Goalkeepers are hard to compare because each team asks/requires their keeper to do something different. Is it harder to make a lot of reflex saves in quick succession (which is Pickford's best skill), or to make one or two tough saves per game while playing on a team that dominates possession? I'd argue the latter.
Pickford is pretty good for Everton because he faces quite a few shots and he thrives on being called on to make reflex saves pretty frequently. But he can't play the ball out of the back for shit and he's prone to absolutely laughable gaffes at times. He could never play on a top team though.
Pointy end of the season time, should be a good bunch of matches this weekend.
If Burnley beat Watford (who've lost 10 straight at home) they'll be 5 points ahead of Everton, who'll have to stew on that for 24 hours before hosting Chelsea on Sunday.
I don't think anyone expects Leeds to give Man City much trouble but they're pretty desperate for points as they hover just above the relegation zone.
Liverpool visits Newcastle who are somehow in the top half of the table. Their January signings have proven to be really good buys, though Liverpool could say the same.
I actually think this makes it more likely that Ljinders sticks around, with a view to the catbird seat after Klopp's eventual departure. Not manager-in-waiting but damn close to it.
Good video from Tifo, breaking down Villareal's strategy and tactics:
We all know what a fantastic manager Emery is in knockout competitions but I didn't realize how littered their squad is with recognizable names: Raul Albiol, Capoue, Serge Aurier, Lo Celso, Albi Moreno (lol), Dani Parejo, Juan Foyth.
Tell us how you really feel.
Hard to argue tbh. The most successful English-born managers of the last two decades are all dinosaurs: Tony Pulis, Sam Allardyce, Sean Dyche, Harry Redknapp, etc. Graham Potter is probably the best English manager in the PL right now but he hasn't been able to crack the top half of the table just yet. Eddie Howe was supposed to be the next big thing, and while he's doing well lately at Newcastle, it's hard to see him sticking around once they start splashing the cash on big name players.
Wild that Burnley and Villa play each other twice in two weeks (May 7 and May 19) and that Villa may well find themselves dangerously close to the relegation zone. They've taken just one point from the last 15 available. Stevie G not exactly polishing his resumé with the way they've played since he took over.
It's pretty funny calling the Liverpool supporters on this board bandwagoners, when most of us started following this team long before any of the recent success. I remember having to track down games on Fox Sports World back in 2002. Even highlights were hard to find. (Shoutout to Jeremy St. Louis!)
Admittedly our threads on match days do have lots of shit talking about the refereeing but the standard of officiating in the PL is abysmal. This is a widely-held opinion across every fan base and pundits; I regularly hear debates about the "refereeing crisis", and how to attract higher-quality officials on the neutral soccer podcasts I listen to. At least VAR has gotten marginally better in the last couple of seasons.
FWIW, I like hearing other fans' perspectives on their team and I think most of the posters on this board are good, including our resident Southampton and Everton fan.