EPL 2021 / 2022

@junior said in EPL 2021 / 2022:

@dagrubster said in EPL 2021 / 2022:

@dogmeat

Liverpool is a fantastic away side and has lots of firepower that can score from a number of different sources and ways.

You are right that city are favourites, one thing that will be interesting is that City dont have to win the game. That may force them into a tactical change and mindset they arent used to which could allow Liverpool to take advantage.

Saying that, Liverpool have some difficult matches outside of City so it would be a herculean effort if they do win the league

I think that match will peter out to a fairly boring draw as both teams will play not to lose - either 0-0 or 1-1 - and City will drop points elsewhere. Don't ask me where, but I think they will do so inadvertently after surviving that match and then focusing too much on the UCL

Neither City nor Liverpool suit playing not to lose so I think both teams will go for it. Liverpool will be a bit less reckless than usual and City will be wary of fast breaks as well.

@dogmeat said in EPL 2021 / 2022:

@kiwipie

Luton seem well run and punch above their weight

Is Kenilworth Rd EPL compliant?

No idea sorry. Luton were out of the league less than a decade ago so it has been quite a rise back up.

@kiwipie said in EPL 2021 / 2022:

@dogmeat said in EPL 2021 / 2022:

@kiwipie

Luton seem well run and punch above their weight

Is Kenilworth Rd EPL compliant?

No idea sorry. Luton were out of the league less than a decade ago so it has been quite a rise back up.

I remember Luton back in the 80s. They had a good first division team. Will this be their first time back up since then?

@canefan Luton were relegated in 91 and had a pretty dire 25 years after that mainly due to financial mismanagement (entering administration three times). They spent 5 years in the Conference Only gaining promotion back to the Football League 8 years ago.

I don't think they will go up but it would be a fantastic story if they did. They now run at a profit and the most expensive player in their squad cost 1.5 Mill pounds - this season. The first time they had spent more than a mill in 18 years!

I googled to answer my own question. It seems there are plans to move away from Kenilworth Road and into a new stadium which would mean losing what must be the most unusual stadium entrance in football as @KiwiPie posted above

@sparky said in EPL 2021 / 2022:

@mariner4life said in EPL 2021 / 2022:

EPL title race over

Liverpool now 11/1, Chelsea 23/1. Man City now overwhelming favourites to retain the title. Eight points clear. I think this will be Over Before Easter.

Open this thread and saw this as the first post.

@dogmeat The manager Nathan Jones is following a similar path to Eddie Howe at Bournemouth - doing so well at a small club that he was poached by Stoke and when he was sacked there, he went back to Luton and they have been thriving since.

@kiwipie said in EPL 2021 / 2022:

@dogmeat The manager Nathan Jones is following a similar path to Eddie Howe at Bournemouth - doing so well at a small club that he was poached by Stoke and when he was sacked there, he went back to Luton and they have been thriving since.

Howe was never sacked, started at Bournemouth, went to Burnley, he left Burnley under personal conditions (which may have been, you've been told), but he wasnt marched and went back to Bournemouth, where he wasnt sacked there either..

2-2 in the big one.

Super high quality game.

@majorrage said in EPL 2021 / 2022:

2-2 in the big one.

Super high quality game.

Second half couldn't match the first half and the early equaliser for Liverpool meant neither team was desperate to get a winning goal. Liverpool had a few chances until the hour mark and then seemed to settle for the draw. Sterling narrowly offside when he scored and then Mahrez with a huge chance at the death.

Some of the skills on display are awesome to watch. Liverpool uncannily good at playing long and finding the striker's feet - in fact the long passing from both teams is so good, you're surprised when one goes astray.

What the hell happened in the Real v Chelsea game? Chelsea get ahead in the tie and then lose it in extra time. And the march of the yellow submarine continues, Villareal with a 1-1 draw against Bayern. Which means England can't get 3 teams in the semis - but Spain still can.

@kiwipie said in EPL 2021 / 2022:

What the hell happened in the Real v Chelsea game? Chelsea get ahead in the tie and then lose it in extra time. And the march of the yellow submarine continues, Villareal with a 1-1 draw against Bayern. Which means England can't get 3 teams in the semis - but Spain still can.

An all time classic Champions League tie.

Leg 1, RM destroyed Chelsea. Benzema was on fire & they were a clear class above. Chelsea looked shell shocked and really had no hope on the reverse at the Bernabeu.

