EPL 16/17
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Not that i can watch any of it because of Optus, but an interesting Premiership is under way.
City look the big dogs. Man U have a swagger about them again. Leicester look mid table. Arsenal are repeating another meaningless season.
And Liverpool have been to London 3 times already, played Arsenal, Spurs and Chelsea, and have taken 7 points. We're too leaky at the back to be challengers though
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@mariner4life I haven't been watching it either but Man City does look to be the team to beat as Pep has had a big influence. It's too early to know how the other teams will fare. Everton look good under Koeman and the Hammers are struggling.
I'll just watch some CL games and enjoy ManUre losing to the likes of Feyenoord.
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@mariner4life Arsenal wont improve on the 4th or 3rd until Wenger goes. He is too interested in in his team looking pretty while not having enough starch in it. Could the Frenchman ever buy a couple of germans.
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@broughie I think this is (finally) Wenger's last year. But I'm not sure Howe, the likely replacement, is an improvement.
Wenger has signed plenty of Germans - there are 3 current/ex-internationals in the current squad. My biggest criticism is Arsenal's reluctance to spend big money on a quality striker. Higuain was available if they were prepared to meet Napoli's asking price.
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@Bovidae More of a German type player and I exclude Ozil from that equation. Someone more like Viera with size in the center. Higuain would have been a good pick but it is the type of player I am talking about. Too many midgets in my opinion trying to pass it into the goal and not direct enough.
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@mariner4life said in EPL 16/17:
Not that i can watch any of it because of Optus, but an interesting Premiership is under way.
City look the big dogs. Man U have a swagger about them again. Leicester look mid table. Arsenal are repeating another meaningless season.
And Liverpool have been to London 3 times already, played Arsenal, Spurs and Chelsea, and have taken 7 points. We're too leaky at the back to be challengers though
That swagger include a 1-3 loss to Watford?
When Arsenal were doing well last season my mate(Scouse supporter) said that we had better make the most of it as when Pep arrives, Man City will just keep winning.
So far he is right.
Liverpool have it sweet for the prem challenge this year without having to worry about Euro football they can 100% focus on League
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@Hooroo i woke to that this morning, and laughed. 3 losses on the bounce. Ouch Jose you piston wristed gibbon.
If Pogba comes good, and they drop Rooney, they have too much quality to be outside the top 3.
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@broughie If Arsenal needed a German holding midfielder then Sami Khedira was available before signing for Juventus.
In the best tradition of jegga, did I mention Khedira sat in front of me on the flight from Turin to Frankfurt earlier this year? He spent the entire flight playing with his iPhone.
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@Bovidae Bet that was an easy decision for him. Play for a team that are always at the top or a team that can't win the Premiership and struggle in the UEFA.
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I found a website with programmes like Match of the Day and Champions League highlights. I would never watch enough to get BeIN but this suits me perfectly.
Pep has imposed the Pep way on a very talented set of players. He worked with Sterling on staying in one spot wide on the pitch so that the defence has to stretch wide and voila Sterling is thriving and de Bruyne is getting the space to work his magic. Consider that their routine 4-0 over Bournemouth was without any of the spine that won the league twice - Hart, Kpmpany, Toure, Silva, Aguero. Definitely the team to beat although I am sure they will stumble at some point. Jose seems to have no idea what formation to play and who to play it and still has Rooney ruining the midfield.
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Now that i get beIN for free (i guess as a trade off for losing the Premier League?) i watched the League Cup this morning. Liverpool cruised, but Chelsea v Leicester was great, Chelsea coming from 0-2 down to win 4-2 in extra time.
Everton without Lukaku look rubbish, and got bundled out.
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Early days but it's certainly looking like City's to lose.
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@MajorRage I dunno!
They have played Bournmouth, Stoke, Sunderland, West Ham and Man U. All rubbish teams so far and the first four listed are the four at the bottom of the table.
Wait unit they play someone decent I reckon before that call
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@Hooroo I agree. The first big test will be Spurs away on Oct 2.
Man City travelling to Barca next month will be interesting too. Pep will be wanting to prove a point.
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If you want to bet against Man City, the TAB this morning had odds such that you could bet $100 each on Man U, Chelsea, Arse, Liverpool and Spurs and make a profit if any of them win it. Given City won their first 5 games last season without conceding a goal, it seems a bit early to be calling the race over.
http://www.statto.com/football/stats/england/premier-league/2015-2016/table/2015-09-14
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While I don't think this will happen, Man U could lose for in a row as they are only drawing 1-1 with Northampton
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Three great goals here, the last the best for Ozil's amazing skill. Second goal not too shabby either.
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@infidel Plenty of goals this morning. Leicester obviously saving themselves for the CL.
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Jesus, Liverpool backed up a win over a big team, by also beating a shit team the next week. That's unheard of.
So many goals this year (or does it always start like this?).
City march on. Man U drop Rooney and instantly look good. Arsenal finding something (although it is too early for their usual mid-season collapse). Chelsea look a bit fucked. Spurs the quiet achievers.
Leicester were never going to back up last season, but they won't want too many more afternoons like they have had so far.
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@mariner4life said in EPL 16/17:
So many goals this year (or does it always start like this?).You're not wrong. 27 more so far this season!!!!!!!
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And Ci-teh lose their first match of the year, to Spurs who are looking very very strong once again.
Managed to catch most of the Liverpool match (they could have won it 4-0, and in the end should have drawn 2-2), and then the second half of Man U-Stoke yesterday.
