The Footie Thread

[Bdill93]

I'm in moderate disbelief about this season.

The way I see the top 7 playing out now is pretty simple - no movers in the top 4. Spurs to drop to 8th and Villa, Liverpool and Brighton finish anywhere between 5th and 7th.

Brighton have the advantage in some senses that they have 3 games in hand on us but are only 2 points behind - however they have 9 games to play in a calendar month..

Liverpool have a game in hand on us and a point below us (and id expect them to finish well)

The big twist is - we play all 3 of these teams still! Liverpool away, Spurs at our place and Brighton at home on the last day of the season.

Could really come down to the wire, but we are the form team in the premier league at the minute, not conceding many at all and still yet to fail to score under Emery...

God I hope we can finish 7th and above!!!

 

[Bdill93]

Spurs sack their interim manager Stellini

 

[GreiginFife]

Spurs sack their interim manager Stellini

Love Levy’s statement “ultimate responsibility rests with me”.

Admirably demonstrated by making someone else responsible by sacking them

 

[Billysboots]

Love Levy’s statement “ultimate responsibility rests with me”.

Admirably demonstrated by making someone else responsible by sacking them

The decision to retain one of Conte’s backroom staff as their interim manager was never going to end well, was it?

 

[GreiginFife]

The decision to retain one of Conte’s backroom staff as their interim manager was never going to end well, was it?

No, but that doesn't detract from the idiocy of the above.

 

[nickjdavis]

I'm in moderate disbelief about this season.

The way I see the top 7 playing out now is pretty simple - no movers in the top 4. Spurs to drop to 8th and Villa, Liverpool and Brighton finish anywhere between 5th and 7th.

Brighton have the advantage in some senses that they have 3 games in hand on us but are only 2 points behind - however they have 9 games to play in a calendar month..

Liverpool have a game in hand on us and a point below us (and id expect them to finish well)

The big twist is - we play all 3 of these teams still! Liverpool away, Spurs at our place and Brighton at home on the last day of the season.

Could really come down to the wire, but we are the form team in the premier league at the minute, not conceding many at all and still yet to fail to score under Emery...

God I hope we can finish 7th and above!!!

A lot of teams will be taking points off each other in that group chasing just behind the top four...

Spurs v Man U
Villa v Man U
Brighton v Man U
Villa v Spurs
Liverpool v Villa
Villa v Brighton
Liverpool v Spurs
Newcastle v Brighton

All are key fixtures as to how things pan out.

(Newcastle also have a home game against Arsenal and Brighton visit the Gunners as well as hosting Man City)

There are lots of points to be shared out there...a real potential bun fight for 5th/6th/7th and there's still the remote possibility that someone might break into the top 4 if either Man U or NUFC "go all Spursy"...though I reckon that 68 points will be enough to secure 4th place considering all the points that will be shared between clubs in the matches listed above....Liverpool perhaps have the most likely potential for breaking in to the top 4.

 

[Tashyboy]

A lot of teams will be taking points off each other in that group chasing just behind the top four...

Spurs v Man U
Villa v Man U
Brighton v Man U
Villa v Spurs
Liverpool v Villa
Villa v Brighton
Liverpool v Spurs
Newcastle v Brighton

All are key fixtures as to how things pan out.

(Newcastle also have a home game against Arsenal and Brighton visit the Gunners as well as hosting Man City)

There are lots of points to be shared out there...a real potential bun fight for 5th/6th/7th and there's still the remote possibility that someone might break into the top 4 if either Man U or NUFC "go all Spursy"...though I reckon that 68 points will be enough to secure 4th place considering all the points that will be shared between clubs in the matches listed above....Liverpool perhaps have the most likely potential for breaking in to the top 4.

Bro in law is coming around to see City v Arsenal on Weds. he is a Gooner. I can honestly see Arsenal getting something on weds but at the same time I can see arsenal dropping points elsewhere before the end of the season.

