Gubbins Posted 22 January 2020 Share Posted 22 January 2020 (edited) 11 hours ago, Dan LCFC said: It's just funny how many awful sides there are in this league. I've never known it quite like this. We just can't blow that top four can we. Win tomorrow and I think we're not far off there. The others going for it are just hopeless I was thinking about this the other day after watching the lates The Kick Off vid on Youtube. As well as the levelling off due to sky money I think the way football has changed in England in the last 5 years with most teams now utilising a high press when attacking, packed defence low block when defending as well as the prevalence of playing out from the back is a big part of what makes teams look worse than they actually are. The low block can be difficult for even Liverpool and Man City to penetrate when done well and can make even decent teams look poor up front. The high press when done well forces the team with the ball into mistakes they normally wouldn't make as combating it requires quick one touch passing which again is difficult even for good players. Us Vs Liverpool on Boxing day is a good example of this. The pressing does require a lot of energy and intensity though and most teams, Liverpool aside for some reason, just can't keep this up over a prolonged period of games. Most teams in this division are good enough to pass their way through weak presses which in turn makes the pressing team look poorer than they are. To my knowledge most European football isn't played like this and is a possible explanation as to why English teams are able to dominate in Europe but look poor at times back here. Spurs run to the CL final the most obvious example of this. Edited 22 January 2020 by Gubbins 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest seanfox778 Posted 22 January 2020 Share Posted 22 January 2020 Man Utd have to be the stupidest club at the minute. They're just inflating the market dramatically and then moan when clubs hold out for more money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urban.spaceman Posted 22 January 2020 Share Posted 22 January 2020 14 hours ago, StanSP said: Wow Ironically that's the name of their North Wales Supporters Group 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post urban.spaceman Posted 22 January 2020 Popular Post Share Posted 22 January 2020 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Dahnsouff Posted 22 January 2020 Popular Post Share Posted 22 January 2020 3 minutes ago, urban.spaceman said: Ah, thats just cruel. The torture on Twitter is harsh, but 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzzy_Larsson Posted 22 January 2020 Share Posted 22 January 2020 2 hours ago, Bayfox said: Didn't they qualify the year liverpool won it and lost out because of it. That's when UEFA then changed the rule that the holders qualified automatically, or have I imagined that. Nah UEFA bent the rules and Everton were in the CL qualifier but got knocked out by Villareal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Footballwipe Posted 22 January 2020 Share Posted 22 January 2020 1 minute ago, henrik_62 said: Nah UEFA bent the rules and Everton were in the CL qualifier but got knocked out by Villareal Yeah Everton got Villarral and Liverpool got CSKA Sofia in the last qualifying round I get why they bent the rules, it's embarrassing for any organisation not to have their champions competing (Hi FA circa 99-00 season). I always found it weird that they changed it so the reigning champs of the World Cup don't auto qualify anymore. Imagine France not qualifying for 2022 (as impossible as this scenario is with how the qualifying groups are made up) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nod.E Posted 22 January 2020 Share Posted 22 January 2020 2 hours ago, rachhere said: Not sure bad is the word, just inconsistent. Inconsistent, because there is a less established hierarchy of team ability. If anything your inconsistency point contradicts the general point that teams aren't very good. They're inconsistent because they're all capable of beating one another. I.e., it's a fairer playing field and the teams have all improved. There aren't any obviously sh*t teams for the middle 6 or 7 teams to roll over whenever they face them. If you created a 7 team league of Liverpool, Man City, Juve, Barca, Atletico, Madrid and Bayern, would we be using inconsistency as a word to describe the shortcomings of the teams outside the top 2? Of course we wouldn't. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StriderHiryu Posted 22 January 2020 Share Posted 22 January 2020 3 hours ago, twister said: Blue Roi you are spot on I say the standard across euroupe has dropped off in the last decade, I have watched football for thirty years ( I know sad football nerd) and its faster than ever but technically its dropped off quite a bit, I say it goes with the game going faster and quicker. Ajax have been great to watch but they are young kids hence their niavity in euroupe. I keep saying thats because coaches value to much the ability to press and play with pace over the ability to strike a football from twenty yards. Thats why I love watching citys De Bruyne, he has a wonderful balance for a footballer, that goal he scored at Newcastle was utterly sublime. I am off the view the prem has not got miles better in the last five years, I do think other leagues have got worse though.Obviously Klopp and Guardiola are outstanding coaches who have helped improve their teams massivly to now have the ability to dominate in euroupe should they wish.. La liga is bang average, I watch a fair bit of it and Sevillia line up with Luuk de Jong up front, Athletico a average Morata and Valencia are a shadow of the league winning teams they had under benitez. Its had a huge drop off in the last decade standard wise which is starting to hit the national teams performences.Barcelona are struggling to produce from the academy anymore so are taking ajaxs best player and are flogging Messi until retirement, they have some long term issues ahead. Madrid seem to have a longer term plan but they are in transition with young players or players past their peak in Modric and Ramos. I dont understand why La Liga thinks a endless Barca Madrid cycle of dominance helps their league. The budesliga has been fun to watch this year, but Lepzig are a team of workabess with a great striker, Bayern in transition with a great attacking three, but a god awful defence, though knowing them they still might pip Lepzig to the title.Its not the same standard as when we had two german teams in the champins league final half a dozen years back or even when half a dozen german teams were strong in euroupe. Italy as we know since the mid 2000s has had a massive drop off to that glrious era from the early 90s to 2007 , Juventus dominance