January 2021 football: The Window SLAMS OPEN

[randomlegend]

Oh no...won't somebody hold him back...

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

:eyemouth:

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Ashley Barnes is our king.

[Kikó]

:eyemouth:

[Waffdon]

Hopefully they lose their record and don’t steal a draw

[Dquincy]

Told you so.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

https://i.imgur.com/KBCrZqk.gif

Don

[randomlegend]

:lol:

[Boydy]

Klopp out.

[Kikó]

He's lost the plot. Get in Gerrard while he's available.

[Dquincy]

Is a bit odd that a CB wasn't lined up to move in on 1st Jan.

[Baz]

i never bought the whole 'the crowd is an extra man' bollocks but its certainly looking like it

[Raoul Duke]

Dyche :drool:

[Luca]

I cannot wait for the Klopp seethe. :drool:

[Dquincy]

i never bought the whole 'the crowd is an extra man' bollocks but its certainly looking like it
Crowd isn't responsible for that shit show.

[Waffdon]

Beautiful. Mon the Leicester

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Thiago setting Divock through on goal :****)

At least Matip plays. I believe City draw is the only time we've failed to win with him playing 90. Monster.

:)

[Waffdon]

That Chelsea home record will never be defeated. Will take a minimum of four more years to go. Poor Liverpool

[Smjffy]

Not sure we can have any complaints with what we've taken in any game since Palace tbh. What a shit show.

[P_3]

Fuck's sake.

[Gray Fox]

This is incredible to see how far this team has wilted in 5 games.

[CJay]

This is incredible to see how far this team has wilted in 5 games.

You can’t say the warning signs haven’t been there. 2020 was an awful year for us, form-wise. It was papered-over so far this season because no one else was playing well either.

[Don]

Great game developing in Eibar.

[Serj]

Liverpool's best attacker tonight might have been Origi. At least he managed to create himself some space with the ball.

Also, "TAA" looks like he needs a spell on the bench. The question is, who do you play instead - Milner?

[Shindig]

There's a malaise all around the league, to be fair. Nobody's done any business because of Covid to freshen it up. You play with who you've got until August at the earliest.

[Manc]

Liverpool outperformed XG by 24 points last season. Make of that what you will.

[Gray Fox]

I see similarities here with what happened to City last year. City had 3 incredible years of winning, winning, winning. It seemed like it burned them out last year and they so obviously suffered.
Liverpool similarly ramped it up, from CL final, to CL winners with a mammoth points total, to PL winners with a mammoth points total. It's pretty much that same team that started it too.

Perhaps Klopp should look at coming out of his 4-3-3 and look for something else.

[Jimmy Floyd]

My memory of that season (particularly the pre-apocalypse bit) is of them winning every game 1-0 somehow.

They were a better team the year before when they didn't win it.

[Lofty]

The demise of Chamberlain post his knee exploding is both sad and concerning if applied to other individuals.

What if Chamberlain was never amazing he just had a long purple patch.

[Dquincy]

Liverpool's best attacker tonight might have been Origi. At least he managed to create himself some space with the ball.

Also, "TAA" looks like he needs a spell on the bench. The question is, who do you play instead - Milner?
Agree with both comments here. The issue being Origi can't finish for toffee.

[Lewis]

You're a couple of wins behind with the best defender in the world out. Calm down (calm down).

[Waffdon]

Great game developing in Eibar.

Atletico are pissing it. 7 clear with a game in hand over Madrid and 10 with a game in hand over Barcelona

[Don]

Interesting. What do others think about Atletico's chances?

[Don]

KDB is out for 2-4 weeks. Misses West Brom, Sheff Utd and Burnley which is pretty tasty given their styles as well as being a major doubt for us on 7th.

Mans are gonna be left to cheer on Brendan Rodgers and Jamie Vardy ffs :sick:

[Manc]

Klopp is well and truly on the ropes. Imagine getting that animated at anything Sean Dyche said.

[Don]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55758746

:(

Knew there had to be a reason why such a gifted lad failed.

[Pepe]

Open the clubs.

[CJay]

Klopp is well and truly on the ropes. Imagine getting that animated at anything Sean Dyche said.

He seethes at everything and everyone. Nothing new here.

Things could go south for us very quickly now. We have the ridiculous pressure of needing to get a goal, plus the aura of invincibility at home has gone up smoke now too.

Is this what happened to Klopp in his last season at Dortmund? :uhoh:

[Giggles]

Wasn't there always that thing about training people into the ground will only work for so long? I'd expect them to get back on track sooner rather than later though and pull away.

[niko_cee]

My memory of that season (particularly the pre-apocalypse bit) is of them winning every game 1-0 somehow.

They were a better team the year before when they didn't win it.

Yeah, they've become progressively worse to watch as they became progressively better at winning games. Salah's first season being peak entertainment, but a bit shit and the lines have crossed over since.

