[FOOTBALL] Midweek Fixtures - Premier League (28/29 November)

[Reg]

More fixtures including Championship and EFL Trophy. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/scores-fixtures)
More televised. (http://www.live-footballontv.com)

19:45 unless stated.

Tuesday
Brighton v Crystal Palace
Leicester v Tottenham
Watford v Man United - 20:00 BT
West Brom v Newcastle

Wednesday
Bournemouth v Burnley
Arsenal v Huddersfield
Chelsea v Swansea
Man City v Southampton - 20:00
Everton v West Ham - 20:00 BT
Stoke v Liverpool - 20:00

Rangers v Aberdeen - Sky
PSG v Troyes - 20:00 BT

[Jimmy Floyd]

Why is Harry Kane in SPOTY? He's scored a few goals, yeah, but he's won fuck all.

Anyway, this week looks like a procession for the massive, important clubs, which means one of them will fuck it.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

It's so he can be given the award and then claim that it's better than the Balon d'Or.

[Weaver]

Little bit concerned about tonight’s fixture, West Brom (A), with us having lost four on the spin. They looked much more capable against Spurs and the players look a bit happier with the freedom.

We’ve then got Chelsea (A) and games against Man City, Arsenal, Everton and Leicester in December (our recent form against both Everton and Leicester has been naff)

Fancy Watford to get something vs Man United too.

[Baz]

Why is Harry Kane in SPOTY? He's scored a few goals, yeah, but he's won fuck all.

Anyway, this week looks like a procession for the massive, important clubs, which means one of them will fuck it.Not a single rugby player shortlisted either.

I suppose it’s not like England are in the Rugby League World Cup Final on Saturday or anything.

#JusticeForWalmsley

[Disco]

Similarly there are no Onion players despite 22/23 wins for the national team and a second European Cup for Saracens.


Why is Harry Kane in SPOTY? He's scored a few goals, yeah, but he's won fuck all.

Because everyone thinks football is more important than it is.

[Giggles]

Are Sky not allowed show anything over the next two nights or is the schedule full with drone racing and WWE?

[Lewis]

Point. Owen Farrell should really be on the shortlist.

[niko_cee]

Are Sky not allowed show anything over the next two nights or is the schedule full with drone racing and WWE?

BT.

[Weaver]

Kazakh goalkeeper on BBC2 has three different types of green for shirt, shorts and socks. Modern football gone mad.

NUFC have dropped Elliot for Darlow, WBA are playing Robson Kanu and Rondon together, Watford are unchanged and Man Utd are going three at the back.

[Pen]

I have a bad feeling about United's chances against Watford. 1-1 draw or a 2-1 defeat with a horrid performance I fear.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I have a bad feeling about United's chances against Watford. 1-1 draw or a 2-1 defeat with a horrid performance I fear.

I don't think we'll lose but I can see us struggling to a score draw.

Richarlison could have a field day against our defence.

Edit: Thought it was at Old Trafford. A loss is on the cards then.

[Pen]

Watford have looked very good on the break, but at the same time I think they haven't been at their best at home. Same could be said about United's away form though.

edit: left it alone in todays bets too as it's too hard to call. Watford being over 4/1 seems excessive though.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

World Class :cool:

[Lewis]

You would say that this is his best form since 2011, but that just reminds you he got away with being shit for five whole years.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

:drool:

Don.

[Lewis]

Oh shit.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

He knew as soon as he hit that.

Mourinho's reaction was quality too.

[Lewis]

He was fucking celebrating before it started bending. What is happening?

[Waffdon]

Back to his Villa days :drool:

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Wasn't expecting this.

Tony :cool:

[Waffdon]

Silva can’t really organise a defence. The personal at the back are fucking dreadful though

[Lewis]

The Marcos Rojo Effect. :cool:

[Lewis]

I think the best way to put this Ashley Young form into context is to say that he hasn't been this good since people thought Tom Cleverley was.

[Lewis]

That Jamie Vardy goal is brilliant, unlike the atrocious hair transplant David Platt is rocking on this foreign stream.

[Pen]

Both Leicester goals were good. When I was fearing for the worst in the United game I forgot to take the probability of an Ashley Young masterclass in to account.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Lukaku :D

What a mess.

