Title "Stroll" 2019-2020

[SB]

Sterling is in career best form arguably & keeping him quiet will take some doing. If TAA, Hendo & Matip can contain him that’s a big piece of their jigsaw missing. I’m not saying they’re a one man team at all but he’s very influential at getting important goals for them

[labourRed]

Sterling is in career best form arguably & keeping him quiet will take some doing. If TAA, Hendo & Matip can contain him that’s a big piece of their jigsaw missing. I’m not saying they’re a one man team at all but he’s very influential at getting important goals for them

It was Robbo that has kept him quiet previously.

[RedReet]

Sterling is in career best form arguably & keeping him quiet will take some doing. If TAA, Hendo & Matip can contain him that’s a big piece of their jigsaw missing. I’m not saying they’re a one man team at all but he’s very influential at getting important goals for them

I don't want to scud him, but generally he goes to **** at Anfield and lets the crowd get to him.

Can't see it happening again TBH, so will be interesting to see how he reacts this time.

[Irishnev]

If the season so far has taught me anything, it's that the good people of Est are really **** at maths.

[Pablo]

We both have games we should win next.

The City game really is a massive game. I know every game feels massive, but it really, really is.

Best case we go 9 points ahead and we'll be huge favourites from there.

Worst case the lead is cut down to 3 and everyone will make City favourites.

A draw suits us more, but it would be disappointing not to win given it's at Anfield and we have the away game to play in April.

[frank the tank]

It was Robbo that has kept him quiet previously.

Good point. I expect Sterling to play coming in from the left hand side.

So whereas he would have been running up against a Robbo / Virgil defence, it will potentially be a Trent / Matip side of the defence this year.

I just hope Matip is back for this game. I think if Lovren plays, that will be City favourites.

Also, as someone has pointed out in another thread - if Fabinho gets a yellow card in the Villa game, then he is out for our match v City. That would be a nightmare.

[Norbs]

I'd be happy with a draw to be honest. If we don't lose in both games then we're clear favourites barring major injuries or some kind of team wide existential crisis.

I want to beat them at home, happy to draw away

[RedReet]

Good point. I expect Sterling to play coming in from the left hand side.

So whereas he would have been running up against a Robbo / Virgil defence, it will potentially be a Trent / Matip side of the defence this year.

I just hope Matip is back for this game. I think if Lovren plays, that will be City favourites.

Also, as someone has pointed out in another thread - if Fabinho gets a yellow card in the Villa game, then he is out for our match v City. That would be a nightmare.

Karius, Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, Van Dijk, Robertson, Milner, Henderson, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Mane, Salah, Firmino.

That was the team when we beat them 3-0. I don't think Lovren playing makes them favourites.

[Mr Pink]

On a plus note, this will be the 4th time in 5 years I'll be at the home game against them and last year was the one I missed and the only one we didn't win.

So... you’re saying it was you that cost us the league last year? Good job, cheers mate..

[Slinky Skills]

If the season so far has taught me anything, it's that the good people of Est are really **** at maths.

F, F and a U lad.

****ing hate maths, have always hated them.

[SB]

It was Robbo that has kept him quiet previously.

He’s been very effective on their left so he won’t be switched for this I’m betting.

I don't want to scud him, but generally he goes to **** at Anfield and lets the crowd get to him.

Can't see it happening again TBH, so will be interesting to see how he reacts this time.

Let’s hope we can get to him again. I’d play Milner on our right hand side to whack him a few times.

[The_weatherman]

According to Tomkins we've had a considerable tougher start than City, with more travels as well https://tomkinstimes.com/2019/10/man...s-6-pts-clear/

When Liverpool had an eight point lead a few weeks ago it was with games against Man United and Spurs awaiting, to make the fixture list even unfairer to Liverpool than it already had been.

In just over a quarter of a season (ten games), Liverpool have already played Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Spurs and high-flying Leicester in the league; Man City have faced … Spurs.

The highest-placed team City have faced is the mighty Crystal Palace, in addition to their measly one Big Six encounter. In the Champions League, Liverpool have gone away to Napoli (one of the most intimidating places in Europe), plus had to face a gruelling away Super Cup match in Istanbul, complete with extra-time, against another Big Six rival, Chelsea. City have played Italian new-boys Atalanta, at home. Liverpool have already travelled to Turkey, Italy and Belgium this season; City have travelled overseas just once. These things can affect your league performance in the aftermath.

[The_weatherman]

Fixtures though December.

Liverpool
November
Aston Villa away
City home
Palace away
Brighton home

December
Everton home
Bournemouth away
Watford home
Leicester away
Wolves home

City
November
Southampton home
Liverpool away
Chelsea home
Newcastle away

December
Burnley away
United home
Arsenal away
Leicester home
Wolves away
Sheff. U home

[The_weatherman]

Slow day so I had a gander at bluemoon, where the consensus is that we shouldn't have had a pen, in fact some say that Mane fouled Aurier

Anyway, this was posted there, nicked it cause I found it interesting:

After our 100 point season Scudamore said the following:
It doesn't take away from City's excellence, but we want the season to go to the last. I'd like multiple trophies needed in various locations on the last day because we don't know how it will end. I'd like someone to get a little bit closer to Manchester City. Clearly, given the way they played last season, they look like the team to beat.

In 2014 he said the following:

Speaking in South Africa as part of the Premier League’s promotional work in the country, Scudamore acknowledged the mass appeal of United is key to attracting an overseas audience but viewers may turn off if their favourites are underperforming.

“It’s a double-edged sword,” Scudamore told Bloomberg. “When your most popular club isn’t doing as well, that costs you interest and audience in some places.”
“There’s lots of fans around the world who wish Manchester United were winning it again, but you have to balance that off against, generally, we’re in the business of putting on a competition and competition means people can compete.”

And in 2016 he said this:
Speaking to Sky Sports News HQ from the Premier League launch in Islington, north London, he said: "Without being disrespectful to any club, we have a strategic plan at the Premier League and the strategic plan says putting a new name on the trophy in every six-year period.

"That doesn't mean we don't want any team to win it. It just means we would rather see some sort of rotation, for all neutrals in the game (what Leicester achieved) was a big moment."

Why has nobody in the media questioned what he means when he says any of the above and how does the plan work. Obviously that plan isn't in Germany, Scotland, Italy, Belarus etc.

[BigChief]

Is that Bluemoon's conspiracy theory of the day?