Whilst it's not exactly revelatory the difference is Van Dijk. Previously they have been able to play with the confidence that the other team probably won't score, and, additionally, that they probably would. So if it got to 70 mins at 0-0 there was no panic, now there is panic. Van Dijk was also ridiculously dangerous from set pieces which often proved a way to unlock obdurate 'low block' approaches.

[niko_cee]

All the doom and gloom is a bit mad though.

There is no aura of invincibility at home, as there is no advantage to being at home in the current meta. I know it is impossible as a football fan to reprogram your brain to understand that, but it is the case. This Liverpool team is not at all suited to playing the type of sterile training ground shit that has become the new normal. They'll figure it out eventually. This run of shit games usually hits about February, so maybe it has come early as there has been no real let-up in the schedule for, it feels like, years.

[Don]

His absence leading to the loss of Fab from midfield as well as the importamce of the lost aerial dominance in making teams unable to release the pressure. It really is all a mark of the lad :drool:

[Ian]

I see that Tomori is off to Milan and could sign for £25m in the summer.

Wasn't he to be the next big England defender? Did he turn out to be shit, have a wobble and Super Frankie Binman lost faith or did SFB just not really fancy him in the first place?

[CJay]

All the doom and gloom is a bit mad though.

There is no aura of invincibility at home, as there is no advantage to being at home in the current meta. I know it is impossible as a football fan to reprogram your brain to understand that, but it is the case. This Liverpool team is not at all suited to playing the type of sterile training ground shit that has become the new normal. They'll figure it out eventually. This run of shit games usually hits about February, so maybe it has come early as there has been no real let-up in the schedule for, it feels like, years.

Our away record this season is 13th best and our home record is 2nd best. There may have been a swing towards a blurring of home vs away, but it’s absolutely still a thing.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I see that Tomori is off to Milan and could sign for £25m in the summer.

Wasn't he to be the next big England defender? Did he turn out to be shit, have a wobble and Super Frankie Binman lost faith or did SFB just not really fancy him in the first place?

I rate him but like the majority of young players he makes errors and needs a good run of games, which we are presumably unable to give him due to our current unassailable defensive might.

[Manc]

Milan doing interesting bits. One of the youngest squads in Europe and that's accounting for Zlatan.

[Dquincy]

Yeah, they've become progressively worse to watch as they became progressively better at winning games. Salah's first season being peak entertainment, but a bit shit and the lines have crossed over since.

Whilst it's not exactly revelatory the difference is Van Dijk. Previously they have been able to play with the confidence that the other team probably won't score, and, additionally, that they probably would. So if it got to 70 mins at 0-0 there was no panic, now there is panic. Van Dijk was also ridiculously dangerous from set pieces which often proved a way to unlock obdurate 'low block' approaches.

Bang on. And the knock on effect of putting 1 or 2 of your best midfielders in defence subsequently makes both your midfield and defence worse.

Basically, he should have bought a CB on 1st Jan.

Would also be good to see if Klopp had a back-up formation as it doesn't seem to be the case.

[Waffdon]

I see that Tomori is off to Milan and could sign for £25m in the summer.

Wasn't he to be the next big England defender? Did he turn out to be shit, have a wobble and Super Frankie Binman lost faith or did SFB just not really fancy him in the first place?

Just Lampard being a mong. Rudiger was 5th choice centre half and now he’s starting games and chucking goals in. He should have been given game time alongside Silva.

[phonics]

Odegaard has signed for Arsenal on loan apparently.

[randomlegend]

He was seriously good for Sociedad, that's a great signing.

[phonics]

And Matt Ryan from Brighton :cab:

[-james-]

The Ryan move seems bizarre but it makes loads of sense for all parties. He goes from not even getting on the bench at Brighton to second choice at Arsenas, Arsenal upgrade that Icelandic child with no hands and their Brighton (presumably) get him off the wage book.

[Reg]

Yeah, hadn't a clue that was coming but seems to make sense. I thought he was in the top 6-8 keepers in the league in our first season in the Prem, but over the last 2 years or so he dropped down to probably one of the worst. He clearly has talent though, so maybe he can get back to his former self.

[Jimmy Floyd]

He seems to have the same problem as Kepa, i.e. small boned.

[niko_cee]

6 weeks for De Bruyne.

Get the Ole gif.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Brendan's at the wheel, tell me how smug does it feel.

[niko_cee]

He'll probably be the Chelsea manager before long.

[niko_cee]

Now Vardy's injured as well.

:happycry:

[Lewis]

Brendan's at the wheel, tell me how smug does it feel.

We've got Milligan, Cleese, and Everett...

[Jimmy Floyd]

The fact that I've just opened up the league table (been scared to look at it for weeks now) and seriously contemplated the title prospects of David Moyes's West Ham should illustrate where we now are.

[Gray Fox]

Does he still mention character in every presser?

