Premier League 2020-2021 (Part I)

[Savant]

Exactly my point @Evilo

You could have just bolded the last four words. Glad you agree with me.

 

[Savant]

The reason why Liverpool has less penalties is because our assists come from fullbacks who pass the ball to players who immediately shoot. Can't get penalties when the other team doesn't even have time to close players down, and I think this little bit of tactical play will start to be adopted by a lot of teams. The second reason is because the other goals usually come from fast counters.

Liverpool doesn't shoot the ball a lot compared to other top teams, but when their players decide to try to score, they will try to do it immediately. The big Fabinho goals and the goals against Newcastle last weekend are pretty good examples of this.

I don’t agree with this. Salah has the most touches in the box this season. Firmino and Mane touched the ball more than anyone in the league because Salah and Sterling this season. It doesn’t mean that the refs are against them but it’s a little disingenuous to say Liverpool don’t get PKs because they only shoot one timers.

 

[Elvis P]

"Nike launches new Flight ball for 2020/21 Premier League

Nike's revolutionary football exclusive to the league offers improved aerodynamics when the new season starts on 12 September"

 

[YNWA14]

I don’t agree with this. Salah has the most touches in the box this season. Firmino and Mane touched the ball more than anyone in the league because Salah and Sterling this season. It doesn’t mean that the refs are against them but it’s a little disingenuous to say Liverpool don’t get PKs because they only shoot one timers.

I mean Salah alone overhandles the ball in the box constantly. Yes the fullbacks create a lot of chances but Liverpool often have a lot of touches in and around the box without shooting or going off quickly, as the stats show and if you watch. van Dijk alone probably should have had 12 penalties for the way he’s mugged every set piece tbh.

 

[YNWA14]

Wrong thread.

 

[Chimaera]

No, i'm saying you're implying they were favoured by ref.
You're not the only one doing it, it's been a Liverpool fans complaint (at least 3 different off the top of my head) for weeks now.
Yet when countered by facts, not stats (pens were deserved except 2), you just say, well it's just a stat, nothing more.

Yeah you almost fooled us.

I mean... I don't have a problem saying that they get a lot of penalties. They get more than their share. It might just be a statistical anomaly. It might just be a year where they got awful lucky. It's more than possible they game plan to get penalties, and their players intend on setting up the situation. It could just be random chance.

The only reason I bring it up is I think it's interesting to see the numbers so unbalanced. I wonder why that is. I do think what you said about Salah and Mane looking for them in the past two seasons, maybe playing against them. But my comments on it definitely are mentioned on the fact that United has benefited significantly from penalties. Rightly or wrongly given, I don't know, I just said they got a lot.

 

[Blender]

WhoScored's "newcomer team of the season".

 

[robertmac43]

My bet is if Tierney isn't injured most of the season he gets in as the LB.

 

[Elvis P]

"Premier League on a high with NBC Sports. Data shows that competition enjoyed its most-watched season in the U.S. in four years" Premier League on a high with NBC Sports

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Alan Shearer's 2019/20 Team of the Season

Nick Pope (BUR)

To have kept that many clean sheets, 15, tells you the story of his season. Commanding and a brilliant shot-stopper.
Trent Alexander-Arnold (LIV)

A forward’s dream and is only going to get better. Only Kevin De Bruyne has more assists in 2019/20.
Virgil van Dijk (LIV)

He's been immense at the heart of Liverpool’s defence and has played a huge part in their success.
Chris Basham (SHU)

Played every league match and has been a rock for Sheffield United. I could easily have picked his team-mate John Egan instead. Both have been brilliant.
Andrew Robertson (LIV)

What a bargain buy he’s proven to be. When you consider that him and Trent play in a back four and not as wing-backs, the amount of assists they have produced is incredible.
Kevin De Bruyne (MCI)

A joy to watch all season. He has been a standout performer and it’s no surprise he’s matched Thierry Henry’s record of 20 assists.
Jordan Henderson (LIV)

Liverpool’s Player of the Season in my opinion. He’s been a great leader and a huge driving force in their midfield.
Bruno Fernandes (MUN)

Changed the fortunes of Manchester United when he arrived. They were predictable, but he has added star quality. Thanks to him they finished in the top four.
Raheem Sterling (MCI)

Keeps on getting better and he continues to score plenty of goals. For the seventh consecutive season he has played more than 30 league matches. Consistently brilliant.
Jamie Vardy (LEI)

The Golden Boot winner, and the star man in what was a terrific season for Leicester City. What a player.
Sadio Mane (LIV)

A consistent performer for Liverpool. On the odd occasion they couldn’t break teams down he was the one that unlocked the door.
Manager: Jurgen Klopp (LIV)

It’s been a long 30 years for Liverpool fans but he has delivered what they wanted in spectacular style. He will go down in the club’s folklore." Alan Shearer's 2019/20 Team of the Season

 

[Blender]

My bet is if Tierney isn't injured most of the season he gets in as the LB.