 

[GreiginFife]

Bro in law is coming around to see City v Arsenal on Weds. he is a Gooner. I can honestly see Arsenal getting something on weds but at the same time I can see arsenal dropping points elsewhere before the end of the season.

I think it’s called a pumping…

 

[Tashyboy]

I think it’s called a pumping…

My lad managed to get Zinchenkos second match day shirt a couple of weeks ago for bro in law. He reckons he is going to wear it. Ave told him I hope so because they have not won since he got it.

 

[HomecountiesJohn]

I'm in moderate disbelief about this season.

The way I see the top 7 playing out now is pretty simple - no movers in the top 4. Spurs to drop to 8th and Villa, Liverpool and Brighton finish anywhere between 5th and 7th.

Brighton have the advantage in some senses that they have 3 games in hand on us but are only 2 points behind - however they have 9 games to play in a calendar month..

Liverpool have a game in hand on us and a point below us (and id expect them to finish well)

The big twist is - we play all 3 of these teams still! Liverpool away, Spurs at our place and Brighton at home on the last day of the season.

Could really come down to the wire, but we are the form team in the premier league at the minute, not conceding many at all and still yet to fail to score under Emery...

God I hope we can finish 7th and above!!!

I agree about Spurs, i cant see them recovering. Looking at the league table and games to come i cant see much change in positions with the exception of Spurs. It would be a fantastic effort should Villa/Brighton and Newcastle all finish in the european spots. On paper the mickeys have the easier games but i think they need Man u or Newcastle to have a proper capitualtion. Newcastle have 4 tough games in Arsenal & Brighton at home,Everton & Chelsea away. Brighton have Newcastle, Arsenal away, Man u and Man City at home.

I wonder how Man u will fare without their 2 best CB's and the poor form of Maguire. Spurs, West Ham, Brighton away and Chelsea at home are there 4 toughest fixtures, they would be expected to beat the rest.

We'll know come 10pm Wednesday were the title is going, i'm hoping Arsenal can pip the sponsored oil state Manchester City.

 

[Aztecs27]

I'm not usually one to use injuries to make excuses for a team I support...but if Steve Cooper somehow keeps Forest up this season, it'll be a miracle, given the injuries he's had to deal with. Has any other top flight team ever had this extent of injuries in the course of a season. Our medical team are Sunday League level, it seems ;

Omar Richards - LB - didn't make it out of pre-season as he had a hairline fracture in his lower leg...somehow still out.
Guilian Biancone - CB/RB - Out since November with an ACL.
Willy Boly - CB - Thigh injury against Fulham in Feb - basically out for the season
Scott McKenna - Thigh injury in the EXACT same passage of play as Boly - returned 2 games ago...
Scott McKenna - 2 games back and then broke his collarbone against Liverpool on Sat...out for the season
Moussa Niakhate - Injured 2nd game of the season vs. West Ham. Came back vs. Newcastle last month
Cheik Kouyate - Hamstring injury in November - came back against Wolves about a month ago...
Cheik Kouyate - Re-injured 2 games later against Villa
Dean Henderson - Out since Jan, injured his leg kicking a ball at the end of the game vs. Leicester in Jan - doesn't look likely he'll be back much before the end of the season
Ryan Yates - Head Injury vs. Leicester in Jan (I think) - finally came back vs. Everton at the beginning of March...Shoulder injury vs. Newcastle 2 games later...Still out.
Renan Lodi - Injured vs Leeds - missed 3 games
Jack Colback - Sickness, which caused him to miss about 6 games earlier in the year
Jack Colback - Concussion in training (FFS)
Gustavo Scarpa - injured vs. Leeds, still not back 5 games later.
Serge Aurier - knock vs. Newcastle mid-march, still out
Chris Wood - injured vs. International break (in training, I might add!)
Taiwo Awoniyi - Injured vs. Southampton in Jan - finally came back about 4 weeks ago and got his first start back vs. United 2 weeks ago.