[Ian]

Vardy out having surgery, de Bruyne to miss six weeks, Liverpool's flowers being stamped on.

It's all clearing the road for Ole's rickety bus full of wankers. :drool:

[CJay]

We’ve gone 5 games without troubling a goalkeeper and we’re still the top scorers in the league. :moop:

[Manc]

Liverpool play both City & Leicester in the next month. Get it done.

[phonics]

Ryan Bertrand too? We desperately need any English kids we can get because at the moment we can't even use a 25 man squad.

[niko_cee]

And Matt Ryan from Brighton :cab:

Potter's surely trolling with comments like this:


“We have incredible talent and competition at this club for just one position,” said Brighton boss Graham Potter.

“Understandably, as Australia’s number one, Mat wants the chance of more regular opportunities.”

He's such an insufferable twat

[Shindig]

Allan Saint Maximin is back in the squad for tomorrow. He'll probably only last 10 minutes before the covid kicks back in.

[Reg]

Potter's surely trolling with comments like this:



He's such an insufferable twat
What's so bad about it?

[-james-]

Chelsea giving Milan an option to buy Tomori for 25 million quid is fairly mad.

25 million! For an England capped 23 year old!

[niko_cee]

What's so bad about it?

Well, for one, Arsenal have a better goalkeeper than Brighton do, so he isn't going there for meaningful game time is he?

I've always thought this type of shit (I thought the same of Klopp with the Sakho situation) must drive the 'front office' absolutely insane. Millions of pounds worth of asset up in smoke because your knobhead manager has made a decision they don't like someone. I wouldn't have thought Barber and Bloom would be all that up for it.

[Jimmy Floyd]

We have a few behind him in that position like Malang Sarr, Marc Guehi etc so they probably think it's a good cash-in. I'm not convinced they're right.

[-james-]

Well, for one, Arsenal have a better goalkeeper than Brighton do, so he isn't going there for meaningful game time is he?

I've always thought this type of shit (I thought the same of Klopp with the Sakho situation) must drive the 'front office' absolutely insane. Millions of pounds worth of asset up in smoke because your knobhead manager has made a decision they don't like someone. I wouldn't have thought Barber and Bloom would be all that up for it.

I think there's a decent chance the decision (or at least the suggestion) to bin Ryan has come from higher-ups. Early signs are Sanchez is an upgrade, anyway.

[phonics]

Has performed massively under xG in the last 18 months so that's possible.

[Reg]

Well, for one, Arsenal have a better goalkeeper than Brighton do, so he isn't going there for meaningful game time is he?

I've always thought this type of shit (I thought the same of Klopp with the Sakho situation) must drive the 'front office' absolutely insane. Millions of pounds worth of asset up in smoke because your knobhead manager has made a decision they don't like someone. I wouldn't have thought Barber and Bloom would be all that up for it.
Hmm, not sure, he was well below bar for a good while. He'll be Arsenal's second choice(?) and he'd dropped down to arguably 4th for us.

I think the front office bit will be certainly be true in some cases, like Mourinho binning Alli for example.

[Spammer]

Plymouth at home today.

Should make it 3 wins from 4.

THE MIGHTY BLADES

[Don]

Potter is a shambles when it comes to man-management and media duties. He's a top coach and that's it. Brighton's recruitment department is also pure lols, especially when it should be running by very similar principles to the Brentford one.

[niko_cee]

Yeah, Benham is certainly winning that battle even if his side can't make it to the sunlit uplands of the Premier League.

[Reg]

Potter is a shambles when it comes to man-management and media duties. He's a top coach and that's it. Brighton's recruitment department is also pure lols, especially when it should be running by very similar principles to the Brentford one.
He's fine with the media, inoffensive and fairly positive. I'd rather him focus on helping us score more goals and improve our inexplicably poor set piece record over coming up with zingers.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Those clubs, and any who follow a similar path, are going to find Brexit a massive challenge in maintaining their principles of recruitment. I would predict you might start to see them raiding Chile, Paraguay etc at young ages.

I would also predict that a key source of 'value' in the transfer market will now be those players (and they do exist) hidden away in Leagues 1 and 2 who could do an adequate or better Premier League or top-of-Championship job.

[-james-]

Brentford's recruitment (https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/fc-brentford/alletransfers/verein/1148) really is a sight to behold.

Ollie Watkins, Neal Maupay, Said Benrahma in for about 5 million and out for 70 having scored a combined total of 110 league goals.

[-james-]

Brighton's recruitment is good, though. It only takes a couple of Bissoumas and Lampteys to make up for your Locadias and Jahanbakhshses.

[Mellberg]

Konsa and Watkins :cool:

Hogan :moop:

[Shindig]

I'm going with THE MIGHTY BLADES today. It looks upsettable but they could scuff their way to a run. Brewster's looking erm .... well, he's trying.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Brentford's recruitment (https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/fc-brentford/alletransfers/verein/1148) really is a sight to behold.

