2016/2017 Premier League Season Thread

[War Machine Dawg]

Arsenal played to a 1-1 draw against the Spuds in the North London Derby. The November Fade begins, it would seem. Going to be a hell of a fight for the title this season with at least 4-5 teams all looking like legitimate contenders. It's also going to be fun to see what the contenders try to do in the upcoming January transfer window.

Hull finally ended their losing skid with a 1-0 defeat of Southampton. It's Mike Phelan's first W since being named permanent manager. Hopefully the sale of the team goes through soon and we can strengthen the team some in January and avoid relegation.

[Liverpooldawg]

Now that we are finally nearly rid of this international crap for a while we get to one of the KEY stages of the EPL season, the festive season madness. It will be interesting to see who can hold together as the domestic fixtures begin to come thick and fast.

[DudyDawg]

Now that we are finally nearly rid of this international crap for a while we get to one of the KEY stages of the EPL season, the festive season madness. It will be interesting to see who can hold together as the domestic fixtures begin to come thick and fast.

Yup. Any signings you want the reds to pursue come January? Left back maybe.

[Liverpooldawg]

Left or center back, or both. Cover for Mane would be nice as well. We KNOW he will miss a month soon due to more international BS at the African Cup of Nations.

[Liverpooldawg]

I hear we may go for a winger. It doesn't look like we will breakdown Southampton. It's 0-0 in the 87th.

[Liverpooldawg]

0-0. The spell at the top may not last long.

[Liverpooldawg]

Well, that's the kind of gut it out win you have to get a lot of to win the league. Liverpool 2 Sunderland 0. The cost was VERY high though. If that injury to #10 was as bad as it looked that may cost us a shot at the title. We need him. It was encouraging that they broke down the parked double decker eventually without him.

[Liverpooldawg]

The coolest thing from our game this morning was what Klopp did when the crowd kind of got on Henderson for making a bad pass. He came charging out of the dugout and started lambasting the crowd. Then he started inciting the crowd. Anfield was sort of in that here we go again funk it has been in all to often the last two decades. By the time Klopp was done it was roaring. The first goal followed shortly thereafter. The man is MADE for Liverpool.

[DudyDawg]

After beating atletico 3-0 last week with a Ronaldo hat trick, we secured a R16 spot in the champs league and beat Sporting today behind 2 from Ronaldo. 31 games unbeaten under Zidane, a guy who's never been a head coach is pretty special.

As for the EPL, 8 have to say my favorites are Chelsea right now. Since conte moved them to a 3-4-3 like he ran with Juve, they've been just about impossible to score on. Liverpool has an outside shot at the title, but I'm not sure they have the staying power just yet. Or the defense to win games 1-0 when their Offense struggles. 1-2 January buys and I think Liverpool is right in the thick of it. Should be a very exciting spring.

Also, anyone else paying attention to what's going on in Germany? RB Leipzig is leading the league and the likes of Bayern and Dortmund after being promoted last year. Makes Leicester's season last year look normal! Would be amazing if they won the title just out of pure insanity factor. Very wild past couple of years indeed

[Liverpooldawg]

17 Chelski, the Russian bastards.

[War Machine Dawg]

Arsenal defeated Bournemouth 3-1 and keeps pace with the leaders. The Gunners are now up to 18 straight without a loss. One more match and we may escape the infamous November Curse for the first time in ages. And Arsenal fans were happy to see Granit Xhaka in the starting 11. He made a huge impact and his distributing the ball was a nice replacement of Cazorla. I think everyone still wants to see a Ramsey-Xhaka pairing, but as long as Xhaka is playing I'll be happy. He's a stud. It sucks that Wenger hasn't put him out there every week yet.

Hull tied with West Brom and remain in the dreaded relegation zone. Injuries have been a nightmare.

[Liverpooldawg]

Coutinio out for at least 6 weeks. Not as bad as first feared but that's still a long time to be without someone if his caliber.

[Liverpooldawg]

A name to remember: Ben Woodburn. He became Liverpool's youngest ever goal scorer against Leeds yesterday in the League Cup. Liverpool have been trying to keep him under wraps but I don't think that's going to last much longer. He is 17 and this is his second year in the under 23 set up. He is training with the big club at Mellwood now. With the current injury crisis he may get a few more 1st team appearances during the festive rush. It's good to see some Acadamy products breaking into the first team again (Woodburn isn't the only one). The only real ones since Gerrard and Owen were Jay Spearing, who didn't last long before being sold, and Jon Flannigan, who has been hurt for two years.

[DudyDawg]

El Classico was today. I questioned Zidane's subs, and EL CAPITANNNNNN equalized in the 90th at the camp nou against the ****s; 33 games unbeaten, 6 points clear in Spain. We've been killed by injuries and still had a hell of a year. I hope you guys watched the football game that is better than the super bowl.

[Liverpooldawg]

El Classico was today. I questioned Zidane's subs, and EL CAPITANNNNNN equalized in the 90th at the camp nou against the ****s; 33 games unbeaten, 6 points clear in Spain. We've been killed by injuries and still had a hell of a year. I hope you guys watched the football game that is better than the super bowl.

YAWN....It ain't ENGLAND! LOL........sort of. I have more interest in Altrincham. That's me though. I'm a confirmed Anglophile, and not just in football.

[Liverpooldawg]

Disaster on the South Coast: Bournemouth 4 Liverpool 3.

[WeWonItAll(Most)]

Also, anyone else paying attention to what's going on in Germany? RB Leipzig is leading the league and the likes of Bayern and Dortmund after being promoted last year. Makes Leicester's season last year look normal! Would be amazing if they won the title just out of pure insanity factor. Very wild past couple of years indeed

I somewhat pay attention to the Bundesliga since FS1 airs some of their games. If I recall, RB Leipzig is cheating the hell out of the German system, which requires community ownership of the team. Most Germans that aren't Leipzig fans despise them for not running the club "the German way." There's also some old East vs West German sentiment mixed in there too, with them being one of two Bundesliga teams from what was East Germany.

It would be nice for there to be some more threats to Bayern's supremacy in that league, so I welcome their arrival.

ETA: here's an article that explains it much better than me:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/football/2016/sep/08/why-rb-leipzig-has-become-the-most-hated-club-in-german-football?client=safari

[War Machine Dawg]

Hell of a week for Arsenal. The Gunners thrashed West Ham 5-1 at London Stadium. Alexis went HAM (pun intended) with a hat trick and 1 assist. Mesut Ozil added his 8th goal of the campaign. The 3 points collected sees the Gunners move into sole possession of 2nd place in the EPL.

In UCL action, Arsenal rolled Basel 4-1 in Basel. New boy Lucas Perez got a hat trick and Alex Iwobi added the other score. With Ludogorets stunning PSG for a draw, Arsenal topped Group A and should theoretically get an easier draw in the round of 16. Stand up for the Arsenal!!!

[Liverpooldawg]

0-1 over the Bluenoses! Always good to win The Derby.

[WeWonItAll(Most)]

Man, this thread's dying..

I've always liked the 3 defender, Italian style of soccer. So Chelsea has been a lot of fun to watch this season. That being said, I'm happy that Tottenham slowed their roll today. I want a close race at the end for the title.

Conversely, for a team who's only aim is to get 40 points a season and grind out 1-0 wins or 0-0 draws, and play the most unattractive soccer on Earth, West Brom is putting together a hell of a season. I admittedly haven't seen them play one time this season.