Gert & TheBoy's Official VNA Soccer... err Football Thread

[Gert-Jan]

I wonder if there's such thing as too much football? Three full rounds of fixtures over the festive period was a lot to take, lol. My eyes started rolling when reading that 2017's schedule looks even more crazy with gameweeks potentially on Dec 16, 20, 23, 26, 30 and Jan 1. As much as I like this sport, that many matches just isn't healthy anymore for the players and I strongly feel Arsenal's collapse against Bournemouth, for example, was due to the busy period.

It's always funny how clubs start panicking whenever they see the relegation zone coming closer. I agree with Drew's opinion regarding the appointments of Silva and Clement. The former has done really well at Estoril, Sporting Lisbon and Olympiacos, but the man has got no experience on the subject of how to avoid the drop. Paul Clement, meanwhile, made a bit of a mess at Derby where he consistently shuffled the pack the way we have seen Guardiola do at Man City. So, we'll have to wait how it goes, but I can see both clubs going down along with Sunderland as they rely too heavily on Defoe's penalties. Back in the summer we both predicted Hull, Burnley and Watford to relegate.

Whether or not Chelsea remain title favorites depends on the outcome of their short term fixtures as they go head-to-head with Liverpool and Arsenal, both of whom defeated the Blues prior to the change in formation. If Chelsea can come away with two wins, they will run away with it, but I fancy Liverpool to give them a hard time at Anfield. For some reason I still think Man United shouldn't be written off either. They seem to be unbeatable at the moment and their impressive squad depth can help them in the quest for silverware in various competitions. Man United have been denied a lot of penalties and I sense Zlatan is about to explode and score hattricks.

Not sure where it went wrong with fantasy football. I remember being 30 points ahead after the first two gameweeks, later we were basically level on points for a while and now I'm trailing by 80? lol... thankfully I managed to keep Ramilles and rokkerr off my back, but I'll be needing the blank- and subsequent double gameweeks in an attempt to regain top spot. Oh, and some good captaincy picks would help as well!

Drew, what do you think of Gabriel Jesus? A nineteen year old Brazilian superstar labelled as the new and even better version of Neymar...

[rokkerr]

The FIFA Council has rubber-stamped plans to expand the World Cup to 48 teams from 2026 onwards, adding 16 extra nations.


..... wtf??

[Gert-Jan]

FIFA's logic is more countries equals more money, though we've seen at the Euros it usually doesn't mean better football. I read that particularly the Asian and African federation wanted more World Cup spots, so in 2026 we could well be watching Gabon vs Oman one day and Qatar vs Mali the next. The plan is to start with some sort of preliminary round of 16 groups of 3 countries of which the first two would then advance to the knockout stages. The tournament takes the same amount of days (32) and the eventual winner will still have played 7 matches, just like the case is now, but I still think it's a bad idea.

On Friday reports emerged regarding Diego Costa's omission from the squad. A lower back problem, a bust-up with Antonio Conte, a big money move to China? We will probably never know exactly what happened last week, but Costa's absence didn't stop Chelsea from continuing their fine form with another solid victory. Left wing-back Alonso finally put on his shooting boots after having missed numerous of chances since breaking into the first XI. The former Fiorentina player scored a brace and almost put in a third goal as well, though that shot went narrowly off target. It was literally business as usual for Chelsea!

Swansea's woeful run continues as they have now shipped 3 or more goals in 10 of their last 12 matches, haha. The Swans did start well in the first half by trying to press high, but there's an evident lack of service for Llorente as their wingers are awful at putting crosses in. It's too much of the same with Routledge, Barrow, Montero, Dyer and soon new signing Narsingh as well. They all have incredible pace.... and that's about the only thing they have, lol. The schedule takes a turn for the worse, so good luck to Clement! There was a surprising amount of own goals this weekend with Cork and Naughton doing the Gunners a favour.

Tottenham Hotspur trashed West Bromwich Albion with some sensational football, which was post-match described by hatty hero Kane as their best performance of the season so far. That means a lot considering the display against Man City wasn't bad either, lol. It's gonna be hard for Lamela to come back into the team and with both Walker and Rose utilised as wing-backs, WBA's defensive frailties were exposed in a manner we don't often see with teams managed by Pulis. I absolutely loved Alli's assist and the world would still be tweeting about that moment of brilliance had it been Messi or Iniesta, but hey, now it was just Dele Alli doing it. This lad has got tremendous talent and who knows where it will end?! I looked at the fixture list and there doesn't seem any tough opposition coming up in the next few weeks. It just sucks they had to deal with Leicester's continuous one-nil's last year and Chelsea's clean sheet machine this year.

