ES Soccer Thread

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

NO time for anyone that has even ONE drink and then gets behind the wheel of a lethal killing machine. VERY disappointing Firmino lad. Enjoy explaining to Klopp why yers were out the early hours! Knobhead.

 

 

 

 

Fancy David Moyes Football GENIUS! to be a coupon buster today and his 9-1-0 to take a point from a Utd team that can't score for ****. Not that it matters like as I don't see the current top 4 changing the rest of the way. VERY interested to see how Chelsea cope without Costa. (And to a lesser extent Kante.). Should have enough to beat Bournemouth at home but it's no 'gimme.' Still don't see Chelsea as a serious title threat at all. This run is masking a lot for me and the lack of goals across the team I feel will be telling. City are the team we need to finish ahead of IMHO. And they sadly have the easiest of easy warmups for Anfield at woeful and down already Hull later. 

 

Pissed off we have to wait until tomorrow with an even more scandalous tea time KO time just so the TV companys can get in another live game. Like anyone's that arsed about L'pool- Stoke on the telly. ****S!

 

Come on Bournemouth! The sooner this Chelsea run ends and they start sliding the other way the better! 

 

Hail.

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

Conte leaves out the Belgium and doesn't replace Costa with a striker. 

 

Stunning lack of faith. At home. To Bournemouth!

 

Why even buy him to start with?

 

Hail.

[DC9]

Would love for Ibe to have something to do with this.  He's starting on the bench.

 

Smith is starting at LB.

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

Two semi-interesting tidbits of note .....

 

Ben Chilwell makes his PL debut today against the blue ****e. Good luck to him and Leicester in continuing the blues Chrimbo misery! 

 

And Fabio Borini starts against Utd. As utter ****e as the Italian is, he likes giving Mancs the run around and scoring against them so there is that. 

 

Hail. 

Edited December 26, 2016 by Gibbs Hog Heaven

[DC9]

1 minute ago, Gibbs Hog Heaven said:

And Fabio Borini starts against Utd. As utter ****e as the Italian is, he likes giving Mancs the run around and scoring against them so there is that. 

 

Hail. 

 

Hope you're right.  I think they have it sorted out to the point where they won't be bothered by bottom table teams now, though.

[DC9]

Could've given a pen there on that challenge on Mata.

 

Definitely would've been 1st and goal over here.

1-0 Chelsea... I know from personal experience that Bournemouth have them right where they want them.

[DC9]

 

Wilshere is getting a lot of space.  Could easily have scored twice.

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

3 minutes ago, DC9 said:

 

Wilshere is getting a lot of space.  Could easily have scored twice.

 

Real harsh for them to be behind. But a superb goal from Pedro. Brilliant technique. ****! 

 

Hail. 

[DC9]

If PSG are really looking for an attacking mid it's more likely they go for Hazard than Coutinho.  And 40 million pounds doesn't even get me to the table for Phil.

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

Bournemouth very unlucky to be behind HT. 

Wilshire fantastic for them. Hazard the same for Chelsea. Brilliant goal from Pedro the difference between the two sides. 

Easy on the eye game that's in the balance. Cliché alert but the next goal is vital.

 

Hail. 

Edited December 26, 2016 by Gibbs Hog Heaven

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

****e. Hazard peno 2-0. Stonewall. Harsh on Bournemouth but that endeth that. 

 

Hail. 

[FanboyOf91]

 

[DC9]

Yeah, Bradley is not doing well there.  TBF, I'm not sure he's got a lot to do with it.  Was one of my most embarrassing moments being American when we were driving up to Fed Ex last week for the Panthers game listening to Collymore's show on sirius after we won the Derby late. 

 

After an hour or so (traffic was balls that day - 3 hours to get there) Stan decides to talk Bob Bradley and whether we think he's a Premier League manager or not.  One guy calls in and says "He's not getting a fair shake.  Look at Sigurdson - his touch was awful just a few weeks ago and now he's a class player."   I don't know how Colly kept his ****... I almost called him up just to say we aren't all idiots.

 

No help today.

[FanboyOf91]

Mou: So what you're saying is if I keep playing Mkhitaryan, I can fight for the title?

Everyone Else:

 

[DC9]

2 hours ago, Gibbs Hog Heaven said:

Why even buy him to start with?

 

Hail.

 

Cause Arsenal were in and he would've made them a problem.

 

 

Just like Salah.  Just like Willian.  Just like Pato.

[btfoom]

3 hours ago, Gibbs Hog Heaven said:

 

Why even buy him to start with?

 

Hail.

Because that is what Chelski do.  The just buy, buy, buy.  Do they need the player?  Doesn't matter.  Like DC9 said, if another (especially London based side) is looking at a player, Chelski will do their best to get him.  Right now, they have a stunning 38 (Thirty Eight) players out on loan.  Ridiculous.

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

1 hour ago, DC9 said:

 

Cause Arsenal were in and he would've made them a problem.

 

 

Just like Salah.  Just like Willian.  Just like Pato.

 

Cynical. But probably true. . Save for the 'making them a problem' thing. Don't rate him at all. Even potential wise. 

 

 

This may well change around second half, but man are City going through a wretched patch. 

 

There was nothing there first half. No pace. No movement. No invention. Nothing. And this is Hull frigging City they’re playing. Can't believe City looking so laboured against THEM!

 

And man alive if they play such a high line at Anfield the 31st, all things being equal they’ll get absolutely walloped.

 

45 minutes of the same please.

