The Barclays Premier League Thread 2013/14

[Whisper]

Those dives were hilarious from Januzaj were hilarious.

To be fair, the first one was never a dive (unless you mean the one from the Sunderland game). The second though was embarrassing, Bale-esque. Needs to cut it out of his game the same way Ronaldo did. Hope Moyes has a word in his ear.

Edited December 22, 2013 by Whisper in the Wind

[Colly]

Yeah, that worked with Ashley Young.

[Whisper]

Which is why I said, "hopefully Moyes has a word." Rather than, "hopefully Moyes declares to the world that he's had a word, but actually clearly does fuck all."

[Colly]

G Nev is trying to defend it on Twitter with the flimsy excuse of 'getting out of the way', followed by the insane addition of 'if Ramsey had done that he wouldn't have broken his leg'.

Someone on here mentioned the slippery slope to a non contact sport, and that's it right there. Just didn't expect it from a pundit I tend to agree with usually, and an ex defender at that.

[Jimmy]

He wasn't defending him, he was pointing out that there is two sides to everything. It was a dive, and not a good one at that, but there's something in that argument. Bale got a reputation for diving, when half the time, he was just getting out of the way of taking an absolute clattering, as seemed to be the tactic a year ago. Januzaj was a bad example yesterday, but when someone comes in studs up on your ankle, I don't blame a player for jumping out of the way, but if it breaks their stride, I think it should be a foul.

I'm sure my explanation there will divide opinion, but I think Neville was just trying to show it's not quite black and white and Januzaj probably didn't have the sole intention of cheating. He did cheat and he got booked. But yeah, I think that makes some sense.

[Kaney]

I think more than half the time Bale was jumping to try and win a penalty cos he's a dirty cheating bastard

[Colly]

He wasn't defending him, he was pointing out that there is two sides to everything. It was a dive, and not a good one at that, but there's something in that argument. Bale got a reputation for diving, when half the time, he was just getting out of the way of taking an absolute clattering, as seemed to be the tactic a year ago. Januzaj was a bad example yesterday, but when someone comes in studs up on your ankle, I don't blame a player for jumping out of the way, but if it breaks their stride, I think it should be a foul.

I'm sure my explanation there will divide opinion, but I think Neville was just trying to show it's not quite black and white and Januzaj probably didn't have the sole intention of cheating. He did cheat and he got booked. But yeah, I think that makes some sense.

I do almost agree, but there's an enormous difference between stepping out of the way of a tackle, and the 'clipping your own feet together, land on your front' nonsense that Januzaj did. Neville even went so far as to suggest as it wasn't in the box why would he dive.

It is a sad fact that in a contact sport there will be the occasional bad tackle, but we can't be awarding free kicks because 'the defender might have got the man if the attacker actually went for the ball'. Hell Coloccini got booked yesterday for having the nerve to lift his foot to shin height to tackle a ball that was at shin height.

[GoGo Yubari]

In fairness, we've hardly been much of a team either. It'll be an interesting one. I think if we go 4-4-2 we'll be in a lot of trouble, and they'll run rings around us, but we'll see. Hearing Lamela might start today which would be very nice, but again, in a 4-4-2, it leaves one flank very weak defensively.

It's a 4-4-2.

Also wooo, actually getting to watch this one after having the possible good fortune of missing the last two due to driving down to and then back up from Oregon.

[Jimmy]

#thfc: Lloris; Walker, Dawson, Chiriches, Rose; Lamela, Dembele, Sigurdsson; Eriksen; Soldado, Adebayor

But as far as 4-4-2 goes, I'm excited by the people in that squad. Though, I'd have preferred another midfielder in place of a striker. It's very attacking-minded and so excited to see Lamela & Eriksen playing together, but definitely could be very fragile defensively. Should be a good game.

[Colly]

That's very very very attacking. Wowsers.

[Jimmy]

Think we're going back to the, "Uh, guess we'll just try and score more than you." Hopefully it works!

Edit: Ooh, no Luke Shaw at left back. Hopefully that might be something Lamela can take advantage of.

[Colly]

Well, you are now the only team in the league to not score more than two in a game...

[Baddar]

Suarez has scored 2 or more in a game in his last 4 matches on his own, don't you know...

[EddieG]

According to the Dutch press, Spurs want Van Gaal, either in combination with his job as national team manager until the summer, when his contract with the Dutch FA expires, or after the World Cup, appointing an interim-manager for the rest of the season.

[Jimmy]

Ade loses the ball then we are far too open. Good finish.

[GoGo Yubari]

Tim Sherwood isn't going to give me the consolation prize of hilarious GIF fodder if he's just sitting down looking like he's watching an intriguing TV show. GET IT TOGETHER, TIM SHERWOOD.

[Starvinho]

Regarding the Januzaj dive, and yes it was a dive and I'm not defending it, but it is understandable that he went down. James Collins, an absolute beast, comes in to clatter a skinny pip-squeak of a kid and pulls out at the last second, what is Januzaj suppose to do? If Collins follows through with that challenge and Januzaj doesn't go down then it's gonna hurt the lad badly. The one against Sunderland was a lot worse because he was clearly just trying to win a penalty, but the one yesterday looks a lot worse than it actually was. Januzaj just has to toughen up I suppose, he'll fair a lot better once he matures into an adult and gains some muscle strength, he'll hopefully be able to handle himself better then. If he needs someone to model himself on, look no further than Antonio Valencia, he was a skinny kid who turned himself to an absolute beast with a bit of hard work in the gym.

[Asuka's Gonna Kill You]

Super goal!

[Jimmy]

2 strikers is the future!!! Clever from Lamela to start that off.

[GoGo Yubari]

Great combination from Adebayor and Soldado.