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.

[Soul Requiem]

Do people on here think no crowds has resulted in some of the Sunday-League esque scores we've seen already this season, or is it simply a lack of fitness and maybe focus after the truncated football calendar and global health pandemic?

Preparation appears to be all over the place with different teams being at different stages of what would ordinarily still be pre season, the lack of friendlies between seasons is making a mockery of things so far. I don't think we'll see a semblance of normality for about 3/4 weeks yet, the ridiculous international window has only added to the woes.

[GSC]

Pretty bonkers day, but to be fair to Mourinho, as bad as United were, there's some semblance of a revival starting to show at Spurs, handball rule aside

[Guest]

Pretty bonkers day, but to be fair to Mourinho, as bad as United were, there's some semblance of a revival starting to show at Spurs

Talking of revivals, Harry Redknapp has gone a step further, and stating Spurs can launch a title challenge.

Tbh, I wouldn’t rule it out. If this is indeed a strange season, and the signs are that it could well be, then I see no reason why Spurs couldn’t challenge, given that squad, and a returning, Bale. Leicester capitalised on their chance, and given City and Liverpool have shown weaknesses, then somebody could come out the pack, and surprise a few.

Not surprised Mourinho is turning it around, they’re also nicely placed in the QF of the Carabao, and we all know how Jose somehow always manages to hoover up a trophy. Promising signs for sure at Spurs.

[westisbest]

I hope there are a few more teams on the title race this season.
Your gonna have Liverpool and city up there.

Be good to see More teams in with a real chance going into the last month.

Even an ‘outside’ team(s).

Seems to be the relegation battle seems to be more interesting of late.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Yeah and can't see the end result being any different. No challengers to Liverpool's title.

Meanwhile a tactically rubbish, and completely useless defensively (epitomised by overrated Maguire), United side are being torn apart by an uber-confident Tottenham attack. First major blow struck in the top four race. Can't see United getting close to top four this year. They finished third last year predominantly because of the poor quality of teams around them - those teams have improved, United have regressed. Best chance for Everton to reach top four in a while.

Thought the red card was pathetic from Lamela. Can't see how you send Martial off for that, but not Lamela as well. Ideally, neither would have been red-carded.

4-1 now. Another for Son. End of Ole?

I find it absolutely baffling it hasn't been, and that Utd haven't gone and appointed Pochettino or even Allegri is out there now. I think you'd struggle to find a fan of many, if any, PL clubs who'd want Solskjaer as there manager outside of Utd. Nowhere near the required standard

[GSC]

Writing is probably on the wall after that window. Someone is going to have to be sacrificed

[westisbest]

Agree with duty re Lamella. That kind of carry on deserves a red to.

Pathetic.

[Duty281]

Do people on here think no crowds has resulted in some of the Sunday-League esque scores we've seen already this season, or is it simply a lack of fitness and maybe focus after the truncated football calendar and global health pandemic?

I think that no crowds means that whatever advantage teams had by playing at home has gone. The Sunday league scores I can't explain.

That could be the case. We've seen more away wins than home wins so far this season (early days, I know).

I think no crowds makes a difference to some teams. Certainly with Villa.

If fans at the game last night, at 2-1, would have been very nervous, were anyway. The players would have felt that from the fans.

Game may have been different.
Would we have won with fans and by the same score, who knows.

Fair point. I wonder if the lack of match atmosphere leads to a lower intensity from some players which also equals more defensive errors, hence some of the strange scores we've seen.

Preparation appears to be all over the place with different teams being at different stages of what would ordinarily still be pre season, the lack of friendlies between seasons is making a mockery of things so far. I don't think we'll see a semblance of normality for about 3/4 weeks yet, the ridiculous international window has only added to the woes.

I agree with that. The whole football calendar will be a mess for the next couple of years, even if Covid disappeared overnight, with Euro 2021 needing to be squeezed in, and the 2022 World Cup disrupting the entire domestic calendar and having further knock on effects. Many players at the elite level will be burnt out.

[Atila]

Writing is probably on the wall after that window. Someone is going to have to be sacrificed

Domestic transfer window is still open.

[GSC]

To buy from lower league teams only

[Atila]

I read that Watford have a player that United are interested in...Ismaila Sarr, could still happen then. But if United do get him it's apparently too late for him to be included in Champs League squad.

I don't know much about him to be honest, but unless he's a big upgrade on Greenwood or James, I don't think they should bother with him.

