2018/19 Soccer Thread

Prederick wrote:

If you haven't seen it yet, please glory in Messi's free-kick goal against Espanyol today.

Which one?

The second one, from greater distance?

They were both really good.

So the Libertadores final ended up being quite fun. A 3-1 win for River and bragging rights in perpetuity.

Godzilla Blitz wrote:
Prederick wrote:

If you haven't seen it yet, please glory in Messi's free-kick goal against Espanyol today.

Which one?

The second one, from greater distance?

They were both really good. :)

Reading Sid Lowe this morning, I discovered we don't give Messi enough credit from dead-ball situations.

Messi has scored 10 free-kicks in 2018, while over the last four years, he’s scored more than any team in Europe’s five biggest leagues, ahead of Juventus, Bayern, Madrid and PSG.

Meanwhile, in semi-football-related news....

IMAGE(https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/10D25/production/_104710986_harry.jpg)

'King' Harry Redknapp helps make I'm A Celebrity 2018 a ratings hit

Should've been much easier for both Tottenham and Liverpool, who were wasteful as hell, but both are through to the Knockout Stages. That's all four English teams into the Round of 16, now to see if any of them (or anyone) can stop Madrid from making it a four-peat.

Up for air after a somewhat busy week, but wanted to comment on the most-recent stretch of games.

The derby was a heartbreaker - could have gone either way, but to lose to such a ridiculous flukey goal in the sixth minute of four minutes of stoppage definitely hurts.

December was always going to be a tough month for us, in terms of points. We did ourselves no favors by drawing Newcastle and Watford at home, though. Suspect that we will be on the fringes of European qualification again this season, which probably puts more emphasis on taking the FA Cup seriously.

If I'm looking for positives, I'd have to point to us starting to look better at defending set pieces - finally undoing the damage that Martínez's tenure did on that front. The team is also starting to gel, and despite the most-recent games I'm optimistic things are moving in the right direction.

Looking forward to another edition of British media flogging our players in the winter window - I've seen Pickford to Manchester United and Richarlison to Barcelona rumors already starting to pop up, neither of which I give much credence to. I'd like us to make a run at signing Gomes on a permanent deal this window, but would be surprised to see much more activity from us apart from potentially some outbounds - some of the goal-shy teams at the bottom might take a punt on Niasse or Tosun (who I'd like to see succeed, but he seems to have fallen behind DCL in the pecking order, and can't imagine us keeping as a third-choice striker - especially with Europe a receding prospect for next season).

Great to see all the PL teams advance in the Champions League - would love to see two make at least to the semis (I haven't looked at the brackets to see how likely that is) ([Edit: I am dumb and forgot that CL matchups are based on draws until the final - still, would love to see more than one PL team make it to the semifinals).

Phil Jones.

Oh, Phil Jones.

Manchester United are through to the Knockouts of the Champions League and are 6th in the Premier League table (albeit, eight points off 5th) but dear LORD considering what I think the expectations for them should be, it's like they're Fulham. They're SO. BAD.

If you're looking for something new to watch on Netflix, there's a new doc about Sunderland coming out on the 14th.

I'd prefer something slightly less saccharine and a little more "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life," but eh.

Prederick wrote:

If you're looking for something new to watch on Netflix, there's a new doc about Sunderland coming out on the 14th.

I'd prefer something slightly less saccharine and a little more "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life," but eh.

Oh, cool! I'm on it. I enjoyed "All of or Nothing" quite a bit and the timing on this one is perfect. I realize they are probably different production teams but still, these cultural glimpses of football are appreciated on this other side of the pond.

Godzilla Blitz wrote:

Oh, cool! I'm on it. I enjoyed "All of or Nothing" quite a bit and the timing on this one is perfect. I realize they are probably different production teams but still, these cultural glimpses of football are appreciated on this other side of the pond.

When you start asking yourself if Sunderland is really that bad a place - yes, yes it really is.

Sorbicol wrote:
Godzilla Blitz wrote:

Oh, cool! I'm on it. I enjoyed "All of or Nothing" quite a bit and the timing on this one is perfect. I realize they are probably different production teams but still, these cultural glimpses of football are appreciated on this other side of the pond.

When you start asking yourself if Sunderland is really that bad a place - yes, yes it really is.

Good to know.

I wonder if they ever settled on a second club for the All or Nothing series. I heard that Liverpool (Klopp) turned them down, and there were rumors that they were looking at Bayern Munich.

