Other Games 21/22

[Billy the Kidd]

Actually watching the Mane elbow, red for me, doesn’t matter he wasn’t looking at the opponent, he pushed his arm forward expecting contact. 

[Jimmy_D]

1 minute ago, Billy the Kidd said:

Actually watching the Mane elbow, red for me, doesn’t matter he wasn’t looking at the opponent, he pushed his arm forward expecting contact. 

Yeah, think he was extremely lucky not to be sent off, especially with VAR.

[macca155]

Great game at SB but VAR not meeting the standard.

Mane clear red, could have caused serious injury.

No need to interfere in perfectly good goals.

Pull the plug and go old school

[Matthew Le God]

16 minutes ago, macca155 said:

Great game at SB but VAR not meeting the standard.

Mane clear red, could have caused serious injury.

No need to interfere in perfectly good goals.

Pull the plug and go old school

How does that help in the situation you outlined? Using VAR isn't the problem, the issue is those viewing the screens.

Solution = don't restrict Premier League refs to only those from the UK... hire the best in the world

Edited 2 January, 2022 by Matthew Le God

[OttawaSaint]

End to end stuff. Enjoying this match!

[TWar]

26 minutes ago, Turkish said:

So where should they be then, given what you say about their squad and how well you think their manager is performing?

I thought there manager was performing well when they were like 10th or 11th. Given their squad without dcl, digne, and Richarlison, 15th-16th is about right. Now DCL is back I expect them to climb a little bit to 13th-14th. Although tbh it's hard to comment at this stage. When only a few points separate a number of places in mid table the difference between 16th and 11th is often down to luck.

[Lord Duckhunter]

2 hours ago, TWar said:

 

I think he could replace Arteta, I think he could have replaced Jose at Spurs instead of Nuno, I think he could easily replace Rangnick, especially since he is only an interim manager and is going to be stepping aside at the end of the season. Moyes I think he's better than, Moyes is doing well right now but across his career has been pretty shocking at multiple points, I think if Potter had this West ham side he'd do similar. When Klopp and Guardiola leave (seemingly in the next 2 years by the looks) both City and Liverpool could do a lot worse.

Laughable. 
 

The supporters of every  club you’ve named would be in uproar if Graham Potter was appointed instead of their present incumbent. 
 

Which clubs in the league would swap their manager for Graham Potter. 
Watford maybe, Everton (although Rafa’s impressed you), Norwich perhaps, who else would take Potter instead of the manager they’ve got. The thought that Manchester Utd would have him is delusional, it’s real life not a frigging computer game. 

[macca155]

20 minutes ago, Matthew Le God said:

How does that help in the situation you outlined? Using VAR isn't the problem, the issue is those viewing the screens.

Solution = don't restrict Premier League refs to only those from the UK... hire the best in the world

Yep agree with that. In fairness it is better than last year but long way to go.

[OttawaSaint]

Embarrassing girly scream from Konate. 😆 

Barely any contact. 

Edited 2 January, 2022 by OttawaSaint

[Give it to Ron]

2 hours ago, Lighthouse said:

Watching West Brom - Cardiff, all kicking off after the final whistle. Two players red carded after F.T.

One of those was Sam Johnstone the keeper 3 game ban then

Edited 2 January, 2022 by Give it to Ron

[hackedoff]

58 minutes ago, Billy the Kidd said:

Actually watching the Mane elbow, red for me, doesn’t matter he wasn’t looking at the opponent, he pushed his arm forward expecting contact. 

Still a Saints player,early bath. Liverpool player,carry on.

[Jimmy_D]

That was a great game, both teams obviously knowing a draw wasn’t really enough.

[skintsaint]

Just now, Jimmy_D said:

That was a great game, both teams obviously knowing a draw wasn’t really enough.

Good result for us, only 21 points behind the Reds.

[LiberalCommunist]

19 minutes ago, OttawaSaint said:

Embarrassing girly scream from Konate. 😆 

Barely any contact. 

Not quite the standard of Royale the other night. It's still echoing in my ears! 

[TWar]

27 minutes ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

Laughable. 
 

