2022/2023 English Premier League

[MegaErtz]

Spurs getting played off the park here by Aston Villa. Shameful effort really.

[devo22]

their bubble is bursting. They severely overperformed in terms of results in the early stages of this season ... the actual football has been depressing.

[Winsor_Pilates]

2023 delivers already!
Well done Unai Emery

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

But you're not being rational about Arsenal lol. When Leicester won the league, they won with 81 points, with second place having 71 points. It was a very down year. Arsenal are currently on pace for 104, with Man City on pace for 90. And Leicester won with a counter attacking style, while Arsenal are generally taking the game to the opponent with a high pressing style. Might they limp to the finish line and barely beat a bunch of down teams? Sure, lot of season left. But right now they look great, it's not a flukish run, they are outplaying virtually everyone they've played this year.

But we all get it, it has to be deeply painful for Spurs fans right now. The last five years of finishing ahead of Arsenal, Arsenal being pure banter and....oh yeah, Spurs won nothing. Now Arsenal might win a major trophy after that period, with a young, up and coming team, while Spurs future doesn't look so hot. Right now it looks like top four is gonna be a struggle for Spurs, again looking abysmal against Villa. It's gotta suck being a Spurs fan right now, even more than usual.

Well it can be both. Spurs are dreadful and Arsenal are overrated. It’s not mutually exclusive, and just because I think their record is better than where it should be doesn’t mean I think Spurs are incredible. I have no idea why you keep being that up as some great argument for why Arsenal is where they should be.

And sometimes struggles as a sports fan are what you get. It’s part of the deal. I get that you support Abu Dhabi FC and as a result you guys just buy yourselves out of conundrums that other sports organizations face, but we aren’t all on the same bandwagon.

[Bagor]

Originally Posted by devo22

their bubble is bursting. They severely overperformed in terms of results in the early stages of this season ... the actual football has been depressing.

Their bubble was always prone to bursting.
Results weren't reflective of performances. They were being outplayed yet squeaking results against the likes of Wolves at home. They've always been up there with the fewest touches in the opposition box.

Look at today. 2-0 down after 73 minutes and I don't think they created a single chance in the last 25 minutes.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Originally Posted by Slava

Well it can be both. Spurs are dreadful and Arsenal are overrated. It’s not mutually exclusive, and just because I think their record is better than where it should be doesn’t mean I think Spurs are incredible. I have no idea why you keep being that up as some great argument for why Arsenal is where they should be.

Originally Posted by Slava

Oh please. This might be biased, but they’re not even the best team in London, never mind the best in the league.

You, literally yesterday lol. As of yet you still haven't expanded on why you think Arsenal are frauds, Leicester 2.0, underserving of being top etc... I have explained why Arsenal, to this point, are no frauds. They aren't playing terrible and grinding out lucky results (someone is...or was actually lol). And you haven't even tried to explain what makes Spurs, they of 13 points behind Arsenal, having played one more game, and being worse in virtually every statistical area, better. So if you'd like to spell that out, feel free. Again, it might not shine through in my posts, but I empathize with you. It must be incredibly painful to be in a fairly hopeless situation, while your hated rival is going places. Going through the stages sucks, I get that, I feel for you. Hopefully if Arsenal do pull it off you can accept it with grace.

And sometimes struggles as a sports fan are what you get. It’s part of the deal. I get that you support Abu Dhabi FC and as a result you guys just buy yourselves out of conundrums that other sports organizations face, but we aren’t all on the same bandwagon.

I've been accused of being a fan of basically every club except Spurs, which is wonderful cause being a Spurs fan must be pure misery. But the irony of this...is there a bigger Man City fan in the world right now than you? They are your best hope to avoid the sports hell that is Arsenal FC, 2022-23 Premier League Champions. I know your response will be "Arsenal are gonna collapse barely finish in the top six etc...", but someone has to catch them, and Abu Dhabi FC is your best hope. Start praying to the Sheikhs lol.

[devo22]

another great result for Chelsea. Time for Boehly to sign 7 new players as a result

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

You, literally yesterday lol. As of yet you still haven't expanded on why you think Arsenal are frauds, Leicester 2.0, underserving of being top etc... I have explained why Arsenal, to this point, are no frauds. They aren't playing terrible and grinding out lucky results (someone is...or was actually lol). And you haven't even tried to explain what makes Spurs, they of 13 points behind Arsenal, having played one more game, and being worse in virtually every statistical area, better. So if you'd like to spell that out, feel free. Again, it might not shine through in my posts, but I empathize with you. It must be incredibly painful to be in a fairly hopeless situation, while your hated rival is going places. Going through the stages sucks, I get that, I feel for you. Hopefully if Arsenal do pull it off you can accept it with grace.



I've been accused of being a fan of basically every club except Spurs, which is wonderful cause being a Spurs fan must be pure misery. But the irony of this...is there a bigger Man City fan in the world right now than you? They are your best hope to avoid the sports hell that is Arsenal FC, 2022-23 Premier League Champions. I know your response will be "Arsenal are gonna collapse barely finish in the top six etc...", but someone has to catch them, and Abu Dhabi FC is your best hope. Start praying to the Sheikhs lol.

