2016/17 English Premier League/ Champion's League season

[bahomebrew]

Win 13 in a row and the manager looks like a genius. I didn't see the game, but at one point they were down and rallied to win. Blues cruise into the new year on a roll and with a good lead.

Liverpool did the job against City and for the life of me, I didn't see much from City to show they are ready to beat the big boys. The book is out, sit back and counter and they don't have much if the opposition is really organized. Liverpool are believing and I'm looking forward to January 31st when they face Chelsea.

Sad to see Bradley get the sack. I didn't think he was going to keep them up, but as the first Yank to manage over there, I am dismayed that he did such a poor job and that management cut him loose so quickly. It could be a long time before a European side takes a look at US managers again.

 

[beginish]

Liverpool did not take care of business today with Sunderland. City did an ice job overcoming the hole that Fernandinho dug for them. ManU is really impressing as well, though West Ham got shafted on the Feghouli red card, if you ask me.

 

[bahomebrew]

Tottenham played pretty well today, and Chelsea couldn't really muster a shot. They had a couple moments where they looked almost in the game, but in general, it was a Lilywhite London day. Arsenal missing the plot against Bournemouth. Too bad Bellerin and Xhaka chose this game to play as bad a defense as you can play. 3 poor defensive plays and 3 goals for Bournemouth. Fortunately, Chelsea lose and stay within touching distance of the pack.

I'm sure everyone is exhausted after the holiday fixtures, it's just a grueling schedule that BPL has this time of year. I don't mind all the games in rapid fire succession as a fan, but it has to be tough for the players to expend so much and look up and have half the season plus Cups and Europe, in some cases, still to go.

 

[bahomebrew]

Ugh... City thrashed by Everton. Their defensive woes continue. They generated some decent chances going forward, but they gave up some howlers , just bad man marking on the counter. Any opinions on the Sterling penalty not given? I feel like it's a penalty and maybe the ref didn't have a good angle, but the keeper is beaten and takes out the player. Would Sterling have been able to get the ball past Baines sliding through? I dunno, but I don't think it matters. Was it the worst challenge I've ever seen? No, but I thought it was a penalty. At ten minutes in, it would've made a difference in momentum if not outcome.


I watched the L'pool/United game today and though it had more appeal than their first meeting this season, I still don't see United as contenders any time soon. L'pool has taken a few steps back and seemed content to defend for a 1-0 win but ultimately couldn't hold it.

Chelsea bounce back and both L'pool and City falter. Will be tough, but still a lot of season left. I don't think this seals it for Chelsea, but they certainly have their tails up and are cruising at the moment.

 

[beginish]

Spurs are positively sick right now.

 

[bahomebrew]

Spurs are positively sick right now.

They managed a draw when they loooked dead to rights and had all the calls go their way today. Those are the kind of results they need when they aren't at their best. I can't say I'm thrilled at the way that one played out, but City looked very good. The goals they scored were opportunistic, but they created quite a lot and had many opportunities. Tottenham got a good goal on their first, Clichy should should have closed harder on Walker's cross, but he lasered it to Alli. Kane was offsides on the assist to Son for the second no call, which hurts after the no call on Walker's shove on Sterling about a minute earlier. Such is the game of football. They both have to wait for Chelsea to slip at this point.

Swansea stun Liverpool 3-2. Maybe they have found the man who will keep them up for another season. Big result for the Swans when both Palace and Sunderland both falter and Hull is staring down the Chelsea barrel.

 

[beginish]

Totally pissed about Liverpool. I loaded up on the Reds in that game for my fantasy league. Who knew that I should have started 11 Llorentes.

 

[nffclsr]

I have got this gut feeling that Leicester City will be relegated this season.

Hear me out.....

1) Vardy has lost a step or 2 of his pace, and his game is built all around his consistent pace over 90 minutes. Reminds me very much of Micheal Owen in that respect. Owen figured out how to adapt his game later in his career to deal with his loss of pace, we'll soon see over the next few seasons if Vardy can figure that out as well. I personally think the Foxes should have let Vardy join Arsenal last summer.

2) The Champion's League is distracting the manager. His efforts over the summer seemed to point to his plans for dealing with continental play rather than the rigors of the Premiership. The likes of Musa, Mendy, Slimani all came in with an eye on the European Cup, and Amartey was expected to step up in a big way (see below). It might be best all round for the club if they get knocked out of Europe in the next round.

3) Failure to replace Kante. The man was the main reason the foxes won the title last season, and it's so obvious now they are missing how much work he actually did for the team. His performances for Chelsea this season further highlight this.

4) With Kante missing, Premiership sides have figured out just how immobile Huth and Morgan are. Kante used to stop attackers running straight at the huge but slow Leicester central defenders, now their lack of mobility is being exploited. Tinkerman has just brought in both Ndidi and Wague to try to help in this regard, but will they adapt to the pace and strength of the Premiership in time to make a difference?

I really hope I'm wrong, it would be horrible to see the the champions relegated.

