BPL 15/16 - The New Season Part 1

[car50]

Damn Stoke almost score.

Btw, earlier on I thought I hear the fans singing Rafa Benitez.

 

 

They are missing Rafa?

 

Thought the way he talks is quite cute and at times blur

 

A proclaimed seat warmer "the temporary one" who won the Europa league for Chelsea

[Osprey23]

Damn Stoke almost score.

Btw, earlier on I thought I hear the fans singing Rafa Benitez.

Ya, must remind BR his job is on the line

 

Shaqiri is in the stand too. But he doesn't look too interested lol

[Osprey23]

Ball retention is a huge huge problem for Pool.

 

Can introduced to provide more drive forward. Probably into 4-3-3 now with Coutinho wide left

[Osprey23]

Absolute belter from Coutinho!

 

BR might have a change of luck. He was about to sub Coutinho out for Ings

[Bacteria83]

BR a damn lucky man, can see that gomez is not really ready yet. Not sure is moreno really that bad.

 

To Barca and Rm stay off our Brazilian.

 

Payet look like a really gifted mid, if I remember correctly he created the most chance in Ligue 1 last season. Could be a real bargain for west ham.

[Osprey23]

No 0-0 result yet in this round.

 

Good start for Pool but it really is down to the brilliance of Little Phil. Stoke will be a very difficult team to beat. Doesn't really get catch out on the break as their defensive transition is very fast.

 

On the debutants, must say Clyne really looks settled. Very assured in his defending and measured when pushing up. Probably why in the first half Pool's tactic was to channel Stoke's attack down that side as much as possible.

 

Firmino will need time. The sooner he get used to having lesser time on the ball the better.

 

4-2-3-1 -> 4-3-3 -> 4-3-2-1 and very nearly a 4-diamond-2. BR will enjoy himself this season.

 

Fans should have no problem with that as long as results keep going the right way.

[Bacteria83]

Saw this " Can I have a refund on cech"

 

 

https://video-mrs1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hvideo-xat1/v/t42.1790-2/11857178_10153529934703899_1564805498_n.mp4?efg=eyJybHIiOjMzNCwicmxhIjo1MTJ9&rl=334&vabr=186&oh=5cdd471743f1b0cb2b151d1b00eb2bc5&oe=55C7AC07

[Osprey23]

BR a damn lucky man, can see that gomez is not really ready yet. Not sure is moreno really that bad.

 

To Barca and Rm stay off our Brazilian.

 

Payet look like a really gifted mid, if I remember correctly he created the most chance in Ligue 1 last season. Could be a real bargain for west ham.

I can really live with Gomez over Moreno for this tie. Stoke is a very physical team and I feel Gomez might be able to cope better than Moreno. Beside, his pre season performance really justify the selection. £3.5m well spent.

 

Coutinho will be difficult to hold on if Barcelona come calling. His pal is there. Just be mentally prepared bro.

[Spring]

Just a few of my thoughts even though only 1 round of matches played with City v WBA still to come.

And admittedly maybe too early to form an opinion.

 

1) The middle of the table teams seem to have strengthened n got themselves well organised. This bodes well for the league as likely the top 5 teams would cxl each other out in head to heads n will Hv to depend on their results against teams like West Ham, Palace, Swansea, Stoke to pull themselves clear.

 

2) Every team needs a game changer to win matches as seen by a piece of Coutinho Magic last nite. Arsenal got Sanchez, Chelsea got Hazard, City Hv Aguero. Pool possibly Coutinho but it's the guys that can do this often that will bring their team to a higher level. Look at CR7 n Messi.

 

3) IMO this last man rule which resulted in Courtois sent off needs to be relooked at. Seems like double punishment to me n also Its subjective to judge if really denying a clear goalscoring opportunity at times, like in this case. Even Graham Poll n Carragher feels it shouldn't be red.

 

4) Chelsea got a very good first X1 but no more n will struggle if they get injuries or need to change a game as their subs just not at the same level as the first X1.

 

5) United got a soft centre of defence. Blind is no CB.

