2023-2024 EPL Season

S E P H

Cloud IX
Mar 5, 2010
30,998
16,511
Toruń, PL
Not to draw attention away from the new matter, but this stood out:

"The expectation at the time was that Greenwood would never play for United again, but new part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe opened the door for a potential return. Reports in late February suggested Greenwood has 'no great desire' to play for United again and is 'reluctant' to return to Old Trafford. It was said Greenwood feels the club 'could have supported him better' over his case."

Greenwood is still a POS, who could have guessed. Not sure how the club could have supported him more than basically saying "if you saw this other evidence, you'd believe he didn't do it" in a press release when anyone with more than two brain cells knows he was guilty.
To prevent cognitive dissonance, you have to change your attitude, behaviour, or belief or else you will struggle psychologically. To prevent this, Greenwood had only two options mentally; consider himself a POS or think of himself as somebody who was in a bad situation but not a bad person. Because we are all inherently selfish, most people will change their belief that they did "nothing wrong," and would want the club to support him in this case.
 

Peen

Rejoicing in a Benning-free world
Oct 6, 2013
30,097
25,602
Anyways, here’s my Chelsea list of who they should keep/sell.

Starter level:
Nkunku, Palmer, Gusto, Reece, Enzo, Caicedo, Colwill. Even within this list. there’s two right backs and a midfield pairing that does not work together.

18: Jackson, Gallagher, Chukwuemeka, Lavia, Chilwell, Wes Fofana, Petrovic, + pick one of the meh CBs that the coach likes the most. Probably Disasi

So we need two forwards, a midfielder (unless Poch or x coach thinks he can make something work with a returning Lavia, Ugochukwu, Casadei, Santos, whatever), a CB, and a GK.

I haven’t disliked Poch as much since the new year. I can kind of understand the benefit of continuity, especially given he has a year left on his contract and any new coach would need a big commitment.

Someone will quote this and farm some pats on the back for the obvious “wow you need to spend hundreds of millions more???” but it’s pointless.

I saw that they would decline a conference league invite because they don’t think they’d be compliant with uefa rules and the financial rewards are too small. So I don’t think we have the moneu to make the upgrades
 
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Jersey Fresh

Video Et Taceo
Feb 23, 2004
26,239
9,182
T.A.
Anyways, here’s my Chelsea list of who they should keep/sell.

Starter level:
Nkunku, Palmer, Gusto, Reece, Enzo, Caicedo, Colwill. Even within this list. there’s two right backs and a midfield pairing that does not work together.

18: Jackson, Gallagher, Chukwuemeka, Lavia, Chilwell, Wes Fofana, Petrovic, + pick one of the meh CBs that the coach likes the most. Probably Disasi

So we need two forwards, a midfielder (unless Poch or x coach thinks he can make something work with a returning Lavia, Ugochukwu, Casadei, Santos, whatever), a CB, and a GK.

I haven’t disliked Poch as much since the new year. I can kind of understand the benefit of continuity, especially given he has a year left on his contract and any new coach would need a big commitment.

Someone will quote this and farm some pats on the back for the obvious “wow you need to spend hundreds of millions more???” but it’s pointless.

I saw that they would decline a conference league invite because they don’t think they’d be compliant with uefa rules and the financial rewards are too small. So I don’t think we have the moneu to make the upgrades
Cut to, they spend hundreds of millions to make the upgrades.
 

Chimaera

same ol' Caps
Feb 4, 2004
31,027
1,754
La Plata, Maryland
They're kinda in a catch 22. They have to make some upgrades. But to make those upgrades, they might need to jettison some parts they don't want to get rid of. It's going to be really interesting.
 

robertmac43

Forever 43!
Mar 31, 2015
23,469
15,606
The Fail are so bad, but they also break so much news I can't find another source.



This reminds me of the Canada World Juniors stuff from last year. Is each team now going to release a similar statement and leave us with a couple to speculate about?
 

luiginb

Registered User
Aug 23, 2007
5,473
1,797
Barcelona
Brighton is the only team I can think of who has three or four 19yo you can count as "stars" even though Daily Fail's title could just be bait and it's a pair of kids on some U19 team.
 

luiginb

Registered User
Aug 23, 2007
5,473
1,797
Barcelona
By the way, and this may come as a surprise to Arsenal fans here, if the title race comes down in the end to just City and Arsenal, I think I want Arsenal to win. They haven't cheated like City has done, and they employ some decent human beings like Saka and Rice who deserve a title. The only part I don't like is they haven't gotten rid of Partey as City did with Mendy.
 
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spintheblackcircle

incoming!!!
Mar 1, 2002
66,272
12,216
By the way, and this may come as a surprise to Arsenal fans here, if the title race comes down in the end to just City and Arsenal, I think I want Arsenal to win. They haven't cheated like City has done, and they employ some decent human beings like Saka and Rice who deserve a title. The only part I don't like is they haven't gotten rid of Partey as City did with Mendy.

Another Spurs fan here that would "prefer" Arsenal to City, but would prefer Liverpool over both.
 
