Game Thread 8/29-8/30

Cellar-Door

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SocrManiac said:
Friend looking for an excuse to fix the Coutinho mess he created?
The Coutinho was probably the right call, he came in recklessly and rolled up the player, it was not a particularly bad yellow.
This was just a terrible call.
 
Edit- Setanta announcers thought it was as well.
 

DLew On Roids

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Cellar-Door said:
The Coutinho was probably the right call, he came in recklessly and rolled up the player, it was not a particularly bad yellow.
This was just a terrible call.
Whatever. Coutinho got fooled and went in for a challenge when the ball was going somewhere else. After the ridiculous first yellow, there was no way that should have been a yellow. It wasn't reckless or tactical. A ref with any sense would have reminded him to stay on his feet.
 

SocrManiac

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Cellar-Door said:
The Coutinho was probably the right call, he came in recklessly and rolled up the player, it was not a particularly bad yellow.
This was just a terrible call.
 
Edit- Setanta announcers thought it was as well.
 
I have to disagree. The player moved unpredictably into the tackle- it was properly timed and aimed.
 

Cellar-Door

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DLew On Roids said:
Whatever. Coutinho got fooled and went in for a challenge when the ball was going somewhere else. After the ridiculous first yellow, there was no way that should have been a yellow. It wasn't reckless or tactical. A ref with any sense would have reminded him to stay on his feet.
If you think the first yellow was ridiculous you are crazy. He fouled an attacking player then after the whistle kicked the ball 40 yards downfield to prevent an attack in the last minute of stoppage. That's about the clearest time wasting yellow you can give.
 

DLew On Roids

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Now THAT'S a yellow. Good CONCACAFing by Payet, too.

I'll take your word for it on Coutinho's first yellow; I thought it was for dissent. The NBC feed didn't show him time-wasting so they could show close ups and Coutinho was muttering.
 

Cellar-Door

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DLew On Roids said:
Oh well if the announcers agree with you LOL
When the only people who don't agree are Liverpool fans... yes it helps that the people who don't care think it was reasonable.
 

DLew On Roids

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Cellar-Door said:
When the only people who don't agree are Liverpool fans... yes it helps that the people who don't care think it was reasonable.
Because when the facts don't agree with you, attack the motivation!
 

Cellar-Door

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DLew On Roids said:
Because when the facts don't agree with you, attack the motivation!
The facts do agree with me. He got fooled, took the player down, got carded.
 

Cellar-Door

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West Ham is having the weirdest year.
6 of 6 away at Liverpool and Arsenal
0 of 6 home to Bournemouth and Leicester
 

DLew On Roids

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Cellar-Door said:
The facts do agree with me. He got fooled, took the player down, got carded.
And that's not a justification for a yellow. Reckless or tactical, sport.

But Setanta announcers said so, and that's "everyone," so you must be right.
 

Cellar-Door

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DLew On Roids said:
And that's not a justification for a yellow. Reckless or tactical, sport.

But Setanta announcers said so, and that's "everyone," so you must be right.
Also, BBC, NBC, ESPN, and everyone else. It was reckless,
I get that you are upset because Liverpool shit the bed, but stop being a condescending ass.
 

Morgan's Magic Snowplow

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Chelsea has a -3 goal differential through four games, tied for second worst in the league.  They've conceded 9 goals, also second worst in the league.
 
I look forward to seeing who Mourinho blames this loss on: referee, medical staff, players, Roman, Roberto Martinez?
 

JayMags71

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Cellar-Door said:
Also, BBC, NBC, ESPN, and everyone else. It was reckless,
I get that you are upset because Liverpool shit the bed, but stop being a condescending ass.
You're wrong here. The announcers on the NBC feed disagreed with the call, saying Payet "Fell into" Coutinho.
I suggest you get off your high horse, champ.
 

blueguitar322

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Morgan's Magic Snowplow said:
Chelsea has a -3 goal differential through four games, tied for second worst in the league.  They've conceded 9 goals, also second worst in the league.
 
I look forward to seeing who Mourinho blames this loss on: referee, medical staff, players, Roman, Roberto Martinez?
This just makes me so, so happy. That's the great thing about Mourinho. Even more entertaining when he's losing than when he's winning.
 

fletcherpost

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Jose very very gracious in defeat, (for Jose),  saying Chelsea did not deserve to lose, that they did enough to get a point...but, but, he congratulated Palace on a good performance and a great result for them.
 
fletcherpost said:
Jose very very gracious in defeat, (for Jose),  saying Chelsea did not deserve to lose, that they did enough to get a point...but, but, he congratulated Palace on a good performance and a great result for them.
 
Jose does this every so often, I think just to through all of the journos off their game - his ability to occasionally act like a decent human being makes the rest of his behavior so compelling.
 

PedroSpecialK

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Missed the match but saw Coutinho's second yellow... I didn't see the first so I can't speak on that, but the second yellow was absolutely warranted IMO
 

Zomp

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Nice test for United today against Swansea.  This is the starting 11 I've been hoping for since the season began so I'm interested to see what they can do.
 

PedroSpecialK

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Martin Atkinson needs to give it up. He can't read soft contact v legitimate fouls, doesn't communicate advantages, and is notoriously poor at making big decisions - I don't know how he keeps getting big game assignments
 

PedroSpecialK

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Linesman butchered both decisions there - Ayew was clearly off, Shelvey wasn't but the latter should have been moot
 

PedroSpecialK

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It's more of a measure United take when they are pressing for a goal - it creates chaos in the box and marking issues for the defense as they try to respond to adjusted tactics mid-game, but it isn't completely in line with LvG's philosophy to hoof it up and have Fellaini knock the ball down. Also, fair or not, I feel like Fellaini gets put under a microscope by officials due to his size and strength - little shoves by Fellaini when battling for position get called much more frequently than those by Rooney, Herrera, etc.
 
The other major reason IMO is that even with Fellaini in as a second striker, Rooney develops the tendency to drop deeper for the ball and become more of a #10. Rooney's at his best making runs in behind the defense - see the 87' controversial penalty non-call when Williams recovered to break up Rooney's opportunity. In that case, Fellaini was on the pitch, but I feel like seeing Rooney make those runs with another striker out there is the exception rather than the norm - and credit to van Gaal for keeping Rooney up high even with Fellaini's presence, as that was the real chance to level. Over 90', Fellaini doesn't have the technical acumen to play in that #10 role behind Rooney.
 
Without Fellaini on the pitch, United can line up in the formation they had today with Memphis - Herrera - Mata in behind Rooney spotting his runs. There was another ball in the first half that Shaw played that put Rooney in, but he tried to cut the ball back and by then, Williams recovered.
 

swiftaw

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Still only 9 home wins in the 40 premier league matches so far.  With each team having played 2 home matches, only 7 have managed a home win (City twice, United, Liverpool, Southampton, Swansea twice, Palace, and Leicester.)
 
I have been tracking the performance of each team relative to how they did in the same fixtures last year (with Bournemouth, Watford, and Norwich replacing Hull, Burnley, and QPR respectively.)  City are 5 points better than last season, whereas Chelsea are 4 points worse - this 9 point swing overcomes the 8 points that Chelsea won the league by last season. 
 
Biggest improvement from last season is Palace who are 7 points better off.
 
Biggest drop from last season is Stoke who are 7 points worse off.