Biggest compliment has to be for Ronald Koeman after his side demolished Guardiola's Man City. The Dutchman was furious after the FA Cup defeat and urged Moshiri to get some signings done with Schneiderlin finally coming in for a massive £24m whilst Lookman left Charlton to move to Goodison Park. The thing I love about Koeman is that he's always willing to give talent a chance to flourish regardless of age. Both Holgate and Davies did really well and I am amazed about Barkley's recent performances. Will he finally show us why everyone rates him so highly? The short-term future looks bright for Everton, so let's see if they can challenge the Manchester clubs in 5th and 6th place.

It's kinda strange how things have gone at Man City as they were top of the table and basically unbeatable after the first 10 games. They went to pay visit to Spurs and the whole thing just collapsed like a house of cards. I found it quite comical when earlier in the season Pep said, "Sergio is amazing and I want to help him become even better". That was after his hattrick against Gladbach! Remember the second break in October? Aguero came back from international duty and started on the bench in Gameweek 8 cause Guardiola felt he needed to be rested. Aguero was dropped to the bench when facing Barcelona because of 'tactical reasons' and just recently the Argentine had a whole month off due to suspension and Guardiola didn't start him against Burnley because of a lack of match fitness. Almost sounds to me like he will always try to find an excuse to not play Aguero and that's a sad conclusion considering he has been the best number 9 in the league for years.

The owners and technical director Begiristain have given him carte blanche to do what he thinks is right, even if that includes ditching a loyal City player like Joe Hart, who is by no means worse than clown Claudio. The chopping and changing with line-ups isn't new, though. I watch tons of Spanish and German football and he rotated like crazy when coaching Barca and Bayern. I'm really interested to see how he's gonna use Gabriel Jesus and which player will have to make way.

Real Madrid's 40-game unbeaten run came to an end last night! Sevilla won 2-1 and sit only 1 point behind Zidane's side with Madrid having one game in hand.

[TheBoy]

In stark contrast to my real life, my Fantasy Football team of No Dramas is somehow still trundling on nicely lol. I described my team going into the weekend as 'ropey' with Costa already ruled out, Ake bizarrely recalled by Chelsea (and to then not even be named as a sub), Antonio and Ibra struggling for fitness, Origi not guaranteed to start and two West Brom players. I still have no idea how that bunch picked up so many points!

I am desperate to put Kane back into my team for Costa... but my Spurs work friend has threatened to disown me if I do - and I can't blame him haha. For reference, I took him out of my team at half time during the Southampton game... Kane score in the second half and has since been in imperious form. So tbh, I dare not put him back in either lol.

I totally agree on your summation of Everton Gert - they were outstanding versus City. When you see City playing players like Zabaletta in central midfield and then see him getting completely out played by a homegrown teenager given a chance, it maybe shows that even if Pep is given carte blanch to bring in whoever he wants, that there will never be a homegrown core to City might be their real downfall. I also didn't realise that City had purchased 3 of the 5 most expensive ever defenders - Mangala, Otamendi and Stones! Quite an achievement when you realise their defence has been shambolic this season!

It will certainly be interesting to see how the rest of the season plays out for City and where it leaves them. I also have a sneaking suspicion that maybe the players at City are not 100% behind their manager. We saw the same happen to Pellegrini and how that ended up. Of course, Guardiola is whole different level or Pellegrini, but Pep isn't really helping himself right now with the number of odd lineups and recently, an increasingly agitated relationship with the media.

A quick line on Spurs - I said pre-match that I thought we would want to make a statement to Chelsea knowing that we played in the early kick off. Ten days previous they led us by 10 points and with a win over West Brom, that would be cut to 4 (even for a few hours) and put pressure on Chelsea to beat Leicester. We put in the level of performance that was equal to that we put in against Chelsea last week and the result said it all. Of course, the pressure did not get to Chelsea, but I think it has showed we are in a rich vein of form and are waiting to pounce on any slip ups... Cue disaster versus Man City next week lol.

