Football 2015/16

[zahidf]

utd have had 2 wins out of 10. hardly title winning form. if anything, spurs are 5 points of top and have a better chance!

still, this last game and rooney scoring will mean them sticking with lvg and rooney as main striker till the summer, which is ace☺

Edited January 18, 2016 by zahidf

[pink_triangle]

9 minutes ago, zahidf said:

utd have had 2 wins out of 10. hardly title winning form. if anything, spurs are 5 points of top and have a better chance!

 

I dont think anyone would contend it is title form, but if LVG is asked can you win the league, I think the correct answer is yes, from the position they are at present time. If he was asked if spurs can win the league he may give the same answer.  As I said football is a low scoring game and its very possible to grind the way to the title with 1-0 wins and underwhelming perfomances.

[eFestivals]

1 hour ago, pink_triangle said:

On current form it doesnt seem likely but neither Arsenal or City are setting the world on fire.

true, but they're both suffering the effects of injuries to some of their better players, while Utd have their best squad available to them.

(and three of Arsenal's - Sanchez, Le Coq, and Wilshire - are apparently back in training and imminently back on the field)

Edited January 18, 2016 by eFestivals

[eFestivals]

16 minutes ago, pink_triangle said:

As I said football is a low scoring game and its very possible to grind the way to the title with 1-0 wins and underwhelming perfomances.

True. Utd have a 20+ year history of doing just that.

 

[eFestivals]

49 minutes ago, The Nal said:

 One things for certain, he'll be out of a job if he doesn't make some sort of a charge for the league.

I read something this morning that Fergie has apparently offered himself in a 'consultant' role if Giggs is made manager.

It made me laugh. A lot.

[zahidf]

9 minutes ago, eFestivals said:

true, but they're both suffering the effects of injuries to some of their better players, which Utd have their best squad available to them.

(and three of Arsenal's - Sanchez, Le Coq, and Wilshire - are apparently back in training and imminently back on the field)

even though they dropped points, arsenal havent had a sustained run of losses despite losing a lot of their first 11. if they can get ozil back asap from his slight injury, theyll win this. 

 

utd could win mathematically, but would is very unlikely. 

[The Nal]

45 minutes ago, zahidf said:

utd have had 2 wins out of 10. hardly title winning form. if anything, spurs are 5 points of top and have a better chance!

still, this last game and rooney scoring will mean them sticking with lvg and rooney as main striker till the summer, which is ace☺

Utd are in mid table form at best yeah.

Speaking of which, just read that the 11 who started for Liverpool yesterday have 6 goals between them all season.

[ThomThomDrum]

33 minutes ago, pink_triangle said:

but if LVG is asked can you win the league, I think the correct answer is yes, from the position they are at present time.

Na, I disagree. I think the right answer is the bog standard non answer of "we will take it one game at a time".............

Saying Utd can win the league makes him look as incompetent as he has been thus far to my eyes

[ThomThomDrum]

4 minutes ago, The Nal said:

 

Speaking of which, just read that the 11 who started for Liverpool yesterday have 6 goals between them all season.

20 months ago they had the 2 best strikers (a fit aguero aside) in the PL fit and playing. Now they are resorted to bringing on a championship centre half who they have on loan for 6 months to go up top and see what happens.

Oh how things can change

Edited January 18, 2016 by ThomThomDrum

[eFestivals]

Just now, ThomThomDrum said:

20 months ago they had the 2 best strikers (a fit aguero aside)in the PL fit and playing. Now they are resorted to bringing on a championship centre half who they have on loan for 6 months to go up top and see what happens.

Oh how things can change

They've got very limited striker options. While Calker at centre forwards is weird, it does at least say that Klopp is determined to try and salvage something from the game ... and it's worth pointing out that it helped them get a draw against Arsenal.

But there's just not enough goals in the team, I agree. The weirdest one of all is Lallana, whose goal rate at Soton was pretty decent, but he's been shit for Liverpool.

Firmino is an odd one too, tho that might just be to do with settling in. While he can be utterly anonymous (including in some recent games) he is starting to make a bigger contribution overall. His stats in Germany were fantastic tho, so I can see why they wanted him and he might still come good. It took Suarez a few seasons to get properly going too.

[Gucci Piggy]

40 minutes ago, eFestivals said:

true, but they're both suffering the effects of injuries to some of their better players, while Utd have their best squad available to them.

(and three of Arsenal's - Sanchez, Le Coq, and Wilshire - are apparently back in training and imminently back on the field)

Thank god. The sooner Ox becomes 5th choice winger and leaves for Sunderland in the Championship the better.

Interesting to see what Wenger does when these players are back. Campbell can't be dropped at the moment imo (apparently he was shite yesterday but I didn't see it).

[eFestivals]

2 minutes ago, Will-2609 said:

The sooner Ox becomes 5th choice winger and leaves ...

yeah, I've noticed that he seems lesser than he used to be ... tho maybe that's because he's not getting as many games now?

[pink_triangle]

19 minutes ago, eFestivals said:

They've got very limited striker options. While Calker at centre forwards is weird, it does at least say that Klopp is determined to try and salvage something from the game ... and it's worth pointing out that it helped them get a draw against Arsenal.