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Jussi

Registered User
Feb 28, 2002
91,609
11,157
Mojo Dojo Casa House
United's under-18 team wrapped the youth cup vs City in addition to their league title. 3 players were subbed off early (Amass, Wheatley & Jackson) which means they could get some minutes with the senior team this week.
 

JeffreyLFC

Registered User
Sep 29, 2017
10,233
7,352
It just feel wrong because as a pool fan I wish Man City win all their games and Arsenal win all their game too and lose the title by a single point just like LFC did twice against them so we don't feel alone on that front and they can experience similar pain.
 

Brunkmeister

Registered User
Sep 4, 2021
1,702
689
It just feel wrong because as a pool fan I wish Man City win all their games and Arsenal win all their game too and lose the title by a single point just like LFC did twice against them so we don't feel alone on that front and they can experience similar pain.

The only way i would feel pain in that case is is if we somehow manage to lose the title in the last GW. As things stands right now that would need City to drop a couple of points on the road and if they don’t there really isn’t much you can do about it. Hence no pain.
 

Savant

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Oct 3, 2013
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Would prefer City winning but don’t think that’s a secret.

City can win and no one cares. Everyone knows they are cheating and they’ll have an asterisk at some point. Sign me up for the apathy. Nothing personal to anyone else
 

bluesfan94

Registered User
Jan 7, 2008
31,102
8,273
St. Louis
It just feel wrong because as a pool fan I wish Man City win all their games and Arsenal win all their game too and lose the title by a single point just like LFC did twice against them so we don't feel alone on that front and they can experience similar pain.
We'd lose by two points, just FYI, but you and United can commiserate given that United lost on GD
 

Savant

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We'd lose by two points, just FYI, but you and United can commiserate given that United lost on GD
I’d argue getting 97 points and the difference between 1st and 2nd being literal millimeters on a goal line clearance is the absolute worst. That 18-19 team was probably the best PL team of all time, but only the LFC fans will remember them now
 

Chimaera

same ol' Caps
Feb 4, 2004
31,027
1,754
La Plata, Maryland
I don't like either club all that much (City more because they cheat, Arsenal, some supporters irk me, but that's part of it). If one had to win, I don't think it's much of a choice, but Arsenal would be the horse I'd back.

In different considerations, it's going to be interesting how the vote on anchoring goes. You would have to figure United, City, maybe Chelsea no. Others? Up for debate.
 

bluesfan94

Registered User
Jan 7, 2008
31,102
8,273
St. Louis
I’d argue getting 97 points and the difference between 1st and 2nd being literal millimeters on a goal line clearance is the absolute worst. That 18-19 team was probably the best PL team of all time, but only the LFC fans will remember them now
I find it hard to say a team that didn't win the most games, didn't score the most goals, didn't have the best GD, and ultimately finished second is the best team in that season, let alone of all time.
 

Savant

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I find it hard to say a team that didn't win the most games, didn't score the most goals, didn't have the best GD, and ultimately finished second is the best team in that season, let alone of all time.
Because of the millimeters on the goal line clearance. That goal counts and you have a (near) 100 point invincible season with a UCL double. I think winning UCL alone makes the case they were the best team that season.
 

hatterson

Registered User
Apr 12, 2010
35,415
12,769
North Tonawanda, NY
Because of the millimeters on the goal line clearance. That goal counts and you have a (near) 100 point invincible season with a UCL double. I think winning UCL alone makes the case they were the best team that season.
1.) You don't get credit for being the best ever because of something that almost happened.

2.) The clearance occurred 17 minutes into Liverpool's 21st game of a 38 game season and later in the game City scored twice and Liverpool scored once. To assume both that everything in the game would remain totally unchanged and that future results would also remain totally unchanged and use that to claim a best ever title is absurd. Liverpool also dropped 8 points later in that same season, so it's not even like the goal like clearance was the only thing keeping them from the title. Also draws against Leicester, West Ham, United, and Everton did (and obviously everything that occurred earlier in the season)
 
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Savant

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1.) You don't get credit for being the best ever because of something that almost happened.

2.) The clearance occurred 17 minutes into Liverpool's 21st game of a 38 game season and later in the game City scored twice and Liverpool scored once. To assume both that everything in the game would remain totally unchanged and that future results would also remain totally unchanged and use that to claim a best ever title is absurd. Liverpool also dropped 8 points later in that same season, so it's not even like the goal like clearance was the only thing keeping them from the title. Also draws against Leicester, West Ham, United, and Everton did (and obviously everything that occurred earlier in the season)
1. I know. That's what I said.

2. That's fair, but its also not out of the realm that the game finishes level. I don't think that's outlandish either. Days like today make me remember how much better Klopp's record against Utd and Everton should have been.
 

Savant

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You said "That 18-19 team was probably the best PL team of all time" not "That 18-19 team could have been probably the best PL team of all time"
I think they have just as good a case as any other the other contenders. But they won’t get respect because they finished second. There’s nothing outlandish about them being up there
 

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