Weekend Games 11/19 - 11/21

PedroSpecialK

Comes at you like a tornado of hair and the NHL sa
SoSH Member
Dec 12, 2004
27,164
Cambridge, MA
The international break is mercifully over.

Kicking off tomorrow with Manchester United hosting Arsenal at 7:30 AM EST.

An unstoppable plastic force meets an immovable, insufferable object.

God have mercy on the rest of us
 

Morgan's Magic Snowplow

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 2, 2006
22,345
Philadelphia
Once again, Arsenal look very disjointed without Santi. Some might say that having your whole setup depend on a nearly 32-year-old midget with a gimpy Achilles might be a bad idea, but not Wenger apparently...
 

67YAZ

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 1, 2000
8,729
Liverpool & Southampton up next. Should be a burner with 2 of the top-3 sides in chances facing off. Lallana out for 'Pool, Wijnaldum taking his place, and the side is otherwise the usual selection.

And Giroux equalizes. And they say that's Arsenal's first Premier League goal against a Mourinho side in 9 years?!?!?
 

Zomp

Moderator
Moderator
SoSH Member
Aug 28, 2006
13,942
The Slums of Shaolin
3 home games in a row that United play the other team off the park and draw. 6 dropped points. Very un Mourinho like. Since the Chelsea game they have played well so it's tough to see what changes should be made.
 

SoxFanInCali

has the rich, deep voice of a god
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jun 3, 2005
15,568
California. Duh.
Coutinho definitely looks like a guy that played a couple international games then had to travel halfway around the world.
 

SocrManiac

Tommy Seebach’s mustache
SoSH Member
Apr 15, 2006
8,634
Somers, CT
It'd be nice to have confidence that Sturridge could be brought on to do something other than force Ill-advised shots from questionable positions.
 

SocrManiac

Tommy Seebach’s mustache
SoSH Member
Apr 15, 2006
8,634
Somers, CT
Hate the sub. Emre Can was breaking up the counter- Coutinho can't do that fresh, let alone playing in cement.
 

SoxFanInCali

has the rich, deep voice of a god
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jun 3, 2005
15,568
California. Duh.
Liverpool should have 2 or 3 at this point. Clyne's not the one you want on the end of that.

Nice work from Sturridge to create the chance.
 

67YAZ

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 1, 2000
8,729
Should be a burner with 2 of the top-3 sides in chances facing off.
Well, never mind. Southampton sat deep and defended well all day. 'Pool started creating chance from an hour on, but Clyde, Firmino, and Can failed to finish excellent chances. What's most concerning though is that Wijnaldum didn't really replace Lallana all that well. Klopp has to find a way to make other attack combinations work because congestion, the African Cup, more injuries are ahead.
 

SocrManiac

Tommy Seebach’s mustache
SoSH Member
Apr 15, 2006
8,634
Somers, CT
That's the key. If one of the Big Four is out, they struggle. Sturridge should be an option but he refuses to buy in to the concept.
 

SoxFanInCali

has the rich, deep voice of a god
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jun 3, 2005
15,568
California. Duh.
That's the key. If one of the Big Four is out, they struggle. Sturridge should be an option but he refuses to buy in to the concept.
He created a great chance from out wide that, unfortunately, fell to Clyne.

I know that's the media angle, but I don't really see it on the pitch. He's not playing much because Mane, Coutinho, and Firmino are playing well together and fit Klopp's style best, but I don't think Sturridge is actively refusing to play that way. It's just not the style that plays to his strengths. Similar to Benteke last season. He always gave his best, but just wasn't suited to play that style.
 

PedroSpecialK

Comes at you like a tornado of hair and the NHL sa
SoSH Member
Dec 12, 2004
27,164
Cambridge, MA
He created a great chance from out wide that, unfortunately, fell to Clyne.

I know that's the media angle, but I don't really see it on the pitch. He's not playing much because Mane, Coutinho, and Firmino are playing well together and fit Klopp's style best, but I don't think Sturridge is actively refusing to play that way. It's just not the style that plays to his strengths. Similar to Benteke last season. He always gave his best, but just wasn't suited to play that style.
Agreed on Sturridge. Given a run of games with Mané, Coutinho, and Firmino I'm sure he'd hit his stride, but the big four are too good to break up right now.

Frustrating match... The Firmino and Clyne chances have to be finished, but Southampton defended really well, particularly in the middle. Romeu, Fonte, and Van Dijk were outstanding - Van Dijk in particular has improved the defensive side of his game leaps and bounds since he was at Celtic
 

SocrManiac

Tommy Seebach’s mustache
SoSH Member
Apr 15, 2006
8,634
Somers, CT
I genuinely didn't know that was the media angle- I don't read much on the game outside of these forums.

This probably belongs in the LFC thread...

So far this season (not today in particular), when Sturridge sees the pitch he's playing like a lone striker. That shot Bradley took against Mexico instead of laying it off? That's the type of thing I expect from Sturridge. He's fantastically talented and often makes something from nothing (the goal against Sevilla last year comes to mind). He's just a stereotypical diva-type lone wolf.
 

The Gray Eagle

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 1, 2001
16,720
Dortmund beats Bayern, putting newly promoted Red Bull Leipzig in first place in the Bundesliga.

Koln with a late dagger to beat Moenchengladbach in stoppage time.

Barcelona held to a 0-0 draw by Malaga, while Real spanks Atletico 3-0.