I keep forgetting that we are in January and the transfer window is open! This settled Tottenham team and not having us crying out for a player in a certain position is unknown territory for us! The injury to Vertonghen has possibly made a centre back a possibility, but with Wimmer slotting in so well last season, plus an impressive display from Carter-Vickers in the FA Cup, I don't think that will be an issue. If we were to look at anyone, I think a striker may be the only position we are looking at, as the decline of Janssen has been quite dramatic and it pains me to say, but I think he might not be what we are looking for. It's a big shame because he looked great in pre-season and always puts in a shift. But he's starting to look a little overweight and when given game time hasn't done anything to suggest he's due a run of goals.

[BoobMonkey]

As a relative newcomer to Vickyathome and all things VNA I'd just like to say this forum has some of the best football comment I've read anywhere for aeons!!! (BoobMonkey....current domicile Aberdeen, home town Dundee...life long supporter and current season ticket holder at Dundee FC and former season ticket holder at Everton while working in Liverpool for 6 years)!!

[Gert-Jan]

I have to admit the Scottish Premiership isn't the most exciting league to keep tabs on as it's basically a one-horse race with Celtic now 19 points ahead of Rangers. You know, I actually watched the last Old Firm on the 31st of December and enjoyed it! The intensity makes up for the lack of quality, but the one player that stands out for me is Moussa Dembele who has been on fire this season and has popped up on the radar of several big clubs. What's your assessment of him and where do you think he will end up?

Swansea City have been busy on the market lately in an attempt to turn the tide. Dutch winger Luciano Narsingh was already announced late last week and on Tuesday both Martin Olsson and Tom Carroll moved to the Swans. Norwich defender Olsson joins on loan whilst the former Spurs man costs £4.5m. Great move for Carroll to get more playing time under his belt and I guess he just isn't good enough for Spurs? Speaking of Tottenham... Jan Vertonghen looks to be out for quite some time.

Jeffrey Schlupp has signed a long-term deal with Crystal Palace and it seems Allardyce wants to get Arsenal's Carl Jenkinson too. The Eagles haven't been scoring as much anymore since Big Sam took over and they have yet to keep a clean sheet, lol. He'll presumably bring in some more players, but if they don't start picking up points over the next month or so, Palace could find themselves in serious trouble....

As for Dimitri Payet's situation, I think it's best West Ham just give in and sell, otherwise he will drop in value.

[TheBoy]

Yep, very sad news on Super Jan :( Hopefully Wimmer can rekindle his superb form last season when covering in a similar situation to the point that a lot of fans questioned whether Vertonghen should get back into the team... However this season, when given starts he hasn't exactly set the world alight to the point that it seemed possible he could be sold. My biggest concern in all of this how Poch will go forward tactically. Playing 3 centre backs has worked wonders since switching to regularly, but I'm not sure he will have the same confidence in playing both Wimmer and Dier alongside Toby.

Just on the Spurs subject, there was a report yesterday that Spurs currently have the 3rd highest valued squad in all of European football, with an estimated transfer value of €799m. Only Barcelona and Real Madrid are valued higher. Of course these things are always subjective, but it certainly goes to show the incredible bunch of players Pochettino has turned them in to. I suppose the fact that a lot of the players are English helps but to think of us having so many young players valued so highly certainly brings a good feeling to the club.

I think Payet will go fairly soon, although I'm surprised that he's so desperate to go back to France. There wouldn't be a shortage of takers from the Premier League top clubs. As for Costa, I think he'll end up signing a fat new contract at Chelsea.

[Gert-Jan]

So, Drew, how big was the couch that you were hiding behind during the first half of City vs Spurs? lol... Spurs were hopeless in the first half as City fired shot after shot at Hugo Lloris. It's fair to say Kevin Wimmer is not the best replacement for Vertonghen and with the other Belgian defender out injured as well, I think Spurs should revert to 4-2-3-1. You can't play three at the back with players like Wimmer or Davies cause you'll get ripped apart against strong opposition. I felt Tottenham were lucky to come away with a point as Walker's foul on Sterling was a clear penalty. Guardiola looks pretty restless in post-match interviews lately and I guess I can understand the frustration when you create tons of chances every week and you don't win, but they have to find a way to stop conceding so many goals. That's their main problem!

Swansea got their first ever win at Anfield, Burnley held Arsenal to a draw until the 98th minute when Sanchez converted a controversial spot-kick, Stoke almost beat Man United and an impotent Southampton side suddenly scored a trio of goals. Chelsea's victory against Hull could have been a title deciding win, depending on the outcome of the game at Liverpool next week, but I think that doesn't matter much today as our thoughts have to be with Ryan Mason.

