2020/21 Premier League Thread: VAR Check Complete - No Cough

[Dolphin Ziggler]

First topic message reminder :

We have our 20 as Fulham take the playoff spot and we welcome back West Brom, Fulham and, most importantly to the nation (apparently) Leeds.

[JDizzle]

Tbf it sounds like they were all Lampard targets this summer.

[GSC]

Athletic article this am suggests Chilwell aside they weren't

[JDizzle]

Athletic article this am suggests Chilwell aside they weren't

Yeah, did read that. They gave that bit the vague ‘one insider suggested’ treatment which flies in the face of their earlier reporting about how Lampard was on the phone convincing them of this project and to join.

That piece did also make me laugh when they suggested Lampard didn’t do enough to support Kepa, rather than pushing for another keeper. How about Kepa do anything that vaguely resembles being a professional GK first. Marina G refusing to take any losses on players and leaving him with a bloated squad seems to have caused some discontent too, so they higher ups aren’t blameless in the whole thing.

[Duty281]

No surprise that Lampard's gone, he may have departed earlier had it not been for his club legend status. Will be interesting to see if he continues his managerial career, or if he'll retreat to the safety of being a pundit, like Gary Neville. 

Tuchel? Doesn't seem the best appointment, particularly with the news leaking that he was their second choice.

[Soul Requiem]

An uninspiring appointment for Chelsea, PSG regressed during his managerial stint if anything.

[westisbest]

Don’t know anything about this guy. Did hear that he has a history of falling out with owners? That should go down well then.

I feel Frank maybe should have stayed with Derby(easy to say that now I suppose), see where they would have finished last season. Work his way up to the prem slowly.

[Atila]

Even with the benefit of hindsight, I don't blame Lampard for taking the Chelsea job. It was a job that he couldn't turn down even if it was offered to him a little bit too early in his management career.

[GSC]

Frank knew what he was walking into and walks away with his profile enhanced. Derby had ran out of cash to support promotion attempts so he got out in time.

[GSC]

Meanwhile Chelsea will continue to recycle coaches and wonder why the only time they've gotten close to a CL win is with a group assembled by the only coach Roman has given time

[JDizzle]

Frank’s best three players in his season at Derby were the loanees and it was the perfect storm for him to take the Chelsea job with the transfer ban.

Not sure the coach turnover is the reason they have struggled in the CL, more the terrible recruitment for almost 10 years now.

[Atila]

Frank knew what he was walking into and walks away with his profile enhanced. Derby had ran out of cash to support promotion attempts so he got out in time.

A bit off topic, but I did read that Derby are paying Rooney their current manager, £90,000 a week. If that's true, it's no wonder they're short of cash.

[GSC]

Well yes but the betting company that sponsors their shirts also paid his wages

[Atila]

Well yes but the betting company that sponsors their shirts also paid his wages

Let's hope so.

[dummy_half]

So we're essentially half way through the season, and Man City have just got to the top of the table.

Still close at the top, with Man U only 1 point behind and Leicester 3 off (all having played 19 games), Liverpool, Spurs and Everton not out of the running and West Ham having a good season so far.

At the bottom, it already looks like curtains for Sheffield United, after their over-achieving last season (pre shut-down), and West Brom look an even worse team.

Predictions:

Relegation - all the current bottom 3, with none reaching 30 points.

Champions - Man City. Look to have found form and have the strength in depth that others can't match

Champions League: Man U (unless Fernandes gets injured), Liverpool, Everton

[JDizzle]

An inauspicious start to the Tuchel era. Turgid 0-0 vs Wolves. Wolves showed next to no ambition and Chelsea couldn’t break them down.

[Soul Requiem]

Man Utd have a goal ruled out for contact on the keeper which was just competing in the air but Sheffield United don't have theirs ruled out for the same. Both should stand but different outcomes in the same match is just odd.

