Matchday 31 Gamethread

Kliq

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 31, 2013
22,667
Also, Leicester drew with Brighton earlier this afternoon 0-0.
 

Kliq

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 31, 2013
22,667
Dele has grown a goatee and it makes Paul Pierce look like Billy Gibbons.
 

Kliq

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 31, 2013
22,667
Dele and Lucas so far have been solid for Spurs. In relation, Kane has been a lot more active than he was against Man U.
 

Kliq

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 31, 2013
22,667
Damn you VAR. Great work by Lo Celso to get the ball over to Son who did a great job working to get his shot away.
 

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
SoSH Member
Jan 10, 2004
24,483
The 718
Son was offside upon VAR review but it wouldn't have been called before VAR.

WH left him all alone. Stupid. They're lucky.
 

Cellar-Door

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 1, 2006
34,457
Mark Noble is just sad, he can't run anymore, he's leaving passes short left and right. the league got faster as he got slower, both in terms of physical, but also mental.

Moyes needs to make a sub at the half, either Noble off for a CAM (Lanzini or Wilshere) or Noble off for a winger (Anderson, Lanzini, Yarmolenko) with Fornals sliding to Noble's spot.

He won;t though, Moyes is going to use at most 3 of his 5 subs and he won't make the first until at least 65 minutes, and the second until at least 75.
 

coremiller

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 14, 2005
5,846
West Ham are playing a narrow 5-4-1 without the ball, which is making it hard for Spurs to create chances but leaving West Ham with no outlet. Spurs are doing a good job counterpressing and not allowing West Ham to consolidate any possession, but aren't creating much.

It's a shame to see a team with as much attacking talent as West Ham play so negatively and poorly. They've got Anderson, Lanzini, Yarmalenko on the bench if they want to spice things up.
 

Cellar-Door

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 1, 2006
34,457
West Ham are playing a narrow 5-4-1 without the ball, which is making it hard for Spurs to create chances but leaving West Ham with no outlet. Spurs are doing a good job counterpressing and not allowing West Ham to consolidate any possession, but aren't creating much.

It's a shame to see a team with as much attacking talent as West Ham play so negatively and poorly. They've got Anderson, Lanzini, Yarmalenko on the bench if they want to spice things up.
David Moyes never met a square peg that he didn't think needed to go in a round hole. Ton of attacking talent that all play best in a flexible system based on short passing... time for some rigid structure and 100% route 1 attack
 

Kliq

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 31, 2013
22,667
Beautiful counter attack but Kane’s shot is barley wide. This has all the makings of an excruciating game with Spurs dropping points at the end.
 

Kliq

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 31, 2013
22,667
Well that is a goal worthy of the current form of these two clubs.
 

Cellar-Door

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 1, 2006
34,457
Well there is your insurmountable lead, time for Moyes to make some defensive subs to protect goal differential.
 

Kliq

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 31, 2013
22,667
WHU actually bringing on some talented offensive players may be trouble for Spurs...
 

Cellar-Door

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 1, 2006
34,457
Oh hey, the subs they should have made at the half, glad Moyes waited til 70 minutes and down a goal to make it.
 

coremiller

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 14, 2005
5,846
Less than 10 minutes to go and both managers have only made 2/5 subs. Are they aware of the new rule?
 

Kliq

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 31, 2013
22,667
Kane scores and looks like he needs an IV. Can he sub out so that he doesn’t pull something?
 

coremiller

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 14, 2005
5,846
Winks comes on for Son, so that means no more subs. Kane will play 90 again.

Also, did Ndombele kill Jose's dog or something? Why can't he get on the field?
 

Kliq

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 31, 2013
22,667
Winks comes on for Son, so that means no more subs. Kane will play 90 again.

Also, did Ndombele kill Jose's dog or something? Why can't he get on the field?
The only thing I’ve felt like I’ve heard about his lack of playing time is that his conditioning is poor and they are worried about him being fat. Not sure how accurate that is but his consistent absence is curious.
 

Cellar-Door

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 1, 2006
34,457
Moyes' strategy of just letting his tired players stay on when he has 3 subs is just stupid
 

Kliq

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 31, 2013
22,667
WHU didn’t provide much of a challenge but Spurs haven’t won a game in forever so it was good to see a comfortable win. Big games coming up against Sheffield United and Wolves.
 

coremiller

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 14, 2005
5,846
Man, West Ham are pretty bad. This is a very mediocre Spurs side and they handled West Ham comfortably (even if the first goal was fortunate). It seems like they should have too much talent to go down, but a few bad breaks down the stretch and they could end up in big trouble.
 

DJnVa

Dorito Dawg
SoSH Member
Dec 16, 2010
53,837
If Jan is toast, the fire department has already arrived to clear out the smoke after Eric Dier burned the toaster.
This take is hotter than said toaster. ;)

I love Super Jan as much as the next guy, but I just disagree here.
 

DJnVa

Dorito Dawg
SoSH Member
Dec 16, 2010
53,837
Winks comes on for Son, so that means no more subs. Kane will play 90 again.

Also, did Ndombele kill Jose's dog or something? Why can't he get on the field?
There are some very shaky twitter rumors that Ndombele has said he's done with Jose.
 

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
SoSH Member
Jan 10, 2004
24,483
The 718
Moyes' strategy of just letting his tired players stay on when he has 3 subs is just stupid
Moyes is awful.

When Everton we’re supposedly about to hire him I entered the Customer Service section of the members site and opened up a case. Not for a ticket or stadium access issue but to tell them DO NOT HIRE DAVID MOYES. They thanked me. I guess it worked. And we got Carlo
 

coremiller

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 14, 2005
5,846
What happened to David Moyes? He was a really effective manager at Everton for a decade. But he's been a disaster at every job since.
 

