Premier League 2019/2020 Season

thecolourbox · January 2020

In fairness, Man City are on a completely different level to a club like Villa, and so they should be the amount that's invested in Man City when Villa basically would almost have gone bust if they hadn't got promoted last season. There's no point wasting effort on a futile cause, they'd be much better focussing on the winnable games.

guitars4you · January 2020

thecolourbox said:

In fairness, Man City are on a completely different level to a club like Villa, and so they should be the amount that's invested in Man City when Villa basically would almost have gone bust if they hadn't got promoted last season. There's no point wasting effort on a futile cause, they'd be much better focusing on the winnable games.

That is almost the sad case now for Premier League clubs in the lower half of the table - There will be very few matches were you can get a point away from home, let alone a win, against the 'glory' clubs who are in the top 6/8 positions

They have to focus on home wins - Then add a few draws away from home with the odd win - This is essential against clubs in the last 10 positions to form a survival policy

thecolourbox · January 2020

Simple game theory really isn't it. Beat the three teams below you (6x3 = 18 points), get draws against the 7 teams above you to 10th (14 points), then you only need to find another 8 points here and there you are at 40, finishing 17th. Write off the top 6, if you get lucky then bonus, you might finish 16th instead. Job done

EricTheWeary · January 2020

Whilst I understand that Villa can expect to be outclassed by City it's the basic errors and the can't be arsedness of it that gets to me, at least make it look like you are trying.
Oh well, maybe they will go down as the Baggies come up retaining the overall number of West Midlands teams in the Premiership.

thecolourbox · January 2020

EricTheWeary said:

Whilst I understand that Villa can expect to be outclassed by City it's the basic errors and the can't be arsedness of it that gets to me, at least make it look like you are trying.
Oh well, maybe they will go down as the Baggies come up retaining the overall number of West Midlands teams in the Premiership.

If it does happen that way (it won't the way it's going at the moment), then it will only decrease by one a year later instead as Albion won't survive up there.

scrumhalf · January 2020

That ball from De Bruyne to ?Jesus? for his goal.

Wow. Just wow.

thecolourbox · January 2020

scrumhalf said:

That ball from De Bruyne to ?Jesus? for his goal.

Wow. Just wow.

Yes just seen this. Brilliant

Lestratcaster · January 2020

What a spirited fightback from us gooners!! When Luiz was sent off and we went 1-0 I thought to myself "here we go again..."

Martinelli's proving to be wonderful talent, full of energy, desire and commitment. To think the guy is only 18 and has 10 goals already. Took his one tonight superbly, even though Kante's slip helped him out, he still had lots to do after running so far up the field. Even Xhaka did alright in his little spell at centre-back, I know the lad has been hammered and I still sorta believe he's not right for the team but credit to him he's done well in his past few games.

Deadman · January 2020

9/2 for Wolves to take the win over Liverpool Friday. A waste of the tenner I just laid on it? Probably, but if not the (halves) of beer are on me.

JAYJO · January 2020

Deadman said:

9/2 for Wolves to take the win over Liverpool Friday. A waste of the tenner I just laid on it? Probably, but if not the (halves) of beer are on me.

Yep. Its on Thursday.

guitars4you · January 2020

MUFC 0 v Burnley 2 - Doesn't matter how bad a year MU are having, few would have ever predicted such a defeat at home

thecolourbox · January 2020

guitars4you said:

MUFC 0 v Burnley 2 - Doesn't matter how bad a year MU are having, few would have ever predicted such a defeat at home

Good old Albion rejects getting the goals as well. Chuffed for them both, didn't see Wood's goal but J.Rod's was a fantastic strike.

Kind of hard to watch United stumbling through like an old lion with a tranquilizer stuck in its back though.

EricTheWeary · January 2020

Didn't see anything of the match but that's eye watering for Man U against Burnley.

Interesting bit on R4 the other day, I can't remember the detail but essentially if you looked at the stats for the year ( ignoring wins obviously) then Man City would be top of the league and Liverpool a few places down. They've either got to rewrite how they do football stats or just say Liverpool have been very, very lucky. I'd much rather watch City than Liverpool, it's much prettier football and in the normal run of things that would be more highly rewarded. Of course that Scouse luck will ( cough) come to an end tonight against the Wolves...

munckee · January 2020

Surely Ole's for the chop.

Vardy's injury didn't look good.

As a Pompey fan it pains me to say scummers, I mean Southampton looking a really decent side at the moment,

drofluf · January 2020

EricTheWeary said:

Didn't see anything of the match but that's eye watering for Man U against Burnley.

Interesting bit on R4 the other day, I can't remember the detail but essentially if you looked at the stats for the year ( ignoring wins obviously) then Man City would be top of the league and Liverpool a few places down. They've either got to rewrite how they do football stats or just say Liverpool have been very, very lucky. I'd much rather watch City than Liverpool, it's much prettier football and in the normal run of things that would be more highly rewarded. Of course that Scouse luck will ( cough) come to an end tonight against the Wolves...

