...::[The Footy Desk]::... (Part 2)

[smokeless6]

It should have been downgraded or overturned with VAR in my view. I can see how in real-time, with the ref's angle, it would appear a red. Looked like he stamped down on him, and the player's reaction doesn't help as it looks as though he's been shot.

 

But on replay it's clear, and why even have VAR if they can't intervene and overrule in these cases? Every week there are five or ten cases like this and it's rarely gotten right. Hard to understand what is going on with VAR, and despite my early support, I've wavered on evidence, and it just isn't well run and getting the calls right. I certainly don't think it has done enough to overcome the effect it has on the flow of the game, and the excitement in the stands. It feels like they are flipping coins in the booth and it is this inconsistency and random outcomes (rulings, what they cannot do, what they can, when they intervene and when they do not) that makes it frustrating. It has to be better.

[beneksy]

15 hours ago, smokeless6 said:

It should have been downgraded or overturned with VAR in my view. I can see how in real-time, with the ref's angle, it would appear a red. Looked like he stamped down on him, and the player's reaction doesn't help as it looks as though he's been shot.

 

But on replay it's clear, and why even have VAR if they can't intervene and overrule in these cases? Every week there are five or ten cases like this and it's rarely gotten right. Hard to understand what is going on with VAR, and despite my early support, I've wavered on evidence, and it just isn't well run and getting the calls right. I certainly don't think it has done enough to overcome the effect it has on the flow of the game, and the excitement in the stands. It feels like they are flipping coins in the booth and it is this inconsistency and random outcomes (rulings, what they cannot do, what they can, when they intervene and when they do not) that makes it frustrating. It has to be better.

 

Refereeing in Premier League last season was bad, pretty bad. This season has potential to be even worse In these times, with VAR, other types of electronical verifications, goal lines etc. we're just depending the most on the referee's humour specific day and hour. Bruno got red for controversial foul, but not red card worthy.  I was watching Arsenal vs Leicester,  and there were much more brutal fouls without even cards shown or game stopped. Every match is just on different level in terms of refereeing, we need to build consistency between matches in that term.

[Jason]

I dunno what it is about Emery, put him in a top top side and I don't think he's at his best. But at clubs like Sevilla, Villa? I think he's one of the absolute best managers in world at those sort of clubs.

 

Their journey under him is incredible, and in general they're a great team to watch IMO. Morgan Rogers has impressed me A LOT this season in particular. The way he runs with the ball and beats people is incredible, there will be an England call up for him sooner rather than later I think.

[TheSantader25]

5 years ago i was hearing that the top guys at Villa want their team to become among the best in the world. At the time I thought it was typical talk. But they clearly seem to have a project to slowly push Villa up the food chain.

[Jason]

Villa have been spending big for a few years yea, but they struggled with finding the right manager. In Emery they've found the perfect one and getting him to extend in the summer was I think an absolute massive moment for the club.

 

They've also recruited pretty damn well in recent years too, with some good value buys as well.

 

They're a historic club with an already established and decent size fanbase around the world, I don't see a reason why they can't continue to grow and grow and become one of the top sides.

[Cordohen]

After ManU in 2005 and AC Milan in 2006, we were missing a third prestigious victory against a big club in UCL. We've waited a long time for it, but it finally happened yesterday. And it wasn't against just anyone. It was David vs Goliath, quite literaly. What a perfect evening that was for us. So proud of these players, especially Lucas Chevalier and Tiago Santos. Also, honorable mention to Ayyoub Bouaddi, first time starter, on his 17th birthday – he kept his head on his shoulders. Pretty f*cking insane considering who he was playing against. Lille's got heart, and it showed.

[TheSantader25]

2 hours ago, Cordohen said:

After ManU in 2005 and AC Milan in 2006, we were missing a third prestigious victory against a big club in UCL. We've waited a long time for it, but it finally happened yesterday. And it wasn't against just anyone. It was David vs Goliath, quite literaly. What a perfect evening that was for us. So proud of these players, especially Lucas Chevalier and Tiago Santos. Also, honorable mention to Ayyoub Bouaddi, first time starter, on his 17th birthday – he kept his head on his shoulders. Pretty f*cking insane considering who he was playing against. Lille's got heart, and it showed.

As a Barca fan I thank your club lol. I always respect teams who play with heart against Madrid.

[Jason]

Who knows how this second half will go, but this first half is hilarious for all the wrong reasons. We went two goals up because Costa had an absolute mare for both goals, and we conceded two because we simply cannot defend.

