GWT: EPL - Matchweek 17 - Boxing Day

[JeffreyLFC]

Yea that looks like a pen to me. There's a difference between a shirt pull and clipping a heel, but I think both should still be pens.

For some reason refs, especially PL refs, basically need you to go rugby on an attacking player if you're using your hands to give a pen, but clips of the legs are called much more significantly.

I disagree some shocking penalty kick have been called this year. The standard of what consist a pk is all over the place. Nobody know, from what i've seen is that VAR won't overturn call on the field unless it's very blatant. Minimal contacts won't be contested and atrocious missed call won't be reviewed either.

 

[Jussi]

Lovely weather in Manchester tonight...

 

[hatterson]

Quite the back line for United.

Shaw also seems to be playing much more like a LB or LCB in a back three versus just a straight CB.

Will be interesting if Forest can have the quality to exploit him being out of position at times.

 

[luiginb]

Lol at ten Hag choosing to start Shaw over Maguire at CB. Maguire should just leave in the winter. At least he's starting AWB after his MOTM performance in midweek.

 

[Jussi]

Lol at ten Hag choosing to start Shaw over Maguire at CB. Maguire should just leave in the winter. At least he's starting AWB after his MOTM performance in midweek.

Maguire hasn't recovered fully from last week's illness yet. Even him being on the bench today was a surprise. He missed last week's Carabao Cup game due to it. The same illness is now effecting Lindelöf and McTominay.

 

[S E P H]

This is why I called West Ham’s penalty soft

Bowen had no contact, Saliba's sliding tackle discombobulated his balance and he lost it four steps later. Don't listen to rival fans, they're just trying to trigger a superior fanbase.

 

[hatterson]

Maguire hasn't recovered fully from last week's illness yet.

Yea from reports he shouldn't he in the squad at all, but they basically have no other options.

Lindelof is ill and Martinez isn't ready yet after the WC. So the only other players with experience at any form of CB are Shaw (I think only at LCB in a back three before now) and Casemiro. I suppose they've also got the U21 Cb on the squad today, but that would seem insane to throw him into a PL match.

A corner goal???? We're allowed to do that?

 

[Jussi]

RASSE! A goal from a corner even! Really well executed set play.

 

[hatterson]

Tony getting in on it.

Can bet that goal doesn't go in on a dry day though. Ball gotta be so greasy right now though.

 

[Jussi]

Martial! From Rashford!

 

[hatterson]

Ooof, yea the replays don't look good for Hennessey. That's not a shot a top flight keeper should be letting in.

 

[Jussi]

Ooof, yea the replays don't look good for Hennessey. That's not a shot a top flight keeper should be letting in.

He clearly slipped when trying to make the save. In dry conditions he would've probably made the save.

 

[hatterson]

One of those challenges that shows how the game has changed. 20 years ago that challenge by Malacia would have been celebrated as a solid cleaning out tackle and never a foul, now it's a yellow.

He clearly slipped when trying to make the save. In dry conditions he would've probably made the save.

It doesn't look like he really slipped though. Looked like he reacted really slowly and was off balance. I don't see his feet slipping, he just voluntarily lifts them up to try to get down to the ground quicker.

 

[luiginb]

Aurier is such a puke.

 

[Jussi]

One of those challenges that shows how the game has changed. 20 years ago that challenge by Malacia would have been celebrated as a solid cleaning out tackle and never a foul, now it's a yellow.



It doesn't look like he really slipped though. Looked like he reacted really slowly and was off balance. I don't see his feet slipping, he just voluntarily lifts them up to try to get down to the ground quicker.

It looked like he had no firm footing in the later replays and the USA feed commentators noticed it.

Casual shoulder save from De Gea.

 

[hatterson]

It looked like he had no firm footing in the later replays and the USA feed commentators noticed it.

Could have been, I certainly didn't watch a ton of replays.

Either way, I think even with the footwork he had, if the ball was dry he got enough on it to push it wide, but it's so slippery that it just slid off the gloves and into the net making it look even worse.

 

[luiginb]

de Gea : "look, ma, no hands!"

what boredom does to a goalie

 

[hatterson]

That looks offside on the deflection. Awful set piece defending either way.

 

[Jussi]

That should be offside.

 

[hatterson]

Gotta love VAR lol. Spend 3 minutes looking at a potential handball only to check the more obvious thing of if it was onside or not.

 

[Venkman]

Nice finish by Rashford and pass by Bruno to Rashford for Martial's goal. Antony having a WC hangover so far.

 

[hatterson]

Antony needs to do better on that. Basically hit it straight into the middle of the goal so the keeper being big had a high chance of getting to it.

 

[hatterson]

Obviously if you're gonna try out an emergency CB, Forest is pretty near the top of the list of team you would pick to do it against, but still a really good run out at CB for Shaw.

I'm skeptical if he could make it happen against a squad with more experience and skill up front, especially in terms of where to send through balls and where to make runs, but it was nice to see a solid outing from him.

Oh, it was Varane coming off for Maguire. I was expecting Shaw. Guess he's got another 15 minutes to go.

 

[luiginb]

And if you're using Shaw at CB you're losing a really good offensive weapon at LB.

 

[hatterson]

And if you're using Shaw at CB you're losing a really good offensive weapon at LB.

For sure, but if the option is Shaw at CB, Casemiro at DM, and Malacia at LB I'd choose that over either Casemiro at CB and Shaw at LB (since Casemiro provides good stability in the middle) or a U21 with no senior caps at CB and Shaw at LB.