The Football Thread 2017-18

[Saint of Killers]

The only book excerpt I've ever read the whole way through:

How Manchester City were dogged by the brash new neighbours

An extract from Scott Murray’s ‘The Title: The Story of the First Division’ describes how a pooch named Major saved the club that became Manchester United

https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... neighbours

[Tomous]

That Burnley goal

[Benzin]

Never rains but it pours...

[PES Fan]

Never rains but it pours...

So is De Boer gone if you lose?

[Tomous]

Thing is Palace were the better side first half from what I saw. Moment of madness and they're chasing the game.

I think they might give him a few more games.

[Denster]

I think history will judge Wenger favourably but the simple fact is - since they last won the league they haven't mounted a serious title challenge. Not one where they've still been in with a shout with a few games to go. That is pretty damning. I completely agree with DML ( ) in that competition is more fierce now but even so - to not have challenged consistently or at all in the latter stages of a season is poor.
United haven't been involved in a title challenge for four seasons now and they are expected to be this season (that's not to say we'll win it). If we are nowhere near with ten games to go then Mourinho would have some searching questions to answer.
That Wenger has only recently had such searching questions is perhaps indicative of the respective ambitions of either club. For too long I think qualifying for the Champions league every season was enough. For a club like Arsenal - that shouldn't be enough. Nor should it be for Wenger.

[Benzin]

Problem is next 4 games are:

Southampton home
City away
Man Utd away
Chelsea home

Could, rather feasibly, still have no points by the end of that...

The impotency up front is the main issue, with no real back up to Benteke... Can the manager be the only one to blame for that? Definitely can't for that ridiculous error so what else can they do?

How on earth there wasn't a goal is utterly beyond me... Especially the Dann chance...

Much like at Liverpool, played well, stupid mistake was punished, didn't take chances... It's quite likely that by the end of the month he'll be gone...

[Denster]

As well as Palace - from what I've seen so far Swansea and Bournemouth are in serious trouble.

[Tomous]

I was excited about us getting Renato Sanches in, and he only arrived on Thursday so it may have been unfair to drop him straight in but strawberry floating hell, he was absolutely dreadful today. I say this without exaggeration but his performance today was one of the worst I've seen for us in the Premier League.

[GrinWithoutaKat]

Wrong formation for a home game. I know Bony will take time to get match fit but really would like to have seen him in the middle with Abraham and Ayew wide. Still don't understand the Clucas signing.

[Spindash]

Clucas should be fined a week's wages for that set-piece exhibition at the end.

[Tomous]

Clucas should be fined a week's wages for that set-piece exhibition at the end.

Christ almighty I went ballistic! £16m and wastes all 3 of our set pieces in injury time. Embarrassing.

[Tomous]

Apparently Sanches lost the ball 23 times today. TWENTY-THREE!

Edit: he only played 68 minutes! He lost the ball on average every 3 minutes.

[PES Fan]

I was excited about us getting Renato Sanches in, and he only arrived on Thursday so it may have been unfair to drop him straight in but strawberry floating hell, he was absolutely dreadful today. I say this without exaggeration but his performance today was one of the worst I've seen for us in the Premier League.

Saw him in a friendly against Liverpool and he put the same sort of performance. But I put it more down to the Bayern fans getting on his back.

He seems the type of player at the moment who's probably be better coming off the bench as a impact sub rather that starting. Seemed to have gotten tired very fast.

I'd also put Southampton in the slight danger category. They struggled to score goals this calendar year especially at home and things haven't really improved massively from last season. They just about beat 10 men West Ham with a late penalty.

[Tomous]

I was excited about us getting Renato Sanches in, and he only arrived on Thursday so it may have been unfair to drop him straight in but strawberry floating hell, he was absolutely dreadful today. I say this without exaggeration but his performance today was one of the worst I've seen for us in the Premier League.

Saw him in a friendly against Liverpool and he put the same sort of performance. But I put it more down to the Bayern fans getting on his back.

He seems the type of player at the moment who's probably be better coming off the bench as a impact sub rather that starting. Seemed to have gotten tired very fast.

I'd also put Southampton in the slight danger category. They struggled to score goals this calendar year especially at home and things haven't really improved massively from last season. They just about beat 10 men West Ham with a late penalty.

I would not be surprised if contractually we have to start him due to the loan agreement with Bayern...

[Benzin]

Fingers crossed for a West Ham defeat tonight, if only to mean that Palace aren't the most embarrassing team so far this year (how could you be BELOW a team who haven't scored?)

[Kanbei]

De Boer sacked

[Photek]

De Boer sacked

Harsh, they battered burnley.

[Mafro]

De Boer sacked

Hope that doesn't affect Fosu-Mensah's playing time.

[Tomous]

De Boer sacked

Harsh, they battered burnley.

Agreed, but on the other hand they haven't scored a goal deapite having a relatively okay opening 4 fixtures.