Today's Football

[Dallas]

Talk about doing everything the hard way Liverpool

It's almost scripted, isn't it?
To generate the most drama possible, and the most green for us traders

Its doesn't do to be of a nervous disposition and Liverpool supporter as they showed once again last night

On the flip side, I hope that 2nd half performance will help with some of there nerves and give them that confidence boost they'll need

[Wolf1877]

Apologies, no intention to deride Wolves. They're playing some great stuff this season. I lost some money, you see, so I was a bit crabby. But I think my 'pressing' comment did have some merit. Anyway, sorrry again.

No worries Greenmark. My turn to be crabby after our uncharacteristic late capitulation to Watford. That was a very hard knock to take as a die hard fan. Must have been a good one for trading but a bad one to witness right there in front of my own eyes. Still a bit of work for Nuno to do on this Wolves team. Our resident Saints fans must be hopeful of benefiting from our cup hangover next Saturday.

[CallumPerry]

Apologies, no intention to deride Wolves. They're playing some great stuff this season. I lost some money, you see, so I was a bit crabby. But I think my 'pressing' comment did have some merit. Anyway, sorrry again.

No worries Greenmark. My turn to be crabby after our uncharacteristic late capitulation to Watford. That was a very hard knock to take as a die hard fan. Must have been a good one for trading but a bad one to witness right there in front of my own eyes. Still a bit of work for Nuno to do on this Wolves team. Our resident Saints fans must be hopeful of benefiting from our cup hangover next Saturday.

VERY long journey back home last night.

[Wolf1877]

VERY long journey back home last night.

It certainly was. As always though we will keep the gold flag flying high.

[greenmark]

Odd that Chelsea to win is drifting. Would have been a banker a while ago.

[invisiblelayer]

Shocking Utd performance now. Ok a man down and 2-1 down, but you have nothing to lose. Press the ball, you're supposedley better players.

"supposedly better players" - I think you are seriously underestimating Wolves current squad. Moutinho, Neves, Boly and Jonny would walk into the United team. As a Wolves fan then I would probably only take De Gea and Rashford from the United team to improve our squad. Wolves were by far the better team in the 1-1 at Old Trafford and again at Molineux in the cup. Man Utd gave us a better game on Tuesday night and did have their chances to have beaten us as we started slowly in the first 20 minutes.

Costa was phenomenal United away wasn't he, just not happened for him really this season. I'm Stafford based now so been a few games with some Wolves fans over years not this season though. I'm waiting for MGW first goal seeing as he's local, maybe come if he throws him into Jota's position? Looks extremely talented. As a neutral I don't think Nuno did a great deal wrong, taking tired legs off and more defense minded to try and kill the game. Watford deserve full credit but that's a bad beat. Nuno is quickly building something and I'd agree wouldn't be many United players I'd take so not a surprise to all they've turned them over a few times and glad they did as nothing worse than these clowns you see locally in Man United or Liverpool shirts, no affiliation or family links to said areas *head in hands emoji*. I did go the Stoke friendly and was some fans nearly in tears Douglas sold around that time but just look at what you have now, that Vinagre looks quality and he's a backup to Jonny, there is definitely good times ahead for you lot. That can't be said for me with football, wondering if Bywater gets a 12 month extention and if we have to register our fitness coach as an outfield player again for games to make up numbers!

[rahulraj]

England’s unlikely heroics at the Fifa World Cup may have sponsors flocking to an unheralded group of players, but the savviest brands will focus on the roots of their success.

[Kafkaesque]

Odd that Chelsea to win is drifting. Would have been a banker a while ago.

From the time stamp of your post, I'm assuming your post was with around 20 min left.

It isn't that odd, if you stop and think about it. When Chelski went 1-0 up, there's basically four primary scenarios that can play out:

1) The match remains as is and it ends 1-0
2) Chelsea scores further goals and puts the match to bed
3) West Ham score the next goal or goals, but Chelsea rally back and retake the lead
4) West Ham score the next goal or goals, and they hold hold on to take at least a draw

With the pre-match probabilities being as they were, the most likely scenario would objectively be number 2, which affects the price greatly. As time passes and that scenario doesn't come to pass, it's only natural that the price stalls, and in fact reverses somewhat, as the match enters the final stages.

Yes, scenario 1 becomes more likely, but more importantly the price reverses because option number 4 becomes a more viable scenario. That was the least likely at the time of the early-ish 1-0 goal, so at this stage the percentages for that outcome is increasing rather rapidly (by football standards). Given that the likelyhood of scenario 3 is simultaneously decreasing significantly with so little time to respond if West Ham landed a sucker punch (which they nearly did, more than once).

It happens in every match where the fav is up by a single goal, and isn't playing the opponents completely off the park.

[Dallas]

You couldn't make this up but Chelsea's Danny DrinkWATER has been charged with DrinkDRIVING

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-m ... r-47864761

[Kafkaesque]

You couldn't make this up but Chelsea's Danny DrinkWATER has been charged with DrinkDRIVING

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-m ... r-47864761

...and doing so coming from a party, where they were reportedly encouraged to dress as chavs, while "playing" for a team (not so) affectionately known as chavs.

[JTEDL]

https://mobile.twitter.com/HLNinEngelan ... 62/photo/1

[Kafkaesque]

Fair warning: I'm a huge Spurs fan, and generally stay clear of their matches as I don't want a position forcing me to hope for matches to go against Spurs.

