Weekend Football

[Royal Rother]

I’d be happy to watch Brighton every week.

Unfortunately for them they’ll have to pull another managerial rabbit out of the hat when their manager goes to Man Utd next season.

[paultheroyal]

I’d be happy to watch Brighton every week.

Unfortunately for them they’ll have to pull another managerial rabbit out of the hat when their manager goes to Man Utd next season.

Just obvious that is going to happen, but again, no guarantee's it would be a success. Utd seem rotten to the core at the moment.

[WestYorksRoyal]

I’d be happy to watch Brighton every week.

Unfortunately for them they’ll have to pull another managerial rabbit out of the hat when their manager goes to Man Utd next season.

Just obvious that is going to happen, but again, no guarantee's it would be a success. Utd seem rotten to the core at the moment.

Catch 22 for young managers - it's very hard to turn down enormous clubs like Man Utd. If you turn things around you win silverware and establish yourself as a top manager. But equally these clubs are dysfunctional and stack the odds against you. If/when you fail it's very public and people forget what a good job you did previously. See also Potter and Chelsea.

How often do jobs come up at the well run big clubs? Once in a blue moon.

[Franchise FC]

I’d be happy to watch Brighton every week.

Unfortunately for them they’ll have to pull another managerial rabbit out of the hat when their manager goes to Man Utd next season.

Just obvious that is going to happen, but again, no guarantee's it would be a success. Utd seem rotten to the core at the moment.

Catch 22 for young managers - it's very hard to turn down enormous clubs like Man Utd. If you turn things around you win silverware and establish yourself as a top manager. But equally these clubs are dysfunctional and stack the odds against you. If/when you fail it's very public and people forget what a good job you did previously. See also Potter and Chelsea.

How often do jobs come up at the well run big clubs? Once in a blue moon.

Has Pep resigned ?

[Royal Rother]

Actually, thinking about it, he seems a perfect fit for Man City when Pep finally ups sticks, so although Utd will certainly want him, moving there would probably be a bit silly.

That said, how long will Pep stay?

Oh well, whatever.... in a year or 2....

Pep to England.

De Zerbi to City.

Southgate to Utd.

Selles to Brighton.

[NathStPaul]

No chance in hell Southgate gets a job with one of the top 4 imo.

[Royal Rother]

Uh yeah, just to be clear, I wasn’t being altogether serious there.

But it would be funny for damn sure.

[Sanguine]

Particularly noteworthy stat on De Zerbi is that in 15 league games against the PL's 'big six' - City, United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Spurs, Chelsea - he has picked up eight wins. And across all games since his arrival, his Brighton team averages 62% possession. It's astounding really.

[South Coast Royal]

Thought Bournemouth v Chelsea was quite entertaining for a 0-0. Bournemouth impressed me.

All I can say is that you are rather easily entertained and impressed.
I may have heard incorrectly on the radio just now but I think it was said that this was the first 0-0 in the Premier League this season.

[NathStPaul]

Thought Bournemouth v Chelsea was quite entertaining for a 0-0. Bournemouth impressed me.

All I can say is that you are rather easily entertained and impressed.
I may have heard incorrectly on the radio just now but I think it was said that this was the first 0-0 in the Premier League this season.

IMO goals don't automatically equal decent games. It was an end to end game, plenty of chances and Bournemouth did extremely well.

[South Coast Royal]

Thought Bournemouth v Chelsea was quite entertaining for a 0-0. Bournemouth impressed me.

All I can say is that you are rather easily entertained and impressed.
I may have heard incorrectly on the radio just now but I think it was said that this was the first 0-0 in the Premier League this season.

IMO goals don't automatically equal decent games. It was an end to end game, plenty of chances and Bournemouth did extremely well.

Whatever turns you on but the quality really wasn't on show yesterday regardless of the scoreline.

[NathStPaul]

All I can say is that you are rather easily entertained and impressed.
I may have heard incorrectly on the radio just now but I think it was said that this was the first 0-0 in the Premier League this season.

IMO goals don't automatically equal decent games. It was an end to end game, plenty of chances and Bournemouth did extremely well.

Whatever turns you on but the quality really wasn't on show yesterday regardless of the scoreline.

Oh I will agree there, not a lot of quality on show. Depends what you like I guess, I enjoyed the franticness of it.

Nicolas Jackson for Chelsea might be one of the worst strikers I have seen in some time. I know he is only a young boy but dear me he looks to be a real donkey.

[Hendo]

IMO goals don't automatically equal decent games. It was an end to end game, plenty of chances and Bournemouth did extremely well.

Whatever turns you on but the quality really wasn't on show yesterday regardless of the scoreline.

Oh I will agree there, not a lot of quality on show. Depends what you like I guess, I enjoyed the franticness of it.

