After finally concluding the long-winded Coutinho saga, Liverpool have been looking at a myriad of options on the transfer, most of which involve getting another dynamic creative midfielder (Mahrez? Rakitic?). But for now they'll have to do with a squad that's been performing well recently, winning 4 of 5 to bring them within a crack of the podium. Unfortunately for them they will have to play their first post-Coutinho game against runaway leaders City, showing no signs of slowing down despite some sketchy wins here and there. City haven't been resting on their results and have been seriously looking at new additions, with a strong preference for Alexis, though United is apparently doing all it can to swoop in instead. Klopp may decide to go for broke and play an open style, something that's actually seemed more successful compared to the bus parking tactics when facing City this season (witness Bristol City this week). Salah is due back this weekend, though he could be a game-time decision.
Speaking of Mahrez, he somehow remains at Leicester for now, despite showing this season that last year's slump may just have been a blip. The Foxes go to Chelsea with a recent record against the Blues that isn't cause for optimism but Claude Puel seems to have steadied the ship a bit since arriving so hope is not all lost.
EPL Sat 13 Jan 2018 10:00a Chelsea - Leicester 10:00a Crystal Palace - Burnley 10:00a Huddersfield - West Ham 10:00a Newcastle - Swansea 10:00a Watford - Southampton 10:00a West Brom - Brighton 12:30p Tottenham - Everton Sun 14 Jan 2018 08:30a Bournemouth - Arsenal 11:00a Liverpool - Manchester City Mon 15 Jan 2018 3:00p Manchester United - Stoke City
------------------------------ For the record, my teams: MLB: Mets / Soccer: PSG NCAA BB: Arizona / NCAA FB: Michigan NBA: Spurs / NFL: Jets
6. "CHE-LEI, easily one of the best 0-0 games I've seen in a while" In response to Reply # 0
can't remember the last time I saw the Blues dominated like that at home. They got lucky with the soft 2d yellow on Chilwell, otherwise it was looking like Leicester was gonna get one Great game from Mahrez, some of those cross-pitch balls were fabulous
------------------------------ For the record, my teams: MLB: Mets / Soccer: PSG NCAA BB: Arizona / NCAA FB: Michigan NBA: Spurs / NFL: Jets
7. "real in crisis?" In response to Reply # 0 Sat Jan-13-18 09:46 PM by thejerseytornado
List at home to villarreal. Barely in cl position by one point over Villarreal right now (with a game in hand, but still).
What's up w zizou?
Meanwhile, Arda off Barca's wage bill (finally), coutinho signed, dembele healthy, Mina in to replace masche. Arthur might be next? ----------- you think we playing chess, but i'm playing mad-making. Basaglia
BrooklynWHAT Member since Jun 15th 2007 85077 posts
Sun Jan-14-18 04:35 PM
24. "yall have bled as much out of this team as you can" In response to Reply # 16
i ran across a roster analysis of you all on redcafe. sack wenger and just start over. be the best of the rest for a bit and build back up from there.
Petr Cech - turns 36 in 4 months Laurent Koscielny - 32 - looks to be in decline Nacho Monreal - turns 32 next month Per Mertesacker - 33 - looks too slow Hector Bellerin - 23 - the only real talent in defense, how long will he stay ? Alexis Sanchez - 29 - out of contract and on his way out of the club Mesut Özil - 29 - probably the same as Sanchez Oliver Giroud - 31 - will leave in the summer Theo Walcott - soon 29 - on his way out of the club Santi Cazorla - 33 - career over ? Danny Welbeck - 27 - yet to reach 50 League goals. Scored 13 in 3.5 seasons for Arsenal. Not good enough Mohamed Elneny - 25 - hardly ever plays - not good enough Calum Chambers - 23 - hardly played after his first season at the club. Not good enough
35. "Looks like we have the inside track for him " In response to Reply # 34
Nearly have Malcolm signed as well. Diamond eye Sven Mislintat (former head of scouting for Dortmund who left after a row with Tuchel - wasn’t even allowed on the pitch)...and then Tuchel was promptly fired lmao.
Although with Arsenal, I don’t believe anything until I actually see the cat on the pitch with our kit on.
--------------------------------- <--The drought is over
"have fun reveling in your pettiness tho" (C) Dula summing up 98% of OKS
"I didnt finish a damn thing...matter of fact I jerked off after she left." -Kobe speaking to investigators
44. "Agreed but it's a 2 year contract gap - that's significant" In response to Reply # 43
And even though Mkhi is yet another player who Mourinho has isolated and not been able to work with (De Bruyne comes to mind), lets not forget how talented he is when he's being utilized correctly.
Additionally, you add in that Auba might be coming and the chemistry between those two is undeniable, we likely are willing to give up a little leverage and cash back in order to get the deal done....Sven doing his thing.
