***Official*** English Football Season 2020-21

[JOJOXI]

where does he go from here? someone suggested MLS, which seems like the only thing he can do to be a sufficiently high level that will actually want him

Tough to say as I think perception plays a far greater role in management then for players - I wouldn't be surprised if he got a good job at a lower end PL club/top end Championship club if he got sacked. Given he has taken Derby from 6th to 6th and would have done poorly this season if he was to get sacked it's hard to say how he warrants such a job but it certainly wouldn't surprise me if a relegated PL side were to hire him.

It's a weird one as a good manager especially at the top end will often be more valuable then a couple of expensive signings but will not have anything like the transfer fee or the wages. You would think with that in mind there would be far more analysis of managers then there seems to be.


I'm 50/50 on Mendy I wasn't as convinced as others were by him vs Spurs in the cup but then had a good run but now had a few moments that are far from bowlers but that I find myself slightly questioning Mendy internally, I guess this is a bad run for the team though so if this is the worst it gets for him then that is definetly a positive

 

[sledger]

Couldn't be much worse than the last one

Edit: @duffer

 

[Pothas]

I still think Liverpool are strong favourites would say it is roughly the following percentages for me

Liverpool - 73%
Man City - 13%
Man Utd - 8%
Others - 6%

Man City in an artificial position with games in hand but was thinking any title challenge would be further down the line of this season but Southampton away isn't an absolute guaranteed 3pts for Liverpool tomorrow and Utd play Liverpool soon - if Utd win that or draw you would say Man City are very nicely placed if they keep up their recent good form

Enjoy how weirdly specific these rough percentages are.

City a higher chance than that given the sorts of teams Liverpool have been dropping points against recently, results wise their seasons are really not that different so far. Am sure all teams will have times when they don't look great between now and the end of the season. It is just inevitable with the way things are this year.

 

[grecian]

3-1 hugely flattering to Chelsea, but it's not the humiliation it should be, still think Frank will get the end of the season, and then some Championship side or Celtic will take him on. A couple of sackings from ignimony yet I would say.

 

[JOJOXI]

Yeah


Enjoy how weirdly specific these rough percentages are.

City a higher chance than that given the sorts of teams Liverpool have been dropping points against recently, results wise their seasons are really not that different so far. Am sure all teams will have times when they don't look great between now and the end of the season. It is just inevitable with the way things are this year.

Maybe a couple % more for City but I do think Liverpool are heavy favourites, given they've had Salah out with Covid, Mane out with Covid - wouldn't be surprised if there was more to come from them especially Mane - Thiago out for much of season so far, Fabinho and Matip out for portions of season, Jota out, Alexander Arnold and Alisson missing short periods of season too. If they are still in title picture could have Van Dijk coming back for last couple games looking at some reports too.

I guess the one thing is Man City are a better team with an Aguero at 100%, if they can get him at 100% for rest of season they may fancy their chances especially given a nice run of games coming up.

It looks like 80pts could be enough for the league and the fewer pts needed the more I fancy Liverpool, a record of W24 D8 L6 gets you 80pts, Liverpool still seem to be a very tough nut to crack at home - if they get 50pts at home which looks very possible, 30ish pts away from home should be very doable even with their inconsistency on the road.

I think Man Utd are a tough one - if Rashford and Bruno Fernandes are injured for any length of time top 4 becomes a question let alone the title, if they stay fit who knows. Intrigued to see how Van de Beek does too - a Pogba who may continue to agitate for a move - OGS has often dropped him from the team which is fine whilst Fernandes is doing well but he gets injured and a midfield of McTominay - Fred - Van de Beek doesn't match up well v their title rivals

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Tough to say as I think perception plays a far greater role in management then for players - I wouldn't be surprised if he got a good job at a lower end PL club/top end Championship club if he got sacked. Given he has taken Derby from 6th to 6th and would have done poorly this season if he was to get sacked it's hard to say how he warrants such a job but it certainly wouldn't surprise me if a relegated PL side were to hire him.

It's a weird one as a good manager especially at the top end will often be more valuable then a couple of expensive signings but will not have anything like the transfer fee or the wages. You would think with that in mind there would be far more analysis of managers then there seems to be.

Think a bottom level PL club would prefer an Allardyce or at least someone with a CV for a scrap; Championship side with a budget would be an option but depends whether he'd take it.

Given that the manager himself is often in charge of that kind of analysis you could see why it isn't getting very far (new fangled sports directors aside)

 

[sledger]

Enjoy how weirdly specific these rough percentages are.