But there's just not enough goals in the team, I agree. The weirdest one of all is Lallana, whose goal rate at Soton was pretty decent, but he's been shit for Liverpool.

Firmino is an odd one too, tho that might just be to do with settling in. While he can be utterly anonymous (including in some recent games) he is starting to make a bigger contribution overall. His stats in Germany were fantastic tho, so I can see why they wanted him and he might still come good. It took Suarez a few seasons to get properly going too.

Firminio has looked one of the least consistent players in the league this year and could go either way in my view. Its hard to argue against his signings as these are the type of players liverpool have to gamble on. As for Lallana I just think his level is mid table.

[pink_triangle]

31 minutes ago, ThomThomDrum said:

Na, I disagree. I think the right answer is the bog standard non answer of "we will take it one game at a time".............

Saying Utd can win the league makes him look as incompetent as he has been thus far to my eyes

In recent years I have been fed up with wishy washy answers and this whole thing about "we arent the favourties, all the pressure is on team x".  I personally like a bit of directness.  The league is won on results and not performances and I dont see it impossible for Man Utd to find a way of winning the title through scraping wins. I think bookies have them about 20/1 and I think thats about right,

[Gucci Piggy]

13 minutes ago, eFestivals said:

yeah, I've noticed that he seems lesser than he used to be ... tho maybe that's because he's not getting as many games now?

The thing is, even when he looks like he's playing well his output is still appalling. Last season he'd started for like the entire first half of the season and had 1 assist and 0 goals. And as you suggest, at the moment he isn't even looking good.

He just hasn't progressed at all for too long now. Every season it's hoped that he'll have a breakthrough and it never happens.

[ThomThomDrum]

34 minutes ago, pink_triangle said:

 I think bookies have them about 20/1 and I think thats about right,

Which means the bookies are talking sense and dont think Utd can/will win the league.

I like directness from managers too, but I don't like directness if it is based on mad thinking. 

When has any team at this stage in a campaign being 20/1 and and ended up winning it? I doubt its ever come close to it

Its a 2 horse race for me. I dont see LC lasting the pace even if it looks good at the mo, but it would be smashing if they could

[eFestivals]

5 minutes ago, ThomThomDrum said:

Which means the bookies are talking sense and dont think Utd can/will win the league.

and the price is only 20/1 because of the big number of Man Utd fans.

If they had an average number of fans the price would be lower. It's the bookies covering off the bigger risk that comes with a bigger number of hopeful bets.

 

Edited January 18, 2016 by eFestivals

[thetime]

Mignolet signs new 5 year contract. 

 

[eFestivals]

Just now, thetime said:

Mignolet signs new 5 year contract. 

 

I guess that's more the result of the normal player contract management, where clubs prefer to re-sign early-ish than let the contract get near its end.

[zahidf]

6 minutes ago, thetime said:

Mignolet signs new 5 year contract. 

 

im surprise. there are much better out there.

[eFestivals]

6 minutes ago, zahidf said:

im surprise. there are much better out there.

I don't think it says anything about his future.

It's very likely he had about 18 months left on the existing contract, the standard point just about any club tries to get just about any player (any player with a resale value) to sign a new contract, as it resets their value rather than has it evaporate away.

He's only 27, so has a resale value for plenty of years yet. And whatever that resale value is, it's not now shrinking in the next 18 months because of his contract situation (tho it might shrink due to his playing).

Standard stuff.

Having said all of that I'm not thinking he'll necessarily be one of the first out of the door - mostly cos it's hard to know where to start.

 

Edited January 18, 2016 by eFestivals

[The Nal]

25 minutes ago, eFestivals said:

I don't think it says anything about his future.

It's very likely he had about 18 months left on the existing contract, the standard point just about any club tries to get just about any player (any player with a resale value) to sign a new contract, as it resets their value rather than has it evaporate away.

2 1/2 years actually. So theres either been an offer and the club have paid him more or hes hinted at leaving and they've paid him more.

I think hes a liability but the stats say he keeps a lot of clean sheets.

[pink_triangle]

8 hours ago, ThomThomDrum said:

Which means the bookies are talking sense and dont think Utd can/will win the league.

I like directness from managers too, but I don't like directness if it is based on mad thinking. 

When has any team at this stage in a campaign being 20/1 and and ended up winning it? I doubt its ever come close to it

Its a 2 horse race for me. I dont see LC lasting the pace even if it looks good at the mo, but it would be smashing if they could

Of course the bookies don't think they will win the league and neither (as I'm still predicting city) do I.  However in my view a player/manager shouldn't be at a club like man utd if they think its impossible to pull back a 7 point margin with the best part of half a season to go. 

[jackarmy]

Big win for Swansea last night. As much as I didn't like to say before the game, that really was a must win for us. Hopefully the new manager bounce might see us pick up a result at Everton (we've never beaten them in a league match in our history)

Big game for Watford against Newcastle on the weekend, they looked poor last night and could still get dragged into it if they lose.

[TheGayTent]

7 minutes ago, jackarmy said:

Big game for Watford against Newcastle on the weekend, they looked poor last night and could still get dragged into it if they lose.

Whilst there often is one side that plummets I really can't see it with Watford. They score goals and only need 3 wins from 16 games to stay up.