Zomp

Moderator
Moderator
SoSH Member
Aug 28, 2006
13,942
The Slums of Shaolin
The United job ruined him. First time around at Everton, Moyes embraced the plucky underdog roll and played it to perfection. Problem was when he took the United job, he managed the same way...as the underdogs...with the reigning champions. He was almost too nice for the job.
 

Dummy Hoy

Angry Pissbum
SoSH Member
Jul 22, 2006
8,232
Falmouth
The United job ruined him. First time around at Everton, Moyes embraced the plucky underdog roll and played it to perfection. Problem was when he took the United job, he managed the same way...as the underdogs...with the reigning champions. He was almost too nice for the job.
I think the first part of your statement is the right of it...he'd been so good at organizing and motivating less talented teams to help them play above their talent. The expectations at United were so much higher, both in terms of result but also in terms of aesthetic performance.

I think the game has probably passed him by. Which is a bummer, because he was a great manager for a long time at Everton. It was enough for me to try to leave my dumpster fire of a club.
 

Cellar-Door

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 1, 2006
34,457
What happened to David Moyes? He was a really effective manager at Everton for a decade. But he's been a disaster at every job since.
He's a negative and reactive manager, he isn't particularly good at adjusting, he's cautious to a point of paralysis. His success at Everton was mostly about not losing the matches you aren't supposed to lose, which was a lot easier before the explosion of money meant every club had talent. As the league got deeper, faster, and more tactically inventive he floundered.
 

Tuff Ghost

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
652
Wolves (v. Bournemouth) and Sheffield United (at Manchester United) with a chance to move to 5th and 6th in the table, respectively, with wins today. With Arsenal no longer relevant, this is my new rooting interest, I suppose.

Speaking of which, Southamptom v. Arsenal tomorrow is not being shown on NBC Sports, in favor of showing Burnley v. Watford... what a depressing state of affairs for Arsenal supporters.
 

fletcherpost

sosh's feckin' poet laureate
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
12,139
Glasgow, Scotland
He's a negative and reactive manager, he isn't particularly good at adjusting, he's cautious to a point of paralysis. His success at Everton was mostly about not losing the matches you aren't supposed to lose, which was a lot easier before the explosion of money meant every club had talent. As the league got deeper, faster, and more tactically inventive he floundered.
I think the English second tier is more appropriate for his skill set, but i might be over rating him saying that.
 

Cellar-Door

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 1, 2006
34,457
I think the English second tier is more appropriate for his skill set, but i might be over rating him saying that.
Honestly I think his skillset would be great for a chief scout, or a head of scouting, maybe even for a youth development head. He's not a great tactical manager and never was, his best strength was being an early adopter of using data and extensive opposition scouting, as well as a good eye for developing players. The problem is he's been easily passed on the data front by whole departments dedicated to it most places.
 

Tuff Ghost

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
652
Wolves (v. Bournemouth) and Sheffield United (at Manchester United) with a chance to move to 5th and 6th in the table, respectively, with wins today. With Arsenal no longer relevant, this is my new rooting interest, I suppose.
Quick goal by Martial, Manchester United up 1-0. I probably should not have transferred my Arsenal fandom temporarily to this match as I now expect an ACL injury and a red card for The Blades to occur shortly.
 

fletcherpost

sosh's feckin' poet laureate
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
12,139
Glasgow, Scotland
Honestly I think his skillset would be great for a chief scout, or a head of scouting, maybe even for a youth development head. He's not a great tactical manager and never was, his best strength was being an early adopter of using data and extensive opposition scouting, as well as a good eye for developing players. The problem is he's been easily passed on the data front by whole departments dedicated to it most places.
I agree with you. I don't know how he is as a man manager, but tactically i don't see any philosophy - i ws gonna use the phrase 'hard to beat' - but West Ham are not that ATM. As long as he doesn't get the Celtic or the Scotland job I won't hate on him too much, but i do feel the game has passed him by. .
 

Zomp

Moderator
Moderator
SoSH Member
Aug 28, 2006
13,942
The Slums of Shaolin
Rashford should have had 2 goals so far. This United lineup is very attacking. There is space behind which Sheffield can get to but the attack looks very promising.
 

Tuff Ghost

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
652
The setup on the goal to complete Martial's hat trick was ridiculous. There is so much creativity and quality between Pogba, Fernandes, and Rashford, and Martial is looking strong finishing today.
 

67YAZ

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 1, 2000
8,729
Sheffield has been one of the best & mort organized defensive sides in the league. This is impressive.

Robbo is back for Liverpool! Huge because it keeps Lovren on the bench.
 

Kliq

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 31, 2013
22,667
Pogba is quietly running the show in midfield. Good to see him back starting for Man U.
He’s an incredibly gifted player. During the last game against Spurs he came on in the second half and was immediately the best player on the field. He anhilated Dier in a 1 v 1 and drew a penalty and created several other chances, including an absurd 50+ yard pass to Martial that should have led to the winning goal.

I’m not a Man U supporter but the game is just better when he is active and engaged.
 

SocrManiac

Tommy Seebach’s mustache
SoSH Member
Apr 15, 2006
8,632
Somers, CT
[QUOTE="Kliq, post: 3924660, member: 70504"
I’m not a Man U supporter but the game is just better when he is active and engaged.
[/QUOTE]

This is where I am. When he’s healthy and motivated, he’s one of the best in the world. Watching footy is more fun when he’s on the pitch.