*goes to Google*

I watched four episodes of Sunderland last night. It's quite good. It's very interesting from a man management perspective and from a team management perspective. If you like the behind the scenes aspects of football clubs, it's quite entertaining. They gave the camera teams a ton of access.

I'm not sure I'm a fan of how they've shot and edited their live action game sequences. It's a bit choppy and sometimes hard to follow. I think they were aiming for making the viewer appreciate the speed of the game, but the angles and editing just don't work for me.

At times it does seem to drag on a bit as well.

And unless I missed something, the team owner is totally absent from the documentary so far.

On the whole though, I'm a 4 out of 5 and enjoying it quite a bit.

It is like watching a train wreck in slow motion though.

Yeah I started watching it too, the first episode is painful given we know what happens, with all the players talking about going up.

onewild wrote:

Yeah I started watching it too, the first episode is painful given we know what happens, with all the players talking about going up.

Yeah, we were just talking about that over dinner just now.

"We're a really good team and are looking forward to getting back to the Premier League."
Lose 5-0 to Celtic in their last preseason match.
"Rebuilding this club won't happen overnight."

Godzilla Blitz wrote:

I'm not sure I'm a fan of how they've shot and edited their live action game sequences. It's a bit choppy and sometimes hard to follow. I think they were aiming for making the viewer appreciate the speed of the game, but the angles and editing just don't work for me.

My assumption is that's a rights issue. If they shoot the game in that choppy manner, they won't have to pay whoever for the actual highlights footage.

Godzilla Blitz wrote:

I watched four episodes of Sunderland last night. It's quite good. It's very interesting from a man management perspective and from a team management perspective. If you like the behind the scenes aspects of football clubs, it's quite entertaining. They gave the camera teams a ton of access.

I'm not sure I'm a fan of how they've shot and edited their live action game sequences. It's a bit choppy and sometimes hard to follow. I think they were aiming for making the viewer appreciate the speed of the game, but the angles and editing just don't work for me.

At times it does seem to drag on a bit as well.

And unless I missed something, the team owner is totally absent from the documentary so far.

On the whole though, I'm a 4 out of 5 and enjoying it quite a bit.

It is like watching a train wreck in slow motion though.

Ellis Short, the then owner of the club was an absentee owner for most of the last decade of his tenure. It’s part of the reason why Sunderland got into the mess they have. The guy who was his chief executive though (I believe he is in the series) is/was a total knob. Which didn’t help.

I was talking with a co-worker today, and we were debating the value of a striker (sort of). Basically, his position was that the modern striker needs to be well-rounded and have multiple skills, while my position was that even today, you could be absolute trash at every other facet of the game but if you can reliably put the ball in the net, all will be forgiven.

Like, as an example, I said that if you told me that you'd give me a striker who was absolutely guaranteed to score 15 goals a season, but would otherwise be Ali Dia, I'd take him every day. My co-worker disagreed, arguing he'd prefer a striker who might not even score 10, but would be able to help the team in other ways. Thoughts?

Prederick wrote:

Like, as an example, I said that if you told me that you'd give me a striker who was absolutely guaranteed to score 15 goals a season, but would otherwise be Ali Dia, I'd take him every day. My co-worker disagreed, arguing he'd prefer a striker who might not even score 10, but would be able to help the team in other ways. Thoughts?

I think in a team where you have other top tier players (wingers/inside forwards, attacking midfielders) able to reliably put the ball in the net then a non-scoring striker becomes more viable. For example, look at how much playing time Giroud got with France.

A bottom of the table team, on the other hand, is pretty much always going to be better served by the 15 goal guy.

Prederick wrote:

I was talking with a co-worker today, and we were debating the value of a striker (sort of). Basically, his position was that the modern striker needs to be well-rounded and have multiple skills, while my position was that even today, you could be absolute trash at every other facet of the game but if you can reliably put the ball in the net, all will be forgiven.

Like, as an example, I said that if you told me that you'd give me a striker who was absolutely guaranteed to score 15 goals a season, but would otherwise be Ali Dia, I'd take him every day. My co-worker disagreed, arguing he'd prefer a striker who might not even score 10, but would be able to help the team in other ways. Thoughts?

I think the Jermain Defoe only-scores-goals-and-nothing-else type puts a ceiling on how good your team can be. Quite useful to avoid relegation, but if you have a decent side elsewhere and have any sort of ambition you need more than that. And when they stop scoring, whether through a cold streak or an overall decline, you're in trouble.

