Football 2020 - Rooney returns

[Inspector Norse]

Liverpool heading for a fifth defeat in eight games. Relegation form that. Worrying times.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

^ Yep. Charlatan manager.

Time to lower ourselves to discuss this shit:

Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho, speaking to Sky Sports about the VAR decision to not award his side a goal: "I cant say what I think, I would be in trouble. I would be suspended and I don't want to be.

"The one here is not the referee. The referee is hidden in some office. The man on the pitch pitch is not the referee, he does not make the decisions. I don't speak with the assistant referee - who is the one on the pitch.

"It is not how I feel, it is the reality. The linesman makes a decision but of course technology makes the decision in the office where they are. Decisions on penalties, handballs, free kicks, It is not made by the referee on the pitch.The referee on the pitch is not the referee.

I don't want to speak especially about Michael Oliver, especially about him. I want to be on the bench in the next game. I don't want to be involved in any process, so lets move in another direction."

Some bizarrely conceited suggestion that refereeing on the pitch is somehow more noble and respectable yet causing confusion over that by also effectively saying 'if I was allowed to slag off the on field officials I would do'

#muzzled
#deplatformed
#lovetoseeit

[Wonderful Butternut]

Just giving the oil cunts a bit of hope before pissing the league by 20 points again next season.

That being said, I was in a Live Chat with some Liverpool fans and the amount of fucking crying. We just won the league, but apparently there are big problems with our midfield and Joe Gomez is not fit to wear the shirt. Off the back of 45 minutes. I do understand why people hate us.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Atalanta insulted the hearts they have won of football lovers EVERYWHERE by only scoring 2 goals and keeping a fucking clean sheet against Napoli.

Come on guys, this is cockteasing.

[Inspector Norse]

VAR on the big screen at the Etihad there

DECISION
NO PENALTY
NO FOUL BY WALKER

Walker booked and free kick awarded

"NO FOUL BY WALKER"

Good job VAR

Good work there

[JamesTC]

City sent out a real statement there: "Now Liverpool have lost a quarter of the games we have this season"

[Wonderful Butternut]

City sent out a real statement there: "Now Liverpool have lost a quarter of the games we have this season"

I know. Only 20 points ahead with 18 left to play for. Could be at risk, this title?

Flippancy aside, it is a reminder that despite being left well behind in the league this season, they're actually a good team and if we go in to next season with a lax or complacent attitude, we'll be the ones 20 points down come matchweek 32.

[Bernice]

The red shite shown up for the chancers they are. Don't get me wrong, I'm pleased for their fanbase of fullkit dog diddlers, but, as with Leicester, it was a case of the big boys not performing rather than any real quality on display at Anfield.

Now for the long comedown, hyperbole curdling like bichon frise cum in a warm belly. They won it though, gotta give them that.

[JamesTC]

Martin Tyler: "Liverpool may have won the war but City are winning this battle".

Like the Japanese soldier who didn't know the war had ended.

[Captain Z]

Aahh he's ragin'!

[The Culture Bunker]

I certainly wouldn't rule out Liverpool retaining their title, but it might be a case of them buying one or two reinforcements, as City will surely bring in plenty, Chelsea already have one new face. I remember when United won the league for the first time in eons, they went out and brought in Roy Keane to push them further. That's what Liverpool might need to do, as much as I hope they don't.

[DrGreggles]

Didn't realise it was Man City v Liverpool tonight. Thought it was tomorrow for some reason.
You'd have thought Sky would have hyped up 2nd v 1st a bit!

Been watching Real Madrid struggle against Getafe* for 80 minutes, then get bailed out with another penalty...



_{*twenty three positions in a one night stand}

[BlodwynPig]

I certainly wouldn't rule out Liverpool retaining their title, but it might be a case of them buying one or two reinforcements, as City will surely bring in plenty, Chelsea already have one new face. I remember when United won the league for the first time in eons, they went out and brought in Roy Keane to push them further. That's what Liverpool might need to do, as much as I hope they don't.

Keane hung his boots up years ago, but he could still do a job i suppose

[Inspector Norse]

I just looked up Mourinho's contract.

£300k a week until 2023

Hahahahahahahaha Tottenham

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

To still be behind Arsenal. This Arsenal. That takes some doing.

[chveik]

I just looked up Mourinho's contract.