[Lewis]

He really is crap.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Lingard has some proper moments of brilliance in him at times.

[Lewis]

This game has everything.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Proper bent celebration though.

[Lewis]

Lingard has some proper moments of brilliance in him at times.

He didn't want to pass to Lukaku.

[Giggles]

Jesus Christ Albion. Megson out.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

He didn't want to pass to Lukaku.
Yeah, his moment of brilliance. He finally decided to just shun him.

[Shindig]

I'll take that point. Stops the rot... kinda.

[Reg]

If Livermore and Cork are getting called up for England, Stephens can't be far behind (and should have been ahead). Our best player this season, I reckon.

Bit disappointed with that result, especially considering we've got Liverpool on Saturday.

[Magic]

Was it tasty being a derby and all that?

:harold:

[Mazuuurk]

Did anyone else catch a little moment at the end of the United game when Lukaku got the ball, completely unattacked in midfield sort of and just smacked it as hard as he could - it looked like - way past Ibrahimovic who was in a decent position?

Well looked like he didn't want Zlatan to have the ball :D

[niko_cee]

Bit disappointed with that result, especially considering we've got Liverpool on Saturday.

I wouldn't worry. Being specialists in both all out defence and set pieces is absolute kryptonite to Liverpool. That said, the swarm of fast moving midgets can be a bit of an Achilles heel for Brighton.

[randomlegend]

Having just watched the highlights, Lukaku played really well. He obviously should have scored but still

[Reg]

I wouldn't worry. Being specialists in both all out defence and set pieces is absolute kryptonite to Liverpool. That said, the swarm of fast moving midgets can be a bit of an Achilles heel for Brighton.
Bit worried about their wild pressing as well. It'll be a different kind of test for us, interested to see how we do.

Five of the top 8 sides for us in December, including Tottenham and Chelsea both away. Ouch.

[Shindig]

Aye, but you've got points on the board.

[Mazuuurk]

Having just watched the highlights, Lukaku played really well. He obviously should have scored but still


I dunno. He took about 50 touches in this occasion, when he even got the ball on his preferred foot in the first place it looks like.

935778776004419584

[Lewis]

I don't really understand people defending him by saying he works hard. He does, but not in the perpetual motion Luis Suarez sense. It's basically just the least you would expect from somebody in his position. Even Wayne Rooney could still chase about and track back. Meanwhile, he loses headers to children, can't control a ball, picks the wrong passes, and finishes like a pisshead. All for just ninety million quid.

[Weaver]

Alan Pardew is the new West Brom manager, and Gary Megson has left the club. Right place, right time for Megson maybe - he seemed to be finished, but I reckon he’ll be back on the radar of some Championship clubs.

And speaking of finished, Santi Cazorla is undergoing another achilles operation, apparently his ninth. Even if he does eventually make a come back, he’ll be a shell of a player.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I don't really understand people defending him by saying he works hard. He does, but not in the perpetual motion Luis Suarez sense. It's basically just the least you would expect from somebody in his position. Even Wayne Rooney could still chase about and track back. Meanwhile, he loses headers to children, can't control a ball, picks the wrong passes, and finishes like a pisshead. All for just ninety million quid.

Word on the street is Mourinho fucked him off from Chelsea because he was lazy. You reckon he's lazy?

[Lewis]

Not really. I'm not complaining about his work rate, which is all fine. You can't fault him for keeping going. I just don't think work rate is a noteworthy quality in someone bought for what he was bought for (as in cost and as in purpose). It should just be a given. I can also do without Thierry Henry babying him in his analysis, and the 'clever' pundits implying that criticism of his intelligence has racist undertones. The guy is twenty-four and has played two-hundred Premier League games. If he can't make the right decisions now then he never will.

[Kikó]

He's scored 93 goals in 200 league games. He's in poor form. He's a better version of Heskey.

We won comfortably against a decent team and won 10 from 14. Let's just bloody enjoy it.

[SvN]

Any other season we'd be top of the league, but City's form is ridiculous at the moment. You've got to hope it won't last all season.

[Kikó]

I can't see how they won't. Their obvious crap players from last year have gone and they've strengthened all over. Maybe if kdb loses form or if a Big Sam inspired Everton breaks them down leading to a Pep implosion.

