Football – 2023/24 Season

Villa are definitely in the fight for Europe spots.  My feel is city win,  Liverpool and arsenal next. 4th down I don’t know the order but villa, Newcastle,  probably United and I hope spurs. Any of those teams could put a run together and challenge for higher but I don’t think they will sustain it come march when city stop £%@#ing about. 

I’m confident but also worried for Newcastle.

Compared to this point last season, taking into account the sides they’ve played as well, they’re better off than they were and have done that with a crippling injury list, with a dozen or so starter or key rotation players injured or in the case of Tonali, suspended. These are starting to phase back in, and i think they will strengthen again in january, and I hope will have a strong second half of the season.

The worry – is that they play an intense game (not sure where I saw the stats but more pressing / yards covered than the majority of other teams etc.) and have such fitness demands that will the injury list be replaced by other injuries given the burden they’ve carried in the meantime.

Spurs 90% possession and 10 times as many passes as West Ham, who will be lucky to get nil at this rate. Absolutely dire.

Well played Everton.

You absolutely love to see it.

Spurs 90% possession and 10 times as many passes as West Ham, who will be lucky to get nil at this rate. Absolutely dire

This didn’t age well 😁

This didn’t age well 😁

Ha! The first half was ludicrously one sided, second much more even and Spurs gifted us two goals. Fantastic.

I’m beginning to think West Ham won’t be in the bottom 3 at Christmas for a change.

That is the first time I’ve watched spurs this season & I found it almost unwatchable.  It felt like watching FIFA (commentators said same I think), so many passes it hurt my head. So glad WH got back into the game, as I doubt I could have watched the 2nd half otherwise.  

Spurs have become my second favourite team this season with their gung ho style. Mentioned it before I think but its Bielsa-esque but as we saw last night, at times its as infuriating as it was sometimes watching Bielsa when you need to change something if plan A (trying to pass the ball into the goal) wasn’t working. Can’t imagine what last night must have been like for an actual Spurs fan – infuriating.

West Ham seemed to get lucky with a double deflection and a horrific back pass that rebounded off the post. Richarlison should have done better with that free header when he came on. Question for Spurs fans though – how many more minutes of football would Son play if he didn’t do the following all the time:
– appeal to the ref for decisions even if the whistle hasn’t gone
– hold his head in his hands/look to the sky etc every time he plays a misplaced pass etc
Honestly, he must have missed about 15 minutes of the game last night staring at the sky/arguing with the ref.

They need to arrest the slump and put teams away – have lost 16 points from winning positions this season! That said, pre-season Spurs fans may have accepted the current points tally?

That said, pre-season Spurs fans may have accepted the current points tally?

They’re one point better off than at the same stage last season.

Expectations were lower, I guess, given Kane departure and lack of ‘marquee’ signings. 

Harry Maguire Premier League player of the month and Ten Hag got the manager accolade, for November. 

Quick question about the Spurs game. At about 66:50 free kick into box, keeper gets a knock and about 5 players on the floor briefly. As they are sorting themselves out a West Ham player picks something off the grass, Richarlison tries to grab it, but he takes it to the ref instead. The ref then seems to take it to the touch line and have a word with someone before they restart. Commentators did not mention it at all. Anyone else spot it and know what was going on? Missile from crowd? Richarlison brought on gels/jiffy bags for teammates?

Harry Maguire Premier League player of the month

I’ve never doubted him 😂

Richarlison brought on gels/jiffy bags for teammates?

Yes, I noticed that, it was quite substantial, I thought he’d dropped his phone! 😂

Utd 😂

Did they rest the Premier League Player of the month? I can think of no other explanation for shipping 3 to Bournemouth at OT.

I expect he was at his majestic best. According to the radio commentary, the score flattered United. 

The comedy continues. My darling wife can get the beers in tonight with her winnings

Christ only knows how many Liverpool will put past this gang of donkeys at Anfield next weekend. They must be aiming for double figures

I may fake my own death and go into hiding

They were terrible.

However they are 6th, 3 points off Citeh.

They also have a -3 goal difference!

Come on the villa!!

Bayern Munich before Liverpool Binners…..although they may take it easy, having already qualified.

Havertz really is an absolute bell end, isn’t he?

Villa beating Citeh and then Arsenal? Not a bad week for them.

Diego Carlos two elbows in a week:

https://v.redd.it/c0w3dbc6ob5c1
and
https://v.redd.it/5aypye0iwp2c1

and no red card for either?!

Villa Ultras David Cameron and Willy the Prince will be gloating tonight. Meanwhile 2 words that are stuck together nowadays: Reading lost.

Yes, I was at Villa Park for both games. Just phenomenal football. Nobody sat down in the Holte End at either game. Absolutely brilliant.

I still think we’ll end 5th though. This level of energy, commitment and skill can’t be maintained.

Can it?

You maybe need to can the Europa League, although Emery usually wins it! Avoid injuries – especially to Watkins – and you’ll be top four I think, maybe even push Liverpool, Arsenal and City for the league. Nice that the league is not a procession for a change, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see City win ten on the bounce and pull away. 

Did anyone see the Onyeko tackle for Brentford against Sheff U. 

Slow mo is at 1.03 here https://youtu.be/hF3-sUW7Hks?si=y6sQ0Hv0kJJp69AM.

How, after a VAR check, this was not deemed a red is shocking.   I can see how the on field ref may miss how bad it was, but for VAR to not upgrade it is laughable.  But, are we surprised….. 

That was a cracking goal by McAtee, I may be in the minority here, but I love a goal curled into the top corner like that far more than an overhead kick which I feel depends on a bit too much on random luck.

Villa look really good. At least we made chances against them, whereas citeh had almost nothing. It’s really wide open at the top. I think we will be challenging Villa to 4th/5th. I think Spurs will bounce back. I’ll add Liverpool into the mix for the title. It’ll be citeh or them.

I still think we’ll end 5th though. This level of energy, commitment and skill can’t be maintained.

Can it?

You would imagine that they will start to suffer in comparison to teams with greater depth in their squads, but 5th would be a fantastic result.

No Haaland – stress fracture in his foot. 6-12 weeks according to R5 pundits.

Haaland – Big money for a proven striker then in the new year. Wonder if Lewandowski wants to have a go in the premier league.

With Luton’s ground being so tight, the TV mic’s are picking up everything

There’s some top notch sweary heckling going on 😂

To be honest if I lived in Luton I’d be very sweaty.

Pep’s doing a lot of bitching, but I can’t fathom what over. Nice bit of skill by Barclay and a cracking ball swung in from Townsend, who does seem to enjoy upsetting Citeh

Is it just me or are City something of a one man team? Seems like a daft thing to say given the players they have but take out Haaland or if he’s not in form they don’t seem to function.

I don’t think Haaland has missed many games since he signed. I’d imagine they’d play Alvarez centrally in his absence, maybe in a false 9 role, and go full tiki taki. Haaland has enabled them to mix it up and go a bit more direct. 

Oh well, it was good while it lasted!

It’s Haaland who is a bit out of sorts by his standards. Or his supply chain. We need De Bruyne back.