Football - Leicester's Shakespearean Tragedy

[Consigliere]

That second goal puts Arsenal in all sorts of trouble especially since Palace are starting to look more like a Big Sam team which means they are going to be tough to break down.

ETA. that should do it. Big blow for Arsenal being the only side in the top 7 not to win in this round of fixtures.

[Rorshach]

Martinez had looked a bright spot up til he gave that penalty. 

Now, if he saves it, he'll redeem himself, but he shouldn't go for that ball - easy fall or no.

ETA: Can't see Wenger surviving this. They're falling towards our level now, instead of rising towards CL.

[Mexal]

5 minutes ago, Rorshach said:

Arsenal's replacements are worse than our replacements, it seems. That's a scary thought.

What replacements? This is our starting side (minus Koscielny). We blow.

[Rorshach]

Just now, Mexal said:

What replacements? This is our starting side. We blow.

Started thinking about it, and found out it was just Martinez and Gabriel. Still, we're effectivly playing two replacements as well, so it's sort of even. 

However, I'd normally choose Gabriel over Pennington 17 days a week. 

[Mexal]

Just now, Rorshach said:

Started thinking about it, and found out it was just Martinez and Gabriel. Still, we're effectivly playing two replacements as well, so it's sort of even. 

However, I'd normally choose Gabriel over Pennington 17 days a week. 

I guess that's fair though Gabriel has been in terrible form. Koscielny matters but I don't think Cech changes the nature of this game at all.

[Rorshach]

That's an interesting question for sometime later - the importance of a Koscielny, or (for our part) Jagielka. While the latter has been on the wane the last season, and has been on the bench more than on the field, he can still direct a back line. I think Pennington performs better alongside someone more experienced, like Jags. 

Gabriel - he doesn't direct the back line. Mustafi neither. So there's a lack of a clear leader, and I think I've expressed my opinion earlier - that it's harmful for a defence to lack a boss at the back. 

[Mexal]

Mustafi tries but he's so wild that he gets caught out of position often so it doesn't really matter. Monreal and Bellerin haven't played all that well this season and Gabriel is terrible. And of course our midfield is a sieve that loves to lose the ball in key positions.

But back to the original point. Koscielny is huge. Our defensive record with him in the side and out is pretty nuts. Most important person on the pitch probably. 

[Rorshach]

He's really come far from that rather shaky-looking debut (against Liverpool?) a few years back. 

But yes, he's got the speed, talent and positioning to hold a defense straight. As you mention, Monreal and (especially) Bellerin have taken a step back this season. So has Coquelin. Elneny has been injured a lot, and Xhaka isn't a DM. So no-one screens the defense either. We're luckier in that department, as Gana and Schneiderlin (in particular) does that job well.

Today, I was also surprised at the lack of movement up front. It did look a bit like us - balls down the side, back, in centrally, over to the other side, back again, in centrally, looking for a run, turning, playing sideways .. not much happening. The team doesn't move as one. Trouble.

[AncalagonTheBlack]

Top 4 finish is going to be bonkers!

Quote

Liverpool
Bournemouth (H) (1)
Stoke (A) (3)
West Brom (A)
Crystal Palace (H)
Watford (A)
Southampton (H)
West Ham (A)
Middlebrough (H)

Manchester United
Everton (H) (1)
Sunderland (A) (3)
Chelsea (H)
Burnley (A)
Man City (A)
Swansea (H)
Arsenal (A)
Spurs (A)
Crystal Palace (H)
Southampton (A)

Arsenal
West Ham (H) (3)
Crystal Palace (A) (0)
Middlesbrough (A)
Leicester (H)
Spurs (A)
Manchester United (H)
Stoke (A)
Everton (H)
Sunderland (H)
Southampton (A)

 

[Iskaral Pust]

Wenger once again making Mourinho look better than he is.  If I wasn't pleased about Liverpool's improved chance of top 4, I'd be really annoyed at him lowering the bar like this.

There was mention in a recent article about Sakho that he has three years remaining on his contract. 
Quote: “I still have a contract for three more years,” he told French outlet Telefoot this week.

[baxus]

14 hours ago, Mexal said:

What replacements? This is our starting side (minus Koscielny). We blow.

I haven't seen Arsenal for a while, but last night I caught some 20 minutes at the end of the match and I must agree with you. It's not that Arsenal were outplayed by some insane margin by Crystal Palace (once again, I saw only last 20-ish minutes so I'm talking about that), but they seemed so harmless on the offensive I'm not sure they would've scored if the match was played for two more hours.

Apologies are in order from my part - I thought Arsenal fans of the board were just a bunch of whining entitled wankers (not really, but close enough ), but if what I saw last night is the way Arsenal have played lately, I fully understand your outrage. 

[Calibandar]

12 hours ago, AncalagonTheBlack said:

Top 4 finish is going to be bonkers!

 

Don't count out City, they are far from certain to finish top 4 at this point.

Even though on paper with that squad, you'd say so.

[Lord Friendzone]

41 minutes ago, Calibandar said:

Don't count out City, they are far from certain to finish top 4 at this point.

Even though on paper with that squad, you'd say so.

With their fixture list, top 4 is not certain but very likely. The hay to play Man Utd and Southampton from top 10.

[polishgenius]

5 hours ago, Lord Friendzone said:

With their fixture list, top 4 is not certain but very likely. The hay to play Man Utd and Southampton from top 10.

And West Brom and Watford.

But they also have to face Leicester and Palace and those are the fixtures I'd really be worried about if I was a City fan, given both the style matchup and the fact that those teams have suddenly started kicking arse.

[Lord Friendzone]

15 minutes ago, polishgenius said:

And West Brom and Watford.

But they also have to face Leicester and Palace and those are the fixtures I'd really be worried about if I was a City fan, given both the style matchup and the fact that those teams have suddenly started kicking arse.

I almost forgot Watford climbed up along with West Brom. In theory Man City can drop points anywhere with their defence but I think their attack will overcompensate their defense. So can Man Utd or Liverpool can drop points with thie inconsistency. Man Utd seems to be concentrated on Europa League to get to UCL, we don't have that squad depth and Coutinho is not even 100%. With this in mind they have an advantage and are relatively in a good shape.

[Philokles]

Some horrific news. Borussia Dortmund's team bus was hit by an explosion. Bild are claiming Marc Bartra has been injured and taken to hospital.

[Corvinus85]

22 minutes ago, Horse of Kent said:

Some horrific news. Borussia Dortmund's team bus was hit by an explosion. Bild are claiming Marc Bartra has been injured and taken to hospital.

BBC is also saying this. The other players are safe.

[Lord Friendzone]

36 minutes ago, Horse of Kent said:

Some horrific news. Borussia Dortmund's team bus was hit by an explosion. Bild are claiming Marc Bartra has been injured and taken to hospital.

Terrible especially with all the security around football teams.

[BigFatCoward]

if this was a gas explosion (or similar) the match definitely should be cancelled, if it was terror related they should definitely play, it send entirely the wrong message to postpone. 

[Corvinus85]

7 minutes ago, BigFatCoward said:

if this was a gas explosion (or similar) the match definitely should be cancelled, if it was terror related they should definitely play, it send entirely the wrong message to postpone. 

Why? From what I understand the explosion affected the team bus not the stadium. I don't think they were even there yet.