There are other shorter term injuries we've had in-between as well that I'm not remembering...but since about November/December, we've had at least 8 1st team players out and for the last month or two we've had a starting XI of players out (currently 12, plus Shelvey who has been banished from the squad for being a See You Next Tuesday)

Absolute madness. No wonder he can't find any consistent performances

 

[Lord Tyrion]

@Aztecs27 No idea if that list is longer than other clubs but it does seem pretty hefty. The key question then is why?

Are you just unlucky?
Is the training wrong?
Have you bought fragile players (lack of checks before buying)?

I'm not being a smart Alec and the answer may be that you are just plain unlucky. Interesting to look into it further though.

 

[PJ87]

I'm not usually one to use injuries to make excuses for a team I support...but if Steve Cooper somehow keeps Forest up this season, it'll be a miracle, given the injuries he's had to deal with. Has any other top flight team ever had this extent of injuries in the course of a season. Our medical team are Sunday League level, it seems ;

Omar Richards - LB - didn't make it out of pre-season as he had a hairline fracture in his lower leg...somehow still out.
Guilian Biancone - CB/RB - Out since November with an ACL.
Willy Boly - CB - Thigh injury against Fulham in Feb - basically out for the season
Scott McKenna - Thigh injury in the EXACT same passage of play as Boly - returned 2 games ago...
Scott McKenna - 2 games back and then broke his collarbone against Liverpool on Sat...out for the season
Moussa Niakhate - Injured 2nd game of the season vs. West Ham. Came back vs. Newcastle last month
Cheik Kouyate - Hamstring injury in November - came back against Wolves about a month ago...
Cheik Kouyate - Re-injured 2 games later against Villa
Dean Henderson - Out since Jan, injured his leg kicking a ball at the end of the game vs. Leicester in Jan - doesn't look likely he'll be back much before the end of the season
Ryan Yates - Head Injury vs. Leicester in Jan (I think) - finally came back vs. Everton at the beginning of March...Shoulder injury vs. Newcastle 2 games later...Still out.
Renan Lodi - Injured vs Leeds - missed 3 games
Jack Colback - Sickness, which caused him to miss about 6 games earlier in the year
Jack Colback - Concussion in training (FFS)
Gustavo Scarpa - injured vs. Leeds, still not back 5 games later.
Serge Aurier - knock vs. Newcastle mid-march, still out
Chris Wood - injured vs. International break (in training, I might add!)
Taiwo Awoniyi - Injured vs. Southampton in Jan - finally came back about 4 weeks ago and got his first start back vs. United 2 weeks ago.

There are other shorter term injuries we've had in-between as well that I'm not remembering...but since about November/December, we've had at least 8 1st team players out and for the last month or two we've had a starting XI of players out (currently 12, plus Shelvey who has been banished from the squad for being a See You Next Tuesday)

Absolute madness. No wonder he can't find any consistent performances

Not the same amount (but then nobody has the same amount of first teamers ) yet we have suffered massively with injuries this season costing us being further up the table

Aguard injured pre season, Moyes brought him in to change our entire system to play out the back
Zouma, too many kicking cats , in and out the team
Scamacca now injured for rest of season hasn't got going much because of little injuries
Fabianski got injured against you guys missed a chunk (I prefer areola but fab is the number one)
Had to sell Dawson because he needed to go back up north (whilst having defender crisis, to be fair he had given us a year already)
Cornet was the worst. A proper Bowen style player for the left side , injured in a minor challenge against wolves, the Dr in end said he had seen this injury to twice in 25 years or something .. just wouldn't heal .. only just come back

It's always players u need get injuries eh never the fringe players suffer these random injuries in training

 

[Aztecs27]

@Aztecs27 No idea if that list is longer than other clubs but it does seem pretty hefty. The key question then is why?

Are you just unlucky?
Is the training wrong?
Have you bought fragile players (lack of checks before buying)?

