[Closed] A 2015/16 Football Thread

I considered ManU but really a top 6 finish and a decent run in the cup was all you could hope for, so I'd argue they achieved a par score, they didn't over- or under-achieve. Thus, they can't be considered worst team of the year. Unless we factor in style, but even then the dross served up by others like Villa and Chelsea put ManU above the bottom 3.

I'll stick my neck out and say that if Theo played for Leicester he would be an absolute sensation.

How? He'd still miss chances and generally be distinctly average.

Walcott has been let down by Arsenal which has led Arsenal to think he has let them down. One can argue it either way as to why he never quite reached his "potential".

I agree he would be better playing in a Vardy role as the fast striker rather than being in tippy tappy Arsenal
HOw good he would be I am not so sure but I think he is better than he looks at Arsenal.

Yeah the most telling part of that Theo clip is when he is on the floor with his hands in the air, like it is someone else's fault. It isn't

How? He'd still miss chances and generally be distinctly average.

Wonder how many Leicester players you could have said that about over the last 2 years?

Albrighton was deemed distinctly average by Villa but look what he's actually capable of when someone can actually get the best out of him.

Likewise Vardy.

All the big clubs are utterly inefficient. Small gains with hard work or massive £'s spunked on players every single season?

b) Chelsea for such a dismal defence of the title and players just happy to stay up

This for me. Couldn't have happened to a nicer club and its fans. 🙂

[quote=binners said]
Tonight will indeed be interesting. Nice of Arsenal to do an Arsenal again and give us a (painfully slim) chance of a top four finish, when it looked like that boat had already sailed

The dream scenario is still on.

Citeh win the Champions League, Liverpool win the Europa League and ManYoo finish 4th in the Premier League.

Liverpool and Citeh then qualify for next year's Champions League with ManYoo missing out 🙂

That's if City don't finish third though, as they'll already have a spot. Or am I missing something?

City won't win the CL so dream shattered

[quote=radtothepowerofsik said]That's if City don't finish third though, as they'll already have a spot. Or am I missing something?

Sorry you're correct, we need them to drop out of the top four.

TBF to Wenger he played Walcott up front and Theo did nothing, he isn't a striker no matter what in Theo's head may think.

Watched a little of the footie yesterday. Must be a nightmare being a goner and watching a team trying to walk/pass the ball into the net. ffs you are not Barca.

Odd decisions at Leicester too. Still keeps it exciting for a neutral

Arsenal had 84% possession in the first 20 mins or something yesterday.

84%!

Still drew 1-1.

In Villa news, apparently our hero Joleon is currently busy offering Stan Collymoore out on Twitter.

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Arsenal had 84% possession in the first 20 mins or something yesterday.

84%!

Still drew 1-1.

Have a look at Uniteds possession stats for the season. Its exactly the same. They have the vast majority of possession. 70 - 80% in some games yet conspire to never really look threatening.

Everyone now knows how to play against that. Just sit deep, let them have all the possession they want in midfield, endlessly passing sideways. And when they inevitably lose possession, hit them with pace on the counter.

Theres one team who doing this week in, week out. They have very little possession. They're presently top of the Premiership. Because the little position they do have, they make count!

Chelsea definitely, the Special One back and flirting with relegation then him getting fired. Shambles.

Whilst I feel for Newcastle their attitude to an owner/manager from "down South" is/was appalling. They need a spell in the Championship to sort themselves out. Maybe Ashley will just cut and run and forget trying to sell for a decent price, take the parachute money out of the club and sell/give away the expensive players. Aim for mid-table and let a new owner do what they want from scratch.

Leicester definitely having a bit of a wobble and a big problem I think if Vardy is out for more than one match. The one-point was very important but at a significant cost. Vary is a talisman and keeps defences occupied.

City won't win the CL

As binners not the object of the game is to score the most goals not have the ball for the most time or do the most passes [ most of which are slow and backwards]

Leicester definitely having a bit of a wobble

[b]D W W W W W D W L W W W[/b]
Seven points dropped in the last 12 matches.

That's pretty tight for a wobble.

🙂

Indeed. I was referring to the weekend, one of their best players getting sent off for diving then throwing a fit. Vary has had a great season but that to me shows he's feeling the pressure

So Vardy had a little wobble, but scored 3 in 2 at the same time.

Though obviously we are always 1 game away from a complete collapse, have been for the last 42 games.

The pressure must be immense on them though - they must almost believe they are due a wobble and that they'll bottle it at the death given all the press over the last few months.

But in fact I thought they did amazingly at the weekend - showing great resolve to get something from a match they could have just assumed they'd thrown away.

The only wobble was from Vardy – he was a silly boy and if he *does* cost them the Premiership he'll find it very difficult to move on.

I really hope they don't throw it away though.

Would anyone bet against Spurs having a similar 'wobble' tonight then? I reckon they'll be feeling the pressure even more, due to the expectation of their fans

Stoke isn't an easy place to go. Depends if Stoke turn up, or they're happy with where they are, and are already on the beach, I suppose

I'm wondering if there are furthers from the Vardy dive - he was bang to rights and his verbal and finger jabbing at the referee was worthy of at least another yellow, remains to be seen if the referee includes it in his report.