 

It's 101 of management, if you're leaking goals you close up shop at the back and try and grind out some results for confidence. We just keep going full speed in this sh*t direction that's never once looked like working since the start of last season.

 

I don't fault the board for sticking with him after the FA Cup, but it's clear and obvious now that ETH simply isn't cut out for this level of management.

 

edit: Maguire with the stay of execution. I swear we'll draw against Villa and we'll ramble on past the international break. Have to say as well, while I have sympathy for them cause the whole defensive setup is god awful, De Ligt and Martinez were not good tonight, De Ligt especially, but Martinez hasn't been in great form this season. Also I have no idea why, but Bruno's head was not in that game at all. Poor game and two high foots and getting sent off is just... what are you doing man. 

[Eutyphro]

If they keep struggling it is a matter of time before Man U offers a big bag of money to Tuchel again in hope that he comes.

[LongHairedFreakyGuy]

 

It's always fun being a Leeds fan. 

 

 

[Jason]

Was watching it, could not believe what I'd seen.

 

Howler of the season in English football, it won't be topped. Might be the howler of the season everywhere. One of the worst I've ever seen.

 

I still don't understand it, it's absolutely f*cking criminal.

[Eutyphro]

At this rate I'm joining the "sack ETH" crowd. He doesn't have what it takes to make the tough decisions to move this team in a good direction.

[Jason]

Well, we won, and honestly I thought we looked pretty decent especially in the 2nd half. We conceded a goal in what was a bit of a f*ck up on our account. I'm not a medic so I don't know what proper protocol is or what was wrong, but I'd like to know why De Ligt wasn't given the good ol "headband" with the wrapped bandaged the first time he was treated, rather then just wiping it and gelling it w/e they did. Ultimately it likely cost us a goal in a game where we were under no threat, the team looked a bit angry about De Ligt having to go off and didn't organise well at all.

 

But second half we were good, two good goals, everyone worked hard, Rashford especially I thought. Casemiro rolled back the years running around breaking up play, hope that injury wasn't serious for him cause we're short in midfield. Garnacho's on the road to be an elite player if not world class as well, he's so good.

[Eutyphro]

I had a terrible stream and bad internet so could not see much of the game but when I saw Rashford start I knew the game was not going to be easy. I made my post when they were 0-1 down.

[TheSantader25]

Beating Bayern after 8 years. Truly an important victory against a side we always struggle against. Flick has made our players able to run for 90 minutes. Incredible job by him so far despite having loads of injuries as well. Almost every player looks improved under him at the moment. We will have a tough game against Madrid on Saturday.

[Jason]

Bayern in the first 10, after they conceded, looked like they were gonna tear Barca apart but thye never took their chances.

 

Also that Bayern line just screams "I wanna be special" from the manager tbh. Looked naive for most of the game, once Barca settled down a bit.

[TheSantader25]

Yeah Kompany so far seems like a very inexperienced manager. Even more than Xavi i'd say because it seems like he is trying weird tactics being too passionate and stubborn about them.

[Jason]

It's the classic you know what that Barca line is gonna do, you know what they want, what they're gonna want to do all game... but they set up in a way that allowed them to do it all game and score 4 goals from it.

 

Pep, Klopp, Fergie, Ancelotti etc etc wouldn't do that. They'd adapt, tell them to drop off or something, get a foot hold in the game etc. But some of these new young managers, and Kompany was probably world class in his day as a defender, but he's yet another young new manager who looks like he's trying to reinvent the wheel and be some genius tactician.

 

Burnley did similar stuff under him and I remember someone asking the question if he was playing that way NOT for Burnleys benefit but for his own benefit, because he wanted to be employ it at a bigger club. Running before you can walk etc.

[Eutyphro]

Congrats to Barca. I had loads of fun watching this game. It was a fun game to watch, but Bayern looked like naive kids for a large part of the match. I liked seeing Frenkie play a bit as well. It was a good evening of football, except for Bayern who were bad.

Edited October 23, 2024 by Eutyphro

[Cordohen]

 

THE MADRILENIAN SLAYER

[TheSantader25]

Typical Barca 0-4 performance at our second home ground in Madrid. Great performance. Those offside traps definitely make my heart beat really fast but they do seem to work well so far.

Edited October 26, 2024 by TheSantader25

[Jason]

Fair to say Hansi Flick, right now, has got something cooking in Barca. They've got a little bit of a golden generation coming through as well from the academy.

[Jason]

Been supportive of VAR since it came in. Didn't believe the tech was the problem, still don't really.