He would have needed to play 4 more games to meet the minimum criteria, but his WhoScored rating was still lower than Willems which is what that is based on. Willems barely made the criteria either as he only made 19 appearances, the minimum required. Tierney made 15 appearances.

 

[hatterson]

Henderson at 6.72 seems low, although I haven't really looked at how they score keepers and that's a notoriously hard position to boil down to a simple number.

 

[Savant]

Henderson at 6.72 seems low, although I haven't really looked at how they score keepers and that's a notoriously hard position to boil down to a simple number.

WhoScored doesn’t really score keepers well. They also eel to favor the ones that see the most action (at CB especially too, Mustafi always seems to grade out near the top with the Burnley guys); it’s better for offensive players though, in my opinion anyway

 

[Stray Wasp]

The Saudis have withdrawn their bid for Newcastle United. Thus ends the weirdest chapter in the history of a club whose last quarter of a century is crammed with episodes of absurdity.

What next? Will it turn out that the reason Joelinton can't score is because he suffered a Freaky Friday-style accident, and finds himself trapped in the body of Jack Black?

All eyes turn to an alleged American billionaire's alleged bid. Mind, he's already had to deny that his interest was a put-up job perpetrated at Qatar's behest to throw a spanner in the works of the Saudi takeover.

Meanwhile, pity the agents and clubs weeping over the lost 40% premium they'd expected to tack on to every single transaction Saudicastle attempted.

 

[East Coast Bias]

The Saudis have withdrawn their bid for Newcastle United. Thus ends the weirdest chapter in the history of a club whose last quarter of a century is crammed with episodes of absurdity.

What next? Will it turn out that the reason Joelinton can't score is because he suffered a Freaky Friday-style accident, and finds himself trapped in the body of Jack Black?

All eyes turn to an alleged American billionaire's alleged bid. Mind, he's already had to deny that his interest was a put-up job perpetrated at Qatar's behest to throw a spanner in the works of the Saudi takeover.

Meanwhile, pity the agents and clubs weeping over the lost 40% premium they'd expected to tack on to every single transaction Saudicastle attempted.

The only reason it died is the piracy issue too.

Take my eyes but don't f*** with my tv royalties

 

[Stray Wasp]

The only reason it died is the piracy issue too.

Take my eyes but don't f*** with my tv royalties

Quite.

I must say, although before the NUFC takeover bid began I was aware of the Khashoggi affair, and Saudi Arabia's general reputation on the human rights front is hard to miss, I hadn't been up to speed with the beoutQ shenanigans. As such, it's been really startling to contemplate the puerility of the Saudis' behaviour towards their Qatar rivals.

Until Jamal Khashoggi's disappearance I'd never heard of him, and I'm sure I'm not alone in that. The fact of his death, the melodramatic circumstances surrounding it, and the grotesque manner of his killing could hardly have been better calculated to attract attention. The outcome is that his work gained a symbolic power even for those who read not a word he ever wrote. Khashoggi's murder wasn't only an atrocious act, it was a profoundly stupid, self-defeating one.

Perhaps the above is too much politics for site rules, so I've thought better of touching on the Saudi-Russia price war, or Yemen. Mind, to discuss this particular takeover and steer clear of the political rocks is a signal challenge.

There's a droll irony in the fact that this project, undertaken to create positive PR, has only succeeded in making the people behind it look even more arrogant, stupid, and incompetent than they did previously. Leaving aside the moral concerns about the bid, the way it has collapsed has hardly allayed my suspicion that, given the chance to take a tilt at the Premier League, the PiF would have run Newcastle like a nightmarish amalgam of Peter Lim, Tony Fernandes and Venky's. With blood-stained hands.

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

Quite.

I must say, although before the NUFC takeover bid began I was aware of the Khashoggi affair, and Saudi Arabia's general reputation on the human rights front is hard to miss, I hadn't been up to speed with the beoutQ shenanigans. As such, it's been really startling to contemplate the puerility of the Saudis' behaviour towards their Qatar rivals.