[SvN]

Given their reliance on De Bruyne, him getting crocked is probably the only way their form drops for a sustained period.

[Mazuuurk]

On that topic though - I just can't see it. Short of De Bruyne, Silva and Fernandinho all getting injured at once or something, I just can't see them going through a proper patch of poor form, and when push comes to shove, they have the best squad depth in the league.

It's freakish to think they are rotating what is probably 2 of the top 3 strikers in the league at the moment from game to game.

[-james-]

It's not their attack that's the issue really. The main danger is probably Vincent Kompany shattering again and having to put Yaya Toure at centre back.

[Reg]

They're playing too well for one player getting injured to massively disrupt things, in my opinion. De Bruyne would be the biggest loss but right next to him they Silva - probably have the second best midfielder in the league.

dino Kompany hasn't even played most games. You could argue they're better without him. Stones getting injured is a bigger blow.

[Mazuuurk]

I think their midfield is what would get them. Sterling and Sane are both great at the moment but their idea is essentially to have Kevin and David Silva just pass around the ball so much and well that you wouldn't need that much defence in the first place anyway. And I do reckon the amount of protection that Fernandinho provides for those two might be a little underestimated at times.

[Reg]

He's a bit headless chicken at times, Fernandinho.

[niko_cee]

Kompany hasn't even played most games. You could argue they're better without him. Stones getting injured is a bigger blow.

I assume he meant injured in the context of Stones already being out for a while.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Kanté for Fernandinho and they'd probably win all 38.

[Boydy]

Is Stones good now?

[Mazuuurk]

Kanté for Fernandinho and they'd probably win all 38.

This is true.

[Lewis]

No. He just has to do less.

[Mazuuurk]

Otamendi feels weirdly better this year though. Not sure about Stones but at least he doesn't seem to be making as many clear mistakes.

But then I guess Lewis probably has the point - no teams seem to really be able to put any pressure on City defence either.

[Lewis]

It's like when Gerard Pique having a shit patch always happens to coincide with Barcelona allowing the opposition more than three attacks a month, except, unlike Pique, John Stones stands to be brought back down to Earth at international level (although the pundits will be too invested by that point, so they will just blame the other defenders).

[Reg]

While we're on the subject, André Villas-Boas no longer cares for this manager business. He's more into pickup trucks. https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/nov/29/andre-villas-boas-quits-as-manager-of-shanghai-sipg-to-take-part-in-dakar-rally

[Shindig]

Almost as cool as Fabien Barthez competing at Le Mans. Almost.

[Disco]

Paris Dakar is already nothing to do with either Paris or Dakar so it stands to reason that they get rid of the actual drivers too. Lets hope they don't breathalise.

[niko_cee]

I see Jurgen is continuing with his madcap selection policy.

[Boydy]

I see Jurgen is continuing with his madcap selection policy.

What's wrong with it?

[Reg]

Arsenal are doing well. Who knew that playing Sanchez, Ozil and Lacazette would work?!

[-james-]

Everton - West Ham is exactly as cack as you might have thought it would be. Wayne Rooney appears to be playing left back.

[Kikó]

Rooney is BACK.

[-james-]

I'll be amazed if they don't bin this lead.

[-james-]

Double*

Wazza. Legend.

[Jimmy Floyd]

lol at Burnley continuing to make the xG badgers seethe.

[Kikó]

30 minutes to go, time for Moyes to play his ace card.

[Kikó]

Wazza FOR ENGLAND.

[Giggles]

Roonaldo.

[Waffdon]

Rooney :cool:

[Lewis]

That is a pretty great finish. Certain strikers would have taken a touch and fallen over.

[Kikó]

https://i.imgur.com/tSYQdN6.jpg

[nsd]

Hughes needs to fuck off ASAP. 83 minutes in, no shots on target and his response is to bring on Charlie fucking Adam. He won't go, though,, because it's evident that Coates is part of the problem. Completely sick of this shit.

[Waffdon]

Sterling looks better than he did in that season for Liverpool. Lovely goal.

[Lewis]

Harold is looking down still thinking Theo Walcott is better.

[Kikó]

Can't wait to see Theo with the OX and Rooney in the first game next summer.

[Magic]

Rooney nearly on 30 now?

