420Hashish Posted 19 July 2020 Share Posted 19 July 2020 ༼ つ ◕_◕ ༽つ Take my energy West Ham ༼ つ ◕_◕ ༽つ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wymsey Posted 19 July 2020 Share Posted 19 July 2020 Hoping for wins for Brighton, Sheffield United and Palace tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Facecloth Posted 20 July 2020 Share Posted 20 July 2020 8 hours ago, Wymsey said: Hoping for wins for Brighton, Sheffield United and Palace tomorrow. Newcastle have a huge injury crisis. 9 players out, including Saint-Maximan, and Fernandez is their only fit senior centre back. Brighton will surely win that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aus Fox Posted 20 July 2020 Author Share Posted 20 July 2020 9 hours ago, Wymsey said: Hoping for wins for Brighton, Sheffield United and Palace tomorrow. Need a Wolves win, that way they go into the last game of the season needing to beat Chelsea to qualify for the EL. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davieG Posted 20 July 2020 Share Posted 20 July 2020 https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/the-five-substitutions-rule-is-sticking-around-this-is-why-its-such-a-backwards-step The five substitutions rule is sticking around – this is why it's such a backwards step By Seb Stafford-Bloor 2 hours ago The rule allowing more substitutes during matches has been extended to cover all of the 2020/21 season. Will this be a permanent change in football – and what will it mean? When the adoption of the five substitutes law was only a hypothetical, it was easier to remain open-minded about its effect. Now that it’s destined to be a permanent law change, any tactical theorising is secondary to what’s likely to become a further advantage for the most affluent clubs. The superficial issues are obvious. The bigger teams will build the bigger squads, and invariably be left with the greater array of weapons on their bench. In addition to which, those extra players are likely to be very talented. Rather than fill the extra seats on the sideline with generic types and the kind of players that every club can afford, it will just be another place in which to stack seasoned internationals and gifted gamechangers. It’s also a change which, in one sense, is happening at precisely the wrong moment. With UEFA set to temporarily relax the rules around Financial Fair Play – or potentially even redesign the legislation in response to Manchester City’s victory at the Court of Arbitration for Sport – the checks on spending aren’t what they might be. The long-term effects of the global pandemic will create a natural restriction of sorts, but – again – that will disproportionately affect the less well-off and curb the spending patterns of clubs who aren’t funded by sovereign wealth funds or Oligarchs. One way of spinning this is to present the extra substitutions as a tacit protection against burnout. It’s a valid point, because the physical burden placed on modern players is exorbitant and only likely to increase. The hope will be that this is a law change that promotes greater recovery time for players and, over the course of a season, lessens their time spent on the pitch. Viewed from another angle, though, even that positive is skewed. Whereas a perennial Champions League participant may now be able to share pitch minutes around between a wider group of players, what of those on the other side of the velvet rope? For instance, while Tottenham would welcome the chance to spare the legs of Son Heung-min on his return from international duty and could replace him with Steven Bergwijn, Lucas Moura, or Erik Lamela, Burnley are unlikely to be quite so eager to rest Dwight McNeil – without whom, Sean Dyche’s entire side would look very different. In that example, the point isn’t to claim that Son, Bergwijn, Moura and Lamela are all the same calibre of player, but to illustrate that it’s easier to use this new facility if that wealth of resources exists. If the implication is that this change is in the interests of players like Son, then that also suggests that it will dramatically favour those clubs that can afford to buy and employ someone of his abilities. The distribution of assets in the Premier League is clearly not even. Consequently, the protection of assets will not have an effect which is evenly felt. In a previous column, it was also suggested that the extra tactical latitude could lead to innovation. That remains true and there are all sorts of interesting quirks and evolutions which might take place. But with whom does that power to experiment really lie? If, for instance, this is the dawn of the temporary substitution, in which players of specific abilities are introduced in response to a particular threat or opportunity, then what kind of club is likely to be able to bear the cost of carrying these pinch-hitters? Alternatively, maybe having five substitutes will allow head coaches to make changes in blocks, targeting