Greenlizard0 Premier League Football Thread ** spoilers ** [25th - 27th February 2025]
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Soldato
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As easy as I thought it would be, fully expecting a more competitive game in the final if we have Isak, big Jo and Botman back.
Soldato
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Our title hopes ended losing Saka tbh, he was having to carry the team so frequently with the stinkers Odegaard, Rice, Trossard etc have had this year, so it’s not like there was enough quality to ever pick up the slack. The other injuries and lack of transfer business just sped up the inevitable (the magical season-saving trip to Dubai ending Havertz’s season ending was particularly ironic!) and it’s hard to to see where goals or wins will come from with the remaining games unless it’s against relegation fodder. Finishing 2nd will be an achievement and I expect we’ll make it mathematically certain for Liverpool sooner rather than later.
He is clearly a Go'auld and regenerates in his sarcophogus
I still don’t get the Havertz signing and I never will, he just wasn’t what you needed
Well it could have been worse. I was expecting another 3+ pummelling, so only shipping 2 isn’t too bad. And most of the teams around us dropped points yesterday.
Shame Spurs couldn’t get anything this evening and Forest got a point, but it could have been much worse.
I know there are no easy games in the PL, and this season we’ve had a habit of slipping up in ‘winnable’ games (especially at home), but our run in to the end of the season isn’t too bad. I’d like to think we can pick up a healthy load of points if everyone stays fit.
Plus the cup final and potentially more of the FA cup to look forward to.
Shame Spurs couldn’t get anything this evening and Forest got a point, but it could have been much worse.
I know there are no easy games in the PL, and this season we’ve had a habit of slipping up in ‘winnable’ games (especially at home), but our run in to the end of the season isn’t too bad. I’d like to think we can pick up a healthy load of points if everyone stays fit.
Plus the cup final and potentially more of the FA cup to look forward to.
Wow, that’s a blast from the past
lego head tying to ape his mentor you say, surely not..
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15 min spell at the start of the 2nd half aside, that was a pretty comfortable evening. Szobo was great again and so pleased for him to score again tonight. His work rate and energy has been so important to the side this season but there's always been a bit of criticism due to his lack of goals.
The way he's aged is quite something though. The creative side of his game always has been underrated because people would focus on other aspects of his game but he's almost a better creator than he is goalscorer now, and he's still a great goalscorer. Like those outside of the foot passes, over the last few years his hold up play (especially for his size) has improved no end too.
Na, he's been doing it for the last 2-3 years.
The way he's aged is quite something though. The creative side of his game always has been underrated because people would focus on other aspects of his game but he's almost a better creator than he is goalscorer now, and he's still a great goalscorer. Like those outside of the foot passes, over the last few years his hold up play (especially for his size) has improved no end too.
Soldato
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It was to replace Xhaka initially, then he ended up further forward because… reasons. In any case things are at the point where there’s nowhere left to hide and no excuses about where abouts on the pitch the club need to invest this summer.
The job now is to hang on to 2nd place but 2 goals in 4 games (both against the worst team of the 4) suggests it’s going to be uncomfortable viewing. Might have to be doing a guard of honour at Anfield at this rate.
Our 3 top scorers are out. Saka is still equal on major chances created in the league this season and the biggest miss. Our second choice striker is out too. We're playing a player who is only really a super sub on the left, a DM up top and a 17 year old kids on the right who is brilliant but inconsistent and got subbed off for fatigue last game. Then behind them Odegaard is well off the pace this season. Other than trying one of the kids up top we don't have any more options. We still can't get our best back 4 on the pitch either. All that being said though, some of our performances should have been much better.
But isn't this the point Mark's making? A few injuries in attack (and let's be fair, you were well off the place and none were pulling up any trees before their injuries) and you look completely toothless. You have one top quality forward in Saka and even he struggled for goals this season but outside of him there's too big a drop off to Martinelli, Havertz, Trossard & Jesus and then little else in terms of goals & creativity throughout the rest of the squad.
It's ultimately a consequence of the squad building and the way Arteta wants to play. You let go a centre forward, two attacking mids and a wide forward in the summer and replaced them with Sterling, a defensively minded mid and a CB/LB. Carragher made the point at the start of the season, Arteta is more Mourinho than Pep and wants a big, powerful side that will be hard to beat, relying on you not conceding many and the individual ability of a couple of players & set-plays to win you games.
They actually introduced this about 5 years ago. I think they suspended an Everton player once and then it's been forgotten about since.