City a higher chance than that given the sorts of teams Liverpool have been dropping points against recently, results wise their seasons are really not that different so far. Am sure all teams will have times when they don't look great between now and the end of the season. It is just inevitable with the way things are this year.

Haha bought some blackcurrant squash earlier that claimed to be made with 26% real fruit and thought the same

 

[GIMH]

best they’ve played in 2020.

Errrr

 

[JOJOXI]

3-1 hugely flattering to Chelsea, but it's not the humiliation it should be, still think Frank will get the end of the season, and then some Championship side or Celtic will take him on. A couple of sackings from ignimony yet I would say.

Celtic is a good shout could very much see that now you suggest it. I have no problem with Lampard staying until the end of the season but the suggestions from some that last seasons 4th wasn't to be expected and top 4 shouldn't be expected this year stuns me. Sure, he shouldn't yet be expected to win a title but to effectively say he shouldn't have been expected to get UCL football in either of his first 2 seasons surprises me

The nature of football atm means a run of 5 or 6 wins and suddenly you may even have (premature) talk of a title challenge again so this isn't as bad as it seems currently but for me he really needs to get UCL football for next season. I imagine it will be big for FFP too - with no fans the financial results for this year won't be pretty after a recently announced profit for last season - you ideally want to avoid more FFP issues in the following season by qualifying for UCL.

I also think a point overlooked is how much of our XG especially away from home has come from set pieces. I personally am a substance over style person so have no issue with set piece goals but this isn't a case of playing beautiful football every game and inexplicably not getting the desired results.

Think a bottom level PL club would prefer an Allardyce or at least someone with a CV for a scrap; Championship side with a budget would be an option but depends whether he'd take it.

Given that the manager himself is often in charge of that kind of analysis you could see why it isn't getting very far (new fangled sports directors aside)

Guess it depends, could see most newly promoted sides going for an Allardyce perhaps but would not be stunned if someone like a Brighton went in for Lampard if Potter was sacked or even someone like a Newcastle where there is demand (at least from the fans) for style arguably more so then results.

Certainly can see why existing managers wouldn't want such analysis but it does genuinely surprise me that clubs spend so much time and money in considering player signings whether that is through scouting or data or both but when it comes to managers so often it seems that decisions are made on impulse. Chairman plus where applicable a sporting director could set up analysis specifically for managers - you would think in a business where small margins can prove pivotal that every club would be doing this and then factoring in personality just to a small extent at interview. Especially as unlike most other industries the manager is far more likely to see certain roles as redundant or vital - take Havertz for example - a club record signing but if Lampard is sacked the new manager may decide they do not want a CAM - you've not got a record signing either frozen out or playing out of position. Of course you could do all you can to get the best manager possible and it still not work out and be left in this situation but why increase that chance going with an unproven manager? - you wouldn't do it with a striker with 1 year of first team football in their career and buy them to be your key player to get you back to the top - especially if that year wasn't a standout year.

 

[Furball]

**** I would love it if Lampard ended up at Celtic. They need a massive rebuild at the end of the season and COVID has done a number on their finances.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Big Sam reckons Brexit has cost him three signings.

 

[Furball]

Big Sam reckons Brexit has cost him three signings.

Probably shouldn't have voted for it then.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

We haven't been scoring goals recently but the defence has been impenetrable since this Dias/Stones partnership formed. I was iffy on Dias but he's definitely proven me wrong so far, the buy of the season so far.

If we start putting away even a slightly higher percentage of our chances (aka. like today) then look out.

 

[grecian]

Joel Randall being scouted by Celtic, I suppose it would be a good move

Sheff Wednesday suspends training, if it get's called off we go through to the next round of the FA Cup, guess I'll take the prize money, but like everything about now it's pretty hollow.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Klopp rambling about Manure getting more penalties in two years than he’s had in five. Just needed to use the word “FACT” after it.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

RIP Colin Bell. Forever the King of the Kippax.

 

[Pothas]

So turns out that the League Cup is actually as crap as I always thought.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Get me Ruben Dias, I wanna boof him etc

 

[Niall]

Man City sign Dias , United sign Maguire.

Levels.

City were the better side for sure, as I worried the other day, the likes of Rashford and Pogba look knackered.

Martial is not good enough to lead the line for any side with trophy winning aspirations either.

 

[Niall]

City at the moment really good, it would be brave to suggest they will sweep everyone aside, but they have a kind fixture list,, a defensive best in Dias and a flowing attack and of course Liverpool are stalling and nobody else in England is near their level.