GWT: Premier League round 26

[Paulie Gualtieri]

Banter aside, Watford looked great today.

 

[YNWA14]

I bet Deulofeu would look good as a depth player at Liverpool.

 

[Burner Account]

No he was thinking that the little **** was fouling him all game and just got a yellow card for a bad challenge on him. The referee had also called their captain over to tell the players to stop making bad challenges. Then the little **** elbowed him in the head and he lost it. Lallana is just returning from injury so it's easy to see how this happens, but the red card was totally deserved.

I don't see why it can't be both.

I think it's reasonable to suggest he wouldn't have done that in a Premier League match. When it's U23s and you won't be banned from the PL, you don't care and you can deliver your own justice without fear of real retribution.

 

[Live in the Now]

Chelsea has by far the hardest remaining fixture list of the top six, btw. They play a lot of top teams. Only easy game for a while is next weekend.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

I bet Deulofeu would look good as a depth player at Liverpool.

If anything, Liverpool should regret letting go of Suso.

 

[Live in the Now]

I don't see why it can't be both.

I think it's reasonable to suggest he wouldn't have done that in a Premier League match. When it's U23s and you won't be banned from the PL, you don't care and you can deliver your own justice without fear of real retribution.

Yeah, I was just trying to give his mindset. A player who never played at top level fouling someone repeatedly, culminating in an elbow to the head is going to set them off.

 

[hatterson]

Ah I’ve never been quite sure about how everything ends up playing out. All I know is top 4 are CL and 5th is Europa.

1-4 will get a group stage spot in the CL unless English clubs who are outside the top 4 win both the CL and EL. Theoretically this year it would be something like Arsenal winning the EL and finishing 6th while Chelsea/Spurs/Liverpool/United win the CL and finish 5th. Basically that's not happening so it'll be 1-4 in the CL.

5th gets an EL group stage spot.
FA Cup winner gets an EL group stage spot.
Carabao Cup winner gets an EL 2nd qualifying round spot.

If a club qualifies for the CL via domestic performance (ie 1-4) and also wins an EL spot via a cup, their EL spot simply gets dropped to the next highest finishing team.

If a club qualifies for the CL via winning the CL or EL and also wins a CL or EL spot via domestic performance their domestic spot is not reassigned.

 

[Halladay]

Chelsea doesnt have enough goals in them imo. Think they will finish 5th.

 

[Burner Account]

Yeah, I was just trying to give his mindset. A player who never played at top level fouling someone repeatedly, culminating in an elbow to the head is going to set them off.

100%. And you know what? Unnamed Spurs player gets Lallana sent off and gets his side an advantage in a game that actually matters to him. Good for him. The game means nothing to Lallana, so I'm ok with him getting sent off if it means reducing his chances of getting injured in a U23 match.

 

[YNWA14]

I don't think it's that great. Most reports are that Lallana looks overweight and really off the pace. He needs to be playing those games to get back into shape for the first team.

If anything, Liverpool should regret letting go of Suso.

Ehhh I like Suso and think he's talented but I don't think he'd fit in that well under Klopp.

 

[Live in the Now]

Would rather Richarlison than any player mentioned in the last page. Pretty sure he'll be playing at a big team next year.

 

[JeffreyLFC]

Matic for Bakayoko!

 

[Chimaera]

Get Guus on the phone!

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

Get Guus on the phone!

Please no. Let Conte stay.

 

[Live in the Now]

Conte's interview is pretty enlightening and it seems like he feels severely let down by his players. I also like that he admitted to his starting XI being bad. I think Bakayoko is pretty much indefensible at this point and it was one of those signings everyone thought was a hit, but his performance level is horrendous.

If something happened to Klopp whenever that is some years down the road, I'd take him.

 

[Wee Baby Seamus]

Sacking Conte would be 100% the wrong move here. Gotta hope the board is smart enough to know that.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

I don't think Chelsea's issues have much to do with the quality of the squad at all.

 

[Evilo]

Their tactics are actually pretty good if you consider that they still score goals without a quality striker and quality box to box midfielder. Fabregas looks way past it and Bakayoko's been very poor. If Conte goes their season is over IMO.

You contradict yourself here.
The fact he continues to use 3 at the back while it clearly doesn' tsuit some of his signings and squad is being stubborn.
The could very well use a 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1 with Luiz/Christensen as CB. Bakayoko would be much more at ease in a system he prefers and allows him to play to his strengths.
Fabregas behind the striker would be much wiser, Kante+Bakayoko behind him. Hazard on the left and Pedro on the right.

