Peter Andersonlooking at how the English Premier League concluded at the end of a challenging season. 

And so the EPL came to a close yesterday and as feared Leicester were pushed out of the top four into the Europa League. 

Despite having spent more time in the top four than any other club in the past two seasons, once again they fall out of the CL spots on the last day of their campaign. They deserve more than just the FA cup this season but their small squad proved to be their Achilles Heel even though Chelsea were beaten by Villa. 

Liverpool romped home with an easy enough victory over Palace, scoring early and completing the victory with two goals from Mané. Amazingly the Scousers finished in third place when fifth looked just about doable a few short weeks ago, amassing an impressive 29 points since the defeat to Everton in February. It will prove to be a welcome green light for Liverpool to re-enforce the squad in the next transfer window. Tuchel will be a relieved man, just about stumbling over the CL line despite looking second best against a useful Villa. I suspect Chelsea will be a force next season too. Disappointingly the final top four are the same four teams as last season just in different positions, the four "big beasts" are dominating yet again.

We also saw the last of Roy Hodgson, a well-respected if not spectacular manager, and Sergio "Kun" Agüero, one of the premier league's greatest ever strikers. Pep shed tears talking about the wee Argie to Sky Sports. There is no doubt he will be missed but City have coped well with the departures of Kompany and Silva and I see no reason that they will not cope well with the loss of Agüero. It was great to see him score two farewell goals as City thumped a poor Everton in a great warm-up display before next week's CL final.

West Ham secured sixth spot with a superb 3-0 victory over Southampton. Moyes will be hoping for some funds this summer to bolster his squad after such an impressive season this time out. They finished above Spurs and Arsenal, very disappointing placings for those two supposedly big teams and making a mockery of their super league aspirations. Next season their managers will be under tremendous pressure to assault the top four and qualify for the CL. 

Leeds finished the season in ninth, one spot above Everton, after dismantling the already relegated West Brom. Leeds will be buoyed by this result and the signing of Bielsa for another season. Also a big shout out to our own Stuarty Dallas who won the player of the season at Leeds. Everton will be gutted by finishing tenth after such a promising start to the season. Hopefully Ancelotti will get money and time and take the Scouse club back to where they belong.

So that's our final top ten. The big surprises were Leicester and West Ham in fifth and sixth respectively. The EPL is the most competitive league in the world and really any of the top ten clubs could finish in the top four CL spots. We have to wait for a few months for hostilities to recommence and when they do, fingers crossed, it will be in front of full stadiums. It has been hard to maintain interest at times this season. Many times I have switched channels at half time and not returned for the second half. If this year has taught us anything it is that fans are critical to the continued success of the beautiful game.

Peter Anderson is a Unionist with a keen interest in sports.

EPL Top Ten

Peter Andersonlooking at how the English Premier League concluded at the end of a challenging season. 

And so the EPL came to a close yesterday and as feared Leicester were pushed out of the top four into the Europa League. 

Despite having spent more time in the top four than any other club in the past two seasons, once again they fall out of the CL spots on the last day of their campaign. They deserve more than just the FA cup this season but their small squad proved to be their Achilles Heel even though Chelsea were beaten by Villa. 

Liverpool romped home with an easy enough victory over Palace, scoring early and completing the victory with two goals from Mané. Amazingly the Scousers finished in third place when fifth looked just about doable a few short weeks ago, amassing an impressive 29 points since the defeat to Everton in February. It will prove to be a welcome green light for Liverpool to re-enforce the squad in the next transfer window. Tuchel will be a relieved man, just about stumbling over the CL line despite looking second best against a useful Villa. I suspect Chelsea will be a force next season too. Disappointingly the final top four are the same four teams as last season just in different positions, the four "big beasts" are dominating yet again.

We also saw the last of Roy Hodgson, a well-respected if not spectacular manager, and Sergio "Kun" Agüero, one of the premier league's greatest ever strikers. Pep shed tears talking about the wee Argie to Sky Sports. There is no doubt he will be missed but City have coped well with the departures of Kompany and Silva and I see no reason that they will not cope well with the loss of Agüero. It was great to see him score two farewell goals as City thumped a poor Everton in a great warm-up display before next week's CL final.

