2019-2020 EPL Discussion Thread

[Chic131]

Dont think Pep has had everything sorted fully for this team.

Think Cancelo was a Pep buy to replace Walker. Zinchenko Fernandinho and Otamendi are all compromises for Pep.

Think Mahrez was a owner purchase. Sane is a bit of a disaster.

Sterling has had a bit of a shocker this season.

Think Pep needs a hard reset and sell 4-5 players.

Albeit he has spent a lot of money already.

[K]

Dec. 13 article by Guillem Balague for BBC:

"Nobody near Guardiola thinks he would take the decision to walk away in the summer but club sources have confirmed that reports he has a release clause are accurate - even though he has denied that is the case.
...

On a personal level his daughter and wife Cristina now split their week between Manchester and Barcelona, where she has business interests, while their two sons are completing studies in England. The small distance of four days apart is seen as having improved the family's quality of life. After all, it is better that Pep is looking forward to seeing them than being constantly consumed by the next match.
...

He has won titles in Spain, Germany and England, so what about Italy? In Serie A, Antonio Conte looks well bedded in at Inter Milan, AC Milan are not the side they were and Juventus would probably be unwilling to change their style in the way Guardiola would almost certainly demand (and that desire to turn the style of a top historical club was already fulfilled at Bayern).

What about managing an international side like Italy? Or maybe Brazil, who have shown an interest in him in the past. Or let me throw a curve ball into the mix. After Phil Foden scored in City's 4-1 win at Dinamo Zagreb on Wednesday, Guardiola referenced English youngsters and said: "England have an incredible generation of young players for the next decade."

Having also overseen Raheem Sterling's rise into one of Europe's leading attackers, what post is more suitable for Guardiola than being the next England coach, when Gareth Southgate decides to call it a day? Now that really would be intriguing to witness."

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/50644725

[Chic131]

Still think Man City will win something this season.

https://www.sportsbetting3.com/soccer-betting

Have to get past Real Madrid first, but they are going to be hungry.

Think Laporte will be back for Champions League.

[Jezza]

City will likely win the League Cup again.

The main goal is winning the Champions League though. City have underachieved in this competition so a lot of pressure will be on them to go far into the competition though they have a tough last 16 tie against Real Madrid.

[Jezza]

[Jezza]

Weekend Results:

Saturday February 8 2020:
Everton 3-1 Crystal Palace
Brighton & Hove Albion 1-1 Watford

Sunday February 9 2020:
Sheffield United 2-1 AFC Bournemouth

Manchester City v West Ham United was called off due to bad weather conditions.

The Ladder:
1. Liverpool 73 - Played 25
2. Man City 51 - Played 25
3. Leicester 49 - Played 25
4. Chelsea 41 - Played 25
----------------------
5. Sheffield Utd 39 - Played 26
6. Tottenham 37 - Played 25
7. Everton 36 - Played 26
8. Man Utd 35 - Played 25
9. Wolves 35 - Played 25
10. Arsenal 31 - Played 25
11. Burnley 31 - Played 25
12. Newcastle 31 - Played 25
13. Southampton 31 - Played 25
14. Crystal Palace 30 - Played 25
15. Brighton 27 - Played 26
16. Bournemouth 26 - Played 25
17. Aston Villa 25 - Played 25
-----------------------
18. West Ham 24 - Played 25
19. Watford 24 - Played 26
20. Norwich 18 - Played 25

[K]

[Jezza]

Weekend Matches:

Friday February 14 2020:
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Leicester City - 20:00

Saturday February 15 2020:
Southampton v Burnley - 12:30
Norwich City v Liverpool - 17:30

Sunday February 16 2020:
Aston Villa v Tottenham Hotspur - 14:00
Arsenal v Newcastle United - 16:30

Monday February 17 2020:
Chelsea v Manchester United - 20:00

All local times.

[K]

@premierleague

The 'keeper can only stand and watch 👀

#GoalOfTheDay

Callum Wilson, 19 Jan 2019:

https://twitter.com/premierleague/status/1229350070857981952


Co-commentator: "That's a brilliant volley."

Is it? I'm concerned about the terminology! The ball bounced. In football, do they call it a volley when it's bounced, just because it's not rolling along the turf??

Tennis players would be confused!

[K]

Haha! This has been debated before!

Rob Smyth, 3 Sep 2009:

What is a volley?

Steven Gerrard's winner at Bolton was widely described as a volley, but can that really be so when the ball has bounced?

https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2009/sep/02/what-is-a-volley-football

"Many football fans say a half-volley is a shot struck when the ball has bounced once, but in tennis and in cricket there is a different – and surely correct – understanding of the term. A half-volley is hit at precisely the moment that the ball bounces or a split-second after, as with this effort from David Ginola or umpteen strikes from the king of the half-volley, Matthew Le Tissier ..."

"And although "struck a bouncing ball into the top corner" sounds nowhere near as exciting as "volleyed into the top corner", these surely aren't volleys."

[K]

And this, 4 years ago:

Is a volley a volley if it's not really a volley?

https://www.sportsjoe.ie/football/its-the-burning-issue-of-the-day-what-the-hell-defines-a-volley-62587

"The ball spun back as it bounced in front of the striker so, without hesitation, Vardy lashed at it first time and it was glorious.
...

Some called it a volley, a beautiful volley. Others scowled and clarified it as a half-volley, a beautiful half-volley. The only thing anyone was in agreement with was the fact that it was beautiful.
...

If you're willing to accept that a half-volley is only when the ball is struck immediately after it bounces (as soon as it rises), then you're snookered with something like Vardy's which was kicked a full second after the ball bounced because it isn't a volley either. After all, according to Oxford too, a volley is struck before the ball touches the ground.
...

So, by definition, an act like Vardy's is neither a a volley or a half-volley."

[K]

The language is clear. The real question is: are football fans in the UK so separate from tennis and cricket fans, as their language suggests?

[Jezza]

Rooney's goal below is a volley.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPHqRpJ7tLY

Vardy's goal against Liverpool in February 2016 was not a volley. Still a stunning goal though.

[K]

In the compilation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqAmfI4NMaQ ,

6 by my count are clearly not volleys but just bouncing balls.

There are also several exhibits of the regular technique of controlling the ball off the chest first and then kicking it in the air, a "multi-touch volley", I guess.

Any genuine (i.e. overhead) bicycle kick will of course very likely be a volley.

[Jezza]

^

1 - No
2 - No
3 - Yes
4 - Yes
5 - Yes
6 - Yes
7 - Yes (multi-touch volley)
8 - Yes
9 - Yes (multi-touch volley)
10 - No
11 - Yes
12 - Yes
13 - Yes (bicycle kick)
14 - Yes
15 - Yes
16 - Yes
17 - Yes
18 - Yes (multi-touch volley)
19 - Yes
20 - No
21 - Yes
22 - Yes
23 - Yes
24 - Yes
25 - Yes
26 - Yes
27 - No
28 - No
29 - No
30 - Yes
31 - Yes
32 - Yes
33 - Yes

All honourable mentions were volleys.