£300k a week until 2023

Hahahahahahahaha Tottenham

I think that's very nice of them, giving us more José prime content.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Martin Tyler: "Liverpool may have won the war but City are winning this battle".

Like the Japanese soldier who didn't know the war had ended.

'4-0 in this irrelevant game the outcome of which gives no solace joy or meaning of any sort to either set of supporters' probably doesn't sell THE PRODUCT

[Wonderful Butternut]

I certainly wouldn't rule out Liverpool retaining their title, but it might be a case of them buying one or two reinforcements, as City will surely bring in plenty, Chelsea already have one new face. I remember when United won the league for the first time in eons, they went out and brought in Roy Keane to push them further. That's what Liverpool might need to do, as much as I hope they don't.

I don't think there's a lot of scope to improve Liverpool's first XI. Someone a bit more incisive in midfield is the obvious change to make, but is said person also going to put in the work that Hendo & Wijnaldum put in to allow our fullbacks to bomb on and acquire ludicrous numbers of assists?
Other than that a center back to replace Lovren[nb]Lovren isn't terrible, the problem is he's no pace and is jittery as fuck in his first 2 or 3 games back after being out of the team. He's usually fine once he's on a run of games. But then he gets injured and the process restarts[/nb] and cover for Robertson are the main areas. Hard to know what to do up front. There's a big quality drop from Salah, Mane & Firmino to Origi, Shaq[nb]Who's leaving anyway[/nb] & Minamino. But we'd have to bring in someone who's significantly better back up, but also not content not to nail down a place in the first team. Not too many guys like that knocking about. Check their records, Liverpool's front 3 basically do not get injured so whoever's coming in would play a game here to rest Mane, and then another game there to rest Salah and is unlikely to extended runs in one position to make it their own. Not to mention that the big games would just see us revert to the 3 we have.

I assumed we'd find out next season how much of City's problems this season have been simply down to moving their tactical fouling engine out of midfield and replacing him with Rodri who's not as good, and would be solved by Laporte's return to fitness. But I found out today that Fernandinho is 35, at least 5 years older than I thought he was. So he's probably not going to slot straight back in there every game. That being said, it's monumentally unlikely that they'll finish lower than 2nd.

Chelsea need another season, imo. Their defence is a bit behind City & Liverpool, tonight's shocking performance from Gomez notwithstanding, and they'll also basically have an entirely new attack that might need a bit of gel time. I'm expecting something like Liverpool in 17/18, great on their day, but don't quite maintain it over a full league season. They will almost certainly challenge for the title the following season though.

[Ferris]

I just looked up Mourinho's contract.

£300k a week until 2023

Hahahahahahahaha Tottenham

What on earth where they thinking?! Fucking hell

[buttgammon]

Dreamt Denmark beat Argentina 9-0 in the group stage of the next World Cup. Maradona was playing and looked so old and fucked he could barely even walk; Messi wasn't far off. Place your bets now!

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

They'd only have spent that money on 3 shit players anyway.

[BlodwynPig]

I don't think there's a lot of scope to improve Liverpool's first XI. Someone a bit more incisive in midfield is the obvious change to make, but is said person also going to put in the work that Hendo & Wijnaldum put in to allow our fullbacks to bomb on and acquire ludicrous numbers of assists?
Other than that a center back to replace Lovren[nb]Lovren isn't terrible, the problem is he's no pace and is jittery as fuck in his first 2 or 3 games back after being out of the team. He's usually fine once he's on a run of games. But then he gets injured and the process restarts[/nb] and cover for Robertson are the main areas. Hard to know what to do up front. There's a big quality drop from Salah, Mane & Firmino to Origi, Shaq[nb]Who's leaving anyway[/nb] & Minamino. But we'd have to bring in someone who's significantly better back up, but also not content not to nail down a place in the first team. Not too many guys like that knocking about. Check their records, Liverpool's front 3 basically do not get injured so whoever's coming in would play a game here to rest Mane, and then another game there to rest Salah and is unlikely to extended runs in one position to make it their own. Not to mention that the big games would just see us revert to the 3 we have.

I assumed we'd find out next season how much of City's problems this season have been simply down to moving their tactical fouling engine out of midfield and replacing him with Rodri who's not as good, and would be solved by Laporte's return to fitness. But I found out today that Fernandinho is 35, at least 5 years older than I thought he was. So he's probably not going to slot straight back in there every game. That being said, it's monumentally unlikely that they'll finish lower than 2nd.

