FOOTBALL English Premier League 23/24 Discussion

[Brocko]

I don't know why else he would make the change for the Everton game.

If its just a matter of giving Raya a run then surely the home game against PSV in UCL would have been the easier fixture to rotate for. I don't buy into their being any sort of rotation policy or a 'need' to give the second choice GK games (outside of the domestic cups).

I can see Ramsdale playing against PSV now - what will be interesting is who gets the Spurs game.

FWIW - I think Raya was bought to be #1 but he wasn't going to upset Ramsdale or the fans early in the season after how he played last year. Pre-IB it made sense to just let Ramsdale stay there for continuity sake. Now that UCL is about to start, I think Ramsdale becomes the UCL/cup GK and Raya will start prem games. I could be very wrong though.

I agree that Raya was bought to be the #1 without question just interesting to pull the trigger now.

Ramsdale wouldn't need a break or anything so will be interesting moving forward.

 

[The True King]

I agree that Raya was bought to be the #1 without question just interesting to pull the trigger now.

Ramsdale wouldn't need a break or anything so will be interesting moving forward.

Its interesting because Raya isn't a significant improvement but I think it's enough to warrant the purchase.

Remains to be seen if Raya can become world class but I think undoubtedly he's a better keeper for the here and now. He's far more consistent and less error prone, at least from what I have seen so far. Their chances of winning the league this season are higher with Raya in goal, that's just the reality.

How long Ramsdale is happy to sit around as #2 will be worth tracking. He strikes me as the sort of player who has a very high opinion of himself and I don't think Arteta will stand for any sort of disharmony in the squad. That's the reason I think he'll give Ramsdale the UCL games, a reward of sorts for how he played last season but also to keep him quiet.

With the Euros around the corner I can see the UK press turning it into a fascinating and potentially disruptive predicament... no doubt they'll run with some tribalistic version of 'England #1 being overlooked for Spain's back up GK because the coach isn't English'.

 

[Super Freak]

Not confident in the slightest for the match against Bayern tonight.

 

[Super Freak]

Finally found a fucking stream that works.

25 minutes in and still haven't conceded. Surprising.

 

[Super Freak]

Shit save Onana.

 

[Super Freak]

So the handball in the Tottenham game is not a penalty.

But the one from Eriksen is despite it being less of a handball than the one in the Tottenham game.

Makes sense.

 

[The True King]

So the handball in the Tottenham game is not a penalty.

But the one from Eriksen is despite it being less of a handball than the one in the Tottenham game.

Makes sense.

Refs in the PL are incompetent, refs in the UCL are very good.

That's the difference.

Poor Onana is being hung out to dry. Anyone who has watched him over the past 5 years knows this is exactly the sort of keeper he is. Big liability.

 

[BroncosFever]

Refs in the PL are incompetent, refs in the UCL are very good.

That's the difference.

Poor Onana is being hung out to dry. Anyone who has watched him over the past 5 years knows this is exactly the sort of keeper he is. Big liability.

I never get the criticism of goalkeepers in football, their job is to obviously save the ball but not beyond all reasonable expectations. A bit like how the fullback cops it in the NRL when he isn't there to make that last ditch tackle to save a try, it broke down somewhere else, why not criticise those players too?

They're not playing NHL ffs, where the goalie in those games makes 30-40 saves a game.

 

[The True King]

I never get the criticism of goalkeepers in football, their job is to obviously save the ball but not beyond all reasonable expectations. A bit like how the fullback cops it in the NRL when he isn't there to make that last ditch tackle to save a try, it broke down somewhere else, why not criticise those players too?

They're not playing NHL ffs, where the goalie in those games makes 30-40 saves a game.

It's probably fair when they aren't saving shots they definitely should be saving.

I look at Karius in the UCL final as the perfect example of when a GK should deserve criticism.

 

[The True King]

2am Europa League games are disgusting to have to watch. Once again we started slow and went a goal down. Woke up in the 2nd half and then killed them with our fitness and subs.

Endo might be a waste of time, not impressed at all. Tsimikas and Elliott had games to forget. Virgil and Konate should have probably dominated that game more than they did.

Gravenberch the only real stand out, hopefully it was just cramp that forced him off and not an injury.

Brighton result is an interesting one. Didn't expect them to lose at home

 

[ningnangnong]

2am Europa League games are disgusting to have to watch

I noped right out of that, and have watched it this morning on delay. Something about the Europa League just doesn't do it for me haha.

You'e pretty much summed it up. Was chuffed to see Grav get an assist, too. Thought Nunez did well again.

Kudos to the lad from LASK that scored - that was an absolute belter! Fuming that he had the time to even get a shot off from there though. Poor concentration in defence from us.

 

[Renegade]

will watch highlights later on but good to kick off with a win with a rotated side. how'd bajcetic do at RB?

 

[The True King]

will watch highlights later on but good to kick off with a win with a rotated side. how'd bajcetic do at RB?

Struggled a bit I thought, looked short of a run.

He was inverting into midfield a lot and put in some great tackles but largely anonymous. Not to say he did anything wrong, he just looked like a guy playing out of position. Was much better when he was central. Of the starters I thought Grav, Konate and Nunez were respectable for the entire game, Diaz started causing havoc in the second half too.

The game was over once Mac Allister and Szoboslai came on, they were both levels above everyone else in the middle of the park, especially Dom.

We're going to be in all sorts of trouble if we have to rely on Tsimikas consistently. Elliott struggled in think first half too but I think that was largely due to Endo's performance. He was much better towards the end once the big guns were on.

 

[Brocko]

Of course this ref punishes impeding the gk when others have not. Lovely.

Same with the penalty against Wolves earlier, great consistency again considering the handballs not given so far this season.

 

[Super Freak]

Fernandes!

 

[Super Freak]

That was a quality finish on the volley.

 

[Super Freak]

Just take the fucking shot Rashford.

**** he's been a mixed bag this year.

 

[Super Freak]

Evans just caught in la la land there.

Thankfully Lindelof was awake to what Burnley were doing.