2019/20 Premier League Thread - The Longest Season

by **Good Golly I'm Olly** Mon 13 May 2019, 9:04 am

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

by **owen10ozzy** Wed 20 May 2020, 7:52 pm

Currently in work so can't react to all of what you have said although you have focused on schools a lot in terms of opening etc yet that isnt an actual point i have really made.

With regards your views on what and what is not essential; am i right in thinking you support the idea of them not returning to work and are with their view that they are being singled out and being treated as guinea pigs when they are not essential workers and thus shouldnt be left to feel forced go back to work?

If that is the case id be interested on knowing where you stand with other sectors? For instance will you be condoning or partaking in taking holidays abroad or in this countru until a vaccine is found? Would you support or even visit pubs and clubs or restaurants when ban is lifted regardless of whether their vaccine?

I ask because i do wonder where people draw their own line with what they deem essential or not.

As to the shops want those things sold...its just like football...if the demand wasnt their...i.e. people werent idiots and just shopped for actual essentials then shops woudnt provide it right now. The fact is...people choose and decide what they do and dont want to buy...thus we then provide it...in the same manner many people want to watch football despite it not being a neccessity in these times...so their is unfortunately a drive to try and provide it.

I have at no point actually stated i support the idea of football starting again...and my opinion is that it is far and away one of the few things we should be worried about getting going again.

However the way in which many former and current players have spoken about being made to feel like scapegoats...lab rats etc I absolutely cannot agree. Its so far from that its unbelievable.

You keep stating they have a right to be concerned for their health and safety...of course they do...where have i said different? Do they have a right to speak about as a reason fkr not playing while knowing that from that standpoint they are more than taken care in all aspects? Id argue perhaps not to the degree it is. As Paul mentioned earlier...its not a discussion about taking services away from the NHS. If they required NHS services then id imagine it would be absolutely minimal because they would recieve the very best of healthcare from club doctors and their own private healthcare which they can all afford.

And another thing...if football was cancelled until september but suddenly restaurants and clubs and bars and holidays became viable optiohs do you think all those same players would think twice about using any of those services. Absolutely not!

Like i said...I would love to here what people do think should return to service...open up first etc and just when because i think the goalposts are moved to suit what people actually miss themselves...not what is important to society as a whole.

by GSC Wed 20 May 2020, 7:58 pm

I don't really see how they can be described as lab rats or guinea pigs when the conditions and level of care they're receiving aren't remotely representative of what most people returning to work will.

by **Dolphin Ziggler** Wed 20 May 2020, 8:40 pm

I'll cut it down a touch:

We are comparing them to teachers etc, so thus relevant. And Paul brought it up too.

I 100% support people not being forced back to work in conditions where they don't feel safe. I definitely support their reluctant return rather than demonising them in the press for being in buses when their awful bosses play with their lives and make them. It is a national scandal but deflected by "WHY ARE THEY SITTING ON SEATS NEAR PEOPLE?!" outrage.

I am currently stuck in England when I usually live in Australia. My partners (and, most importantly, my cats) are over there and I cannot return to them. I do not support the sector opening for commercial flights and will not be travelling abroad for a long time. I am also not attending my aunt's funeral tomorrow and have yet to meet my first nephew. I won't be frequenting said places for a long time, at least without an understanding of hygiene and distancing measures. I would rather get takeaway and hope restaurants can adapt.

Shops are already open, they have to be open, it is not like football is going but we are deciding whether we can allow tackling.

They are lab rats in the way they are being used without real knowledge it is safe and in a contact sport, where other areas going back are social distancing. It is also an expression, a quite common one, and is being focused on out of context because of course.

Private healthcare combinations with NHS are there, as well as taking resources. That's a minor point but worthy still.

Your tone is suggesting they don't really have the right because they will be better protected than you or a nurse. Their concern is not unimportant because they might be well taken care of with money. They are not ever comparing their well-being with a nurse or essential worker, not that that is how we should judge standards. They are, remember, concerned for their families, that in a world where we can't see both parents, they can be expected to be in constant contact for no reason. No reason.