[Jimmy Floyd]

Oxlade move to Liverpool is looking like proper Jean Alesi stuff at the moment. He'll be at Sauber within two years.

[Waffdon]

That video of Mendy running to celebrate on the pitch with the players with a Ruptured CL is amazing

935994437364219911

[Disco]

He's going to get raped by Gerhard Berger?

[Reg]

The video Waff mentions:

935994437364219911

:D

[Mazuuurk]

This has set Arsenal up very nicely to get shafted by United this weekend

(solid 0-2 victory, memorable rearguard effort)

[phonics]

Lacazette out with a groin injury is a bit of a shitter. Wellbeck does always score against them though.

Guardiola after the game.

935993068393820162

Apparently he was telling Redmond he's good? Take him instead of Sanchez pls.

[Mazuuurk]

Yeah Lacazette is a blow, he's looked better and better for every game and seems to work quite well with Sanchez and Ozil.

[Boydy]

Oxlade move to Liverpool is looking like proper Jean Alesi stuff at the moment. He'll be at Sauber within two years.

What does this mean?

[Jimmy Floyd]

What does this mean?

It means he might have made better career choices.

[niko_cee]

At least he's been playing in midfield, as opposed to right back, I guess.

Assuming he started in central midfield (ish) yesterday.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Only just realised Tottenham are below Burnley. Kane sold to Liverpool in the summer, Pochettino back to Espanyol.

[phonics]

I wonder if Tottenham finishing below Burnley would finally end the 'power shift' narrative.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Wenger's had a great couple of months. Now would be a great time for a new four-year contract.

[Mazuuurk]

I wonder if Tottenham finishing below Burnley would finally end the 'power shift' narrative.

This Spurs team seems so frail in a way. A long term injury on Harry Kane and the inevitable Drunk-driving scandal that sets Dele Alli on the traditional path of young english talent towards mediocrity, and all of a sudden the team isn't all that special anymore.

But Arsenal and Liverpool are the same in that they have no spirit and no defence, respectively.

[phonics]

Liverpool have conceded 1 goal at home all season (is it 2 now?), if you take away the Man City game they've conceded a goal or two more than Burnley/Chelsea. Half of Arsenals games have been clean sheets.

Watford have conceded 25 goals to Arsenals 16 and Liverpools 18 but you don't see anyone saying how bad their defense is do you? Because people don't see it in a big match and having a dig at Watford won't sell so the narrative never gets built.

None of these narratives that we hear every week are actually true if you spend longer than 30 seconds looking at them.

[Giggles]

I wonder if Tottenham finishing below Burnley would finally end the 'power shift' narrative.

A power shift towards the Dyche machine :drool:

[Mazuuurk]

Liverpool have conceded 1 goal at home all season (is it 2 now?), if you take away the Man City game they've conceded a goal or two more than Burnley/Chelsea. Half of Arsenals games have been clean sheets.

Watford have conceded 25 goals to Arsenals 16 and Liverpools 18 but you don't see anyone saying how bad their defense is do you? Because people don't see it in a big match and having a dig at Watford won't sell so the narrative never gets built.

None of these narratives that we hear every week are actually true if you spend longer than 30 seconds looking at them.


Yeah of course, If you "take away" all the games a team loses and draws, they will have a 100% win record as well.

Super weird that Liverpool isn't topping the league with that 100% win record they have!

Also Salah has scored more goals then Messi so far this year, so he's clearly a better player. I mean if you take more than 30 seconds to look at it of course, that's what you can conclude.

[phonics]

Messi is playing deeper as a playmaker this year hence his lack of goals in comparison to Salah who has effectively played as a striker. So yes, if you do look at it for 30 seconds you can see why that is.

[John Arne]

Sanches passes to the Carabao Cup logo :D

https://gyazo.com/6a5d413ceddb94cec1fb1db408b6dbda.gif

[Lewis]

'LvG' passing on him looks like a goodbye present now.

[Kikó]

Found the man tbf.

[Mazuuurk]

Messi is playing deeper as a playmaker this year hence his lack of goals in comparison to Salah who has effectively played as a striker. So yes, if you do look at it for 30 seconds you can see why that is.

what, are you retarded

[Giggles]

The thing about the Salah remark is that if you went down and did a poll at any Liverpool dole office, most of their fanbase would genuinely believe it.