Ollie Watkins, Neal Maupay, Said Benrahma in for about 5 million and out for 70 having scored a combined total of 110 league goals.

Yeah but the days of getting bargains from Ligue 2 / the Danish league are over, they will be severely compromised from this point on unless they can replicate it further afield.

[Spammer]

I'm going with THE MIGHTY BLADES today. It looks upsettable but they could scuff their way to a run. Brewster's looking erm .... well, he's trying.

What are you thoughts on the handball shout?

I miss us looking good. I don't mind us being back in the Championship next season if it means we don't get dicked every week and I get to watch us play expressive, expansive football again. We still look low on confidence but I can see fragments of the old MIGHTY BLADES in there. Hope to see more of it next season. This season is a write off.

[Shindig]

I don't know what the rule is any more but that shot was heading for his face. It's natural to have your arms up to protect your bonce. I thought they were overplaying it when they scored but they've looked handy going forward. To a point, anyway.

[Spammer]

THE MIGHTY BLADES are shitting it now against Plymouth

[Giggles]

Why are there no games on telly?

[Spammer]

A lot of them were on iPlayer

[Shindig]

Shame Plymouth didn't go more direct in the second half. Could've taken advantage of Sheffield Utd pressing them all the time. Decent performance but you're not getting that time on the ball in the Premier League. Not unless you play us every week.

[Mellberg]

Juve, Barca/Real, PSG (to an extent), Celtic are all under threat this year. Bayern though. Relentless German bastards.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

They were under pressure from Leipzig to start the year but Bayern recovered and RB went back to just ok.

[Mellberg]

Yeah, helps that the pack of gone backwards this year.

Anyone watch the French attempt to play football in their homeland? Morgan Sanson any good?

[Shindig]

What absolute knackers with the fireworks. :D

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Jesus is pretty shit.

[Giggles]

Yeah that one miss negates everything.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

:harold:

[mo]

Fucking hell. They've got one method of attack FFS.

[Luca]

Milan getting humbled. :harold:

[Shindig]

Tozer's been mint. :D

[Giggles]

I was reduced to watching some of that earlier. What an absolute shit quality league for one that’s supposed to not be.

[Lewis]

lol City have got some actual players on as well.

[Lewis]

What sort of self-respecting lower league 'keeper doesn't just clear that little ned out?

[Shindig]

Benitez has left China. :uhoh:

[Don]

Those clubs, and any who follow a similar path, are going to find Brexit a massive challenge in maintaining their principles of recruitment. I would predict you might start to see them raiding Chile, Paraguay etc at young ages.

I would also predict that a key source of 'value' in the transfer market will now be those players (and they do exist) hidden away in Leagues 1 and 2 who could do an adequate or better Premier League or top-of-Championship job.

That's essentially Brentford's primary avenue for stars, get the lower league BLMs in and you're set.


Brighton's recruitment is good, though. It only takes a couple of Bissoumas and Lampteys to make up for your Locadias and Jahanbakhshses.

They have one of the biggest next spends in the league over last few years and fuck all to show for it beside Lamptey.

[Andy]

Grealish has been fantastic again tonight, right up there will the best in the league. Arguably the best of the lot on current form.

[Spoonsky]

Milan getting humbled. :harold:

Wide open title race there. If Napoli and Juve win their games in hand it's really a free for all.

[Manc]

Sheffs opener against Plymouth was vintage Wilderball.

[Don]

Saw the name in the match report and got excited thinking it was going to be some 17 year-old wildebeast. Just check the CV out...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oladapo_Afolayan

I don't want to sound bitter but it's hard when the only genuine thing separating me and a professional football career was that my mum didn't fancy a bit of BBC back in the 80s.

[Mellberg]

Penny for Callum Wilson's thoughts tonight.

[-james-]

They have one of the biggest next spends in the league over last few years and fuck all to show for it beside Lamptey.

What other club on that net spend list has built an entire new squad over the past four seasons? Every club that gets promoted without the Portuguese national team or Marcelo Bielsa either goes balls deep, or does a Norwich/Huddersfield.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Balls deep?

https://www.burnleyexpress.net/webimg/QVNIMTE0Mzg5NzAx.jpg?width=640&enable=upscale

Balls deep into the left channel for Dwight McNeil, and no mistaking.

[-james-]

Funny when you look at the only time he's ever taken them down, 2014/15, and it was a squad that featured Tom Heaton, Kieran Trippier, Danny Ings and Michael Keane. A man that I've never heard of named Jason Shackell also made 38 league starts.

I usually get a creeping optimism around Christmas that maybe this year is the year. I had a really good feeling about it this time as well until a few days ago.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Tammy Abraham slides us in front on a snow-covered pitch as a sluggish-starting Luton complain about there having been two balls on the pitch. If this doesn't save Lampard's job then nothing will.

