The Ongoing Serie A, La Liga, All English Football, Champions League Thread - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Part 55

[BlackFox]

Very odd result indeed, I know Liverpool rested some players but damn, Burnlet at home is the sort of thing we were doing last season. More good news for City though.

 

[Iceman]

City are hot favourites for the title at the moment (at the bookies) and Lampard is favourite to be out of a job next.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Very odd result indeed, I know Liverpool rested some players but damn, Burnlet at home is the sort of thing we were doing last season. More good news for City though.

I think their front line is done as a unit, in this system. It isn't old, but it might be too old for what Klopp needs them to do. I think if Salah or Mane moved on, they'd be great at other clubs. But not at Liverpool as a unit anymore.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

 

[Iceman]

I think their front line is done as a unit, in this system. It isn't old, but it might be too old for what Klopp needs them to do. I think if Salah or Mane moved on, they'd be great at other clubs. But not at Liverpool as a unit anymore.

Maybe you're onto something there. They gave us some great football as an attacking unit at least.

 

[B]

Didn't see that result coming tonight..

Also don't get their struggles in front of goal given that all their injury woes are defensive ones with their forward trio all regularly playing.

It was a mistake IMO for Klopp to bench Salah & Firmino, presumably looking to the FA Cup game against Manchester United next week, but if I were him I'd have thought it would have made more sense to start his strongest team, try & get a lead & then maybe look to rest players.

 

[BlackFox]

Does Thiago really suit their game as well, quality player no doubt but doesnt really seemed to have helped in many ways to their side.

No doubt we will give them a nice win to turn their season around next week now, you can see it written, it would be very US of us.

 

[Iceman]

Does Thiago really suit their game as well, quality player no doubt but doesnt really seemed to have helped in many ways to their side.

No doubt we will give them a nice win to turn their season around next week now, you can see it written, it would be very US of us.

This is a good point and something I had thought when it was mentioned they were looking for him. He’s a good player but someone like that changes your team structurally so you need to know if it’s going to he a good fit.

 

[Zantera]

It's very hard to judge the title race in my opinion.

Liverpool are the strongest when they are on form but they have currently hit a rough patch and the question is how long will it go on, how many points will they drop because of it? Because that will determine their season.

City should arguably be favorites because they've picked up their pace and they've been handicapped most of the season with no Aguero and even Jesus (who I don't rate that much) has been out a lot. They've basically gotten to where they are without a striker, so imagine when they get that piece.

We are also in the mix but we haven't looked amazing performance wise to where I would be willing to call us favorites. Result-wise it's very similar to the SAF days where we get the win in the end, but I think some of these games could just have easily ended in draws and when you have half a season left it's hard to say if we will continue to pick up 3 pointers or if it will fizzle out. The lack of a really good manager means we need Bruno and Pogba to play out of their skin for the rest of the season and we need players like Martial (especially) and Rashford to start burying their chances.

Leicester are interesting. IMO they actually look very good but my feeling (which might be wrong based on results) is that they pick up a few wins, get a draw or loss just before people start to count them in. Could be a potential underdog that goes under the radar the whole way. Biggest issue is lack of depth (in some areas) but arguably one of the strongest starting XIs when all are fit. If we don't win the league I wouldn't mind Leicester doing it.

Spurs feel a bit too much like Spurs for me to take seriously for the league. Too many results where they have the 1-0 lead but instead of going for 2-0 they back home and the game ends 1-1. Kane+Son looked deadly initially but has fizzled out a bit. If they can regain their form from earlier this season then maybe they can get involved again, but I also wouldn't be surprised if they won Carabao Cup instead.

Everton similar to Leicester is an interesting underdog option and I think also it's easy to forget how close they are to the top because it seems like they'll win 2 games and then have a draw or loss, but points-wise they are within reach. They are also trailing 1-2 games behind teams above them, and if Everton wins those 2 games they are only 1 point behind Man Utd at the top. Could be interesting to see.

(I don't consider West Ham as a title contender and Chelsea & Arsenal are even lower so I won't mention them).

Sorry for long post.

 

[B]

Does Thiago really suit their game as well, quality player no doubt but doesnt really seemed to have helped in many ways to their side.

No doubt we will give them a nice win to turn their season around next week now, you can see it written, it would be very US of us.

I think a player of his quality could fit in any side, I think the whole team has suffered from the front 3 being quite wasteful in front of goal of late.

Also worth noting that him settling into the team was disrupted through injury & he's only played in a handful of games for Liverpool because of it. I think the criticism of some of the pundits/tabloids of Thiago is pre-mature given how little he's actually played.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

De Bruyne out for four to six weeks

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Vardy to miss games to have surgery

 

[Dr Lee]

Welp... time to go alter my fantasy football team

 

[Iceman]

Both absolutely key players for their teams. I hate it when the best players miss games.

 

[Iceman]

Villa beat us 2-0 and are now 5 points behind Liverpool with 2 games in hand. We on the other hand are lucky there are some really bad teams at the bottom this year, but certainly not safe yet at this rate. Our slightly positive start to the season seems a long time ago.

 

[Kaleb]

 

[Iceman]

Greenwood equalises for Utd after Salah puts Liverpool in the lead in the FA Cup 4th round.

 

[BlackFox]

Decent half that, Rashford, Cavani, Pogba and Shaw all excellent, only issue is we look like a Ferrari up top and a Ford Datsun at the back. Sloppy to go one down as we were the better team that half, wasted some good chances but its an open game and could go either way.

 

[Iceman]

I’m glad VDB and Cavani are getting a shot.

 

[BlackFox]

2-2 now, at least Liverpool have the excuse of not having any centre backs for not being able to defend, we are supposedely playing our best 2.

 

[Dr Lee]

It's insane how bad our defence is with all the money put into it...

 

[BlackFox]

It's insane how bad our defence is with all the money put into it...

Maguire doesnt look like he's played the game before sometimes, let alone seasoned international and our captain, he isnt the only one mind.

 

[BlackFox]

3-2 Fernandes master class in free kick taking strikes again.

 

[BlackFox]

Good win that, both sides going for it and we just about held our nerve and saw it out eventually.

 

[PepS]

Very entertaining game.

The treble is still on for United!