EPL 2021 / 2022
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@MajorRage Great summary that one, hard to disagree with nearly all of it. Harsh to give a 4 for Arsenal when everyone was picking 6th for them at best. If they had finished in the same spot but had a great run at the end to get there, it would have been a 7! Maybe too simple to say a striker is what they need, sometimes it can be more complex than that. They definitely need depth though, a couple of injuries and they had Cedric and Tavares as full backs with predictable results.
West Ham: A 7 I reckon and paying for having a paper-thin squad with no replacement for Antonio and struggling with central defenders. Should have taken 6th and Europa League.
Leicester: 5 for me Brian. Conceding so many goals from set pieces did for them.
Villa/Southampton: Both teams can look good when the other team lets them play but both have days when they look hopeless.
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@dogmeat @kiwipie @mariner4life
You guys are right & I'm basing my numbers on the fans of both clubs that I know. Spurs fans seem happy with where they are & with Conte, the problem in the club lies 100% with Levy. Where as Arsenal seem a bit more disillusioned, especially after the way they capitulated in the last North London derby of the year. Perhaps 4 & 7 is unfair on two clubs who hold the same goals and ended up 2 points and one position away from each other. 6 & 7 is probably fair.
Reality is that both clubs are 60k+ stadiums now with long histories and both should be winning trophies. Perhaps the EPL is above them right now, but they should at least be challenging and making finals etc.
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Was just looking at I wrote again. Man I'm mixed up with Managers. I should clarify:
Guardiola, Klopp, Howe, Frank could all be written as the top! So here's a slightly deeper dive on this. Yes, I am avoiding doing work
Guardiola - I think he's hugely influential on pitch as well as on the management style. Thus, he gets the results, and the moments, that ultimately won the league. Yes, this is the same style which saw them bundled out, again, in the Champs League, but it just seems to work in the EPL.
Klopp - I'd probably more call him the overall manager of the year across all the EPL clubs. Just not necessarily in the league. And not through any fault of his own. You cannot deny his record this year, gunning for 4 trophies right up until the last day, and still possible to take 3. Love or hate Liverpool, you have to have absolute maximum respect for what he's done to that club.
Frank - Brentford were fantastic this season and worthy of the plaudits. And Thomas Frank has been core to that. I do fear for them a bit though with second season syndrome. IT's not uncommon to bounce up to the PL, have a decent mid table season then go back down. I can't put him up with Guardiola & Klopp just yet though. Different level.
Howe - Newcastle were completely fucked. Completely. Kind of like United right now. Couldn't buy a point, looked disinterested and were a complete shambles. He literally turned the club on its head. It was phenomenal. Which is why he gets my overall award, ahead of the others. Does this mean he should rightfully be the Manager of the year? Well, no. Mainly because he's been more than that. The jury is certainly out on the future, especially with cash and the upcoming transfer season, he could really fuck this up buying the wrong players. Only time will tell.
But for his last 6 months, he cannot be faulted. Thus, he's the overall EPL person of the year for me.
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Conte took over with Spurs in disarray, and in 9th place. He transformed the team and got us into the top 4. Levy seems to be allowing Paratici and Conte some freedom. Signing Kulusevski and Bentancur from Juventus in the January window ended up being a huge boost for the team. If Levy keeps his word and backs Conte, he and Paratici can continue to reshape the squad. I don't see us challenging Liverpool or City, but I'd be happy to consolidate our top 4 position and close in on Chelsea next season
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@canefan said in EPL 2021 / 2022:
Conte took over with Spurs in disarray, and in 9th place. He transformed the team and got us into the top 4. Levy seems to be allowing Paratici and Conte some freedom. Signing Kulusevski and Bentancur from Juventus in the January window ended up being a huge boost for the team. If Levy keeps his word and backs Conte, he and Paratici can continue to reshape the squad. I don't see us challenging Liverpool or City, but I'd be happy to consolidate our top 4 position and close in on Chelsea next season
Spurs were still in disarray a while after he took over. It's not that long ago he said to the media that the problem may be me. However, he had a great end of season and has seta good launchpad. I guess time will tell if Levy allows that launchpad to work.
I expect Spurs to be above Chelsea next season, probably in 3rd.