Maybe I'm in the minority, but I wasn't too disheartened by United's transfer window. I would have kept Smalling though. Shame that they couldn't get rid of Phil Jones.

[Guest]

Thoughts on Project Big Picture?

Terrible. Just a hostile takeover attempt, disguised as some kind of rescue package, in order to safeguard and protect the elite, and deny any club outside the big six, any chance of competing with them, or encroaching upon their status.

Agree with axing the Community shield, which is a glorified friendly, but the League Cup is decent, imo. 18 team PL, I’m not a fan of either.

[Duty281]

I quite like some of the proposals contained within it. Reduction of the PL to 18 teams - like it. The PL has too much dross at the bottom that wouldn't be missed. The main problem is, as far as I understand it, the only reason this change is being proposed is so that 'pre-season' lasts longer, and the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool can spend more time doing Harlem Globetrotters-esque exhibition games in the Middle Eastern desert or the extremities of the Far East.

And, within that 18 team league structure, 17+18 get relegated while 16 has to compete in the Championship play-offs - that's a good idea, used abroad in some leagues, I believe.

Getting rid of the League Cup and Community Shield - fantastic. There's no point in two domestic cup comps. Charity Shield has been pointless for a while.

Scrapping parachute payments? Wonderful. Filtered down TV money for EFL clubs? Good, good.

But special voting rights for 'bigger' clubs? Disgraceful power grab and would give far too much power to those clubs. This, alone, is enough to be against the whole proposal as it outweighs the good elements above. It would probably be the first major step towards ring-fencing the Premier League.

We all know, though, that every day that passes is a day closer to the establishment of a 'European/World Super League', where soulless rich clubs play other soulless rich clubs in an empty 150,000 stadium in Qatar or China. If the proposal doesn't pass, this Super League moves another step closer.

[GSC]

It's patently obviously a power grab but put another way, who has proposed a better solution for the proportion of the EFL facing financial oblivion

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Anything that moves that European Super League closer to being an actual thing and the “top six” bugger off to play in it, the better from my point of view

[westisbest]

No problem with getting rid of the Charity Shield.
Hope league cup stays. Another chance for teams outside top 6 to win a cup.

Hope the top 6 stay. Think the leagues would be pointless without them.

Keep the prem to 20 teams.

[lfc91]

Starting with the Villa result, then the joke that is the PPV and finishing with this Project Big Picture crap...this has probably been the most embarrassing week or so I've experienced as a Liverpool fan. And I experienced Roy Hodgson

[GSC]

At least someone is starting the conversation. The pandemic has moved the disaster date closer but the EFL is wholly unsustainable.

Concentrating the power and making the top 6 mostly untouchable is not a preferable outcome either, but I'm not seeing an alternative from the club's whose only ambition is to cling to the bottom of the PL.

[Duty281]

Fun little Merseyside Derby to start the week. Liverpool mugged off by some VAR nonsense.

[Guest]

Funny how VAR can spot the most ridiculous offside decision but failed to take any action on Pickford nearly breaking van Dijk’s leg.

[GSC]

Technology should only ever be for clear and obvious mistakes not measuring whether the skin on someone's elbow is offside.

If you can't change the call after 30 seconds get on with the game

[Guest]

Tbh, not surprised Liverpool can’t sustain that ridiculous level for a third year in a row

[westisbest]

The VAR offside decisions are a complete joke.
Ruining the game.

[Guest]

Chelsea 3-3 Southampton - the Londoners are woeful defensively and Kepa added another howler to his résumé

[GSC]

Van Dijk has torn his ACL apparently and will miss the rest of the season

[Guest]

Yep, 8 months.

Huge impact. Didn’t think Liverpool could sustain the same level that they’ve been producing for the last two seasons, and now he’s out, you feel it will be even harder to defend the PL now.

PL massively open this year.

[Duty281]

Huge blow for Liverpool, if confirmed. Monumental. I remember when Vidic's end-of-season injury cost United the title in the 'Aguerooooooooo' season, similar thing could happen here. Very open race.

Trouble is, I'm not sure which team has the consistency to overhaul Liverpool. City have the same defensive issues, and Chelsea need to score 4 goals every game just to win. Spurs are Spursy. Everton have played the best overall this season, but are unlikely to maintain this level throughout. The rest simply aren't good enough.