[Giggles]

Goal machine.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Luton look bad enough that he might well get four or five.

[Giggles]

Why are they still blathering on making a big deal of a ball being on the pitch nowhere near the play for about 1.5 seconds? It’s like the ghost of John Motson is still haunting the place.

[Waffdon]

Kepa :D

[Jimmy Floyd]

Get big Petr out of the director's box pls.

[-james-]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serbia_national_football_team#Current_squad

Serbia taking a bunch of uncapped domestic players to central America for a couple of friendlies this week have got to two of the more baffling fixtures I've ever seen.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Match fixing doesn't stop for a pandemic.

[Lewis]

These Luton colours are very lower league. It's why Norwich never hang around for very long and Blackpool were shit.

[-james-]

Wilson Raj written all over it. Absolutely brazen.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Werner :harold:

[Waffdon]

Poor geezer :D

[Gray Fox]

They'll be delighted with the 3 points today.

[SincereTheRebel]

How can Werner be so useless when he trains against Kepa every day?

[Baz]

If I was in a five a side match where the winner stood to win £1m and I could choose between Kepa or Lofty in net, I’d genuinely be uncertain.

[Don]

Soccerway saying Jones in place of Mane but I hope and pray this is a ploy to push Thiago further up the pitch :drool:

Williams and Milner :sick:

Hard to get excited about this shit competition.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

1353305117504712704

lol if true.

[Giggles]

These shanty’s need to be killed with a mixture of chemicals and fire.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I like them but it's time to end it now.

Absolute shambles.

[ScousePig]

Those clubs, and any who follow a similar path, are going to find Brexit a massive challenge in maintaining their principles of recruitment. I would predict you might start to see them raiding Chile, Paraguay etc at young ages.

I would also predict that a key source of 'value' in the transfer market will now be those players (and they do exist) hidden away in Leagues 1 and 2 who could do an adequate or better Premier League or top-of-Championship job.

They exist, but they're few and far between. Anyone who is any good will generally stand out like a sore thumb. James Justin is the obvious example. Karlan Grant stood out too.

I'll have a think if I've seen any this season.

[niko_cee]

This kit of ours is really horrific.

[Spoonsky]

MASSIVE week this. We'll see how far the rot has set in.

[ScousePig]

-Szomodics and Dembele at Peterborough
-Harness at Portsmouth
-Lancaster at Ipswich
-Opoku at Plymouth (they're a tidy side)
-Gladwin and Fraser at MK Dons
-Brennan Johnson and Scully at Lincoln
-Longman and Chislett at Wimbledon
-Mitchell-Lawson, Hanlon and Westbrooke at Bristol Rovers.

Maybe a few there to keep an eye on, Jimmy.

[SincereTheRebel]

Just looking around the rest of Europe at the league tables as I haven't paid any attention all season.

A.Madrid are 4 points clear of rest with two games in hand. They have condeded 7 league goals on 17 games.

The two Milans are 7 points clear of Juventus who are in 4th.

Lille are joint top with PSG after 21 games.

Bayern are miles ahead in the bundesliga.

[Lewis]

All that Luke Shaw revisionism down the drain. I held fast.

[Ian]

Bugger.

[Spoonsky]

Oh Bobby :drool:

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

That was lovely.

Marcus Rashford loves feeding kids.

[mo]

-Szomodics and Dembele at Peterborough
-Harness at Portsmouth
-Lancaster at Ipswich
-Opoku at Plymouth (they're a tidy side)
-Gladwin and Fraser at MK Dons
-Brennan Johnson and Scully at Lincoln
-Longman and Chislett at Wimbledon
-Mitchell-Lawson, Hanlon and Westbrooke at Bristol Rovers.

Maybe a few there to keep an eye on, Jimmy.

Gladwin is 28 now and never played much for QPR in the Championship, so League One very much his level. I really don’t know much about the rest, but Peterborough have a similar model to Brentford without the success. Must be sitting on a nice bit of bank though.

[Manc]

Williams might be the slowest footballer in the world.

[Kikó]

All that Luke Shaw revisionism down the drain. I held fast.

He's playing very very good. We might actually have an Evra replacement if this continues.

[Don]

Is there a more disgusting sight than that ratface of Rashford's? Ah yeah, the other ratface on the bench.

Their relentless diving is cute af.

[Luca]

Great GOAL CONTRIBUTION from Rashford.

[Lewis]

He's playing very very good. We might actually have an Evra replacement if this continues.

It's nice that he's finally running hard, but he's still a ball-watcher and he still offers not a lot going forward.

[Luca]

And a GOAL CONTRIBUTION from Mason as well.

[Spoonsky]

This kid :face:

Put Virgil in a wheelchair in there.

[niko_cee]

I think Williams gets the assist there.