[Jimmy Floyd]

You wouldn't need that big a sample size to get reliable results.

[phonics]

what, are you retarded

No you just offered a bad argument. Goals aren't the only indicator of a player being better than another and then offered a scenario where 2 players playing different positions were then compared based on that single indicator. Whereas goals conceded is a pretty good qualifier of the quality of a defence. I simply removed an outlier to compare them to 'higher performers' and then showed that there are far worse performers in that area that don't receive the same level of criticism despite being nearly twice as bad.

I'm not saying that Liverpool/Arsenal are 'World Class' at the back, I'm saying their quality is seen as below where they actually are due to more intense scrutiny and a need for narrative.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Probably the biggest failing in all of football stats is that goals are not the currency, the currency is league points (in league play) and progression (in cup play).

[Lewis]

I noticed Match of the Day having 'expected goals' alongside its normal statistics last night. Apparently Everton and West Ham should have drawn 1.6 all, but for some reason it was 4-0.

[phonics]

That's mostly Joe 'Destroyer of xG' Hart's fault.

It's looking good for Russia though. Shot to Save ratio is through the roof.

Ben Foster – 15th
Jordan Pickford – 16th
Joe Hart – 19th
Jack Butland – 20th

Nick Pope picking up the slack in 1st place because Burnley's style of play breaks the stats.

[Lewis]

I remember us all getting excited about Ben Foster, and then when he got his chance he single-handedly cost United the 2009/10 title. King of the BOTTLERs.

[SvN]

His performance in the 4-3 game against City ended his United career.

[Giggles]

Does Forster never get a look in now?

[Weaver]

I noticed Match of the Day having 'expected goals' alongside its normal statistics last night. Apparently Everton and West Ham should have drawn 1.6 all, but for some reason it was 4-0.

I did have a laugh at that when I was watching MOTD this morning - I’m really hoping they drop it for next season, it’s a total waste of time.

[Reg]

It's looking good for Russia though. Shot to Save ratio is through the roof.

Ben Foster – 15th
Jordan Pickford – 16th
Joe Hart – 19th
Jack Butland – 20th
I want us to do well but that's great. :D

Wouldn't be surprised to see Pickford climb those rankings now that Allardyce is in.

[Mazuuurk]

No you just offered a bad argument. Goals aren't the only indicator of a player being better than another and then offered a scenario where 2 players playing different positions were then compared based on that single indicator. Whereas goals conceded is a pretty good qualifier of the quality of a defence. I simply removed an outlier to compare them to 'higher performers' and then showed that there are far worse performers in that area that don't receive the same level of criticism despite being nearly twice as bad.

I'm not saying that Liverpool/Arsenal are 'World Class' at the back, I'm saying their quality is seen as below where they actually are due to more intense scrutiny and a need for narrative.

OK, you're retarded. You just argued against your very own point, which was the point I was making in the first place. It wasn't a serious post, retard!

[mugbull]

I wonder if Tottenham finishing below Burnley would finally end the 'power shift' narrative.

You wish :happycry:

[Baz]

All aboard the Nick Pope train. :drool:

[Jimmy Floyd]

I don't know what people's problem is with Burnley. They are consistently over-performing to budget and I would suggest that despite the gubbins that comes out of his mouth, that is largely because they have an excellent manager, and also some underrated players.

Teams don't set up to play against their style of football and they're exploiting it. Beating us on the opening day doesn't look like a freak anymore, it looks like a normal result.

[SvN]

Do people have a problem with Burnley?

[Mazuuurk]

Yeah I was thinking that. I find them a neat little side that do their job more than well with a weirdly composed and industrious team.

Always love that over a bunch of mid-table spanish twats that mix 4-2 wins with 1-3 losses.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The xG people have been seething about them for some time. Dyche also gets lolled at for his supposed Proper Football Man status.

[Disco]

If he's a proper football man he'll trade off the success of this season for at least a decade.

[SvN]

Not sure, Owen Coyle only managed about 5 years or so. I see he's managing Ross County these days.

[Foe]

Not sure, Owen Coyle only managed about 5 years or so. I see he's managing Ross County these days.

He's on his way to the top, no doubt.