Strange player.
Does better centrally. Does better with the ball in tight spaces than when he has a lot of time.
Dyche has him out wide because Gana/|Doucoure/Onana has been the core middle three in his best side, and because Mykolenko has been poor getting forward.
He is energetic and is capable of real quality but like so many of our players he's just prone to the worst fuckups.
It's a fantastic game.The combo of desperation offense, poor defense, and neither team wanting to settle for a point is making this a very entertaining game.
I'm sure it's anything but entertaining for OCST, so I sympathize. I just need something entertaining where I am not emotionally involved after the Kings/Bruins double whammy yesterday.
The Calvert-Lewin stopped shot had a 0.93 xG and a 1.00 xGOT. Don’t think I’ve ever seen that before. A historically bad blown chance.I have no idea how Calvert-Lewin didn't score a tap-in there, then Leicester immediately break the other way and Vardy puts one off the crossbar.
He's not wrong to be worried about Vardy's pace. Coming out to claim was fine. Then he botched it trying to clear.WHAT WAS PICKFORD DOING
Right, he should have just booted it into touch and conceded the throw. Trying to dribble through multiple players was, uh, not wise.He's not wrong to be worried about Vardy's pace. Coming out to claim was fine. Then he botched it trying to clear.
All of this with an extra side of crap.This game is gut-wrenching and I'm just a neutral. There's nothing like the drama of relegation-battle football. It's all a bit crap, of course, but that's part of what makes it what it is.
That free kick was crap with crap on top.All of this with an extra side of crap.
The only sub Everton made was due to Coleman's injury. That's bonkers in a game of this intensity.Dyche hates to sub. I wish he would. I can't fault Everton's intent but they're dead on their feet.
Don’t blame you … I only caught the last 25 minutes and the tension was palpable. That was a huuuuuge save by Iversen on Doucoure.I'm exhausted.
The other two hand-saves- you could say on the second one that he had cheated too far and he was forced to a hand save because he was out of position - but that dive for a ball that he was screened on, that was class.Don’t blame you … I only caught the last 25 minutes and the tension was palpable. That was a huuuuuge save by Iversen on Doucoure.
Yeah mate, I can only imagine. We're knackered and we're neutrals screaming at the telly. I would hate to be an Everton fan right now...it must be excruciating.I'm exhausted.
Doucoure actually put too much spin on the shot ..brought it back to where it could be saved.The other two hand-saves- you could say on the second one that he had cheated too far and he was forced to a hand save because he was out of position - but that dive for a ball that he was screened on, that was class.
That’s a fair comment. And I’m not trying to make the EPL a monopoly. I’m just thinking that the Championship has this convoluted play off system for 3rd spot. I know it keeps fans engaged in the Championship but at the same time , I think some teams get promoted who are ill equipped to handle the EPL and immediately get relegated. I’m sure there are stats out there that show the ratio of newly promoted teams getting relegated the next season. Maybe I need look it up.Looking at the Bundesliga version, it seems that it would result in less movement between leagues (relegation candidate usually wins over the promotion candidate) and a less wild ending to the Championship season, so I guess is that what we'd want there?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Promotion_to_the_Bundesliga#2008–present
Currently the Championship teams through #9 have a shot at the playoffs and thus promotion, while under that system Luton Town would have it sewn up and there'd be nothing left to play for in the final Championship matchday.
I think I like the current version better and I think it's better for the lower-league team, but I am an American and we do love our playoffs.
As I understand it 19 and 20 place teams are automatically relegated but 18 plays a home and away playoff with the winner of the Budesliga 2 playoffs?Looking at the Bundesliga version, it seems that it would result in less movement between leagues (relegation candidate usually wins over the promotion candidate) and a less wild ending to the Championship season, so I guess is that what we'd want there?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Promotion_to_the_Bundesliga#2008–present
Currently the Championship teams through #9 have a shot at the playoffs and thus promotion, while under that system Luton Town would have it sewn up and there'd be nothing left to play for in the final Championship matchday.
I think I like the current version better and I think it's better for the lower-league team, but I am an American and we do love our playoffs.
Eh, semis to a final doesn't seem convoluted? The national league system, fair enough that's a bit more complex. The four-team playoffs are basically the same reason the NBA introduced the play -in: it means that for every EFL division, well over half the league has something still to play for into April. In the Champ this season, the team in ninth can still be promoted with a not-horribly unlikely set of results on the last day and a good playoff campaign. Coventry, who are fifth going into the last weekend, were 13th with one win in seven at the end of the round after the transfer window closed. Their season is pretty close to over at that stage if it's just three up three down, or worse two and a playoff. I also tend to think that with the absolutely vast wealth disparity between the two leagues, it would be really hard for the Championship team to win the game in a way that's not true of 1./2. Bundesliga (though maybe that's your point given the thing about 'teams not equipped?') I feel like playoff winners haven't often fared significantly worse statistically in the prem than second placed teams. The last day of the prem is also probably less dramatic if the team finishing third bottom (Burnley last year) then gets another bite at the apple.That’s a fair comment. And I’m not trying to make the EPL a monopoly. I’m just thinking that the Championship has this convoluted play off system for 3rd spot. I know it keeps fans engaged in the Championship but at the same time , I think some teams get promoted who are ill equipped to handle the EPL and immediately get relegated. I’m sure there are stats out there that show the ratio of newly promoted teams getting relegated the next season. Maybe I need look it up.
It is 17&18 from Bundesliga going down.As I understand it 19 and 20 place teams are automatically relegated but 18 plays a home and away playoff with the winner of the Budesliga 2 playoffs?
As a neutral, I like it but I can’t see the Championship ever agreeing to anything that makes it harder to be promoted.
The Watford Effect3 managers in a season is becoming the norm these days. Lord knows how much teams are spending hiring and firing managers. But that’s what they do… they need to stay at the casino table for as long as they can.
Think about the career Championship guys who Bielsa got to overperform his first season in the EPL and how many are still in or around the 11 and what that says about Leeds' recruitment. There's a reason Orta just got sacked as well.Think about the handful of guys who have been in the squad from Bielsa to Big Sam. That's a wild ride.
As Americans, we should applaud and encourage this line of thinkinghate to pick on Paul Burmeister because he sounds like a nice guy, but he just put all the blame of Arsenal's defensive struggles on Ramsdale....
Arsenal are in the lead. But that's not the story, the story is just how godawful Chelsea are.
Sterling is having a shocker, can't make a pass to save his sponsorship deals. The overall fear of a forward pass is telling for Chelsea.
Comes down to people not doing their jobs. That's partially on the club for assembling a very high priced island of misfit toys, partially on the players, but mostly on the manager.Premier League pundit Andy Townsend:
"The conversations are starting amongst the Chelsea players, and I understand why. When they're out of possession, they have nothing to fall back on. No one makes a tackle, no one goes near anybody."