has not helped that, they hoard players have massive squards and win every league, with the help of a brilliant back four which is aging fast. It has been good to see Lazio and Inter improve, but neither have the players of a stankovic zanetti level as shown in euroupe this year. PsG and their oil cash have tried to spend their way to glory, they have maybe the best front three in euroupe Mbappe is a superb player again a wonderfully balanced player, but midfield wise its average, Draxler has under achieved, Veratti has been very good but never great, And the back four is good not great, Thiago Silva has had a superb footballing life but he is 35 and might be near the end. I am hopefull a lot of verygood players born around 1998 to 2002 are emerging across euroupe, but the standard does need to improve as their have been a lot of poor games this year. This is a really good post! I'd agree with you, I think the standard of the Premier League has increased considerably in recent years. There is a LOT of emphasis on the pace of the game and physical endurance, but overall technique has improved; look at the way we play as an example. A team outside of the traditional top 6 that try to play good stuff and we are not alone; teams like Norwich and Bournemouth do too despite their league position. Only Burnley and Newcastle play a direct game and even then as Burnley showed on the weekend, they are able to keep the ball when they need to as they had more possession than us in the first half. Teams from abroad are definitely not as good as they were. Serie A is the one that has really fallen off a cliff, just look at AC Milan as an example of how the mighty have fallen from grace. But I'd also agree with you about La Liga and the Bundesliga as it stands too. These things do tend to go in cycles though. It was not that long ago when Spain dominated European competition and all 4 finalists were from there. Real Madrid have just seen the end of one legendary team and are building another with many youngsters and this Barcelona team is bang average compared to the one with Xavi and Iniesta who they have never truly replaced. But I am sure those teams will be back at some point. Atletico are in transition at the moment too. It will be interesting to see our league in 5 years after Guardiola and Klopp leave. I think both have proven that they are truly legendary managers and it could be a while until coaches as good as them appear again. That could in turn result in the league as a whole declining in standard. The points tallies that both teams are posting in recent seasons shows you how good they are, and that Liverpool have been in the last two European Cup finals suggests it's not just a case of being domestic kings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingsX Posted 22 January 2020 Share Posted 22 January 2020 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxfanazer Posted 22 January 2020 Share Posted 22 January 2020 United 2 down at home to Burnleh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wardyfox86 Posted 22 January 2020 Share Posted 22 January 2020 Watch us smash West Ham and then switch over toaugh at United. Only a Norwich goal away from a perfect midweek. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingsX Posted 22 January 2020 Share Posted 22 January 2020 2 minutes ago, foxfanazer said: United 2 down at home to Burnleh Ole and the boys saw Burnley in Man City blue and crapped themselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RowlattsFox Posted 22 January 2020 Share Posted 22 January 2020 Literally not a single player in this United team gets into ours, incredible. You could argue De Gea and probably Martial in a wide position but not at the minute. They are woeful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxfanazer Posted 22 January 2020 Share Posted 22 January 2020 (edited) 1 minute ago, RowlattsFox said: Literally not a single player in this United team gets into ours, incredible. You could argue De Gea and probably Martial in a wide position but not at the minute. They are woeful. What about that defender with the big swede? Edited 22 January 2020 by foxfanazer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
49er Posted 22 January 2020 Share Posted 22 January 2020 3 minutes ago, RowlattsFox said: Literally not a single player in this United team gets into ours, incredible. You could argue De Gea and probably Martial in a wide position but not at the minute. They are woeful. De Gea is Joe Hart mark II Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aus Fox Posted 22 January 2020 Author Share Posted 22 January 2020 Imagine being 2 down and needing a goal and bringing on Jesse Lingard as the best option. How the mighty have fallen. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterborofox Posted 22 January 2020 Share Posted 22 January 2020 Really annoyed we got nothing at Old Trafford. They're such an average side and that was possibly our biggest off day all season away from home. Hope Burnley see it out 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brucey Posted 22 January 2020 Share Posted 22 January 2020 Burnley (hopefully) doing us a favour and evening things out against Utd as an apology for last week 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brucey Posted 22 January 2020 Share Posted 22 January 2020 Just now, peterborofox said: Really annoyed we got nothing at Old Trafford. They're such an average side and that was possibly our biggest off day all season away from home. Hope Burnley see it out They’ve been taking loads of points against top 6 teams (including Liverpool’s only dropped points) and giving them to the lower placed teams all season. Just means we’re a proper top team now 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vacamion Posted 22 January 2020 Share Posted 22 January 2020 This is hilarious. Although a bit dangerous in case Man Utd sack Ole and get a decent manager in... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tuna Posted 22 January 2020 Share Posted 22 January 2020 Absolute howitzer of a goal from Jay Rod, brilliant! Camera immediately cuts to solskjaer squirming in his seat - I guess we already know what will be trending on Twitter shortly! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Md9 Posted 22 January 2020 Share Posted 22 January 2020 Shame norwhich couldn’t get anything tonight but Utd losing would be great Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cadno'r Cymoedd Posted 22 January 2020 Share Posted 22 January 2020 Fire drill at OT. 😂🔥 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
don_danbury Posted 22 January 2020 Share Posted 22 January 2020 steve mcmanaman very much looking forward to the royal rumble 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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