EPL 2024/2025
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Chelsea have just hit a brick wall.
It's the weirdest thing. 2 goals in 4 games yet prior to that we were the highest scoring team in the league.
We are still marginally ahead of where I thought we would be this season but the worrying thing is this drastic decline. Inability to score the second today killed us. Game should have been finished by the 70 minute mark.
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I think Chelsea finds it hard to break down teams that don't give them space - actually most teams are like that. And they have a certain fragility at the back so are always vulnerable - felt like some sort of reset was coming in their season.
Enjoyed the Liverpool - Man U game this morning, United always look much better when they aren't required to make the running and just react to what the other team does. Impressed with Ugarte today, he looks to be the player they need to shield the back 4.
Liverpool's weaknesses (they don't have many) are down both flanks at the back. Robertson was fine today but has had problems against pace. Alexander-Arnold is just a terrible defender and I don't think he is going to change. Dalot made him look a chump today. In the first half, Man U just sat back and Liverpool had chances but not many. Second half the game seemed to flow from one end to the other and was very entertaining. A draw probably fair in the end and Maguire had a great chance at the death but applied a centre-half's finish.
Love how everyone complains about handballs all the time when the refs/VAR just try to apply the guidelines. Ange going off on one but strictly speaking that's not handball as arm was down by side. De Ligt's handball is usually given, don't try to block the ball with your arm in the air.
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Trent was a disgrace this morning. They may as well not have had a right back. One of the worst defensive displays I have seen individually.
Slot had the chance to take him off after 70 when they went up, even though he should have been dragged at halftime but for some reason left him out there.
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@KiwiPie The second half was one of the best 45 mins Ive football I've seen in years.
Unlike other big United victories of late (FA cup last year), they didn't get dominated and then score on the bounce, they fully played their part in the game. I didn't think they had a snowballs chance in hell in competing with Liverpool, but they did that and more. I suspect if Maguire's goal had gone in, Zirkzee would have been offside. Still, best United have played in a long time.
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@KiwiPie said in EPL 2024/2025:
I think Chelsea finds it hard to break down teams that don't give them space - actually most teams are like that. And they have a certain fragility at the back so are always vulnerable - felt like some sort of reset was coming in their season.
Enjoyed the Liverpool - Man U game this morning, United always look much better when they aren't required to make the running and just react to what the other team does. Impressed with Ugarte today, he looks to be the player they need to shield the back 4.
Liverpool's weaknesses (they don't have many) are down both flanks at the back. Robertson was fine today but has had problems against pace. Alexander-Arnold is just a terrible defender and I don't think he is going to change. Dalot made him look a chump today. In the first half, Man U just sat back and Liverpool had chances but not many. Second half the game seemed to flow from one end to the other and was very entertaining. A draw probably fair in the end and Maguire had a great chance at the death but applied a centre-half's finish.
Love how everyone complains about handballs all the time when the refs/VAR just try to apply the guidelines. Ange going off on one but strictly speaking that's not handball as arm was down by side. De Ligt's handball is usually given, don't try to block the ball with your arm in the air.
I think you are spot on.
We play our best football in when counter attacking (that was the case last season as well) and when teams drop players behind the ball we struggle.
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Bournemouth midfield crisis (had 4 injured) now includes a striker crisis with both strikers out for a month. Unless we pick up some loan players our incredible season probably ends here. Hopefully Jan window brings some inflow
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@bayimports said in EPL 2024/2025:
Bournemouth midfield crisis (had 4 injured) now includes a striker crisis with both strikers out for a month. Unless we pick up some loan players our incredible season probably ends here. Hopefully Jan window brings some inflow
According to rumours, Bournemouth are looking at a half season loan deal for Evan Ferguson who is seeing little game time at Brighton.
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According to rumours, half the EPL are looking at a half season loan deal for Evan Ferguson who is seeing little game time at Brighton.
also Fulham are going to sign James McAtee for 40mill and / or Igor Jesus for 30 mill. Can't see either as being realistic. Silva is on records as saying if you buy in January it's because you got your summer spend wrong. Why would we splash a record fee on an attacking midfielder having already set a club record for an attacking midfielder in July? Same with Jesus. Muniz and Jiminez have shared 11 goals as the lone striker in the first half of the season which is far from shabby. Why pay over the odds now?