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@MajorRage said in EPL 2021 / 2022:
@canefan said in EPL 2021 / 2022:
Conte took over with Spurs in disarray, and in 9th place. He transformed the team and got us into the top 4. Levy seems to be allowing Paratici and Conte some freedom. Signing Kulusevski and Bentancur from Juventus in the January window ended up being a huge boost for the team. If Levy keeps his word and backs Conte, he and Paratici can continue to reshape the squad. I don't see us challenging Liverpool or City, but I'd be happy to consolidate our top 4 position and close in on Chelsea next season
Spurs were still in disarray a while after he took over. It's not that long ago he said to the media that the problem may be me. However, he had a great end of season and has seta good launchpad. I guess time will tell if Levy allows that launchpad to work.
I expect Spurs to be above Chelsea next season, probably in 3rd.
I hope you are right. I read a very good article about Conte and Spurs. He transformed every aspect of the club and the players. It took him some time for his ideas to bed in, but the team seemed to have turned to corner just in time to finish the season strong
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@MajorRage Again can't really disagree.
Hard to believe there are rumblings that Newcastle might dump Howe and go after a Manager more befitting of their status piston wristed gibbons
Looking forward now to your pre-season write up.
Next year promises to be a cracker although it's hard to see anyone challenging the dual hegemony, there are any number of potential redemption / rejuvenation stories. Plus a host of can they keep it up type sub-plots. Be interesting to see the book on first Managerial casualty of the year.
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Managers - Howe undoubtedly turned Newcastle around but they still look a mid-table team and the signings will be key to progressing from there. It did look like a potential disaster picking Howe so well done to him for steadying the ship.
On Conte - he's got a history of walking out if he doesn't get his way, and Levy has a history of keeping his wallet in his pocket so I would suggest Spurs fans don't get too settled for the future. He walked away from the champions of Italy without another job.
Signings watch - Coutinho confirmed as moving to Villa and Boubacar Kamara has signed for Villa and that is apparently a huge coup for them as many bigger clubs were sniffing around for him. He's a defensive midfielder so Stevie G is looking for establish his base around which the likes of Coutinho can revolve.
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@dogmeat said in EPL 2021 / 2022:
@MajorRage Again can't really disagree.
Hard to believe there are rumblings that Newcastle might dump Howe and go after a Manager more befitting of their status piston wristed gibbons
Looking forward now to your pre-season write up.
Next year promises to be a cracker although it's hard to see anyone challenging the dual hegemony, there are any number of potential redemption / rejuvenation stories. Plus a host of can they keep it up type sub-plots. Be interesting to see the book on first Managerial casualty of the year.
What???!! He is one of the brightest young managers in the UK, seems to be instilling spirit in the side. That will be ridiculous if they do that
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@MajorRage said in EPL 2021 / 2022:
Guardiola - I think he's hugely influential on pitch as well as on the management style. Thus, he gets the results, and the moments, that ultimately won the league. Yes, this is the same style which saw them bundled out, again, in the Champs League, but it just seems to work in the EPL
people are desperate to give this guy shit because his crime is to manage the top clubs
he has built city in to a relentless machine. Every player in the squad fits the system, and they just win, a lot. They are also incredibly good at unlocking "park the bus" defences.
City aren't unbeatable, but over 38 games they are a relentless point-scoring machine.
The Champs league is a little weirder, and maybe that system of relentless control that dominates leagues makes the pointy end of the Champs league harder for them? Great players and moments of inspiration tend to win finals. City aren't built like that.
Pure armchair speculation of course. -
Football fans upset at the long non-football months ahead.
PREMIER LEAGUE ONLY.
Name the top scorers in the EPL by age 23. No cheating. Complete this list - just state one name and I'll add it to the list in the position.
1 93
2 91
3 71
4 60
5 54
6 49
6 49
8 46
8 46
10 42
10 42 -
@KiwiPie Alan Shearer when he was at Blackburn Rovers?
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@antipodean said in EPL 2021 / 2022:
@KiwiPie Alan Shearer when he was at Blackburn Rovers?
He would have been close but he joined Blackburn at 22 and his goals for Southampton before that were pre EPL. My estimate is 39 top level goals by 23. Estimate 244 EPL goals after 23.
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jermain defoe would have scored a few young..old man when finally came to Bournemouth but wouldn't be surprised to see him there
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Robbie Fowler
Michael Owen -
@Bovidae said in EPL 2021 / 2022:
Rooney would be near the top.
yep Rooney must be near the top I suspect Harry Kane somewhere on the list as well
