2019/20 Premier League Thread - The Longest Season

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

First topic message reminder :

2019/20 Barclays season thread

Start off by asking how long you think Ole will last at the wheel? For me, sacked by February 2020

[Duty281]

A new low for VAR today.

[JDizzle]

A much needed performance and win for Chelsea. Giroud, Alonso, Mount - all excellent coming back in to the side. Spurs were awful.

[hampo17]

The excuse from VAR was superb for the Le Celso "stamp". The PLMO stated that they did not believe he could of put his foot down anywhere else and as such it did not consitute serious foul play. In reality that's rubbish and could have broken his leg.

[Soul Requiem]

I dont think there was a great deal wrong with it, footballers are just a soft bunch.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

It’s a red card. I don’t think it’s as bad as has been made out now everyone has watched it in slo-mo 64 times, but it was a red.

[dummy_half]

So Liverpool now equal the record for most consecutive PL wins, and continue with their staggering record for this season, which now reads played 27, w 26, d 1, l 0.

I heard one of the OPTA stats guys on the radio a few weeks ago saying that taking Liverpool's 'expected goals' for and against statistics, in 10000 simulations, OPTA never came up with fewer than 3 draws from that period (iirc, was at 20 games), so the record is both evidence of an exceptional team having slightly freaky luck (as in they should only be 15 to 18 points ahead, not 22 ;-) ).

The one interesting question for the title race is what record can Liverpool set by the end of the season, or do they stop trying and focu on Europe once the title is secured?

[lfc91]

Well if they manage to overturn the Atletico results and progress (big ask), I would happily watch the under 23s play in each game prior to a champs league tie.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

I had seen xG stats that suggest Liverpool should be second!

I tell you one thing, no one would have predicted David Moyes's awful West Ham would be the team to push Liverpool the most in a PL game this season

[Galted]

I had seen xG stats that suggest Liverpool should be second!

I tell you one thing, no one would have predicted David Moyes's awful West Ham would be the team to push Liverpool the most in a PL game this season

I take exception to that, Flipper, Villa led them with 3 minutes to go.

[Atila]

I had seen xG stats that suggest Liverpool should be second!

I tell you one thing, no one would have predicted David Moyes's awful West Ham would be the team to push Liverpool the most in a PL game this season

I take exception to that, Flipper, Villa led them with 3 minutes to go.

I thought that United deserved to beat them at Old Trafford.

[lfc91]

In terms of watching the games and how likely I felt we were to lose them before we scored, I would rank them:

United (Thought it had 1-0 United written all over it)
Villa (Liverpool were pressing so thought a draw was quite possible).
Westham (from it went 2-1 Liverpool really went for it and thought we were still very likely to win).

Although any other season we would be looking at a loss and 2 draws in those 3 games. Fair play to them for never giving up on the result.

[Crimey]

Some of the performances by the teams lower down the league against Liverpool must have been so frustrating for their fans to watch - Villa, West Ham, Norwich & Manchester United have all put in really strong performances against Liverpool that suggest they could achieve a lot more. 

What happens here? Is it just that players are more up for the Liverpool games? Does Liverpool's style of play enable teams to play more open or more aggressive?

[westisbest]

The villa Liverpool game was a killer.
We played well. But to lose it so late on was, was so frustrating.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Some of the performances by the teams lower down the league against Liverpool must have been so frustrating for their fans to watch - Villa, West Ham, Norwich & Manchester United have all put in really strong performances against Liverpool that suggest they could achieve a lot more. 

What happens here? Is it just that players are more up for the Liverpool games? Does Liverpool's style of play enable teams to play more open or more aggressive?

We were just less sh1t against Liverpool a couple of times. Not some mythical oh the mighty, wonderful, glorious Liverpool FC are in town and we must raise our swords to do battle against Klopp's band of merry men

[Atila]

Norwich City 1 Leicester City 0

Leicester should consider themselves lucky that the teams below them are all very average. Otherwise I could easily see them being caught and knocked out of the top 4. Might still happen the way Leicester are going.

[Duty281]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-8056083/Liverpool-NOT-assured-title-Government-orders-games-cancelled-coronavirus.html

Will the Coronavirus beat Liverpool to the title, and give Norwich the most unlikeliest of reprieves?

[Soul Requiem]

The daily mail... Good one.

[Duty281]

The daily mail... Good one.