The supporters of every  club you’ve named would be in uproar if Graham Potter was appointed instead of their present incumbent. 
 

Which clubs in the league would swap their manager for Graham Potter. 
Watford maybe, Everton (although Rafa’s impressed you), Norwich perhaps, who else would take Potter instead of the manager they’ve got. The thought that Manchester Utd would have him is delusional, it’s real life not a frigging computer game. 

You think Graham Potter is maybe or perhaps better than what Watford or Norwich have?

[Jimmy_D]

3 minutes ago, skintsaint said:

Good result for us, only 21 points behind the Reds.

It was only 2016 that a few of this Liverpool team finished above Liverpool with Southampton! Think it was Klopp’s first season?

Still annoys me every time I see VvD in a Liverpool kit after they cheated the way they did to sign him.

[Lighthouse]

5 minutes ago, Jimmy_D said:

It was only 2016 that a few of this Liverpool team finished above Liverpool with Southampton! Think it was Klopp’s first season?

Still annoys me every time I see VvD in a Liverpool kit after they cheated the way they did to sign him.

They did what every other club does, only they got caught and were forced to pay a world record fee for a defender as a result. If pressed for an opinion, I'd say Virgil was a moody git, but other than that I'm over it.

[Teddeer]

4 hours ago, AlexLaw76 said:

i reckon cucurella would get a game at Saints.

Agree with this.

[Jimmy_D]

2 minutes ago, Lighthouse said:

They did what every other club does, only they got caught and were forced to pay a world record fee for a defender as a result. If pressed for an opinion, I'd say Virgil was a moody git, but other than that I'm over it.

Not so sure about that. There’s a difference between clubs representatives meeting players representatives that happens all the time, technically within the rules, and VvD being shown around the stadium and taken out to dinner by Klopp, being told the team would be built around him.

Liverpool actually put out a public ‘apology’ if I recall correctly. Can’t remember that happening for any other tapping up.

[Dorchester Saint]

3 hours ago, TWar said:

Mancini? As in the Italy manager?

I think he could replace Arteta, I think he could have replaced Jose at Spurs instead of Nuno, I think he could easily replace Rangnick, especially since he is only an interim manager and is going to be stepping aside at the end of the season. Moyes I think he's better than, Moyes is doing well right now but across his career has been pretty shocking at multiple points, I think if Potter had this West ham side he'd do similar. When Klopp and Guardiola leave (seemingly in the next 2 years by the looks) both City and Liverpool could do a lot worse.

Conte, I beg your pardon….but to suggest Graham Potter is in anyway close to being a worthy replacement for any of them is sheer lunacy. 

[CB Fry]

3 hours ago, TWar said:

The quality of your achievement as a manager is how well you do with the squad at your disposal. Considering the squad he has Potter has consistently been one of the best managers in the league in that regard, alongside Dyche and to a lesser extent Ralph.

Nuno finished above Brighton, yes, but the players joining Wolves even when they were in the championship are a different level of quality than those Brighton manage who, like us, focus more on developing young players and academy products because they are not a "drop £40m on a player" team.

For example, Brighton have needed a top striker for about 3 years, in that time Wolves have signed two strikers worth over £35m. Do you not think if Brighton had that sort of money they would do better? Brightons two starting forwards today (Maupay and Trossard) combined cost less than the back up striker wolves signed last season who has played 34 minutes all season.

Nuno signed a bunch of players who were doing well and played them in a adequate fashion, some improved slightly, some got worse. Potter takes random players who have never played in the big leagues of Europe and from his academy and makes them class. Not the same at all.

Sorry this is just bollocks.

At the end of the day you don't get a job at a "top, top club" (your words) by being good with a shit level players, and ooh hasn't he don't well with the squad he's been dealt, and ooh he finished 15th once.

Being Man United manager is not really about making poor players good. Its not about scraping up with relegation level players.

Its about trying to win the league with a team of multi millionaires.

It's a different skill set and its not some accident or outrage that Graham Potter is not currently the manager of Chelsea, United or Liverpool.

Your sneering derision at Nuno "oh he just got good players and turned them into a winning team" is exactly why he would have been considered for a job at the next level up. Thats kinda what you need to do.

