Segun Oluwaniyi

How many times in your time watching football have you seen an indirect free-kick given for a dangerous play in the box? Dangerous play in the box, especially with contact, in the box is just a penalty in most cases. Tarkowski has just blatantly kicked a 6 foot tall player in the head. Denying the penalty is a ludicrous decision.

The recent versions of Barcelona always seem to lack athleticism, intensity, and solidity when playing against other top sides.

No, the club has been relegated twice in recent memory, and any positive changes that resulted were exceedingly temporary. These were fortunate times as well; the lower divisions are where "big clubs" go to die, and become "small clubs" within a generation. When some people say they want the club to go down, there is an element of optimism in the statement, as though this a just rewards for its current stewards that will lead to a brighter future, free of conmen like Ashley and Bruce, reborn as a competitive entity. The reality may be significantly bleaker than that. The club may slide into the abyss for the decade(s).

BBC has pronounced "Iheanacho" about five different ways, all of them incorrect. Leicester are such an impressive side. They have depth in every position, equal to any of the top sides. Justin, Barnes, and Maddison all injured, Vardy not scoring, and still capable of performances like that. Juxtaposed against what happens when Wilson, Saint-Maximin and Almiron are unavailable or off-form.

Funnily enough, two of the moments that made me despise VAR the most were decisions against Spurs. The one last year where a Kane goal was disallowed because a Sheffield United player blatantly fouled Lucas Moura causing the ball to tap his forearm and the Dier handball nonsense from the NUFC match earlier this season. The corruption of the rules around handballs, penalties, red cards, etc. to suite to realities of VAR are significantly more concerning than offside calls, imo. The one aspect of VAR I do not really mind is offside calls that can be seen with the naked eye, as was the case with the Manchester City goal. If VAR was just for this, I may support it. The celebration aspect is understood, but marginal offside calls have been taking away goal since football was something I watched, played, and understood. Frankly, the reverse situation can be entertaining and just too, such as the Shelvey goal against Sheffield United last year or the last minute winner for Leicester against Everton last year, which were initially incorrectly called offside. My problem with the offside aspect is the attempt to decide to the millimetre when this is not even possible with the tools available.

So pleased for Kelechi, it has been a rough time for him at Leicester, but I have been watching the boy since he was 15 or 16 and the talent is not a question. Hope he can put his career back on the direction it needs to be. Sheffield are genuinely shameful, though. They will not be missed from this league. I do not get the impression they will be competing with NUFC for promotion next season, either. It looks a broken club.

We are still searching for the attacking position suiting a player that cannot competently shoot, pass, or cross the ball.

Well deserved point, Villa were actually significantly worse than Newcastle somehow. Very poor. It will be hard to stay up with these attacking players. No quality, and very little plan of what to do. Joelinton especially needs to play in midfield or sit on the bench, he is scared to score or even shoot. Fraser has generally been terrible as well. There are three actual attacking talents at the club: Almiron, Saint-Maximin, and Wilson; everything depends on their fitness and what they can produce. Every match with Joelinton, Fraser, and/or Gayle playing is a step to relegation.

I truly do not understand how Krafth consistently plays for this team.

Even more fun when you know that he was a fantastic defender, but because we didn't feel he fit in with what we think a central defender should look like, he must be unsuited to British football. He left because he didn't follow Rafa's instructions Yeah, at the end of things, Rafa didn't want to play him for whatever reason and the club was not wanting for quality centreback play while he was manager. Like Mbabu, it was a poor economic decision, given the way the player developed and the low return on investment, but would not be a problem if Rafa was still here building. I have always been a fan of Chancel though, and it has been intriguing seeing him as a fairly dynamic midfielder for DR Congo while being strictly a defender in Europe. Boy is definitely talented too, I hope things continue to progress well for him.

