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Football - dawn of optimism


Iskaral Pust

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Mignolet still needs to go. The goal wasn't directly his fault, but he did pass it out to Lucas in a less-than-ideal situation (although Lucas should have handled it better, of course). And when he loses an aerial duel with Jamie Vardy (who's hardly Fellaini or Zlatan in the air) badly, not even getting close to the ball, it's just embarrassing. Also, he had at least one terrible pass straight to a Leicester player. Yes, he made ONE save in the game, woo fucking hoo. I'm sure he's a nice guy, but we have to start Karius ASAP.

Firmino, Studge and Mané look like they're developing an understanding, and Hendo and Lallana were also great today. But Firmino was MotM for me. Two goals and some absolutely sublime technical touches. Should have gone for him over Coutinho in my fantasy team (and Vardy over Musa :facepalm: ). And speaking of Coutinho, we keep looking very good without him. Not sure I'd start him over any of our staring 11 today. It's a difficult one, because he's obviously got the skill and flair to change the outcome of a game single-handedly, but there's also a feeling that we work more smoothly as a team without him. 

I would absolutely love to see Matip and Sakho at the back, but I guess that depends on whether he can get back in Klopp's good graces.

Clyne looked unusually uncertain and indecisive today. Hopefully it's something he can sort out relatively quickly.

But yeah, as people have said, when Klopp's Liverpool click offensively, they're a fearsome unit, swarming opposition defences and looking capable of routing stronger teams than Leicester. Next week at the Bridge should be interesting.

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6 hours ago, Jeor said:

Actually not sure why Coquelin started ahead of Xhaka or Elneny but I suppose he did form a decent enough partnership with Cazorla last season when fit.

We've got PSG on Wednesday. Pretty sure Xhaka will start. 

5 hours ago, Mark Antony said:

Ye Gods Arsenal are so lucky. Awful officiating at the end.  

Yeah, a delicious combination of Southampton's terrible finishing, Petr Cech being awesome, and some good-old-fashioned inept refereeing ensured we got the points.

 

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7 hours ago, Mark Antony said:

Great game. De Bruyne was awesome, easily motm. Fernandinho was also a stand out. Bravo was awful. 

Word on Fernandinho, he was immense for City today. De Bruyne being De Bruyne. Thought Fellaini deserved praise too, not just for what he did in the air but for seemingly (I haven't seen any player stats yet) consistently being perhaps the most reliable United man on the deck. Saved his best game of the short season so far for the biggest and played his part in keeping David Silva mostly quiet.

Meanwhile, yeah it was frustrating that Mourinho got the team slightly wrong from the off, but he made the exact two substitutions I was calling for at half time so I can't be too mad at him. Thought it was goofy Bravo didn't get penalised for going in on Rooney with his studs up, but at the same time, deep down, I don't feel like City's 3 points were entirely undeserved, so it all came out in the wash.

 

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My first visit to the Olympic Stadium today. A cracker of a match and a much nicer stadium for football than I was expecting - though that might be because I was in a good seat. West Ham started well, but the fluidity of their play went downhill rapidly. Hadn't noticed how good Deeney's finish for the Watford second, as I was so distracted by Collins' fuck-up. Okaka must be one of the biggest professional footballers around, he made Deeney look small.

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Further thoughts on the Liverpool game:

Midfield is starting to click.  Hendo and Gino looking much better and great movement ahead of them.  Lallana was more like another attacking player but that was ok today.  For the first 5 mins of each half we struggled to play out past the Leicester press, and then we found a rhythm to evade the press and play through it, and then we looked really dangerous. 

A much changed defence was actually pretty solid aside from Lucas' Gerrardesque mistake.  Milner looked more settled.  Clyne more solid in defense but still imprecise with passes when attacking.  Migs made a good save for the only good chance Leicester created, but still weak under crosses and with his feet. 

Firmino was great.  After the Spurs game I suggested Coutinho should be dropped for this one, and they looked pretty good without him.  That was Sturridge's best team contribution in a long time, even if he fluffed two good chances.  Mane was good too but not a standout this time because all the attacking players were playing well, moving well off each other.  

With Can due back soon, it's likely Gino who loses out.  And Lovren should be ready next week.  Otherwise I'd keep the same attackers for now and have Coutinho and Origi in reserve.   It's nice to have that kind of depth.  Form and fitness will ebb and flow and there's room for changes later. 

Tangent: how do Leicester get away with their defenders roughing the attackers at every chance?  Fuchs barged into the back of Sturridge and Firmino in the box "contesting" headers, Huth tripped Sturridge off the ball in the box, both Huth and Morgan were practicing judo on Sturridge off the ball all day long.  It's one thing for the Cinderella team to get some extra goodwill last season (see Vardy, penalties) but that display today would have made Skrtel blush.  Refs need to start awarding some penalties against them. 

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He's quality^ 11 goals, 4 assists in 2016. 

3 hours ago, Iskaral Pust said:

Firmino was great.  After the Spurs game I suggested Coutinho should be dropped for this one, and they looked pretty good without him.  That was Sturridge's best team contribution in a long time, even if he fluffed two good chances.  Mane was good too but not a standout this time because all the attacking players were playing well, moving well off each other.  

With Can due back soon, it's likely Gino who loses out.  And Lovren should be ready next week.  Otherwise I'd keep the same attackers for now and have Coutinho and Origi in reserve.   It's nice to have that kind of depth.  Form and fitness will ebb and flow and there's room for changes later.. 

I agree but Klopp seems to like playing Firmino up front in big away games so I could see Coutinho starting over Sturridge. 

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Well for once Arsenal managed to steal a game that we didn't deserve (instead of Arsenalling it up) but the next test is PSG in the CL.

I think Xhaka will be good, he should especially be able to boss around the European competition.

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Well, that's one dodgy goal apiece for Swans and Chelsea. Fer fouled Cahill and Costa kicked a dude in the face. So you know, six of one...

Conte's Chelsea have oddly shambolic and rag-tag so far.

Moses being Moses.

Also a bit of a cracker in the Bundesliga, where Mainz are leading Hoffenheim 4-1, but Mainz are down to 10 men and the game looks ridiculously open.

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Bonkers bounce bamboozles Ochoa to give my boys (10-man) Eibar the lead against Granada.

Crazy that this - Granada's home ground, so they've effed their own keeper here - is a pitch in the same league which routinely produces more or less the best 2 or 3 club sides in Europe. It was chewing up like this the whole game, all the way until my boys Eibar (whose own home ground is so small it makes Bournemouth's look like the Maracana) stole the winner in the 94th minutes of 93.

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12 minutes ago, Rorshach said:

I've been out playing a bit of football myself, but coming home, I watch for ten minutes - and we go from 1-0 to 3-0.

Sunderland are truly f*cked. Also, I'm important to this team.

Sunderland look very poor but Everton have quietly been very efficient so far.  A draw with Spurs that they could have won and now three wins against slightly soft opposition.  That kind of ruthlessness and consistency wasn't there before. Early days of course but they look better.  I predicted them to challenge 'Pool for a European spot this year (although I did expect another defensive signing, which they may eventually regret).

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