Trying to go through an entire season with him and/or Phillips as the main options at centre-half, who are actually centre-halves by trade, is beyond negligent.

[Don]

Hendo, Gini, fucking Minnie are all preferable options at CB. It's like Adrian, how much does it take for the nazi cunt to learn?

[Spoonsky]

:D

I really don't believe we couldn't have found 20M to spend on a significant upgrade.

[Gray Fox]

Klopp wants a CB but he's been told there wont be anything made available to him.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

lol.

[Don]

Klopp wants a CB but he's been told there wont be anything made available to him.

That doesn't matter. Playing this kid ahead of Milner, Hendo, Gini or Jones is just plain wrong.

[Lewis]

And again, watching to see where the ball goes before making a move.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The Red Sox people will rapidly become quite unpopular from here on, is my learned prediction.

[Ian]

Love watching our defence. It's like performance art.

[Gray Fox]

#FSGOUT has been trending on Twitter since the Burnley game.

[Spoonsky]

At least we've learned how to attack again. That dummy by Hamez Milner. :cool:


#FSGOUT has been trending on Twitter since the Burnley game.

That's mental.

[Ian]

Great clearance from Maguire there, very nearly went forward.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Mane casually trying to break one of Fred's legs.

SCUM.

[Giggles]

There’s goals in these when nobody gives a fuck.

[Don]

Another dive :D

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Another dive :D

https://media0.giphy.com/media/1mpndGZ9xMQfgsucjm/200.gif

[Luca]

GOAL contribution from Bruno.

[Lewis]

Thiago running straight down the tunnel into the MLS.

[Jimmy Floyd]

#FSGOUT has been trending on Twitter since the Burnley game.

The Americans love a 'rebuild', i.e. not spending any money until you finally luck into being good again on the cheap, and the Red Sox themselves are in the depths of one currently, so I'm sure they'll be bang up for doing the same at Anfield (United have been in one for years). British sports fans are not conditioned for such things.

Mike Ashley has been doing a cracking homegrown 'rebuild' for ages, to popular acclaim.

[Spoonsky]

Allowing that angle :D He had to kick it in a straight line ffs.

[Luca]

Ducked out of the way of the free kick as well. :eyemouth:

[Spoonsky]

Trent plays like he's fucking around in a pickup game

[Giggles]

I can understand idiot fans, but why are TV commentators calling him Trent?

[Luca]

A Bruno winner from a dive. It’s beautiful. :drool:

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I can understand idiot fans, but why are TV commentators calling him Trent?

Because "TAA" is shit and Alexander-Arnold is too long.

[Giggles]

Arnold Trent.

[Shindig]

Because "TAA" is shit and Alexander-Arnold is too long.

They've been fine saying Alex Oxlaide-Chamberlain for years.

[Lewis]

On for the double. :cool:

[Kikó]

The Binmanager marches on.

[Don]

Bruv, you're on 6 figures a week, get some braces.

Fucking third world racist skeletor can come suck on my massive girth too.

[Spoonsky]

It's just Jermaine Jenas trying to pretend he's cool, isn't it? Everyone else I've heard say Alexander-Arnold.

[Waffdon]

Liverpool going to shit will make this a good year.

[Baz]

We are dreadful. Been absolute rubbish ever since the 7-0.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

They've been fine saying Alex Oxlaide-Chamberlain for years.

Commentators should say it. I was on about the COMMON MAN.

[Spoonsky]

Despite the result and the atrocious goals conceded, this game put me in a more optimistic mood. After a month without creating a single chance some life has returned to the attack and it was actually enjoyable to watch. Plus, hopefully Klopp will be convinced that Rhys Williams never needs to put on a shirt again.

[Manc]

Football is a very simple game. Neither Milner nor Williams should be on the pitch and both drop a massive bollock. If they don't sign a centre half, write the season off now.

[Lofty]

If I was in a five a side match where the winner stood to win £1m and I could choose between Kepa or Lofty in net, I’d genuinely be uncertain.

I'll have you know the last time I was playing regularly I kept 4 clean sheets in a row in the league including a triple save, admittedly didn't know much about the third :D

[Don]

Thierry Small is on for Everton :drool:

[randomlegend]

Bruv, you're on 6 figures a week, get some braces.

Fucking third world racist skeletor can come suck on my massive girth too.

1353445564449349637
1353412221380947969
1353417348703637507

Decisive.

[Kikó]

Frankie is about to get the heave ho https://twitter.com/Matt_Law_DT/status/1353640103130890240?s=19

[Jimmy Floyd]

It's stupid Russian gangster stuff as always, he must wonder why we've only ever had one good year in four since about 15 years ago. First bad run and the manager goes as always. Sure he has a lot to learn, but he's done a lot of good things in the year and a half too and I don't understand who can be brought in now who is obviously going to be better.

Even if he gets his TOP TARGET Nagelsmann (which he won't, this season), then the same thing will happen to him.

