EPL Thread

[BlaqOptic]

Hate playing at Anfield. Liverpool get every call their way when we do.

[Hunter2_1]

16 hours ago, BlaqOptic said:

Hate playing at Anfield. Liverpool get every call their way when we do.

Which call are you referring to?

The non-goal was two fouls, correctly identified on VAR.

[Hunter2_1]

Quote

Erling Haaland grabbed Fabinho’s shirt and that is a foul. It doesn’t matter that Fabinho may have been toppling anyway. It doesn’t matter that Taylor’s view was obscured. It doesn’t matter that sometimes you’ll get away with that sort of thing. It was a foul – and so, the officials later said, was the subsequent Haaland challenge on Alisson: even had the pull on Fabinho not been penalised, the goal would have been ruled out. And amid all the City hysteria, it’s perhaps worth pointing out that the whole move began with a goal-kick that should have been a Liverpool corner.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/oct/17/this-is-anfield-manchester-city-vulnerability-counterattack-pep-guardiola-liverpool

 

From the most respected football writer in British media. Not an LFC fan, before it's asked.

 

I'd prefer City to beat LFC, but that was VAR actually doing it's job. It is annoying that it's inconsistent - for example, Haaland has scored whilst tugging a defender's shirt, and it was praised as 'physicality'...

[MikeT14]

22 hours ago, amac said:

Could definitely use some depth in midfield and attack. Feel like Odegaard, Jesus, or either of Martinelli/Saka going down would be devastating

If just one of these two go down, I kinda feel like the other is cooked too. 

[Dr LBC]

On 10/16/2022 at 8:39 AM, agarcia34 said:

Arsenal gonna have to be really aggressive in Januarys transfer window to really have a shot at holding off Man City. Long season but good start 

Yeah, the real issue becomes, do you go after a player of the caliber of covering Partey better than Lokonga (i.e. a more natural #6 that is, in the grand scheme of things, an Elneny replacement) or a player that has at least the ceiling to push Partey for his minutes - because the later is absorbently difficult to find/identify and certainly isn't going to be available for a January move (summer? yes, but the level of player you bring in in January is going to dictate, almost certainly, what type of player you go after in the summer).  As far as in attack, we could really use a Jota-esque player who is capable of playing at all three spots across the front.  I like Mykhalo Mudrick, but he's also the kind of player we could easily be priced out of.  Gakpo would be a better target for the summer than January because he's cup-tied, so while it would afford the opportunity to rotationally rest Martinelli/Saka it would have to be in the league and in FA Cup fixtures, because Gakpo wouldn't be able to play any Europa fixtures, being cup-tied to PSV in that competition; also, if Madrid go for him, we haven't got a prayer of getting him.

I can see going for Danilo in January as a definite possibility, because he's of a level that isn't going to outright threaten Partey (he's still multiple years away from that, IMO), but he can certainly satisfy the long-term Elneny replacement role.  We might go back in for Douglas Luiz, though he's not really a straight Partey cover option because he's an 8 not a 6.  Realistically, I'd be most open to - and I haven't started looking at possibilities in this respect yet - bringing someone in on loan as that cover and kicking that can to the summer, where hopeful/likely CL qualification and opportunity will open considerably more doors to us (Sangara - even with his new contract - would become an option, Bellingham - even though he'll cost a small fortune - would be an option, Rice, etc.

[BullsandBroncos]

ETH is right about punishing Ronny but he's still stubborn for not playing him at #9 over Rashford and Martial. He's better in that spot than anyone on the squad. 
 

 

[NickButera]

On 10/19/2022 at 9:49 AM, Dr LBC said:

Yeah, the real issue becomes, do you go after a player of the caliber of covering Partey better than Lokonga (i.e. a more natural #6 that is, in the grand scheme of things, an Elneny replacement) or a player that has at least the ceiling to push Partey for his minutes - because the later is absorbently difficult to find/identify and certainly isn't going to be available for a January move (summer? yes, but the level of player you bring in in January is going to dictate, almost certainly, what type of player you go after in the summer).  As far as in attack, we could really use a Jota-esque player who is capable of playing at all three spots across the front.  I like Mykhalo Mudrick, but he's also the kind of player we could easily be priced out of.  Gakpo would be a better target for the summer than January because he's cup-tied, so while it would afford the opportunity to rotationally rest Martinelli/Saka it would have to be in the league and in FA Cup fixtures, because Gakpo wouldn't be able to play any Europa fixtures, being cup-tied to PSV in that competition; also, if Madrid go for him, we haven't got a prayer of getting him.

I can see going for Danilo in January as a definite possibility, because he's of a level that isn't going to outright threaten Partey (he's still multiple years away from that, IMO), but he can certainly satisfy the long-term Elneny replacement role.  We might go back in for Douglas Luiz, though he's not really a straight Partey cover option because he's an 8 not a 6.  Realistically, I'd be most open to - and I haven't started looking at possibilities in this respect yet - bringing someone in on loan as that cover and kicking that can to the summer, where hopeful/likely CL qualification and opportunity will open considerably more doors to us (Sangara - even with his new contract - would become an option, Bellingham - even though he'll cost a small fortune - would be an option, Rice, etc.

There's still so many spots on the squad that need to be filled out. Saka is playing too much, and we could desperately use someone like Mudrick IMO. You're spot on about getting a midfielder in here to cover for an oft injured Partay. But we need a defender also, 1 injury and some of our players are playing double game weeks every week, we just don't have enough players yet to fill out 2 squads, and the World Cup is for sure going to tack on some injuries or tiredness. 