Player agents and desperate journo's sure make for an interesting speculative landscape.
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Yeah heard about the Ferguson rumour but as @dogmeat says a few chasing him. Also recalled and underperforming Jebbison from Watford but don’t have much hope there either
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@KiwiPie said in EPL 2024/2025:
I think Chelsea finds it hard to break down teams that don't give them space - actually most teams are like that. And they have a certain fragility at the back so are always vulnerable - felt like some sort of reset was coming in their season.
Enjoyed the Liverpool - Man U game this morning, United always look much better when they aren't required to make the running and just react to what the other team does. Impressed with Ugarte today, he looks to be the player they need to shield the back 4.
Liverpool's weaknesses (they don't have many) are down both flanks at the back. Robertson was fine today but has had problems against pace. Alexander-Arnold is just a terrible defender and I don't think he is going to change. Dalot made him look a chump today. In the first half, Man U just sat back and Liverpool had chances but not many. Second half the game seemed to flow from one end to the other and was very entertaining. A draw probably fair in the end and Maguire had a great chance at the death but applied a centre-half's finish.
Love how everyone complains about handballs all the time when the refs/VAR just try to apply the guidelines. Ange going off on one but strictly speaking that's not handball as arm was down by side. De Ligt's handball is usually given, don't try to block the ball with your arm in the air.
Yeah, TAA was very poor in that match. Generally he has had a good season defensively as Slot has reined him in slightly from the free rein under Klopp.
Liverpool still have the best defence in the league statistically but have started to leak more goals over the last month.
Robertson is not playing to his normal standard. I’m not sure if it is because he is coming back from injury, or he has deteriorated or both.
It was a really poor performance result against Man U. We had the chance to pull away from title rivals, and worsen the crisis at Man U with another defeat. Instead, they came out of the match with renewed hope.
I’m not sure how much the weather was a leveller between the two teams (it was the same for both teams after all) but we shouldnt have let them back in it after taking the lead. Poor
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@dogmeat said in EPL 2024/2025:
Gotta feel for Dyche. Saved them from relegation - dealt with a points deduction and the club don't even thank him for his efforts in their statement. Crass
It’s the people club!
Dyche will be fine, 6 month payout and his particular skill set will always be in demand.
He may become the new Big Sam and become a relegation troubleshooter!
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@DaGrubster said in EPL 2024/2025:
@dogmeat said in EPL 2024/2025:
Gotta feel for Dyche. Saved them from relegation - dealt with a points deduction and the club don't even thank him for his efforts in their statement. Crass
It’s the people club!
Dyche will be fine, 6 month payout and his particular skill set will always be in demand.
He may become the new Big Sam and become a relegation troubleshooter!
Yes you can imagine Big Sean getting a call in March from a club on a bad run conceding a lot of goals.
Looks like 2 from 4 to come up into the prem, 2 relegated clubs and Leeds with only Sunderland the surprise team of the season. Burnley look the toughest team to beat with only 2 defeats and 9 goals conceded in 26 games but too many draws for them. Luton surprisingly towards the bottom when many fancied them to come straight back up - and Rob Edwards has just left the club.
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Chelsea rolled Morecambe as should be expected.
Felix gets a brace but he is to me the quintessential flat track bully/luxury player.
He is a skillful player but will only really get you goals against an already defeated and overmatched team..... In the trenches against a tough team he will go missing
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@sparky said in EPL 2024/2025:
Great win for the Pilgrims in the FA Cup Third Round against Brentford. I hope there is enough cider for the locals to celebrate that one.
Great to see. They've been getting battered from pillar to post in the championship under Rooney, and then go to one of the hardest grounds to travel to in the football league and pull off a miracle. Fair play to them.
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Kai gives Arsenal fans food. For thought.
