The 2015-2016 EPL Discussion Thread

[Zac]

Re: The 2015-2016 EPL Discussion Thread

It's funny because he's actually been solid in the matches he's played. But then again I've thought Mignolet gets a bad rap and there really is no reason the keeper with one of the top clean sheet records in calendar year 2015 should be benched.

He wasn't benched, he is injured. Has a hamstring injury.

[Brahvocado]

Re: The 2015-2016 EPL Discussion Thread

It will be hard for any team to properly match Leicester's intensity, but the Klopp model is definitely one that could potentially give them a game. Trouble is, Klopp doesn't have his team yet.

The only way to reliably beat a team playing like Leicester does is, funny enough, to play like Arsenal. Comfortable passing the ball under immense pressure, quick and precise passing game that exposes weaknesses of average players (Leicester are in red hot form, but let's not kid ourselves pretending they have world class players). Arsenal will beat Leicester 9 times out of 10, as will any team that can effectively play a quick, short passing game with a modicum of defensive discipline.

Part of the reason Leicester is doing so well, is because Arsenal is basically the only team in England that plays that way. United does to an extent as well, which is why Leicester couldn't beat them either. The only other team that plays like that is City. Now obviously City is a very Jekyll and Hyde team, but if anybody is going to romp on Leicester, it would be City.

I've said before that I don't see a reason Leicester won't finish top 4, but Ranieri needs to tighten up that defense or else Leicester is a 1 month Vardy/Mahrez injury away from a big drop down the table.

[ImTellinTim]

Re: The 2015-2016 EPL Discussion Thread

He wasn't benched, he is injured. Has a hamstring injury.

Right, but the majority opinion among Liverpool supporters is that he's not good enough and should be benched or replaced. As if he's the main problem in conceding goals.

Elite shot stopper, average command over the area in set pieces and general play. Could do a lot worse.

[fearwhatnow]

Re: The 2015-2016 EPL Discussion Thread

It will be hard for any team to properly match Leicester's intensity, but the Klopp model is definitely one that could potentially give them a game. Trouble is, Klopp doesn't have his team yet.

The only way to reliably beat a team playing like Leicester does is, funny enough, to play like Arsenal. Comfortable passing the ball under immense pressure, quick and precise passing game that exposes weaknesses of average players (Leicester are in red hot form, but let's not kid ourselves pretending they have world class players). Arsenal will beat Leicester 9 times out of 10, as will any team that can effectively play a quick, short passing game with a modicum of defensive discipline.

Part of the reason Leicester is doing so well, is because Arsenal is basically the only team in England that plays that way. United does to an extent as well, which is why Leicester couldn't beat them either. The only other team that plays like that is City. Now obviously City is a very Jekyll and Hyde team, but if anybody is going to romp on Leicester, it would be City.

I've said before that I don't see a reason Leicester won't finish top 4, but Ranieri needs to tighten up that defense or else Leicester is a 1 month Vardy/Mahrez injury away from a big drop down the table.

What would you consider a big drop down the table? Because in order to have this big places drop some bizarre things should happen at the same time: Leicester to lose 4 consecutive matches and all the teams from 4th-7th place to win 4 matches in a row. In addition this injury talk sounds now like wishful thinking. Santa keeps receiving letters with Vardy/Mahrez injury wishes from all over the world...

[Brahvocado]

Re: The 2015-2016 EPL Discussion Thread

You'd have to be a pretty depressing individual to actually wish injury on another team's players.

My comment was simply about depth. Vardy and Mahrez are responsible for over 80 percent of Leicester's goals. If one or both of them get injured Leicester simply doesn't have the depth to replace them adequately.

[KG]

Re: The 2015-2016 EPL Discussion Thread

I think a club like Spurs have the potential to give them trouble, just as much as Citeh and more than Arsenal IMO, given their current midfield situation.

Guys like Ericksen, Dier, Dembele, Alli are all good on the ball and capable of moving it quickly up the pitch. Kane is a good outlet and they have pacey fullbacks in Rose & Walker. Alli and Dier are pretty solid defensively and Kane does a fairly good job at closing down in his own half.

Leicester have Liverpool, Citeh, Bournemouth, and then Spurs twice in a row. It will be interesting to see how the different managers approach those matches tactically. I hope Pool presses them all over the pitch. There will be goals galore if they do.

[ImTellinTim]

Re: The 2015-2016 EPL Discussion Thread

Man, Leicester fan outta nowhere has a big head and a sensitive side. Welcome to the soccer forum. We've been here a while. This is mostly top bantz with a bit of seriousness mixed in. Relax.

KG - Liverpool will press them, it's just that the quick, accurate passing isn't there for them to capitalize. Along with not having a mobile goal scorer up top when Sturridge is out - which is literally always now. Benteke is a beast - if you either hit him with perfect crosses or he is able to take a defender on one-on-one. Teams are able to surround him the way things are going now. So instead of creating numbers in short space when taking the ball when the opposition is in the transition phase, they revert back to possession without an aim. Which, again, doesn't work because they don't have enough creativity and a space-utilizing striker to play that game. They don't have those kind of players at the moment - mostly because of injury. If either Sturridge or Ings were the striker right now, you'd be seeing a much better Liverpool. Origi can be that player, but he's just not the finished product.

In short, we aren't Arsenal or City, and when we try to play like that, the last 3 weeks are what you get. You look at that City match and Liverpool were able to grab the ball high up and got City on one of their inexplicable "Oh ****, this team is trying, we have no idea what to do" days. That fooled a lot of people.