How? Think that’s a great idea tbh. Should have been the law from the start. so at attacker could be at full pelt with the defender moving up to play him off, if his trailing leg during the sprinting motion is in line with the defender he's onside? sounds worse than now tbh It'll be just as bad, stupid fucking lines being drawn etc. Do it like the Dutch if you have to have VAR. Thick lines, and if the lines touch, then go with whatever the original call was. Makes sure it's closer to clear and obvious that it was originally being touted for. Also, get rid of VAR for keepers off their lines. They've literally got an official watching just that. If he can't call it, then let the keeper off. While we're at it, get rid VAR all together actually. It would be better for me if we just remove the lines entirely. I do not trust or believe in them anyway; it is a technology with a relatively large margin of error being used to measure millimetres. Have the official call offside and let VAR intervene if is demonstrably wrong to the human eye. The rules of football were generally OK before VAR, we should not change them to suit it. This is what has led to the several laughable interpretations of the handball rule in the last 2-3 years.

It's more a comment on the Premier League's dip in quality this season. If Solskjaer can have a team in its title race, then it can't be good. I do not want to comment on Ole's ability in this statement, but Man U is on pace to finish with less points than they did in 2017-18 and have less points after 19 matchdays than they did in that season as well. They are on good form at this moment, but I caution anyone drawing long term conclusions from any of this. Peaks and troughs have been the normal situation for this club since Ferguson left, the difference being there is no dominant side in 2020-21. This season is still anyone's to take and the fixture list will only get more ludicrous going forward. I genuinely believe any club in the top ten could find themselves in or out of the "title race" with a couple of positive or negative results in a row.

Spent five minutes trying to understand how the ref missed Vardy being offside for the first ball, before realising it was a goal kick.

07-08 Equally as pitiful.

Derby 08-09 redux.

Do not understand why Spurs are so bad at defending set pieces. The majority of the points they have dropped this season have been from set piece goals in the second half. It is a big side with a defensively oriented manager, no obvious reason for it. I think it is fairly clear that Toney's knee is ahead of Sissoko. Very harsh, but what is VAR for, if not for harsh decisions that no one would have complained about three years ago? Son has been the best player in England this season. Another clinical goal.

Fulham were the better team for the entirety of match outside of ten seconds hwere Aina slipped and Almiron/Wilson caused the penalty/red. Football can be cruel. Newcastle have no idea how to attack. The effort to win against 10 for such a 30+ minutes was genuinely abysmal.

Supporters seem more interested in Kroenke and those responsible for recruitment, tbh. Most of them were true believers in what Arteta was building after the FA Cup run.

English football wasn't readily available when I was a youth, so the first great Premier League side I had the chance to really watch consistently was the Invincicles in 2004. To see Arsenal in the condition they are now is incredible. It seems a broken club (not dissimilar to Newcastle), none of the signings have worked and the manager looks lost. This side could genuinely get relegated.

Two great finishes, but Sheffield U have not been alert at all to either of those runs in behind. Thinking of those two and the Vardy winner a couple of matches ago, quick forwards easily getting in behind the defensive line in match situations when it really should not be happening.

Score draw. Fulham will have more of the play, but Lookman, Reid, and Cavaleiro will be wasteful and Wilson will score.

He has absolutely no chance. Cracks will start to show soon. As a manager of a modern day football club you can't go to rivals and just refuse to attack. 24% possession. Conceded 11 shots on target. Tries to claim the best team lost. It is strange that a team that refuses to attack would score 6 at Old Trafford, create plenty of chances against Liverpool, and defeat Manchester City. I do not understand the aversion some have to counter-attacking football, it is a legitimate way of playing against certain opposition and Ole's Manchester United are another side that look better when they have less of the possession and can counter against the top sides.

Are you allowed to set a basketball style pick on set pieces? Henderson purposefully blocks off Dier for the goal. I am not sure he needs to fall, but the contact was clearly done with intent. Actually, that sort of pick would not even be permitted in basketball as it was with the arm and the the player's back.

Spurs had two point blank chances to score, first half was Liverpool, but the second was quite even.

Lucas? Yeah, he seems to have fallen down the order a bit, but any of them would be better than Bergwijn going forward, I think. Seems like Jose picked him because he can function best as a second fullback while Kane and Son score the goals, but it is not sustainable, even compared to previous Mourinho teams. Guy nearly scores as I type this.