It's not been a very good season, has it?
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KevinMcallister
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BAW BAW BAW Arsenal aren't in the top 4 neither are Manchester Utd BAW BAW BAW
yep it's been great
yep it's been great
KevinMcallister
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would be good though if you 2 clubs were at the top right? 
smat
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I wouldn't have made this thread but I'd still have been right. Chelsea have been top since 12 games in and no-one's got close to them. Two of the three relegation spots are already accounted for, and while there is, I suppose, mild intrigue about 3rd/4th/5th/6th, it's hard to care too much when the abundance of TV money makes qualifying for the CL less important. Especially when the received wisdom at the start of the season was that the arrivals of Guardiola/Mourinho/Conte, in addition to Poch/Weng/Klopp, were going to make this the most competitive PL season ever. Damp squib IMVHO.
GodsGift
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It's been shit mate. The only respite has been Lincoln's glorious run in the FA Cup.
johnnytodd
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It's our year next year !
Super_horns
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Certainly been at least a 4 tier league!
Chelsea
Spurs
Man City
Liverpool
Man U
Arsenal
Everton
WBA
Southampton
Everyone else...
Chelsea
Spurs
Man City
Liverpool
Man U
Arsenal
Everton
WBA
Southampton
Everyone else...
johnnytodd
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i can feel a stat on Liverpools record v the top 6 coming
Super_horns
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Ah well have they been in the title race?
johnnytodd
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Yes for 11 days in August, GDragon said it was theirs to lose.
Oeuf
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I BEG TO DIFFER
We're winning the league (don't quote this if we hilariously fuck up), all of the other contenders, bar Spuds, have been enjoyably crap, Sunderland have finally fucked off and the other teams joining them won't be any great loss. DELIGHTFUL SEASON
We're winning the league (don't quote this if we hilariously fuck up), all of the other contenders, bar Spuds, have been enjoyably crap, Sunderland have finally fucked off and the other teams joining them won't be any great loss. DELIGHTFUL SEASON
Son of Cod
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It will all be worth it when Hull go down on the final day.
Bilo
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This post kind of sums up why nobody likes Chelsea.
Have fun Conte will be sacked by this time next year.
JaredSUFC
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Who are you again? You seem to have a strange obsession here. I literally can't remember who you are or who you claim to support.
Benji
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Everyone said it would be good with Pep, Klopp, Jose, Wenger, Conte, Bilic, Ranieri (RIP), Koeman, Poch, Pulis, Pardew (RIP), Hughes, Puel, Karanka (RIP), Mazzarri, Howe, Dyche, Bradley (RIP), Moyes, Phelan (RIP). But it turns out 20 men looking dour on the touchline isn't what makes football fun.
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i like Chelsea and i know plenty who do too.........#kopitedelusion
Bilo
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The season has been boring imo and it will get worse. But that will make the league more successful.
The possession football and the emergence of the modern 4-2-3-1 late last century changed football and its success has mostly been seen in Spain, they were first at adapting to it and are still dominant. The first manager playing the possession 4-2-3-1 in England the way you still see today was also Spanish in Rafa Benítez. They basically got there ahead of everyone and have since enjoyed the success of other teams trying to copy them. Historically, any given dominant system tends to be successful for as long as teams try to copy it. But teams stopped trying to copy the tiki-taka/modern playmaker a few years ago and the game is instead beginning to adapt.
Diego Simeone was ahead of the curve, but his success is as good as anyone could hope. He's been unlucky to not win the CL, as well, which given the current situation Atlético is in is incredible. The key to his system can be summed up in flipping the 4-4-2, making the midfield narrower than the back line with the wingers playing almost exclusively in the half space (the channel between the full back and the centre back). In addition, a low block combined with VERY deep forwards gives them most of the perks of two up front while still flooding the middle. It doesn't always work, but looking at Atlético against Real or Barca you'll find how often they end up playing with six central midfielders, often up against three or another fourth offering support. They don't look to dominate the middle but at their best, their numbers conceding down the middle were along the lines of if it was a football manager game you'd call it a bug. An exploit.
So the key is essentially that while football has adapted to attacking football, the way forward is defensive football. Last season, Leicester's title win showed again how incredibly effective it can be at times. They did find many ways of winning, but their clean sheet run with the 4-4-2 late mid last season was their peak. Today, Chelsea are showing again how defensive football is the way forward. Congested middle, low blocks and quick counters. Win by relying on the opposition making more mistakes than you, which is Mourinho's theory and while he has other problems his tactics have the potential to be incredibly successful again. It's no coincidence that it was him, despite his faults, who beat Barca the way they did.
Atlético aren't winning everything because they're up against teams with literally five times their budget. But they would if they had even half the budget of Barca and Real. Which the premier league clubs have. Chelsea got lucky perhaps, or they saw it coming, but what they've done this season is the way forward. Those who realize this quickly enough will dominate football over the coming years. Because five years from now, Barca and Real won't be dominant (they won't be among the top four sides in Europe imo). At least two of the top four clubs will be English, and these two clubs will have defensive managers. United might very well be one of them if Mourinho can stop getting the way of himself. Chelsea the other, if Conte can survive the odd slump you always get with defensive football.
