EPL 2023/2024
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@dogmeat I think I also had us finishing around 13th, I didn’t think we would get any momentum after the terrible draw and having to play a completely new style, happy to be wrong!
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So halfway stage, who are we picking? Of the top 5, I’d pick one of Liverpool, arsenal or city. City have de bruyne and haling to return. Like watching Tottenham but think their defence has too many holes.
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Not exactly out on a limb there ….
Liverpool for me. Rice may be the difference between choking and succeeding but I still don’t think Arsenal look like EPL winners this year (they did last year).
City to keep banging on the door but teams look more confident against them now.
Amazing AV season but I think their lack of true top drawer talent will see them settle at 4th/5th with Spurs. Spurs are the team to watch but inconsistent results wise.
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The way the PL works there’s not really any room for going out on a limb. There’s the odd upset but generally it’s consistency week in week out.
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Well Bournemouth is the most consistent…. (Albeit over the last eight weeks only)
Anyway City with Haaland and De Bruyne back will be tough in the second half of the season.
All top teams seem to be having trouble keeping key defenders fit, which for me is contributing to some recent upsets.
I expect Liverpool, City and Arsenal to be top 3. Liverpool and Spurs still have African and Asian cups to potentially impact consistency.
Spurs and Villa round out top 5.
If the cherries don’t lose our scouse with the seaside house and Cook in Jan, I could upgrade them unbelievably to a top 10 finish, a big if of course
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I think the overall standard of the Prem is higher which has widened the gulf to the Championship hence why the three promoted teams have struggled. Also means more teams can sneak a result.
The mid table teams aren't trying to sit back and absorb and limit the damage but are going for it. Which means they can occasionally get blown away but also occasionally cause an upset.
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@Billy-Tell said in EPL 2023/2024:
Has a kiwi ever scored a hat-trick in the premier league before?
Yes, some guy named Chris Wood (Burnley vs Wolves in 2021).
The amazing thing about this hat-trick was that all goals were scored with his weaker left foot.
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@MajorRage said in EPL 2023/2024:
Rooney sacked already.
Not sure he's cut out for this management malarky.
Maybe I’m harsh/wrong but the guy always struck me as thick as 2 planks. Did he finish school?
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@Billy-Tell Agree. Although I think you have to do some pretty solid exams / work in order to get the licenses to manage a football team so he can't be as thick as I thought.
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@MajorRage Typical of Birmingham. They did the same when Gary Rowett in 2016 had them 7th, then sacked him for Gianfranco Zola because of his name, who then took them to near the relegation zone, now they've done the exact same here, where John Eustace had them 5th in October to this.
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Rooney, Lampard, Gerrard, Parker
It's almost like being a great player (good in the case of Parker) doesn't necessarily mean you'll be a great Manager.
Who'd a thunk.
Arteta might be te same. Certainly looked clueless against the mighty Whites.
Pep is obviously the exception
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Arteta is miles ahead of those 4 haha.
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@African-Monkey For me the jury is out on Arteta.
Certainly, better than the other names mentioned, but they all had periods when they looked like they might be decent managers.
Rooney @Derby Lampard first season with Chelsea and Gerrard with Rangers. Even Parker had a very good run at the beginning of his first season with Bournemouth.
Arteta sems a bit paint by numbers to me.
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@dogmeat said in EPL 2023/2024:
@African-Monkey For me the jury is out on Arteta.
Even Parker had a very good run at the beginning of his first season >with Bournemouth.
cough.. in the championship only, as soon as they got promoted to the prem, it went to shit
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why I said the beginning of his first season. I would argue he under-delivered at Bournemouth in the Championship too.
Great first third of the season. Undefeated in the first 15 games. Only 10 wins in the remaining 31 games. Bundled out of the FA Cup by a National League side.
It's like the squad realised what a pillock he is ....
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Arsenal utterly outplay Liverpool…and lose 0-2. Such profligacy in front of goal.
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@Billy-Tell said in EPL 2023/2024:
Arsenal utterly outplay Liverpool…and lose 0-2. Such profligacy in front of goal.
Arsenal dominated the game, but couldn't score. It says a lot about having possession and not being able to do anything with it. Arsenal have a soft underbelly and if they're not up by a couple goals they don't look like a team that can grind it out.
As an Arsenal fan, it is difficult watching this team. It is so more enjoyable watching Crystal Palace, Luton town or Wolves. There's so much more passion in the game and direct play.
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@broughie said in EPL 2023/2024:
@Billy-Tell said in EPL 2023/2024:
Arsenal utterly outplay Liverpool…and lose 0-2. Such profligacy in front of goal.
Arsenal dominated the game, but couldn't score. It says a lot about having possession and not being able to do anything with it. Arsenal have a soft underbelly and if they're not up by a couple goals they don't look like a team that can grind it out.
As an Arsenal fan, it is difficult watching this team. It is so more enjoyable watching Crystal Palace, Luton town or Wolves. There's so much more passion in the game and direct play.
I think they need a player different to Saka. He has become very predictable. But havertz and odegard needed to shoot yesterday!
