General football thread

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

General football thread

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Norwich and Watford are gone. Leeds and Newcastle might not be actually safe but they both just need a win each and realistically the other guys wont catch them, not both Everton and Burnley , one maybe.

Were both safe IMO.

Sadly Harrogate are playing rubbish so Im finding football very frustrating right now

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Huge match at the other end of the table in Man City vs Liverpool. If City win, surely that will be that with a 4 point gap (so two games needed), a draw and it's as you were, but Liverpool miss the chance to have it 'in their hands', but an away win and they are in the driving seat. I think Liverpool's remaining fixtures (after today) generally look more challenging, although given the top 2 are so far ahead of the rest, they'll both be clear favourites in every remaining match, so today really in massive.

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

JonH comes home wrote:
Bob in Spain wrote:
Ace Ventura wrote:
Big win for Everton. Crazy how little aura or intimidation factor Man Utd have these days. A couple of big games to come down the bottom this weekend, Watford vs Leeds today, and Norwich vs Burnley tomorrow.

That Leeds match is huge, they are just 5/2 to go down at the moment. Win and they are pretty much there, draw and it's still looking not bad, but lose and it'll get very interesting, especially if Burnley were to beat Norwich.
I hope you are right. Nine point gap now but strangely 16 days and 25 other PL matches before we play again. That gap could be a lot less by then.
It wont be Bob. Leeds are effectively safe now.

Maybe, but I don't want to go into the Brentford game on the final day with relegation still mathematically possible. My stress levels won't cope.

As I put in the Leeds thread, the strange scheduling sees Burnley play 4 times before we play again.

Norwich (A)

West Ham (A)

Southampton (H)

Wolves (H)

If they win just two of those, the pressure will be back on.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Bob in Spain wrote:
JonH comes home wrote:
Bob in Spain wrote:
Ace Ventura wrote:
Big win for Everton. Crazy how little aura or intimidation factor Man Utd have these days. A couple of big games to come down the bottom this weekend, Watford vs Leeds today, and Norwich vs Burnley tomorrow.

That Leeds match is huge, they are just 5/2 to go down at the moment. Win and they are pretty much there, draw and it's still looking not bad, but lose and it'll get very interesting, especially if Burnley were to beat Norwich.
I hope you are right. Nine point gap now but strangely 16 days and 25 other PL matches before we play again. That gap could be a lot less by then.
It wont be Bob. Leeds are effectively safe now.
Maybe, but I don't want to go into the Brentford game on the final day with relegation still mathematically possible. My stress levels won't cope.
As I put in the Leeds thread, the strange scheduling sees Burnley play 4 times before we play again.
Norwich (A)
West Ham (A)
Southampton (H)
Wolves (H)
If they win just two of those, the pressure will be back on.

Id wager theyll get 6 points from those 4 to be fair. but no more.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Use this Bob - it makes it interesting !

www.worldfootball.net/table_calculator/eng-premier-league/

You can fill in all the past matches postponed if you go on the highlighted weeks and then matches going forwards . See where
It takes you? I do it once a week and Leeds always survive !

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

The main difference for me this season is that for the first time in years I actually do care again. I normally had the petty attitude of Ashley will deserve to lose money if they go down yet again, or it'll serve him right for appointing xxx, and if they do stay up then they will just be the 4th or 5th favourites to go down next season, in another season of inevitable struggle, so almost what's the point, but it's completely different now and crucial we stay up, and we could possibly get back to being the club that we were when I was a young lad, and one going places, so I'm much more invested in the relegation scrap now, and my pessimistic nature after years of dross is probably making me see things a bit different than what I should.

Newcastle range from 20-1 to 50-1 at a few places to go down, so from that perspective it's looking OK, and we do have a few winnable games coming up (before a tough run) to get the 3 or 4 points that should really rubber stamp it. The last thing I want is our match with Burnley (away) on the last day to have anything riding on it (much like Bob), especially if it's directly between those two clubs, so hopefully Norwich can get something today to keep Burnley more at bay.

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Norwich 2 Burnley 0 with a few mins left. While it's been an amazing weekend for Tottenham with them winning and 5-8 all losing, it's been an absolute stinker for Burnley with them losing and 14-17 all winning. Disaster, but I'm not complaining. biggrin

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Ace Ventura wrote:
Norwich 2 Burnley 0 with a few mins left. While it's been an amazing weekend for Tottenham with them winning and 5-8 all losing, it's been an absolute stinker for Burnley with them losing and 14-17 all winning. Disaster, but I'm not complaining.

Up the Canaries. smile

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Bob in Spain wrote:
Ace Ventura wrote:
Norwich 2 Burnley 0 with a few mins left. While it's been an amazing weekend for Tottenham with them winning and 5-8 all losing, it's been an absolute stinker for Burnley with them losing and 14-17 all winning. Disaster, but I'm not complaining.
Up the Canaries.

Indeed Bob.

I won't lie, there were parts of me wanting Everton to drop, and had they lost yesterday, I may have wanted Burnley to win today, but as it was, needs must, our club's future is more important than me picking and choosing who I'd ideally like to see go down, and the sooner survival is confirmed the better smile .

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Youve really got nothing to worry about Ace. Chill !

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Watching this Man City vs Liverpool match as a neutral and it's been fun. It's got me very excited for the forthcoming Oil Classico's in the next 5 years or so. biggrin

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Wow. Burnley have just sacked Sean Dyche. Didn't see that one coming.

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Ouch.

https://twitter.com/Specsavers/status/1516503606102564876

biggrin biggrin biggrin

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

January 20th (prior to Leeds away)

20th Jan.png

April 20th (just after Palace at home)

20th Apr.png

I honestly can't believe the turnaround at Newcastle. People will naturally point to the January window, which was always going to be crucial, and expected, due to the magnitude of the takeover, but if we break down the 5 signings that came in - a loan LB who was deemed surplus to requirements at lower mid table Aston Villa, a CB / LB who wasn't a guaranteed starter at Brighton when Duffy, Dunk, and Webster were all fit, a 30 year striker who has spent an entire career either in the Championship or struggling in the Premier League - hardly galactico stuff. The other two are genuine quality, but Trippier has literally only played 3 and a half league games before hobbling off injured against Villa, and Bruno, who is amazing, couldn't get in the team for the first 6 games due to the form of Joelinton, Shelvey, and Willock, who had been struggling earlier in the season.

Obviously the whole mood at the club changed after the change of ownership, and then manager, and SJP (where we have now won 6 in a row, and only lost 1 of Howe's 12 games) is now a place where you would want to play your football, but you'd probably expect them to pick up a little bit and eventually pull away from danger, but to win 9 of the last 13 Premier League games, or 28 points, is fantastic by anyone's standard (not named City or Liverpool), and they have picked up the 2nd most points of anyone in 2022. The starting XI is generally still inferior to many of the teams we are currently beating, so we shouldn't be seeing form like that, not that I'm complaining mind.

Just an incredible turnaround really, and Eddie Howe deserves enormous credit. I can't wait to see what unfolds in the summer.