Middlesbrough, Palace, Hull and Swansea all really strengthened their squads in January (Sunderland look doomed), it'll be a tough fight at the bottom of the table if the foxes don't climb out of it sooner than later.

 

[nffclsr]

Speaking of Wes Morgan, did anyone else see his fantastic contract he shared after signing on with Captain Morgan Rum?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-4037176/Wes-Morgan-signs-agreement-drinks-giant-stating-Leicester-man-shout-s-one-Captain-Morgan.html

 

[nffclsr]

Ranieri has just been made the favorite to be the next manager sacked in the Premiership by Skybet! Hopefully that isn't what happens as the Foxes' ownership should see sense of sticking with him.

 

[beginish]

It doesn't help that Mahrez has been a shadow of himself this year.

 

[bahomebrew]

If the expectation is that Tinkerman is going to win the league every year with Leicester City, than he will get the ax. I hope he earned enough credit with his performance last year and in the CL this year to give him a chance to see out the season.

That said, the relegation battle is intense right now. 6 teams within two points of each other. I would hate for Leicester to go down after winning the league, but I said earlier in the thread, it is weird the success they have had in CL compared to their League performance. They look like two different teams.

 

[beginish]

The relegation battle is nuts. Villa was so out of it last year, there was no doubt about who would be at the very bottom. This year, it looked like Sunderland would be that team, but somehow, Moyes of all managers has them pulling out of it. After the game against City last week, I'm not sure that Swansea won't pull clear either. They have looked far better than they did under Bradley. Honestly, Leicester has been the most middling of late.

 

[nffclsr]

I find the relegation battle much more interesting than the top of the table.

Llorente and Sigurdsson for Swansea, Defoe for Sunderland, Cabaye and Benteke for Palace, Dawson and Snodgrass (before he left for West Ham) for Hull, have all been classy players to watch for their struggling teams.

 

[bahomebrew]

I am enjoying the battle at both ends of the table. At the bottom, things have cleared up a bit with Swansea's recent form pulling them 4pts clear, but still too close to call. I feel like Hull are playing pretty well for a team with only 20pts who recently jettisoned their best striker, and Palace have loads of quality. I don't want to bet against Defoe, as he has been a great performer, but the Black Cats look the least likely to me.

At the top, aside from Chelsea, it is a log jam and you have 5 teams vying for 3 CL spots. I'm not saying anyone is catching Chelsea, but their form has tailed off from the scinitllating it was to more human of late. Stranger things have happened. United are on the best unbeaten run since Fergie and can't crack the CL and even though Arsenal have looked like the same old song, they are still hanging in there. A win for City tomorrow sees them in second and eight pts shy of Chelsea, a draw puts them level with Spurs and Gunners and a loss keeps them on the outside looking in. Glad it is on at noon West Coast time, I can watch without having to drink too much coffee.

 

[bahomebrew]

We haven't discussed CL much here, but it's in the title of the thread, so here goes. Barce got shellacked and Dortmund are staring down the barrel to Benfica.

I haven't been impressed with Barce this season, but I wouldn't have put PSG 4 goals ahead. I have watched them[Barce] consistently for about a decade and this is the worst they have looked in that time, and that includes the whole Tata Martino phase where they looked fairly toothless. Whoever has been in charge of transfers this past season or so has been killing them. Danny Alvez and Munir al Hadadi should not have been let go, Umtiti, Gomes, Mathieu, and Denis Suarez are none of them any good. Xavi Hernandez looks more and more like the lynch pin that held the whole thing together and made it all go tick.

I am curious about the Arsenal and Munich game, and Napoli are always a plucky and flashy side, though I think they lack the quality to keep up with Madrid, but I won't be able to watch tomorrow. C'est la vie.

 

[beginish]

Arsenal looked positively dreadful against Bayern. Is it just me or does it seem like Sanchez is the only Arsenal player who seems to give a crap?

 

[nffclsr]

Wow, it just doesn't get any better for Leicester City, losing to 10 man Millwall in the FA Cup!

I think it's time they gave their reserve team or youth teams a shot at saving their season, the first team are just going to get them relegated.

We all know the British media will make their relegation a bigger story than their success last season.

 

[nffclsr]

Arsenal looked positively dreadful against Bayern. Is it just me or does it seem like Sanchez is the only Arsenal player who seems to give a crap?

Roy Keane was right when he said if Gibbs is your captain then the team is lacking a leader.

I think Giroud is a first class striker, and Xhaka always puts in a good shift but he lacks discipline. Ozil on his day is a world beater, that man has such vision with the ball at his feet, but for some reason it's not clicking for him all the time in London.

I know everyone will say I'm crazy, but I've never really thought much of Sanchez as a player. I think Arsenal missed their chance to sell him for a fortune over the past summer, that money should have been thrown at Kante to get him to choose them over Chelsea. With Kante in their side the Gunners would be walking the league this season.

 

[beginish]

Kante is so good.