Inline with above, I think the EPL is extremely entertaining so far this year. Not only has the number of goals gone up, but I think the number of chances has gone through the roof. It's been brilliant.
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First quality EPL team they have played this year and they lost so I certainly don't think it's a forgone conclusion this year.
Spurs worry me. They are looking a bit tasty at the moment.
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@MajorRage said in EPL 16/17:
Managed to catch most of the Liverpool match (they could have won it 4-0, and in the end should have drawn 2-2)
Swansea missed 3 sitters, including one right at the end. Liverpool still seem to have a soft centre at the back.
I was, and still am, amazed at the odds for the winner so early on. Man City still only $1.82, then Liverpool $5, Arse $7, Tottenham $8.50 and Chelsea/Man U both at $15. I reckon all 6 of those have a chance - Chelsea have stumbled but as Conte works out how to defend with that mob they will get better. Man U have a fantastic squad, eventually Jose will work out how they can play together.
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@KiwiPie Liverpool at 2nd favourite? That's a joke. As the weather gets worse, and set pieces become more important, we'll leak like a sieve.
I watched the first half of the Swansea game, and they were all over us, had one, should have had a second, and were harrying us off the ball, basically turning our style back on us. However this team seems to be the first Liverpool side in a while to be able to turn around bad days, and get results.
Spurs result was a surprise from both angles, how good Spurs really are, and how bad a week City had. This season looks very very open, and i don't think any slump will be terminal, as i reckon every top side will have one.
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I think this may be the most excitingly contested prem in year and also the dullest relegation battle to boot
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I think this may be the most excitingly contested prem in year and also the dullest relegation battle to boot
Maybe for relegation but can't agree with the first one ... Man City / Spurs / Man U will be exciting for sure, but nothing will beat the excitement (and hope) of Leicester City!
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jesus, the manager killing season seems to come earlier every year. Guidolin the first out of the job as Swansea sack him and replace him with an American.
And the Aston Villa shit heap gets worse, with Roberto Di Matteo sacked after only 12 matches. Spent a shitload to get them straight back up, and instead is 2 points off the relegation spots. Goooorn.
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@mariner4life Harsh by Swansea, they had tough opponents and generally looked OK but not great - from being the model of overachieving while losing players, they've handed that title onto Southampton and firing managers instead.
As for Villa, any fool could have told them that the way to go was not to expect immediate promotion back to Premier League but to sort out the rot in the club and make it function properly. Serves them right if they slide straight through to the next level down.
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@Rocky-Rockbottom That Spurs game showed that a game plan is one thing (Pep's playing from the back) but you need the skillful personnel to do it as well as it being second nature to the team (as per Barcelona). Otherwise if over half the Spurs team is buzzing around your penalty area, maybe the right option is to lump it long where they must be lacking personnel.
Issue for both Spurs and Liverpool is the impossibility of playing like demented bees every game and being able to grind out results when the players are knackered. Spurs have built some more depth which should help them but they hit the wall late last season and they have UCL this time.
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Winston Reid put in a MOTM performance for West Ham, continuing on from his excellent form for NZ.
A big game coming up overnight.
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Loving this season as each team takes it in turn to "lurch into crisis". Both Manchester teams are currently residing there, Chelsea are now prospective champions again after being written off - seems like all pundits love to draw huge conclusions game by game.
That being said, MU look a rabble right now and Jose is heading the same way he did with Chelsea last season. So far, he has no idea of his best team or formation and their defending was just inept v Chelsea. When Kante waltzes you through to score a solo goal, you know you've got problems.
MC once more gave a goal away with a defensive error although Southampton were good value for the draw.
Tottenham are unbeaten but not winning enough games without Hurri Kane. Liverpool took WBA apart but still managed to be hanging on at the end. Just a point separates 5 clubs - it could be a great season.
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@Bovidae And Reid scored the winner for WHU with a last minute goal from a corner - not as you would expect with a header, but with a short corner routine that ended with him sliding it into the corner from outside the box. Moyes gone in November?
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It's pleasing to see Mourinho can still get the best out of Chelsea.
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So Tottenham are the only unbeaten team left in the EPL - and nestling down in 5th place. Mourinho looks to be losing it, sent off for berating the officials about what was a marginal non-penalty at best, already 8 ppints behind the leaders and that's a big gap to make up already - not such a big gap when one team races clear but you can't see all of those teams coming back to MU so they will need to string long winning runs together.
All the top 4 with convincing wins away from home.
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There seems to be real problems at Man U, they are struggling. Not enough goals, and Jose is feeling the pressure. Could be facing two charges in the space of a week!
Liverpool in 3rd on goal difference (which happens when your strategy is attack always, defend sometimes). City are not infallible. Dare anyone say it, but maybe Arsenal are in the best position? Nah, let's wait until winter.
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A better line will be had after we play Spurs at Emirates and then Man U away (Our next two Prem games)
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LIverpool and Chelsea have no European distractions so that has to be an advantage.
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@Bovidae definitely an advantage. Chelsea are looking pretty strong under Conte now that he has worked out the best system for his players.
It's a great looking competition this year, 3-way tie for first, Spurs, Chelsea and Everton very close behind and playing well.
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@antipodean Watched this game live yesterday. Ozil can look disinterested and then does something like this!
His hat-trick in the first game vs Ludogorets was classy too. The first 2 goals where with his right foot before getting the 3rd with his favoured left foot.
