Dr. Gonzo

26

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2 minutes ago, 6666 said:

It also increases the amount of wrong decisions and the amount of cheating from players. Imagine these referees without the option to look at things again. The answer to referees being shit isn't to trust them more.

If it were down to me I'd sack the lot of them rather than scrap VAR. At the end of the day, I think most of the problems with PMGOL are institutional - VAR isn't the problem, the referees are the problem and the system where referees go through is failing them.

PMGOL's never going to do that though, it's an old boys club.

1 minute ago, 6666 said:

They'll vote to ban it and then everyone will remember why it was needed it in the first place.

VAR or no VAR the referees will be shambolic. At least not having VAR makes human error more forgivable.

9 hours ago, Stan said:

It's not been the most competitive outside of the top 2/3 in recent seasons. 

The gap between Championship and Premier League is widening, I think. It's ultra-competitive in the Championship as almost always there's battles going down right til the final day of the season (this season was a bit of an anomaly, mind). This means a 'weaker' side can often find themselves promoted almost as if they're not ready to be because of the gulf between the two leagues.

The money in the game has corrupted it beyond the point of no return.

I've seen so many fans waver with their support for the game these days, let alone support for their own team. And that's a sad time for the game because it's not what we all know it to be. 

This

23 minutes ago, Dan said:

The lack of competition is a direct knock on from Champions League qualification being celebrated like its a trophy.

@Stan is right - it’s been like that for a long time. It’s been like that since the early 2000s (and really with the TV money in the game in the 90s, the prem wasn’t that competitive either then - basically just 2 sides won it every year for an era bookended by Blackburn & Chelsea, 2 billionaire playthings at the time).

The financial incentive of the CL is a huge motivator - winning the EL doesn’t even pay out as much as just playing in the CL groups. And it’s club football’s best cup competition, which means it’s football’s best cup competition. The best players want to play in it, the best managers want to manage in it. It’s an overall good thing for the health of your club, if you want to be competitive, to qualify for it.

I think Villa fans will be absolutely delighted they’re in the CL next season and it’s got to be exciting going into it (is it their first time since it was rebranded the CL?) with a manager that has a good record in Europe.

3 hours ago, RandoEFC said:

Spurs' crowd certainly didn't sound like they wanted to lose last night.

Errr… didn’t “Are you watching Arsenal” ring out onto the TV speakers? That definitely wasn’t City fans lol. Spurs fan did the Poznan at the end of the 90.

Ange was clearly pissed off about it in his post match conference and now if you go on reddit and check out the Spurs subreddit… quite a few of their fans have turned sour on him overnight.

4 minutes ago, The Palace Fan said:

I do wonder, if I wasn't so invested in FPL with friends, how much I'd care about modern day Premier League football. It's incredibly boring seeing the same team win all the time.

I might give Serie A a go at the start of next season, at least that feels like an open field for the first part of the season.

Important words to know to bond with people from Italy that aren't Juve fans: Juve Merda

Just now, Rick said:

I hate football. Fuck that club, the players, the fans and the bald cunt manager. Oh, and fuck Porro too. 

At least next week I can go back to hoping for what I hope for every week: Everton losing & Manchester clubs stop existing.

24 minutes ago, Stan said:

The best chance being that Foden one bringing out a quality save from Foden. 

lol

I think United should worry about getting their new Director of Football in his role and letting him have a say in who the manager that he'll be working with on a day to day basis is going to be. I know there's that proceeding with Newcastle regarding compensation holding things up, but no sense in trying to get ahead of themselves when there's plenty of foundational work a Director of Football's going to have to do.

I think just bringing in someone now before Ashworth's had time to properly vet them doesn't really do them any favours. A lot of United's modern day issues are structural and from failure to develop long term plans to go along with the short term planning. I think bringing in someone without Ashworth being properly involved is just continuing that policy - a manager works under and with a Director of Football, so Ashworth not being properly involved in the selection is just putting together a structure without regard for whether or not the 2 men share the same philosophies on short and long term development.

United aren't just disjoint on the pitch, they're disjoint off the pitch. Until you've got the club working on clear long and short term goals simultaneously, with the people behind the scenes as well as the managers and players all pulling in the same direction, I don't see United's struggles really ending any time soon.

