Premier League Thread 2019/20

[FoyleFox]

Bassett was the equivalent of being appointed Captain of the Titanic after she'd hit the iceberg, the only way was down.

Edited 6 June 2020 by FoyleFox

[Grebfromgrebland]

This is pleasing to watch

[Danizen]

 

After the Jadon Sancho story, I don't think there's any danger of Barnes being fined for getting a barber in.

 

He might even dye it. I'm getting massive ginger vibes.

Edited 6 June 2020 by Danizen

[JJD_LCFC]

Watching the Dortmund game, they are a fantastic club I think we can model ourselves on. Extremely well run, a lot of experience in GK, CD, CM positions and a lot of young talented players everywhere else. They lose their best player almost every season for vast amounts, and replace with younger quality players. Regular in the champions league too and play very attacking, quick passing style of football. 

 

 

[Carl the Llama]

It's utterly mental that this is apparently Man Utd's worst run in PL history and they sit 5th in the table.

[Miquel The Work Geordie]

4 hours ago, Grebfromgrebland said:

This is pleasing to watch

 

When Arsenal overtake Spurs right at the end ahahah

[Stadt]

4 hours ago, Unique FC said:

Watching the Dortmund game, they are a fantastic club I think we can model ourselves on. Extremely well run, a lot of experience in GK, CD, CM positions and a lot of young talented players everywhere else. They lose their best player almost every season for vast amounts, and replace with younger quality players. Regular in the champions league too and play very attacking, quick passing style of football. 

 

 

Dortmund’s standing is standing is so much higher than ours though, they’re the second biggest club in one of the best footballing countries in the world. Even if we were to get CL football for the best 5 years we’d still be a long way off unfortunately. As much as I dislike them, Leipzig are probably a more realistic team to emulate (purely their footballing operations).

[StriderHiryu]

43 minutes ago, Stadt said:

Dortmund’s standing is standing is so much higher than ours though, they’re the second biggest club in one of the best footballing countries in the world. Even if we were to get CL football for the best 5 years we’d still be a long way off unfortunately. As much as I dislike them, Leipzig are probably a more realistic team to emulate (purely their footballing operations).

They've also won the Champions League and got to another final! Plus having one of the best stadiums in European football, at least in terms of atmosphere.

 

I agree Leipzig is more what we are emulating, a modern club that has a focus on developing young players and scouting promising ones from around Europe and assembling a side from them. But luckily we do it in a way that is not as soulless or corporate as they are. The Red Bull model works for sure though, all of their teams are on the up and it gives them a huge scouting network worldwide.

[Stadt]

34 minutes ago, StriderHiryu said:

They've also won the Champions League and got to another final! Plus having one of the best stadiums in European football, at least in terms of atmosphere.

 

I agree Leipzig is more what we are emulating, a modern club that has a focus on developing young players and scouting promising ones from around Europe and assembling a side from them. But luckily we do it in a way that is not as soulless or corporate as they are. The Red Bull model works for sure though, all of their teams are on the up and it gives them a huge scouting network worldwide.

Their African scouting is so good. There’s still an edge to be had in regard to Africa which isn’t the case for most of western Europe. Work permits are an issue but imagine the outlay on Mane, Keita and Daka compared to what they have gone or will go for? 
 

We’ve got big improvements to make with our academy too, having three first teamers is great but we need sustained success and a playing style in better sync with the first team. The training ground is a massive step but will be under utilised if we don’t bring in some brilliant new coaches. Peake retiring is an opportunity but the academy and the club have a tendency to promote from within (Rudkin to DoF, Cawley to head of academy) which is a bit narrow minded. 

[Nicolo Barella]

If we win our first three games back, we'll be on 62 points with 6 games to go. I will feel comfortable about getting CL in that case. We'll have 4 tough games after the first three against Arsenal, Man Utd, Spurs and Sheff Utd, but if we can get 5 or so points from them we should be good.

[Nicolo Barella]

6 hours ago, Carl the Llama said:

It's utterly mental that this is apparently Man Utd's worst run in PL history and they sit 5th in the table.