[Guest]

Manchester City 1-0 Arsenal Sterling bagged the only goal. Rather drab match but Guardiola will be happy with the 3pts.

[Guest]

Newcastle 1-4 Manchester United. Shaw OG after 2 mins, united replied with goals from Maguire, Fernándes, Wan-Bissaka and Rashford. Scoreline was harsh to the hosts and it was very entertaining game.

[Duty281]

Kane and Son is a dream combo.

[Guest]

Spurs are Spursy

Yep

[Duty281]

Spurs are so, so Spursy! That's one of the great PL comebacks in a mad start to the season.

West Ham suddenly piling in the goals this year.

[Atila]

Tottenham 3 West Ham 3.

[Duty281]

Spurs are Spursy

Yep

I still think Tottenham are one of the five teams that can potentially win the title, along with my still-favourites Liverpool, City, Chelsea and Everton (as an entertaining outside pick). But, if Tottenham ever do get in sight of winning the league, they will almost certainly bottle it. A shame because they have such a lovely attacking team on paper.

Mind you, football's so mad since Covid that Villa or Leeds will probably win the league!

[westisbest]

Villa.

Well let’s hope so

[Duty281]

Four out of four for Villa now! Only team left to be 100%, best defence and best GD in the league. Home games against Leeds and Southampton coming up means there's a decent chance of keeping the run going.

Leicester's goal-heavy start to the season has subsided with goalless home defeats to Villa and West Ham. Dispiriting times for them.

[westisbest]

Not a great game, but a great win all the same.
Barcley is a good addition. Took his goal well tonight.

Looking good early on.

Great stuff.

[dummy_half]

Not a great game, but a great win all the same.
Barcley is a good addition. Took his goal well tonight.

Looking good early on.

Great stuff.

Well, you're nearly half way to avoiding relegation, which surely was target #1 for the season.

To me this has something of the feeling of Leicester's season, or Fergie's last season with Man U - a case of the title being won by the team that had the fewest bad results rather than necessarily being the 'best' team on their good days. Not sure who that's going to be, but it's looking a more open season than the last couple where Liverpool and City were head and shoulders above everyone else.

[Duty281]

Another spirited effort from West Ham to hold City to a draw after a fantastic overhead kick from Antonio.

City's attack lacked any sort of cohesion, Sterling and De Bruyne in particular looked very off the pace. Only eight points in their first five games.

[Soul Requiem]

Well De Bruyne was only on the pitch for 20 minutes.

[Guest]

No surprise from City. Stated the obvious issues throughout the side, prior to the season, and not much was done to resolve them. The end is nigh for Aguero too.

United 0-0 Chelsea. Borefest, both sides too cautious. Three home games without a win for OGS.

[Guest]

Ole insists on playing terrible players like Daniel James and Scott mctomminay, when would SAF ever play two holding midfielders at old trafford?

[Duty281]

Yeah both sides were terrified of leaving their suspect defences exposed. Couple of nice saves from the Chelsea keeper against Rashford; and Chelsea should have had a penalty for Maguire's MMA-antics in the first half. That was all really.

Liverpool currently one down v winless Sheff United.

[GSC]

Ole insists on playing terrible players like Daniel James and Scott mctomminay, when would SAF ever play two holding midfielders at old trafford?

SAF definitely put out a side to close big games down fairly often. Ji Sung Park used to get picked just to annoy an opposition player

[Soul Requiem]

Ole insists on playing terrible players like Daniel James and Scott mctomminay, when would SAF ever play two holding midfielders at old trafford?

Almost every single game from 2006 onwards where he variously employed Scholes, Carrick, Fletcher, O'Shea and briefly Hargreaves in a duel holding role.

[Soul Requiem]

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/54686572

Micah Richards tends to speak rubbish at the best of times but this takes it to new levels; Sturridge hasn't been offered a contract by anyone because he's always injured.

[GSC]

So is Andy Carroll?

[Guest]

Four games at OT without a win.

Time up for, OGS

[GSC]

1 point from those 4 as well. Every small step forward is immediately proven to be a mirage

[Duty281]

It's amazing how United can look so good, tactically and technically, against PSG and Leipzig.

Then put them up in the PL against the likes of Arsenal and Palace and they look so woeful in every department, Pogba and McTominay today especially.

Seven points from six games, ouch.

Everton and Villa losing today means Liverpool have a three-point safety cushion at the top, after eventually bludgeoning their way past West Ham yesterday.

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