[Perceptor]

Re: The 2015-2016 EPL Discussion Thread

It's really too bad Sturridge is made of paper mache because he's exactly the player that would make this team so much better. Good pace and elite finishing. When fit, I'd rank him above Kane as England's top forward.

No one wishes injuries on another team but without Vardy and Mahrez, it'd be a lot tougher for Leicester to stay in the top 4 than with them. I know fear disagrees but that defence isn't good enough. I also agree that Spurs are dangerous too.

[Brahvocado]

Re: The 2015-2016 EPL Discussion Thread

Above Kane?

When he's fit, Sturridge is on par with Aguero. He's a top 10 striker with virtually no weakness to his game outside of his legs being made of popsicle sticks and held together by hope.

[Perceptor]

Re: The 2015-2016 EPL Discussion Thread

Above Kane?

When he's fit, Sturridge is on par with Aguero. He's a top 10 striker with virtually no weakness to his game outside of his legs being made of popsicle sticks and held together by hope.

Well if you believe the hype (I don't), Kane is the saviour Agree completely on Sturridge

[Brahvocado]

Re: The 2015-2016 EPL Discussion Thread

Not really a slight on Kane, he's pretty fantastic himself, just that Sturridge is the best English striker by a mile currently

[fearwhatnow]

Re: The 2015-2016 EPL Discussion Thread

Man, Leicester fan outta nowhere has a big head and a sensitive side. Welcome to the soccer forum. We've been here a while. This is mostly top bantz with a bit of seriousness mixed in. Relax.

KG - Liverpool will press them, it's just that the quick, accurate passing isn't there for them to capitalize. Along with not having a mobile goal scorer up top when Sturridge is out - which is literally always now. Benteke is a beast - if you either hit him with perfect crosses or he is able to take a defender on one-on-one. Teams are able to surround him the way things are going now. So instead of creating numbers in short space when taking the ball when the opposition is in the transition phase, they revert back to possession without an aim. Which, again, doesn't work because they don't have enough creativity and a space-utilizing striker to play that game. They don't have those kind of players at the moment - mostly because of injury. If either Sturridge or Ings were the striker right now, you'd be seeing a much better Liverpool. Origi can be that player, but he's just not the finished product.

In short, we aren't Arsenal or City, and when we try to play like that, the last 3 weeks are what you get. You look at that City match and Liverpool were able to grab the ball high up and got City on one of their inexplicable "Oh ****, this team is trying, we have no idea what to do" days. That fooled a lot of people.

I'm fine and far from sensitive. The injuries thing was a joke.
Many of you though make the same mistakes as some journalists that don't have a clue about football. You think Vardy and Mahrez are the best players of the team. Nope, they're not. The best players of the team are Drinkwater, Kante and Fuchs. If you have the time just watch any previous Leicester match and focus only on these 3 players.

[PabloLFC]

Re: The 2015-2016 EPL Discussion Thread

No worries mate. I may sound a bit arrogant sometimes but I have quite a big experience with the sport not only by playing but also tactically/coaching.

As I have posted already Arsenal is the only team I consider better than Leicester this season and maybe ManCity.

Some weeks ago Liverpool fellow members were laughing at me here when I said Crystal Palace and Watford are better teams than Liverpool. Some people need to understand that this is a team sport. All these "mid-table"/"low rated" teams have now some clever managers. Ranieri also has drastically improved his tactical approach and he's not stuck in the past.

Football is not about dominating possession nowadays. You need 3 elements:

1) Direct passing

2) Running/Movement

3) Counter attacking in numbers



Just tell me which top rated EPL team does all 3 efficiently. Only Arsenal.

Oh god the old 'I'm experienced in the sport' thing, I've seen that used by countless people and let me tell you, as someone who played in Liverpool's academy and coached with semi professional clubs in the North West, your opinion holds no more water than anyone else.

[Krebstar]

Re: The 2015-2016 EPL Discussion Thread

Fellas, fellas, let's focus on the most important thing, which is Arsenal (hopefully) smacking around City today.

Second versus third! Will the Arsenal midfield be the key? Or will it not matter as Giroud scores five headers, all while every single hair on his head stays in place?

[Brahvocado]

Re: The 2015-2016 EPL Discussion Thread

I'm fine and far from sensitive. The injuries thing was a joke.
Many of you though make the same mistakes as some journalists that don't have a clue about football. You think Vardy and Mahrez are the best players of the team. Nope, they're not. The best players of the team are Drinkwater, Kante and Fuchs. If you have the time just watch any previous Leicester match and focus only on these 3 players.

Reminds me of that old Pep quote:

"You watch the whole game, you don't see Fuchs. You watch Fuchs, you see the whole game"

But seriously, I think most people know Vardy/Mahrez aren't your best players. But they are your two most important attackers, and that's not even debatable. Nearly 85 percent of your teams goals have happened because of one or both of those players, so it stands to reason that you guys will struggle a bit if one or both got injured.

There is a reason that actual pundits were always curious about whether or not you guys could continue this run of form, and it's not because people are "haters" or that we just don't know anything about the sport; it's a simple numbers game, and predictions are generally based on numbers. Historically, having all your goals and assists come from 1 or 2 sources is the sign of a mid table team, while top teams generally have them spread out between 3-6 sources. Again, that's not to say it's impossible to reach the top that way, just that it is historically and statistically unlikely.

This is why so many people remain skeptical, every year there is one team that punches significantly above their weight in the first half of the season (causing people to get all hyped up about a "new contender" to the top 4), only to see their important pieces get injured or lose form while they drop back down due to lack of adequate replacements.

I promise you, you don't have some sort of magical understanding of the game that the rest of us lack. On the contrary, most of us here have been watching the PL for many many years, and know well enough not to count your eggs before they hatch.