Which stats do you mean @EricTheWeary ?

Man City have scored more goals than Liverpool but conceded more goals, lost more matches and drawn more matches. The goal difference is the same (and without looking back at recent results to check it's possible that City may have had a superior goal difference when you heard R4) but I can't see any statistic that puts City ahead in a meaningful wayother than goals scored.

MagicPigDetective · January 2020

EricTheWeary said:

Didn't see anything of the match but that's eye watering for Man U against Burnley.

Interesting bit on R4 the other day, I can't remember the detail but essentially if you looked at the stats for the year ( ignoring wins obviously) then Man City would be top of the league and Liverpool a few places down. They've either got to rewrite how they do football stats or just say Liverpool have been very, very lucky. I'd much rather watch City than Liverpool, it's much prettier football and in the normal run of things that would be more highly rewarded. Of course that Scouse luck will ( cough) come to an end tonight against the Wolves...

Is this how Liverpool's seasons is going to be potrayed…. 13 points ahead and with two games in hand is down to luck? Over the last year I believe Liverpool have done enough to be considered superior to Man City, save for number of goals scored. Man City have only beaten Liverpool once in the last 7 games and have been a failure in Europe. Stats don't reveal everything. Man City probably have way higher possession stats, but Liverpools pressing game is not based on keeping possession, it's about the quick transition of defence into attack.

Man City score more against the teams lower down in the league, so not sure how much of a barometer that is. Yes I'm biased but I find watching Liverpool can be exhilarating, when they are in the mood they can cut teams to pieces with relentless and dynamic attacking. Yes Man City too, but they're more possession based. Liverpool have one or two spells in a game when they are unplayable. They also know now when to go down gears to save themselves and have learn't by now how to close out a game. If your winning 2-0, if you can do it may as well close the game down and save energy for the next game, rather than keep going hell for leather for more goals, which probably won't make much of a difference to the league outcome.

As for records, I couldn't care less about them. I don't hear any Liverpool fan going on about this unbeaten record. We just want to win the Prem by any means necessary, by one point would do me!

TTony · January 2020

guitars4you said:

MUFC 0 v Burnley 2 - Doesn't matter how bad a year MU are having, few would have ever predicted such a defeat at home

guitars4you said:

There will be very few matches were you can get a point away from home, let alone a win, against the 'glory' clubs who are in the top 6/8 positions

Do Man Utd still count as a "glory" club, or are they now in the "faded glory" phase?

It always seems that one club gets everything right, and wins everything for a season or two, and they then fade away and another club comes along and gets everything right and wins everything for a season or two.

It'd be interesting if we had 3 or 4 clubs who managed to get everything right at the same time, and actually create some competition. Right now it seems more like a case of "whose turn next"?

(The answer never being "Spurs").

guitars4you · January 2020

TTony said:

guitars4you said:

MUFC 0 v Burnley 2 - Doesn't matter how bad a year MU are having, few would have ever predicted such a defeat at home

guitars4you said:

There will be very few matches were you can get a point away from home, let alone a win, against the 'glory' clubs who are in the top 6/8 positions

Do Man Utd still count as a "glory" club, or are they now in the "faded glory" phase?

valid point

As it stands now the only fight left in the top 1/2 of the table is for the 4th Champions League place - Assuming Leicester hold on to 3rd, but a decent lead as it stands - Otherwise far less interest in say Chelsea v Arsenal compared to 4/5 years ago

Might make the FA Cup more interesting this year, as for clubs like Leicester, Arsenal, Chelsea, Man U, Spurs and even Man City, as it might well be the 'best silverware' they can win this year

EricTheWeary · January 2020

Had to go find this, it's on last week's episode of More or Less. I think my use of 'stats' without explanation was a bit misleading.

Info Goal run simulations based on Expected Goals ( complex algorithm based on shots on target, distance of shot on target,etc,etc) and in 10,000 runs based on the performance this year they couldn't get Liverpool to their current points total. Based on these simulations Man City would be ahead. It's something like a 1/800 chance of getting this many point this far into the season so it seems likely we will never see this again in our lifetimes.* Ten of their wins have been by one goal, so effectively all those matches were one goal away from being a draw; so Liverpool are having luck/ showing skill at winning in the margins.
These kind of stats are about predicting performance ( for clubs, for betting companies,etc) so either Liverpool have been lucky or are doing something that the statisticians are failing to take into account ( or somewhere between the two).

I know I've mentioned luck - perhaps luck is just a word for the things we don't understand anyway - but listening again it has reinforced for me what a remarkable season Liverpool are actually having. Even if it stopped now it would still be one for the record books.

Anyway, I'm sure that's no clearer...

* I know that it doesn't mean we have to wait 799 years for it to happen again in case anybody wondered.

drofluf · January 2020

@EricTheWeary thanks - little more complex then my cursory glance at the league table on BBS Sport then

Howdy, Stranger!

Categories

In this Discussion

Become a Subscriber!

Premier League 2019/2020 Season

Comments