I'm just worried Kroenke's $500mil+ St. Louis bill is going to hurt our summer transfer money. 

[Dr LBC]

5 hours ago, NickButera said:

There's still so many spots on the squad that need to be filled out. Saka is playing too much, and we could desperately use someone like Mudrick IMO. You're spot on about getting a midfielder in here to cover for an oft injured Partay. But we need a defender also, 1 injury and some of our players are playing double game weeks every week, we just don't have enough players yet to fill out 2 squads, and the World Cup is for sure going to tack on some injuries or tiredness. 

I'm just worried Kroenke's $500mil+ St. Louis bill is going to hurt our summer transfer money. 

Agree, but only to a degree.  There's a lot of gravitating towards hyperbole in what you listed above - which I can't entirely blame you on because the media and punditry angle is clinging to doubting us (which is fine in my book, this dressing room has shown it responds better to being doubted and proving doubters wrong than it does to "being favorites").

Saka isn't being overplayed; that assessment is, honestly, one that comes across like someone who just hasn't seen what is required of the caliber of players to play in the CL.  And I'm not talking about qualifying for the CL, I'm talking about actually playing in it - even in the group stages your first team players are putting in 2x a week shifts, it's just what it is.  Haaland is playing twice a week and still doing what he's doing, which makes his accomplishments all the more impressive.

Also, I'm not sure I'd call Partey injury-prone (the term has been bastardized at this point; you're "prone if you keep picking up the same injury repeatedly or if you consistently miss long stretches).  Partey hasn't had a great injury history at Arsenal, that much is true, but it's not a case of overuse or overtraining, and ultimately, we have the flexibility to accommodate his absence more than people think as long as our back line players are fit (White logged enough minutes at #6 for Brighton to make the case he can be an injury-fill; Zinchenko, once he's fit again, is also an option there).  It's not ideal, but it's enough depth there that when Elneny comes back in January, barring an absolute crisis, we can survive to the summer before buying a Partey-"competitor".  Not saying I would turn up my nose at a long-term Elneny replacement, but I don't see it as such a huge need as to merit overspending.

Odd thing is, in a transfer window coming off the back of World Cup as the January window will be, I'm less inclined to be all that trustworthy of valuations on primarily offensive players (international tournament hot streaks get overvalued A TON), so I'd almost be more inclined to either pursue a player whose side either didn't qualify for the WC or who didn't make his nation's WC squad if we were doing an outright buy, and more inclined to loan in wide forward cover.

[amac]

Really need to add a winger who can make an impact as a sub, not impressed by Nketiah. Pretty awful from the subs all around

also amazing Lyanco stayed on the field that whole game, Southampton  defenders were generally allowed to manhandle however they wanted. 

Edited October 23, 2022 by amac

[MikeT14]

Leeds is tailspinning 

[Hunter2_1]

On 10/17/2022 at 7:29 PM, MikeT14 said:

If just one of these two go down, I kinda feel like the other is cooked too. 

No goals in 5 for Jesus now. Feel like he needs to rediscover the spark from earlier

[Dr LBC]

On 10/23/2022 at 7:56 AM, amac said:

Really need to add a winger who can make an impact as a sub, not impressed by Nketiah. Pretty awful from the subs all around

also amazing Lyanco stayed on the field that whole game, Southampton  defenders were generally allowed to manhandle however they wanted. 

Nketiah is playing like someone who isn't getting a consistent run of games.  I'm not saying he is or will be a world-beater, but it's no shock that his good run of form to end last season came when he was consistently starting.  Now, obviously, he's not going to start over Gabriel Jesus, but he really should be brought on sooner in matches as a substitute.

That said, we definitely could do with a player likely to come off the bench (but preferably with the quality to at least push Saka and/or Martinelli for starting minutes on-form) who can play all three spots across the front line.

As to how Lyanco stayed on the pitch, your guess is as good as mine.  By my count he had 4-5 separate bookable offenses, yet received a whopping 1 yellow.

[Dr LBC]

On 10/25/2022 at 5:40 AM, Hunter2_1 said:

No goals in 5 for Jesus now. Feel like he needs to rediscover the spark from earlier

Strikes me as a confidence issue; most evident in him taking those extra 1-2 touches before missing his shot on a brilliant ball from MO on Sunday.  An confident, in-form striker (look no further than Haaland) takes that shot regardless of distance as soon as it's played to him and he sees the window; Jesus took the extra touches - a bit in his own head, I think.  He's in a similar situation to where I believe Saka was earlier this season, once he pops a hole/crack in the dyke the flood will come, but it's getting that elusive goal, by hook or by crook, that's going to be the trick.

[Kip Smithers]

Don’t care who the manager is, if Chelsea don’t get top 4 this season it is an abject abject failure. 
 

 

[Dr LBC]

On 10/29/2022 at 8:28 PM, Kip Smithers said:

Don’t care who the manager is, if Chelsea don’t get top 4 this season it is an abject abject failure. 
 

 

I mean, you should IMO (I don't really rate Tottenham that highly - this is actually loyalty-biases aside, I think they benefit from having 2 world class forwards, 1 of which gets phenomenal leeway given to him by referees   as all starting forwards for the English national team have in the PL historically, and otherwise they play predictable/boring-AF football), but this is based off what?  I don't see the window/spending Chelsea have done to be the sort that should assure CL qualification in a season where a quality manager was discarded early on because they were perceived to have fallen off "championship pace."  Welcome to the club Arsenal have been in for a spell now where bankrolls don't guarantee CL qualification.