GWT: PL Matchweek (mostly) 28

[les Habs]

Liverpool losing to Watford is really meaningless when it comes to winning the league. Weak league this season though.

 

[Live in the Now]

Also, the vast majority of Liverpool posters here already said weeks ago they would rather advance in other competitions than see the team waste themselves trying to win every league game. I'm already getting one thing I wanted and now I desperately want to advance as far as possible in the other two competitions.

To win four or five trophies this season would be fantastic.

 

[Chimaera]

I felt they would lose at some point. I thought it would be City who stopped them, more so because that's the kind of match they need to have to make a statement, even if they can't catch Liverpool. Kind of didn't figure it would go with a bit more than a whimper to a team in the relegation zone. I'm a bit disappointed that they couldn't keep the string running, but I'm ok with it being over now. There's a number of positives for the club's other aspirations. Now there's no reason Curtis Jones or Neco Williams or whomever can't get a few matches, get some playing time, let your stars rest so they can setup for winning other matches. My concern, as has been said a few times with other posters, was that if they got closer and closer to the undefeated season, they might put in top players in meaningless matches, only to go for records. Now, there should be no issues. Sure, they need to get a bit of momentum back, but there's no question that they can focus on winning other silverware, with one hand already on the EPL title.

I'm just a bit shocked that it went out in what was basically match they should have handled. That said, I think if anything how Watford played, and how some of the bottom sides are playing lend some of the discussion more towards the fact that there are no real abject awful teams in the EPL. It might be weaker at the top (and some of that discussion is not completely without merit) but I think there's a good chance that a few sides that aren't awful will go down. I think the parity and quality of some of the sides in 10-18ish is much better than it's been. Whether that's due to poor form, bad management, injuries or just sheer luck, I don't know, but I think there's much more quality in some of those sides. Watford really isn't that bad, and they have a few players that are of much better quality than you'd see on sides in the bottom half in other leagues. Even Norwich, who most certainly will end up relegated, are not awful. They play good football and have a number of players who will be able to stay in the EPL if they decide.

 

[bluesfan94]

True but he was in a n offside position and was sitting down. There were very limited options in terms of potential actions.

With VAR this may change, but goalies are taught to never care about offsides.

 

[bluesfan94]

Both of those should count IMO

Nah, both are offside players affecting the play of the goalie. Take it to the extreme. If a player stands right on front of the goalie during free kicks a la Sean Avery, you’d have no problem calling it back. Same principle.

 

[bluesfan94]

Do any of these goofs think that losing this game makes the title win worse? Genuine question. Demolished the whole lot, lost one game and drew one game. Still 22 points ahead of the only team that has a chance in hell of beating us for the title next season. Wow we really feel bad about our season because of that one game. I know that when I waited for the title all those seasons, it would only be a really good title win if they beat Watford two times, and now it's all ruined because they didn't.

Honestly, just give it a rest people.

I think it makes it worse yeah. Sure you’re still finally gonna win your first title abs that’s exciting but it would have been all the more exciting to do it undefeated

 

[bleedblue1223]

Chelsea still somehow have a 3 point lead for 4th. That's absurd. We have 6 points in our last 6 matches, with a loss to Newcastle and draw to Bournemouth.

 

[JeffreyLFC]

I find it funny that Liverpool have got the VAR moniker while Manchester United had way more clear controversy lately (and honestly had make VAR a joke now).

I mean I played football for a long time and Sigurdsson or not, a deflected shot is very hard to stop and I am very confident that if Gylfi is not even there, De gea does not stop the goal. I truly think that the offside rule need a significant update like if a player is deliberately obstructing the goalkeeper you call it offside.

I truly feel that applying a rule very strict like that is laughable. That and the push from Fred to Azpilicueta are ridiculous. How can somebody tell me with a straight face that Fred push last week had no impact on the goal and then tell later me that Gilfy had a huge impact on that goal. I mean it is getting obvious that big clubs are getting away with it. It is farcical. Going by that logic of the Gilfy strict offside ruling then every push no mater the strenght and power should be penalized which is clearly not the case at the moment as there is no strict ruling regarding push.

 

[bluesfan94]

I find it funny that Liverpool have got the VAR moniker while Manchester United had way more clear controversy lately (and honestly had make VAR a joke now).

I mean, I've said that if this were a decade ago, he'd be called Sir Alex VARguson. But LiVARpool just works so well

 

[Stray Wasp]

Every top team had lower point totals, because the league was closer. Chelsea, United and Liverpool all had some of the best teams they have ever had in the PL era. TV money only made the league easier for top clubs since the bottom and mid table teams no longer could put up a fight.

Admittedly, Chelsea's team may have been the fifteenth best they've fielded in the EPL era.

 

[AB13]

Admittedly, Chelsea's team may have been the fifteenth best they've fielded in the EPL era.

Their 03-04 team is one of the better ones they have ever had, would have won the league most years. So many superstars because of Abramovich, many of those players where part of the Chelsea teams that had purchased titles.

 

[Aladyyn]

03-04 United was far from one of the best teams in the Fergie era. It was a transition period for the club, a lot of the players that defined the next stage of the club weren't even there yet (Rooney, Carrick, Vidic, VDS)

 

[Stray Wasp]

Their 03-04 team is one of the better ones they have ever had, would have won the league most years. So many superstars because of Abramovich, many of those players where part of the Chelsea teams that had purchased titles.

I thank you for giving me the opportunity of using a word I don't employ often enough, namely, 'hogwash'.

It wasn't a team worthy of the name - rather an ill-assorted collections of individuals, far too many of whom were either signed for what they were expected to do two to three years in the future, or on the basis of glories irreversibly past. Ranieri couldn't work out how to field a balanced midfield or what was his best strike partnership. Such was the muddle that only Terry, Lampard and Wayne Bridge started more than 26 league games. No player in the most expensive English club squad then ever assembled made the top 10 goalscorers.

'Most years' they'd have won the league, you say? The EPL has completed 27 seasons prior to this one. Some specific examples of champions that Chelsea team was superior to would be interesting to see.

 

[Stray Wasp]

03-04 United was far from one of the best teams in the Fergie era. It was a transition period for the club, a lot of the players that defined the next stage of the club weren't even there yet (Rooney, Carrick, Vidic, VDS)

They were mediocre too. That was the summer Ferguson signed Djemba-Djemba and Kleberson to bolster his central midfield options. Marvellous.

Cristiano Ronaldo was just an annoying boy with bad hair who looked like he might grow into a proper footballer eventually.

 

[Islay1989]

The worst part of Liverpool losing is being subjected to more inane "Invencibles" drivel.

 

[007]

Liverpool losing to Watford is really meaningless when it comes to winning the league. Weak league this season though.

Depends on your perspective. Norwich is one of the best teams ever to be at the bottom of the table.

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

Depends on your perspective. Norwich is one of the best teams ever to be at the bottom of the table.

Arsenal lost to a greek team...

 

[007]

Arsenal lost to a greek team...

So the biggest team in football-mad Greece is better than the 10th-placed team in England? Proves nothing other than that you think Arsenal are somehow special for having been good in the past. Now if your argument is that Arsenal mismanage their ridiculous wealth, then you'd have a point, though it would be tangential to my comment.

The normal that the Premier League brought in, where we're supposed to expect the same few teams every year to dominate is utterly boring. Thank heavens for Leicester.

 

[YNWA14]

I think peoples' perspective on what makes a league strong or good at a particular point in time is a bit skewed and biased through nostalgia (or just plain biased). Neither side will change their minds.