 

Hail. 

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

Stupid, STUPID tattle' for the penalty. 

 

Man, did City BADLY need that. They've been shocking. Hull have NO defensive discipline at all. 

 

Hail. 

[DC9]

23 minutes ago, Gibbs Hog Heaven said:

 

Cynical. But probably true. . Save for the 'making them a problem' thing. Don't rate him at all. Even potential wise. 

 

 

This may well change around second half, but man are City going through a wretched patch. 

 

There was nothing there first half. No pace. No movement. No invention. Nothing. And this is Hull frigging City they’re playing. Can't believe City looking so laboured against THEM!

 

And man alive if they play such a high line at Anfield the 31st, all things being equal they’ll get absolutely walloped.

 

45 minutes of the same please.

 

Hail. 

 

Really unlucky penalty there.  Totally against the run of play.  Hull were actually dominating.

 

Now City I don't fear at all.

 

Arsenal still have their patches.

 

And Iheanacho makes it 2 as I type.  First bit of football that was attractive from them all day.

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

City are the ONLY team I fear. Go figure. *Shrugs.

 

When Pep get's that quality to gel they'll be flying. 

 

Hail. 

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

 

 

 

Interesting. If that were to happen, that's great news for Joël Matip's long term centre half partner, The Man, The Myth, The Living LEG-END Joe MF Gomez! to be right back among the first team mix! (4 full and 1 half game through 34 days back for the U-23's and counting.). Plus Lucas has enough games already under his belt for a League Championship medal to round off his fine decade of service so he'd leave safe in that knowledge to go do what he wants. Play regular footie. 

 

Be sorry to lose Lucas' influence and experience within the changies but completely down with that to get Joe back in the 4 centre half mix. 

 

Hail. 

Edited December 26, 2016 by Gibbs Hog Heaven

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

Talking of #12, this is an interesting two part read for anyone so inclined on his LONG comeback from the ACL and subsequent Achilles injury's: 

Joe Gomez: I was out so long I forgot my shin pads when I came back - Liverpool FC

'I bought a calendar to tick off every day - I'm a different person now' - Liverpool FC

 

Hail. 

[SkinssRvA]

5 hours ago, Gibbs Hog Heaven said:

City are the ONLY team I fear. Go figure. *Shrugs.

 

When Pep get's that quality to gel they'll be flying. 

 

Hail. 

City is the one team at the top I think is still trying to figure it out.  Right now, they aren't a huge threat.  It's aguero, de bruyne, silva, and a Buncha plug-n-play type.  They look disorganized to me, and that's on pep.  

 

Ive said it a million times already and I'll say it again, it's a two team race in Chelsea and Liverpool.  They've got no european soccer to play for, quality sides, and top managers.  

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

6 hours ago, SkinssRvA said:

City is the one team at the top I think is still trying to figure it out.  Right now, they aren't a huge threat.  It's aguero, de bruyne, silva, and a Buncha plug-n-play type.  They look disorganized to me, and that's on pep.  

 

Ive said it a million times already and I'll say it again, it's a two team race in Chelsea and Liverpool.  They've got no european soccer to play for, quality sides, and top managers.  

 

My view, FWIW:

 

L'pool win today and the gap remains 6 points. That's with Chelsea on a 12 match consecutive winning run and no injuries like the team in second have had to face. And we've had 10 of our games away as opposed to 8 at home. Playing away at all the top sides and difficult grounds. We've only the two Manchester clubs left as real hard aways the second half. That's Chelsea's best and they've not pulled away at all. 

This run is a difficult run to talk about as you don't want to sound churlish on a marvellous, marvellous achievement of 12 straight wins. But it's masking a heck of a lot of mediocrity for me with a few of those games that could of well gone the other way. (If De Bruyne hadn't skied over for example we could be talking about City top right now and Chelsea having slid the other way.). Pedro's 2 goals yesterday (or has he only been credited with one? Second should really be an oggie) make him only the third player they have to surpass 3 goals this year. Nigh on half a season in. They rely SO heavily on Costa and Hazard it's untrue. Those two lose form, which they will at some stage, or worse get injured (or most any of the first XI in that regard), and the quality just isn't there to step up and replace like City have who I seriously fear personally when Pep gets it right. 

Again, I don't want this to come across as disingenuous as the run they're on has been magnificent and they're currently top the league. I just don't see it sustaining itself when it inevitably ends. 

Time will out but I'm still looking at finishing above City to win the league.

 

Hail. 

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

Christmas done. Now back to the serious stuff of winning a league. Would of seemed like an eternity since Everton were it not for Sadio's winner making this or any other Christmas and then some! With Arsenal, Chelsea and City all winning, nothing more than returning the favour will do today in what should be a comfortable home win to keep the 22 game unbeaten home streak going. (15 wins. 7 Draws. 54 scored. 17 conceded. Fortress Anfield!). Ironically the last game we lost at Anfield was the League Cup semi against todays opponents back in January. (Although we ultimately reached the final with yet another shootout victory.). Stoke did get walloped 4-1 the league like 3 months later. 

Would imagine it will be the same XI again with Matip still missing and Sturridge not having the match minutes under his belt. Although the weeks training since the Derby should have him that bit nearer. A fully fresh and firing Daniel Sturridge will be like a new signing in itself January. Still have him down as having a BIG part to play in this title quest but that's  for the future. As regards today .....

3-0 to the rapacious Reds! 
 

Hail. 

Edited December 27, 2016 by Gibbs Hog Heaven