Until Jamal Khashoggi's disappearance I'd never heard of him, and I'm sure I'm not alone in that. The fact of his death, the melodramatic circumstances surrounding it, and the grotesque manner of his killing could hardly have been better calculated to attract attention. The outcome is that his work gained a symbolic power even for those who read not a word he ever wrote. Khashoggi's murder wasn't only an atrocious act, it was a profoundly stupid, self-defeating one.

Perhaps the above is too much politics for site rules, so I've thought better of touching on the Saudi-Russia price war, or Yemen. Mind, to discuss this particular takeover and steer clear of the political rocks is a signal challenge.

There's a droll irony in the fact that this project, undertaken to create positive PR, has only succeeded in making the people behind it look even more arrogant, stupid, and incompetent than they did previously. Leaving aside the moral concerns about the bid, the way it has collapsed has hardly allayed my suspicion that, given the chance to take a tilt at the Premier League, the PiF would have run Newcastle like a nightmarish amalgam of Peter Lim, Tony Fernandes and Venky's. With blood-stained hands.

I wouldnt say self defeating considering there wasnt any consequences.

 

[Stray Wasp]

I wouldnt say self defeating considering there wasnt any consequences.

In terms of criminal justice, for sure there were no consequences.

But the attempt to portray the Crown Prince as a 'reformer' has suffered damage, requiring various empty PR manoeuvres that no one on earth can have been convinced by, which in itself proves that the Saudis felt matters had become serious enough something needed to be seen to be done. Meanwhile, an awful lot of electrons have been expended to try and discredit Khashoggi even since his death. In eliminating a man who was an annoyance, they've simply created an embarrassment. And Crown Princes tend to dislike embarrassment.

 

[JeffreyLFC]

WhoScored doesn’t really score keepers well. They also eel to favor the ones that see the most action (at CB especially too, Mustafi always seems to grade out near the top with the Burnley guys); it’s better for offensive players though, in my opinion anyway

Yes. Who scored grade is shit for defenseman and goaltender.

 

[Savant]

 

[Blender]

Here is their under 21 team of the season now:

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

In terms of criminal justice, for sure there were no consequences.

But the attempt to portray the Crown Prince as a 'reformer' has suffered damage, requiring various empty PR manoeuvres that no one on earth can have been convinced by, which in itself proves that the Saudis felt matters had become serious enough something needed to be seen to be done. Meanwhile, an awful lot of electrons have been expended to try and discredit Khashoggi even since his death. In eliminating a man who was an annoyance, they've simply created an embarrassment. And Crown Princes tend to dislike embarrassment.

I guess you're less cynical than I am. From my perspective, they got away with it, nobody really mentions it anymore and they continue to fund as well as foster certain groups. Yeah, I hear a lot less MBS is a reformer BS but that was always going to happen.

 

[koyvoo]

 

[Stray Wasp]

I think the reaction to the attempted takeover from various quarters proves Khashoggi's murder is not only remembered, but the prism through which many people view Saudi Arabia. The UK government, meanwhile, has gone so far as to make some sheepish, paltry gestures to portray an image of being appalled with their old allies.

For pragmatic reasons, we shouldn't expect the to be held to account in any meaningful way. For a start, they own a decent chunk of London.

 

[canadianmagpie]

The Saudis have withdrawn their bid for Newcastle United. Thus ends the weirdest chapter in the history of a club whose last quarter of a century is crammed with episodes of absurdity.

What next? Will it turn out that the reason Joelinton can't score is because he suffered a Freaky Friday-style accident, and finds himself trapped in the body of Jack Black?

All eyes turn to an alleged American billionaire's alleged bid. Mind, he's already had to deny that his interest was a put-up job perpetrated at Qatar's behest to throw a spanner in the works of the Saudi takeover.

Meanwhile, pity the agents and clubs weeping over the lost 40% premium they'd expected to tack on to every single transaction Saudicastle attempted.

As a Newcastle fan, I'm annoyed at the Premier League. If you didn't want the Saudis owning Newcastle, then your owner's test should have been completed months ago. Either you pass them or fail them, but by waiting until the Saudis pulled out just showed a complete lack of courage by the Premier League. If they wanted to decline based on human rights/piracy, they could have done so. But now they just look weak by not doing anything.

 

[les Habs]

As a Newcastle fan, I'm annoyed at the Premier League. If you didn't want the Saudis owning Newcastle, then your owner's test should have been completed months ago. Either you pass them or fail them, but by waiting until the Saudis pulled out just showed a complete lack of courage by the Premier League. If they wanted to decline based on human rights/piracy, they could have done so. But now they just look weak by not doing anything.

Oh boo hoo! You entitled crybabies make me sick. You think you're the only ones suffering? What the hell are we going to do with Coutinho now?