Premier League 2020/21

[The Lusophone]

Rhys Williams and Nat Phillips feel a bit Tyler Blackett and Cameron Borthwick-Jackson tbh. Not players you'd want even in your rotation going into the season.

[Colly]

12 minutes ago, MadJack said:

Rhys Williams and Nat Phillips feel a bit Tyler Blackett and Cameron Borthwick-Jackson tbh. Not players you'd want even in your rotation going into the season.

They all sound they've come from the NXT UK name generator.

[Szumi]

1 hour ago, Hobo said:

Not exactly. The first team squad also includes Rhys Williams and Nat Phillips. That's 5 in total. Although they're not the most experienced. This is excluding Fabinho.

Matip getting injured you can count on happening a few times. VVD and Gomes being out long term at the same time is worst case scenario.

Theres the argument that getting rid of Lovren was  a mistake. But he's another injury prone player. And he's just a bit erratic and constantly panicked. Whereas the CBs we do have are much more calm heads.

The timelines are screwy for me because of the windows being so weird, but we only kept Nat because of VVD's injury, right? He was all set to go to a Championship club but the deal was scuppered because of the VVD injury. Could easily be wrong. And in fairness, Rhys has only been counted as a senior CB because of VVD's injury. Otherwise, he would've been another U23/U18 CB like Van der Berg (what a disappointment he must have been for Klopp to not even get a whiff of first team action) and Koumetio (who I'm actually surprised hasn't been able to force his way ahead of Rhys).

[Colly]

Isn't Van der Berg a Master League player from the mid 2000s? What kind of con is Klopp operating here?

[Hobo]

44 minutes ago, It's Pronounced Zoom-E said:

The timelines are screwy for me because of the windows being so weird, but we only kept Nat because of VVD's injury, right? He was all set to go to a Championship club but the deal was scuppered because of the VVD injury. Could easily be wrong. And in fairness, Rhys has only been counted as a senior CB because of VVD's injury. Otherwise, he would've been another U23/U18 CB like Van der Berg (what a disappointment he must have been for Klopp to not even get a whiff of first team action) and Koumetio (who I'm actually surprised hasn't been able to force his way ahead of Rhys).

Probably?

From the perspective of what the club officially calls its "First Team Squad" using old versions of the wiki page (which site the club website for squad info): Phillips has been on there for ages. As had van der Berg. There was also Ki Jana Hoever prior to him being sold to Wolves.

It's a bit Catch 22. No point having these younger players and not playing them if they seem like they can could do a job. But if you're going to play them it's going to mean playing inexperienced players. Buying implicitly for 3rd/4th choice also means you can't go out and get someone as good as or close to as good as your 1st choice isn't going to happen either.

 

[Marcos]

While we're on Liverpool and their centre backs, how do Liverpool fans see Joe Gomez going forward?  It's likely he's going to come back when you have a number of centre backs and every time I've seen him play he's always looked quite shaky.  Van Dijk beside him is always going to overshadow him, but a fully fit Matip (for however long that lasts) should be ahead of him and I'd say that Fabinho (and probably even Henderson) have shown themselves to be more capable at centre back.  

Add Kabak into that, who is younger and has a higher ceiling to him plus any other signings they bring in and I could see him being 5th/6th choice next year.  If you give me a fully fit squad for Liverpool just now, Van Dijk, Matip, Kabak and Fabinho start at centre half before Gomez does.  

I might be massively underestimating him and I don't heavily watch Liverpool so that's why I'm interested in opinions from those that have watched him more over the last few years.  

[DavidMarrio]

Gomez is a really good centre back when on form but he has been unlucky to have had the injuries he has had. He's only 23 yet he's been playing as a centre back for Liverpool for a number of years already. 

He does have odd moments but again he's still only young and I do think he is underrated by a lot of people who wouldn't watch him regularly. I would have said when he was on form during last season he was England's best centre back but he did look a bit off form upon the resumption of the season after lockdown. 

I still see him as our number 2 centre back. And I think the club does too. 

[Benjamin]

You can absolutely tell that VVD trusts him more than anyone else he has paired with him. That’s probably also a big reason he’ll still be number two when they come back, unless Kabak suddenly becomes a world beater. 

[FLiam]

Nicolas Pepe just scored a beauty. He’s finally coming to life - it just took a switch to the left-hand side. He looks at home there.

[FLiam]

VAR not doing its fucking job again. 

How have they re-watched that and still thought it was a red card? The player has fallen over his own legs as has Luiz. First viewing I thought it was Luiz being Luiz but in fairness to him, it wasn’t.

[Kaney]

So the double jeopardy rule doesn't count when it's against us? Honestly can't believe that was given as a pen never mind a red card too. VAR check in seconds, bullshit. It's funny to laugh at Luiz being shit but that is honestly unbelievable.

[Szumi]

It's INCREDIBLY harsh because it's as accidental as they come, but he does appear to, barely, clip his back heel as they're both running, causing Willian to turn trip over his own legs.

The double jeopardy doesn't apply here because David Luiz didn't foul him while trying to win the ball, but while chasing after him.

It's incredibly harsh and you should feel very hard done by, but within the context of the rules, I think they actually got it right.

[Gazz]

8 minutes ago, It's Pronounced Zoom-E said:

clip his back heel as they're both running,

Yeah, but the part that clips his heel is his knee, which is in the natural motion of running. You can't be giving penalties for what basically amounts to the attacker initiating the contact with the defender.

[FLiam]

Bullshit decision, ruined the game. Fantastic goal by Moutinho but still, fucking VAR. Again.

[Colly]

5 minutes ago, Gazz said:

Yeah, but the part that clips his heel is his knee, which is in the natural motion of running. You can't be giving penalties for what basically amounts to the attacker initiating the contact with the defender.

Really? So a defender can get the wrong side of an attacker on goal and just run into him because it's the natural motion of running? That's a clear penalty, and while the red feels harsh it isn't an attempt on the ball.

[Szumi]

Ah see @Gazz they didn't show a good replay here in America of it being the knee making it. Still, I'm yet to see an actual pundit or announcer on either the NBCSN broadcast or the BBC live text updates say it was the wrong call. Why is that then? Not even being a smart ass, genuinely asking for your opinion as a coach, given what the commentators and pundits were arguing.

I still think it's incredibly harsh, but ultimately the correct decision by the letter of the law.

[Gazz]

4 minutes ago, Colly said:

Really? So a defender can get the wrong side of an attacker on goal and just run into him because it's the natural motion of running? That's a clear penalty, and while the red feels harsh it isn't an attempt on the ball.

No, running into someone on purpose is a deliberate infringement of the rules. At the point of contact, Luiz isn't attempting to stop Jose from playing the ball, legally or illegally. By the letter of the law, he'd have been better off slide tackling him from around the side, because then he'd be deemed to be trying to play the ball and it would only be a yellow if he wipes him out.

[Colly]

Luiz' intent doesn't really come into it though, I think the wording in the law is "careless", once he makes contact it's a foul. Definitely right on the second point though, he'd have been better off making some attempt at the ball than doing what he did, even if he did end up taking him out anyway.

We can all agree that Leno's was hilarious though can't we?

[The Lusophone]

The rule needs to be immediately changed because honestly the worst red card that's been given for a long time. It's ridiculous.

[Jimmy]

On 01/02/2021 at 09:16, Kaney said:

Lollenham hotlols

hehehehehehehe