As for the first booking. Even the pundits were saying it was harsh, but Vardy was done under 'totting up' (the joy of looking only at events in isolation). He'd made a couple of fouls previously, several other tackles were flying in and in those circumstances it becomes a case of next one to commit a foul goes in the book irrespective of whether on its own it was worth it or whether it was that players first foul or not. It's the only way the referee can stamp down on it and it is 'unfair' but it happens every week and a professional player knows it.

Once booked, he then had to be careful, wasn't, then lost it big style, if all he misses is one game he's a lucky boy in my book.

we are always 1 game away from a complete collapse

Vardy was stupid to dive and stupid to react like that and should get more of a ban as well

Regardless of the fact he had made one challenge before the 1st booking, the challenge he was booked for wasn't even a foul, so booking him for that was a load of old tosh regardless of what came before it.

The ref was trying to stamp some misplaced early authority and as a result made his job for the rest of the game almost impossible.

Vardy was a silly boy later on and deserved his 2nd yellow, but he should not have been booked for the previous contactless challenge earlier.

Funny how the WHU player also dived forwards for their peno despite supposedly being dragged backwards, just as bad a dive in my book.

The inconsistency in the refereeing yesterday was absolutely ridiculous. Totally agree with the big daft Geordie that the ref gave the last penalty to 'even things up' from previous decisions. He'd been doing it all match. Giving another daft decision to compensate for the original shocker which he'd incorrectly given the other way

Because You have played unbelievably well all season and, whilst you will win, you are still playing/performing well above your average.

We have been in the Premier League for only 2 seasons, our average is pretty good I would say.

This run extends from the last ten games of last season.

Would anyone bet against Spurs having a similar 'wobble' tonight then? I reckon they'll be feeling the pressure even more, due to the expectation of their fans

I think Spurs will win with a big margin tonight.

Which will be shit

If we're doing predictions.

1 (Kane) - 1 (Shaqiri)

Gonna be a banger.

just as bad a dive in my book

Both were dives but his was way worse

our average is pretty good I would say.

Whilst you will win you are not amongst the best teams in the premier league[ on paper as next season will show] but we can have this discussion next season. No offence but, like Blackburn, you will be murdered in Europe

[i]Watched a little of the footie yesterday. Must be a nightmare being a gooner and watching a team trying to walk/pass the ball into the net. ffs you are not Barca.[/i]

I sat down to watch it yesterday fearing the worst and sure enough we spent the first five mins passing it around our back four whilst palace stood and watched....it was everything I feared and expected. There is no risk involved in what we do, we are scared to go at teams and risk losing possesion, instead trying to pick passes through crowded penalty areas in a thoroughly predictable style. We knew palace would sit back and thats not easy to play against, but spending two thirds of the game passing the ball around aimlessly reduces the amount of attacking time by at least an hour, thus relying on only half an hour of actual positive football.

Its not rocket science, if you lose possesion, the oppo then come out and you can exploit the openings. Like others, I was hoping Palace scored the winner at the end. 🙁

Keeping my fingers crossed for it going down to the last day of the season.

As it happens Erikson, Alderweireld & Vertonghen won the title with Ajax on the last day of the season, having never led the league at any point.

The inconsistency in the refereeing yesterday was absolutely ridiculous. Totally agree with the big daft Geordie that the ref gave the last penalty to 'even things up' from previous decisions. He'd been doing it all match. Giving another daft decision to compensate for the original shocker which he'd incorrectly given the other way

Try not to be too critical of the guys with the impossible job, but hard to disagree Binners. There was another ref on the radio today making the simple point. If you make a mistake, which you will, put it behind you. Don't try to compensate. But with the benefit is cameras, replays etc did seem to get both Vardy decisions wrong. Interesting to hear Mabbutt agreeing this afternoon too. For an ex-Spurs capital he was remarkably even in his comments re Leicester and sympatheitc towards them.

Would be fun to see Stoke win tonight though.

ffs you are not Barca.

Speaking of whom...they've only gone and thrown a 9 point lead away. 😯

No offence but, like Blackburn, you will be murdered in Europe

We will see, I very much doubt it though.

If we do then we will be carrying on the very fine traditions set by our most glorious BIG clubs over the last few years, so as usual, no pressure.

Mr Ranieri is no mug in Europe and it depends who they get in the group, I believe the groups are seeded so as Champions ( 😉 ) they should have a good chance of qualifying from the group

We will see, I very much doubt it though.

*bookmarks*

Playing extra games, possibly have a few of your star players headhunted.....we'll see 😈

Ironic about the refereeing performance yesterday, didn't they change the ref because the original one had some distant connection to Leicester?

😀

PJ yes you are right, in all the fuss I'd forgotten totally

Given plays in goal for Stoke this evening - he's 40 in a couple of days. 😀

No, the ref of tonights game was changed not the Leicester game.

Stoke were always going to play their number 2 keeper. That was a given.

We will see, I very much doubt it though

Even team with world class players like City took time to adapt

One season only teams records is not stellar and, respectfully, few of your players are truly at the top of their game/the best in their positions.

Not meaning to be shitty about the achievement its awesome but we are all stunned for a reason
I think its most likely that next season will show us why but only time will tell.

Well, my prediction is half way there.

Looks like Stoke are on the beach...

notch up the pressure a bit.......