Bris Vegas

I missed this post. Exactly how I feel it should be done. Makes the most sense.

The obvious solution to the FA Cup is simple. Prior to kick-off, ask teams whether they want a one-off game or the possibility of a replay. A one-off game can only ensue if the decision is unanimous in favor of a one-off game. Most PL and Championship teams will favor one-off games so you will get plenty of all PL one-off ties but it gives the smaller clubs a bigger chance of a payday.

I’ve lost a lot of interest in boxing since the decline of the welterweight division. The heavyweight scene peaked interest for a while but since Saudi came about the prized fighters are just holding everything up. Boxing was better when Eddie was just UK based and we had decent UK shows. His expansion into the US and move away from Sky affected UK boxing in a bad way and then the Saudi money has made it worse, despite the Matchroom/Queensbury love-in.

Looks like England’s chances of getting the 5th CL spot is over now. Villa are probably the last team left in European competition after this week.

£600+ to watch about 5 or 6 home wins all season, which of those will be tedious, nail-biting affairs where you’re wishing for the final whistle to arrive as opposed to actually enjoying the football. How is that worth it?

Bolton have had a monumental drop off in form. Since February they have only won 6 in 17 games, picking up 26 points. Over a season that isn’t even top 9 form. Usually 2 points a game is the requirement for automatic promotion. Not this year. Whoever goes up in the playoffs is finishing bottom of the Championship next season

Mane was in his prime at Liverpool. Núñez is only 24. A bit of perspective is needed. Núñez has come up with some crucial goals for Liverpool this season, scoring last-minute winners at Newcastle and Forest. He was also the first player this season to reach both 10 goals and 10 assists in the Premier League, which is usually reserved for KDB or Salah.

As long as I get the important things right, I don’t mind going wrong on some of the smaller details.

I have a 50/1 accumulator I do every season looking pretty good. Derby promotion is included in that 😀 But I didn’t realize the season had already finished.

Crazy talk. Liverpool have got some brilliant players - Allison, Van Dijk, Salah, McAllister and Robertson would get in any side in the PL. Jota, Konate, Szoboszlai, Trent and Diaz are all top quality too. City have a core group of world class players in Dias, Rodri, KDB, Foden, Walker, Bernardo Silva and Haaland (Stones, Gvardiol and Ederson are top quality too) but I don’t think Liverpool or Arsenal would look at Akanji, Doku, Ake, Alvarez, Grealish, Bobb, Lewis, Nunes or Kovacic as players that would improve them.

They do seem to come into their own at this time of year. Both Liverpool and Arsenal losing is big too, as if either had drawn, they could at least still have GD on their side. You do get the feeling Arsenal and Liverpool will have to go 6/6 now, because while I don’t see City winning all six, you’re asking a lot for them to drop points in two games. City could afford their annual loss at Spurs if their rivals also drop more points.

City won’t win all 6. They never score at Spurs, let alone win, and with CL and FA Cup games too their schedule is hectic. Today was a big surprise though. I thought the others may slip up in an away game, not at home. City probably can’t believe their luck.

Very few away teams do. It’s a big week for Liverpool. They have a mountain to climb in Atalanta before playing 3 PL away games on the spin in a week. Their season could seriously crumble in the next two weeks. I had them down to win the title, but I’m edging towards Arsenal now. City’s fixture pile up will catch up with them, especially if they go far in the CL.

I mean, I did write that it applies outside the PL, as with all the riches in the world the best players at the likes of City, Liverpool and Arsenal have technical ability + physicality in abundance. But sure, you go ahead and write a snarky ‘got you’ comment. 🤷‍♂️

The original post was that physical teams score more goals from corners and set-pieces than technical teams which was in response to a post praising our ability at set-pieces. I don’t even know why this would trigger the volatile reaction. In this thread alone there are several posts with strong and personal remarks about Warne and some of the players. Far harsher than anything I write. Yet I post something and suddenly I’m trolling, or people are quick to cry about it.