Nicolas Jackson for Chelsea might be one of the worst strikers I have seen in some time. I know he is only a young boy but dear me he looks to be a real donkey.

https://twitter.com/ik4662/status/1703411654598308282

[South Coast Royal]

IMO goals don't automatically equal decent games. It was an end to end game, plenty of chances and Bournemouth did extremely well.

Whatever turns you on but the quality really wasn't on show yesterday regardless of the scoreline.

Oh I will agree there, not a lot of quality on show. Depends what you like I guess, I enjoyed the franticness of it.

Nicolas Jackson for Chelsea might be one of the worst strikers I have seen in some time. I know he is only a young boy but dear me he looks to be a real donkey.

Also Sterling did nothing to suggest that Southgate made a terrible mistake in not calling him up for these past 2 internationals.
With Rashford and Watkins available as kind of support strikers to Kane and Grealish, Saka and Foden ahead of him as a wide striker I think his England days may well be over.

[Stranded]

Actually, thinking about it, he seems a perfect fit for Man City when Pep finally ups sticks, so although Utd will certainly want him, moving there would probably be a bit silly.

That said, how long will Pep stay?

Oh well, whatever.... in a year or 2....

Pep to England.

De Zerbi to City.

Southgate to Utd.

Selles to Brighton.

Would imagine if Pep does another couple of years then you'll likely see Enzo Maresca head back there if he makes a success of the Leicester job - or they'll just go and get whatever top name manager happens to be available.

[Royal Rother]

I think they will be a lot more planned than that, even if approaches are illegal. (Ha!)

It'll be vital they carry on seamlessly with style and substance, and just waiting to see who is available at the time might result in a bad fit and sudden decline, a la Utd, which can take a long long time to recover from. I just don't see them making the same mistakes.

If not De Zerbi, then Arteta I suppose.

[Sanguine]

I know you don't like Sterling, Victor, but he's been in excellent form this season, and whilst you might wish his England days over, I'd venture he has a lot of caps ahead of him yet.

[Franchise FC]

I know you don't like Sterling, Victor, but he's been in excellent form this season, and whilst you might wish his England days over, I'd venture he has a lot of caps ahead of him yet.

Admittedly, I’m not a Sterling fan either so this may come across, but from the games I’ve seen he’s had one excellent performance*, one good performance and the rest average or worse, culminating in a brilliant effort against Bournemouth that went out for a throw beyond level with the six yard box.

He may have more caps in him, but not based on his general form so far

* against Luton

[URZZZZ]

Arsenal haven’t really clicked yet this season - a bit slow in their passing in and around the oppo penalty area, but still picking up the wins.

Super finish by Trossard.

Dreadful game following another dreadful game of Bournemouth v Chelsea.

I know there are conditions of the TV arrangements for selecting games but I suspect most viewers would be happy just to watch Liverpool, City, Brighton plus a bit of Arsenal and Villa with maybe some Bayern Munich, Dortmund, Barcelona and Real Madrid thrown in now and again.

BTW those first few games this season when players were booked for kicking the ball away, pulling shirts etc are now just history-that hopeless Simon Hooper who always looks to me to be embarrassed at refereeing a game was the epitome of forgetfulness when it came to that game at Everton.
He was suspended the other week after a hopeless display but should be suspended for the whole season IMHO

Talking of referees Kavanagh has been relegated to the Championship and let everything go in the Millwall v Leeds game-fine if all refs did that but ours on Saturday booked about 10 in what was a fairly clean game.
Consistency?

Too many games broadcast where there’s a fairly clear favourite and it reflects in the pattern of the game where it effectively becomes attack vs defence. 65% possession for Chelsea (although clear favourite for Chelsea nowadays is probably a stretch!), 74% for Arsenal. Like the majority of City games (maybe people are catching on, four Saturday 3pm games in a row for them now )

You may mock the games broadcast like Palace vs Wolves, but at least they’re played on an even playing field and ironically, they often turn out to be the best games as opposed to the “big” ones.

[URZZZZ]

I know you don't like Sterling, Victor, but he's been in excellent form this season, and whilst you might wish his England days over, I'd venture he has a lot of caps ahead of him yet.

Admittedly, I’m not a Sterling fan either so this may come across, but from the games I’ve seen he’s had one excellent performance*, one good performance and the rest average or worse, culminating in a brilliant effort against Bournemouth that went out for a throw beyond level with the six yard box.

He may have more caps in him, but not based on his general form so far

* against Luton

So two more good/excellent performances than Kalvin Phillips in 16 months

Sterling is a useful player to have around the squad but also one of the most frustrating. He’s direct, and his movement off the ball complements Kane’s tendencies to drop deep well, but some of his decision making and end product is really poor and to Sterling detriment, outweighs any of the good to most people