Premiership Football

[Tom]

This week has certainly provided diversion for the upcoming week's trainer hours.

[j44ke]

Chelsea is a bit maddening with all their talent and all their periodic attention deficit disorder.

[EBH]

The term "plastic fans" is used to describe supporters of football teams, who are perceived as being less passionate or less committed than traditional fans. The concept generally refers to individuals who may support a team primarily for its success or popularity, rather than for deeper emotional or historical reasons.
Chelsea and Man Citiy supporters is more often than others called plastics, cause they've bought themselves success over the last couple of decades, with "blood" money.

[72gmc]

Watching a bit of Brighton v Arsenal and I’m reminded that the magic sponge has been replaced by the magic bandage. I miss the sponge. There was more showmanship involved with the magic sponge. It created starring roles for the grievously injured player and the life-saving trainer.

[j44ke]

I cannot believe the number of poor finishes. Missed finishes? Beautiful play right up to the shot on goal that then goes up to the space station or wide left right off the post or simply limps its way to the keeper wheezing its last.

Football is hard.

[Tom]

I agree, it's weird. I think that with some of them they have too much time to think about it. I was screwing up a piece something awful and my teacher told me to increase the tempo by about 16 bpm. I played it like a pro. He said I knew it but was overthinking it.

Olivier Giroud used to puzzle me. I couldn't understand why teams wanted him as a striker when at least twice a game he'd have a sitter with an open net from 6 yards out and manage to miss. Then he does something like this and you have to figure without time to think the spectacular happens.

Unfortunately the FIFA clip won't show because it has the build up which is not too shabby either. Google 'Olivier Giroud scorpion kick' to see the play develop.

[echappist]

I cannot believe the number of poor finishes. Missed finishes? Beautiful play right up to the shot on goal that then goes up to the space station or wide left right off the post or simply limps its way to the keeper wheezing its last.

Football is hard.

Try watching games where Darwin Núñez of Liverpool gets a lot of service.

I believe he set a EPL (if not top-tier) record of hitting the woodwork 4x in a match last year against Chelsea, one of which was a spot kick…

In this sense, football is rather a good metaphor for life at large, so much has to go right in the various junctures for a goal to be achieved. On the flip side of that, are those born on third base and gets home on a sac-fly; in football, that would be a wayward shot/cross taking two deflections and trickling in, beyond the reach of the keeper.

[j44ke]

Try watching games where Darwin Núñez of Liverpool gets a lot of service.

I believe he set a EPL (if not top-tier) record of hitting the woodwork 4x in a match last year against Chelsea, one of which was a spot kick…

In this sense, football is rather a good metaphor for life at large, so much has to go right in the various junctures for a goal to be achieved. On the flip side of that, are those born on third base and gets home on a sac-fly; in football, that would be a wayward shot/cross taking two deflections and trickling in, beyond the reach of the keeper.

Haha - that guy. I was thinking huh? when Núñez came in late against Brentford.

Then he scored two goals within minutes of each other.

Genius!

[j44ke]

Boy I sure like that Arsenal team. Even their kids are good. Foot on the neck game.

May 10 they have a game against Liverpool at Anfield. Hope they both can hang together close enough to make that game nuts.

[echappist]

That was an impressive performance by Arsenal, and City certainly helped with some seemingly inexplicable errors. So casual and callow passing out from the back. These were the errors that City once forced others into committing, and it's shocking to see the shoe on the other foot.

As for likeability, everyone except for Arteta, Havertz, and a certain player who has been questioned by the police for an alleged series of heinous acts.

[Tom]

There are several replays that will be good watches on the trainer this week. Probably starting with Southampton just to see them win one. Everton with Moyes? I never saw their performances coming. Dyche always seemed to get the most out of the least, perhaps they are too talented for him to have known what to do with them. Wednesday is going to be interesting. Maybe Liverpool doesn't actually want to have wound up with that game in hand.

[echappist]

While not exactly high in quality, the FA Cup match between Plymouth and LFC was loaded with the dramatic. Yes, LFC shuffled almost all of its outfield players, but the last place team in the League Championship just beat the EPL leaders.

[j44ke]

So Arsenal and Chelsea got a bit blown up by injuries. Chelsea seems to have no idea what they are doing except playing keep away for hours. Cole Palmer was screaming for the ball by the end of the match against Brighton and no one would pass it to him. And then when he got the ball he got mauled by Brighton players and that was that. The difference with Arsenal is that their team has a lot of skilled hardworkers - as in hard work is their skill. So adversity seems to be their norm. Much more resilient team. There are a lot of good players on Chelsea but all that running and speed means timing is everything. Way too many fancy heel flicks. I guess that's their strength but it feels like style. A quest for the highlight reel.

And here comes Manchester City. Didn't take Marmoush long to figure out his new team. He was ready a few games ago. But the team just figured out how to get the ball to him. Pow.

[Tom]

If Manchester City pulls back 17 points in 13 games, that will be the Great Escape!

Liverpool needs to just keep doing what they're doing. Like, if you get ahead of somebody in the first half play that exact same way in the second half. And stop giving the ball away in your own half over and over and over. Got a little nervy there for about twenty minutes today. That has to take its toll.

[robin3mj]

I think Liverpool has it sewn up.

City continue to amaze me with the multi goal giveaways in the dying minutes. Unreal.

Would be cool to see Bournemouth and Forest in the Champions League next year. I’m rooting for that to happen as much as anything else now.

[echappist]

LFC's next three matches will be crucial. Villa away, City away, Newcastle at home. If LFC gets at least 7 points out of 9, it will have navigated some really tricky series of fixtures.

[echappist]

Haha - that guy. I was thinking huh? when Núñez came in late against Brentford.

Then he scored two goals within minutes of each other.

Genius!

Only to miss a sitter laid on a plate.

What an agonizing watch…

And now LFC draws PSG in the Champions League, right at a time LFC doesn’t appear fully firing while PSG is hitting form.

[j44ke]

I was just talking to a friend who is an architectural historian in Paris, and she was saying that Le Corbusier was football fan. He designed and built an apartment building next to the stadiums and could see the pitch from the apartment he kept for himself on the top floor. His building is still there - you can visit it - but the new stadiums are huge with covered seating so there is no view except of a few practice fields.

This old photo shows the stadiums at the time of Corbusier. His building is next to the smaller field among a group of other apartments. You can see the velodrome that rings the football pitch in both stadiums. The Tour de France finished or started or did something during a stage in the Parc des Princes stadium. Looks like there is actually a bike race in process.



This is what they look like now. No velodrome insert.