Nobody expects a full flair side of 5 ft 6 players, likewise nobody expects a team of 6ft 3 cloggers. Even Mick McCarthy’s Ipswich had some technical players like McGoldrick and Judge. Just because Warne has signed Joel Ward doesn’t mean he doesn’t prefer a physical side. And claiming Kane Wilson is technical. The guy is nicknamed the buffalo for a reason. He is a bulldozer, no technique about him. Warne clearly favors a physical team over a technical one. And it hasn’t served him badly in League One as he closing in on four promotions. But in most cases, it doesn’t serve you well in the Championship. I feel he will either need to change his approach, or somehow hope Clowes gives him a top half budget to compete. Warne + a bottom half budget = likely battle against relegation.

I think it’s largely the thought of seeing Sheff Wed and Plymouth, two sides who looked better than the current Derby side, struggle to hit 50 points in the Championship. I see us currently weaker than teams like QPR, Huddersfield and Wednesday so we will need to have a decent summer (or a manager who can excel on a budget) to give us a chance next season.

I said Warne is closer to McCarthy than McClaren. Are you saying that statement is wrong? I’d like to see the evidence that shows Warne prefers flair over physicality.

It will be interesting to see the type of player Warne wants. So far our signings under him scream physicality, which in fairness we did need after being a soft touch at times last season. But next season, we will need more control to compete. Trying to just outwork and outrun teams at Championship level won’t work, but I’m sure Warne is aware of this having been relegated with Rotherham twice playing that way.

The original point I made was that more physical sides are better at set-pieces than technical sides. For some reason you claim this is drivel when it’s pretty evident, especially outside of PL level where the riches allow Liverpool and City to have players who possess both. Warne evidently favors physicality over technical ability. The reason why Adams looks technical is because he is playing a league below. Derby’s players are better than most at this level, regardless of physical attributes. Adams didn’t cut it at Championship level with Cardiff yet League One appears a breeze for him. Warne has succeeded by getting us to at least match, often overcome the opponent’s physical attributes while seeing our higher individual quality come through. We have won countless games this season just through individual quality - the sort of quality the opponents don’t possess. At Championship level we won’t be able to rely on that, because with a lower half budget, we’ll likely come up against opponents of better individual quality.

Luton have done pretty decent too. But you are looking at only a few examples over the past 20 years or so. There are far more examples of technical teams progressing and achieving success than physical. Ideally you would like a blend of both. I think McClaren initially actually saw that weakness from Clough’s side and thus added height/strength in Thorne, Wisdom, Whitbread and Keane.

So you think we are more of a technical side under Warne than a physical one? At League One level we simply have better players than the rest. Yet largely we still don’t dominate possession and play through teams. That’s not a bad thing. Warne will get us promoted this season, no doubts, and he deserves credit for that. But claiming his style of play is more technical than physical is just laughable.

It’s difficult to be a good footballing side and good at set-pieces, especially outside of PL level. I don’t mean this in a trolling way, but we were never going to be a good set-piece side under the McClaren days when we had decent footballing players like Hughes, Ward, Bryson, Dawkins, Russell etc. We simply didn’t have the height or physicality. But you look at cloggers like Mick McCarthy’s Ipswich and of course they looked far more dangerous at set-pieces. We know Warne is more McCarthy than McClaren. We know Warne will favor physicality over flair. So it’s refreshing to see us become decent at set-pieces, but no doubt it will come at a cost of flair, technical ability and fluidity on the ball - especially at Championship level when we get there.

Forest getting less points than last season despite the league being easier is just bonkers. I had them down to win today. Still think they will beat two of Burnley, Sheff Utd and Chelsea mind. So another 7-8 points seems realistic. Luton need to win 3 games to really put the pressure on.

Corner County 3-0 Leyton Orient That was a decent all round performance. And as expected, rivals dropped points elsewhere. The draw at Wycombe was a good point. A win at Cambridge and Carlisle will be a big party.