Premier League 2021/22 Thread v15 - New Year Edition

[LEWIS540]

I don’t think it was made up for political purposes either, but politicians saw their opportunities to take advantage at the very onset. It was evident with the initial travel bans.

The vaccine wasn’t early on in the pandemic, but when it looked like it may happen before our election, we actually had an entire political side of the aisle condemning the vaccines (all of whom did a complete 180 when it became beneficial).

I mean, that’s specifically America (think some of your less intelligent countrymen forget that it is a global situation), but yeah, point stands. Where you lead, we follow.

 

[The_Renaissance]

Almost like certain companies, with absolutely no relationship to major governments I’m sure (wink wink), have a massive stock pile of drugs to sell, so we have to use them all before realizing there are better ways to handle things.

Whole thing has been political/financial since about month 3.

Cases increase 10 fold, but hospitalizations have fallen.....



Just learned, even now, they count anyone who ends up in hospital with covid as a covid hospitalization. That is if you are symptomless but break your leg, you are a covid patient. Madness.

Yep, fully admitted to by the UK government weeks ago. Still being used as a methodology though.

Personally, I think that the second the vaccines were ready to go the plan was global vaccination of EVERYONE on a multi-time basis every year. But in order to look responsible, they've had to use the 'incremental' approach of studying and then 'recommending' jabs for X age group, moving down the age groups quickly. They knew in October 2020 that 5yr olds were gonna be targeted with these jabs. Newborn babies will be next, probably within the next 2months.

 

[LEWIS540]

Yep, fully admitted to by the UK government weeks ago. Still being used as a methodology though.

Personally, I think that the second the vaccines were ready to go the plan was global vaccination of EVERYONE on a multi-time basis every year. But in order to look responsible, they've had to use the 'incremental' approach of studying and then 'recommending' jabs for X age group, moving down the age groups quickly. They knew in October 2020 that 5yr olds were gonna be targeted with these jabs. Newborn babies will be next, probably within the next 2months.

Do you find 50% of your conversations devolve into a corona rant these days?

Depressing.

 

[The_Renaissance]

Do you find 50% of your conversations devolve into a corona rant these days?

Depressing.

Depends. More and more of my mates are coming around to it all, now. So when this all started, I had maybe 2 mates who were on the same page as me, who had serious reservations about certain things. So I would only discuss covid with them, because it's not worth losing mates over and I had a feeling convos with the other lads would head in that direction.

Now though, it's more like 5-6 of my mates who are done with it so Im engaging on the subject more and more, in real life. Fortunately, when we do meet up physically it's usually a 5min rant to get shit off the chest, and then we switch to better topics.

 

[Kadafi]

 

[LEWIS540]

Depends. More and more of my mates are coming around to it all, now. So when this all started, I had maybe 2 mates who were on the same page as me, who had serious reservations about certain things. So I would only discuss covid with them, because it's not worth losing mates over and I had a feeling convos with the other lads would head in that direction.

Now though, it's more like 5-6 of my mates who are done with it so Im engaging on the subject more and more, in real life. Fortunately, when we do meet up physically it's usually a 5min rant to get shit off the chest, and then we switch to better topics.

Got an email from my accountant today and it started:

Hi Richard, how are you? Happy new year. Are you done with corona yet? I most certainly am.

Accountant not a friend! Appreciated the bluntness.

 

[Cyrano200]

Dalot should be the starter at this point. Put AWB on when you need to protect a lead and have a crafty winger on his side of the field.

I don't disagree about Dalot, but I also don't think AWB should be shat upon for being an elite 1v1 defender when he is a defender. Bailey is also a defender and would rather dribble into three opposing players and lose the ball than clear it. Yeah, I get it, wingbacks are the new hotness, but how about we get a midfield that connects front to back and advances the ball? We complain about no defensive midfielders to "protect" the back line while expecting our back line to be instrumental in the attack. I understand, and love to see, an all out attack with a fullback overlapping into space created by midfield play, but much like the too-often maligned ball over the top, it lacks impetus when that's all you do. This 4-2-2-2 seems to just leave us even more vulnerable in the middle third. But it's really hard to judge when the players seem to vacillate so wildly. Fred and McT are the worst at this - Fred loses the ball every other touch one week, and seems to be everywhere frustrating opponents the next. McT was MOTM and woeful the next game. Against Wolves it seemed like no MU player could control the ball with a first touch. They were slower to decide and technically poorer than just days before. I think RR and his approach need technical players and ours can only manage that on the odd match days, but not the even ones.

 

[Dr J]

I mean, that’s specifically America (think some of your less intelligent countrymen forget that it is a global situation), but yeah, point stands. Where you lead, we follow.

I honestly don’t focus on the day to day of other countries, so I can’t really comment on anything other than the hysteria and lockdowns in a few countries in Europe, Australia, Canada, etc. Whether those countries immediately used the virus to push for political power like they did in America, I can’t say—but I assume it’s likely the case.

Even if you take America out of it, though, there was a massive government cover up at the onset.

 

[Da Speeit]

Almost like certain companies, with absolutely no relationship to major governments I’m sure (wink wink), have a massive stock pile of drugs to sell, so we have to use them all before realizing there are better ways to handle things.

Whole thing has been political/financial since about month 3.

You havent seen the Albanian papers have you?
They’ve already sold the drugs! Its one of the best schemes ever. Countries have already paid their deposits and Pfizer can distribute as they please, and will do so to countries that place more and more orders, which is why governments are crazy about this.

