The Official 2017/18 Premier League Thread

[milo]

I agree - 5th was my preseason prediction for us and I've seen nothing to change that!
Chelsea though look a little vulnerable and that has surprised me, so you never know.

Par for us would be sixth. I think that we are hitting form at the right time and will finish second or third.

 

[glasgowspur]

They have both been fantastic for 95% of the season. They've adjusted and learned from Guardiola superbly. But there are just as many people that underrate England's players as there are that overrate them just because they're English, so I don't blame you for thinking that.

Putting away goals Kdb and Silva are laying on a plate for isn't being fantastic.
He is as dumb a player as I have seen, take away his pace and he wouldn't get a game.

 

[alekaras]

Not at all. I think there are classes apart between them and City attacking.

They attack particularly well on the break with a little space, and very well in general. City attack quite brilliantly, its a whole other level.

And thats what Klopps team is based upon, purely outscoring the opposition, Ardilles style. There is no balance to his side, no defence to speak of, its just a mental breakneck rush to score as many as they can because they sure as hell will let some in.

They have shipped in 11 goals to us and City, two very good attacking sides. Take those away and their defense isn't all that shabby. Is it the best defense the league has ever seen? Of course not. But it appears to be serviceable and that, together with a deadly attack, is good enough to win you most games. You can write them off as one-dimensional as much as you want, but they will be tough to catch. I think Chelski and Manure will be easier to reel in than Lollerpool.

 

[scaramanga]

Not at all. I think there are classes apart between them and City attacking.

They attack particularly well on the break with a little space, and very well in general. City attack quite brilliantly, its a whole other level.

And thats what Klopps team is based upon, purely outscoring the opposition, Ardilles style. There is no balance to his side, no defence to speak of, its just a mental breakneck rush to score as many as they can because they sure as hell will let some in.

Their playing style is a mirror of his personality.

Everything at 100mph, no time for thinking or consideration. All about show and no substance - eg they would rather see a thundering tackle that gives the opposition a thrown in than a Vertonghen style tackle that calmly takes possession.

Like all weird religions and cults, the Victimpool way relies on a ground swell of fervour. Yesterday it was all about poor, downtrodden scousers beating the champions elect, the media, the nearby city that has always put theirs to shame, etc. Soon they'll probably get a boost of it when the public realises that Salah is a player too disgusting even for Chelsea to employ.

The Cult of Victimpool's bubble will burst, it does every season. This year the likely reason appears to be the players discovering they can't sprint at full pace for 90minutes all season long.

 

[StephenH]

Par for us would be sixth. I think that we are hitting form at the right time and will finish second or third.

Normally yes - but Arsenal are in a very strange place, Wenger will go this summer if not before.
My sadness with Spurs wise is we have a good team but I don't think we are good enough to win against the top four AWAY.
We need that 'something' it might not be a 'new addition' it could be the better players all fit, or something along those lines. There are few on the bench that don't/wouldn't change a game when the come on.
We are little 'flat track bullies' like ATM. We need ?.

 

[Legohamster]

I think I would rather get those 3 games over and done with back to back as long as we don’t royally fudge them up.

That only leaves city whilst the others still have to play each other.

 

[milo]

Normally yes - but Arsenal are in a very strange place, Wenger will go this summer if not before.
My sadness with Spurs wise is we have a good team but I don't think we are good enough to win against the top four AWAY.
We need that 'something' it might not be a 'new addition' it could be the better players all fit, or something along those lines. There are few on the bench that don't/wouldn't change a game when the come on.
We are little 'flat track bullies' like ATM. We need ?.

The good thing for us is that we have played all of the big clubs away from home this season apart from Liverpool and Chelsea, so there are not too many points to be dropped in the second half of the season.

 

[Legohamster]

Normally yes - but Arsenal are in a very strange place, Wenger will go this summer if not before.
My sadness with Spurs wise is we have a good team but I don't think we are good enough to win against the top four AWAY.
We need that 'something' it might not be a 'new addition' it could be the better players all fit, or something along those lines. There are few on the bench that don't/wouldn't change a game when the come on.
We are little 'flat track bullies' like ATM. We need ?.

Arsenal are a nothing team.

I still can’t believe how badly they pumped us away.

They won’t have Sanchez, possibly Ozil when we play them.

The defence is a joke and they are so bad they are missing the OX

We shouldn’t finish anywhere near them, nor should we lose to them in a couple of weeks.

They are not better than Everton

 

[nayimfromthehalfwayline]

They have shipped in 11 goals to us and City, two very good attacking sides. Take those away and their defense isn't all that shabby. Is it the best defense the league has ever seen? Of course not. But it appears to be serviceable and that, together with a deadly attack, is good enough to win you most games. You can write them off as one-dimensional as much as you want, but they will be tough to catch. I think Chelski and Manure will be easier to reel in than Lollerpool.

3pts and +1 GD. Thats what they are ahead. 15 games left to play. And you think they will be tough to catch?

I stand by the point, Liverpool are greatly over egged on here. They are very good at one aspect of the game, but their lack of ability elsewhere will ultimately cost them.

