Black Cat Bone

They weren't good enough were they.

It was a crunch game and I feel that they need City to slip up now. Still, there's more than enough time for a another twist to the tale.

There is, but it does feel like City have had their blip and that they're just going to get stronger through the run in.

An interesting derby match - Liverpool clearly better for the first 30-40 minutes, Everton better in the last half hour. Liverpool created more chances but we defended well and minimised the risks much better than we have all season. Silva finally went without Gomes (ooh, who was advising that a month or so ago?) and we just looked better balanced in midfield throughout.

As for Liverpool - they've hit a bit of a wall. They really struggle without Firmino (who is very much the 'brains' of the front six players) and Salah is just struggling to convert chances he takes with aplomb generally. They have, however, still only lost one league game all season and are clearly a very difficult team to score against. I was surprised with the subs too - Lallana instead of Shaqiri seemed an odd choice (and the Liverpool fans I was watching the game with certainly thought so too) and Milner for Wijnaldum is also not exactly stretching for a win either. But I wouldn't be too disheartened if I was a Liverpool fan - which, thank fuck, I am not.

The remaining fixtures do favour Man City though - they don;t have as many teams who may be battling for their lives left to play, so will probably get more 'easy' games. But the balance of that is that they are still involved in the FA Cup, so will have to play more football (especially if Liverpool don't progress beyond Bayern in the Champions League). It will be very tight I'm sure - but if you are a Man City player right now, you'd be feeling confident because you know your team has handled this pressure before. Now is the time for Liverpool to show they can too.

Diamond Dog wrote:CR?

FFS

caramba wrote:

Diamond Dog wrote:CR?

FFS

Well if you insist on this capitalisation/acronym thing, what do you expect? why not just write Ranieri? Is it that more difficult?

Diamond Dog wrote:

caramba wrote:

Diamond Dog wrote:CR?

FFS

Well if you insist on this capitalisation/acronym thing, what do you expect? why not just write Ranieri? Is it that more difficult?

1) You're the only person who seems to struggle to understand others' use of short-form caps in articles where the capitalized person's name/entity has already been written out in full one or more times.

2) I don't work for the Royal Mail and am not answerable to you in any way, shape or form.

3) You don't run the board and have no more say in what constitutes correct usage than anyone else here.

Had it up to here with your belligerence today. Fuck off and try and bully someone else for a change.

Fucking wanker! lol

Diamond Dog wrote:The four way fight for third place is going to be exciting, isn't it, kiddies?

It really is

I thought United looked pretty clueless against Wolves at times. As much as OGS has obviously been brilliant, I'm sure many fans might think that he won't have the cutting edge to take them to the very top. They were played off the park by PSG at Old Trafford and really should have lost that tie - I can't see them beating Barca.

It would be particularly cruel on OGS if they weren't going to take him, but as Jeremy Wilson points out in the Telegraph today, I'm sure that they'd want Pochettino in the long term.

They were fucking awful against Wolves. They looked like the Mourinho team of three months ago. No cohesion, no drive, players making very poor decisions, and generally looking lacklustre throughout. I also think Rashford (and a couple of others who I can't remember) were very lucky to stay on the pitch - there were at least three both beet up, studs showing, player leaving the ground challenges. Very ill disciplined.

Although he was one of many, I keep seeing Lingard have that type of game time and again, where he just hovers on the periphery and never makes one solid or significant contribution to the game. I just don't see what the hullabaloo is with him.

I'm beginning to wonder if it is Liverpool's year.... another late goalkeeping error at Anfield secures their three points, having been outclassed in large parts of the second half by Spurs.

That was their hardest game of the games left. Knowing them, I’m sure they’ll lose to Cardiff.

The decision by VVD to leave Sissoko to go onto score was utterly brilliant. What a defender he is.

Toby wrote:The decision by VVD to leave Sissoko to go onto score was utterly brilliant. What a defender he is.

He certainly thinks clearly - however, Sissoko really had to challenge him and at least try to put it onto his right foot. But that's it I suppose - a natural player against a manufactured player.

I know Carragher went on about Spurs playing five at the back at the start but he was absolutely right. It's a numbers game and five against three doesn't work (you get over run in midfield) or three against three doesn't work (you get beaten at the back). You have to play with a back four against a team with three up top. The weird thing is - everyone knows that's what Liverpool are going to do...so why start with five at the back? Strange decision. He changed it after half an hour but that 30 minutes was really the only time Liverpool were dominant - hd Spurs started with a back four, it's very much open to question whether Liverpool get in front in that game.

Liverpool looked dead and buried after 20 minutes last night. They keep digging their way out of trouble.

Toby wrote:Liverpool looked dead and buried after 20 minutes last night. They keep digging their way out of trouble.

They do. And Man City keep responding.

Without question, these are the best two teams we've ever seen in one season in the EPL. Most other years, they'd have the title wrapped up handsomely by now. That they are slugging it out like a titanic boxing match, is a credit to them both. One of them is going to end up incredibly disappointed.

Next weekend may just prove pivotal, after the Champions League this week. Man City face a potentially difficult away fixture at Crystal Palace, and Liverpool will need to overcome the spectre of Slippy and Chelsea at home the day afterwards at Anfield. From those results, I think the winner will emerge.

Man City came through the game against Spurs yesterday, but have to be considered fortunate. Certainly Spurs created more chances, and good chances at that. The pressure really was very evident in the final 15 minutes or so - I still favour them slightly, but one mistake (by either them or Liverpool) and the other will win the title. It's so tight and thrilling to watch... especially as a fan of neither

Taxi for Ole

Diamond Dog wrote:Man City came through the game against Spurs yesterday, but have to be considered fortunate. Certainly Spurs created more chances, and good chances at that. The pressure really was very evident in the final 15 minutes or so - I still favour them slightly, but one mistake (by either them or Liverpool) and the other will win the title. It's so tight and thrilling to watch... especially as a fan of neither

I think that City are now slight favourites for the title, since the CL semi defeat. That will give them the extra push, and a game or two off.
Liverpool, with their eye on the CL final could slip in the league.
But the only certainty is that City wont do the quadruple now.

Toby wrote:Taxi for Ole

I think they need a minibus - for Pogba, Sanchez, Young, Martial, Matic, Jones, Dalot, De Gea.... in fact, make it a double decker.

Diamond Dog wrote:

Toby wrote:Taxi for Ole

I think they need a minibus - for Pogba, Sanchez, Young, Martial, Matic, Jones, Dalot, De Gea.... in fact, make it a double decker.

Lukaku, Smalling, Rojo, Valencia, Mata, Lingard, Fred....