Football 2013-2014

[eFestivals]

Regarding the penalties I agree that attacking teams get more, while many are merited. However you need some fortune for officials to consistently give them.

Liverpool have defo got lucky at times - as they did yesterday.

But even tho they've picked up a hatful of penalties recently and thru the season, I don't think many would think the refs have been generous to them. Suarez has had a hatful of genuine penalty shouts refused, too.

There seems to a big discussion on no black managers at the minute, especially by the journalists on twitter.

Is there an issue or not? I can't see chairmen not employing people on race, or am I just naive?

Perhaps not as a concious thing, but it's undoubtably ultimately racism which has so few black managers.

That could be racism from their days at school leaving them less-educated, racism at their clubs where they're pushed towards education for after-football less than the white players, racism at more minor employment levels within the management of clubs which then don't give them the opportunity to step up, or racism for the managers job because they (obviously) don't look like the managers we're used to seeing.

Racism doesn't have to be deliberate/considered racism to exist, it merely has to be there and have an effect - whether meant consciously or not.

[DomDom1984]

Aye, I've seen some pretty horrendous penalty decisions go against Liverpool this season, and Suarez has had a lion's share of them.

[zahidf]

Utd strengthening in the summer

[The Nal]

After all, most of the nay-sayers spent the first half of the season continually saying they wouldn't even make top 4.

Edited April 7, 2014 by The Nal

[eFestivals]

To say it's the best striking performance of the prem era is a bit flippant.

I didn't quite say that.

He's got quite a few records by different criteria this season. One of which (that I forget what it was ) is only shared with 3 other strikers (or was it pairs of strikers?).

He's looking like he might get the record for a season, and if he does that'll be with him having missed those games at the start.

He's certainly one of the more impressive strikers of the time of the Prem.

[eFestivals]

The very start of the season maybe yeah. Including everyone on here! You too.

I went further than most and said they'd be in the top 4 at the time of the Spurs game - and they were.

Even that got ridiculed!!

But it became clear after 10 games or so that they were in for the long haul. I think everyone thought they'd fall away at some stage.

either they're in for the long haul, or they'd fall away. Surely?

Shows how hard the players are working for BR. And how well theyre being managed too.

and probably how lucky he's been too.

Moyes has shown this season how it all has to fit to work.

[The Nal]

and probably how lucky he's been too.

[thetime]

Moyes has shown this season how it all has to fit to work.

[eFestivals]

Arsenal have completely capitulated. Again. Predictably so too.

so 'again' and 'predictably', that they've done the complete opposite to that for at least the last two seasons.

And anything you can pick out for how Arsenal have "capitulated" can be equally said of Spurs or Everton or Utd - who have all been splattered by teams who have been far better on the day and who mostly sit above them all in the table.

If it wasn't happening something like that they'd be something wrong with the table.

Theres nothing thats been said on here thats any different from what journos and even Arsenal fans are saying.

it's being said specifically about Arsenal when it applies no less to other teams, along with the "typical Arsenal" comments which the facts prove false.

It's certainly shit for Arsenal who started the season so well, but the key factor in their season appears to be the injury of Ramsey and nothing else.

[zahidf]

so 'again' and 'predictably', that they've done the complete opposite to that for at least the last two seasons.

And anything you can pick out for how Arsenal have "capitulated" can be equally said of Spurs or Everton or Utd - who have all been splattered by teams who have been far better on the day and who mostly sit above them all in the table.

If it wasn't happening something like that they'd be something wrong with the table.

it's being said specifically about Arsenal when it applies no less to other teams, along with the "typical Arsenal" comments which the facts prove false.

It's certainly shit for Arsenal who started the season so well, but the key factor in their season appears to be the injury of Ramsey and nothing else.

[The Nal]

It's certainly shit for Arsenal who started the season so well, but the key factor in their season appears to be the injury of Ramsey and nothing else.

