Football The 2017/2018 Season Thread

[caLLous]

They're doing badly because they have shit owners, shit upper management, shit coaching staff, a has-been manager who refuses to step aside and a team full of average players (with a couple of stars - one of whom is on his way out) who show absolutely no willingness to fight for him or the shirt. Look at the difference in Oxlade-Chamberlain today, he's like a completely transformed player when he's deployed in a position in which he enjoys playing and under a positive coach.



And yes you did, one of the best matches I can remember in the Prem, now watch as you go and lose to Swansea next weekend. Klopp was right to say that the best way to play against City is offensively, 'pool just pulled it off better than Arsenal or us (although we still have to play them at "home").

 

[Scouse]

67 seconds to decide a goal the other day and apparently VAR didn't help with this either.

So, basically, it's shite and slows the game up. As I always said it would.

It's a human sport. It should be left in the hands of humans on the pitch at that time, not humans watching a telly somewhere.

 

[Hawkwind]

67 seconds to decide a goal the other day and apparently VAR didn't help with this either.

So, basically, it's shite and slows the game up. As I always said it would.

It's a human sport. It should be left in the hands of humans on the pitch at that time, not humans watching a telly somewhere.

The money is too big now. When a bad decision can cost you upwards of 50 Mill based on league position or getting further in a cup. I get the managers frustration with bad Ref decisions. Basically it can costs them their jobs and performance pay. On Pens taking 1 min to review and make sure is right. Seen way too many recently that were given and shouldn't have been and the opposite.

 

[Scouse]

On Pens taking 1 min to review and make sure is right.

But it didn't. Watch the video in the link. They *still* got it wrong.

It's taken less than a week to come up with this gawd awful shit.

"Money" is not a good reason to fuck up a game that was previously a warts-and-all on-pitch human masterpiece.

As predicted we've lost more than we've gained.

 

[caLLous]

 

[Moriath]

But it didn't. Watch the video in the link. They *still* got it wrong.

It's taken less than a week to come up with this gawd awful shit.

"Money" is not a good reason to fuck up a game that was previously a warts-and-all on-pitch human masterpiece.

As predicted we've lost more than we've gained.

I think its taken more than a week to come up with this system. They been trying it in germany and other leagues also.

And there has to be clear evidence that they can overturn. Not oh it might have just brushed his hand which was the watford thing.

 

[Scouse]

I think its taken more than a week to come up with this system.

I was clearly saying that it's taken less than a week to come up with the bullshit described above.

And there has to be clear evidence that they can overturn

Watch the video...

Conte's now saying the ref should have been shown the video himself apparently. Should he walk off the pitch now? How long will that take?

Maybe we should fit a few advert breaks in whilst these long slow video-ref calls become more and more common eh?

Maybe we should split the game into quarters whilst we're at it.

 

[Moriath]

Ah you were not clear you were refering all to the game last night. It worked pretty well in the times it was used before. Cant comment on last night was only first half i watched.

It def worked well in the leics match the day before.

Stilldont see what has taken a week that you are refering to tho.

 

[caLLous]

I don't see the problem. It's not always going to be seamless and the referee got all of the decisions right last night so it didn't feel like anything was gained. Willian hurdled the defender's leg and then went down. Chelsea just couldn't stop diving, it was shameful. If there are pauses for them to review a contentious decision then it gives the broadcaster the opportunity to show replays of said contentious decision. They waited for the ball to be out of play before pausing, at least they didn't stop for the whole time it took them to review it every time.

 

[Scouse]

1) It slows the game down.
2) It doesn't fix the problems of bad decisions being made (as evidenced above).
3) (and this is the important one for me) - it takes a fallible human game, played entirely on the pitch with split second decisions (which may or may not be wrong) by humans with human eyes and adds in technology, removing that from humans - and all the whilst doesn't actually improve the situation that much.

Sat in the stands it's also fucking boring waiting for TV replays to (maybe get something right, maybe not) get a shuft on before the game can start again.

I stand by my point that we lose, not gain, by ironing out the contentious issues. Football is less rich with TV replays.

Yeah, TV replays might have saved Lollerpool a few points from beach-ball goals, or ruled out Maradonna's hand of god. But on the downside, the beach ball wouldn't have scored and Maradonna wouldn't have handballed! And that'd be shit - because both of those things are part of what make football great

 

[CorNokZ]

Eight years ago Liverpool sold this nugget. Imagine where they would have been today had they only kept him in


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lLpEHHya1w

 

[Moriath]

Nearly as good as a spaniard who couldnt hit a barn door for a while that they had

 

[Scouse]

You guys are worse than liverpool fans for living in the past

 

[caLLous]

Nice try. Nobody is worse than Liverpool fans for living in the past.