Goes to show what a storm of shit this season has been for everyone else. Man City is 2nd with 57 points lol.

[Ric Flair]

7 hours ago, Nicolo Barella said:

If we win our first three games back, we'll be on 62 points with 6 games to go. I will feel comfortable about getting CL in that case. We'll have 4 tough games after the first three against Arsenal, Man Utd, Spurs and Sheff Utd, but if we can get 5 or so points from them we should be good.

3 of those are the last 3 games? The first 6 games is where we need to get at least 12 points to maintain a very strong position.

[Nicolo Barella]

27 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

3 of those are the last 3 games? The first 6 games is where we need to get at least 12 points to maintain a very strong position.

Ah I didn't know the exact order after the first three fixtures

 

I think if we get 17 points out of a total 27 available that puts us at 70 points, no way we don't make CL with that. 5W 1D 3L seems like a somewhat reasonable expectation from those fixtures considering Ndidi is fit again.

 

Edit: 69 rounds up to 70 don't question it 

Edited 7 June 2020 by Nicolo Barella

[Ric Flair]

Just now, Nicolo Barella said:

Ah I didn't know the exact order after the first three fixtures

 

I think if we get 17 points out of a total 27 available that puts us at 70 points, no way we don't make CL with that. 5W 1D 3L seems like a somewhat reasonable expectation from those fixtures considering Ndidi is fit again.

Agreed

[UniFox21]

These type of reports always make me laugh how the reporter twists the facts on show to highlight what they want. Liverpool have no doubt done incredibly well, but Spurs? They reached 1 final and had a season or so of nearly being in a title race.

 

Whereas Leicester with an £18mill bigger spend won the title (  ) and Chelsea a £9mill bigger spend won the league, the europa league and the FA cup in the same period. 

 

Even an honourable mention to Burnley who spent £60mill net in 5 years and reached Europa. 

 

[Nicolo Barella]

10 minutes ago, UniFox21 said:

These type of reports always make me laugh how the reporter twists the facts on show to highlight what they want. Liverpool have no doubt done incredibly well, but Spurs? They reached 1 final and had a season or so of nearly being in a title race.

 

Whereas Leicester with an £18mill bigger spend won the title (  ) and Chelsea a £9mill bigger spend won the league, the europa league and the FA cup in the same period. 

 

Even an honourable mention to Burnley who spent £60mill net in 5 years and reached Europa. 

 

I think its a bit disingenuous to look at the team Spurs built over the last five years and say that their net spend isn't impressive. Regardless of whether they won anything or not, they broke into CL football on a "shoestring" (relative) budget and stayed there consistently. Considering Newcastle, owned by My Cashley the eternal miser, have a greater net spend and nothing to show for it, I think it is worthy of praise. We would be lucky to finish CL football multiple seasons running with a net spend like that.

 

You can think all that and still think Spurs is a shit club btw 

[UniFox21]

25 minutes ago, Nicolo Barella said:

I think its a bit disingenuous to look at the team Spurs built over the last five years and say that their net spend isn't impressive. Regardless of whether they won anything or not, they broke into CL football on a "shoestring" (relative) budget and stayed there consistently. Considering Newcastle, owned by My Cashley the eternal miser, have a greater net spend and nothing to show for it, I think it is worthy of praise. We would be lucky to finish CL football multiple seasons running with a net spend like that.

 

You can think all that and still think Spurs is a shit club btw 

No doubt you're right that their spending compared to how they've progressed is impressive. Especially when you compare to teams like Newcastle and even Arsenal and Man United. 

[Corky]

Liverpool somehow managed to shift Coutinho for up to £140 million, whereas although we sold Maguire at a huge price, we could argue that Kante was possibly £40 million under his natural price and Mahrez £10-20 million below in the inflated market.

 

No doubt we've overspent in some areas and then when they've not achieved, we've found it hard to shift them permanently. I have a feeling we'll be more prudent in the next few years.