6 hours ago, OrangeKhrush said:

11 years.

I think it's a bit fucked that their human rights abuses get overlooked by the West because they're 1.) paying western politicians - lobbying is just legal bribery; 2.) the West wants to encourage normalised relations between the Saudis and Israelis - so a blind eye to human rights abuses is turned. I think a part of that is because it will likely have some backlash in the Arab world and human rights abuses are what MBS uses to silence dissent.

Saudi Arabia's received a lot of praise in the west for "modernisation" of women's rights because they've allowed some things (letting women drive - something that Iran's had for... as long as there's been cars; relaxed restrictions on permissible clothing for women - and to MBS's credit, it's more relaxed than Iran - but they've gone from burkas and niqabs to being able to dress how they want only very recently)... but they've still got similar gender apartheid to Iran. Non-Arab minorities native to the country face systemic and violent oppression. Tribal people are treated like animals & as I recently posted, are getting slaughtered for happening to live where a ridiculous vanity project's proposed site is. Saudis abroad are subject to criminal charges for dissent (or chopped into pieces like that journalist).

It is not a good thing that such a wealthy country, with such disregard for human rights and human life, has so much sway over western politics. And the money they spent in cleaning up their image internationally among normal people has done wonders for them. Their involvement with sports entertainment: Newcastle, golf, F1, professional wrestling; their involvement with the general and social media: fox/news corp, Disney, meta, etc. - these all have an impact on how the public perceives them and how the media portrays them, despite these blatant abuses.

Just now, RandoEFC said:

If Liverpool were playing Luton last night instead of Aston Villa and they could catch and relegate Everton by beating you then you'd have supported them 100%. This isn't even a matter of opinion. Going off the way you post about Everton on here you'd push your own Nan into the Mersey to see us get relegated . God forbid we were ever in the hunt for a league title, your head would explode mate.

Don't act like this is a one way street.

Most Liverpool fans I know don't want Everton relegated because they don't want to have seasons without the Merseyside derby & because Everton not being in the top flight is generally just bad for the city?

4 minutes ago, RandoEFC said:

If the roles were reversed than Arsenal fans would absolutely take a meaningless defeat to stop Spurs winning the league. Liverpool fans would as well if it stopped Man Utd or Everton winning the league. 

Pretty sure we've been in positions before in my lifetime lol. I'd blame the other sides that just roll over for the Manchester clubs and part their arse cheeks more than I'd blame us.

4 hours ago, Storts said:

It’s not bizarre in the slightest and you of all people should get it. If you winning a pretty meaningless end of season game meant Everton or Man United won the league there’s not a chance you’d want that to happen. 

Tribalism is one of the best things about football, without it it’s incredibly dull. 

I get this but...

4 hours ago, Storts said:

There really truly isn’t mate. Champions league does very little for us. I’d rather be in the europa and have a chance of winning it than struggle through a CL campaign.

1.) It's a cup tie and honestly you don't have to be anywhere near the best side in Europe (granted, being very good at football is helpful) to go on a good cup run, or even make the final. And if you make the final, anything can happen.

2.) CL European nights > Europa League European nights

3.) CL attracts better players, gives more money to participants... and more money also attracts better players. So being in the CL, and being able to get there with some degree of consistency, does set up a better platform for actually growing a team into something competitive.

In the long run, you're better off with a season in the CL imo. But I understand in the short term wanting to fuck over your biggest rivals.

Either way, I fucking hate Man City and everything they represent in football, so I am very much hoping Arsenal win the title and if that means Spurs sneak a win here that would be great. Honestly though, I don't think you've got a chance against City though.

COYS

1 minute ago, OrangeKhrush said:

At 3-1 it does sting a bit. Everyone looks like they 2ant the beach

They've mentally been on holiday for a while

15 minutes ago, OrangeKhrush said:

Good game but it will feel like a kick in the nut for Liverpool

It's a totally dead rubber match for us? The results that really hurt are already in the past, our season's over. Nothing to play for other than giving Klopp a final sendoff at Anfield, then time to... rebuild yet again.

3 hours ago, RandoEFC said:

City already lead at Fulham. On track for 16 wins and 3 draws in their 19 league games since coming back from the Club World Cup (which they won). They'll end the season with a 24 game unbeaten run if they don't lose one of their last three. They also made the FA Cup final at a canter.