You cannot suggest they should play because they might flout the rules otherwise. That is a horrible character assassination based on media nonsense.

Need to change what you read and digest

by Soul Requiem Wed 20 May 2020, 8:57 pm

No real knowledge if it's safe? Surely the constant testing is for that very reason. I don't really care if football returns or not but the outrage at suggesting they're lab rats is just grossly ridiculous and highlights how out of touch they are.

by **Good Golly I'm Olly** Wed 20 May 2020, 8:58 pm

I presume Owen’s time as a teacher came to an end when a superior read his use of there/their/they’re and your/you’re

by **owen10ozzy** Wed 20 May 2020, 11:43 pm

I teach Maths and Physical Education so im pretty much covered to be honest Olly...however given I did have to do an English test and passed with 97% i would figure my pretty poor spelling is likely down to being shattered due to being a guinea pig and having to work 55 hr weeks and serve plebs who want to get their fix of beer and charcoal for their essential barbecues all while standing over me to grab stuff and ignoring the 2 meter rule that keeps me safe (according to those amazing researchers who have concluded that bacteria caused through spitting, sneezing or coughing can only travel that far before coming to a grinding halt).

Thank you for the English lesson though I shall study your post meticulously from here on to ensure i show vast improvemet moving forward.

by Guest Thu 28 May 2020, 4:12 pm

Well, after all that, the PL is to return on, June 17th.

by westisbest Fri 05 Jun 2020, 6:47 pm

We have 4 games in 10 days. Gonna be tricky.
Still being positive that we can stay up.

by Duty281 Fri 05 Jun 2020, 8:33 pm

So a strange old summer then. Club football, not the international lot. The fixture list piled high to cram in the remaining fixtures, with (for some teams) ten games to be squeezed into five and a bit weeks. The teams that stay up will be the ones who can manage the attrition rate the best.

With this season supposedly finishing on the 25th July, providing nothing goes wrong, does this mean next season will start in early August as normally intended?

by westisbest Fri 05 Jun 2020, 9:17 pm

If all goes to plan with finishing the season, then next season will start on September 12th I think.

by **Good Golly I'm Olly** Sat 06 Jun 2020, 8:21 am

UEFA wants to play the remaining champions league and europa league games in August I think Duty, if memory serves me correct

by westisbest Sat 06 Jun 2020, 9:25 am

September 5th they hope for next season to start.

by Duty281 Sun 07 Jun 2020, 2:22 pm

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:UEFA wants to play the remaining champions league and europa league games in August I think Duty, if memory serves me correct

westisbest wrote:September 5th they hope for next season to start.

Ta.

by Duty281 Wed 17 Jun 2020, 6:49 pm

Never mind VAR, goal-line tech has decided to fail on the PL's return.

by **Dolphin Ziggler** Wed 17 Jun 2020, 7:54 pm

There is nothing more "the Premier League is back" than that goal not being given. If Villa stay up by a point...

by westisbest Wed 17 Jun 2020, 8:08 pm

We’ve had a lot of bad luck this season, so we are due some good luck.
Poor game overall. We had a couple of chances.

Very strange without the crowd.

We needed 3 points. Not sure where these points are going to come from.

by Duty281 Wed 17 Jun 2020, 8:23 pm

https://twitter.com/Hawkeye_view/status/1273329766750445569

According to Hawkeye, the system failed because the 7 key cameras were blocked by the goalkeeper, defender and goalpost. Everything was tested as fine prior to the match beginning; even so, Hawkeye have apologised.

by daraghj82 Thu 18 Jun 2020, 10:58 am

lets hope they sort out the hawkeye for the rest of this season !

by Eyetoldyouso Thu 18 Jun 2020, 11:46 am

Ok, so Hawkeye failed but if VAR can tell that someone's big toe is 2cm beyond an assumed line, why couldn't the VAR ref tell the on-field ref that the ball was clearly over the line. That should have taken no more than 20secs.

by Duty281 Sat 20 Jun 2020, 5:02 pm

Fair play to the VAR system, it overturned a wrong call between Tottenham/United yesterday.