[phonics]

Tuchel has already got the job.

[Waffdon]

Not sure Tuchel is much of an improvement

[Don]

It probably helps that people like Tuchel actually have some coaching ability as opposed to simply worrying about their appearance and optics.

[Jimmy Floyd]

If there's anyone who isn't going to last even 2021 it's Tuchel.

[Jimmy Floyd]

In fact I can guarantee you (I've been watching these cretins hire and fire for half my life), the logic will be 'Our expensive signings Havertz and Werner aren't firing, maybe they need a German manager!'

[Don]

It's not bad logic, their ceiling may just be higher than the mid-table premiership ceiling of Frankie's English stars.

[Giggles]

Would the Southampton lad not be worth robbing?

[Jimmy Floyd]

Would the Southampton lad not be worth robbing?

Would probably make sense as he won't have to learn the league, but also would probably cost loads to get out of Southampton.

[Jimmy Floyd]

It's not bad logic, their ceiling may just be higher than the mid-table premiership ceiling of Frankie's English stars.

Either that or like many imports they need time to get going.

[Mazuuurk]

I really dont understand why Arsenal are trying to loan Odegaard from Real.

Emile Smith Rowe has basically come through being really brilliant for his age and showing real promise, this season is a bust anyway. Why not just keep playing him (and the other kids) and start to develop them for he next one? Willian also does feel like a viable back up in that central attacking position (in fact, I think Willian definitely needs to be kept away from the right wing spot if nothing else).

[CJay]

Arsenal should absolutely be targeting top 4 this season. They’ve been awful, yet they’re only 7 points off the pace at the (roughly) halfway mark. With the upswing in form they’ve seen recently there’s no reason they should consider this season a bust. They have the 3rd best defensive record in the league this season.

[Mazuuurk]

Arsenal should absolutely be targeting top 4 this season. They’ve been awful, yet they’re only 7 points off the pace at the (roughly) halfway mark. With the upswing in form they’ve seen recently there’s no reason they should consider this season a bust. They have the 3rd best defensive record in the league this season.


That's a fair point on paper and I think that's how they are reasoning. But when you see them play they just don't have enough about them to get there I feel.

Their uptake in form has also coincided with a run of honestly about as easy fixtures as you gett for 5-6 games straight. As soon as they faces Southampton now this weekend, you can sort of see where they are failing again. And that's just Southampton (even if their form this season is great).

[Waffdon]

1353645433856389120

:d

[Yevrah]

Lampard sacked.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55794158

[Foe]

Arteta tried the “play the kids and see what happens strategy” last year and what happened is they scraped 8th and didn’t look good enough.

If he doesn’t know which of them has a long term future by now he never will.

Smith Rowe got his chance this year and took it. Saka got a chance last year and took it. The others didn’t.

[Waffdon]

If anything, it was your ‘kids’ that got you out the slump you were in this season

[Jimmy Floyd]

Hansen was right that you win nothing with kids. Where you can win something is with good players of any age.

[Lofty]

Odegaard makes sense because Willian is dog shit and if Arteta picks ESR every game for the rest of the season he will definitely pick up a bad injury.

[randomlegend]

Hansen was right that you win nothing with kids. Where you can win something is with good players of any age.


So he was wrong, then.

[randomlegend]

Odegaard makes sense because Willian is dog shit and if Arteta picks ESR every game for the rest of the season he will definitely pick up a bad injury.

Odegaard was one of the best midfielders in the league last season. He makes sense simply because he's really good.

[SincereTheRebel]

He can't be that good if he was about to join Sociedad again on loan where he had a great last season. But after a call from Arteta, he is joining Arsenal. Sounds suspect.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

How many goal contributions did he have last year?

[Kikó]

https://media.giphy.com/media/1XjbJflD0XSdoVQdPh/giphy.gif

[randomlegend]

He can't be that good if he was about to join Sociedad again on loan where he had a great last season. But after a call from Arteta, he is joining Arsenal. Sounds suspect.

The Madrid fans seem pretty unhappy with Zidane not having given him more chances.

[Don]

None of us have seen the pasty white kid kick a football and it's all regarding rumours of a loan to the team in 11th in the table. It's not that deep.

[Baz]

Anyone ever watched this Willian Jose that Wolves have signed? Valued at 7.0 on FPL, which is quite high.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

https://media1.tenor.com/images/3e47afc1a25c1f1050bae052396ca3a7/tenor.gif?itemid=11828584

Open the clubs, Tommy wants in.

[Luca]

Both senior players and new signings were constantly “baffled” by the tactics, or the apparent lack of them. It often seemed to them as if the manager didn’t know what he wanted to do with the team, and had little idea how to fit these new stars in. It should be noted that some opposition managers in the Premier League thought the same. They didn’t think Chelsea were that difficult to prepare against. Players like Werner or Havertz weren’t usually in positions where they would “really hurt you”.