The former Spurs player clashed heads with Cahill and it turns out he fractured his skull! The latest reports are saying: "Mason is conscious and speaking about the incident, but will continue to be monitored at the hospital over the coming days". You could tell straight away it was serious and it reminded me of Petr Cech 10 years ago. There have been relatively more head injuries in recent years and I've mentioned to friends a couple times that I think all players should wear protection like Cech. It's just not worth it to risk brain damage. I do wanna say that everyone responded quickly and accurately. The referee immediately blew his whistle to allow treatment and the medical team of both Hull and Chelsea worked together in trying to put Mason on the stretcher as safely as possible. The reactions on social media last night really made the football world come together. Let's hope for a full recovery.

A look at other European leagues...

Germany:
Bayern Munich (42) - RB Leipzig (39)
Italy:
Juventus (48) - AS Roma (47) - Napoli (44)
Spain:
Real Madrid (43) - Sevilla (42) - Barcelona (41)
France:
Monaco (48) - Olympique Nice (46) - PSG (45)
Portugal:
Benfica (45) - Porto (41)

[rokkerr]

As a relative newcomer to Vickyathome and all things VNA I'd just like to say this forum has some of the best football comment I've read anywhere for aeons!!! (BoobMonkey....current domicile Aberdeen, home town Dundee...life long supporter and current season ticket holder at Dundee FC and former season ticket holder at Everton while working in Liverpool for 6 years)!!

Stick around and do our Fantasy League next season :)
... and if you'd like to see Vicky in a few shots in a Dundee jersey, shoot one over to her (I can supply her address) and I will make it happen

[TheBoy]

The accident to Ryan Mason is so sad :( The bright side of course is that - all being well - he will get through this. Although I suppose his career may well be over but when you consider what else could be over for him... Still, it's horrible to see these things happen. I can't imagine what it must have been like for his family watching the game too, not knowing fully what was going on :(

The City v Spurs game drove me bonkers lol! After being pummelled in the first 45 minutes but yet still being 0-0, I couldn't believe that it was two shocking errors from Hugo of all people to gift them what looked like an certain win. But now the dust has settled and I consider the overall outcome, to think that we were massively outplayed for most of the game, gifted City two goals and yet somehow we came out of it with a draw... It has to be a good sign. And when you consider the reaction of the players after the game, where they trudged off the pitch in disappointment, you can tell they mean business. Compared to a couple of other high profile teams that I can think of recently who have celebrated draws against lesser teams as though they had won, it shows a stark contrast perhaps between this young determined Spurs side and the competition.

We can't play like that again though!

What has been your thoughts on Hull and Swansea under their new managers Gert? I have to say, Hull and Marco Silva are impressing me and have me wondering if they could get out of this mess. Swansea under Clement, I'm still not full convinced, especially as they are still leaking goals. His big problem at Derby was the fans hated his 'boring' style of play that brought them a lot of 1-0 wins, so I'm kind of surprised they still look very shaky at the back.

I know I say this most weeks lol, but I'm a little concerned about my Fantasy team, particularly the forward line. I've gone from Costa, Ibra and Origi to Ibra, Lukaku and Grey, which considering Costa's instant return to the scoresheet worries me immensely. Everton have decent fixtures coming up, but they had a great fixture on the weekend and he pulled a blank. It's also limiting my captain options as it's basically Sanchez or Ibra each week.

Almost forgot to mention the surprising transfer of Jose Fonte from Southampton to West Ham which seemed to come out of nowhere. It's fairly obvious that money has spoken in this deal but it will be interesting to see if Southampton's solid defence shows any signs of missing him in the upcoming weeks.

[Gert-Jan]

I've definitely been impressed by Silva's approach at Hull. They're certainly no longer whipping boys anymore and Maguire in particular has impressed me recently. I don't understand how selling the best player, Snodgrass, is gonna help them stay up, so gonna guess it's a money issue? Burnley, Boro and West Ham all want to sign the Scottish set-piece specialist. Hull have a frighteningly tough schedule the next few weeks, but they have a realistic chance of staying in the top flight seeing as they have become more tight at the back, though the long list of injuries is worrying.