That "disgraceful" schedule that is so "unfair on the players" that Pep likes to cry-arse about really holding them back again this season.

He’s always crying when he’s not just running away with the league title. So he’s just annoyed he’s still got to worry about Arsenal.

Can’t wait for him to fuck off out of English football forever.

1 minute ago, RandoEFC said:

Sounds like 777 are basically about to go bust. Standard Liege players unpaid, tonight's game versus Westerlo abandoned because their fans were protesting and the team coaches couldn't get through.

They're being sued for fraud ($600m USD!) by one of their financial backers and have just hired a firm that assists companies restructure their way out of bankruptcy. 777 are absolutely fucked and there's no way in hell they should be allowed to take over any clubs in football. Even if they survive bankruptcy, or even manage to avoid it altogether, they're not going to be in any financial condition to be running any football club.

Shit for Everton, still, because even if 777 declare bankruptcy and go through all the proceedings - Everton still have to pay their loan back to them.

1 hour ago, Mel81x said:

I have a bigger question. Why is Klopp in that pic?

Think it's originally a pic from when Ward was announced as our new DoF when Edwards was stepping down.

With Edwards and Ward both back so quickly after the news Klopp is leaving, it does make me wonder if part of the reason they left has something to do with him having increased power at the club. The thing is, while Edwards proved to be incredible at his job over time, there is the fact that both Edwards and Ward were at the club before Klopp was there and didn't quite enjoy the same success. Although tbf, Rodgers hated the transfer committee and resented their signings. And with players like Firmino, Rodgers simply couldn't get the best out of that Edwards signing... even though I think he's absolutely one of the best transfers we've made in modern history.

7 hours ago, Stan said:

Yeah Nunez seems to miss the more gilt-edged close-range chances. 

Their conversion rate is skewed as well because of the type of shots they'll both take, as well. A mitigating factor so to speak.

Diaz' shot conversion rate this season is 12.90%

Nunez' is 12.79%. 

According to Footystats:

I think I'd rather keep Diaz than Nunez, if it came down to having to pick one to stay and one to go. They've both been outrageously frustrating though and with Slot coming in, I do wonder if we'll see Gakpo play more on the left side of a front 3 - which is apparently his preferred position. And if that's the case, it makes me wonder how either Diaz or Nunez would actually fit in with us.

I think in the off season we should probably try to bring in a CB we can count on to start most matches for the long term as well as another striker, ideally one that's actually clinical and not someone like Nunez. I'd also say we should probably go for a CDM... but Endo's been pretty handy and we've got Morton coming back from loan at Hull where Hull fans seem to think he's great - might be worth giving him a shot at earning a place in the side.

But up front I think is where our biggest issues lie, but there's also some definite truth to the fact we could do to shore up our defense a bit. It's actually absurd how many matches we've conceded the first goal and honestly considering how long that's been an issue for us, it's no wonder our title race faltered at the last second. We've been putting pressure on our attacking players all season by constantly having to chase matches. Although apparently Slot's teams are also comeback kings so maybe the shaky defensiveness is "part of the plan" - certainly makes it hard to compete with the likes of City though.

Here's some bad news:

imo Julian Ward's signings were all crap lol, so not too keen on this news.

37 minutes ago, Rick said:

I wouldn’t be ecstatic if we brought him back either, tbh. He is definitely a way better player who left us, but I still don’t think he’s good enough for our level. 

I don't think there's many obvious choices on who should be leading our front line at the moment. Too bad we can't go get a time machine and get prime Fernando Torres or something like that.

1 minute ago, Stan said:

Points deduction appeal withdrawn

 

Should give them another points deduction for bothering to lodge a frivolous appeal

I wonder if we have a buyback clause on Solanke

4 hours ago, Mel81x said:

We went from Mane and Bobby to Darwin and Diaz. Now, tbf I like Diaz's end product more than Nunez and prefer Nunez over Diaz for sheer upper half control but you have to also realize that Mane and Bobby did both of those things and had stellar end product too. If you had either of those in this current team we win the league imo with all the chances created. 

I’m pretty sure Diaz actually has a worse conversion rate than Nunez, he’s also massively wasteful. But his shots are more likely to actually be on target and that’s slightly less infuriating than what Nunez does.