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The 2023-2024 Football Thread
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Watched the Brentford game highlights and as much as i hate to admit it, i think Toney would suit us perfectly.
He has all the key ingredients; guile, presence, passing/shooting accuracy, defensive duties, and understanding of the dark arts. Knows the EPL well too.
I would take him even over Osimehn right now who i'm still not fully convinced by personally. And would be cheaper.
He's the Brentford player Arteta should've gone for rather than Raya.
And for the price of Raya and Havertz we could've easily had him and i wager we'd be in a much better situation squad wise.
Because then Jesus would've been freed up to play on the wings and ease the burden on Saka. And Trossard/ESR could've played the Havertz role.
Shame its unlikely to happen now or in the summer. Chelsea will probably move for Toney...although i think he suits Arsenal more.
Then again i'm biased.
Still don't think we're winning the league (or UCL), and just hope we maintain top 4...to give us spending power in the summer.
He has all the key ingredients; guile, presence, passing/shooting accuracy, defensive duties, and understanding of the dark arts. Knows the EPL well too.
I would take him even over Osimehn right now who i'm still not fully convinced by personally. And would be cheaper.
He's the Brentford player Arteta should've gone for rather than Raya.
And for the price of Raya and Havertz we could've easily had him and i wager we'd be in a much better situation squad wise.
Because then Jesus would've been freed up to play on the wings and ease the burden on Saka. And Trossard/ESR could've played the Havertz role.
Shame its unlikely to happen now or in the summer. Chelsea will probably move for Toney...although i think he suits Arsenal more.
Then again i'm biased.
Still don't think we're winning the league (or UCL), and just hope we maintain top 4...to give us spending power in the summer.
I can't fault your analysis, and largely find myself in agreement with what you have written, even though I deeply dislike Ivan Toney as a human being.
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Dam it. Two points dropped against Sheffield United.
And a sending off as well. Last thing we need is suspensions.
And a sending off as well. Last thing we need is suspensions.
Games are significantly longer now, so these late goals are going to become far less rare than they used to be.
Over in La Liga today, I was watching Osasuna v Getafe, and an osasuna player scored an absolute worldie bending one in from basically the corner of the pitch. I don’t think he meant it but it was an incredible strike.
And it was the winner to boot.
Bayern shut out 1-0 by Werder Bremen in their own house. The first time they have failed to score at home since 2020.
Meanwhile Real Madrid cheat their way to a 3-2 win against Almeria with a handball goal that wasn’t called. Because poor old Real need every slice of luck they can get. I’ve been watching more La Liga lately and I can understand why Florentino Peres is so hot on creating a Super League….His club along with Barca have ruined the Spanish league as a competition. I know Girona on a run this year but they are just another Middle Eastern disruptor club.
The bundesliga is arguably just as broken but I subjectively find the games more exciting.
Over in La Liga today, I was watching Osasuna v Getafe, and an osasuna player scored an absolute worldie bending one in from basically the corner of the pitch. I don’t think he meant it but it was an incredible strike.
And it was the winner to boot.
Bayern shut out 1-0 by Werder Bremen in their own house. The first time they have failed to score at home since 2020.
Meanwhile Real Madrid cheat their way to a 3-2 win against Almeria with a handball goal that wasn’t called. Because poor old Real need every slice of luck they can get. I’ve been watching more La Liga lately and I can understand why Florentino Peres is so hot on creating a Super League….His club along with Barca have ruined the Spanish league as a competition. I know Girona on a run this year but they are just another Middle Eastern disruptor club.
The bundesliga is arguably just as broken but I subjectively find the games more exciting.
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Just catching up on the highlights of the Bournemouth versus Liverpool game.
Talk about a game of two halves! Liverpool were lucky (from what I saw) to not be going into the break two goals down.
But what a transformation in the second half. Like a different team.
Talk about a game of two halves! Liverpool were lucky (from what I saw) to not be going into the break two goals down.
But what a transformation in the second half. Like a different team.
I didn’t get to watch the match yet, because I refuse to buy multiple streaming services to watch one league. 🙄
But I’ll watch tomorrow. Liverpool are a second half team. They don’t necessarily start slowly, but do leak a lot of early goals. However, with really high fitness levels, Klopp’s gradually evolving pressing game, and (when injuries permit) the ability to sub out the whole front three and run at defenders with lots of fresh legs late on, it’s a recipe for finishing strong from 60 minutes on when the opponent starts to tire.
But I’ll watch tomorrow. Liverpool are a second half team. They don’t necessarily start slowly, but do leak a lot of early goals. However, with really high fitness levels, Klopp’s gradually evolving pressing game, and (when injuries permit) the ability to sub out the whole front three and run at defenders with lots of fresh legs late on, it’s a recipe for finishing strong from 60 minutes on when the opponent starts to tire.