 

6) Gunners flatter to deceive. Like most pundits say, they need another striker n possible a Veira type enforcer in MF.

 

7) Pool needs time to blend their many signings in. Don't think BR knows his best X1. Firmino will need adjustment time in a more physical league. Not sure if the Milner-Henderson middle works? Something not right if u ask me, no dynamism?

 

My 2 cents n feel free to add on or disagree.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3191122/Michael-Oliver-right-award-Swansea-penalty-against-Chelsea-Thibaut-Courtois-did-not-deserve-straight-red-card.html

 

http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11668/9942425/thibaut-courtois-red-card-was-harsh-says-jamie-redknapp

Edited August 10, 2015 by Spring

[Bacteria83]

Milner restricted henderson playing style last night, henderson was playing deep so rarely break forward into the box. Maybe its because stoke is too gd, BR need him to cover the back 4 all the time.

[Hamburger]

charlie adam seems to have a pont to view about playing against play while going hard on the ex colleagues.

 

glad the our most feared crotian did not do too badly while his partner skrtel was at times sloppy with his few back passes.

 

Ibe was clearly exhausted before he was sub out.

 

well done little phil once again, the engine of pool's play.

[Osprey23]

charlie adam seems to have a pont to view about playing against play while going hard on the ex colleagues.

 

glad the our most feared crotian did not do too badly while his partner skrtel was at times sloppy with his few back passes.

 

Ibe was clearly exhausted before he was sub out.

 

well done little phil once again, the engine of pool's play.

Agreed bro. Lovren had a good game. Gomez showed his inexperience at times but overall very decent outing. Skrtel is the one that had a shocker for me last night.

 

The Milner-Hendo as the CM pair in a 4-2-3-1 is not ideal. They are rotating the defensive and supporting role among themselves and neither look comfortable on either role. When Can was sub in and change to 4-3-3, the dynamic changed immediately. Really hope BR sees this after this game. There is no reason to go 4-2-3-1 just to let Lallana plays. We need that 3-men midfield to run the show.

 

Good observations by bro Spring too. The TV money has enabled the mid tier clubs to raid the other league for the good players. EPL will be getting more competitive in years to come. Best league? No. Most competitive? Hell yes!

 

I won't get to effective if I am a Gunners after the disappointing opening result. First round usually will see some shock results but quality will always prevail. Cech will bounce back and with the potential marquee signing coming, I will still put them as title favourite, along with Chelsea.

[car50]

Nice observations. agree

 

in EPL, probably need 10 games to see a consistent pattern

 

Even then patterns may change.

 

 

 

Just a few of my thoughts even though only 1 round of matches played with City v WBA still to come.
And admittedly maybe too early to form an opinion.

1) The middle of the table teams seem to have strengthened n got themselves well organised. This bodes well for the league as likely the top 5 teams would cxl each other out in head to heads n will Hv to depend on their results against teams like West Ham, Palace, Swansea, Stoke to pull themselves clear.

2) Every team needs a game changer to win matches as seen by a piece of Coutinho Magic last nite. Arsenal got Sanchez, Chelsea got Hazard, City Hv Aguero. Pool possibly Coutinho but it's the guys that can do this often that will bring their team to a higher level. Look at CR7 n Messi.

3) IMO this last man rule which resulted in Courtois sent off needs to be relooked at. Seems like double punishment to me n also Its subjective to judge if really denying a clear goalscoring opportunity at times, like in this case. Even Graham Poll n Carragher feels it shouldn't be red.

4) Chelsea got a very good first X1 but no more n will struggle if they get injuries or need to change a game as their subs just not at the same level as the first X1.

5) United got a soft centre of defence. Blind is no CB.

6) Gunners flatter to deceive. Like most pundits say, they need another striker n possible a Veira type enforcer in MF.

7) Pool needs time to blend their many signings in. Don't think BR knows his best X1. Firmino will need adjustment time in a more physical league. Not sure if the Milner-Henderson middle works? Something not right if u ask me, no dynamism?