 

[Gray]

Marco Silva: Watford blame Everton as they sack manager

TF Watford? He had been doing really well.

Hahahaha, the breaking news just refreshed, AS IF they are blaming Everton hahaha

 

[Job]

1) It slows the game down.
2) It doesn't fix the problems of bad decisions being made (as evidenced above).
3) (and this is the important one for me) - it takes a fallible human game, played entirely on the pitch with split second decisions (which may or may not be wrong) by humans with human eyes and adds in technology, removing that from humans - and all the whilst doesn't actually improve the situation that much.

Sat in the stands it's also fucking boring waiting for TV replays to (maybe get something right, maybe not) get a shuft on before the game can start again.

I stand by my point that we lose, not gain, by ironing out the contentious issues. Football is less rich with TV replays.

Yeah, TV replays might have saved Lollerpool a few points from beach-ball goals, or ruled out Maradonna's hand of god. But on the downside, the beach ball wouldn't have scored and Maradonna wouldn't have handballed! And that'd be shit - because both of those things are part of what make football great

From my small experience of football fans, complaining about decisions is about 75% of the post match conversation...the rest being how much the players are worth.

 

[DaGaffer]

Marco Silva: Watford blame Everton as they sack manager

TF Watford? He had been doing really well.

Hahahaha, the breaking news just refreshed, AS IF they are blaming Everton hahaha

Doesn't surprise me. Watford are run by an awful set of human beings. Everything about Watford offends me, from their shit owners to their horrible strip to being based in Watford.

 

[Moriath]

I was born overlooking vicarage road ground . Watford have been mostly harmless from what i see

 

[DaGaffer]

I was born overlooking vicarage road ground . Watford have been mostly harmless from what i see

I'm sorry for your loss.

I can't stand the Pozzo family football model. There's running a football club as a sound business and there's running one like a factory farm. Agents are already the worst people in the world, and this is a whole football club (and Udinese) run by agents.

And I don't like Watford either. Its Luton with delusions of grandeur.

 

[Moriath]

Hehe. I only lived in watford till i was one. I wouldnt like to live there. But i liked watford in the elton john years.

 

[Embattle]

Yes because there was passion back then.

 

[caLLous]

Not such a bad weekend after all.

 

[Scouse]

Jeezuz. Just got home and saw that.

I wouldn't mind, but it's so Liverpool

 

[DaGaffer]

Jeezuz. Just got home and saw that.

I wouldn't mind, but it's so Liverpool

Sat in the pub on a work trip with a couple of Liverpool fans and they both sat down saying Liverpool would lose, because of course they would.

 

[Scouse]

Sat in the pub on a work trip with a couple of Liverpool fans and they both sat down saying Liverpool would lose, because of course they would.

It went through my mind too.

It's like when there's the possibility of us doing good things that the players fear that possibility so much that they deliberately scupper themselves.

We looked great coming into this season, predicted we'd do shit at first (so we were out of the running) then pick it up. That's exactly what we did. Then we beat City. What's that? We can challenge at the highest levels? Lose to the lowest ranked team in the league.

I wouldn't mind - but that's a pattern that happens no matter who the manager or players are. You can almost guarantee what's going to happen.

4-1 up against City? Twenty minutes to go. You just *know* it's going to be a nail-biter.

 

[Embattle]

I had a feeling they would lose when I heard the game advertised on Sunday.

 

[caLLous]

Yes Liverpool were a bit pants going forward but credit where it's due, Swansea were pretty magnificent in the second half. They turned up with a plan and, aside from a couple of moments in the first half, executed it to perfection and managed to nick a goal in the process.



There were at least 2 relegation candidates who looked absolutely certain to fall away a month ago but it's so tight down there now, all of the new managers have done great things (apart from Pardew, but it looks like it's coming).

 

[bainteor]

They're doing badly because they have shit owners, shit upper management, shit coaching staff, a has-been manager who refuses to step aside and a team full of average players (with a couple of stars - one of whom is on his way out) who show absolutely no willingness to fight for him or the shirt. Look at the difference in Oxlade-Chamberlain today, he's like a completely transformed player when he's deployed in a position in which he enjoys playing and under a positive coach.

