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El Rojo

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Everything posted by El Rojo

  1. Again, they’ll pick up injuries if they’re playing big games twice a week. Important that they stay in, though I wouldn’t put it past them to get knocked out.
  2. Don’t agree. The more big games they have to play the better for us. Let them get knocked out by City in the semis or vice versa. They’re not going to win the competition anyway so it’s all good.
  3. Yeah, I’m the same. I reckon the others will drop points in a few games too. At this stage I think an Arsenal win at City would be the best result for us. Probably the least likely outcome though.
  4. Am I alone in wanting Adrian to start? As Sunday showed, goalkeeping injuries aren't uncommon, particularly given how much teams play out from the back now and we're utterly dependent on Kelleher for the forseeable future. If Adrian's the next in line, it would be useful if he wasn't utterly rusty if we do need him at some point. I fully appreciate that this isn't ideal.
  5. The last three paras of Ken Early's match analysis in the Irish Times on Monday are excellent: The other big call was the decision by Michael Oliver not to award a penalty in the last minute when Jérémy Doku kicked MacAllister in the chest. It will surely go down as one of the worst refereeing decisions of the season. We can at least look forward to the spectacle of the PGMOL boss, Howard Webb, having to discuss a ref botching a studs-to-chest incident on his TV show with Michael Owen. The most famous (non-) decision in Webb’s own refereeing career was his failure to notice Nigel de Jong kicking Xabi Alonso in the heart in the 2010 World Cup final. Webb, at least, could plead in his defence that he didn’t have VAR. Oliver could have gone to take a second look at the incident, but he decided he didn’t need to. It’s not that Oliver, who earlier this season officiated a game in the UAE Pro League, has an objection to making big decisions on video evidence. He was on VAR duty when Manchester City played at Old Trafford earlier this season. He instructed referee Paul Tierney to give a penalty to City after seeing that Rasmus Højlund had held on to Rodri at a City set-piece. It was a surprising decision in the context of a season where all manner of premeditated holding, blocking and shoving has become so normalised at set pieces. Oliver was also the referee when Manchester City played Arsenal in October. Kovacic committed two big fouls in quick succession, against Martin Ødegaard and Declan Rice. Oliver let him away with a single booking, to the fury of the Emirates. Webb later admitted that Kovacic should have been sent off. “He doesn’t want to have a negative impact on the game by overreacting to something,” Webb said. Why should he “overreact” when he can have just as big an impact by doing nothing at all?
  6. He convinced Klopp to go with Salah over Julian Brandt. That's job for life stuff.
  7. He's 27, had him as a couple of years younger in my head. It's fair to assume whatever finishing deficits in his game probably won't improve substantially from now on. He was immense on Sunday, though. Obviously wasteful too.
  8. The last few paras of Ken Early's piece on Monday were excellent: The other big call was the decision by Michael Oliver not to award a penalty in the last minute when Jérémy Doku kicked MacAllister in the chest. It will surely go down as one of the worst refereeing decisions of the season. We can at least look forward to the spectacle of the PGMOL boss, Howard Webb, having to discuss a ref botching a studs-to-chest incident on his TV show with Michael Owen. The most famous (non-) decision in Webb’s own refereeing career was his failure to notice Nigel de Jong kicking Xabi Alonso in the heart in the 2010 World Cup final. Webb, at least, could plead in his defence that he didn’t have VAR. Oliver could have gone to take a second look at the incident, but he decided he didn’t need to. It’s not that Oliver, who earlier this season officiated a game in the UAE Pro League, has an objection to making big decisions on video evidence. He was on VAR duty when Manchester City played at Old Trafford earlier this season. He instructed referee Paul Tierney to give a penalty to City after seeing that Rasmus Højlund had held on to Rodri at a City set-piece. It was a surprising decision in the context of a season where all manner of premeditated holding, blocking and shoving has become so normalised at set pieces. Oliver was also the referee when Manchester City played Arsenal in October. Kovacic committed two big fouls in quick succession, against Martin Ødegaard and Declan Rice. Oliver let him away with a single booking, to the fury of the Emirates. Webb later admitted that Kovacic should have been sent off. “He doesn’t want to have a negative impact on the game by overreacting to something,” Webb said. Why should he “overreact” when he can have just as big an impact by doing nothing at all?
  9. Something like this maybe, followed by a full running of the bench between 45-60 so that nobody plays for too long. I see Kelleher, Van Dijk and Nunez as our most important players right now so I wouldn't risk them if possible. Mo needs minutes. Do we've any kid centre halves? Adrian(!), Tsimikas, Konate, Quansah, Gomez - Clark, McConnell, Elliott - Gakpo, Danns, Salah
  10. There'll be a few cup finals for underachieving rivals too, like our away games at Goodison and Old Trafford and the other two facing Spurs in their shiny stadium.
  11. Super-stoked for the race for tenth with Chelsea and Newcastle tonight.
  12. This stuff is stressing me out. Need a lie down.
  13. There's a proper SKY SPORTS RACE FOR FOURTH between Spurs and Villa too, both of which all of the top three have to play. Villa Park will be tricky for us. The other two play them at home
  14. But people say similar to this at every point during the season. Of their 28 league games, they've drawn 6 and lost 3. I think all sides, ourselves included, will end up dropping points in games we're expected to win. They'll win most, but the Arsenal, Villa and Spurs games could pose them problems.
  15. Yep, I posted that, though my phrasing could have been better. I knew what I meant! Shockingly, that Palace game is Jurgen's third last league game at Anfield.
  16. Speaking of whom, I'm still not looking forward to their cup final against us in the league. I'll be a lot more relaxed watching the FA Cup game this weekend.
  17. Opta has City as 45.9%, us at 35.3% and Arsenal at 18.8% in terms of likelihood to win title. Interestingly, that takes account of City falling by 5.5% and us falling by 0.3% after yesterday's game, Arsenal gaining that 5.8%. Obviously I'm biased, but I think players returning from injury and the other two hopefully being deep in the Champions League are huge factors in our favour. Dreading the Old Trafford league game, but the three home fixtures either side of it - Brighton, Sheffield United and Palace - should be straightforward with the form we're showing.
  18. In terms of our drought, we got to European finals under Klopp before finally winning the league, and being unbelievably unlucky not to win it the year before. Arsenal have yet to demonstrate that they can deal with the white line fever that creeps in around this time of year. Ourselves and City don’t need to prove anything in this regard. Arsenal will go closer than last year, but time will tell if they’ll be in the reckoning even with a couple of games to go. I’m speaking to the universe a lot at the moment trying to manifest the City v Arsenal European Cup draw that we all deserve.
  19. With his concussion gone, surely Danns gets Thursday’s game and 15 and 20 minutes in other games from now on. He looks ready.
  20. It’s insane that Kelleher, Bradley and Quansah start our biggest league game of the season and are so solid that we probably take them for granted a little. It’s also insane that Jurgen is doing the groundwork for the next manager’s squad regeneration, while staying alive in four competitions.
  21. His kicking under constant pressure was exceptional today. Never panicked, even with City players a yard away. It’s a vastly different role these day. Pepe Reina in his heyday would struggle to make the bench with a top flight club now.
  22. I wouldn't pay huge attention to those kind of judgements. Gomez got plenty earlier in the season too, and Van Dijk was finished at the top level.
  23. Thought he was one of our best players in a disappointing first half and was decent in the second half too. Unflashy stuff done really well - pressing, being available for passes, haring back when necessary. Great cross for Szloboszlai that he should have headed home from.
  24. Magnificent. Sissoko and Son could have had five more attempts at that and he'd have outfoxed them in a different way each time.
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