My 2 cents n feel free to add on or disagree.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3191122/Michael-Oliver-right-award-Swansea-penalty-against-Chelsea-Thibaut-Courtois-did-not-deserve-straight-red-card.html

http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11668/9942425/thibaut-courtois-red-card-was-harsh-says-jamie-redknapp

 

[Ktglfc]

Just a few of my thoughts even though only 1 round of matches played with City v WBA still to come.

And admittedly maybe too early to form an opinion.

 

1) The middle of the table teams seem to have strengthened n got themselves well organised. This bodes well for the league as likely the top 5 teams would cxl each other out in head to heads n will Hv to depend on their results against teams like West Ham, Palace, Swansea, Stoke to pull themselves clear.

 

2) Every team needs a game changer to win matches as seen by a piece of Coutinho Magic last nite. Arsenal got Sanchez, Chelsea got Hazard, City Hv Aguero. Pool possibly Coutinho but it's the guys that can do this often that will bring their team to a higher level. Look at CR7 n Messi.

 

3) IMO this last man rule which resulted in Courtois sent off needs to be relooked at. Seems like double punishment to me n also Its subjective to judge if really denying a clear goalscoring opportunity at times, like in this case. Even Graham Poll n Carragher feels it shouldn't be red.

 

4) Chelsea got a very good first X1 but no more n will struggle if they get injuries or need to change a game as their subs just not at the same level as the first X1.

 

5) United got a soft centre of defence. Blind is no CB.

 

6) Gunners flatter to deceive. Like most pundits say, they need another striker n possible a Veira type enforcer in MF.

 

7) Pool needs time to blend their many signings in. Don't think BR knows his best X1. Firmino will need adjustment time in a more physical league. Not sure if the Milner-Henderson middle works? Something not right if u ask me, no dynamism?

 

My 2 cents n feel free to add on or disagree.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3191122/Michael-Oliver-right-award-Swansea-penalty-against-Chelsea-Thibaut-Courtois-did-not-deserve-straight-red-card.html

 

http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11668/9942425/thibaut-courtois-red-card-was-harsh-says-jamie-redknapp

 

Nice observation, Bro :)

As the Chinese saying goes, 路遥知马力 - Over a long distance, you learn about the strength of your horse ....

The truly good club will endure the whole long season of 38 matches ....

[Spring]

Agreed bro. Lovren had a good game. Gomez showed his inexperience at times but overall very decent outing. Skrtel is the one that had a shocker for me last night.

 

The Milner-Hendo as the CM pair in a 4-2-3-1 is not ideal. They are rotating the defensive and supporting role among themselves and neither look comfortable on either role. When Can was sub in and change to 4-3-3, the dynamic changed immediately. Really hope BR sees this after this game. There is no reason to go 4-2-3-1 just to let Lallana plays. We need that 3-men midfield to run the show.

 

Good observations by bro Spring too. The TV money has enabled the mid tier clubs to raid the other league for the good players. EPL will be getting more competitive in years to come. Best league? No. Most competitive? Hell yes!

 

I won't get to effective if I am a Gunners after the disappointing opening result. First round usually will see some shock results but quality will always prevail. Cech will bounce back and with the potential marquee signing coming, I will still put them as title favourite, along with Chelsea.

Agreed bro, EPL most competitive n that's why we pay top $ for our set top boxes!

Some observations on buys from mid table teams which look good though admittedly some I just watch the highlights only include Wijnaldum of Newcastle, Ayew of Swansea with that incredible drag back goal, Payet of West Ham n sure there are more which I didn't notice.

 

The funny part is next weekend top of the table clash is West Ham v Leicester!

[Maxus-MIFA9]

OK...... first matches had gone except WBA vs ManCity ....

 

My opinion as :

 

ManU = front strikers can't gel well. Rooney & Memphis no communication and their new German striker, very slow on the turn.

 

Spurs = played well but still needs a few more matches to judge them as they match ManU in all department.

 

West Ham = very surprised team when they played last night against Arsenal. Very much improved.

 

Arsenal = same mistakes as last year, too much dribbling to the goal box and West Ham just pack that area, Arsenal players just like bulldoze through. How many chances wasted.