Well they're quoting from the Telegraph, but the Telegraph's behind a paywall so little point in linking to it.

[Guest]

Imagine the scenes though on Merseyside, if the situation worsens, and this season’s PL is declared null and void

[westisbest]

If that was the case then no relegation then

[Guest]

Liverpool been terrible since the winter break

[westisbest]

Bad day so far for villa. Could be a bad weekend.

[Duty281]

Lolz 3-0 Watford.

Wenger's invincibles are safe for another year.

[Atila]

Ah well, another year of listening to Arsenal fans talking about their "invincible" season, even though they only managed to win one of the four prizes that they challenged for.

[hampo17]

That result has been coming, midfield looks a lot worse without Henderson in there. Hopefully we can bounce back and find the early season form again.

[Atila]

What was remarkable about Liverpool's unbeaten run was the amount of games that they won, they hardly had any draws. Since their last loss to Man City they won 39 out of a possible 45 games. I'm a Man United man but I have to admit that's awesome from Liverpool.

[hampo17]

Arsenal fans celebrating like they're won the league because they try to keep their "invincible" tag. Fair few streaming how Liverpool fans have been shouting about going unbeaten for the season as well. I listen to 606 most weekends, and haven't heard any Liverpool fans talk about that, all the focus is on getting that title over the line.

[Atila]

De Gea, what a howler. I shouldn't laugh as I'm a United man but I did think towards the end of last season that Romero should have been given a chance. Dean Henderson is also a United player so De Gea shouldn't think of himself as un-droppable.

[lfc91]

Well that result was a long time coming. Fair play to Watford, thoroughly deserved their win. Hopefully thats a wake up call. Weren't playing well for a few months but kept getting the results. Could be a blessing in disguise.

Lovren may well be in his final season at Liverpool. Opposition strikers coming out to say they target him says it all really. (Not that that was any big secret as it is always clearly the plan when he is on the pitch). Too prone to bad decisions and always the possibility he is about to put in 1 of those performances where he looks like he's never seen a football before..

Top 4 race well and truly heating up. United and Wolves well on Chelsea's heels. Sheffield still in there with the game in hand. Wouldn't be confident Leicester are safe from being sucked into this either. Tottenham imploding. Exciting stuff.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

There’s a good few players at Liverpool I’d suggest are ready for the scrap heap. Shaqiri, Lallana, Lovren are all surely gone. Milner seems like he’d love to go to a promoted Leeds.

Infuriating that they’d blow up against Watford. We finally win a game and Watford shove pressure on.

[lfc91]

There’s a good few players at Liverpool I’d suggest are ready for the scrap heap. Shaqiri, Lallana, Lovren are all surely gone. Milner seems like he’d love to go to a promoted Leeds.

Infuriating that they’d blow up against Watford. We finally win a game and Watford shove pressure on.

Yeah you are right there. Though think the other 3 you mentioned are leaving to get more game time rather than not being good enough. Think the majority of fans would happily see those 3 stay on as part of the squad, not sure the feeling would be the same for Lovren...

Just glad they didn't blow up a game earlier! Got going to the West Ham game (generally only get too 1 a year) and to be at the game where they finally lost would have been devastating!

[Dolphin Ziggler]

I had seen xG stats that suggest Liverpool should be second!

I tell you one thing, no one would have predicted David Moyes's awful West Ham would be the team to push Liverpool the most in a PL game this season

I take exception to that, Flipper, Villa led them with 3 minutes to go.

Pfft, one measly goal Villa got. What Samatta with ya?

[Duty281]

Ah well, another year of listening to Arsenal fans talking about their "invincible" season, even though they only managed to win one of the four prizes that they challenged for.

Liverpool trying to go the same way!

[GSC]

suddenly 90 minutes away from their season effectively ending.

[Galted]

I had seen xG stats that suggest Liverpool should be second!

I tell you one thing, no one would have predicted David Moyes's awful West Ham would be the team to push Liverpool the most in a PL game this season

I take exception to that, Flipper, Villa led them with 3 minutes to go.

Pfft, one measly goal Villa got. What Samatta with ya?

Hause that relevant?

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

suddenly 90 minutes away from their season effectively ending.

Weird that the self titled “mentality monsters” have crumbled losing one player. Average team winning one of the worst quality leagues in a while

[hampo17]

Don’t buy that the league is the worst it’s been for a while. Teams are taking points off each other which indicates that is more competitive than ever, and if you look at the points teams have compared to previous seasons then it’s not much different for the respective positions.