With Kane likely to be out for the CL return leg this one sits up nicely. I'm of the opinion that injuries to specific players are assigned too much value in the market. To be clear, it should play into the prices; I just think the market overreacts to it quite often. I strongly suspect this will be the case with Spurs and Kane. Whether you believe City or Spurs will draw the short straw, I think the value will be on Spurs at kickoff time, and there's liable to be value in trading against Spurs/on City prior to that, as the price might move as the talking heads on TV goes into overdrive talking up Kane's significance. Here's what they - likely - won't be telling you, giving that it doesn't fit the narrative of the great story of "Can Spurs cope without Kane?" which is the story, they're bound to be selling in the next week:

Spurs 18/19 PL only:
Points/match w Kane starting: 1.81
Points/match wo Kane starting: 3.00
Points/match all matches: 2.00
Goals scored/match w Kane starting: 1.85
Goals scored/match wo Kane starting: 2.00
Goals scores all matches: 1.88

Spurs 17/18 PL only:
Points/match w Kane starting: 2.03
Points/match wo Kane starting: 2.00
Points/match all matches: 2.03
Goals scored/match w Kane starting: 1.97
Goals scored/match wo Kane starting: 1.67
Goals scores all matches: 1.95

Spurs 16/17 PL only:
Points/match w Kane starting: 2.24
Points/match wo Kane starting: 2.33
Points/match all matches: 2.26
Goals scored/match w Kane starting: 2.38
Goals scored/match wo Kane starting: 1.89
Goals scores all matches: 2.26

Spurs total since start of 16/17 PL only:
Points/match w Kane starting: 2.03
Points/match wo Kane starting: 2.47
Points/match all matches: 2.10
Goals scored/match w Kane starting: 2.07
Goals scored/match wo Kane starting: 1.88
Goals scores all matches: 2.04

The goals number are somewhat influenced by Kane playing a big part in some routs, especially at the tail end of 16/17. The points tally though is interesting and imo an example of confirmation bias. In that if Spurs drop points, when Kane is out, the narrative is that it's in large part down to just that. The numbers, small sample or not, shows a different story though, and they're trending in the right direction.

With not a single soul in the Spurs dressing likely to have forgotten Pep's "The Harry Kane team" comment, if a CL QF isn't enough motivation, that'll mean every Spurs taking everything they got and then some to the field, even more so if Kane doesn't play.

[Kafkaesque]

https://mobile.twitter.com/HLNinEngelan ... 62/photo/1

That's positively insane

I would say though. A number of those other players would also be well away from the pack, if they were giving the circumstances, Messi has. Not as much, but they'd also look special in that chart. The most open league tactically of the five; the best team in the league by some margin; completely free role within that team and it set up to his strengths; only doing defensive work when he fancies.

Ronaldo and Neymar has some of the same conditions to work with, but still not even close, and the rest will only have those working conditions in their dreams.

[Wolf1877]

Costa was phenomenal United away wasn't he, just not happened for him really this season. I'm Stafford based now so been a few games with some Wolves fans over years not this season though. I'm waiting for MGW first goal seeing as he's local, maybe come if he throws him into Jota's position? Looks extremely talented. As a neutral I don't think Nuno did a great deal wrong, taking tired legs off and more defense minded to try and kill the game. Watford deserve full credit but that's a bad beat. Nuno is quickly building something and I'd agree wouldn't be many United players I'd take so not a surprise to all they've turned them over a few times and glad they did as nothing worse than these clowns you see locally in Man United or Liverpool shirts, no affiliation or family links to said areas *head in hands emoji*. I did go the Stoke friendly and was some fans nearly in tears Douglas sold around that time but just look at what you have now, that Vinagre looks quality and he's a backup to Jonny, there is definitely good times ahead for you lot. That can't be said for me with football, wondering if Bywater gets a 12 month extention and if we have to register our fitness coach as an outfield player again for games to make up numbers!

hi invisiblelayer. I was at all 3 united games this season. United were completely out of sorts though under Mourinho at Old Traffford. Costa set up Moutinho's equaliser at Old Trafford but other than away against Spurs at Wembley Costa has had a really disappointing season and I reckon we will be offloading him in the summer, probably along with Cavaleiro. Both good players but both have disappointed this season. For me Moutinho was the man up at Old Trafford though I think that nearly every game - absolute gem of a player - 5 foot 7 of football heaven as per his song. Given Man Utds improvement since Mourinho left and Solskjaer came in it looks like they had downed tools which is shocking really for supposed top class professionals so there is definitely a bit of an underlying attitude issue with some United players IMO and overall I just dont think they have enough quality so they have done well to stay in the top 6 IMO. Europa League next season for them IMO and on their way out of Champions League by the looks of it unless they can repeat their Paris miracle at the Nou Camp.

As regards MGW he had a great game aginst Chelsea but has been a bit inconsistent, no surprise for an 18 year old kid I guess. On selling Douglas then defensively Jonny is usually rock solid and a much, much better player than Douglas although we have still missed Douglas's phenomenal dead ball ability on corners and free kicks. Vinagre is a very talented 19 year old but definitely not so solid defensively as Jonny but offers more going forward and scored a great goal at Burton last season. Vinagre basically does as many stepovers as Cristiano Ronaldo used to do when he was 19 and first moved to Man Utd. There are rumours that Klopp has made an approach for Vinagre.

It was a great comeback by Watford and to be fair Wolves first goal was also against the run of play. What was really disappointing was how Wolves sat back those last 15 minutes of the 90 to defend the 2-0. We just seemed to lose all composure and ability to pass the ball around and keep possession and that is very, very unusual for us under Nuno.

[Euler]

Sunderland 3-3 Coventry and it's only half time!!!