[Duty281]

Entertaining game between City and Villa, but I'm utterly astonished that City's crucial first goal wasn't ruled out by VAR. It was a clear offside.


Just had it clarified as to why it wasn't offside. The law is an ass in this case.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55814673

Law now altered/clarified so this will be given as an offside in the future.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Meanwhile Chelsea will continue to recycle coaches and wonder why the only time they've gotten close to a CL win is with a group assembled by the only coach Roman has given time

Didn't they win it with short-term Di Matteo? He got about 9 months, and that was with a Champions League medal in his back pocket!

[Duty281]

Important win for Liverpool over Tottenham, in an entertaining encounter. Gets Liverpool's title hopes back on track and might set them up for a big second half of the season - they have to play City, Leicester and Everton in successive games in February, so that'll give us a good idea of their chances. I still think they'll win the title, personally, with City bound to hit another blip along the way.

Tottenham are struggling with consistent form and it looks as though the annual Harry Kane injury is about to hit them.

[Guest]

Everton 0-2 Toon

What a win!!!!

[JDizzle]

Much better performance from Chelsea today. Total domination over Burnley who haven’t had a shot coming off beating Villa and Liverpool. CHO MoM with Mount a close second - the system is almost built to get the best out of CHO.

[Atila]

Of the top clubs only City and Liverpool have had a good week. United, Everton, Leicester and Spurs have had a week they'd all like to forget.

[Guest]

In what has been a strange season, it seems like normal service being resumed recently, and the rest dropping away. City or Pool, for the title.

[Duty281]

Yeah, looks as though it's a straight battle between City/Liverpool for the title. Seems like Liverpool have found their scoring touch again, and Salah's finding some form just at the right time, as Liverpool have a huge month playing City/Leicester/Everton in the league. I think Liverpool will win all three of those games and Klopp will be happy again.

Top four race still tightly contested. Any team from Villa upwards has a viable chance, and maybe Tottenham are starting to panic that they won't make it again.

The bottom three clubs are starting to be left adrift after Newcastle and Brighton's victories, though I still have unyielding faith in Big Sam to preserve his astonishing record and make another Great Escape.

[westisbest]

For Villa, I don’t think we will finish top 6, never mind top 4. Would love it, can’t see it. Hope I’m wrong.

I think 8-10th.
We have a good squad. Could have done with another striker. Easier said than done in January, but if Watkins gets injured, then we’re stuck.

Having said that. Who knows, the way this crazy season is going.

[Atila]

I'm not as sold as some of you that it's only between City and Liverpool for the title, I don't see that just because Liverpool have won their last 2 games that all of a sudden, they are back on track.

There's still plenty of football to be played and it wouldn't surprise me to see United go on another run or Leicester to still keep things interesting.

[Duty281]

I'm not expecting Villa to get top four, either, but they're certainly well in the hunt - only seven points off Leicester with two games in hand. They've got some soft fixtures coming up in February/March, so a chance to go on a decent run before hitting the tough games in April/May. And no cup football whatsoever getting in the way is a nice bonus.

I think Leicester/Man United will struggle with the grind of Thursday/Sunday football which will wear them down.

[Atila]

You can't make up what I'm about to say. I'm a United supporter and when I turned on the TV to watch todays game they were already leading 2-0. Good I thought. I sit down on the sofa to watch the game and then because I had a late night last night, I fall asleep and miss the rest of the game.

[Atila]

Liverpool 0 Brighton 1.

[Soul Requiem]

Yeah, looks as though it's a straight battle between City/Liverpool for the title. Seems like Liverpool have found their scoring touch again, and Salah's finding some form just at the right time, as Liverpool have a huge month playing City/Leicester/Everton in the league. I think Liverpool will win all three of those games and Klopp will be happy again.

Liverpool 0-1 Brighton

Pretty indicative of where Liverpool are right now and it certainly isn't title contender form.

