TWar

Is betting via an online betting company a "computer game"? You keep talking about computer games but you don't even know what they are. You conflate computer games with stats because they are two things you don't understand so you assume they are the same thing. They are not, one is noting real life events and recording them and the other is simulations. It's amazing you can access this forum with your level of tech literacy quite honestly.

So you don't know anyone over the age of 14 who is both smart and good at football? Also, fantasy football isn't a computer game, you just predict how well players will do in real life and get points for it, was since the early 90s through newspapers. This might be where you are confused, you don't know what a computer game is.

Then why do you assume those who discuss stats on here don't also play football to a decent level? Also I don't know where this computer games thing comes from, who mentioned computer games?

Oh if Southgate says it it must be true. I remember him picking Lingard over Grealish last year... You have no idea how many players I've watched, and frankly even if you have watching 8000 games vs 6000 or whatever doesn't make you more knowledgeable. Especially when one of the people watching watches more for manliness than actual football ability.

You are still the only person I have seen actively mention computer games on here. Also, you are doing that thing where you assume smart people can't play football again.

He's significantly better than Noble at almost everything and is plenty good enough for England, you just don't like him because he ducked a ball once allegedly.

The problem with this analogy is that reading recipe books doesn't make you a Michelin chef but Michelin chefs sure as hell read a lot of recipe books in their time. We aren't arguing that we are "michelin chefs" by reading the books, we are arguing the books help and that, regardless of the books, we know more than a person who hates the books as they showcase how dense they are and couldn't make a fried egg.

Ward-Noble? I honestly don't know how you can call yourself a saints fan and have such a wildly negative view of someone who is pretty objectively our best player and miles ahead of Mark Noble. Must be trolling surely.

He wasn't great in the euros. The commentators bummed him but he had basically no creativity and that really cost us. JWP would have been better.

There is no way in hell Phillips has a better range of passing, better movement, better reading of the game. He is slightly faster and maybe tackles better although gives away a tonne of fouls. Not convinced he is much better in the air either. Surprised people are so fond of Phillips. He is an OK player but nothing special, I'd have JWP every single time.

For England he did play a no 8 role in a number of games, we played a midfield three with Rice deep and Mount/Phillips higher up. JWP is undoubtedly better at this. Also saying Phillips is a far better footballer than JWP will ever be is just flat out nonsense. JWP is easily as good as Phillips, you have no idea what you are on about. Finally, JWP has been fine this season, he is a holding mid we don't expect him to make a bunch of goals. Defensively we have kept out some good teams and limited their number of chances, holding mid is a big part of that. You don't need to understand stats to have seen that.

West Ham are, as it stands, probably within the top 6 best sides in the country. Being "bigger" doesn't mean you are harder to beat. Right now the biggest 6 includes Arsenal and Spurs and I'd rather face either of them than West Ham or Leicester (when injuries subside)

The conversation was about West Ham, west ham finished top 6 last season.

Yeah that's basically what I was saying. Pointing out we have had tricky fixtures isn't what the plot is telling us, we know that, it is telling us how tricky they are and how they compare to other teams, for instance Watford who some have compared us to on other threads. Do I think Burnley Brighton and Leeds will be easy? No. Do I think they will be a hell of a lot easier than the average fixture we've played so far? Yes. Of the teams you listed only one of them will "park the bus" most likely. Leeds famously are a team that goes all out attack against basically everyone (although not strictly true but I very much doubt they will "park the bus" against us). I think Ralph has changed things a hell of a lot this season, playing 352, 4222, 442, and 343 in the United game alone. The "he doesn't change tactics" thing is a bit of a poor accusation, especially as he also changes personnel quite a lot.

Anyone with half a brain could tell you we have had some hard fixtures, our first 7 games involved four members of last seasons top 6, including the champions of England and the Champions of Europe. Sportinglife just contextualises it alongside other teams.

Not true, you can easily stay up never beating anyone in the top 6, as West Ham were last season. Especially if you pick up draws against them.

For those wondering why Watford sacked their manager and we didn't regardless of them being above us in the table. This table shows who has had the easiest to hardest fixtures so far, easy at the top and hard at the bottom. As has been said elsewhere, the season starts now.

Thoroughly deserved. Much better at that number 8 role than Phillips if we play a 3 man midfield

We lumping West Ham in with the bad teams now? They finished 6th last season? I think it could also be framed as us taking on United, City, and West ham and emerging undefeated.

Quite right, was going to say he is a rightfooted player but I would play him as left sided forward so he could cut in as he is better at beating a man than crossing, but then cut it and confused myself! You are probably right, I am being a bit daring, try it out in training but a front three of Djenepo Adams Armstrong probably makes more sense in the short term, or Tella.

Wolves need a bit of context for that. They played United and outplayed them and were unlucky to lose, ditto with spurs, similar with Leicester, they comfortably beat Watford as you'd expect. They played poorly against Brentford but Brentford have had a few good results this season already so shouldn't be underestimated. This is the issue with taking these stats over quite such a small number of games. This wolves side is honestly quite good. They had a tricky first 5 games. And, as you alluded to, we were quite unfortunate not to come away with something there.

Newcastle were quite fortunate, Wolves are not poor at all at the moment.

I would like to see with JWP out Macca KWP Bednarek Salisu Perraud Armstrong Romeu Diallo Armstrong Adams Livramento Put him in a front three like a Mane/Bale and see what he can do. Yeah I know he is an LB but it feels like he can play anywhere.

"Kasper saying he feels reassured and secure playing behind Vestergaard is still the most baffling thing I've heard all season. I'm glad he feels like that because watching Vestergaard play nearly gives me a f**king hernia. " Pretty much how we all felt pre-2020/21

Neither are doing at all well for Leicester. Vest in particular has been an absolute liability