Unai Emery

[olaftab]

Gerrard’s match preparation was the same as anyone on here posting comments on a pre-match thread.

I AM INSULTED 

I agree. Comment from BW is very harsh for the entire H&V community. I want it withdrawn with an unreserved apology. made now. forthwith. immediately.

[Dave]

Pound for pound is the right phrase, I think he's pound for pound the best manager in the world right now.

I would have included De Zerbi in that conversation, but in boxing terms after the weekend he's flat on his back seeing stars, like Anthony Joshua getting in the ring with prime Mike Tyson.

It was like Homer getting in the ring with Drederick Tattum.

Saturday confirmed my suspicion that he can setup a team to attack but in doing so he leaves a lot of gaps for the opposition to exploit. He's been there for just over a full season (39 league games now) and they've conceded 62 goals, that makes for some exciting games and the 80 goals they've scored do hide it a little bit but elite teams don't concede 1 and a half a game.

You could put it down to Brighton having poor defenders but his record in Serie A is similar.

For contrast Emery has conceded 37 in 32 with us and that includes terrible results against Leicester, Arsenal and Newcastle accounting for more than a third of them.

Think they've now conceded more than everyone but Sheffield Utd this season, and theirs is only warped by that 8-0 versus Newcastle.

[paul_e]

Think they've now conceded more than everyone but Sheffield Utd this season, and theirs is only warped by that 8-0 versus Newcastle.

I'd been holding back on criticising their defence until after we played them (for obvious reasons) but it amused me when they did a side-by-side of De Zerbi and Emery on Saturday and had a 'goals per game' value but completely ignored the defensive side of things. It's as if the entire subject has been made taboo so they can just claim how fucking amazing him and Brighton are. I get it, people like to see good attacking football and loads of goals but, as entertaining as that can be, it doesn't win you anything.

[Brend'Watkins]

Gerrard’s match preparation was the same as anyone on here posting comments on a pre-match thread.

I AM INSULTED 

I agree. Comment from BW is very harsh for the entire H&V community. I want it withdrawn with an unreserved apology. made now. forthwith. immediately.

exhibit A

Away win…they’re better

Gerrardesque match preparation wouldn't you say?

I'm not particularly singling out Redsox but the sense of foreboding on this pre-match thread by the majority showed a distinct lack of faith in our club.

[LeeB]

There's is a part of me that admires the bravery of committing to that type of football with Webster and Dunk as centre halves, akin to Homer jumping Springfield canyon on Bart's skateboard.

[OCD]

Di Zebri was already talking about the amount of games they're having to play and how they're not used to it, in his post-match interview. So he's already deflecting.

[Dave]

Think they've now conceded more than everyone but Sheffield Utd this season, and theirs is only warped by that 8-0 versus Newcastle.

I'd been holding back on criticising their defence until after we played them (for obvious reasons) but it amused me when they did a side-by-side of De Zerbi and Emery on Saturday and had a 'goals per game' value but completely ignored the defensive side of things. It's as if the entire subject has been made taboo so they can just claim how fucking amazing him and Brighton are.

Sounds a bit like a conspiracy theory too far for me. I followed the game on Saturday at various points via TalkSport commetary, TV and internet and I reckon I must have heard about how many months it is since Brighton have kept a clean sheet a hundred times over that couple of hours.

[ChicagoLion]

They lost Colwill back to Chelsea and Webster looked all over the place.

[Risso]

Think they've now conceded more than everyone but Sheffield Utd this season, and theirs is only warped by that 8-0 versus Newcastle.

Burnley and Bournemouth have conceded more as well.

To be fair, before the weekend they'd conceded two less than us and had a +10 GD, the second best in the Premier League. Then we unleased hell on their asses, obvs.

[Monty]

I said it before, that this season's top 9 or so teams are each capable of killing each other or getting killed, mainly due to this obsession with high lines, squeezing play, winning the ball in midfield and attacking fast and hard. It happened to us against Newcastle and Liverpool, it happened to Newcastle against Brighton, it happened to Brighton against us - and I'm pretty cure it won't be the last absolute horsing dished out this season.

[London Villan]

Losing your two key central midfielders doesn't help either. There's only so long you can keep selling the best players in a squad, without it having an impact. They are just as likely to do a Southampton as they are to get into Europe this season.

[LeeB]

I said it before, that this season's top 9 or so teams are each capable of killing each other or getting killed, mainly due to this obsession with high lines, squeezing play, winning the ball in midfield and attacking fast and hard. It happened to us against Newcastle and Liverpool, it happened to Newcastle against Brighton, it happened to Brighton against us - and I'm pretty cure it won't be the last absolute horsing dished out this season.

It also why I think it's going to be a lot tighter this season at the top end with the points a bit more spread out.

[Monty]

I said it before, that this season's top 9 or so teams are each capable of killing each other or getting killed, mainly due to this obsession with high lines, squeezing play, winning the ball in midfield and attacking fast and hard. It happened to us against Newcastle and Liverpool, it happened to Newcastle against Brighton, it happened to Brighton against us - and I'm pretty cure it won't be the last absolute horsing dished out this season.

It also why I think it's going to be a lot tighter this season at the top end with the points a bit more spread out.

This may even include Man City, who've only played one 'big 9' team this season (though if you want to argue that West Ham have replaced Chelsea in the considerations I wouldn't go to the death over it).

[olaftab]

Away win…they’re better

Gerrardesque match preparation wouldn't you say?

I'm not particularly singling out Redsox but the sense of foreboding on this pre-match thread by the majority showed a distinct lack of faith in our club.

Good evidence. This from UKR is on par with "they should wipe the floor with us". One thing in UKR's defence is that he like American sports.

[LeeB]

I said it before, that this season's top 9 or so teams are each capable of killing each other or getting killed, mainly due to this obsession with high lines, squeezing play, winning the ball in midfield and attacking fast and hard. It happened to us against Newcastle and Liverpool, it happened to Newcastle against Brighton, it happened to Brighton against us - and I'm pretty cure it won't be the last absolute horsing dished out this season.

It also why I think it's going to be a lot tighter this season at the top end with the points a bit more spread out.

This may even include Man City, who've only played one 'big 9' team this season (though if you want to argue that West Ham have replaced Chelsea in the considerations I wouldn't go to the death over it).

Yeah I think so.

It might (holds breath, remembers to not get carried away again) mean that a team not necessarily thought of as title contenders could, under the guidence of excellent manager and with injuries going their way, maybe just win the whole thing.

Not naming names.