Awful injury to Leno in today's game. And Brighton continue their hold over a rubbish Arsenal side - Arsenal have only won 2 out of their 15 away games in the PL this season. So much deadwood in the Arsenal defence and midfield, though Saka looks a good prospect.

by **hampo17** Sat 20 Jun 2020, 5:04 pm

Arsenal players were pathetic at the end of the game, as was Leno when he was being stretchered off. No intention from Maupay to cause injury and a type of challenge that we see every time a keeper goes up to collect a ball under pressure.

by Guest Sun 21 Jun 2020, 3:59 pm

Cracking 3-0 win for the Toon over Sheff Utd. Saint-Maximin superb again. Wilder’s side will drop like a stone now, and were always in a false position, pre-virus.

by **Dolphin Ziggler** Sun 21 Jun 2020, 5:49 pm

Joelinton cleverly forced two soft yellows and they blew up after that

by Soul Requiem Mon 22 Jun 2020, 8:32 am

I cannot stand Liverpool as a club but christ Klopp continues to come across so well, he unlike many overseas managers seems to understand the English game and it's quite refreshing.

by GSC Fri 10 Jul 2020, 7:44 am

Norwich are gone, Villa probably need 2 wins from 4 so it's likely down to Bournemouth, Watford and West Ham now

by **Good Golly I'm Olly** Fri 10 Jul 2020, 8:27 am

West Ham should beat us Saturday and pull themselves clear, would think it's a shootout between Bournemouth/Watford myself

by Duty281 Fri 10 Jul 2020, 8:43 am

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/53357841

VAR continues to be a failure.

by westisbest Fri 10 Jul 2020, 10:03 am

VAR has been an f ing joke all season.
Not been kind to us.

I think we are pretty much gone. Need to win at the very least 3 out of 4 and hope other results go our way. Can’t see it. We can’t score a goal. Barely get a shot on target.

We played pretty well again last night, until the joke of a pen.

Goal a goal down and the heads go down.
It’s disgraceful.

The annoying thing about being in the championship next season is there will be no fans.

Some good trips.

Only Villa could spend £150m and make us worse.

by compelling and rich Fri 10 Jul 2020, 12:23 pm

football has always been subjective, that's why var will never work.

need to bring in a clear and obvious mistake ruling to give on field decision more sway. they do it in other sports and it works well.

by GSC Sat 11 Jul 2020, 3:44 pm

West Ham and Watford wins have put Bournemouth well in it

by **Dolphin Ziggler** Sat 11 Jul 2020, 6:19 pm

Bournemouth and Villa have both now got only lose one more game each to have any chance of staying up. Leicester, Man City, Southampton and Everton does not look a good set of fixtures. Lose tomorrow and they’re done.

Villa may need to win all four, but certainly need three wins. In a normal relegation fight, Palace and Everton are the perfect opponents. Arsenal are an oddity too.

Can’t see how a loser tomorrow survives.

by westisbest Sat 11 Jul 2020, 7:22 pm

We can’t score a goal at the moment.
Part of me thinks we may get something tomorrow, but I doubt it.

We need 3 wins and a draw at the very least I would say.

Bournemouth look more likely to pick up a win.

It would be great if we went to west ham with it in our hands.

Sadly can’t see it.

What will make the championship worse next season is that we can’t go to games.

It really is c rap with no fans.

by **Dolphin Ziggler** Sun 12 Jul 2020, 4:36 pm

Villa are alive, with another big help from the technology, but a dominant display thereafter.

I think they’ll beat us if it goes down to the last day

by westisbest Sun 12 Jul 2020, 5:55 pm

We deserved to win despite technology.
Played well in parts last 3 games.

