams would want not to happen at all. I think Chelsea sorting their defence out is key to their title challenge and could be what wins them it cos all theee other teams are porous

[Afro]

My money is literally on Chelsea.

They have looked the best team I have seen, solid whilst tearing apart an Everton side that have been defensively sound up to now.

I can't believe the bookies have them as 3rd favourites still

[Crimey]

Consolation goals are often a thing the better teams would want not to happen at all. I think Chelsea sorting their defence out is key to their title challenge and could be what wins them it cos all theee other teams are porous

I don't think Liverpool want them, Klopp seemed pretty annoyed about the one conceded today in the post-match interview. Just think Liverpool's defensive problems are slightly overstated.

[Fernando]

Really?

Karius looks suspect (like De Gea when he 1st arrived)
Clyne is decent enough
Lovren goes up and down like a yo-yo
Matip looks reasonably solid
Milner is a CM playing LB because you don't have a good one.

Im not sure it's overstated really.

[Crimey]

Really?

Karius looks suspect (like De Gea when he 1st arrived)
Clyne is decent enough
Lovren goes up and down like a yo-yo
Matip looks reasonably solid
Milner is a CM playing LB because you don't have a good one.

Im not sure it's overstated really.

I'm looking at it from the perspective of what has actually happened. Only conceded a few more goals than Arsenal whose defence has actually been lauded. The defence hasn't been keeping clean sheets but hasn't actually conceded much more than nearest rivals. When two of those goals were meaningless goals as well, it shows that perhaps the awful defence line is a little overstated. Not to say it's perfect but it hasn't been performing much worse than Manchester City or Arsenal's defence who haven't had the same scrutiny placed on their defences.

Milner may be a midfielder playing left back, but he's been really good so far, so it doesn't matter what FIFA classifies him as. That defence you lay out has also had maybe two, three games together? Lovren has missed a couple, Matip was injured early on in the season and Milner missed the opener and last week. Karius has only just had a run of games. Hard to judge them as a unit until they've had a decent amount of time together I feel.

[Hammersmith harrier]

Conceding more than one goal a game at this stage of the season is quite a lot as is conceding five more than Chelsea, it's a misleading stat to use.

[Crimey]

Conceding more than one goal a game at this stage of the season is quite a lot as is conceding five more than Chelsea, it's a misleading stat to use.

Liverpool's defence isn't great, but it's not been performing much worse than Arsenal or Manchester City's is my point, but nobody is questioning their defences. Chelsea and Tottenham both have fantastic defences, Chelsea haven't conceded a goal for over a month, barely worth comparing.

[Hammersmith harrier]

It's performing significantly worse, four goals after 11 games is a lot, if it carries on at the same rate that's 14 goals over the cause of a season, there are 8 teams in the league who have conceded less.

[Crimey]

It's performing significantly worse, four goals after 11 games is a lot, if it carries on at the same rate that's 14 goals over the cause of a season, there are 8 teams in the league who have conceded less.

I wouldn't say significantly worse at all. Prone to mistakes but not poor as has been made out in the media or on here. 

At the end of the day the system Klopp has Liverpool playing is never going to be defensively solid, it relies on taking risks and leaving lots of gaps.

[Hammersmith harrier]

You wouldn't though Crimey, it's why stats are a waste of time, those that use them are very selective.

[Fernando]

Jose suggesting Smalling & Shaw refused to play.

[Scott is Back]

Jose suggesting Smalling & Shaw refused to play.

Shaw needs to book his idea's up, i know he has had some bad injuries, but he could easily be the best left back in the country, but his heart doesnt seem to be in it.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

That's terrible if true. I would hope he's suggesting they were uneasy with playing rather than refusing.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

I've read what Jose said, and I have to say I like it. Praising those who were brave and committed, questioning those who may have been able to show more.

We should remember that some liked that Jose was taking on disruptive elements of the pampered Chelsea dressing room. He lost the battle, managers are often expendable, but Manchester United have been in such decline that this may be a battle he should be allowed to see through and win. Rid the club of a culture of excuses that has allowed them to flounder since Fergie left.