Binman status (https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/chelsea/frank-lampard-sacked-inside-story-news-b1792200.html) cemented.

[Lewis]

Appointing a German with a combover sets the Roman Abramovich project back twenty years.

[Gray Fox]

So Liverpools answer to the disaster of Rhys Williams yesterday is to go and contact Sokratis who I'm sure was pretty shite at Arsenal.

[Don]

He's signed for Olympiakos.

[Gray Fox]

Always had faith in Rhys...

[Manc]

The Chelsea dressing room strikes again. Drogba must be hiding in the showers spreading discontent.

[Shindig]

How close are we to John Terry managing from the dugout in full kit?

[Lewis]

lol imagine getting canned because bums like Marcos Alonso and Antonio Rudiger nobbled you. I would ask Sky Sports to introduce me as 'former MLS All Star Frank Lampard' if that was me.

[Waffdon]

Doubt it’s just Rudiger, he got put from 5th choice to starting games. It’ll have been everyone other than the young English players

[Jimmy Floyd]

Sounds to me like it was the agents of the fancier players.

[Don]

Three solid BLMs for Wycombe here, could lead to some ET and penalty scenes on this cold Monday evening.

[Don]

Toby Alderweireld getting manhandled like a little fucking Belgian boy by one of them :D

[Lofty]

Sokratis couldn't be faulted for effort, he was just too old school for the type of defending the premier league requires and surrounded by bigger clowns. Loved him playing right back against Leeds and maximising the shithousery.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Akinfenwa to don Spurs senseless :drool:

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Harry Winks is such a cunt.

[Luca]

Fuck off.

[John Arne]

What's the point in sacking Lampard if your gonna replace him with some no hope bloke with 1 German cup to show for 14 years as a manager. Tuchel will last 12 months at most. Obviously excluded the farmers league stuff.

[Jimmy Floyd]

His track record of falling out with owners is a good sign too.

[Don]

I don't know much about him but apparently he's an autistic cunt with elite coaching ability so I'm on Team Tuchel :drool: Making that PSG lot into a competent side was a serious achievement.

[Giggles]

Has to be an improvement anyway.

[Jimmy Floyd]

If we could get Havertz rolling it would be a nice touch, but I'll keep my expectations low.

[SincereTheRebel]

I don't know what the big deal is. It's the Chelsea way and they have been successful hiring and firing managers since the Russian took over. Has any other English team won more Gold and Platinum trophies since he came to town?

[SincereTheRebel]

If we could get Havertz rolling it would be a nice touch, but I'll keep my expectations low.

Has he had the operation yet?

[Mazuuurk]

Odegaard was one of the best midfielders in the league last season. He makes sense simply because he's really good.

Maybe if they were signing him permanently. But a 6 month loan that will stifle the growth of one of your most interesting players? I don't get that at all.

Willian is pretty shite but he can go as backup I feel. Or even Ceballos why not.

I'm sure Odegaard is a good talent but it makes no sense signing players from Spain to PL in on a short term basis in the first place, there's always a bit of an adaption to be made.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Has he had the operation yet?

He plays too deep to be eligible, but Werner definitely has - a classic piece of surgery in that he was good and now he looks like a donkey that has been castrated.

[CJay]

Is there a list of players who’ve definitively had the operation? I guess Costa and Drogba avoided that fate (to varying extents), but I’m not sure anyone else has.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I'll have to come back to you with the full list but it certainly goes back as far as Chris Sutton (1 goal in 40 or something daft) and maybe even Robert Fleck in the mid 90s.

Perhaps it's really the Curse of Casiraghi.

[Luke Emia]

Is there a list of players who’ve definitively had the operation? I guess Costa and Drogba avoided that fate (to varying extents), but I’m not sure anyone else has.

I'm assuming Casiraghi was the first recipient, as he was bilge before he even got the injury. Then following on from that Sutton, Mutu, Crespo, Kezman, Shevchenko, Torres, Morata and finally Werner. It feels to me that if anything the operation is getting more successful as time goes on. Could even call it a mutant or new variant.

[Luke Emia]

I think as well to follow on from that there are some strikers they have signed that were destined to be shite. Batshuayi, Falcao & Franco Di Santo all spring to mind.

[Jimmy Floyd]

It's not just about being bad or not scoring goals. The Operation causes those things, sure, but it also causes them to look like genuinely broken men, to waddle around the pitch like they have been emasculated, like the heart has been ripped out of them.

[Ian]

Torres had already started to go a bit shit before Chelsea hilariously overspent on him so I'm not sure the Operation can take credit for that.

I was also entirely unaware of his time in Japan. 9 goals in 39 games. :drool:

[Don]

We're not discussing Torres without recent nudes:

https://see.news/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Fernando-Torres.jpg

[Kikó]

All natural.