 

But after that penalty I think I might have just turned on VAR completely. It has to be a clear and obvious error to be sent to the screen, which it was not. It also wasn't a penalty, but it was given.

 

Absolutely pathetic decision from Michael Oliver, our supposed best ref, in the VAR booth and a shambolic wet fart of a decision from a ref who clearly bottled it after taking 2 minutes to make it.

[smokeless6]

Barca were magnificent, and I am impressed by how Flick has come in and got the team clicking right away. It's an amazingly young squad and they are playing very well.  That he has turned back the clock on Lewandoski is to his credit as well. Makes me re-assess Xavi to an extent, who maybe wasn't as good as I thought, but that's speculative.

 

Ten Hag has been sacked. Ironically one of the worst things that happened to united last year was winning the FA Cup. That kept Ten Hag on. It isn't all on him, but I think it was clear he wasn't the answer, and had little idea how to right the ship. His recent comments haven't helped him, and whatever you think about how fair it was on him, I think they had to make a change regardless. 14th in the table is not where they expect to be.

 

Liverpool fortunate to leave with a point, but this was one of the toughest fixtures on the docket, away to Arsenal, and to take a point is good. They were poor in the first half. Honestly I was surprised by the tactics, seemingly content to pass in across the back, try to draw Arsenal forward, and then have the keeper punt it upfield. This rarely worked, Arsenal first to every second ball off the end off these aerial challenges from the keeper's punt. They don't have the players up front to make this sort of thing work, and it showed.

 

Second half they came out and threw that out the window and started playing out from the back, clearly intending to ply through the base of midfield and looked better. Four really good goals in the game, Saka's was brilliant it must be said. On balance Arsenal were the better side, so to escape with a point is a good result.

[Eutyphro]

On 10/19/2024 at 5:05 PM, Eutyphro said:

At this rate I'm joining the "sack ETH" crowd. He doesn't have what it takes to make the tough decisions to move this team in a good direction.

And then when an Ajax fan like me thinks it's time it is really time. Inevitable stuff. It was hard to wish good things for Man U and to have to keep watching this bs. The coach I would wish for Man U is Conte. I want someone who kicks their ass and puts all the Rashford type primadonna useless mentally weak ones in their place. Man U has been sh*t for too long. They need a coach that gives them absolute hell and seperates the dead wood from the top level talent such as Garnacho, who can be built on.

 

You could literally appoint Conte for two seasons and bring ETH back in to organize attacking football when the weakness and nonsense has been rooted from the squad. Ten Hag is an optimistic coach, but what this squad needs is a much more tactical/pessimistic coach. An Italian coach or Emery is going to be best I think 

Edited October 28, 2024 by Eutyphro

[Jason]

I've said it before but in his first season ETH was excellent. In his second season he tried to completely change how we played and it was a complete disaster and the warning signs were there from the pre-season that summer. The hope was that he'd change it this season after the pragmatic and tactically perfect FA Cup win, but it's just been more of the same. We're trying things all over the pitch that just do not work at this level, or at least with these players.

 

He has ultimately got him self fired by his inability to change his style. Maybe some of that's on the players, idk, and their finishing has been poor this season, but I don't think he can really have anyone to blame but him self honestly.

[Eutyphro]

Yeah, it is why I even gave up hoping, when it became clear he did not have the tools to fix the situation. He is not the right coach for this group. This is not a group with a bunch of young hard working players like at Ajax. This group is full of players with big egos. They need another type, I think preferably a top Italian coach or Emery would be perfect, but it is hard to see who is going to be available. Ruud is an oke coach so they might let Ruud do the rest of this season if they can't find the right one in winter.

[Jason]

It's easy to say it's a bunch of players with big egos, but a lot of the players we have now are his signings. Plus several young players he's given chances to.

 

I don't think that excuse works that well with ETH as it has done with United squads in the past tbh.

[Eutyphro]

In the cases of players like Rashford, Casemiro, what happened with Sancho, massive ego is definitely a serious factor. Rashford and Casemiro are supposed to be key players, but they are absolutely sh*te.

[Jason]

Casemiro was his signing, and instrumental in his first season. His form dipped massively in his second season, part of that was cause of Casemiro and part of it was because of ETH's setup leaving us massively exposed in midfield leaving Casemiro 1v1 or 2v1 in midfield far too often. That'd make prime Makelele look rubbish.

 

Rashford is all over the place yea, but again, instrumental in that 1st season and the success we had.

 

The change in form happened due to ETH's tactical changes in his second season.