2021/2022 English Premier League

[Slava]

LOL, well this hasn't held up particularly well. So far, 7 points from a possible 12.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1468708120859979777

[Bagor]

Another fantastic post of substance.

Breaking news. Pundits get predictions wrong.
Riveting stuff.

[SuperMatt18]

A 4-2-2-2 is a really weird formation for the players at United's disposal. (Really it's not a formation I like in general)

The one weird thing I think all season long has been it's tough to say what United's best 11/formation would be...

I feel like it would probably be a 4-2-3-1 since the wingers are expected to provide a little more support in midfield than a 4-3-3 which is what United needs. I don't really see a formation with 2 strikers working with the players they have.

Striker actually isn't that strong of a position for them . Ronaldo is still amazing even though he is 36. He needs more rest though and Martial seems to be done in Manchester, Cavani is 34 and isn't what he was in his prime.

Winger should be United's strongest position with Rashford, Greenwood, and Sancho. Lingard has flashes as well.

Fernandes is pretty much a lock at CAM in either a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1. Van De Beek was at his best in this spot in a 4-2-3-1 at Ajax too, so that could be a way to rejuvenate his career too.

CB has had some struggles but they have the pieces there. Maguire isn't in his best form but with him, Varane, and Lindeof they should be fine.

And same thing on the backs: Shaw, Telles, AWB, Dalot isn't the worst depth at both LB and RB, even if Shaw isn't in his best form this year.

I think the biggest problem remains they have never really figured out what their best pairing in CM is though. They have Pogba, Fred, McTominay, Matic, and Van De Beek that can play in that spot.

Fred-McTominay have showed flashes, but long term I don't think that pairing is the quality you'd want to be able to win the PL when they are going against the likes of Jorginho-Kante or Rodri-Silva-De Bruyne

Ronaldo
Rashford - Fernandes - Sancho
?????-?????
Shaw - Maguire - Varane - Dalot/AWB

It's those question marks that have really hurt United's chances the last 2-3 years now. Agree with Bagor in that Rice should 100% be the priority for United.

As for Spurs it's nice to see Conte get off to a good start. I do wonder if we see them chase hard after Barella this transfer window. And really Lukaku for Kane might make a lot of sense for both sides, although I sense Levy would want something added on top of Lukaku as well.

[Slava]

Apparently Liverpool is looking to postpone the League Cup game against Arsenal on Thursday due to Covid. I'm not sure when it would be postponed to, but I hope it's postponed and not just cancelled.

[d_phaneuf]

Originally Posted by Slava

Apparently Liverpool is looking to postpone the League Cup game against Arsenal on Thursday due to Covid. I'm not sure when it would be postponed to, but I hope it's postponed and not just cancelled.

These semis should be one leg only

[Slava]

Originally Posted by d_phaneuf

These semis should be one leg only

Well selfishly, I'd hope that single leg is a home game for us because away at Stamford Bridge hasn't been great!

[MegaErtz]

Originally Posted by Slava

More topically though, how is United this bad? That's a good squad overall, and while they're not perfect, they should've had enough to get a result against Wolves. Are the players not buying in to Rangnicks system, or is his system just not that good? It's weird to me, because they looked terrible today and of course last week against Newcastle.

The answer is plainly obvious, but people here seem happy to ignore it. The fact is that Manchester United can't press, don't have the speed to counter, and would be about ten points lower in the standings if their goalkeeper wasn't playing out of his skin. They were very lucky to beat a bad Newcastle team last week, and now they've been found out by Wolves. They're going nowhere until they drop Ronaldo.

Everton and Newcastle are already flexing their financial muscle and I think things will get tougher on Manchester United, not easier. Nobody cares about the Europa League, League Cup, or FA Cup anymore, and they've done nothing for the past nine years in either the Premier League or the Champions League. I think they've only gotten past the second round of the Champions League twice since Ferguson left. There will be no progress for at least another eighteen months when Ronaldo's contract is up.

And yes, he'll score tons of goals and people will insist he isn't the problem, but just look at what having him in the team has done to all of the attacking players bar Cavani. They've all regressed in a big way.

[d_phaneuf]

Patterson, myolenko, and trippier

*flex*

[d_phaneuf]

I dont think the pressing is as much of an issue as it's made, not every team presses and it's not the only way to recover the ball, its become like possession was a decade ago, easy thing to point too as something if a team isnt winning they arent doing enough of it.

A team with rashford, greenwood, and sancho shouldn't need a central striker to press much at all if it wanted too anyway. You could even argue with those quicker wingers that this united team would be better off playing an attacking counter like Madrid used too when Ronaldo was there, albeit he would be in a different roll now.

