**Official** English Football Season 2023/24

[Molehill]

I agree with this. The issue is it gets particularly subjective when the player is stooping for a header or happens to be shorter than the guy trying to kick the ball.

Mane got sent off a few seasons ago against City for a foot in a similar position to Doku's - just in that scenario Ederson was trying to head the ball and he stooped his head to chest height and copped the boot. No one complained about the decision and rightfully so but it's just a grey area that has no real consistency.

As a LFC fan I have no issue with the Macca decision but I'm not shocked the media continue to push a narrative that gets clicks. Watching the replay back I think the only thing that saves Doku is that he gets a slight touch on the ball before he makes contact with the chest... but then again we've seen so many red cards this season for players making 'dangerous' tackles despite making contact with the ball first (Curtis Jones v Spurs, as one example).

I think another factor is the speed it happens at. The Mane one, if I remember correctly, happened at high speed and was potentially dangerous. In this case, Doku is stationary and as much as Mac Allister tried to make it seem dangerous, we all knew it wasn't.

I wouldn't have been shocked to see this given, but I think it would've been more controversial (especially after the quality of the game) for it to be ended with a penalty.

 

[Skipper Pup]

The last two games have only emphasised this, but he is objectively such a significant upgrade on Ramsdale (who I also really like).

Worrying signs when you have to go120min at home with Porto and narrowly get through on pens. That should have been a comfortable fixture.

I had Arsenal as 3rd or 4th favourites for UCL but may have to reconsider. Manager and squad probably a bit too inexperienced this time around.

 

[Uppercut]

Yeah the Mane one was pretty scary tbh, they were both running full pelt directly towards each other. It was unfortunate for Mane because no forward is pulling out in a situation like that, but the ref had no choice. There was hardly any force in the Doku one, and most of it came from MacAllister's momentum.

It's another thing I hate about VAR - they call the ref over and show them still photo, or at best a half-second slow-mo gif. But by far the most important factor in determining danger is the level of force, which you can only really see by watching the whole incident at full speed.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Worrying signs when you have to go120min at home with Porto and narrowly get through on pens. That should have been a comfortable fixture.

I had Arsenal as 3rd or 4th favourites for UCL but may have to reconsider. Manager and squad probably a bit too inexperienced this time around.

Given it's our first CL knock out stage win since 2010 (also Porto, weirdly enough), I'll still take it, tbh.

 

[Niall]

Worrying signs when you have to go120min at home with Porto and narrowly get through on pens. That should have been a comfortable fixture.

I had Arsenal as 3rd or 4th favourites for UCL but may have to reconsider. Manager and squad probably a bit too inexperienced this time around.

Arsenal were poor, but bar City who should win this easily enough are their many elite sides left?
Real were abysmal in their last 16 tie and they are 3rd favs in the betting after City and Arsenal.

 

[andruid]

"We'll only get better" Cole Palmer warns, ominously, whilst his team sits in the bottom half of the table. lol

Pretty hard to get worse

 

[Socerer 01]

Arsenal were poor, but bar City who should win this easily enough are their many elite sides left?
Real were abysmal in their last 16 tie and they are 3rd favs in the betting after City and Arsenal.

Inter tbh if they get past Atletico Madrid tonight, they’re ****ing scary

 

[wpdavid]

Quite the game of two halves, as they say, at Bournemouth tonight.

 

[duffer]

The last two games have only emphasised this, but he is objectively such a significant upgrade on Ramsdale (who I also really like).

Yeah, I love Rammers and feel bad for him but when you can improve the squad you just have to do it. The advance stats people who were all for the Raya signing at the start of the season should be feeling smug at the moment

 

[Socerer 01]

sucks that Inter lost to Atletico

 

[Skipper Pup]

Arsenal were poor, but bar City who should win this easily enough are their many elite sides left?
Real were abysmal in their last 16 tie and they are 3rd favs in the betting after City and Arsenal.

I'd fancy Atleti to beat Arsenal. They're a dangerous side with a manager who knows how to win big games. Real are still right up there and Bayern have the pedigree too.

Any team that includes Mbappe is also a chance.

All those sides I have ahead of Arsenal

 

[Molehill]

I'd fancy Atleti to beat Arsenal. They're a dangerous side with a manager who knows how to win big games. Real are still right up there and Bayern have the pedigree too.

Any team that includes Mbappe is also a chance.

All those sides I have ahead of Arsenal

Atletic are just so good at home, as last night proved. Agree, I'd have PSG, Bayern and Real well ahead of Arsenal.

 

[Socerer 01]

as long as you can restrict Atletico to a 1 goal margin at most at their home any side can win against them over 2 legs, they’re still too passive away from home in big matches even if they have the quality to be better

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

City always paying for those easy draws smh

 

[flibbertyjibber]

City always paying for those easy draws smh

Being honest you had to play them to win it and I bet City prefer it as a 2 leg game than a one off tie. Think you'll beat them and win it again.

 

[Molehill]

City v PSG Final would be my rough guess looking at the draw.

So all German final it is then.....

 

[BoyBrumby]

Not unhappy with Bryan, tbh.

Obviously Dortmund was the plum tie, but given we could've got Real, Barca or Citeh, Bryan/Athletico/PSG are all much of a muchness.

Sides of the draw look wee bit uneven though, it must be said...

 

[Molehill]

Not unhappy with Bryan, tbh.

Obviously Dortmund was the plum tie, but given we could've got Real, Barca or Citeh, Bryan/Athletico/PSG are all much of a muchness.

Sides of the draw look wee bit uneven though, it must be said...

No doubt Liverpool fans will be willing City and Arsenal to both go through, then have a hard fought semi between them.

It's another potential star aligning for them....

 

[andruid]

Not unhappy with Bryan, tbh.

Obviously Dortmund was the plum tie, but given we could've got Real, Barca or Citeh, Bryan/Athletico/PSG are all much of a muchness.

Sides of the draw look wee bit uneven though, it must be said...

Can see them convening their disciplinary commitee now.

 

[Skipper Pup]

No doubt Liverpool fans will be willing City and Arsenal to both go through, then have a hard fought semi between them.

It's another potential star aligning for them....

Yeah those draws worked out perfectly for us. Easy enough tie against Atalanta where we can finish it off in the first leg at Anfield and we've landed on the opposite side of the draw to Leverkusen, Roma and West Ham. Relatively straightforward path to the final in Dublin.

Meanwhile Arsenal face Bayern and the media narratives that will surround the return of Kane to the Emirates, while City have to navigate two legs against Madrid. Those ties are going to require their full attention and if by some chance both English sides win then they play each other next.

Really couldn't have asked for much more