I already regret selling Llorente in Fantasy Football, lol. Then again, I wouldn't have played him away to Liverpool. It's clear the two new signings Olsson and Carroll have strengthened Swansea's first XI and I've become much more positive about their PL status. Hopefully the owners realize what a catastrophic mistake it was to appoint Bradley. That man really had no idea what the hell he was doing! I had a look at the table and with the prospects of both Hull and Swansea looking bright, Middlesbrough, Palace and Leicester could be dropping into the danger zone soon, whilst Sunderland are selling their second-best player Van Aanholt, haha.

Southampton reached the EFL Cup Final on Wednesday night after beating Liverpool 1-0 at Anfield with Forster pulling off an incredible save and Sturridge missing a clear chance from close-range. I think it's an extraordinary achievement from the Saints if you look at the current centre-backs as I expected them to concede a couple goals without Fonte and Van Dijk. Liverpool, meanwhile, don't seem to have a plan B and Mane's absense hasn't been adequately dealt with. The only match they have won in January was the replay against Plymouth!

Handing in a transfer request is the new trend in football with Gaston Ramirez making clear he wants to leave Middlesbrough....

Toby, Danny and Harry are ruled out for Spurs' FA Cup tie.

[rokkerr]

Guess Chelsea is walking away with it this year..

Oh boy Arsenal... and Liverpool...

[PeterL22]

OK Chaps,
First a confession - I'm a Saints (Southampton FC for out US friends) fans.
Moving on, before anyone can make a comment about my sanity ( but we DO support our local team) - Can anyone name me a good Premier League Referee?
They are all poor, and some like Crappenberdg are just in it frothier own glory. Time after time they make poor decisions (not just at St Mary's but also on television in say Liverpool v Man Utd games - a match where it is difficult to decide who we want to lose more). Today against West Ham we had a guy - Graham Scott I had never heard of, and guess what he was dire - free-kick for this Hammers' goal was not a free- kick but a challenge that won the ball. Several challenges - e.g. Andy Carroll on Romeu were bookable according to rule book, but did't happen!
Bearing in mind the money involved in the Premier League why aren't they more professional?

[rokkerr]

OK Chaps,
First a confession - I'm a Saints (Southampton FC for out US friends) fans.
Moving on, before anyone can make a comment about my sanity ( but we DO support our local team) - Can anyone name me a good Premier League Referee?
They are all poor, and some like Crappenberdg are just in it frothier own glory. Time after time they make poor decisions (not just at St Mary's but also on television in say Liverpool v Man Utd games - a match where it is difficult to decide who we want to lose more). Today against West Ham we had a guy - Graham Scott I had never heard of, and guess what he was dire - free-kick for this Hammers' goal was not a free- kick but a challenge that won the ball. Several challenges - e.g. Andy Carroll on Romeu were bookable according to rule book, but did't happen!
Bearing in mind the money involved in the Premier League why aren't they more professional?

Referees are actually worse in the USA in the NFL and NBA. It's shocking how many fouls and inconsistent decisions there are... even with replay. I have seen quarterbacks in football barely touched and they call fouls. Earlier this year the quarterback of the Carolina Panthers was pretty much hit in the head repeatedly and nothing was called. There was a huge outcry here. In the NBA they started a new thing where the league admits errors by the refs the day after the game.... which some people think only shames the refs even more. I am not sure what they do in England but most refs are not full time which is crazy considering the amount of money on the line. Refs in football in Europe do have I think a tough job. It's a huge pitch and running up and down and being in perfect position to see the right call must be tough. That being said... they are very inconsistent on penalty calls and the new rule against clutching and grabbing in the penalty box by defenders. The offside rule is also in my opinion brutal with a lot of close calls which could be called either way. Why they even have offsides is football is beyond me. Who cares? But that's another story all together.


Peter you are welcome to join the Fantasy League we have next year... btw always impressed at the Southhampton football club and the youth project they installed. Very cool stuff.
If you'd like to see pics of Vicky in a Southhampton shirt shoot her a jersey and I will make it happen.

[PeterL22]

Might just do that rocker!
Football (soccer) is too slow to embrace technology!
NFL is a complex game - football should be a lot more straight forward
We March On!

[Gert-Jan]

Refs in football in Europe do have I think a tough job. It's a huge pitch and running up and down and being in perfect position to see the right call must be tough. That being said... they are very inconsistent on penalty calls and the new rule against clutching and grabbing in the penalty box by defenders.