Bigger issue is in midfield and constantly changing tactics. Dont know who would be available but they desperately need a holding midfielder who can move it from defense to attack, Rice isnt going to happen in January but the summer seems possible

Top 4 still isn't out of reach either, city are the only guarantee

[MegaErtz]

Originally Posted by d_phaneuf

Patterson, myolenko, and trippier

*flex*

Trippier is one of the top five RBs in the world. He was every present during Atletico's run to the title in Spain last season and is clearly Gareth Southgate's favorite player. Didn't he even play him at left-back in the Euros? He's 31, only had a year and a half left on his deal and Newcastle paid somewhere between 12-25 million pounds depending on the source. He'll be allowed to leave on a free transfer if they go down. They've also had a thirty million pound bid turned down by Lille for a guy named Sven Botman. These guys aren't playing around. Does that sound like a club that aren't flexing their financial muscle?

[Slava]

Originally Posted by MegaErtz

Trippier is one of the top five RBs in the world. He was every present during Atletico's run to the title in Spain last season and is clearly Gareth Southgate's favorite player. Didn't he even play him at left-back in the Euros? He's 31, only had a year and a half left on his deal and Newcastle paid somewhere between 12-25 million pounds depending on the source. He'll be allowed to leave on a free transfer if they go down. They've also had a thirty million pound bid turned down by Lille for a guy named Sven Botman. These guys aren't playing around. Does that sound like a club that aren't flexing their financial muscle?

I don’t know. They’re obviously going to give it a shot and see who they can buy, but that’s a bad team. It’s a 4-5 year project kind of thing and guys like Trippier aren’t going to be there for the end of that and still be contributing factors.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by d_phaneuf

I dont think the pressing is as much of an issue as it's made, not every team presses and it's not the only way to recover the ball, its become like possession was a decade ago, easy thing to point too as something if a team isnt winning they arent doing enough of it.

A team with rashford, greenwood, and sancho shouldn't need a central striker to press much at all if it wanted too anyway. You could even argue with those quicker wingers that this united team would be better off playing an attacking counter like Madrid used too when Ronaldo was there, albeit he would be in a different roll now.

Bigger issue is in midfield and constantly changing tactics. Dont know who would be available but they desperately need a holding midfielder who can move it from defense to attack, Rice isnt going to happen in January but the summer seems possible

Top 4 still isn't out of reach either, city are the only guarantee

I have to say that I agree. Ronaldo is still pretty good, at his age there are going to be some warts but he is hardly the issue.

It really seems to me that United are suffering from a number of other problems.

First of all they've got an eclectic collection of players...albeit good players, acquired under different managers that dont appear to operate all that well together.

Then again...players arent complete idiots. Look at Liverpool last season shoving whoever was fit into CB roles. You can play people out of position and they can still be effective. If they cant then they're not versatile enough or they simply dont want to play enough.

But there has to be a cohesive plan and identity. United seem to be operating independently of each other and hoping that as individuals they'll be better than the sum of their parts.

So I dont see Ronaldo as the problem, frankly I think he's the only reason United are even mid-table. But they have the identity and play of a middling National team.

They rely on their keeper to not to get scored against and hope their superstar can produce some magic.

[Slava]

The Liverpool/Arsenal matches are postponed and Tottenham/Chelsea first leg still goes today. I’m not sure how many cases of Covid that Liverpool have, but I guess it was enough to meet the mysterious threshold. They did close their training ground though, so it could be quite a number.

[J epworth]

Continho close to going to Villa for the rest of the season, wow.

[Slava]

What a nightmare. Conte might kill someone during halftime if he doesn't just leave.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Slava

What a nightmare. Conte might kill someone during halftime if he doesn't just leave.

Why? Nobody expects Spurs to win anything.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Locke

Why? Nobody expects Spurs to win anything.

At least we played and didn't have to postpone due to the AFCON variant of Covid!

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Locke

Why? Nobody expects Spurs to win anything.

Hahaha, well it would appear that Conte agrees with you:

Conte suggested Spurs will do well to win any game this season. "Every game we struggled. We have to know this. We have to be realistic. We have to know that this season to get 3 points for us will be difficult. But we have to be ready to do this with all our strengths."

[Bagor]

Not easy playing 11 on 11.

Harry Kane has scored one goal from a fk in his career.. Back in 2014.

Yet he continues to pull rank when future opportunities present.

[Senator Clay Davis]

My favorite part of Klopp getting the Cariboo Cup match changed is that he usually tries to tank his team out of cup competitions. Here he can just forfeit, and instead gets it postponed. Oddfellow.