Premier League 2024/25 (Part 2)

[jaffod]

Just dawned on me that after City away we will have played 3 more away games than home games and will have played 6 out of the last 8 away from Anfield. All 6 difficult for varying reasons.

[Quicksand]

The fixtures computer is random though?
Isn’t it???

[redalways]

You’ll be glad for it once we’ve played City and no team has come closer to closing the gap.

[Sweeting]

@Quicksand

The fixtures computer is random though?
Isn’t it???

It’s not random, it has a lot of considerations programmed in. In the end there really isn’t that many different combinations it can throw out.

[jaffod]

@redalways

You’ll be glad for it once we’ve played City and no team has come closer to closing the gap.

I’d be very surprised if that’s the case though. We have Wolves at home then Villa and City away in the space of 4 days. Arsenal only have Leicester away and West Ham at home in the same period.
Only the most optimistic among us would expect 9 points from 9. I’d take 7 points right now but wouldn’t be at all surprised if it was only 4 or 5.
After City Arsenal will have a game in hand on us, there’s a real possibility they’ll be breathing right down our neck. I hope not but it’s possible.

[redalways]

I mean to be fair in a very real way, we have 3 opportunities to get points while they only have 2. Even if we draw 2 and win 1 the most they could gain on us is 1 point, and that’s if they can win both of their games, which isn’t a given.

Right now, I still say that the way things are looking, only PGMOL can stop us.

[Arminius]

@Quicksand

The fixtures computer is random though?
Isn’t it???

It is a lot more complex than random. It embeds logic to keep major fixtures in the same city apart, keeps ‘big games’ away from certain weekends (opening weekend in particular), other policing constraints, and an index that rates broadcast appeal of the set of fixtures that fall on a given weekend in order to deliver consistency to the rights-holders.

[Sithbare]

Pure RNG doesn’t exist.

Ok. Enough of tech talk.

[dalglish]

Yep and hence 3 points versus Wolves is non negotiable

[toro]

People are - rightfully - reacting emotionally to the Everton match. It was frustrating.

But analytically, it was still a good point. We haven’t won many matches there over the past decade, so taking a point is fine. We aren’t going to win every match. This is a good one not to win if you know what I mean.

At Anfield, we are 8-2-1. Away from Anfield, we are 9-4-0.

That’s impressive.

[mattyhurst]

Arsenal actually drew to them which is a first time that’s happened that our main rival also faced a draw.

I said it was a free hit before the game, I think if it hadn’t ended like it had or we had come back from 2-1 I may have thought that on the conclusion.

[RER]

Arsenals attacking options for at least the next month have 7 league goals between them and no real options to come off the bench. Likewise there longest winning run is 3 games im struggling to see how a team with no real goals in it is going to churn 5 or 6 straight wins.

[Jackbenimble]

Ive never seen a teams fanbase find fault with it as much as we do and bull up the rivals. Arsenal fans have become insufferable but you wont get them saying we will only get 5 points from next 3 games and Liverpool will win all there’s. Is it a way of not becoming too confident maybe but its very strange.

[koptician]

@Jackbenimble

Ive never seen a teams fanbase find fault with it as much as we do and bull up the rivals. Arsenal fans have become insufferable but you wont get them saying we will only get 5 points from next 3 games and Liverpool will win all there’s. Is it a way of not becoming too confident maybe but its very strange.

I think it has to do with the number of close-but-no-cigar moments we’ve had in recent times…starting with Gerard Houllier’s 2nd placed reds, then Rafa’s, then famously Rogers’ (poor Stevie), and of course Jurgen’s two one-point finishes. It’s just made us very guarded.

[koptician]

@RER

Arsenals attacking options for at least the next month have 7 league goals between them and no real options to come off the bench. Likewise there longest winning run is 3 games im struggling to see how a team with no real goals in it is going to churn 5 or 6 straight wins.

Really hope you’re right @RER !

[RER]

Likewise Arsenal could set there own unwanted record of been the 1st team to finish 2nd 3 straight years.

[koptician]

Stevie’s slip has t stopped hurting for me. More feeling bad for him than us winning the title. He has given so much to the club as a player. He didn’t deserve that. Fuck you Mourinho!

[RER]

A clear a example of this is AFTV latest video Liverpool stumble even though we extend the lead.

[Nikola]

@koptician

I think it has to do with the number of close-but-no-cigar moments we’ve had in recent times…starting with Gerard Houllier’s 2nd placed reds, then Rafa’s, then famously Rogers’ (poor Stevie), and of course Jurgen’s two one-point finishes. It’s just made us very guarded.

This. It doesn’t like it at the moment but it will be a closely fought title race. I don’t think Arsenal are a better side than Liverpool at the moment (at full strength, they might be, though). However, their style has changed to one that is pragmatic and they have the league’s strongest defence, it’s quite suitable to grinding out single-goal margin wins while their big guns are absent.

[redalways]

@Nikola

However, their style has changed to one that is pragmatic and they have the league’s strongest defence, it’s quite suitable to grinding out single-goal margin wins while their big guns are absent.

That has not been in evidence over the past 24 games.

I get the worry, but win our games and we win the league. It’s as simple as that.