EPL 2023/2024
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I think what this weekend shows is how hard it is to play with frantic desire and dominate with sheer running and enthusiasm. Spurs dominated Villa by hounding them all over the pitch - but the risk with that approach is that you leave huge gaps behind you so when it goes wrong, then the whole structure falls apart. Spurs could get up for Villa last weekend but not for Fulham this time, in a similar way Liverpool played like a team possessed in the 2nd half against City last weekend but you cannot play like that every game.
Anyway 3 fantastic FA Cup ties and one fizzer is not a bad return - and United now with a golden chance to return for the final again with a potential sky blue banana skin.
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Quality free kick here
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Another angle of Raheem Sterling’s free kick today 🫡😅 <a href="https://t.co/i7BmMXw7yH">pic.twitter.com/i7BmMXw7yH</a></p>— Project Football EPL (@ProjectEPL) <a href="">March 17, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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@dogmeat said in EPL 2023/2024:
Forest docked four points which offers a lifeline to not only Luton but also Burnley.
They will appeal of course but the evidence is pretty damning. 4 points seems about right.
I heard the minimum was 6 points so maybe an appeal will bump it up? They spent a ridiculous amount last season so it is no surprise that they were caught out.
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Kiwi pie you must be a good tactician. I was reading some English journalist and he said virtually the same thing. If you play a high press free flowing supposedly weaker teams can hurt you. He was highlighting how well Fulham do against the top teams who think they can dominate us and how they have trouble with defensive minded lower ranked teams who just don’t give the space to counter attack. I’ll take Marcos way of doing it even though we might get bashed sometimes.%p
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@middleman said in EPL 2023/2024:
Kiwi pie you must be a good tactician. I was reading some English journalist and he said virtually the same thing. If you play a high press free flowing supposedly weaker teams can hurt you. He was highlighting how well Fulham do against the top teams who think they can dominate us and how they have trouble with defensive minded lower ranked teams who just don’t give the space to counter attack. I’ll take Marcos way of doing it even though we might get bashed sometimes.%p
Not sure I'm a tactician but I watch a lot of football - Spurs push both of their full backs forward and Fulham were exploiting that space, especially with Robinson. When Liverpool struggle it is usually via the same method, hitting the spaces they leave down the flanks.
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England looked pretty average against Brazil and decidedly leaky at the back. Chilwell had a mare. If England play like that they won’t win the euros.
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@Billy-Tell said in EPL 2023/2024:
England looked pretty average against Brazil and decidedly leaky at the back. Chilwell had a mare. If England play like that they won’t win the euros.
Brazil sat deep and blocked off the channels - and then if they got possession, looked to play through England to the very rapid Vinicius. Had a lot of success that way and shows the continuing folly of playing Harry Maguire in the back 4. It doesn't really matter if he plays against teams that are inferior, hence most qualifiers don't show him up.
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That was a Brazil team missing most of their first-choice defence (including GKs) and a coach on debut. Outside of free kicks and corners England never looked threatening.
England will never win anything with Southgate as he is far too cautious. There is plenty of talent up front, and in the midfield, but he doesn't get the best out of them.
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@Bovidae Out front and attacking midfield isn't the issue though.
CD, LB (when Shaw is unavailable) and consequently DM are the issues.
Unfortunately no one has put their hands up and so Southgate will stick with Maguire and Henderson "who have never let England down" TM. and go out in the semi's to France.
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@dogmeat Foden didn't have one touch of the ball inside the Brazilian penalty box. How he plays for England is completely different to the freedom he plays with for Man City. England may score some goals through individual brilliance but the attack is still disjointed.
I agree that the defence is shit, well mainly one slow CB, but Southgate doesn't need to play Rice with another DM (Henderson), who only passes the ball sideways or backwards.
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@Bovidae said in EPL 2023/2024:
That was a Brazil team missing most of their first-choice defence (including GKs) and a coach on debut. Outside of free kicks and corners England never looked threatening.
England will never win anything with Southgate as he is far too cautious. There is plenty of talent up front, and in the midfield, but he doesn't get the best out of them.
England were missing a few front liners as well.
Main problem though is they didn't look mentally up for it at all. Always a privilege to play Brazil, but it's a pretty busy time of the football season, and frankly speaking, an absurd time for an international break.
Good to get a few of the EPL standouts some time on the pitch for England though. Imagine it's pretty nerve wracking.
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England played a fun game tonight.
Shit start and rightly down early after a Pickford howler. Made chance after chance after that tho with the game ending 2-2. Lukaku did probably the best cross I’ve ever seen for Belgium’s second.
after they interviewed Jude Bellingham. That is one incredibly impressive young man. Hard to believe he’s only 20. Massive leadership aura about him on top of being a phenomenal player.
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@MajorRage How'd Ezri Konsa go at right back?
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Watching so many English teams play this early in the week makes me feel like it is the Championship, not the EPL. Great last 5 minutes in the Spurs v West Ham match, end to end chaos. Draw probably fitting, but neither side likely to be happy without the points.
Sure games in hand etc etc.. but for this brief moment in time, I will enjoy being ahead of Chelsea (as a measuring stick against a top team). Bournemouth climb to 11th overnight.
