***Official*** English Football Season 2018-19

[andmark]

:eyerollemoji:

Eh?

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Eh?

Posted as Southampton equalised from their first chance from open play.

 

[Furball]

This is so true. Who'd have thought a full back from Hull a few years ago would be amongst the best left backs in the league?

Never mind that.

I watched him play for Queens Park back in 2011 and wanted Rangers to sign him.

 

[andruid]

It's amazing how Tottenham fell apart against Wolves. If Liverpool don't close out the title with all the breaks they have gotten up to this point...

 

[marc71178]

It's amazing how Tottenham fell apart against Wolves. If Liverpool don't close out the title with all the breaks they have gotten up to this point...

You mention all the breaks but to be fair 20 games unbeaten and only 3 draws deserves a bit of credit.

 

[sledger]

I'd honestly be surprised if they won it tbh.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

The key thing is how they react to that first defeat. If they go on a run of 1 win in 5 they have stuffed it up but they could win the next 3 games after and be just as far clear as they are now. Think it is Liverpool's title this year.

 

[GIMH]

I'd honestly be surprised if they won it tbh.

Why?

 

[sledger]

Just don't think they'll do it. Rate City much more highly.

Liverpool winning is not out of the question in my eyes, but I really think it's a lot less likely than it is likely.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

The main thing for Liverpool is that they need their best players to stay 100% healthy to win it. If they lose someone like Salah, VVD, even Alisson for an extended period their backups for those guys are not up to the standard they need. City have been without Silva, Aguero, Fernandinho, Mendy and KDB for most of the season and until having a bad 4 games were actually ahead of Liverpool. Take five of Liverpools best players out for large chunks of time and we'll see what happens.

If they stay healthy they win the league imo. Tough to bet on that though. That said, if they win at the Etihad this week a few injuries may not matter.

 

[sledger]

If they're still in the same sort of position come mid/late Feb then I will start to believe. But until then, basically for the reasons Smitteh has just mentioned, I'll remain sceptical.

 

[marc71178]

I liken it to Leicester a few seasons back. Kept waiting for them to slip up and it never happened. All of a sudden it was a case of “****, they’re actually going to win the league.”

Injuries are of course the key but even with a defeat on Thursday they’re still a game ahead.

 

[andruid]

You mention all the breaks but to be fair 20 games unbeaten and only 3 draws deserves a bit of credit.

Fair point. Yet with the standard City operate at when everyone is fit, sometimes even that is not enough.

 

[andmark]

For the talk of the things going in favour of Liverpool, a study found that last season, Liverpool were the unluckiest team in the league for refereeing decisions. If we accept that luck evens itself out, then this sort of thing is to be expected. You could even take that further by discussing City's relationship with Financial Fair Play rules which, as leaks seem to suggest, if they'd followed, they wouldn't have the world-beating squad they have. So yeah, it's a bit more complicated than Liverpool getting decisions and simply capitalising.

That all said, I'd still be surprised if Liverpool won the league. A win on Thursday would obviously significantly help them but even then I'd still be waiting for the mid-season hurricane to injure half the squad.

 

[Uppercut]

7 points is a properly big lead, they’ve only dropped 6 all season. At this point it doesn’t even matter if City are better unless a few of the other teams get good enough to take points off Liverpool.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

7 points is a properly big lead, they’ve only dropped 6 all season. At this point it doesn’t even matter if City are better unless a few of the other teams get good enough to take points off Liverpool.

Which at present looks unlikely. Sweeping most sides away comfortably if not by as big a score as City usually do.

 

[andmark]

Chelsea have had a weird few days. Signed Pulisic pretty much straight away in the transfer window, apparently with Sarri only finding out when it was actually happening. In perhaps the most Chelsea thing ever, he's straight on loan to allow him to finish the season with Dortmund where he hasn't even been a first choice xi player recently anyway. The next day, they have a goalless draw against Southampton. I've heard the argument that Pulisic would get some American attention and revenue by virtue of being American, an argument which seems somewhat valid given that if it was purely for footballing reasons, then Sarri would have needed to know. It could be amusing in the long run to see how Sarri uses a player he didn't know he was getting.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

You think Sarri will be there much after the opening half of next season anyway?

The way Chelsea get through managers I wouldn't be surprised if his stay is a short one.

 

[sledger]

He's obviously the Hazard replacement. Simple as that.

 

[Uppercut]

Chelsea have had a weird few days. Signed Pulisic pretty much straight away in the transfer window, apparently with Sarri only finding out when it was actually happening. In perhaps the most Chelsea thing ever, he's straight on loan to allow him to finish the season with Dortmund where he hasn't even been a first choice xi player recently anyway. The next day, they have a goalless draw against Southampton. I've heard the argument that Pulisic would get some American attention and revenue by virtue of being American, an argument which seems somewhat valid given that if it was purely for footballing reasons, then Sarri would have needed to know. It could be amusing in the long run to see how Sarri uses a player he didn't know he was getting.

You're missing the most important point: Pulisic is very young and very, very good. Everyone wanted him. It's a great signing.