GWT: Premiere League: 3/19-3/20

[hatterson]

Lots of stoppage time added. City has plenty of options.

 

[I Eat Crow]

United making top 4 and keeping LVG will only make their problems. The game has passed him by.

Agree. I don't think LVG will still be the man in charge for the next campaign. United finishing top 4 with all of their underachieving players and injuries would sure be something.

 

[hatterson]

I can't imagine LVG is back next year, even if the team wins the FA cup and finishes top 4.

The only reason the top 4 is in sight is because there's a lot of top teams under achieving. Going to a low point total getting in the CL this year.

 

[hatterson]

Great play my Rashford there to kill the time.

 

[Theon]

Great derby win. Rashford

 

[Hesher]

Great win, the race for top 4 just got even more interesting.

 

[Theon]

Demichelis cost them the game and took out Joe Hart for multiple weeks. Yikes.

 

[Adonis Creed]

Good win for United. Not a fan of Lingard.

Navas must be the most wasteful player to grace the Premier league....He provide absolute Nothing except cross-cross-cross and 10 rows shots...

they should sell him to Spain...putrid player

 

[Live in the Now]

Really could have made top four if Lovren hadn't been a red card risk and Skrtel didn't come on. That hurts. Skrtel should and probably will be sold off this summer. Assuming Liverpool wins their of their games in hand I think four points is too much to claw back, but they could have been four points back with that game in hand on City. A derby win away from one point behind. ****.

 

[Fro]

happy Spurs kept pace

 

[hotcabbagesoup]

Why does Everton stink so much?
Lukaku, Deulofeu, Barkley, Stones, Baines, Howard.

It's like the equivalent of McDavid, Hall, RNH, Nurse, Klefbom, Talbot.....but why don't they succeed? Do they need better coaching?

 

[Live in the Now]

Howard sucks now and the drop from some of the players you mentioned to the ones you didn't is too large for Everton to be a good team.

Martinez also hasn't done a very good job with their defense.

 

[Ceremony]

Martinez is a fraud incapable of constructing a defence.

 

[UKFlyers]

That point is huge if Newcastle beats Norwich next week.

Still have them (A), Swansea (H), Palace (H), and Villa (A) to play.

Also have Tottenham and I hope they are locked in position come the final day and Manchester City...

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh

On today's performance, I can't see either side staying up. Two poor teams cancelling each other out. A decent team would have taken one of those chances Sunderland had in the first half and/or picked Newcastle off in the second half as they pushed men forward. Meanwhile, a decent side would have taken full advantage of Sunderland retreating well into their own half in the second half and got the win.

Really, Allardyce has himself to blame for this. After 65 minutes, he'd basically put in place the ideal gameplan, other than us burying one more chance. But at that stage, it was clear that Wjinaldum and De Jong were playing more advanced roles and starting to influence the game more and more and Kirchhoff and Rodwell were beginning to tire. There was an obvious option for that situation: Cattermole. It was absolutely glaring. Instead, he didn't come on until after the goal.

Similarly, when Khazri started to struggle, there was an obvious option: Larsson. He covers a lot of ground, has a decent passing range making him capable of springing counter attacks and can deliver a good set piece if you get a free kick in a decent position. Instead, Allardyce reaches for N'Doye. Really, the writing should have been on the wall with him when he came "highly recommended from Steve Bruce." I think he's trying to justify the signing, but it's not working at all. He isn't a good striker, let alone a winger. No doubt at all in my mind that Larsson and Khazri would have defended the goal a lot better than he did. If you do feel that you need a more physical presence up front, why not take the clearly fading Defoe off instead and play N'Doye in his actual position? The mind boggles.

Allardyce needs to sort this out really. His poor in-game decision making has cost us in three games in a row.

As for Newcastle, they certainly had a whole lot more spirit than any other side we've faced in the Derby in recent times, but for me largely lacked a cutting edge. Shelvey was too deep to really be effective (or dangerous, wasn't he brought in to bring some goals from midfield?!) and Benitez seemed reliant on his centre halves to carry and pass the ball effectively to begin attacks, which I don't think either was particularly good at. I'm not sure what's happened to Perez, who has always struck me as a good little player. That said, if Newcastle can get the ball to Wjinaldum in the final third more often, good things will happen. That's something Benitez has to figure out though.

I do think it will be very tight and I'm hoping Sunderland's extra experience in this sort of scenario will play to our advantage, but I wouldn't at all be surprised to see both teams drop.

 

[Ceremony]

I'd quite like to see Big Sam stay up (especially at Newcastle's expense), but the thought of an Alex Neil-led Norwich staying up while Sunderland and Newcastle go down is more hilarious than I ever thought possible. 'mon the Canaries.

 

[Bakayoko Ono]

Can't wait to see Pep and Mou in the EL next season.

 

[Hesher]

Martinez is a fraud incapable of constructing a defence.

This. He can make his teams play some decent football but he can't build a defence to save his life.

 

[S E P H]

What's going to happen with van Gaal?

 

[Hesher]

What's going to happen with van Gaal?

Hopefully he gets fired. Even if he somehow manages to win the top 4 trophy.