GWT: EPL - Matchweek 23

[luiginb]

how do you rate Stefan de Vrij and Bremer?

de Vrij had a couple of superb seasons in Serie A (last one at Lazio and first one at Inter) but injuries derailed his career

Bremer in terms of pure defending I take over Saliba (maybe Evilo can help us with the duels won statistics). He's useless with the ball though

Using a team trophy and a single good season in Serie A as your main arguments is what's ridiculous. Is Benjamin Pavard world class because he was great in the 2018 World Cup?

I'm Pavard's biggest fan on these boards haha Bayern miss him dearly

 

[Wee Baby Seamus]

Using a team trophy and a single good season in Serie A as your main arguments is what's ridiculous. Is Benjamin Pavard world class because he was great in the 2018 World Cup?

This poster adores Pavard hahaha you prob should’ve picked a different defender

 

[KJS14]

1. It’s February
2. The league was arguably over as soon as KDB came back healthy. That being said, if LFC beat Man City at Anfield, who knows what happens but again still games before then and after then. Too much changes week to week.
3. Even if Man City win the league, LFC still alive in three other comps so this the season isn’t exactly over. Yeah the league would be the best but come on.

But hey, LFC ran into a desperate Arsenal team. These things happen. This was no worse than the second hardest game left on LFC’s schedule. And quite frankly I’m not sure how the preparation for this game could have gotten worse. It’s harsh to say, but LFC honestly lost this game yesterday. Arsenal played LFC at the right time and they got a win. Kudos.

I was just being tongue in cheek.

Assuming it doesn't turn into a full on Duke/Coach K retirement tour, then I hope Klopp gets a proper send off. You guys can have the league cup, FA cup, and europa league. No problem. Just not the league

 

[bluesfan94]

de Vrij had a couple of superb seasons in Serie A (last one at Lazio and first one at Inter) but injuries derailed his career

Bremer in terms of pure defending I take over Saliba (maybe Evilo can help us with the duels won statistics). He's useless with the ball though


I'm Pavard's biggest fan on these boards haha Bayern miss him dearly

What about Papu Gomez and Brozovic? Ciro Immobile?

 

[luiginb]

This poster adores Pavard hahaha you prob should’ve picked a different defender

Im watching him play rn against Juve in the Italian derby. He's fit again so of course he's starting, guy is a proven winner.

 

[Evilo]

Using a team trophy and a single good season in Serie A as your main arguments is what's ridiculous. Is Benjamin Pavard world class because he was great in the 2018 World Cup?

He wasn't. He did score an amazing goal however.

Also Cannavaro had 6 great months and was desastrous as soon as he played in a decent league. Not too hard to say Saliba is better.

 

[Savant]

I was just being tongue in cheek.

Assuming it doesn't turn into a full on Duke/Coach K retirement tour, then I hope Klopp gets a proper send off. You guys can have the league cup, FA cup, and europa league. No problem. Just not the league

I will take what I can get.

Honestly this is probably the least bothered I’ve been about losing/dropping to Arsenal in a very long time. It is what it is. It’s crazy there is still so much time left in the season. Always feels likes it’s been forever when you are in all the comps.

 

[luiginb]

Honestly this is probably the least bothered I’ve been about losing/dropping to Arsenal in a very long time. It is what it is.

The problem is your players seemed to share this mentality today. Liverpool was very very flat. Not a very Klopp-like performance.

Also Cannavaro had 6 great months and was desastrous as soon as he played in a decent league. Not too hard to say Saliba is better.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA...

My god, I don't even know why I still post on this site. The amount of crappy takes people defend...

Let me know when Saliba "30 minutes played at the world cup" wins a ballon d'or

 

[KJS14]

I'm Pavard's biggest fan on these boards haha Bayern miss him dearly

This poster adores Pavard hahaha you prob should’ve picked a different defender

I think being a Pavard fan is just another point in my favor honestly. It's a cruel punishment to have to back him and Romero. Being the biggest Pavard fan is like being the biggest fan of a Honda Civic when there are Porsches on the streets.

 

[Savant]

The problem is your players seemed to share this mentality today. Liverpool was very very flat. Not a very Klopp-like performance.

