2020/21 Soccer Thread: Messxit?

Aston Villa have closed their training ground due to a big Covid outbreak

The Southampton v Shrewsbury FA Cup 3rd round tie has been called off for the same reason - several of the Shrewsbury players have test positive.

I have a feeling this season is going to be suspended soo.

Sorbicol wrote:

Aston Villa have closed their training ground due to a big Covid outbreak

The Southampton v Shrewsbury FA Cup 3rd round tie has been called off for the same reason - several of the Shrewsbury players have test positive.

I have a feeling this season is going to be suspended soo.

A break wouldn't be the worst thing.

That said the point would be to curb the infections and give everyone a quick break. For some reason I don't trust the players to actually quarantine and chill out though.

Just double checked and at least the next international break is late March if I'm reading the schedules right. Enough time to still cancel it imo because I doubt this will be under control by then.

Burnley have announced some positive test results too. The problem now with any enforced suspension is fixture pile up. There’s just no contingency left.

Aston VIlla are playing their under 23 team tonight against Liverpool in the FA cup 3rd round match, because Aston Villa's first team and management are all in isolation due to a big outbreak amongst that squad.

When James Milner (playing tonight for Liverpool) made his first team debut for Leeds, in November 2002 the ages of the Aston Villa team tonight were:

Onodi - 1
Bridge - 2
Revan - 2
Walker - 2
Rowe - 3
Chrisene - Not born
Barry - Not born
Kesler - Two weeks old
Sylla - Not born
Raikhy - Three weeks old
Bogarde - Not born

They are already 1-0 down, 5 minutes in.

And they equalize!

Ah well, they gave it a good run. Thiago has been the difference.

Prederick wrote:

Ah well, they gave it a good run. Thiago has been the difference.

That he has.

Yeah, Saint-Maximin is only just now returning to training.

There were something like 117 positive Covid test among the league clubs yesterday, across 64 clubs.

There is no way this season is going to get completed unless players go into ‘bio-bubbles’ and actually behave themselves. Problem is, to the end of the season that’s one hell of an ask, and practically pointless to anyone playing in Europe. And they’ve still got to find space for all the cancelled games.

Alright, we did FIFA last time, so FM tournament this year to decide who wins what?

Anyway, less jokingly, I think they don't suspend sh*t until someone dies.

Roke wrote:

Yeah, Saint-Maximin is only just now returning to training.

Steve Bruce: "Financially it's right, but morally, it's wrong."

Honestly, I'm shocked to hear this out of the mouth of a PL manager, much less one who used to be a player.

Belisa really doesn't care about the cups does he? getting smashed 3-0 by Crawley

I'm sure y'all have heard our game today is the biggest mismatch in FA Cup history. It's being played in the middle of a neighborhood with houses surrounding the pitch. The announcers just complimented a shot taken by a "trainee plumber." Tune in, if you can!

RE: Yesterday - Considering the situation will happily take a point.

Footballers criticised as 'brainless' for hugging in goal celebrations amid Covid

Much like other major sports, it seems ridiculous safety theater to tell players no hugging and high-fives after scoring when the players just spent several minutes literally climbing over each other at corners.

The decision, to me, isn't "should players be hugging after goals" it's "should we be playing major organized team sports at all." This is begging the question.

Bleurgh.

Like, we're definitely playing better than the last time we were in the PL.... but almost halfway through the season, we've got 12 points, two wins and are now four points off safety. That's three points better than at the same point in 2018/19.

I am officially concerned.

Here's a goal you've never seen:

https://streamwo.com/acb44304

So!

Leicester!

Prederick wrote:

So!

Leicester!

With Brendon Rodgers at the helm. I'm not exactly quaking in my boots. I know that sounds a little harsh but even with the breakneck speed games are being played this season, we still aren't quite half way through it. Leicester are certainly playing well at the moment though, they really should be top 4 contenders.

City have 2 games in hand against Leicester, and are only 3 points behind. Given Liverpool's "blip" at the moment (basically all the injuries catching up with them) there is a very ominous feeling to how they are playing at the moment. They might not be scoring quite as freely as previous seasons, but they do seem to figured out how to defend, not run around quite as much as the Premiership usually sees, and just wait for the opposition to make a mistake.

Apparently, Rhodri wasn't offside in the build up to this goal. I'm really not sure I totally understand the rules of football any more........

Refs will explain that it's not offside because the defender played it.

They'll be wrong, but that's what they'll go with.

EDIT: Jon Moss -- ugh. Surprised he didn't red card the defender on the spot.

EDIT 2: Oh, they've made a right farce of Law 11. The defining part for this reads:

A player in an offside position receiving the ball from an opponent who deliberately plays the ball, including by deliberate handball, is not considered to have gained an advantage, unless it was a deliberate save by any opponent.

In other words, he's onside as soon as Mings deliberately plays the ball.

That said, earlier in the same text:

A player in an offside position at the moment the ball is played or touched*
by a team-mate is only penalised on becoming involved in active play by:
• interfering with play by playing or touching a ball passed or touched by
a team-mate or
• interfering with an opponent by:
• preventing an opponent from playing or being able to play the ball by
clearly obstructing the opponent’s line of vision or
challenging an opponent for the ball or ..." (emphasis mine)

So -- the law pretty much argues against itself. Both passages are in the law since at least 2016. Guess it depends on who taught you.

Ah phooey.

Now THAT is a FMing. Goodness.

Anyway, I believe we are now at "Liverpool in crisis!" time.

EDIT: Meanwhile, next Wednesday is literally the biggest game of Fulham's season.

Prederick wrote:

Now THAT is a FMing. Goodness.

Anyway, I believe we are now at "Liverpool in crisis!" time.

EDIT: Meanwhile, next Wednesday is literally the biggest game of Fulham's season.

It wasn't good. At all. All the injuries have finally caught up with Liverpool, as has Klopp's over-reliance on the preferred 11. Continually crossing the ball into Burnley's box was the height of stupidity when they are defending with 11 players and have Pope in goal.

I suspect there might well be a new centre back in the squad before the end of the month. It won't fix things but should make the midfield function better again. Trent Alexander Arnold is in real danger of becoming the new Dele Alli at the moment. He needs a serious wake up call.

Yeah, what happened to TAA? He's gone from "Top 5 RBs in the world" to "Why is he first-choice?" awfully quick.

Prederick wrote:

Yeah, what happened to TAA? He's gone from "Top 5 RBs in the world" to "Why is he first-choice?" awfully quick.

You see it some times in young footballers who have it all very early I think, they kinda peak and then coast for far too long, especially if they don't have much competition in the squad. I would trust Klopp to do something about it for sure - if that team ever need a proper wake up call, that game was it - but right now there clearly needs to be some serious introspection among the squad and for Klopp to have a bit of a rethink. Pep spent time this year retooling how Man City play their game and it's now paying dividends. Klopp could most certainly learn a lot from that if he's willing to look at it. We've going to get nowhere in the CL playing like this.

It’s a mark of how successful Liverpool have been recently that I am thoroughly fed up today on the back of last nights defeat. It’s not like we in the relegation zone. Sorry Prederick.

Nothing to apologize for! I am a Fulham fan, and if we don't get three points next Wednesday, I'm mentally assuming we're down already.