West Ham secured sixth spot with a superb 3-0 victory over Southampton. Moyes will be hoping for some funds this summer to bolster his squad after such an impressive season this time out. They finished above Spurs and Arsenal, very disappointing placings for those two supposedly big teams and making a mockery of their super league aspirations. Next season their managers will be under tremendous pressure to assault the top four and qualify for the CL. 

Leeds finished the season in ninth, one spot above Everton, after dismantling the already relegated West Brom. Leeds will be buoyed by this result and the signing of Bielsa for another season. Also a big shout out to our own Stuarty Dallas who won the player of the season at Leeds. Everton will be gutted by finishing tenth after such a promising start to the season. Hopefully Ancelotti will get money and time and take the Scouse club back to where they belong.

So that's our final top ten. The big surprises were Leicester and West Ham in fifth and sixth respectively. The EPL is the most competitive league in the world and really any of the top ten clubs could finish in the top four CL spots. We have to wait for a few months for hostilities to recommence and when they do, fingers crossed, it will be in front of full stadiums. It has been hard to maintain interest at times this season. Many times I have switched channels at half time and not returned for the second half. If this year has taught us anything it is that fans are critical to the continued success of the beautiful game.

Peter Anderson is a Unionist with a keen interest in sports.

34 comments:

  1. Peter - that Liverpool managed 3rd was a feat given the way they had played this season. The pitch will be a lot more level this coming season but I think City will be the team to beat. Tuchel is a good manager but not in Pep's league just yet. I think Chelsea will find it tough going in the CL final. Agüero will always be remembered for that last minute title winning strike against QPR. His place on the clubs pantheon was secured after that.
    Sad that Colin Bell did not live long enough to see them in their first CL final.

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  2. If City and Chelski buy the likes of Kane, Mbappe, Haaland, first & second spots are taken.
    Lfc have more deadwood than a sawmill. Buying injury prone Konate is not the answer, Calem Car at Marseilles looks a less injury prone better bet. A new right & left back, replacements for Super Gini, Milly , Div etc will need a Big outlay from penny pinching Fsg.
    I predicted - Lfc, Chelsea, City, Man Utd as top four 🔮 in August. Close but no 🚬.
    Best of luck to the non Manc teams in the European finals. Ynwa, # 1977 # 2005 # May 25 🏆

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  3. Kane needs to go abroad to get the trophies, spurs would be mad not to cash in when a player like that wants to leave for a big club.

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  4. AM
    I am not a lover of these all season pitches. Football was always considered a game of four seasons, August, kick off month, the pitches were in mint condition. Move into the autumn months, October and early November slight deterioration, then winter, late November, December and January the pitches were heavier, sorting out the trully skillful players, like George Best and, in Scotland, Jimmy Johnstone for Celtic, both who could perform on any surface. Then move to spring and the final run in as conditions improved. That was how the game was viewed, four seasons, a kick in the grass. There was and is scope for undersoil heating or, as was the case with Leicester a hot air ballon at Filbert Street to prevent frozen pitches. How things change, not for the better in my view except the undersoil heating,we once played to the refs whistle. Not any more as VAR continues to further ruin the game!!!!!!⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽🏐🏐🏐🏐🏐🏐🏐⚽⚽.

    Caoimhin O'Muraile

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    1. I have a different view Caoimhin - I like to see skillful soccer rather than the slog through the muck. If a referee's decision is wrong why should it be final? And VAR has demonstrated just how many decisions were wrong and players robbed of what was rightfully theirs because of it. It is like Kindle or digital music - there are just some who will always prefer the book or vinyl!