Well, to be clear, in this hypothetical example, dude is magically guaranteed to give you 15, no matter what.

In Fulham news, I'm going to need a larger "PANIC" button.

I guess if he’s magic a top tier team is still going to find a use for him as a super sub since he gets that many no matter how few minutes he gets, yeah?

Yes, this would technically mean that if you waited to start him until the Champions League final, you'd automatically tally up 15 goals. I should've specified that he has to be a week-in-week-out first team starter.

IMAGE(https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/add4548d656579a7c52afdfe99391a194b300973/0_0_3500_2451/master/3500.jpg?width=1010&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=729ffe404111822d5a81d600989f4cc4)

Yup.

Also, C'mon ManU! I predicted Mourinho wouldn't make it past Christmas! You've got nine days to prove me right!

Prederick wrote:

Also, C'mon ManU! I predicted Mourinho wouldn't make it past Christmas! You've got nine days to prove me right!

Apparently there's a Moyes-esque clause in his contract that makes it a lot cheaper to sack him once Manchester United can't qualify for the Champions League. They're too far back to make up the ground they need to this season to qualify so I think they'll probably wait until that happens.

So can I start to get excited about Leeds now?

5 wins in a row and top of the table? Yes, you may, although there's still a long-ass way to go.

United's situation is still rather amazing. Pogba on the bench again! And look at this:

The damning statistics

- United have picked up 26 points after their first 17 Premier League games, their worst points haul in the top-flight at this stage since 1990-91 (26 points).

- They have conceded 29 goals in the Premier League this season - one more than they did in the entirety of the 2017/18 campaign (28).

- 19 points off leaders Liverpool, 11 points off the top four and closer to the relegation zone than the top of the table.

- One win in six league games and a goal difference of zero.

- Liverpool's 19-point lead over United is their biggest ever lead after the first 17 games of a top-flight season.

- Liverpool had 36 shots against United - the most the Red Devils have faced in a Premier League match since Opta started recording shot data in 2003-04.

Thoroughly deserved victory today, Liverpool has the measure of United from the start and there was no panic, no rushed passes and no silly errors (Allison’s unfortunate fumble aside) and the job basically did itself. I’m still 90% sure City will go the distance but this is just starting to feel like Liverpool can match every step of the way - it feels more like a proper contest now rather than Liverpool hanging on by their fingertips.

And well played Nathaniel Clyne - coming into a team 4th choice right back having not played all season and still ran his socks off and made telling defensive contributions. That cannot have been easy.

Onwards and upwards.

Clyne was my one question mark about this fixture given how Rashford got a brace from that side at Old Trafford, but this Man United side is not up to that level even ignoring that Liverpool have improved since then.

Sorbicol wrote:

I’m still 90% sure City will go the distance but this is just starting to feel like Liverpool can match every step of the way - it feels more like a proper contest now rather than Liverpool hanging on by their fingertips.

Agreed. City still feel a class apart, but the gap doesn't seem so monumental this time around. At least in the Premier League. In the CL, I have no freaking clue who's the favorite.

Also, if Hasenhüttl seriously turns around Southampton, we are the most dire straits, as they were the only team I felt I could safely say Fulham was on par with. The next three games (Newcastle, Wolves, Huddersfield) could basically define our season, especially Huddersfield which is now a relegation six-pointer.

Prederick wrote:

Also, if Hasenhüttl seriously turns around Southampton, we are the most dire straits, as they were the only team I felt I could safely say Fulham was on par with. The next three games (Newcastle, Wolves, Huddersfield) could basically define our season, especially Huddersfield which is now a relegation six-pointer.

I remember a conversation I was having with some coaches a couple of years ago, and they were talking about research that indicates that a soccer team at the upper levels is as good as its weakest player(s). I've yet to take the time to look up exactly what they were talking about, but I was reminded of it while watching Fulham play last weekend.

It seemed to me that they have a good squad on the whole, but are really weak at 2-3 positions. If they can shore up those weaknesses over the winter transfer window then maybe they have a chance.

It's certainly looking pretty grim at the moment. Any Ranieri glow has faded quickly, and apparently Mitrovic is unhappy now?

Not a dead rubber in the CL draw for me, although Atleti-Juve should have it's over/under set at 2.5 goals. (I'd go under).