[Soul Requiem]

suddenly 90 minutes away from their season effectively ending.

Weird that the self titled “mentality monsters” have crumbled losing one player. Average team winning one of the worst quality leagues in a while

Liverpool are doing what they need to but like you say the league is abysmal at the moment.

It's also worth remembering that Dortmund tended to fall apart in the final few months of the season too. Klopps tend to prosper with a high energy pressing game but does prefer a smaller squad which has it's drawbacks come the tail end of a season.

[westisbest]

Don’t buy that the league is the worst it’s been for a while. Teams are taking points off each other which indicates that is more competitive than ever, and if you look at the points teams have compared to previous seasons then it’s not much different for the respective positions.

Yeah I would agree with this.

[GSC]

Liverpool are an outstanding team, and a class above the rest of the teams this year. Whether they're one of the greats like the stats indicate is another question, but statistics are misleading in this regard (personally think this Liverpool team is better than Arsenals Invincibles etc).

[Duty281]

Yes, the league is the worst it's been in a little while (since Leicester won it in '16)  in terms of quality. It may be more competitive than before in certain positions e.g. the race for fifth place, but that's only because the quality has dipped and there's not a lot of difference now between Palace and United.

Liverpool are still a fine team, but I wouldn't say they're as good as the Arsenal Invincibles or the Chelsea vintage of 04/05/06.

All across Europe, actually, there's been a bit of a dip in quality in the last season or two in the major leagues, leaving no outstanding team on the continent.

[Beer]

Reminds me very much of the 2012-2013 season, United's last. One of the worst United sides in memory, the season after City first won it, capped off with Wigan winning the FA Cup.

[GSC]

it's always going to be subjective because you have to balance different eras, but I would say theres something in that Liverpool have already won the same number of games and they still have 10 games to play, City in the 2 seasons prior to this won 6 more games in each season.

Does not losing a game outweigh being more dominant. Probably have different answers for each person.

[Soul Requiem]

Combined Arsenal/Liverpool team

Alisson

A-Arnold-Campbell-VVD-Cole

Ljungberg-Vieira-Gilberto-Pires

Mane

Henry

Arsenal 7-4 Liverpool

Ljungberg and Gilberto only just in that side so could reasonably be 6-5 Liverpool.

[Beer]

Very good point. Football has evolved since then. We had the Makelele era, the 4-4-3, the 4-1-3-2, 4-5-1 etc.

Regardless of era, both a superb achievements in their own right. Doesn't matter how poor the opposition are, or the competition, Liverpool have won 26 out of 28 and basically have the title in the bag. That deserves credit.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

It’s a poorer quality premier league at the top, but I think it’s probably a stronger average one.

Move that formation to 4-3-3
Alisson, TAA Campbell VVD Cole, Vieira Fabinho Gilberto, Mane Henry Salah.

Liverpool are very good. City were very good and their metrics are fantastic. Suspect they’ll improve their squad and their luck a bit next year

[Soul Requiem]

It’s a poorer quality premier league at the top, but I think it’s probably a stronger average one.

Move that formation to 4-3-3
Alisson, TAA Campbell VVD Cole, Vieira Fabinho Gilberto, Mane Henry Salah.

Liverpool are very good. City were very good and their metrics are fantastic. Suspect they’ll improve their squad and their luck a bit next year

There's no way in a 4-3-3 that you're picking Mane or Salah over Pires.

[hampo17]

Depends what you're wanting out of your player, Pires scored 63 goals and assisted 34 in his time during the premier league. If you're wanting end product than Salah provides that more than Pires does. All personal opinion though.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

I think Mane and Salah are better than Pires. Little overrated cos he was a bit sexy, he might get in as a 10 with Vieira and Gilberto behind him

[Duty281]

It’s a poorer quality premier league at the top, but I think it’s probably a stronger average one.

Move that formation to 4-3-3
Alisson, TAA Campbell VVD Cole, Vieira Fabinho Gilberto, Mane Henry Salah.

Liverpool are very good. City were very good and their metrics are fantastic. Suspect they’ll improve their squad and their luck a bit next year

There's no way in a 4-3-3 that you're picking Mane or Salah over Pires.

Agree, Pires was utter magic in the 03/04 season and his link play with Henry was phenomenal.

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