Chelsea need another season, imo. Their defence is a bit behind City & Liverpool, tonight's shocking performance from Gomez notwithstanding, and they'll also basically have an entirely new attack that might need a bit of gel time. I'm expecting something like Liverpool in 17/18, great on their day, but don't quite maintain it over a full league season. They will almost certainly challenge for the title the following season though.

Been at the Championship Manager have we? Robotic dross.

Liverpool to fade away after the suspension by UEFA. *

[Gurke and Hare]

Liverpool should be buying another decent centre half. They're fucked if van Dijk gets a serious injury otherwise.

[JamesTC]

Gomez has been brilliant this season (and the start of last before Burnley crocked him). Last night was a poor performance but these things happen.

Matip is injury-prone but he is good backup. Lovren is fourth choice, injury-prone, anti-vaxxer loon and rubbish. We could do with a Lovren replacement but fourth choice would be difficult to replace for cheap.

[BlodwynPig]

How fast you lot move on from winning the greatest trophy in all of football.

Liverpool - Champions of England 2019/2020

Spoiler alert

*

[close]

"Get in"

2 seconds later.

"We need to replace Lovren for next season's assault on the Premier League"

Championship Manager tier rubbish. You should be rubbing this in our faces for weeks...

[Inspector Norse]

City sent out a real statement there: "Now Liverpool have lost a quarter of the games we have this season"

Well to be fair, looking from a neutral point of view at the bigger picture, City have lost 9 games this season to Liverpool's 7, and they've respectively played 50 and 51 games. Liverpool's extraordinary run in the Premier League wasn't matched by their performance in other competitions, barring the World Club Cup (which the European champions have only failed to win once in the last thirteen tournaments, suggesting that it's a bit of a gimme, really), while City are still very much alive in the Champions League and FA Cup; I think they'd probably be happy to trade second place in the Premier League for a Champions League title.

[Gurke and Hare]

Matip is injury-prone but he is good backup. Lovren is fourth choice, injury-prone, anti-vaxxer loon and rubbish. We could do with a Lovren replacement but fourth choice would be difficult to replace for cheap.

Why should the new champions, Champions League perennials and one of the biggest clubs in the world, who spent nothing last summer and very little in January be looking to strengthen on the cheap?

[holyzombiejesus]

Has it been decided what's happening with this season's champions league yet?

[JamesTC]

Well to be fair, looking from a neutral point of view at the bigger picture, City have lost 9 games this season to Liverpool's 7, and they've respectively played 50 and 51 games. Liverpool's extraordinary run in the Premier League wasn't matched by their performance in other competitions, barring the World Club Cup (which the European champions have only failed to win once in the last thirteen tournaments, suggesting that it's a bit of a gimme, really), while City are still very much alive in the Champions League and FA Cup; I think they'd probably be happy to trade second place in the Premier League for a Champions League title.

8 if you count the Charity Shield! 7 if you don't count the League Cup game which took place the day before the Club World Cup so we played our U23s (minus our best U23s who went to Qatar). The Club World Cup was actually pretty rough. Loads of injuries in the semi (Henderson partnered Gomez at CB if I remember correctly) and the final featured some horrific refereeing and shithousing.

The 17-18 City team who won 100 points is generally considered one of the best teams in league history. They lost 7 games too, only ended the season with two trophies ("only") and didn't have a conflicting competition to halt progress in the League Cup. This Liverpool side have won three trophies and could still match that points haul (though I think I'd rather we rotate and use younger players even if it means losing a few points).

Admittedly I was being a bit flippant with the quarter of City's losses comment. They gave up on the league in January according to some of their players so comparing that directly is silly (as pathetic an attitude as that is from City). Since January, Liverpool have only had a global pandemic as the nearest rival. But hey, Liverpool were losing 4-0 so I was pretty happy to make an excuse for it.

[JamesTC]

Why should the new champions, Champions League perennials and one of the biggest clubs in the world, who spent nothing last summer and very little in January be looking to strengthen on the cheap?

The global pandemic which has cost the club millions overnight in matchday revenue? I think the club will bring in one or two cheap/free signings only and that is just to replace the Lallana and possibly Lovren/Shaqiri if they do go.