You keep bringing this up hoping to get me riled up, but maybe it’s time for you to move along to a new target. Or maybe find a new hobby? I’m bored of this discussion. Spurs are brutal, Arsenal is overrated and I hope we see the collapse. If that means your club wins, it is what it is.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Yeah, you clearly have no intention of articulating any of your takes, you just say them to say them. Hopefully Arsenal win the league, would be hilarious quite frankly.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by devo22

another great result for Chelsea. Time for Boehly to sign 7 new players as a result

I dont know what Chelsea are even doing anymore.

Its like their new strategy is the same as their old strategy of just spending insane amounts of money on players, putting their names in a Yahtzee cup, presumably, and then wham! Thats our starting XI this week. Lets see how that works out!

[cam_wmh]

With Spurs likely to fall out of all European trophy contention, surely this summer's the time for Kane to join United.

[Barnet Flame]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

But you're not being rational about Arsenal lol. When Leicester won the league, they won with 81 points, with second place having 71 points. It was a very down year. Arsenal are currently on pace for 104, with Man City on pace for 90. And Leicester won with a counter attacking style, while Arsenal are generally taking the game to the opponent with a high pressing style. Might they limp to the finish line and barely beat a bunch of down teams? Sure, lot of season left. But right now they look great, it's not a flukish run, they are outplaying virtually everyone they've played this year.

But we all get it, it has to be deeply painful for Spurs fans right now. The last five years of finishing ahead of Arsenal, Arsenal being pure banter and....oh yeah, Spurs won nothing. Now Arsenal might win a major trophy after that period, with a young, up and coming team, while Spurs future doesn't look so hot. Right now it looks like top four is gonna be a struggle for Spurs, again looking abysmal against Villa. It's gotta suck being a Spurs fan right now, even more than usual.

It has been six years of Spurs superiority.

A period where Arsenal won the FA Cup. Twice.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by cam_wmh

With Spurs likely to fall out of all European trophy contention, surely this summer's the time for Kane to join United.

That would be awesome. Hopefully it’s for £100m in January. For £150m I’ll throw in Son?

In all honesty, what’s not working for Spurs is down to the players IMO. Regardless of what you think of Mourinho or Conte and their particular styles or methods, there’s a startling similarity. They have both said the squad is not good enough. That’s not specifically Kane or Son, but there’s pretty clearly something wrong there. It could be ENIC/Levy and one could argue that we need an owner willing to spend. I could agree with that also.

But the bottom line is the players aren’t good enough, and I don’t think there’s a manager out there who could turn them around.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Slava

That would be awesome. Hopefully it’s for £100m in January. For £150m I’ll throw in Son?

In all honesty, what’s not working for Spurs is down to the players IMO. Regardless of what you think of Mourinho or Conte and their particular styles or methods, there’s a startling similarity. They have both said the squad is not good enough. That’s not specifically Kane or Son, but there’s pretty clearly something wrong there. It could be ENIC/Levy and one could argue that we need an owner willing to spend. I could agree with that also.

But the bottom line is the players aren’t good enough, and I don’t think there’s a manager out there who could turn them around.

And its hard to make them be.

For starters, I agree with you. I'd be taking almost any offers for Kane and Son at this point.

Its not that they're bad players, they're still talented guys who seem like they're playing with heart and playing for the coach.

But they are just at the wrong points in their ages and careers for Spurs right now.

But I guess it depends on what and where they see Spurs at the moment. I see an ageing and rather disconnected team thats playing as individuals and are, at best, equal to the sum of their parts.

If you want to go all-in on Kane and Son then they're going to have to spend 'Chelsea-like' money and revamp their squad almost entirely over the summer and hope like hell the group gels and then acknowledge, at least internally, that you will never get a transfer fee for either of them. At least not one of significance.

Which is pretty Un-Spursy.

I wouldnt roll those dice.

At the moment, I think Spurs look exactly like what I thought they were, a European bubble-team. Some days they play better than they should, some days worse than they could.

[Slava]

Yeah I mostly agree. I did think Conte could get that defence a lot more solid than it’s been though. It’s just crushing to play from behind every game, and at 10 games in a row it’s really brutal. I thought with the Romero and Lenglet additions we’d be pretty good on the backend, but it’s not been the case. Part of it is being run over in midfield and part of it is one boneheaded mistake after another. Today was Lloris on that first goal.

[devo22]

Brentford have been such a refreshing addition to the PL. Love them.

[The Big Chill]

Hopefully Gakpo can defend headers and control a midfield.

[devo22]

Klopp throwing a tantrum. This is hilarious

[Bagor]

Konate having a blinder.

[The Big Chill]

One of these years we’ll figure out that you can’t play a high line when your midfield can’t press or keep the ball.