[Duty281]

Yeah, they need Mane and Jota back to rejuvenate their attack. And the City game at the weekend is a must-win.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Feels like unless they invest in the summer that a final year Klopp at Dortmund might be on the horizon

[JDizzle]

Feels like unless they invest in the summer that a final year Klopp at Dortmund might be on the horizon

Do kind of wonder whether, given all the rumours, the master plan was to dump Salah off to Real for big money and reinvest that cash. Obviously all scuppered by Covid.

[Duty281]

What a horrible 45 minutes from Tottenham. Mourinho looks like he's trying to implement a tactic where his side get less than 25% of the ball.

How long will Levy endure this?

[Atila]

Tottenham 0 Chelsea 1

Spurs have now lost 3 in a row and now sit in 8th place, 7pts behind Liverpool who are 4th, with a game in hand.

It looked promising for Spurs a few weeks back but at this rate, they won't even be qualifying for the Europa League unless they win a cup.

[JDizzle]

Little twitchy in the last 20 minute for Chelsea, but they absolutely dominated until then. Been exceptionally tight defensively under TT, but got to think they will have to find their shooting boots to have a chance of making top 4. Only four points back from Liverpool now though!

[Guest]

With regards to Liverpool I think Thiago was the wrong signing. Yes magnificent player but there system was always about the industry in midfield. Thiago isn’t really someone know for the pressing Klopp wants.
Without the covid you’d assume they would’ve sold Salah and probably Firmino. Jota is good signing. Someone like Sancho or Bailey to replace Salah would’ve been interesting.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

To their defence, you have to look at the disruption of their defence. Henderson and Fabinho may have been the two most important players to get their midfield ticking. At the very least, they now can’t change their balance in games and suited to different teams because they have had to drag out players for their defence.

Still, that was barely allowed a mention last year when City struggled with injuries.

Equally, teams don’t last at that level for so long. If you consider how good a season they had not last but the season before, they’ve basically had two title winning-level seasons in a row. A third would have been extremely difficult and impressive. Those standards being held for three seasons, when there’s real competition too, is no mean feat

[dummy_half]

DZ
One analysis I saw regarding Liverpool was about how their full backs weren't contributing as much in an attacking sense as they did in the last couple of years. Comes back to the weakening of the central defensive positions, and as a knock-on less cover being available from the defensive midfielders, meaning that TAA and Robertson haven't been able to bomb forward as much.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Makes sense. I think City are gonna win the title and it’s hard to argue it, but equally this season is relentless and a bad spell can see you play poorly for a week and drop points in three games.

I’d be no more surprised if Man United finished second than if they finished 6th. Chelsea’s defensive resolve under Tuchel completely changes their chances of top four too.

[Guest]

Do neither of you think it was an error not having a decent RB as cover for Alexander-Arnold? Poor kid looks shattered in recent games.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Do neither of you think it was an error not having a decent RB as cover for Alexander-Arnold? Poor kid looks shattered in recent games.

Not to want to defend Liverpool again, but they'd have Gomez and Milner normally. I do think they should have chucked Davies straight in against Brighton though.

[Duty281]

Allison gifts City two goals. Bizarre stuff, he's turned into David James.

Barring a collapse, City surely have the title.

[GSC]

Take enough risks at the back and occasionally you'll look like a tit.

[Guest]

Three home defeats in a row at Anfield.

Season looking done and dusted. Can’t look past City for the title and the bottom three look down.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Phil Foden, superb

[Soul Requiem]

Allison gifts City two goals. Bizarre stuff, he's turned into David James.

Barring a collapse, City surely have the title.

Let's be honest here he wasn't that great in the first place.

[Duty281]

Wow, what an ending to Leicester-Liverpool. VAR drama x 2 followed up by Allison making another howler.

Barnes makes it 3-1 and Liverpool are in free-fall.

[Guest]

City beating Spurs and seven pts clear, with a game in hand. Title looks wrapped up

[westisbest]

Well. That was dreadful

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