Yeah I saw Celtic have a player called Frimpong. We used to have someone with that surname.

The one wonderful thing about this season is that City and Liverpool don't look as invincible (no pun intended) as they have the last few seasons. One or both may end up running away from the rest of the league as they have done, but so far, the league is wide open. Great for fans of the league. There aren't any 3 point bankers as yet.

Serie A has become utterly boring with Juve the winner every season for the last several years. PSG almost the same level of dominance. Bayern Munich with a very similar level of dominance. Utterly boring to me. It's the SPL on steroids.

I agree Liverpool and City won't run away with it but I still think they'll be the top 2 and be a good 10 points ahead of the rest. There will be more surprise results but both of those teams are well established under their respective coaches and can cater for injuries better than the rest. I think they will both have a lot more 'easy wins' - particularly City when they get in their stride. If City can get Dias/Laporte as an established CB pairing they will be hard to stop. Liverpool need to buy a CB in Jan, It felt like they might be one short after letting Lovren go in the summer, now they have VVD out for the season.

[quote="Bernard"][quote="DHD"][quote="Bernard"]
Thanks DHD. Was it Rangers? Thought it was the opposition facing either them or Celtic.[/quote]
Elliptically related at best to the Baloguns, but Celtic have a player called Frimpong in their team. Young Dutch lad of Ghanaian heritage. Wing back, I think. I'm told by my Celtic mate that he's highly regarded.[/quote]
Yeah I saw Celtic have a player called Frimpong. We used to have someone with that surname.[/quote]
Hi Bern,
Emmanuel Frimpong. The "Dench" guy. May or may not be related to this Jeremie Frimpong at Celtic.

From what we have seen so far I rate Spurs as the main challengers. The way Kane has turned provider adds a string to their bow, and once match fit, Bale will add to their already dangerous attacking options. Apart from that wobble against The Hammers they are OK at the back. And, horrible *%^@ that he is, they have a winning manager.

That's what I was worrying about. With 'that' front three, Jose's touch with the defence, and Ndombele looking like he might fulfill his potential ... However, if Kane gets injured its likely to go pear-shape.

Absolutely, the likely scenario is they finish 1,2, in no guaranteed order. I just like how its more competitive. With how the season has started and going so far, the possibility of the season being more competitive or even someone breaks them up from top 2 is better than the last couple years (if someone has a Leicester-esque season).

Hey omoh, there seems to be no middle ground with Mourinho managed sides lately. Either very good or very mediocre.
I also wouldn't count out Chelsea despite their issues. I hate to see it but Lamps is doing much better than I thought he would. As far as Man Utd, I think that project is much too big for OGS. He needs more experience.

Bit of a stretch that, Zed. Their Frimpong was born in Holland. Ours - Emmanuel - was born in Ghana but grew up on the Broadwater Estate in Tottenham, as did a number of our youth academy kids.

Tough place, the Broadwater. Tough kid, our Emmanuel. Just ask Nasri.

Also next year ends in a 1...

Hi DHD,
Yeah, just same last name doesn't mean he is a relative. Good thing Spurs didn't snap up Emmanuel.

Oh MU have quite an advantage with ref Mike Dean and VAR on their side for Sunday.

Is that a first?

MA has the entire first team on the bench................

Faith in our reserves?

Good start in terms of attitude. Final ball though....

Was there really a need for a back 5 in this game?

More like a back three with the full backs playing as wingers......................

More like a back 3, Rich. Not sure formation will be the crucial factor tonight. Composure and accuracy in attack is key

Feel like the ref has helped them out a few times with some 50/50 calls where they might have been in trouble if the ref didn’t give the free kick. That looked like a good tackle from elneny and we’d have been in on the gk from it

Snap!

The point though is you have natural defensive players pushing forward.
Nketiah, Nelson, Pépé and Willock at a push are the only real natural attacking players on the pitch.
You could play a back 4 with fullbacks pushed high and add another attacking midfielder
You need creativity and goals and 7 of the starting 11 aren’t going to give you any of that

Dundalk will run out of steam midway through the second half. They are working really hard without the ball.

Nketiah misses a sitter from 4 yards. It’s a very dull game

You would think so but they are battle hardened in Europe. We need a goal.

For me it looks more like a back four with Mustafi and Xhaka as the central defenders and Cédric plus Kolasinac as the full backs.

That was coming. 1-0 Eddie.

And 2-0 Joe Wiilock.

Screamer from Nketiah

1-0 Nketiah gets one from 4 yards now. Awful gk error

Willock 2-0

Of so AMN and Nelson are both playing left wing.

Willock has been our best player in my view. Fine finish.

Really nice finish from Willock

Don't forget Pépé..............

Pépé really should have played Willock in, he chose to shoot and the block fell to Willock exactly where he would have been if Pépé has passed it.

Willock and Nelson have been the most impressive simply because they’ve been willing to drive at them and make their defence commit to actually doing some proper defending rather than just shuffling side to side marking space

I haven’t seen much of AMN in defence.

Nketiah’s 9 goals for Arsenal have been from a total of 50 yards, averaging just over 5 yards out per goal

That brings me back to my schooldays and a game we as teenage kids organised against the neighbouring school. No ref or managers just us. At half time at 0-0 a bizarre group think took hold and we changed formation to have two left wingers!!! Which was shite for me as the right back!

Well no. But it still looks like the classic Arteta formation which is a 5-2-3 without the ball and 2-3-5 when attacking. I don’t see it as a back 4 in any way because the positions of AMN and Nelson don’t make sense for it to be a back 4. I’m not criticising players being too defensive I was questioning the need for the formation which puts 7 players on the pitch who would probably total 5 goals and 5 assists together over a season.

A beauty from Pépé

What did I say 3-0