I'm not being a smart Alec and the answer may be that you are just plain unlucky. Interesting to look into it further though.

All legitimate questions.

I know for a fact that the medical for Omar Richards was badly done and the hairline fracture was completely missed during the signing process, which is embarrassing.

We've had a lot of muscle related injuries - so there could be an argument to question the S&C and medical staff not doing enough of the right stuff to help keep injuries at bay...BUT we had the same team last season and had nowhere near the amount of injuries.

Just really puzzling, and frustrating.

I'm convinced that if Awoniyi had stayed fit (as he was JUST hitting his stride when he got injured at the turn of the year) and Yates had remained fit, and a consistent feature in our midfield for the whole season, we'd be comfortably out of the relegation zone - the stats back this up as well. The contrast of points gained with Yates in vs out of the team is startling.

The performance against Liverpool gave the fans a bit of belief that the team finally look like they want it, but is it too little, too late? I think a win tomorrow night against a (hopefully!) tired Brighton will stand us in good stead to go to Brentford with some belief at the weekend and get something.

9 points from 18 required I reckon, so certainly doable...but the next month or so is going to be stressful AF

 

[Pin-seeker]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1650782131033890817

 

[Swango1980]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1650782131033890817

If you have a winger running against your team, you want Wan Bissaka defending for your team.

Over the last year, he may have been caught out positional a few times, though I guess that can happen when the team is defending poorly, and communicating badly. His attacking skills have not been great, although in fairness to him, he had improved this season.

 

[nickjdavis]

There are other shorter term injuries we've had in-between as well that I'm not remembering...but since about November/December, we've had at least 8 1st team players out and for the last month or two we've had a starting XI of players out (currently 12, plus Shelvey who has been banished from the squad for being a See You Next Tuesday)

Whats Jonjo gone and done now?

 

[Aztecs27]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1650782131033890817

That player?

Emmanuel Dennis, of all people.

Whats Jonjo gone and done now?

Shelvey missed Nottingham Forest defeat after 'being SENT HOME'

The midfielder is said to have been angered at being named on the bench at Anfield after Cooper had deemed his training performances not good enough to warrant a starting place.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Apologies for the Daily Fail link - Telegraph one is paywalled.
Basically getting out of his box for not being named in Starting XI, this, despite the fact he has cost us 2 points against Everton (needless penalty conceded) and a point against Villa (failing to clear the ball from danger in the box, and thought a 4 yard pass to a team mate, whilst surrounded by Claret shirts, was the best option..and which led to their 1st goal....and then had the audacity to sulk and try to blame Niakhate for not picking the ball up )

 

[Deleted member 15344]

There is a great group on Facebook which is all about old grounds and titles over the years etc

Lost Football Grounds and Terraces of the United Kingdom | A trip back 25 years to April 1998 this morning | Facebook

A trip back 25 years to April 1998 this morning. An afternoon at the Abbey for me to watch Cambridge play runaway champions Notts County. A 2-2 draw, easily the best game I saw that season, and a...

www.facebook.com

They post regular scores and tables over the years from the 60’s through to the 20’s


Always interesting to see the results and league tables where teams currently in the Prem playing lower down and also players playing for lower teams who then moved up

 

[Bdill93]

There is a great group on Facebook which is all about old grounds and titles over the years etc

Lost Football Grounds and Terraces of the United Kingdom | A trip back 25 years to April 1998 this morning | Facebook

A trip back 25 years to April 1998 this morning. An afternoon at the Abbey for me to watch Cambridge play runaway champions Notts County. A 2-2 draw, easily the best game I saw that season, and a...

www.facebook.com

They post regular scores and tables over the years from the 60’s through to the 20’s


Always interesting to see the results and league tables where teams currently in the Prem playing lower down and also players playing for lower teams who then moved up

View attachment 47510View attachment 47511
View attachment 47512

We missed a trick never signing Ricky Villa....