Leg 2, Chelsea were all over RM right from the word go. RM looked utterly clueless for most of the match. However, as happens in sport, with RM taking their chances and getting almost all the calls, it just had the feeling of inevitability about it. Disallowed goals, missed chance after missed chance, it just never really worked.

Classic, twisting tie. Over the course of the tie, probably a fair result. Although arguably penalties would have been more just.

@majorrage said in EPL 2021 / 2022:

@kiwipie said in EPL 2021 / 2022:

What the hell happened in the Real v Chelsea game? Chelsea get ahead in the tie and then lose it in extra time. And the march of the yellow submarine continues, Villareal with a 1-1 draw against Bayern. Which means England can't get 3 teams in the semis - but Spain still can.

An all time classic Champions League tie.

Leg 1, RM destroyed Chelsea. Benzema was on fire & they were a clear class above. Chelsea looked shell shocked and really had no hope on the reverse at the Bernabeu.

Leg 2, Chelsea were all over RM right from the word go. RM looked utterly clueless for most of the match. However, as happens in sport, with RM taking their chances and getting almost all the calls, it just had the feeling of inevitability about it. Disallowed goals, missed chance after missed chance, it just never really worked.

Classic, twisting tie. Over the course of the tie, probably a fair result. Although arguably penalties would have been more just.

Mad tie. Do feel a bit for Tuchel having put together a perfect team and plan to wrestle back control of the tie only for two moments to kill it off.

Awful game of football for the most part in Madrid today but somehow City sneak through. They looked out on their feet at the end and Athleti had a couple of good chances but probably too little too late from them. Game finished with handbags on the field and in the tunnel. Savic managed to only get a yellow for picking Foden up and dumping him over the touchline, headbutting Sterling and pulling Grealish's hair and apparently it all kicked off again in the tunnel.

Liverpool fairly comfortable with a 6-4 aggregate over Benfica although Benfica pulled back from 3-1 to 3-3 on the night. All set for them to reach the final having beaten Inter, Benfica and Villareal in the knock-outs, that's a dream run for any team given Real will have to beat PSG, Chelsea and City to make it.

remarkable season by Liverpool really

on target for 90 points in the league
League cup won
Semis of the FA Cup
Semis of the Camps league

City in the way of absolutely everything.

@mariner4life said in EPL 2021 / 2022:

remarkable season by Liverpool really

on target for 90 points in the league
League cup won
Semis of the FA Cup
Semis of the Camps league

City in the way of absolutely everything.

Yes quadruple still on. Have to fancy Chelsea for FA Cup given that is all they have left to play for. Both Liverpool and City will rotate a little this weekend for the FA Cup game, although with Diaz arriving and Torres leaving, Liverpool actually have superior depth to City now. 5 top line forwards plus Origi, Minamino while City's backups are mainly kids (very talented kids of course).

Sean Dyche has been sacked by Burnley. He did have the longest current tenure with a club.

Liverpool beat Man City 3-2 at Wembley in yesterday's FA Cup Semi Final. But that doesn't tell the whole story.

Before the game a group of Man City fans brought total shame on their club by booing during the minute's silence for the 97 people killed in the Hilsborough disaster. First time in 33 years that anyone can remember that happening.

The First half was one way traffic. Liverpool 3-0 up at break. The first goal was soft. City let Liverpool's big French cente back have a free header off a corner. The second was one of the softest I've even seen. The goalkeeper had a dreadful First touch after a Stones pass back and couldn't clear it before Mane slid in and put the ball in the net. The Liverpool third was a thing of beauty. A dominant First half.

City got two goals back one just after the break and another at the start of stopage time, but Liverpool remained in control.

A huge psychological advantage to Liverpool for the PL and CL.

Chelsea v Liverpool FA Cup final. Tasty.

Geez, does anyone want to come 4th? Clubs are falling over themselves to fuck it up. Tottenham were flying and then stumbled. Arsenal had it sorted and then promptly fell in a heap. Man U are just not very good (watch them trip Liverpool up midweek).

Also, surprised more isn't being made of the shit job Stevie G appears to be doing at Villa. They are now below Newcastle on the table, still haven't hit 40 points, and can only match last seasons points total if they win every game they have left (having just lost 4 on the bounce, currently the worst streak in the league)

@mariner4life Gerrard deserves a chance. Hes got too many players that don't suit his style of play, and once he clears them out and he brings in players he wants, he'll do better.

Hes also managed to attract Coutinho for us which is huge, along with Digne so it shows that he can attract players of quality.

Liverpool leading Man Utd at Anfield 2-0 after 25 minutes. One way traffic. How did Manure become this awful?