Up until they play us they have easy games, and we have hard, so by then I suspect some of you guys will be unbearable.

Arsenal are a nothing team.

I still can’t believe how badly they pumped us away.

The more I think of that game, and games against them the last few years, the more they remind me of West Ham.

It was their cup final.

 

[StephenH]

Arsenal are a nothing team.

I still can’t believe how badly they pumped us away.

They won’t have Sanchez, possibly Ozil when we play them.

The defence is a joke and they are so bad they are missing the OX

We shouldn’t finish anywhere near them, nor should we lose to them in a couple of weeks.

They are not better than Everton

The sentiment is correct but definitely not a "nothing team". They are ATM in a mess and are badly managed 'club' in need of "realignment" finance speak for a 'shake up'. The manager has been there too long and the board are comfortable in their money rich coma. Arsenal are the club that Levy has used as his blueprint for Spurs to an extent IMHO. They will be fine when they blow the wenger cobwebs out. Great revenue streams when handled correctly and they still have more clout financially than us by some considerable margin.

 

[nayimfromthehalfwayline]

The sentiment is correct but definitely not a "nothing team". They are ATM in a mess and are badly managed 'club' in need of "realignment" finance speak for a 'shake up'. The manager has been there too long and the board are comfortable in their money rich coma. Arsenal are the club that Levy has used as his blueprint for Spurs to an extent IMHO. They will be fine when they blow the wenger cobwebs out. Great revenue streams when handled correctly and they still have more clout financially than us by some considerable margin.

They do at the moment, but Ill wager not for too long.

I think you are right in that Levy modelled the plan on them, to a degree at least. I also think he has improved it.

I do agree Arsenal are a well funded, well positioned club, and a new manager could well see them improve again.

However, I also think they no longer hold any real advantage over us, Chelsea or Liverpool, and of course were never on the levels that City and Utd are.

So the competition has risen up around them. Simply getting a new manager wont mean they will suddenly finish higher or push for the title.

 

[alekaras]

The good thing for us is that we have played all of the big clubs away from home this season apart from Liverpool and Chelsea, so there are not too many points to be dropped in the second half of the season.

Assuming that we win our home games against those teams. Not a given, by any stretch.

 

[alekaras]

3pts and +1 GD. Thats what they are ahead. 15 games left to play. And you think they will be tough to catch?

I stand by the point, Liverpool are greatly over egged on here. They are very good at one aspect of the game, but their lack of ability elsewhere will ultimately cost them.

Up until they play us they have easy games, and we have hard, so by then I suspect some of you guys will be unbearable.

Here are the stats of our last 14 PL games (that's all the games since we beat them 4-1):

Spurs: W7 - D3 - L4 GF27 - GA15 (played Manure(A), Scum(A), City(A) of the top 6)
Lollerpool: W10 - D4 - L0 GF42 - GA13 (played Chelski(H), Scum(A), and City(H) of the top 6)

Still think they are over-egged? To me it shows a team that has been improving and is in very good form. Plus we have to play them away and they now have VvD now to bolster up their defense.

 

[nayimfromthehalfwayline]

Yes, I do.

How much have you actually watched them?

Ive seen a good few games this season, and every time I do they look like a total liability with a good front line. You are of course free to disagree, but to me thats not the mark of a top side.

 

[milo]

Assuming that we win our home games against those teams. Not a given, by any stretch.

We don't need to win our home games against them (although obviously, it would be easier if we did). We just need to get more points in the second half of the season.

 

[alekaras]

Yes, I do.

How much have you actually watched them?

Ive seen a good few games this season, and every time I do they look like a total liability with a good front line. You are of course free to disagree, but to me thats not the mark of a top side.

I haven't had the chance to watch them as much, but I guess the final table will give us our answer. I'd be willing to wager they will finish above us.

 

[alekaras]

We don't need to win our home games against them (although obviously, it would be easier if we did). We just need to get more points in the second half of the season.

Of course we need to get more points, but I see it equally as difficult to get points off our top 6 rivals at Wembley (although granted, we are making it more home than earlier) as at their place. Since we all have the same amount of games to play, it's still a toss-up.

 

[nayimfromthehalfwayline]

Obviously time will tell.

I suggest you take in some of their games, youll understand then were the disconnect comes from.

They dont look like much of a 'team'. Rather a collection of players with a bloody good front line.

They dont look like they have any real tactics, other than "CHAAAARGE!!!", its mental.

They continually leave huge gaps behind them, suicidally so.

They play at 100mph until they are just knackared.

Put it this way, its obvious when a team is good. And when a good team is having a bad game, like City did.

Liverpool never incite that thought with me. They normally look untrained/unpracticed to my eye. Its bizarre they havent lost more, though that front line could carry most teams...

Ill be interested to see how they go without Coutinho, he was like Eriksen, a genuine architect in their side. I dont see who else offers that.

Against City it was just extremely direct football, nothing particularly cultured.

And, as I said above, to have to have 4 goals and a bit of luck to win at home? Its not the mark of a top side IMO.

 

[StephenH]

My only comment on above is that they are the first team to beat City and that's not at all shabby.

 

[bjholmem]

How have Stoke not scored in this game?