Reading what you wrote, that is exactly how Man United was during the Ferguson years
ugh! Again?
vs
Jan 26 FA Cup 1:45
Jan 26 FA Cup 1:45
Those exact words reminded me of a relative of mine who made those same exact words back in 1991-1992 when Leeds United and Man United met 3 times (League, FA Cup and League Cup) in the space of 18 days (relative is a Leeds Fan)
"Brace yeself effie..." - Mrs. Doubtfireugh! Again?
vs
Jan 26 FA Cup 1:45
Finally had a chance to watch 'Pool against Bournemouth. Somewhat surprised to see Kluivert's tackle on Diaz not even meriting a free kick despite Jones getting sent off against Tottenham for an extremely similar challenge. But it's all down to interpretation between what is a 'reckless' challenge and what is a 'dangerous' challenge.
At the end of the day a good performance from a patched together side (against, let's be fair, a Bournemouth side with their own injury issues). Much is being made of Mo's absence, and his minor injury at AFCON is now being upgraded to a full-on hamstring tear, ruling him out of all football till the AFCON final at the earliest - should Egypt make it that far. But actually the defense has been quietly improving over the last several months, and is now getting back closer to their excellent best. Bradley has done well at right back, and Gomez has stepped in on the left and done fine. Quansah and Konate have deputized very effectively for Matip, and Virgil is close to the best version of himself. Robertson and Alexander Arnold my both be ack in action within a week or two, which is a huge boost.
Sure, Liverpool might lose some goals with Mo's absence, but not letting any in will help tremendously. And seeing both Jota and Nunez scoring goals bodes well for the next few weeks. Jota has blown hot and cold in a Liverpool shirt, but when he's in he is among the best forwards in the league. Jota on a hot streak should be a worthy fill-in for Salah.
At the end of the day a good performance from a patched together side (against, let's be fair, a Bournemouth side with their own injury issues). Much is being made of Mo's absence, and his minor injury at AFCON is now being upgraded to a full-on hamstring tear, ruling him out of all football till the AFCON final at the earliest - should Egypt make it that far. But actually the defense has been quietly improving over the last several months, and is now getting back closer to their excellent best. Bradley has done well at right back, and Gomez has stepped in on the left and done fine. Quansah and Konate have deputized very effectively for Matip, and Virgil is close to the best version of himself. Robertson and Alexander Arnold my both be ack in action within a week or two, which is a huge boost.
Sure, Liverpool might lose some goals with Mo's absence, but not letting any in will help tremendously. And seeing both Jota and Nunez scoring goals bodes well for the next few weeks. Jota has blown hot and cold in a Liverpool shirt, but when he's in he is among the best forwards in the league. Jota on a hot streak should be a worthy fill-in for Salah.
Was reading an interesting interview with Russell Martin (Southampton FC's manager) online.
He was discussing how difficult it was for a team that had effectively been crushed in the previous PL season to "relax, enjoy football and do what you've been taught not to do".
I'm not sure what exactly it is that they do that they would have been taught not to do, as i always thought posssession based football was the modern way. Anyway, I digress.
He said it was hard because there were 4 losses in September and it meant that the confidence of the team was taking a hit, so he explained; it's his fault 100% if things go wrong, but they just need to keep doing what he's asking.
Fast forward to the end of January - Saints haven't lost a game since September. Just 4 losses all season and they all came in that one month at the beginning of the season.
That's some turnaround - and quite the vindication for Russell Martin - people slated "Martin-ball", but it really is starting to pay off.
Imagine if he could replicate that in the PL.
He was discussing how difficult it was for a team that had effectively been crushed in the previous PL season to "relax, enjoy football and do what you've been taught not to do".
I'm not sure what exactly it is that they do that they would have been taught not to do, as i always thought posssession based football was the modern way. Anyway, I digress.
He said it was hard because there were 4 losses in September and it meant that the confidence of the team was taking a hit, so he explained; it's his fault 100% if things go wrong, but they just need to keep doing what he's asking.
Fast forward to the end of January - Saints haven't lost a game since September. Just 4 losses all season and they all came in that one month at the beginning of the season.
That's some turnaround - and quite the vindication for Russell Martin - people slated "Martin-ball", but it really is starting to pay off.
Imagine if he could replicate that in the PL.
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A tall order, but if you come back up I’ll wish you well (unless you are playing us!).
Looks like the loan of Kevin Phillips is going through at West Ham.
Hopefully he hits the ground running with a point to prove a bit like Lingard did a few seasons back. Time will tell.
I'm hoping that means you get Phillips and we get an option to keep Downes. He's been so good for us this season!