 

[Dr J]

I don't disagree about Dalot, but I also don't think AWB should be shat upon for being an elite 1v1 defender when he is a defender. Bailey is also a defender and would rather dribble into three opposing players and lose the ball than clear it. Yeah, I get it, wingbacks are the new hotness, but how about we get a midfield that connects front to back and advances the ball? We complain about no defensive midfielders to "protect" the back line while expecting our back line to be instrumental in the attack. I understand, and love to see, an all out attack with a fullback overlapping into space created by midfield play, but much like the too-often maligned ball over the top, it lacks impetus when that's all you do. This 4-2-2-2 seems to just leave us even more vulnerable in the middle third. But it's really hard to judge when the players seem to vacillate so wildly. Fred and McT are the worst at this - Fred loses the ball every other touch one week, and seems to be everywhere frustrating opponents the next. McT was MOTM and woeful the next game. Against Wolves it seemed like no MU player could control the ball with a first touch. They were slower to decide and technically poorer than just days before. I think RR and his approach need technical players and ours can only manage that on the odd match days, but not the even ones.

AWB isn’t the best positionally off the ball, either. But yeah, if you want defenders to sit back and defend, Dalot isn’t the guy. If the plan is to keep pushing forward with the fullbacks, though, AWB needs to have a seat. It was maddening watching the offense run through the right flank, knowing the end result would be loss of possession. He overshot an open Ronaldo at least 3 times.

 

[Dr J]

Just enough time to change all the locks.

 

[Chules]

@Carl Drogo @Arqueto

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[Cyrano200]

AWB isn’t the best positionally off the ball, either. But yeah, if you want defenders to sit back and defend, Dalot isn’t the guy. If the plan is to keep pushing forward with the fullbacks, though, AWB needs to have a seat. It was maddening watching the offense run through the right flank, knowing the end result would be loss of possession. He overshot an open Ronaldo at least 3 times.

AWB and Bailey definitely train together - the hours of being yards from where you should be so you can look cool with some crazy, contortionist, last possible second tackle from behind have paid off. Not in being good defensively, but convincing loyal segments of fans who half-pay attention you're the next great thing. I'm not saying he's perfect, but positioning is why Lindelof is good (to the extent that he is, and I think he is better than he's given credit for). I also really liked Blind for that reason, not that fast or big, but he could read the play and put himself where he was most effective (again, not that he was always perfect, just better than given credit)
Back to the present, I think most of our goal threat came from players cutting through the middle - Jadon, Shaw, and Fernandes all did (Mason and Cavani too?) The crosses from wide to Ronaldo and Cavani are an opportunity I can't believe we continue to miss. Honestly Dalot is soo much better at this I'm surprised AWB made it back.
How the heck have we made it this deep into the season without a goal from a set piece? Not one.

 

[UVee]

Just enough time to change all the locks.

A well earned rest is needed after the 30 minutes of pressing against Crystal Palace

 

[UVee]

AWB isn’t the best positionally off the ball, either. But yeah, if you want defenders to sit back and defend, Dalot isn’t the guy. If the plan is to keep pushing forward with the fullbacks, though, AWB needs to have a seat. It was maddening watching the offense run through the right flank, knowing the end result would be loss of possession. He overshot an open Ronaldo at least 3 times.

His crossing is never going to get better at this stage, proper hit and hope stuff.

 

[The_Renaissance]

A well earned rest is needed after the 30 minutes of pressing against Crystal Palace

Exactly. 30mins and then a shit 2nd half - I thought, "no issue, not a bad win, the lads will need time to settle into the new, quicker style."

Young Boys - 90mins of shit. I thought "no issue, mainly kids, Ole would've played all the old 2nd string boys and got the same result".

Norwich - perhaps the worst team in the league. 90mins of shit. This is when I mildly felt a bit worried - they could've won 3-1.

Newcastle. 90mins of absolute shit. Nothing more to add on that.

Burnley. Surprising 1st half, 3 goals, shit 2nd half - not a bad win.

Then Wolves.



Basically, nothing has changed since Ole. Win, draw, win, lose, draw, lose. That sort of mediocre up-and-down results.

 

[LEWIS540]

Exactly. 30mins and then a shit 2nd half - I thought, "no issue, not a bad win, the lads will need time to settle into the new, quicker style."

Young Boys - 90mins of shit. I thought "no issue, mainly kids, Ole would've played all the old 2nd string boys and got the same result".

Norwich - perhaps the worst team in the league. 90mins of shit. This is when I mildly felt a bit worried - they could've won 3-1.

Newcastle. 90mins of absolute shit. Nothing more to add on that.

Burnley. Surprising 1st half, 3 goals, shit 2nd half - not a bad win.

Then Wolves.



Basically, nothing has changed since Ole. Win, draw, win, lose, draw, lose. That sort of mediocre up-and-down results.

As shit as our season has been, we've still gotten more points than we deserve. CL best example......easily coul have lost first 5 games.

",,,,,but, but Ronaldo's is a god and single handidly dragged us through" (perhaps one of the weakest groups in CL history).

 

[Carl Drogo]

@Carl Drogo @Arqueto

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Entire beginning is mugging Ronaldo off. @LEWIS540 woz rite??

 

[Arqueto]

@Carl Drogo @Arqueto

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<Lmaoo>

Holding Bernado's shirt like a Swiss dry cleaners fam.

 

[The Audience]

AWB was well regarded before he moved if i remember right, and he was quite exciting going forward; a lot of the Arsenal fans were calling to sign him when it was clear he was available.

It looks like Aubameyang's wage is proving to be his ultimate undoing and the club is trying to free up funds for someone more clinical. The word is that his exile was actioned by the higher-ups at the club; will be surprised to see him still there after January.