[Nicolo Barella]

8 minutes ago, Corky said:

Liverpool somehow managed to shift Coutinho for up to £140 million, whereas although we sold Maguire at a huge price, we could argue that Kante was possibly £40 million under his natural price and Mahrez £10-20 million below in the inflated market.

 

No doubt we've overspent in some areas and then when they've not achieved, we've found it hard to shift them permanently. I have a feeling we'll be more prudent in the next few years.

I think we'll still take gambles with signings, but definitely be more in control of wages so selling on is not a problem. After all, Perez for £30 million was a gamble.

[Staffs Fox]

Yeah Liverpool basically trading Coutinho for Van Dijk and Allison (with a bit of change left over) has to be some of the best business conducted in recent times.

 

On the other side it just shows how poorly Manchester United have spent to be 2nd In that table and arguably be weaker than when this period started!

 

We had that dreadful post title window which was so awful it set us back 2 years but we’ve more than made up since with the like of Ricardo, Soyuncu, Evans, Praet, Tielemans and Maddison creating the spine of the top 4 side 

[UpTheLeagueFox]

20 hours ago, Grebfromgrebland said:

This is pleasing to watch

We first went top after gameweek 13.

We went top after beating Stoke 3-0 on Sat 23rd January (gameweek 23) and were never shifted after that.

 

Gameweeks at top:

21 Leicester

12 Man City (all in first 14 gameweeks)

4 Arsenal (gameweeks 19-22)

1 Man U (gameweek 7)

 

That season 

[st albans fox]

1 hour ago, UpTheLeagueFox said:

We first went top after gameweek 13.

We went top after beating Stoke 3-0 on Sat 23rd January (gameweek 23) and were never shifted after that.

 

Gameweeks at top:

21 Leicester

12 Man City (all in first 14 gameweeks)

4 Arsenal (gameweeks 19-22)

1 Man U (gameweek 7)

 

That season 

Nah- we fluked it Geoff - didn’t you know that ?? 

[CosbehFox]

14 hours ago, Stadt said:

Their African scouting is so good. There’s still an edge to be had in regard to Africa which isn’t the case for most of western Europe. Work permits are an issue but imagine the outlay on Mane, Keita and Daka compared to what they have gone or will go for? 
 

We’ve got big improvements to make with our academy too, having three first teamers is great but we need sustained success and a playing style in better sync with the first team. The training ground is a massive step but will be under utilised if we don’t bring in some brilliant new coaches. Peake retiring is an opportunity but the academy and the club have a tendency to promote from within (Rudkin to DoF, Cawley to head of academy) which is a bit narrow minded. 

Only Daka was signed by Red Bull from Africa. Mane and Keita both had a season in France. 

[Stadt]

26 minutes ago, Cardiff_Fox said:

Only Daka was signed by Red Bull from Africa. Mane and Keita both had a season in France. 

Didn’t realise that. They were probably tracked beforehand though, it’s rare that (switched on clubs anyway) buy a player based on just one season 

[JJD_LCFC]

16 hours ago, Stadt said:

Dortmund’s standing is standing is so much higher than ours though, they’re the second biggest club in one of the best footballing countries in the world. Even if we were to get CL football for the best 5 years we’d still be a long way off unfortunately. As much as I dislike them, Leipzig are probably a more realistic team to emulate (purely their footballing operations).

I completely understand what you are saying. Dortmund standing in the game is incredible as one of the top sides. I think as a club to aim for we should be looking at their model. Style of play, scouting such as players they can sign, sell their best player each year + rebuild. For a club to aim for in the next 10 years say they are a superb model. Their fans, stadium, infrastructure on and off the pitch. Superb. 

 

Leipzig are a great shout as well. More like us for sure at the moment. Very good young coach - The way they are trying to break into the champions league places in a top league, scouting network and how they find young players who they develop and sell for high values. Constantly rebuilding. Great young coach who is leading them superbly, post covid - results have not been great but as a team they play superb football. I don't know their starting 11 as well as Dortmunds so can not really comment any further. Shows how far we have come looking at these sides and no longer our league 1 and constant championship days under Milan Madaric.