 

Everton = need to improve in order to reach top 6 finish. Having a poor match against Walford

 

Walford = Unable to survive this season if continue to play like this. Failing to protect their1 goal lead and fall into Everton counter attack. Defenders need to wake up

 

AFC Bournemouth = very boring match vs Aston Villa. Unable to survive this season. going down with Walford

 

Aston Villa = very lucky heading goal. Apart from that, very dull match. Was watching for 10 minutes before switching to Leicester Vs Sunderland match

 

Leicester City = very improved side from last season. Unexpected and same as West Ham, Pool need to aware about them.

 

Sunderland = another potential bottom 4 teams. Fighting for survival this season

 

Norwich City = not a strong team

 

Crystal Palace = Under Alan Pardew improved a lot. A mid table team

 

Chelsea = Still the favourite but back to last season sickness, dribble too much. Defenders at times lost their senses & bearing.

 

Swansea City = No improvement from last season, mid table team.

 

Newcastle = No improvement from last season. Mid table team

 

Southamton = Seem to lost some firing power up front.

 

Stoke City = Played well and almost take the lead. Thanks to Glen Johnson shooting sky high. Should be challenging for 8th to 6th position this season (Europa League)

 

Pool = same as least season, too many passing around from left to centre & to the right and back again from right, centre and left ... . Poor Benteke, alone up front and no support. If continue to play this way, I say 7th position this season .. . No one dare to shoot from outside the box. Only Coutinho tried once and it's a goal. Millner off colour ..

 

 

The above is my observation for the first match. Hope they (the teams) can prove me wrong ...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Osprey23]

Good start by City!

 

Too early to catch the match but reports suggested that Silva was instrumental in the victory and WBA were taken apart.

 

Round 1 over and the excitement will continues to build up with the next round. Key match up has to be Man City vs Chelsea

[Fooblack]

Agreed bro. Lovren had a good game. Gomez showed his inexperience at times but overall very decent outing. Skrtel is the one that had a shocker for me last night.

 

The Milner-Hendo as the CM pair in a 4-2-3-1 is not ideal. They are rotating the defensive and supporting role among themselves and neither look comfortable on either role. When Can was sub in and change to 4-3-3, the dynamic changed immediately. Really hope BR sees this after this game. There is no reason to go 4-2-3-1 just to let Lallana plays. We need that 3-men midfield to run the show.

 

Good observations by bro Spring too. The TV money has enabled the mid tier clubs to raid the other league for the good players. EPL will be getting more competitive in years to come. Best league? No. Most competitive? Hell yes!

 

I won't get to effective if I am a Gunners after the disappointing opening result. First round usually will see some shock results but quality will always prevail. Cech will bounce back and with the potential marquee signing coming, I will still put them as title favourite, along with Chelsea.

 

Pool's 4-2-3-1 experiment was not a total failure in a way as they have set up stall to be tight at the back and not go recklessly for the high press high tempo game. BR clearly doesnt want another heavy defeat which will crush their morale before the season gets into gear. But clearly, it compromises the real potential of Henderson and Milner, both looking to tentative to mount serious and sustained offensive pressure. Defensively, i think Pool look very balanced and one can see the wisdom of playing Gomez over Moreno on the LB role. Jonathan Walter physically bullied Moreno on their 6-1 thrashing 11 weeks ago.

 

I think the most satisfying part of Pool's win was that it was darn ugly and boring. BR's team does not usually do that. They either win in style or lose terribly. So, it is somewhat refreshing to me that they can grin out an ugly in such a dull manner. It is pragmatic as BR sets out a team not to lose which is so unlike him. For some of these away games, Pool need to do that to get points on the board instead of playing too open and lose the pts altogether.

 

For home games to come, I expect BR to do the 4-3-3 from the start to maximise their mobility in the front. that's when BR should deploy their high press game and forces the opposition to defend. Emre Can looks pretty solid when he came on in the Stoke game and allowed Milner and Henderson to dominate the advance midfield area. That transition made Stoke switch gears to be on the back foot and Coutinho eventually found that little space to perform his wonder goal for the win.