I totally agree with that. Refereeing seems easy when sitting in front of the telly and having seen 10 replays from different angles, but even then sometimes I'm not sure whether it was a foul or not, whether the foul warrants a yellow or red card, whether the holding in the box was sufficient enough to award a penalty. It all usually depends on the referee's interpretation of the rules. Who watched Leicester vs Man United? Juan Mata lunged into Vardy and should've been sent off, but Anthony Taylor decided otherwise and gave him a yellow card. Even pundits don't always agree, so we can't expect football refs to be right all the time as they don't even have the review option.

Mark Clattenburg is actually one of the best in Europe! Why do you think UEFA put him in charge of the CL Final and Euro 2016 Final? As for other English referees, I thnk Michael Oliver is really good, whilst on the other hand Mike Dean, Lee Mason and the corpulent Jonathan Moss are definitely considered the worst men in black.

Peter, what are your thoughts on Southampton this year? Happy with Claude Puel or would you have preferred a manager who puts emphasis on scoring goals rather than keeping clean sheets? And reaching the EFL Cup Final must be one hell of an experience, even though you'll be without Fonte and Van Dijk. I was a bit surprised Reed and Puel didn't buy Swiss international defender Fabian Schär from Hoffenheim as I have doubts about Stephens and Yoshida in the heart of defence. Manolo Gabbiadini is a solid striker who'll definitely get Southampton a few goals and he certainly impressed with the one he scored on Saturday!

Liverpool continued their dire form in disastrous style with a 2-0 away defeat at Hull, which have been doing really well since Marco Silva took over from Phelan. The Reds, however, have yet to taste a league victory in 2017 and Jurgen Klopp's side have won one game of the last 10! Critics are coming to the fore, such as former Pool player Dietmar Hamann, questioning the club's decision to give Klopp a six-year contract extension recently. I was watching the match and they just don't seem to have the energy at the moment despite a lack of European football and no more domestic cup exertions. The fact they have so much trouble converting chances is a major worry too. Firmino has wasted lots of them, Coutinho isn't back to his best, Mane just returned from his AFCON adventure and the two number 9s - Sturridge and Origi - are clearly not rated highly enough to execute Klopp's tactical gameplan. Spurs and Arsenal visit Anfield this month.....

The Gunners drop to fourth place after yet again two losses in one week with Arsene Wenger's team sheet and squad under scrutiny like basically every year around this time. Should he stay or is it time to appoint a new manager? They deservedly lost the match against Chelsea with Conte's men in complete control and bossing the opposition all over the pitch. Hazard's sublime dribble was truly world-class, but it was embarrassing to see Coquelin, Mustafi and Koscielny being outplayed like youngsters. Arsenal's centre-back pairing lacks mobility, Ozil hasn't stepped up at all this season and Alexis' future could well depend on whatever Wenger decides to do in the summer. Must be exciting times for Spurs fans to see their red rivals struggling, lol. Chelsea are indeed cruising towards the title and every manager can learn a thing or two from Conte in regards to a well-organised defence.

Gabriel Jesus has lifted spirits in the blue parts of Manchester. I have seen him a few times as a centre forward in Brazil's national team. What a talent!! Look, don't get me wrong, it's painful to see Aguero warming the bench, but Jesus is exactly the kind of player Guardiola loves. A clinical finisher with creativity, pace and trickery. A forward who makes the team better and doesn't mind pressing high or tracking back if needed. Man City should have scored several goals against Swansea in that first half with Sane, Silva, Sterling also outstanding! It's gonna be interesting if Pep starts rotating again once the fixtures pile up, but I've really enjoyed their football in the last three matches. They travel to Bournemouth next week with the Cherries currently shipping goals aplenty and Howe's problems started since Ake's departure back to London! Also, both Daniels and Smith are injured, so expect Bournemouth to get ripped apart by Gabriel Jesus.

Still feeling rather smug about my decision to captain Lukaku this week as his 4 goals surely helped collecting a big haul of 79 points.