Edited 2 January, 2022 by CB Fry

[The Cat]

1 hour ago, CB Fry said:

Sorry this is just bollocks.

At the end of the day you don't get a job at a "top, top club" (your words) by being good with a shit level players, and ooh hasn't he don't well with the squad he's been dealt, and ooh he finished 15th once.

Being Man United manager is not really about making poor players good. Its not about scraping up with relegation level players.

Its about trying to win the league with a team of multi millionaires.

It's a different skill set and its not some accident or outrage that Graham Potter is not currently the manager of Chelsea, United or Liverpool.

Your sneering derision at Nuno "oh he just got good players and turned them into a winning team" is exactly why he would have been considered for a job at the next level up. Thats kinda what you need to do.

Maybe Potter will do what Pochettino did and get a job at a Spurs type club and then make the step up to the top level. He's still a relatively young manager so has plenty of time on his side.

[TWar]

54 minutes ago, CB Fry said:

Sorry this is just bollocks.

At the end of the day you don't get a job at a "top, top club" (your words) by being good with a shit level players, and ooh hasn't he don't well with the squad he's been dealt, and ooh he finished 15th once.

Being Man United manager is not really about making poor players good. Its not about scraping up with relegation level players.

Its about trying to win the league with a team of multi millionaires.

It's a different skill set and its not some accident or outrage that Graham Potter is not currently the manager of Chelsea, United or Liverpool.

Your sneering derision at Nuno "oh he just got good players and turned them into a winning team" is exactly why he would have been considered for a job at the next level up. Thats kinda what you need to do.

How can you prove you are good with top level players without having a go at managing top level players? Potter is excellent tactically and fantastic at improving players. I think with a good budget he will do great. I would be very surprised if his next move isn't to a pretty impressive side and even more so if he doesn't do well when he gets there.

[CB Fry]

11 minutes ago, The Cat said:

Maybe Potter will do what Pochettino did and get a job at a Spurs type club and then make the step up to the top level. He's still a relatively young manager so has plenty of time on his side.

Yes he might do: Pochettino finished 8th, not 15th/16th. Like Nuno who finished 7th (twice).

That's pretty much the only point I'm making. If Potter finishes somewhere decent, and he is on track to do that, then next summer he could be in demand (Villa/Everton/etc). TWar is saying he is "surprised" he is not at a "top, top club" already, like now. Having finished only ever in the bottom 6, I say no, it's not a surprise, it's pretty normal.

 

[CB Fry]

1 minute ago, TWar said:

How can you prove you are good with top level players without having a go at managing top level players? Potter is excellent tactically and fantastic at improving players. I think with a good budget he will do great. I would be very surprised if his next move isn't to a pretty impressive side and even more so if he doesn't do well when he gets there.

But you could say that about a manager doing well in League One.

Brendan Rodgers, Like Nuno and Poch all took smaller clubs to the top ten. I don't think its that much to ask to expect Potter to do similar before he goes to a "Top, top club".

[TWar]

12 minutes ago, CB Fry said:

But you could say that about a manager doing well in League One.

Brendan Rodgers, Like Nuno and Poch all took smaller clubs to the top ten. I don't think its that much to ask to expect Potter to do similar before he goes to a "Top, top club".

You could say a manager doing well in league one should try the championship. The next step up for a manager way overperforming with a midtable club is a european level club. I don't think he's ready for a City or Liverpool now but I think he would do well at Arsenal if Arteta stumbles or when Conte gets bored of Spurs not backing him financially and leaves.

Also, which small club did Rodgers take to the top 10? His Swansea finished 11th, but past them he has only managed Liverpool and Leicester, neither of which could be considered small clubs, one of which having won the prem three seasons prior.

Regarding Nuno and Poch, the teams they respectively guided to a top 8 finish were far beyond the quality of this Brighton team. This can be shown by the fact that after Poch left saints we didn't drop at all and the same seemingly is true of Nuno. If Potter left Brighton they'd be relegated within a season or two with this squad imo.

Edited 2 January, 2022 by TWar

[CB Fry]

3 minutes ago, TWar said:

You could say a manager doing well in league one should try the championship. The next step up for a manager way overperforming with a midtable club is a european level club. I don't think he's ready for a City or Liverpool now but I think he would do well at Arsenal if Arteta stumbles or when Conte gets bored of Spurs not backing him financially and leaves.

Also, which small club did Rodgers take to the top 10? His Swansea finished 11th, but past them he has only managed Liverpool and Leicester, neither of which could be considered small clubs, one of which having won the prem two seasons prior.

Regarding Nuno and Poch, the teams they respectively guided to a top 8 finish were far beyond the quality of this Brighton team. This can be shown by the fact that after Poch left saints we didn't drop at all and the same seemingly is true of Nuno. If Potter left Brighton they'd be relegated within a season or two with this squad imo.

Rodgers finished a lot fucking higher than Brighton is the point. And had extensive big club experience at Chelsea before that. Nuno higher. Pochettino higher. Ralph, higher.

The point is you started off by saying that you are surprised that Potter isn't at a "top, top club" already. ie: now. ie: a big club job last summer.

You then backtracked on that, deciding that "top, top club" mean Leicester or West Ham (riiiight) and then started blathering that Potter should have been the Manchester United manager, showing a significant lack of grasp on reality. He was never getting that.

I've not changed my position. He's only ever got to bottom six, he's never even finished above us. Its not a "surprise" that he isn't at a "top, top club". It's normal. Bottom six is all he's done.

If he gets Brighton top ten then yeah, he's in the frame for Villa or Leicester or Everton or similar if things go wrong at one of them. None of which are "top top clubs". And next year. Not now.

 

 

[TWar]

1 minute ago, CB Fry said:

Rodgers finished a lot fucking higher than Brighton is the point. And had extensive big club experience at Chelsea before that. Nuno higher. Pochettino higher. Ralph, higher.

The point is you started off by saying that you are surprised that Potter isn't at a "top, top club" already. ie: now. ie: a big club job last summer.

You then backtracked on that, deciding that "top, top club" mean Leicester or West Ham (riiiight) and then started blathering that Potter should have been the Manchester United manager, showing a significant lack of grasp on reality. He was never getting that.

I've not changed my position. He's only ever got to bottom six, he's never even finished above us. Its not a "surprise" that he isn't at a "top, top club". It's normal. Bottom six is all he's done.

If he gets Brighton top ten then yeah, he's in the frame for Villa or Leicester or Everton or similar if things go wrong at one of them. None of which are "top top clubs". And next year. Not now.

 

 

Villa and Everton are sidewards moves for him in their current states, they are midtable sides and judging by their FFP situation won't be spending any significant money to change that any time soon. He is a very good manager and imo should have had a top top job by now, competing for top 4 and playing in europe at a minimum which West ham and Leicester are. And I do think he'd be a good pick for the United job, he's a lot more qualified than Ole was.

Also, I never get why people say things like "blathering" and "significant lack of grasp on reality". Would be great if you could have a conversation on this forum without the desperate need to throw insults in a situation that really hasn't called for them. I haven't insulted you, is there any need to be needlessly inflammatory? 

[Lord Duckhunter]

4 hours ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

 

Which clubs in the league would swap their manager for Graham Potter. 
Watford maybe, Everton (although Rafa’s impressed you), Norwich perhaps, who else would take Potter instead of the manager they’ve got. 

 

3 hours ago, TWar said:

You think Graham Potter is maybe or perhaps better than what Watford or Norwich have?

Good point well made, which is exactly why I listed them in the post you replied to. 
 

Which clubs would swap their present manager for a bloke who you’re surprised isn’t at a top club? Excluding  Norwich & Watford who are in the bottom 3? Everton fans probably would ,which just emphasises your lack of judgement when it comes to managers. The only fans that “might” want him, and support a club slightly bigger than Brighton, want to ditch the manager that has impressed you this season……🤪

 

 

[Lord Duckhunter]

56 minutes ago, TWar said:

And I do think he'd be a good pick for the United job, he's a lot more qualified than Ole was.

 

Because Ole got the job on the back of his managerial record and not his playing career 🤪🤪
 

If Potter rocks up at OT this summer there’s going to me mayhem, Moyes couldn’t make it work and his record at Everton was far superior to Potters. 
 

I hope to god people like you aren’t running our club, if they are I’m in the Ralph cult. I dread to think who your replacement will be if he left,  Ben Strevens probably. 

Edited 2 January, 2022 by Lord Duckhunter

[TWar]

16 minutes ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

Because Ole got the job on the back of his managerial record and not his playing career 🤪🤪
 

If Potter rocks up at OT this summer there’s going to me mayhem, Moyes couldn’t make it work and his record at Everton was far superior to Potters. 
 

I hope to god people like you aren’t running our club, if they are I’m in the Ralph cult. I dread to think who your replacement will be if he left,  Ben Strevens probably. 

Why on earth would you give a manager a job on the basis of their playing career? What an utterly ridiculous thing to do.

If Ralph left, I would snap your arm off for Potter.

[CB Fry]

2 hours ago, TWar said:

Villa and Everton are sidewards moves for him in their current states, they are midtable sides and judging by their FFP situation won't be spending any significant money to change that any time soon. He is a very good manager and imo should have had a top top job by now, competing for top 4 and playing in europe at a minimum which West ham and Leicester are. And I do think he'd be a good pick for the United job, he's a lot more qualified than Ole was.

Also, I never get why people say things like "blathering" and "significant lack of grasp on reality". Would be great if you could have a conversation on this forum without the desperate need to throw insults in a situation that really hasn't called for them. I haven't insulted you, is there any need to be needlessly inflammatory? 

Sorry this is just drivel now.

So you're saying Brighton finishing 15th/16th under Potter is some amazing achievement that justifies him taking over at the biggest and most famous club in world football. You also think it is unreasonable to expect Brighton to finish mid table because of their resources.

But at exactly the same time you are saying that Villa and Everton would be a "sideways" step even though last season they managed to finish 10th and 11th last year with no help from Graham Potter at all. So why can't we expect Brighton to finish 10th if all those clubs are all at the same level?

Quite frankly I have no idea what point you are trying to make. Everton and Villa are such an obvious step up from Brighton, and Brighton to Manchester United is such a ridiculous step up I don't know why it even needs explaining.

For someone who likes to make out he's some all-knowing football stats genius you don't half come out with some embarrasing bullshit.

 

Edited 2 January, 2022 by CB Fry

[TWar]

12 minutes ago, CB Fry said:

Sorry this is just drivel now.

So you're saying Brighton finishing 15th/16th under Potter is some amazing achievement that justifies him taking over at the biggest and most famous club in world football. You also think it is unreasonable to expect Brighton to finish mid table because of their resources.

But at exactly the same time you are saying that Villa and Everton would be a "sideways" step even though last season they managed to finish 10th and 11th last year with no help from Graham Potter at all. So why can't we expect Brighton to finish 10th if all those clubs are all at the same level?

Quite frankly I have no idea what point you are trying to make. Everton and Villa are such an obvious step up from Brighton, and Brighton to Manchester United is such a ridiculous step up I don't know why it even needs explaining.

For someone who likes to make out he's some all-knowing football stats genius you don't half come out with some embarrasing bullshit.

 

Again, why can't you have a conversation without calling things drivel and embarrassing bullshit? I have points I'd make in response to this if you actually want to discuss but if so why be so needlessly hostile?

[CB Fry]

19 minutes ago, TWar said:

Again, why can't you have a conversation without calling things drivel and embarrassing bullshit? I have points I'd make in response to this if you actually want to discuss but if so why be so needlessly hostile?

You think Graham Potter was in/should have been in the frame to take over at Manchester United this season.

You think Brighton to Villa or Everton is not a step up while simultaneously saying that finishing 15th with Brighton is an amazing achievement that justifies the manager taking over at Manchester United. 

You can't understand how both of those concepts cannot be true at the same time.

If Brighton are the same level as Villa then how is Potter finishing 15th so great, when Villa finished 11th that same season? If they're the same level then Potter underperformed. Right?

 

So, there's not that much to discuss. You're just wrong.

Edited 3 January, 2022 by CB Fry

[HarvSFC]

Graham Potter's one of the most overrated managers in the current game, and his Brighton side is always excused by "if they had a goal scorer, they'd be a lot higher."... So would every club.

His highest finish with Brighton is 15th, which was also Chris Hughton's highest finish with Brighton, with just one fewer point. They haven't progressed since the sacking.

You can't say he hasn't been backed either. Bloom's one of the best owners in the game, in my opinion. In Potter's first season he signed Tossard for £18m, Webster for £20m and Maupay for £20m alongside Clarke, Mooy and Lamptey, who all cost a few million. This summer they broke their transfer record to sign Mwepu for £23m, Cucurella cost £15m and Sima cost £7m.

Now, for the most damning stat... Potter's win percentage at Brighton is 28% over 107 matches. Pellegrino's with us was 25.71%, albeit over a fewer amount of games (35), but he was considered a clown! The most league games Potter has won in a league season is 9, Pellegrino won 5. Puel's win percentage was 37.74% from 53 and Hasenhuttl's is 34.81% from 135 matches.

[CB Fry]

Just now, HarvSFC said:

Graham Potter's one of the most overrated managers in the current game, and his Brighton side is always excused by "if they had a goal scorer, they'd be a lot higher."... So would every club.

His highest finish with Brighton is 15th, which was also Chris Hughton's highest finish with Brighton, with just one fewer point. They haven't progressed since the sacking.

You can't say he hasn't been backed either. Bloom's one of the best owners in the game, in my opinion. In Potter's first season he signed Tossard for £18m, Webster for £20m and Maupay for £20m alongside Clarke, Mooy and Lamptey, who all cost a few million. This summer they broke their transfer record to sign Mwepu for £23m, Cucurella cost £15m and Sima cost £7m.

Now, for the most damning stat... Potter's win percentage at Brighton is 28% over 107 matches. Pellegrino's with us was 25.71%, albeit over a fewer amount of games (35), but he was considered a clown! The most league games Potter has won in a league season is 9, Pellegrino won 5. Puel's win percentage was 37.74% from 53 and Hasenhuttl's is 34.81% from 135 matches.

Correct. He's not a bad manager but in five years time he'll be just another Curbishley type. He probably will get a shot at a bigger club - a step up like Everton or Villa or whoever - but then back on the merry go round.

That said It's not impossible he could take over from Southgate because he has that nice-boy manner about him. A "more of the same" candidate.

Despite what some on here think, he will know he is not going to be Manchester United manager: England is his most likely big job opportunity.

But as it stands he is on track to finish above Ralph Hasenhuttl for the first time in his entire career so congratulations Graham, it's absolutely breathtaking what you've achieved.

[adrian lord]

Can’t see what the Pottermania is all about. Another also-ran. 

[LuckyNumber7]

Since when has finishing 15th with Brighton been such a great achievement that the likes of Man Utd should come calling?

I think Potter is ok but some people go way over the top with him. I mean they have just come out of an 11 game winless run in the PL. They play decent football but like many clubs in the bottom half struggle for a consistent goal scorer. In many ways they are similar to us and I certainly wouldn't be touting Ralph for the Man Utd job as much as I like him.

I certainly don't buy the idea that their squad is so poor that finishing 15th is some huge achievement. I would take Bissouma, Trossard, Cucarella, Lamptey and probably Dunk, maybe 1 or 2 more. I would say their finishing positions have been around par, but if he got them into the top 8/9 then rightly bigger clubs would probably take notice.

[Holmes_and_Watson]

1 hour ago, HarvSFC said:

Graham Potter's one of the most overrated managers in the current game, and his Brighton side is always excused by "if they had a goal scorer, they'd be a lot higher."... So would every club.

I'd read that Brighton's xG meant that they were getting into the right positions, but just couldn't convert. So, by that logic, if they had a better finisher (who could also get into the same positions), they'd be a lot higher.

I'd like to think someone then did the same analysis for all the other clubs. As you say, give any club a better finisher, and oddly they'd do better. But I just read it about Brighton in isolation. So, I think it's trotted out a bit lazily about Brighton, now. Perhaps the gap was larger for Brighton than the others.

Anyway, can't stop to chat. I'm finishing my "If Shane Long could finish, Saints would have won the Champions League" article for the Athletic.

[Saint Keef]

Great game between Chelsea & Liverpool although I do believe Mane was lucky not to see red after 6 seconds. However sometimes I do feel that someone needs to say to Thomas 'The Tantrum' Tuchel...... "Thomas, go and sit on the naughty step until you've calmed down".  

[Turkish]

11 hours ago, CB Fry said:

Correct. He's not a bad manager but in five years time he'll be just another Curbishley type. He probably will get a shot at a bigger club - a step up like Everton or Villa or whoever - but then back on the merry go round.

That said It's not impossible he could take over from Southgate because he has that nice-boy manner about him. A "more of the same" candidate.

Despite what some on here think, he will know he is not going to be Manchester United manager: England is his most likely big job opportunity.

But as it stands he is on track to finish above Ralph Hasenhuttl for the first time in his entire career so congratulations Graham, it's absolutely breathtaking what you've achieved.

I’m surprised Barcelona didn’t go for him when they sacked Koeman although given the state they’re in at the moment probably not a step up. 

[Turkish]

10 hours ago, Holmes_and_Watson said:

I'd read that Brighton's xG meant that they were getting into the right positions, but just couldn't convert. So, by that logic, if they had a better finisher (who could also get into the same positions), they'd be a lot higher.

I'd like to think someone then did the same analysis for all the other clubs. As you say, give any club a better finisher, and oddly they'd do better. But I just read it about Brighton in isolation. So, I think it's trotted out a bit lazily about Brighton, now. Perhaps the gap was larger for Brighton than the others.

Anyway, can't stop to chat. I'm finishing my "If Shane Long could finish, Saints would have won the Champions League" article for the Athletic.

 Doesn’t every club outside of the top one dream of having this a top striker? There is a reason why they usually only play for the biggest clubs

Edited 3 January, 2022 by Turkish

[whelk]

I am pleased the PL are going to have a procession for the title. Hope it damages the ‘global brand’ all these big six playing each other for basically fuck all however much they hype the race for 4th. Be funny if relegation was all wrapped up in March as well

[whelk]

10 hours ago, Holmes_and_Watson said:

I'd read that Brighton's xG meant that they were getting into the right positions, but just couldn't convert. So, by that logic, if they had a better finisher (who could also get into the same positions), they'd be a lot higher.

I'd like to think someone then did the same analysis for all the other clubs. As you say, give any club a better finisher, and oddly they'd do better. But I just read it about Brighton in isolation. So, I think it's trotted out a bit lazily about Brighton, now. Perhaps the gap was larger for Brighton than the others.

Anyway, can't stop to chat. I'm finishing my "If Shane Long could finish, Saints would have won the Champions League" article for the Athletic.

xG seems to be hugely overused now Sky pundits seem to have grasped it. However there is merit in it and most telling example was when Palace lost their first  10 or so games and everyone saying situation was hopeless. Their xG put them mid table and that run of misses normally converted didn’t continue and they survived. I don’t know what xG a penalty gets or Martinelli’s miss as always seem incredibly low? 

Edited 3 January, 2022 by whelk

[whelk]

53 minutes ago, Turkish said:

 Doesn’t every club outside of the top one dream of having this a top striker? There is a reason why they usually only play for the biggest clubs

Haaland will be playing for City next year according to rumours 

[Lord Duckhunter]

1 hour ago, Turkish said:

I’m surprised Barcelona didn’t go for him when they sacked Koeman although given the state they’re in at the moment probably not a step up. 

His managerial record is better than Xavi‘s, so on the Twar managerial spreadsheet he should have got the job. 

[East Kent Saint]

1 hour ago, whelk said:

Haaland will be playing for City next year according to rumours 

The other rumour is he is playing in Spain ….

[East Kent Saint]

Mane def red , Henderson saying gutted he got carded , wanker .

[AlexLaw76]

Man United's 4222 revolution is falling flat on its arse 

[Lighthouse]