***Official*** English Football Season 2019-20

[Furball]

What shape are City playing?

 

[sledger]

What shape are City playing?

dodecahedron

 

[andmark]

United lining up like

 

[sledger]

Haha Renford rejects was great.

 

[Uppercut]

****in yes

 

[Uppercut]

VAR is an absolute joke

 

[harsh.ag]

VAR rules for fouls different for the penalty area and the outfield obvsly

 

[Uppercut]

Lol, Mourinho responds to an invitation to moan about VAR by saying something interesting about how United's tactics led to the goal instead, and Sky immediately cut him off.

 

[andmark]

VAR is an absolute joke

I thoroughly endorse your opinions on the matter now.

 

[andmark]

I'd take that result. Years of losing at Old Trafford conditions you for this sort of thing. Keeps Ole in the job as well.

 

[Pothas]

Liverpool are just incapable of losing. I mean they must be a fantastic team but I swear most of the time I watch them they are not that good, maybe it is because City look so good most of the time.

 

[Uppercut]

Yeah they Liverpool were dire today. I still think they're worse than last year.

Not all that impressed by United either. If we were a legit counter-attacking team we'd have created something in the 70 mins we were 1 up. And if our defence was legit we wouldn't give up open goals off bobbly crosses along the ground from the side touchline.

 

[sledger]

United not very impressive, no. But I thought they played it about as well as a team with barely any good players could be expected to, to be fair to them. A draw not an unfair reflection on the game as a whole.

 

[sledger]

Liverpool not good either. Actually laughed when I saw Lallana coming on. Forgot he existed.

 

[Cabinet96]

Liverpool are weird. Don't think I've seen a team as good with so little on the ball quality in their midfield and attack in a long time. Klopp's Dortmund were kind of the same but they did have Gundogan and Götze. The contrast with City in particular makes it stand out. Think all of David Silva, Bernardo Silva, De Bruyne, Gundogan, Mahrez and Sane would be the most accomplished Liverpool player in at least one of playmaking and dribbling (think Sterling is about Salah's level). For that reason I'm always surprised there aren't more teams able to make their games wars of attrition that end in low scoring draws, or 1-0s or whatever. United at Old Trafford can seemingly always do it, even in the years when they're bad defensively. The occasional lower table side used to be able to do until last season, now they seemingly can't, ever. They've basically become this sort of Juventus esque machine that can just grind out results, whatever. It's very weird as someone who grew up with them usually being decent at best, and sometimes comically mediocre.

 

[andruid]

Is it some sort of obscure cultural reference that none of us could reasonably guess?

Nah, more a lazy jibe that belongs in 2013’s peak #wengerout era

 

[Uppercut]

Liverpool are weird. Don't think I've seen a team as good with so little on the ball quality in their midfield and attack in a long time. Klopp's Dortmund were kind of the same but they did have Gundogan and Götze. The contrast with City in particular makes it stand out. Think all of David Silva, Bernardo Silva, De Bruyne, Gundogan, Mahrez and Sane would be the most accomplished Liverpool player in at least one of playmaking and dribbling (think Sterling is about Salah's level). For that reason I'm always surprised there aren't more teams able to make their games wars of attrition that end in low scoring draws, or 1-0s or whatever. United at Old Trafford can seemingly always do it, even in the years when they're bad defensively. The occasional lower table side used to be able to do until last season, now they seemingly can't, ever. They've basically become this sort of Juventus esque machine that can just grind out results, whatever. It's very weird as someone who grew up with them usually being decent at best, and sometimes comically mediocre.

Their FBs are among the most creative in the world on the ball. Teams are used to setting up to shut down midfielders and let FBs have time. Solskjaer almost had Young and AWB man-mark them yesterday.

That said, most games I’ve seen them in have been fairly attritional, but they usually win anyway because they’re good at set pieces and lucky.

 

[Days of Grace]

Liverpool basically needs a creative midfielder/great box to box midfielder to be a complete team in my eyes. Naby Keita, if he ever remains fit for a length of time, could or should be that player. We paid enough for him.

 

[Furball]

I think I've said a few times that I'm quite suspicious of Liverpool's midfield. On paper there's no way they should be powering a team this successful.

Granted, Klopp spent quite big on Keita and Fabinho about 18 months ago but I'm still a bit surprised he didn't strengthen there in summer.

 

[Days of Grace]

One more HIGH quality midfielder and maybe a back up quality striker is all Liverpool need to be a complete team. As it is, they should be walking the league this season and last if City didn’t exist. But they do.

I think Klopp gambled on making the top 4 with a team that was just about good enough to achieve it and he’s gambling again with a team that is just about good enough as it stands to win the league.

But if two of the front three, one even, or Van Dijk get injured for any length of time then that’s big trouble and will call the summer’s lack of spending into question.