Massive game against Everton Thursday.
Win that and only a point behind Watford and the hammers.

Dolph, if it comes to the last day for us, I would hope you are safe by then. Would fancy our chance more.

Still 2 very tough games before then. A win has been along time coming.

Happy enough. Will see what Thursday brings. Carry on playing well, we will have a good chance.

by GSC Mon 13 Jul 2020, 9:37 am

City get their ban overturned

by guildfordbat Mon 13 Jul 2020, 9:40 am

westisbest wrote:We deserved to win despite technology.
Played well in parts last 3 games.

Massive game against Everton Thursday.
Win that and only a point behind Watford and the hammers.

Dolph, if it comes to the last day for us, I would hope you are safe by then. Would fancy our chance more.

Still 2 very tough games before then. A win has been along time coming.

Happy enough. Will see what Thursday brings. Carry on playing well, we will have a good chance.

Hi Westi, I get that but the trouble is - I don't reckon you can afford anyone around you now to be safe come the last day.

by **Good Golly I'm Olly** Mon 13 Jul 2020, 9:54 am

GSC wrote:City get their ban overturned

Almost like FFP is just there to widen the gap between the top teams across Europe and the rest, isn't it?

by GSC Mon 13 Jul 2020, 10:08 am

It's garbage designed to protect the elite from clubs who are much better ran

by Duty281 Mon 13 Jul 2020, 10:05 pm

And at the other end of the table, Manchester United concede a late goal to keep Leicester in the top four.

Leicester and United play each other on the final day, so it could end up with an effective playoff game for the final Champions League place.

by GSC Mon 13 Jul 2020, 10:06 pm

Leicester are limping home, probably bigger threats behind at this point

by GSC Thu 16 Jul 2020, 7:57 pm

With Leicester's win, United will have to get a result on the final day. Wolves out of it.

Walcott just about sinking the dagger into Villa now. Gonna have to win both of their last 2 you suspect

by Duty281 Thu 16 Jul 2020, 8:00 pm

El Ghazi missed a sitter of a chance to put Villa two up. Could be the difference between survival and relegation.

by westisbest Thu 16 Jul 2020, 8:15 pm

He should have scored, but we shouldn’t have switched off AGAIN. So frustrating.
Konsa might have been better trying to head the ball for a corner.

Played well again. If we would have played like the last few games earlier in the season and actually had a goal scorer, we may not be on this position.

Still in it, just.

Defiantly threw the 3 points away.

Frustrating.

Think that’s it though.

by **Dolphin Ziggler** Thu 16 Jul 2020, 11:28 pm

Beat Arsenal and you'll stay up. Draw and I think Bournemouth will stay up. Fancy Watford to win tomorrow and then we bottle the next two.

by westisbest Fri 17 Jul 2020, 8:33 am

I can see Bournemouth winning their last two.

by Duty281 Fri 17 Jul 2020, 9:16 pm

West Ham three up at half time against Watford, though Watford have just pulled a goal back. Fair play to West Ham, presuming they hold on here they'll have three wins from their last five games. Enough to reach safety.

Watford are unlikely to get any points from their last two games, so it's down to Bournemouth and Villa to find 4 or 6 points to get themselves safe. Bournemouth's form has been rubbish recently, but they do have the easier final two games.

by **Dolphin Ziggler** Fri 17 Jul 2020, 9:54 pm

IRONS IRONS IRONS

by westisbest Fri 17 Jul 2020, 10:07 pm

Sadly I see Bournemouth 4/6 points
Villa 1
Watford 0.
Bournemouth to stay up.

by GSC Sun 19 Jul 2020, 2:29 pm

Nigel Pearson sacked with 2 games to go

by GSC Sun 19 Jul 2020, 3:58 pm

Bournemouth on the brink. Anything other than 2 losses by Watford, Villa failing to get 3 points, and a win over Villa and they're gone.

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