English football 2024-25

[sussexpob]

they seemed a bit lucky last night, Liverpool. Everton had one disallowed for a marginal offside, then hit the post on the counter, and I'm still trying to work out why Diaz wasn't offside for Liverpool's goal. Luckiest boy of the night award goes to Tarkowski for a challenge on MacAllister that was either wildly reckless or committed and full blooded, depending on the colour of your scarf. He got a lot of contact on the ball, which might be the only thing that saved him from a red card, because it looked dangerous to me

The goal was offside, the referee made a big error not to send of Tarkowski, and then you couldn't get a clearer penalty from Pickford at the end. Add in Van Dijk violently reacting off the ball and not being punished, and Nunez rolling back on the pitch while pretending to be injured without being punished, and it was a really poor performance from the ref.

How many times does Van Dijk push, lash out or butt heads with opponents and get away with it? Its like a once a match occurrence.

Id ban Nunez for the time wasting as well. Laid on the floor, was taken off, rolled back on... red card for me. Get this rubbish out the game

[mikesiva]

He's built the team around solid defence. A good goalkeeper in Sels, and two outstanding central defenders in Murillo and Malenkovic. They sit in a low block and are happy to concede the majority of possession in most of their matches, hitting teams on the counter attack through speedy wingers Elanga and Hudson Odoi, who were deemed not good enough to play for Manchester United and Chelsea respectively. That, combined with old style centre forward Wood shows that your team doesn't have to play like Barcelona and Manchester City to be successful.

Ola Aina too has been excellent for me. Amazing when you think he is playing this level at 28 years old after the most meh careers ever. Have to credit the manager for bringing up these players levels

Aina, of course! He's been excellent! How could I forget him? The injured Aina was sorely missed against Aston villa.

Everton 1-1 Arsenal
Fulham 3-2 Liverpool

Liverpool stumbled, but Arsenal failed to take advantage.

[bigfluffylemon]

Southampton relegated with 7 games to go, a new record for most remaining when relegated.

[Durhamfootman]

this is likely to be the second year in a row where all three promoted teams are relegated at the earliest opportunity. In their last combined 18 matches they've lost 16 of them

either something isn't working or everything is working perfectly. Take your pick

[sussexpob]

this is likely to be the second year in a row where all three promoted teams are relegated at the earliest opportunity. In their last combined 18 matches they've lost 16 of them.... either something isn't working or everything is working perfectly. Take your pick

City 5th, United 13th, Spurs 14th, Chelsea's most expensive squad ever assembled is below Forest in 4th....

The standard of the league across all 20 teams is the highest its ever been. Look at someone like Spurs.... scored 58 goals so far, and are closer to relegation than Europe. A team with attacking power 5 years plus ago would be challenging for top 4, irrespective of their defensive liability... nowadays, you just can't have weaknesses, you get punished.

[bigfluffylemon]

Apparently Leicester haven't scored a PL goal since 26 January.

It is getting staggeringly hard for teams to establish themselves in the PL. Forest managed it by breaking the financial rules and copping a points deduction that left them flirting with relegation. But the gulf is just getting wider.

Not sure what the answer is. It seems impossible to cap the bigger teams, and it doesn't seem to be what people want anyway.

[sussexpob]

I think its a bit of a lazy observation, because it discredits the role that management and good decision making play.

When you look at the little club success stories like Brentford, Bournemouth, Brighton - these aren't teams that just blast cash on some guy who had one year in the budasliga where they were decent and their price quadrupled overnight despite them being 29 - these are teams that have gone out and scouted players, brought managers with philosophies about how to play, put a lot into recruiting players.

Leicester are a side that sacked their greatest ever manager after a few bad games, months after he pulled off modern footballs greatest ever achievement - Clubs like that deserve what they get. Were Leicester a bad side under Steve Cooper? Maybe not sexy total football, but they were 15th and in a safe position - they sacked him for over-achieving on their projected position, and replaced him with someone who has less tactical ideas than a dildo.

Not really a reflection on the state of the game, is it? Hire a celebrity manager with absolutely no pedigree or ideas, then get banged.... Just look at Villa. Spent loads of money under Steve Gerrard, were absolutely rubbish..... hired a proper manager with proper experience.... boom, 4th place with a very similar core side.

Ipswich have come up two divisions successively as well, so this is normal I think they are struggling.

Russell Martin setting up Southampton in August like they had the attacking talent of a 00s era Barcelona team wasn't exactly sensible .. merciless bashings followed, confidence plummeted, and everyone one cant wait to get the season done

[Durhamfootman]

A Howe-less Newcastle beat Man Utd 4-1 at SJP

1-1 at half time, but goals a plenty in the second half. A couple for Harvey Barnes too

[Durhamfootman]

up to 4th and still with a game in hand

draws for Chelsea and Arsenal, defeat for Forest. Villa are quietly coming up on the rails, but Brighton slipped up

The ref will have pleased that Liverpool got their winner in the 89th minute, so he wouldn't have to be late getting home for his tea

[Durhamfootman]

Livramento had a good game again. He's had a lot of those lately, but this time in front of Tuchel.

I was tickled by a comment from Pat Nevin on live comms. He said "it makes me laugh when players try to muscle Joelinton off the ball, why bother?"

[Durhamfootman]

turns out Eddie Howe's hospitalisation is for pneumonia

in addition to last night, he'll miss at least the next 2 matches against Palace and Villa

I wish him well and hope he doesn't hurry back too soon

[Durhamfootman]

Bournemouth have taken a very early lead against Fulham. Not sure what's been happening at Bournemouth, but their form has fallen off a cliff in the last few weeks

[Durhamfootman]

Newcastle's game in hand tonight

It's an odd one for me, because it's a home game with the chance to go third and put the squeeze on Arsenal in second, the team are in great form with 5 straight wins and the goals are rolling in............

but at the same time, Palace are exactly the sort of team that we often and inexplicably find hard to beat (along with Brighton and Bournemouth and sometimes Fulham). Palace are in good shape themselves and whilst they lost to Man City at the weekend, they were missing key players who will be back tonight.

Has banana skin written all over it, if you ask me. I expect Palace to try and frustrate us defensively and then hit us with pace on the counter just as often as they possibly can.

[Durhamfootman]

as it happens I didn't need to worry as Newcastle do move up to 3rd with a 5-0 demolition of Palace. 4-0 up at half time and another chance to take all the big guns off really early to give them a rest and get some game time for some of the others.

Away to Villa on Saturday... that'll be an interesting game. They're on a good run of form in the league too, but also have to contend with being dumped out of the CL a couple of nights ago by PSG....... a scenario that Liverpool didn't deal so well with

[Durhamfootman]

Jacob Murphy did a 'Tonali' for the first goal. Just leathered it into the net from a ridiculously tight angle