I just think their preparation got completely blown up yesterday. They were (probably) going to start Bradley, Szoboszlai and Darwin. Darwin made the bench but did not look remotely healthy when he came on. Arsenal away is one of the hardest fixtures of the season and I think the late changes, combined with all the other absences was just too much to overcome. And again this was a desperate Arsenal team. Arteta had them training at the stadium in advance of this; they were treating this game like a cup final and LFC was very much in survival mode. I think Arsenal made them look flat, but it was clear from the beginning whatever prep work they did was ruined

 

[luiginb]

And again this was a desperate Arsenal team. Arteta had them training at the stadium in advance of this; they were treating this game like a cup final and LFC was very much in survival mode

I think being a Pavard fan is just another point in my favor honestly. It's a cruel punishment to have to back him and Romero. Being the biggest Pavard fan is like being the biggest fan of a Honda Civic when there are Porsches on the streets.

That Honda Civic won 14 trophies in his career, all of them as a starter. Let me know when your Porsche reaches that (he's currently sitting on 2, and he's just 5 years younger)

 

[KJS14]

That Honda Civic won 14 trophies in his career, all of them as a starter. Let me know when your Porsche reaches that (he's currently sitting on 2, and he's just 5 years younger)

Again, team trophies =/= better player. But when your only argument in your favor is counting Bayern's trophies and a supercoppa, I get it.

 

[robertmac43]

Massive win! Great weekend of Footie in general

 

[Rob]

Mightiest club gonna come 3rd and win nothing this season

Doesn't the Community Shield count?

 

[Wee Baby Seamus]

Cannavaro won a Ballon d'Or because he was the captain of a team that won a World Cup without a standout superstar, and even then he was probably the fourth most importance piece of that team (Buffon, Pirlo, Totti - in order). Cannavaro's Ballon d'Or should be looked at similarly to Jorginho's third place finish in 2021 (although, to Jorg's credit, he was Italy's best player at the Euros).

It's madness that, in the history of earth shatteringly good Italian centre backs, it's Cannavaro with the biggest prize. It's impossible to conjure an argument for him over any of Baresi, Maldini, or Nesta in my opinion.

 

[Evilo]

Cannavaro getting that Bd'O was a travesty indeed.
And he signed with Real that summer and was desastrous.
Buffon should have won it.

 

[luiginb]

Cannavaro won a Ballon d'Or because he was the captain of a team that won a World Cup without a standout superstar, and even then he was probably the fourth most importance piece of that team (Buffon, Pirlo, Totti - in order). Cannavaro's Ballon d'Or should be looked at similarly to Jorginho's third place finish in 2021 (although, to Jorg's credit, he was Italy's best player at the Euros).

It's madness that, in the history of earth shatteringly good Italian centre backs, it's Cannavaro with the biggest prize. It's impossible to conjure an argument for him over any of Baresi, Maldini, or Nesta in my opinion.

Baresi was mostly before my time, Maldini I see more as a left back, and Nesta, as a Lazio fan is a guy I dont like for going to Milan.

 

[Ceremony]

Which one of you has been texting the BBC?

 

[Savant]

Lousy day but you’ve got to appreciate Virgil’s leadership.



Stepped up and took responsibility. That’s a captain. Still a long ways to go. If you are going to have your worst performance of the season where everything goes wrong may as well be away to Arsenal where anyone can lose.

 

[maclean]

Which one of you has been texting the BBC?

View attachment 814667

Clearly a Tottenham fan

 

[luiginb]

Also Cannavaro had 6 great months and was desastrous as soon as he played in a decent league. Not too hard to say Saliba is better.

I missed this argument last night. Cannavaro got to Real at 33yo and played 3 more years there as a starter every year. Hard to do that when you're "desastrous". He also played in Serie A in the 90s and beginning of the 00s when it was arguably the best league in the world, not sure what you're on about with "decent league". He's also the most selected Italian in history for their national team afaik. All this as a 1.73m defender.

 

[Evilo]

I'll ask again : did you watch him play at Real?

 

[Jussi]

Watch it while you can:



The meow sounds...

 

[luiginb]

I'll ask again : did you watch him play at Real?

Of course, he had a rough three months when he got there but it had more to do with expectations and a bad first game (not Woodgate level but still) than anything else, then he started for them for three more years! Well into his 36yo season, after which he had another season starting for Juventus.

 

[Chimaera]

It was a big win. Better side won yesterday. The treated it like a Cup final, and Liverpool really didn't cope. Bit of good fortune, and that's all it took.

Liverpool can hang their hat on not really playing their game and having 3 key parts still more or less out. However, the reality is, City is going to make a further charge, and having to basically be perfect the rest of the way, probably isn't in the cards. City really only have 2 or 3 tricky matches the rest of the way, with only Anfield and Spurs to visit. For each of their big matches, they likely can rest guys beforehand.

Gonna be tough, but the parade to City's title is likely on.