[Crimey]

The problem Mourinho has at the moment is whether players have the same level of respect for him as they could do. Whilst in the past I think Mourinho wouldn't have a problem tackling players in a hard fashion and being ruthless see Ferguson in the past or even Klopp or Guardiola this season, that season at Chelsea was such a disaster and particularly the focus on him as a person as well as a manager he's struggling to impose his will in the same way.

Hypothetically speaking had Mourinho arrived after the 14/15 season or perhaps even after his stint at Real Madrid I think he would have been much more successful in getting the players to work for him, even when he is quite brutal in his assessments of players. Instead Manchester United have received a broken Mourinho who instead of looking strong, essentially looks a little crazy. Pushing Schweinsteiger out, being publicly critical of Luke Shaw (at least twice now) and even backing down on Rooney have not been viewed in the same way had they might of have done if another manager or Mourinho from the past was the one doing it.

[Jermaine2015]

Mourinho won't be losing anything by shipping out Smalling as he's truly awful. Shaw would be a mistake as he's capable of being as good as Alaba Still think Jones has all the attributes to become a superb CB.

[Crimey]

[Guest]

Walcott as England's leading figure in that graphic. depressing state of the national side right there

[Crimey]

Happy as a Liverpool fan as Coutinho, Firmino and Mane are all in there. Coutinho is also best in the Premier League which says a lot about how well he's performing this year.

[Ent]

Mourinho won't be losing anything by shipping out Smalling as he's truly awful. Shaw would be a mistake as he's capable of being as good as Alaba Still think Jones has all the attributes to become a superb CB.

Jones is absolutely brutal.

[Fernando]

Could be a good anchorman beside Pognonce though. It was his best position at Blackburn.

[GSC]

Phil Jones has 0 awareness. He'll never be a top player.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

He needs a coach who invests in him specifically. He needs a club with lower expectations too. Allardyce for him again would have been amazing. Got taken when he was too raw and then shafted about

[GSC]

He'll never be more than your typical backs against the wall English defender.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Theres nothing wrong with being a good backs to the wall defender. Or a reliable Jagielka/Cahill type, players who have achieved a lot still.

[compelling and rich]

not sure we shafted him about, his injuries are the main reason he hasn't had a run in the team

if he had stayed fit he would have got the time in the team

[Jermaine2015]

I think you guys are too harsh on Phil Jones TBH. Rolled back a few years ago a certain Jerome Boateng played for Manchester City and by all accounts he was truly woeful. Now roll forward 4/5 years and Boateng is considered one of the best CBs in the world(not by me might I add).

Now judging the body structure of Jones, he's very similar to Boateng. Tall, strong and very quick. Someone like mourinho should be able to improve his game 10 fold. Jones' bravery is probably second to none.

Fundamentally Jones has the tools to become a great defender. Jones needs a manager to trust him. Forgot the comical moments that can happen to anyone.

[Crimey]

Chris Smalling has a broken toe, out for a month.

[Fernando]

I think Jose owes someone an apology

[GSC]

Unless Jones engages his brain he peaked years ago.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Jose will have listened to his medical team. I'm surprised a broken toe is a month!

[Jermaine2015]

Unless Jones engages his brain he peaked years ago.

He's 24, most CBS don't peak until the reach 30. Mourinho will revive Jones' career.

[Ent]

He won't, he's a terrible player.

[nadeem2099]

Phil Jones would not make my list of top 20 current english centre backs.

[Crimey]

Phil Jones would not make my list of top 20 current english centre backs.

Go on then.

[nadeem2099]

Ok top 20 is pushing it but definitely not in my top 15. In no particular order, centre backs that are better than Phillip Jones

Chris Smalling
Gary Cahill
John Terry
Phil Jagielka
Ryan Shawcross
Scott Dann
John Stones
Micah Richards
Curtis Davies
Michael Dawson
James Tomkins
Michael Keane

[Crimey]

I'm not sure Michael Dawson is better than Phil Jones and Micah Richards is pushing it. The problem with Jones is it's really hard to judge because he's played so little football in recent years.

[westisbest]

As a Villa fan have to say Richards has been very poor.
Cb or rb

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