--------------------------------- <--The drought is over
"have fun reveling in your pettiness tho" (C) Dula summing up 98% of OKS
"I didnt finish a damn thing...matter of fact I jerked off after she left." -Kobe speaking to investigators
BrooklynWHAT Member since Jun 15th 2007 85077 posts
Wed Jan-17-18 01:10 PM
46. "RE: Agreed but it's a 2 year contract gap - that's significant" In response to Reply # 44
>And even though Mkhi is yet another player who Mourinho has >isolated and not been able to work with (De Bruyne comes to >mind), lets not forget how talented he is when he's being >utilized correctly. >
to be fair these extremely different situations mourinho couldnt afford to wait on KDB to come good. chelsea does not afford that kind of time to managers. he had to go with who produced immediately. (and dont even bring up Salah. no chelsea fan was sad to see the back of him. he was abysmal.) whereas at united jose is afforded the time to be patient on developing players like martial, rashford and lingard. not to mention jose has shown to be very protective of MK even though he has let us down time and time again. in fact jose played him so much we started to wonder if he was only playing so jose could save face on a marquee signing. mata and lingard stepped up and kicked him down and out of the pecking order at CAM/RAM.
also even at dortmund MK didn't play well under Klopp. only Tuchel. he was also too much of a coward (look it up) to take a pen in a cup final vs Bayern causing a defender to take it and he missed.
so MK is not some blameless victim here. he's been nothing but poor for us bar a hot handful of games at the start of this season. even last season at his best he was inconsistent. we cant even rely on him to make 5 yard passes properly or withstand a defender hounding him. so one good (and it was a great one) season out of the last 5. i guess its mourinho's fault he cant perform the basics of the game.
he'll probably do well with you all though if only because there's no pressure to succeed and no punishment for failure under Wenger. however personally i dont think hes built for the EPL game at all.
I'm still mad that dude is gonna be on the WC squad on the basis of two good games at the Euro, but not as mad as the goalie here (who strained a ligament on the play as well)
------------------------------ For the record, my teams: MLB: Mets / Soccer: PSG NCAA BB: Arizona / NCAA FB: Michigan NBA: Spurs / NFL: Jets
dula dibiasi Member since Apr 05th 2004 21925 posts
Wed Jan-17-18 02:30 PM
47. "hilarious that ppl are saying that mkhitaryan is shit." In response to Reply # 0
uhhh yeah he's shit... under mourinho. brilliant @ BVB tho.
best 2 players in the prem this season were shit under mourinho. it happens. means nothing.
___
it is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. - sherlock holmes
dula dibiasi Member since Apr 05th 2004 21925 posts
Wed Jan-17-18 05:34 PM
50. "so creative talent hasn't wilted in the past under mourinho..." In response to Reply # 48
on many many occasions, and gone on to flourish once out of his clutches?
i'm sorry, i didn't realize i was making that up. thought it was well-documented as fact.
mkh dealt with multiple injuries his 2nd yr @ dortmund, and was bundesliga POTY under tuchel in his 3rd. i'm betting he regains some of that form with a change of scenery.
___
it is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. - sherlock holmes
51. "i'm no mou apologist, but nah bluhd. micki soft as shit." In response to Reply # 50
he not built for the EPL. soon as he started getting roughed up he lost ALL his heart.
you must have not watched when he was balling the first 6 weeks being generally allowed to do what he wanted. when teams started bodying him, he lost all his mojo and hasn't done anything since.
He came to us a grown man and fully developed player. Idk how you can blame mourinho for his failure with us. We gave him every chance. Too many actually.
dula dibiasi Member since Apr 05th 2004 21925 posts
Wed Jan-17-18 06:29 PM
53. "you could be right. or wrong. guess we'll see. " In response to Reply # 51
___
it is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. - sherlock holmes
BrooklynWHAT Member since Jun 15th 2007 85077 posts
Wed Jan-17-18 06:47 PM
55. "3 or 4 ppl is plenty of times? " In response to Reply # 50
Kdb you can say he wilted. I say it's bad timing. Salah was flat garbage for Chelsea. Lukaku again bad timing. You gonna play him above Drogba? Who else?
Meanwhile he handpicked Ozil gave him the keys and he flourished Hazard flourished under him. They just didn't mesh well despite Jose trying to build him up at any opportunity. Hazard don't have the psychotic desire to reach that ronaldo/Messi level that his talent implies. Oscar was good under Jose until Jose was sacked because of a team mutiny. Mata was the odd man out at Chelsea but now they're a match made in heaven at United.
People gotta stop wholesale eating these narratives the media feeds them. You cant judge a managers ability to bring young players thru at Chelsea. They're not in that business. Where musonda. Where RLC. They never gonna pop at Chelsea.
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