---------Morata---------
Hazard-Cesc-Pedro
---Bakayoko-Kante---

 

[Peen]

No they need a better finisher, one as good as Diego Costa. His system works.



It's not so much the system as his personality. He is extremely intense and has a habit of screaming at players. Was lucky enough to be sitting right behind him when he was doing it last preseason.

Their tactics are actually pretty good if you consider that they still score goals without a quality striker and quality box to box midfielder. Fabregas looks way past it and Bakayoko's been very poor. If Conte goes their season is over IMO.

Morata can do everything but score. I actually don't mine him. But he is a clear downgrade. Costa was my favorite player and it's depressing that he left.

Would rather Richarlison than any player mentioned in the last page. Pretty sure he'll be playing at a big team next year.

Kenedy is a similar player of equal or better talent imo

 

[YNWA14]

One thing I noticed was if Luiz is a top 10 CB he certainly didn't show it today. He was pretty poor. Many mistakes. Though nothing compared to Bakayoko obviously...that was an incredibly bad performance. Surely he's better than that. Maybe a similar issue to Kondogbia/Inter perhaps? Just isn't settling?

I thought Richarlison looked pretty average too.

Doucoure and Deulofeu along with Janmaat were the standouts imo.

 

[Wee Baby Seamus]

One thing I noticed was if Luiz is a top 10 CB he certainly didn't show it today. He was pretty poor. Many mistakes. Though nothing compared to Bakayoko obviously...that was an incredibly bad performance. Surely he's better than that. Maybe a similar issue to Kondogbia/Inter perhaps? Just isn't settling?

I thought Richarlison looked pretty average too.

Doucoure and Deulofeu along with Janmaat were the standouts imo.

This was Luiz's first start since October, remember.

 

[Evilo]

And he was still better than VVD yesterday

 

[Live in the Now]

One thing I noticed was if Luiz is a top 10 CB he certainly didn't show it today. He was pretty poor. Many mistakes. Though nothing compared to Bakayoko obviously...that was an incredibly bad performance. Surely he's better than that. Maybe a similar issue to Kondogbia/Inter perhaps? Just isn't settling?

I thought Richarlison looked pretty average too.

Doucoure and Deulofeu along with Janmaat were the standouts imo.

Luiz was fine until Conte wanted to replace him. This also was definitely not the only time Bakayoko played that badly.

Richarlison didn't have a great game today but he's been excellent many other times this season (especially wide left) and is only 20. Would take him without a second thought. I am a little surprised he wound up at Watford to begin with. Doucoure is definitely good too.

You contradict yourself here.
The fact he continues to use 3 at the back while it clearly doesn' tsuit some of his signings and squad is being stubborn.
The could very well use a 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1 with Luiz/Christensen as CB. Bakayoko would be much more at ease in a system he prefers and allows him to play to his strengths.
Fabregas behind the striker would be much wiser, Kante+Bakayoko behind him. Hazard on the left and Pedro on the right.

---------Morata---------
Hazard-Cesc-Pedro
---Bakayoko-Kante---

That may work, but the three at the back was actually fine until Christensen's been hurt for the last month. It's going to be pretty difficult either way. Bakayoko gives away the ball a lot this season. It is clear to some extent that part of their success was the Matic-Kante combination in midfield. If Costa was in that Morata position they'd probably win games anyway regardless of their other problems. He got overrated at some point but he was perfect for that team.

 

[Evilo]

Sure, but Conte isn't changing anything. He starts Cahill when he shouldn't be more than a backup.
A 4-4-2 would be perfect the way I see it and Bakayoko/Kante behind Fabregas would work. Cesc wouldn't have too much defensive work and only focus on the passing game.
Azpi/Alonso at FB, Pedro/Hazard on the wings.

But Conte doesn't want to let his 3 at the back system go, even when it doesn't work and doesn't suit his players.

 

[bluesfan94]

1-4 will get a group stage spot in the CL unless English clubs who are outside the top 4 win both the CL and EL. Theoretically this year it would be something like Arsenal winning the EL and finishing 6th while Chelsea/Spurs/Liverpool/United win the CL and finish 5th. Basically that's not happening so it'll be 1-4 in the CL.

5th gets an EL group stage spot.
FA Cup winner gets an EL group stage spot.
Carabao Cup winner gets an EL 2nd qualifying round spot.

If a club qualifies for the CL via domestic performance (ie 1-4) and also wins an EL spot via a cup, their EL spot simply gets dropped to the next highest finishing team.

If a club qualifies for the CL via winning the CL or EL and also wins a CL or EL spot via domestic performance their domestic spot is not reassigned.

So what would happen if arsenal wins the EL and Carabao Cup?