[thetime]

People saying Liverpool will probably drop points between now and end of season. Although I agree with you, what has happened in the last nine games is irrelevant. All they need to do is win five games on the bounce. Admittedly that is difficult for any team but the fact they've already won nine is irrelevant, statistically speaking.

If they do do it they'll have won fourteen on the bounce. The current premier league record is fourteen by arsenal in - I think - 2002. So they have to equal a record but it proves it can be done.

Side note to see the united fans would rather city won it than Liverpool. Never been fully sure which they hated more.

Alwaysnonwhofee

[pink_triangle]

it can only be taken away if you think you already have it.

If they miss out then they'll be disappointment of course, but mostly it'll be a genuine "fantastic season". They'll have exceeded all expectations wherever they finish (as long as it's still top 4) now, because no one would have dreamed of them being genuinely in the race in the way they are.

[pink_triangle]

There seems to a big discussion on no black managers at the minute, especially by the journalists on twitter.

Is there an issue or not? I can't see chairmen not employing people on race, or am I just naive?

[Wooderson]

This thread is fuelled by the sweat and tears of Utd fans at the moment. Mixed up bunch.

Sad really.

Oh and REALLY hope Everton finish 4th. Really starting to achieve something special without Moyes.

[eFestivals]

So if Ramsey was on the pitch the other 10 players wouldn't be pulling out from 50/50s like they did against Everton and Chelsea then? And they'd be tracking back and trying to win the ball back after they lost it?

Because this is basic Sunday league stuff that they haven't been doing.

Wenger looks a puzzled about it himself.

sometimes you're just bettered.

And while it's not what's expected, when that's happened to quite a few teams this season they've just given up. It's not like it's not been there to see at OT this season (tho in a different way) as well as plenty of other places (including Everton, who have now done it to Arsenal).

The whole league a bit puzzling this season, because I can't remember another time when so many teams all thru the league (aside from the current top three) had so many thrashings.

[pink_triangle]

Regarding Suarez in my opinion penalties shouldnt count in the golden boot standings anyway. You can't fairly compare someone who gets that advantage with someone who doesn't.

[eFestivals]

Regarding Suarez in my opinion penalties shouldnt count in the golden boot standings anyway. You can't fairly compare someone who gets that advantage with someone who doesn't.

in which case you need to find a "without penalties" scorer's chart.

And you might also find that Suarez tops it.

I've no idea if he will or not, but there's probably not too many other high scorers who haven't also taken penalties.

[eFestivals]

have found here:-

http://www.soccerstats.com/scorers.asp?league=england_2012

which says that Suarez has already out-scored RVP for his 30-goal 11/12 season.

[TheGayTent]

Regarding Suarez in my opinion penalties shouldnt count in the golden boot standings anyway. You can't fairly compare someone who gets that advantage with someone who doesn't.

[pink_triangle]

Piffle IMO.

Taking and scoring penalties is an art in its own right. If a striker has the balls and the ability to take them then the advantage he has over a striker who hasn't the balls or the ability to take them is a justified one.

[TheGayTent]

Who's to say he doesn't have the balls? He is at a club where a more senior player has the role and does it well. I see golden boot as something to bet on, but a flawed way of comparing forwards. Any system which ranks someone who scores 10 goals to convert 3-0 wins to 4-0 above someone who scores 9 winning goals makes little sense. In.the same way declaring the keeper with the most clean sheets as the best keeper also makes little sense.

[pink_triangle]

The golden boot award doesn't go to the best striker, it goes to the player that has scored most goals. That's it.

[TheGayTent]

As I said I see it as something to gamble on and nothing more. Your right that it is just a list of how many goals a player has scored, but the reality is more is generally extrapolated from that list. Total goals is the stat used to rank forward ability in a season/period of time far more than any other.

[TheGayTent]

Woeful second half performance by Poyet's boys. Again.

Looking at their next three fixtures it's difficult to make a case for them finishing anywhere other than bottom or second bottom.