And, we’re off.......2018/2019

Papas1982 said:
Have you seen the last 40 years worth of winners.

Since we (saints) won it in 1976 there have only been 6 winners that aren't part of the establishment.
Wimbledon having one of their best league seasons.
Ipswich who finished 3rd the year before their win.
West ham were a proper shock like ourselves being in the lower league.
Coventry were a mid table division one team.
Portsmouth another good league season.
Wigan were relegated and were probably the last shocker.

So 2 in the last 20 years and 4 in the proceeding 20. The notion that the cup was more open is a false one. Granted the finalists may have been more varied, but the winners weren't
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Let’s put it another way , the playing field for those 5 teams left in would have been a lot more level even 10 years ago.

Now we have an imbalance of power. Yes there will always be a giant killing once in a while but in the main elite clubs win the cup nowadays. And the days of a proper giant killing have truly gone, a team from a lower league winning the cup is impossible nowadays.

The new giant killing is a PL team outside the top 6 winning it.
 
Papas1982 said:
I'd say cricket relies on home advantage at intl level. That's of course based on weather and pitch conditions that vary massively throughout the world.

I think in footy, big teams can be put off going to small or old grounds. Saints certainly had a rather hostile changing room for the away teams. Plus pitches used to be made as small as possible. But generally now most clubs at least in the Prem all have decent standard facilities.
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Home and away is huge in cricket but that is because the weather, pitches, atmospheric conditions are so different. I sort of alluded to that in my post as a get out. That isn't the case with football within a league inside one country. I think it is a psychological issue.
 
sawtooth said:
Let’s put it another way , the playing field for those 5 teams left in would have been a lot more level even 10 years ago.

Now we have an imbalance of power. Yes there will always be a giant killing once in a while but in the main elite clubs win the cup nowadays. And the days of a proper giant killing have truly gone, a team from a lower league winning the cup is impossible nowadays.

The new giant killing is a PL team outside the top 6 winning it.
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As historically they generally have. Nothing has changed in regards to the winners generally being the top team, that's always going to be thew case. Better teams win more often.

The point in regards to a top 6 losing to any other club being an upset is fair though.
 
Lord Tyrion said:
Home and away is huge in cricket but that is because the weather, pitches, atmospheric conditions are so different. I sort of alluded to that in my post as a get out. That isn't the case with football within a league inside one country. I think it is a psychological issue.
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I agree, in the past with pitch condition and size being more varied as well as dodgy home ground i think it was true. Now not so much.
 
Papas1982 said:
I agree, in the past with pitch condition and size being more varied as well as dodgy home ground i think it was true. Now not so much.
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Don’t forget the old multi ball system that got quickly removed when SAF collected all the balls up to slow it down 😂
 
sawtooth said:
Keeper trying to be too clever, should have just picked it up with his hands lol.
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Two of the main reasons liverpool are even in the title race just Both made a mistake at the same time

I still fancy them in this game but huge goal to concede
 
Beezerk said:
Breaking news, Liverpool player in diving for pen shocker 😂
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sawtooth said:
Terrible dive but they are so desperate to score. Mane had a grin ear to ear winning a penalty, unbelievable. He was going nowhere.
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No surprise at all with those posts - it was a clear penalty all day long , blatant


Tough game , tough battle but 3 points and back to the top of the table. How the hell did Arsenal let Chambers go on loan - excellent defending today
 
Liverpoolphil said:
No surprise at all with those posts - it was a clear penalty all day long , blatant


Tough game , tough battle but 3 points and back to the top of the table. How the hell did Arsenal let Chambers go on loan - excellent defending today
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I’m no liverpool fan but I agree.. not a dive. Clear pen.
 
sawtooth said:
Keeper trying to be too clever, should have just picked it up with his hands lol.
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Strange game all the ball but final pass poor again.
But a win is a win .
Don’t know what the GK was thinking there both of them that’s really poor.
Alison lucky he never cost his team but Fulham GK did cost his team.
 
Liverpoolphil said:
No surprise at all with those posts - it was a clear penalty all day long , blatant


Tough game , tough battle but 3 points and back to the top of the table. How the hell did Arsenal let Chambers go on loan - excellent defending today
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One swallow and all that. He's played more as cm this year for them than cb. He's always looked dodge as a cb to me.

The one player i was happy we sold during our period of mass exodus.
 
Liverpoolphil said:
No surprise at all with those posts - it was a clear penalty all day long , blatant


Tough game , tough battle but 3 points and back to the top of the table. How the hell did Arsenal let Chambers go on loan - excellent defending today
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If you'd seen how he'd played for us you'd be disappointed we only loaned him not sold him. Was slow, clumsy and an accident waiting to happen. Has improved greatly this season on all accounts, another bit of evidence of how poor the defensive coaching set up has been for several years
 
Papas1982 said:
One swallow and all that. He's played more as cm this year for them than cb. He's always looked dodge as a cb to me.

The one player i was happy we sold during our period of mass exodus.
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fundy said:
If you'd seen how he'd played for us you'd be disappointed we only loaned him not sold him. Was slow, clumsy and an accident waiting to happen. Has improved greatly this season on all accounts, another bit of evidence of how poor the defensive coaching set up has been for several years
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Only seen him a couple of times this season but has looked very good , solid in the tackle and times it very well , certainly would take him over Mustaphi that’s for sure.
 
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