EPL and European Football

[talkinghead]

Any fans out here? Anyone thrilled by Forest's form (COYR!), amused by ManU's decline and fall, bemused by Spurs' disjointed collapse, impressed by Slot's Liverpool? We've got the League Cup, the FA Cup, the Champions League and Europa League .... And the Canadian Men's National Team has some promise to it, too, with the World Cup up ahead. I'm sorry there won't be games in Montreal but Toronto and Boston aren't too far away.

 

[Meta not Meta]

Any fans out here? Anyone thrilled by Forest's form (COYR!), amused by ManU's decline and fall, bemused by Spurs' disjointed collapse, impressed by Slot's Liverpool? We've got the League Cup, the FA Cup, the Champions League and Europa League .... And the Canadian Men's National Team has some promise to it, too, with the World Cup up ahead. I'm sorry there won't be games in Montreal but Toronto and Boston aren't too far away.

Oh, yeah ... but not many of us, and mostly just the Prem these days. I'm big into FPL. Otherwise, there's just too much football to follow ...

Always a good day when United are humiliated (again & again) ... never grows tiring, going on ten years now. I don't know why ... maybe just how insufferable their fans could be. Having said that, they may have something special in Amad. But generally, their recruitment has been abysmal. What was it, 90 million for Anthony ... just crazy.

Maybe Spurs should have given Nuno a chance. I really like his game. Counterattack, work hard, character guys ... so simple, really. Not the deepest bench, as Southampton showed, but otherwise Forest fully deserve where they are in the table. Love their throwback #9, traditional #10, fast-paced wingers talented on the dribble, hard-as-nails CBs ... love to watch them. Ditto the 'small market' underdogs. Bournemouth, Brighton and Brentford ...

 

[talkinghead]

I'm in complete agreement with everything you write. LOVE to watch United lose. I was enjoying the Southampton game for 82 minutes; it was painful to watch Amad after that. Spurs ... what to say? Is it the manager, the players, the injuries, the owner, the "spursiness"? It's a disaster. I enjoy their wide open style but they shouldn't be staring at a relegation battle, even with their depleted corps. And you're absolutely right about those mid-table teams: Brighton is such a pleasure, Bournemouth--wow, and Brentford. Models of how to run PL teams.

I also agree about too much football. It's obviously about money and it's bad for the sport. The Club World Cup? No thanks.

 

[Meta not Meta]

I'm in complete agreement with everything you write. LOVE to watch United lose. I was enjoying the Southampton game for 82 minutes; it was painful to watch Amad after that. Spurs ... what to say? Is it the manager, the players, the injuries, the owner, the "spursiness"? It's a disaster. I enjoy their wide open style but they shouldn't be staring at a relegation battle, even with their depleted corps. And you're absolutely right about those mid-table teams: Brighton is such a pleasure, Bournemouth--wow, and Brentford. Models of how to run PL teams.

I also agree about too much football. It's obviously about money and it's bad for the sport. The Club World Cup? No thanks.

Yeah, it's literally impossible to keep up with it all ....

I haven't followed Spurs that closely ... but probably almost any other manager besides Ange would have been fired by now. In theory, he's perfect for that team. They do have injuries but so does everyone, just look at Bournemouth with much of their defense and top two strikers out. Son's form has also fallen off a cliff .... Ange promised results in the second season, so it's probably just a matter of time before the chop.

I see that Forest are trying to steal Wissa on the cheap from Brentford. He's gotta be worth a lot more than offered. A bit surprised no one seemingly has gone in heavy for Mbeumo ... a bit of a late bloomer, but one of the best attackers in the league. Ditto Cunha at Wolves ....

 

[talkinghead]

Cunha is brilliant but needs to control his temper. Spurs could use him up front somewhere; Son is a shadow of what he was (as you said); Solanke, Timo, and Johnson are all out; and Richarlison ... well ... he seems to be an injury-prone poor man's Darwin Nunez. Actually, I enjoy watching Nunez play and find myself rooting for the guy.

Forest is the story of the season so far, aren't they? Happy to be play out of possession for much of the game, they counter with electric aggression and play with such confidence.

 

[Meta not Meta]

Cunha is brilliant but needs to control his temper. Spurs could use him up front somewhere; Son is a shadow of what he was (as you said); Solanke, Timo, and Johnson are all out; and Richarlison ... well ... he seems to be an injury-prone poor man's Darwin Nunez. Actually, I enjoy watching Nunez play and find myself rooting for the guy.

Forest is the story of the season so far, aren't they? Happy to be play out of possession for much of the game, they counter with electric aggression and play with such confidence.

The seemingly strict financial rules have made it difficult for the wealthiest teams to strengthen in the window. In an effort to reign in the potential spending of mega-rich Newcastle & ManCity, the two teams owned by Gulf monarchies, the more traditional powers of Arsenal, ManU and Liverpool, who merely have rich sugar dads, have also hampered their own ability to spend at will.

I suppose that's a good thing generally because for a (mostly) neutral guy like me the Premier League has never been more competive. It's also facilitated the rise of well-managed smaller clubs [the three 'B's], who get to hang on to their better players for longer, and punished those not so well run [Everton, for example] ...