[PeterL22]

Hi Gert-Jan
In reply - you have opened a can of worms talking about Crapenberg! If he's the best in Europe god help the mainland. He is pompous, seeking the limelight and makes on average 2-3 serious errors a match. Yesterday, Mata should have gone (dreadful tackle) - only 2 reasons I can think for a yellow card - HE PLAYS FOR MAN UTD, Second it was on Vardy who is such a dirty sod he deserved it (watch his hatchet job that has sidelined Virgil). I have honestly seen better refs in Wessex League (low step non-league). Every match I go to I make the mistake of looking at the match day programme and seeing who ref is - followed by 5mins of utter despair! We have a song at St Mary's - "Shit Refs, we always get shit refs" and a second "We've got a free kick, we've got a free kick. We are Southampton, we've got a free kick". To be honest it is definitely true that big clubs (Man Utd, Chelsea, Liverpool etc) ALWAYS get the benefit of 50/50 decisions against the smaller teams (us, Hull, Swamsea etc).
Jesus looked awesome yesterday, but lets see how the rest on season pans out - also impressed by Sane.
Liverpool - crap back four without Matip and O how they have missed Mane.
Regards EFL Cup - quietly confident - Man Utd are not that good - they have one world class player - here goes - Mikhytarian (you know who I mean ) - his goal yesterday was real class.
Saints are struggling - Puel is not good enough for Premier League - his record in France (much easier league to manage) was average at best.He is tactically naive and believes possession is everything. He has tried to turn one of the best attacking wing prospects in England to a "striker" - Redmond, an failed.He rotates too much - don't think same midfield has played in two consecutive games. There is a definite voice amongst fans wanting him sacked. Personally, I think its too late in season to do that now and besides who else is around to replace him?
I would get rid of him in the summer - even if we stay up AND win the EFL Cup. On top of everything the side to side possession football is really boring. Bright note is Gabbiadini looks good - really great finish for his debut goal and lots of pace, work and attitude.
Looks difficult to see who will beat Chelsea to title, Spurs only one of chasing pack that may do it, but again not consistent enough.
Relegation wise - Hull definitely. Palace looking good bet plus one other. Sadly I have a feeling it may be Leicester (they were awful again yesterday. My hope however is Sunderland finally get their just desserts!
If you've read this far into the rant - you are a better man than me!

[PeterL22]

Saints fans getting very restless now - many "Puel out" postings on fans' forum.




Here's one for debate guys - what's the best/funniest football chant or song you have ever heard?
Try the Sunderland "Big Dick" on You Tube for starters URL

[Gert-Jan]

Troubling times at the King Power Stadium as Leicester are just one point above the drop zone. The board released a statement saying: "In light of recent speculation, Leicester City Football Club would like to make absolutely clear its unwavering support for its First Team Manager". I think we all know what that means, haha. I personally think he's gonna get sacked if they lose against Derby County and Swansea this week and agree with Peter that Leicester actually look like a team ready to go down if performances don't improve quickly.

Lots of chatter has been going around of players not standing behind the manager anymore, although Ranieri said during his FA Cup press conference that his relationship with them is still fantastic. The Foxes haven't scored a league goal in 2017 and the weekly horror shows of their back four are truly terrible. Simpson, Morgan, Huth and Fuchs can't keep the opposition out of the the box and none of the summer signings in midfield or attack have made an impact. As harsh as it may sound, getting rid of the Italian manager would be a good thing IMO.

Philipp Lahm announced he will retire after this season and leave Bayern Munich. The German has literally won every title with club and country and I've always been a massive fan of his style. He's one of those full-backs who can run up and down the pitch for 90 minutes straight. I remember Guardiola deploying him in a holding midfield position where he also did really well. Last weekend's game against Schalke was Lahm's 500th for Bayern and he also has 113 caps for his country, winning 21 trophies and collecting 0 red cards!

Barcelona advance to the Copa Del Rey final after winning 3-2 on aggregate against fierce rivals Atletico Madrid. The last 30 minutes in particular were pretty entertaining and the game ended in a 1-1 draw with Sergi Roberto, Carrasco, Suarez all sent off and forward Gameiro missing a penalty in the second half. Alaves and Celta are the other two semi-finalists, so you'd fancy Barcelona to win another trophy in quite possibly Luis Enrique's last season at the helm cause I just feel he's gonna quit in the summer. The future looks bright, though, with Messi, Suarez and Neymar the best attacking force in the world.

I read Southampton are close to signing former Juventus defender Martin Caceres....

[PeterL22]

Regarding Leicester.
Back four - especially Huth & Morgan getting found out because they belong to the 70s and refs aware of all wrestling etc.
Ranieri is a great manager and really nice bloke - I would swap for Puel at Saints in an instant.
Big miss is Kante who went to Chelski - no midfield protection for back four. Vardy dirty sod who is not making an impact this season and Ulloa not being used enough (and not happy).
If they lose at the Jacks this weekend they are in REAL trouble.
mind you sorry to see them go down - a proper club with proper fans!