Wenger has given Arsenal an identity and revolutionised the club in a similar way that Cruyff did for Barcelona. He has brought unprecedented success and his teams have played entertaining football. Above all of this, his conduct has been exemplary. He has always been dignified, courteous and has shown respect to others, which is more than can be said for others managers. What is poignant is that Wenger is a gentleman, toiling against the unrelenting whirlpool of modern football's metaphorical decadence and debauchery. The game should grieve when he is gone, and maybe in time people will come to appreciate him. Sadly, the average fan these days does not actually love football. They play their fantasy football, football manager games, watch 'analysis' on subscription channels saturated with football and they believe they are experts. Let us analyse your post and challenge some of the ignorance displayed in it.

I am unable to ascertain whether the owners and upper management of the club are doing their job well. All I can say is that they have to compete with other clubs who spend ridiculous sums of money (Chelsea, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Barcelona) or who are playthings for nation-states (Manchester City, PSG). Despite this, they have kept the club in a stable financial position and maintained Arsenal as an elite club. Secondly, the coaching staff are clearly world class, as they have all the appropriate qualifications and many of them are veterans of the game. I doubt anyone here is in a position to question their competence, unless you are prepared to post a certificate of your UEFA licence and coaching badges?

Furthermore, regarding Oxlade-Chamberlain you are jumping to conclusions. Firstly, we do not know whether he was 'fighting for the shirt'. That is a vapid platitude devoid of any meaning, on par with the likes of 'giving 110%'. Simply put, it means nothing. There are many reasons why Oxlade-Chamberlain may not have fulfilled his potential at Arsenal - it may have been external reasons, such as not enjoying living in London - and if he performs better at Liverpool that does not necessarily mean Arsenal are at fault. Furthermore, we are in no position to judge whether he is a 'completely transformed' player. Certainly he has put in a few good performances for a Liverpool side that is currently in fine form. It is simply too early to judge. My view is that Oxlade-Chamberlain, like all England internationals, is a technically limited footballer who can play in a top side provided he is given a specific role and surrounded by better players. In that respect, I do not believe moving to Liverpool will be a revelation for him. That is, however, not to say that he will not be a success there.

It is this tendency for hyperbole, to reach vague conclusions and sensationalise every adversity that is at odds with the way someone like Wenger assiduously goes about their business. Unfortunately, rationality is being cast aside in favour of these hysterics. I suppose it is a reflection of the society that the USA/UK, and to a lesser extent the West, is becoming.

I do not mean to rile you. I certainly respect your opinion. However I believe it is important to address some of the ignorance that plagues modern football. I am lucky to have seen football in the 1990s and that was probably my favourite era. There were many genuinely world-class players and they were distributed amongst many teams. Football still had a magic about it back then. Wenger is a legend of the game, and no internet warrior or armchair critic can take that away from him.

 

[caLLous]

You do tend to use 18 words where 2 or 3 will do.

re: Wenger - "He has always been dignified, courteous and has shown respect to others" is simply not true. He's been part of numerous spats over the years. Yes for the most part he's a class act and he's done wonderful things with the club but the longer he clings on, the more damage he will do to his legacy and the more the fans will forget his earlier achievements (which were great) and also, the more difficult/expensive it will become for his replacement to right the ship.

We've heard from the players themselves that "the other team wanted it more" to paraphrase both Walcott earlier in the season (against Watford iirc) and Mertesacker after Forest knocked them out of the FA Cup. Saying a player is not fighting for the manager/shirt is vague but absolutely applicable when you see them trudging around the pitch when things aren't going their way, or not going over to the fans after a poor performance (both of which Arsenal players have been frequently guilty of). Also, I never said Oxlade-Chamberlain didn't "fight for the shirt", I said their current crop of players don't appear to be doing so. I'd never question his dedication, he's one of the few who actually tried to motivate his team mates when needed.

A lot of Arsenal's current problems can be traced back to Wenger and the board. Buying a couple of marquee players in Sanchez and Ozil and then doing nothing much to strengthen the rest of the squad (didn't they sign Cech and *nobody else* a couple of summer windows ago?), leading to said players being unwilling to sign contracts and then one of them (so far) being rushed out the door in the transfer window before he'd be able to leave for nothing is terrible management. I'm quite sure that Mkhitarian isn't "worth" as much as Sanchez and for them to agree to a straight swap shows the corner they've painted themselves into. Not only that but directly strengthening a rival (although I can't comment too strongly on that because we did sell Walker to City) after saying they'd never sell to United again after Van Persie. Also, players seem to go to Arsenal and not improve - Bellerin, for example, was being touted as the best right-back in the league (or certainly one of the best) only last season, he's nowhere near that now.

 

[Billargh]

Man, you watched 1990's football? Share your wisdom, oh sage Bainteor. Most people here are grumps over the age of 30, I'm willing to bet the majority watched exactly the same football as you.