Well you did us a favour with JWP, so I’ll let him stay!
I never thought I'd say it, but we actually don't miss JWP. It's not that we didn't love him or need him, but we are just playing so well as a unit, that we don't miss a single player. Must be the first time ever in our history that we have become a coherent unit that can lose a key player and not falter.
There is still a core of players there with plenty of experience during Southampton's run in the Premier league, right? So I think that they are more prepared then many Championship clubs to make the jump to Premier League football if they were to get promoted. But in the second division they probably have the opportunity to play a more attacking style.
Yeah, there's maybe a small handful that are capable of really stepping up in the Prem.
Many of those that are star performers this year are the same that couldn't defend, couldn't attack and frankly looked clueless last season.
The Championship is definitely the level for some of them...in fact I would say MOST of them.
I've always enjoyed Jota, perhaps he's under rated? Seems to be a consistent offensive force and hard working player. As a City fan, it's feeling like Liverpool is the biggest impediment to another PL title...
Man City will probably win the title. They are going to be favorites every season as long as the Mansour/Pep era lasts. It's a shame from my perspective Liverpool have found their post-Shankly/Paisley peak just when a paradigm-shifting juggernaut of an organization like Mansour's Man City appeared. For crying out loud, they lost the title to Man City in a year where they scored 97 points, allowed just 22 goals, a goal difference of +67, and lost a single football match in the league. But I'm not greedy - one title plus a Champions League trophy (and FA Cup) is more than I ever expected to witness and I'm thrilled at what Klopp has achieved. The fact that he might be able to accomplish a successful rebuild and have another crack at titles is just gravy.
As for Jota, when he's on his biggest attribute is efficient finishing. He's like the opposite of Nunez - somewhat predictable in his play but a reliable goal scorer when given the chances. Which is why they can work well together.
So the League Cup final will be Liverpool-Chelsea.
Fulham didn’t really do anything for the first hour and Diaz scored what proved the decisive goal fairly early on.
Fulham woke up at about the hour mark, and they did get an equalizer and really put Liverpool under pressure.
Both teams showed a fair amount of sloppiness at times, a sign of fatigue at this phase of the season perhaps.
Fulham didn’t really do anything for the first hour and Diaz scored what proved the decisive goal fairly early on.
Fulham woke up at about the hour mark, and they did get an equalizer and really put Liverpool under pressure.
Both teams showed a fair amount of sloppiness at times, a sign of fatigue at this phase of the season perhaps.
Two teams I would rather didn’t win. The two alternate teams would have been a terrific final! Oh well.
Mo Salah's injury. Where you do stand on the issue of his injury and the level of his injury being exposed and discussed by Klopp to the UK press and the backlash this has created with Egypt's national team manager who has complained about Klopp talking about the injury to the press?
I can understand the Egypt's managers concern about Salah's level of injury being exposed to the UK press because it allows their rivals in the AFCON competition to alter how they prepare their own team knowing Mo Salah will not be playing. It kind of gives Egypt's rivals an edge knowing Salah will not be playing.
When the injury to Salah was first talked about by Egypt's manager, he was very cagey about telling the press just how bad the injury was, basically he was playing down the severity of the injury but once it got announced that Salah would be returning to his club side to commence surgery/fix to his injury, Klopp then spoke about his players injury in more detail which annoyed the Egypt manager.
What do you lot think? Was Klopp right to expose just how bad Salah's injury was thus handing Egypt's AFCON rivals an advantage on how they should set up their team knowing they will not be facing Salah OR is the Egypt manager making too much of a fuss over this?
I can understand the Egypt's managers concern about Salah's level of injury being exposed to the UK press because it allows their rivals in the AFCON competition to alter how they prepare their own team knowing Mo Salah will not be playing. It kind of gives Egypt's rivals an edge knowing Salah will not be playing.
When the injury to Salah was first talked about by Egypt's manager, he was very cagey about telling the press just how bad the injury was, basically he was playing down the severity of the injury but once it got announced that Salah would be returning to his club side to commence surgery/fix to his injury, Klopp then spoke about his players injury in more detail which annoyed the Egypt manager.
What do you lot think? Was Klopp right to expose just how bad Salah's injury was thus handing Egypt's AFCON rivals an advantage on how they should set up their team knowing they will not be facing Salah OR is the Egypt manager making too much of a fuss over this?
Storm in a teacup. Mo tore his hamstring playing for Egypt in the AFCON. It happens. He’s returned to rehab with Liverpool’s medical staff to get him back into shape to play football for Egypt and Liverpool as soon as possible.
What people want and the rate at which muscle tissue heals are two unrelated things. Unless Liverpool are lying about rehabbing him (for what purpose?) all the alleged furore over it is just noise for clicks.