specific weaknesses in their opposition, but – again – while civilian clubs are using academy players, journeymen and flawed wingers to attack a weak right side, their superiors will be marching a small army of Kevin De Bruynes onto the pitch. Previously, we’ve asked clubs to withstand a barrage of early punches and then capitalise in the relative parity that follows. Now, we’re ensuring that Ivan Drago never gets tired and that he carries the same power in the 12th round as he did in the first, second and third. It’s actually a terrifying prospect and one which ensures that Rocky never has a chance. So, this is something to resist. It’s a development which comes with curiosities and which will alter the game’s competitive fabric in a novel way, but it’s also a change which – again – will inadvertently reward those clubs in a position to take advantage of it. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post goose2010 Posted 20 July 2020 Popular Post Share Posted 20 July 2020 Apparently a lot of money being put on Puel to be the next Watford manager... 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bear Posted 20 July 2020 Share Posted 20 July 2020 14 hours ago, pmcla26 said: Bet Ryan Bennett can’t believe the career he’s stumbled along to since leaving Norwich Not really. He was very solid for us, if a bit limited in possession. Then again we have been playing 3 at the back from the day he stepped into the club. We're a lot more drilled at it than you are currently. He had a bad game against Spurs, but I don't remember any complaints when you beat Sheff Utd and kept a clean sheet. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Lambert09 Posted 20 July 2020 Popular Post Share Posted 20 July 2020 1 minute ago, The Bear said: Not really. He was very solid for us, if a bit limited in possession. Then again we have been playing 3 at the back from the day he stepped into the club. We're a lot more drilled at it than you are currently. He had a bad game against Spurs, but I don't remember any complaints when you beat Sheff Utd and kept a clean sheet. He seems okay until someone runs at him 1 on 1? Is this something you noticed? How the hell did he survive training with Traore? My biggest complaint is that he’s way too tall to tuck his shirt into his shorts and pull them up high. Looks like an oversized baby being put in his first kit. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miquel The Work Geordie Posted 20 July 2020 Share Posted 20 July 2020 They'll genuinely get what they deserve if they go after Claude. Competent enough manager but not the kind of bloke that's going to bind together an already fragmented dressing room. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bear Posted 20 July 2020 Share Posted 20 July 2020 (edited) 14 minutes ago, pmcla26 said: We can hardly put the Sheffield United clean sheet down to a Ryan Bennett defensive masterclass. He was shit against Arsenal and shit against Spurs, did nothing of note vs Sheff Utd because they didn’t test him and looked alright against Palace. If anything, I’d say he’s looked better with the ball than without it for us, he’s an alright passer but defensively he is Championship level. It’s also a lot easier to look a better defender in a side where you have 10 other players defending with you. We set up differently to you guys completely and he just doesn’t suit us at all. You can't say a clean sheet against a good side had nothing to do with him. And it clearly won't help that you have 3 first team defenders out around him. I'm not saying he's brilliant or anything but he was a good enough PL defender for us for two years and had some very good games for us. Edited 20 July 2020 by The Bear Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
420Hashish Posted 20 July 2020 Share Posted 20 July 2020 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bear Posted 20 July 2020 Share Posted 20 July 2020 Rumours are Pearson punched Masina at HT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haywood_6 Posted 20 July 2020 Share Posted 20 July 2020 Just now, The Bear said: Rumours are Pearson punched Masina at HT. Wouldn't be surprised if he did. We all know he's a bit berserk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CosbehFox Posted 20 July 2020 Share Posted 20 July 2020 Every single time same old bullshit made up by some internet jackanory Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bear Posted 20 July 2020 Share Posted 20 July 2020 55 minutes ago, Cardiff_Fox said: Every single time same old bullshit made up by some internet jackanory Probably. But the fact Watford haven't released the usual statement thanking Pearson for his services, wishing him the best for the future, etc, speaks volumes and suggests something has gone off between him and the club. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corky Posted 20 July 2020 Share Posted 20 July 2020 If he punched someone at half-time there's no way he'd still be in charge two days later, he's gone straight away and the whole team is a mess. Their second half was better than the first, it wouldn't make sense. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bear Posted 20 July 2020 Share Posted 20 July 2020 Well no because nowadays HR has to go through the process of investigating first. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UniFox21 Posted 20 July 2020 Share Posted 20 July 2020 (edited) 3 hours ago, goose2010 said: Apparently a lot of money being put on Puel to be the next Watford manager... We laugh, but Puel absolutely helped turn the club from hit and hope into a possession based team. Yes, that possession was poor for the most, but we were a much better team when he left than we he arrived. He may have caused massive fragmenting within the squad and dressing room, which was ultimately his downfall, but we need to stop mocking Puel as some lower tier manager. If given time he could turn Watford into a better side than they are currently. But that isn't the Watford style Edited 20 July 2020 by UniFox21 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingsX Posted 20 July 2020 Share Posted 20 July 2020 13 minutes ago, UniFox21 said: We laugh, but Puel absolutely helped turn the club from hit and hope into a possession based team. Yes, that possession was poor for the most, but we were a much better team when he left than we he arrived. He may have caused massive fragmenting within the squad and dressing room, which was ultimately his downfall, but we need to stop mocking Puel as some lower tier manager. If given time he could turn Watford into a better side than they are currently. But that isn't the Watford style In six months (one Watford managerial lifetime) he could clear part of their extensive deadwood forest, try out the youth players the owners want to see, then leave with check in hand, not giving a single damn. Whatever Continental manager follows him can work on flair and “esprit de corps“. Though I suppose the plan would stop dead in its tracks when Deeney called time on it. So never mind. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CosbehFox Posted 20 July 2020 Share Posted 20 July 2020 1 hour ago, The Bear said: Probably. But the fact Watford haven't released the usual statement thanking Pearson for his services, wishing him the best for the future, etc, speaks volumes and suggests something has gone off between him and the club. Depends. If you ask me it shows absolutely zero respect to the bloke. The Athletic suggest he had an argument with the managing director. Given said managing director has now seen off four managers, I can assume he didn’t like being challenged like Pearson would Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miquel The Work Geordie Posted 20 July 2020 Share Posted 20 July 2020 Surely nobody believed / believes that nonsense about Nige hitting some full back? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CosbehFox Posted 20 July 2020 Share Posted 20 July 2020 57 minutes ago, UniFox21 said: We laugh, but Puel absolutely helped turn the club from hit and hope into a possession based team. Yes, that possession was poor for the most, but we were a much better team when he left than we he arrived. He may have caused massive fragmenting within the squad and dressing room, which was ultimately his downfall, but we need to stop mocking Puel as some lower tier manager. If given time he could turn Watford into a better side than they are currently. But that isn't the Watford style In the process though he ripped apart team spirit and did it without a human touch. Worth noting at St Etienne last week he had a very public argument with Debuchey with the pair of them telling each other to **** off. Judging from what Watford fans said, Pearson was an ideal match when it came to managing the players personality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bear Posted 20 July 2020 Share Posted 20 July 2020 2 minutes ago, Miquel The Work Geordie said: Surely nobody believed / believes that nonsense about Nige hitting some full back? The punch no. I can definitely see him getting aggressive and the player standing up for himself, and a scuffle ensuing. Maybe that is what the argument with the MD was about? I guess it's unlikely we'll find out unless one of the players leaks it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koke Posted 20 July 2020 Share Posted 20 July 2020 Does anyone think Ancolotti will do anything with Everton? They seem very tepid and meh to me, occasionally they do well im guessing Everton will have another window of splashing money around again. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goody2028 Posted 20 July 2020 Share Posted 20 July 2020 10 minutes ago, Miquel The Work Geordie said: Surely nobody believed / believes that nonsense about Nige hitting some full back? Yes. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts