Today's Football 2018-19 Season

[Death]

I don't think any team in the league is a hard game for city. It's not a matter of who they have its if they can keep going they could drop a point against anyone. Less likely against United I think. They can only lose to themselves at this point.

 

[Saint Domingo]

I don't think any team in the league is a hard game for city. It's not a matter of who they have its if they can keep going they could drop a point against anyone. Less likely against United I think. They can only lose to themselves at this point.

The danger for them is the 1-1 scenario where they’ve battered a team but only got one in front and then they get sucker punched at the end. City seem to have done well avoiding that recently though getting 2 up before taking their foot off the gas, perhaps the Newcastle result was the straw that broke the camels back on that lesson. Are any of the remaining 5 teams going to out play City? No. It’s literally down to City putting together 5 top performances in the league and they have it. A scenario any of us would have taken back when Firmino nodded in at the Etihad to make it 1-1.

 

[BluePaul86]

Just got back from a meal at what is normally a nice friendly quiet pub. Tonight, full of scarf wearing kopites singing songs the entire time. Wouldn't mind but this pub doesn't even have a big screen. Next few weeks/months is going to be unbearable.

 

[summerisle]

 

[Goat]

PSG needing a point to win the title and then getting beat 5-1 makes me quite happy.

 

[Deleted member 38674]

I don't think any team in the league is a hard game for city. It's not a matter of who they have its if they can keep going they could drop a point against anyone. Less likely against United I think. They can only lose to themselves at this point.

This.

City have dropped points in games you’d expect them to win - Wolves, Newcastle, Palace, Leicester and (to a lesser extent) Chelsea. They are absolutely capable of beating Spurs and United and then drawing away to Burnley and / or Brighton - which is what concerns me, I can see this going to the final day.

 

[Steve0]

I hope you’re right. I’m not misquoting you, the inference you made (and continue to make) is that the travel arrangements is a negative for Spurs. I’m saying it’s not even a factor. It won’t knock them even 0.1%. If they lose to City it’s because they are Spurs and City are City.

Not because they’ve had to do the same 1 hour flight or a 2 hour train ride from Manchester to London within 4 days.

I had to do it three times last week, I couldn’t use that as an excuse for s***e performance in work either.

They are Footballers mate. They get about a bit.

Travel has an impact. Look at the Europa league, its devastating.

Travel is perhaps the biggest factor for home advantage.
Crowds i telepathically here you splutter? Nope, Scottish league 2 results show just as much advantage for the home side as the Premier League.

Give yourself false confidence if you want but you know it's in Citys hands and perhaps their biggest banana skin will be mitigated by their opponents travel.

 

[Yank]

I hope you’re right. I’m not misquoting you, the inference you made (and continue to make) is that the travel arrangements is a negative for Spurs. I’m saying it’s not even a factor. It won’t knock them even 0.1%. If they lose to City it’s because they are Spurs and City are City.

Not because they’ve had to do the same 1 hour flight or a 2 hour train ride from Manchester to London within 4 days.

I had to do it three times last week, I couldn’t use that as an excuse for s***e performance in work either.

They are Footballers mate. They get about a bit.

Agreed, it's different here because of time zones and distance are greater. If the travel is that much of a concern. Say a California team playing two eastern teams in two consecutive weeks they'll just stay out east for two weeks. Travel isn't the Spurs issue and shouldn't be.

 

[Yid4life]

Hey, I was complimenting Spurs. I honestly think you're going to be the worst fixture City have.

Cheers.

I can't belive we are going to hand the RS the title. Talk about being conficted.

 

[arminisgod]

Well, just seen the Salah goal. Just trying to decide if it's the keeper's fault for using the wrong hand to try and stop it, as was the debate when Pickford tried to stop a similar shot of the Belgian.
Or just a blindingly brilliant shot.

Great hit but the keeper had led feet. Poor keeping

 

[goodisonopheliac]

Cheers.

I can't belive we are going to hand the RS the title. Talk about being conficted.

Could be worse for you. Could be the goons.

 

[Chris O'Connor]

Absolutely baffling. European away days are amazing. European home games are ace. Loads more chances to watch Everton. Anyone who was at those Fiorentina games, either home or away, and stating they don’t want more of that is insane. It’s exactly what being a match going fan is ace for, don’t try and say it’s not wanted.

I would much rather Wolves, Watford or Leicester wrecked their seasons personally.

It's not just the shortened summer break, or the likely extra games for the players involved, and you could rotate heavily even if some fans would be up in arms for not taking it seriously enough, or even the travel - which can often be lengthy, the main reason is the heavy disruption that comes with Thursday night and Sunday football and the accompanying lack of any proper preparation which can give the opposition a huge advantage.

There is also the mental fatigue of so many games and competitions which can take it's toll.

League form, especially early on, can suffer, and while this isn't inevitable it is more than likely and adds an extra burden we could do without as we look to build on this season, and not go backwards like last season.

If our early league form is poor it can often have a detrimental effect on later games too, even if we're out of Europe by then. Early season form can set the tone, get off to a bad start and it can be mightily difficult to recover as confidence is low and you enter a downward spiral of lowering confidence and even poorer results, its hard to break.

West Ham, Southampton, Burnley and ourselves have suffered relatively recently - last season's misadventure may well have contributed to Kidman's downfall, the nightmare of Unsworth and the panic that ended up with us approaching Allardyce.

If, as last season, the fixture list does us no favours early on, and whose to say that won't happen again, then we could end up sleepwalking into some dystopian nightmare scenario - if the Europa qualifying rounds were added to our misery.

For any slight money gained from the Europa, and it's far from lucrative or a money spinner even in later rounds, the cash potentially lost through a poor league season can dwarf this.

If we get a full close season and continue to progress from this season then we may well be in a far better position to challenge the top four or six, then we can enter without any qualifying rounds as well as being stronger, further advanced in our development and far better equipped to cope with the added European ties.

 

[dead_soft]

I would much rather Wolves, Watford or Leicester wrecked their seasons personally.

It's not just the shortened summer break, or the likely extra games for the players involved, and you could rotate heavily even if some fans would be up in arms for not taking it seriously enough, or even the travel - which can often be lengthy, the main reason is the heavy disruption that comes with Thursday night and Sunday football and the accompanying lack of any proper preparation which can give the opposition a huge advantage.

There is also the mental fatigue of so many games and competitions which can take it's toll.

League form, especially early on, can suffer, and while this isn't inevitable it is more than likely and adds an extra burden we could do without as we look to build on this season, and not go backwards like last season.

If our early league form is poor it can often have a detrimental effect on later games too, even if we're out of Europe by then. Early season form can set the tone, get off to a bad start and it can be mightily difficult to recover as confidence is low and you enter a downward spiral of lowering confidence and even poorer results, its hard to break.

West Ham, Southampton, Burnley and ourselves have suffered relatively recently - last season's misadventure may well have contributed to Kidman's downfall, the nightmare of Unsworth and the panic that ended up with us approaching Allardyce.

If, as last season, the fixture list does us no favours early on, and whose to say that won't happen again, then we could end up sleepwalking into some dystopian nightmare scenario - if the Europa qualifying rounds were added to our misery.

For any slight money gained from the Europa, and it's far from lucrative or a money spinner even in later rounds, the cash potentially lost through a poor league season can dwarf this.

If we get a full close season and continue to progress from this season then we may well be in a far better position to challenge the top four or six, then we can enter without any qualifying rounds as well as being stronger, further advanced in our development and far better equipped to cope with the added European ties.

Don’t care about money, don’t care about Koeman being forced out. Care massively about watching Everton have some ace European nights home and across Europe. It’s most of the point of the club - community and going to the game, so not gonna turn it down

 

[FCBarça]

The danger for them is the 1-1 scenario where they’ve battered a team but only got one in front and then they get sucker punched at the end. City seem to have done well avoiding that recently though getting 2 up before taking their foot off the gas, perhaps the Newcastle result was the straw that broke the camels back on that lesson. Are any of the remaining 5 teams going to out play City? No. It’s literally down to City putting together 5 top performances in the league and they have it. A scenario any of us would have taken back when Firmino nodded in at the Etihad to make it 1-1.

They're also a bit better position atm in terms of players recovering from injuries after not having KDB, Fernadinho & Mendy for so long. Zinchenko is nearly returning to rotate with the now fit Mendy leaving only B.Silva who is probably as vital as Sterling to City

The match at OT will be key, United will have 3 days after their encounter with Chelsea (And presumably licking their wounds after the CL exit). City will be coming off the Spurs match at the Etihad with 4 days rest. 3 pts and the title remains for City. Liverpool still have Wolves at home but I suspect it will all be academic at that point

 

[Saint Domingo]

They're also a bit better position atm in terms of players recovering from injuries after not having KDB, Fernadinho & Mendy for so long. Zinchenko is nearly returning to rotate with the now fit Mendy leaving only B.Silva who is probably as vital as Sterling to City

The match at OT will be key, United will have 3 days after their encounter with Chelsea (And presumably licking their wounds after the CL exit). City will be coming off the Spurs match at the Etihad with 4 days rest. 3 pts and the title remains for City. Liverpool still have Wolves at home but I suspect it will all be academic at that point

United will hopefully be out the CL and off the back of a bruising from us. We need to make that as physical as possible and leave their top players gassed for the mid week game against City. Kopite arses will be flapping if City come away from Spurs and United with max points. The vitriol will start flowing if it starts to look likely it’s not going to happen.