So imo, the league has recognized this and it will begin adapting. Or it already has, all top six managers bar Pochettino* are essentially defensive in this moment of time, while there's much to learn for some still. The league will be more boring next season. Even more boring the season after next. But by then, an english club will win the CL and that same club will concede less than 20 goals in the league.
Ferguson would have been brilliant in this coming era, by the way. Some of the stuff Simeone gets credited with today Ferguson invented with that flip sided 4-4-2 of 07/08. But Koke isn't Ronaldo so there you have it.
* He's just brilliant, that's it, he's part of no trend. Just a fantastic manager.
The possession football and the emergence of the modern 4-2-3-1 late last century changed football and its success has mostly been seen in Spain, they were first at adapting to it and are still dominant. The first manager playing the possession 4-2-3-1 in England the way you still see today was also Spanish in Rafa Benítez. They basically got there ahead of everyone and have since enjoyed the success of other teams trying to copy them. Historically, any given dominant system tends to be successful for as long as teams try to copy it. But teams stopped trying to copy the tiki-taka/modern playmaker a few years ago and the game is instead beginning to adapt.
Diego Simeone was ahead of the curve, but his success is as good as anyone could hope. He's been unlucky to not win the CL, as well, which given the current situation Atlético is in is incredible. The key to his system can be summed up in flipping the 4-4-2, making the midfield narrower than the back line with the wingers playing almost exclusively in the half space (the channel between the full back and the centre back). In addition, a low block combined with VERY deep forwards gives them most of the perks of two up front while still flooding the middle. It doesn't always work, but looking at Atlético against Real or Barca you'll find how often they end up playing with six central midfielders, often up against three or another fourth offering support. They don't look to dominate the middle but at their best, their numbers conceding down the middle were along the lines of if it was a football manager game you'd call it a bug. An exploit.
So the key is essentially that while football has adapted to attacking football, the way forward is defensive football. Last season, Leicester's title win showed again how incredibly effective it can be at times. They did find many ways of winning, but their clean sheet run with the 4-4-2 late mid last season was their peak. Today, Chelsea are showing again how defensive football is the way forward. Congested middle, low blocks and quick counters. Win by relying on the opposition making more mistakes than you, which is Mourinho's theory and while he has other problems his tactics have the potential to be incredibly successful again. It's no coincidence that it was him, despite his faults, who beat Barca the way they did.
Atlético aren't winning everything because they're up against teams with literally five times their budget. But they would if they had even half the budget of Barca and Real. Which the premier league clubs have. Chelsea got lucky perhaps, or they saw it coming, but what they've done this season is the way forward. Those who realize this quickly enough will dominate football over the coming years. Because five years from now, Barca and Real won't be dominant (they won't be among the top four sides in Europe imo). At least two of the top four clubs will be English, and these two clubs will have defensive managers. United might very well be one of them if Mourinho can stop getting the way of himself. Chelsea the other, if Conte can survive the odd slump you always get with defensive football.
So imo, the league has recognized this and it will begin adapting. Or it already has, all top six managers bar Pochettino* are essentially defensive in this moment of time, while there's much to learn for some still. The league will be more boring next season. Even more boring the season after next. But by then, an english club will win the CL and that same club will concede less than 20 goals in the league.
Ferguson would have been brilliant in this coming era, by the way. Some of the stuff Simeone gets credited with today Ferguson invented with that flip sided 4-4-2 of 07/08. But Koke isn't Ronaldo so there you have it.
* He's just brilliant, that's it, he's part of no trend. Just a fantastic manager.
johnnytodd
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what a load of horseshit, numerous teams played that system in the 60's and 70's.
If the ongoing pattern of this season is anything to go by 90% of the teams in the Premier League next season will be using a three-at-the-back system.
When Arsene Wenger of all people decides to adopt an en vogue formation you know it's about to truly take over.
When Arsene Wenger of all people decides to adopt an en vogue formation you know it's about to truly take over.
Oeuf
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TubularBells
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I'd go with the theory that whoever wins it, deserves to on merit. I know. It's a crazy ideology!
In terms of quality, not the best. But there you go. You bring in these so called Messiah's of clubs who can do no wrong and well they have. Or maybe it's just a transitional period. If the top clubs keep their managers, then next season may be interesting. The current top two teams in the country are the best teams by a country mile. Spurs for me though have been outstanding.
In regards to my team. I'm just happy we stayed up and can build on it. This has been massively overshadowed by Blackburn Rovers being relegated means it's been a fucking fantastic season!
:giphy:
In terms of quality, not the best. But there you go. You bring in these so called Messiah's of clubs who can do no wrong and well they have. Or maybe it's just a transitional period. If the top clubs keep their managers, then next season may be interesting. The current top two teams in the country are the best teams by a country mile. Spurs for me though have been outstanding.
In regards to my team. I'm just happy we stayed up and can build on it. This has been massively overshadowed by Blackburn Rovers being relegated means it's been a fucking fantastic season!
:giphy:
