The Swamp

Ole Time!

Fulham doing the Lord's work today, up 2-0 on Leicester at the half.

Rex wrote: ↑Sat Nov 28, 2020 1:18 pm Are Leeds games always like this? It’s nonstop Stanley Cup playoff overtime.

I love watching Leeds, but they are probably the worst defensive side I've seen in a very long time. The middle of the park is wide open with them.

Cottagers looking good so far today. What happened to Leicester?

Nonlinear FC wrote: ↑Mon Nov 30, 2020 2:05 pm

Rex wrote: ↑Sat Nov 28, 2020 1:18 pm Are Leeds games always like this? It’s nonstop Stanley Cup playoff overtime.

I love watching Leeds, but they are probably the worst defensive side I've seen in a very long time. The middle of the park is wide open with them.

A front line composed of Brazil, England and Colombia internationals really should have scored a lot of goals against them on Saturday.

Newcastle are the Ravens of the EPL

Did Alan Shearer murder two people?

mister d wrote: ↑Tue Dec 01, 2020 2:20 pm Did Alan Shearer murder two people?

Covid postponements

Watching Lask/Spurs and the pink/electric yellow is giving me early 90s flashbacks.

Rush2112 wrote: ↑Thu Dec 03, 2020 2:06 pm Watching Lask/Spurs and the pink/electric yellow is giving me early 90s flashbacks.

Campos approved

Hart does Kane

After watching today's highlights, Joe Hart has no business hanging out with a premier league team. He looked like he was on a 2 second delay compared to the rest of the game.

Pruitt wrote: ↑Thu Dec 03, 2020 5:00 pm After watching today's highlights, Joe Hart has no business hanging out with a premier league team. He looked like he was on a 2 second delay compared to the rest of the game.

I knew Virtual Zoom Goalies wasn't going to work.

The first several paragraphs in this Johnathon Liew piece are fantastic sports writing.

On the day the Premier League opened its turnstiles again, Manchester United treated a fraction of a crowd to a fraction of a performance. Once again, they left it late: three fine individual goals courtesy of Paul Pogba, Mason Greenwood and Marcus Rashford in a riotous 13-minute spell in the second half. It was enough to put them fourth in the Premier League. None of which, impressive as it is, should be allowed to dilute a single insoluble fact: they were awful.

The fact that United won doesn’t make them any less awful: it just means that they were awful and won.

The 20 minutes in which they were good are no truer a reflection of this team than the first hour in which they simply trotted around like a United tribute act: weak, preoccupied, effortlessly permeable. And even in victory they did little to challenge the suspicion that they are a poorly organised side being slapped into competence by character, abundant individual talent and the stones of Bruno Fernandes.

The last paragraph is fantastic as well, as long as you don't mind sentences that begin with "and".

With 13 minutes left, Rashford sprang the offside trap, ran clear onto Juan Mata’s through-ball and finished the game with a dainty chip. And so the Solskjær wagon clatters on for another week: two fingers to the critics, class is permanent and all that. And if all United aspire to is sugar-rush comebacks against teams like West Ham, then there’s nothing to be worried about here. If they actually want to win something: well, let’s see how that goes for them.

That Mata ball though...

All three of those goals were of incredible quality. He’s a little unfair in the article, as they were actually pretty good for most of the second half. That said, I don’t think Ole can ever take them to the next level.

Jesus. I’ll take a 3-1 win no matter how. If Bruno had played first half and United were up 3-0 after 15 minutes he would have praised OgS for taking him off at halftime for much needed rest.

Square Rob wrote: ↑Sat Dec 05, 2020 10:46 pm That Mata ball though...

All three of those goals were of incredible quality. He’s a little unfair in the article, as they were actually pretty good for most of the second half. That said, I don’t think Ole can ever take them to the next level.

But the ole era has been so much better than any since fergie, no? I like watching this team which is not something I said under Jose, van gal or moyes.

Which of course begs the question... who gets them to the level you want?

Eta: will it take an oligarch with no regard for money? I’m genuinely interested.

Pocchetino

govmentchedda wrote: ↑Sat Dec 05, 2020 10:55 pm Pocchetino

So United’s resources make him better althere than Spurs? I just don’t see it. Managers aren’t fungible but there aren’t nearly as many top flight managers as there used to be due to the wider distribution of resources. I just don’t know that he makes them markedly better.

Eta: if United had one better center back than they have I think no one has an issue with ole. I’m not as versed in tactics as you guy but I think that’s easily the biggest issue. Make the goalkeeer work a bit less.

You really think Ole’s whole issue is not having a proper partner for Lindelof?

mister d wrote: ↑Sun Dec 06, 2020 12:02 am You really think Ole’s whole issue is not having a proper partner for Lindelof?

I want to shoot Lindelof into the sun.

No doubt this United team is more fun to watch, but I’d really argue that’s more down to the individuals than anything ole is doing. I genuinely believe they don’t have a clear plan to attack teams that sit deep. It’s one reason why they compete well with good teams and then really struggle with bad ones. I think ole also waits too long to make changes in games (yesterday was an exception but he was forced to due to the RBL game Tuesday). It’s also a pattern that they come out slow and play their way in to games. That strikes me also that there is no clear plan from the start.

No doubt any manager is handicapped with the way the board runs the team. No doubt it’s more enjoyable than under lvg or Jose. But I can’t really shake the belief that he doesn’t have the elite manager skill that’s required. I would really like to see Poch in, as he is someone that at least has a clear team identity in mind, and manages to that idea. Other rumor is that Tuchel is a possibility, which I would also be ok with.

After reading The Athletic’s recent article about Nuno Espírito Santo, I think he would do wonders for Man U, assuming the players could and would adapt to his coaching style. But I realize that last part could be a big ask for both players and the coaching staff.

Vardy’s goal celebration looked cool and was worth the yellow card.

We're choosing to read nothing into it, right?

govmentchedda wrote: ↑Sat Dec 05, 2020 10:55 pm Pocchetino

A great manager. He ran out of gas at Tottenham, but he's great.

Hope he's coaching in Spain next season though.

Oh, and there's this...

Fresh legs and all that, I can't imagine Torres remaining behind Mahrez on the depth chart after this one.

TIL that Rebecca Lowe saying “Mr Mercedes” is cuter than Rebecca Lowe saying “Peacock.”

rass wrote: ↑Sat Dec 12, 2020 4:29 pm TIL that Rebecca Lowe saying “Mr Mercedes” is cuter than Rebecca Lowe saying “Peacock.”

Disagree. It’s tough to be cuter than Rebecca Lowe even for Rebecca Lowe.

Aubameyang has now scored more goals for the opposition than he has for Arsenal this season!

Neato, Neto!

Man, that Chelsea loss to Wolves was heartbreaking. Such narrow margins in these games.

Shirley wrote: ↑Tue Dec 15, 2020 7:30 pm Man, that Chelsea loss to Wolves was heartbreaking. Such narrow margins in these games.

Shoulda had $$ on Wolves to win, like I did.

Bilic out at the Baggies, sounds like Big Sam's the man

If you'd told me this time yesterday he'd be out I would have assumed a 6-0 City win.

Baloney wrote: ↑Wed Dec 16, 2020 8:28 am Bilic out at the Baggies, sounds like Big Sam's the man

Pint glasses of Chardonnay for everyone!