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  5. AM
    True, and I prefer football as it was designed to be played, to the refs whistle. I agree many bad decisions have been made, but that was always part and parcel of the game. The stewards enqiery in the pub, the arguments then "whose round is it🍺🍺🍺🍺"? I do believe there is a case for goal line technology, so goals not over are not allowed and vice versa. I remember years ago, early seventies, referree Ray Tinkler at Elland Road allowed play on when clearly he should have blown. West Brom went on to score costing Leeds dearly, it was a terrible decision but, as we were brought up, the refs decision is final. If I'd been a Leeds fan, would have been outraged😂😂😂😂, but I'm not. As a United fan, couldn't have happed to a nicer team, apart from City or Liverpool. As for skill, I remembrr Best and Law at Derby County away, I was only a kid, the start of my travelling football carreer and that was real skill, in six inches of mud!! Could Ronaldo or Messi do that? My arse they could. Them winter away days were brilliant, terracing, swaying chanting, body heat alone kept us warm. It was then skilfull players in them conditions showed their skills. John Toshack, Liverpool (to show no bias) was such a player, as was Tommy Smith. Norman Hunter and Jack Charlron of Leeds, Francis Lee of Man City, Manchesters junior team, could play in heavy conditions. Happy days⚽⚽🏐🏐🏐🏐😂😂🍺🍺🍺🍺🍻🏐🏐. Nowadays, apart from FC United where refs still referee at our level and football is as it should be, I wouldn't cross the road to watch PL garbage. Still, that is just my opinion and being nostalgic as I am, would not swap todays monopolly with a football for the genuine article⚽⚽⚽.

    Caoimhin O'Muraile

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    1. Caoimhin - things evolve. Planes as designed to fly 100 years ago would not be fit for purpose today. Why should fairness be decided by a bureaucrat rather than a back up. VAR is just an extension of goal line technology. I think it should for the most part be limited to the goals or penalty awards because it is too disruptive to the game. I think VAR should only be employed if one of the sides call for it and in the event of a false call then a penalty awarded. That would be a sure way to prevent its abuse. No fakery with that. I think Messi is a much better player than Best. The skill of great players is unleashed with modern playing conditions. Think of how better Best and others might have been had they the same conditions as exist today. I prefer the modern stadiums where I can sit in comfort and see the game and don't have to risk the sway in the midst of a 134000 crowd.

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    2. If VAR had existed then Leeds United would have won an extra two league titles plus the European Cup and Cup Winners Cup.

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    3. Barry - which to me is an unacceptably high price to pay for an attachment to referees

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  6. AM
    I understand your argument but football is a natural phenomenon, played and, until recently, reffereed by humans. Evolution is also natural, but what has happened in football is not natural, it has been introduced by money grabbing beuracrats whose sole interest is increasing profits, hence Iphone getting huge contracts. As I pointed out there is nothing wrong with goal line technology, and we do not need VAR for that. The ref has a small device on his wrist which determines whether the ball is over the line or not. There is no way Messi or Ronaldo are better than Best. They will never have to prove their talents in a proper game on a natural pitch in mid-December. Best could do it in all conditions, not just in August and September. The only player anywhere near Best, and still well behind, was Ryan Giggs.
    There appears to be a difference of opinion regards VAR between those who attend games regularly, legacy fans so-called and those, now in all probability the majority who watch games on TV. The regular fans hate it. I cannot watch FC United on television because we won't bow to the kick off times the television companies insist on. Occassionally we have to play a game at a time against our ethos because the local police insist on it. I put a motion forward some years ago suggedting we should boycot such games, but we are moving away from the point. For the tele fans VAR may have advantages, though I know many who hate it, but for those who attend week in week out, home away, Saturday, Sunday or mid-week it spoils the game. Watching the tosser in the middle, already a potential figure for ridicule, having to wait for a bloke, possibly pissed drunk on G+Ts in a hotel room to decide is not on. Plus, it is even more open to corruption than ever. For example, Man Utd are playing Liverpool and I decide to bung the VAR bloke £100,0000 to give all 50/50 decisions Unitefs way, then MUFC would have an unfair chance of winning. This may account for the inconsitencies around VAR decisions! Such silliness would not have been tolerated back in the sixties, seventies and eighties the fans would have had games abandoned. Last night in the UEFA Cup Final they wsnted VAR to check Cavinis goal! There was nothing wrong with it, no need for a check. Disapointing result but to be honest no real complaints, it should never have gone to penos. United should have put it to bed, but failed to do so. No complaints, though disapointed.

    Caoimhin O'Muraile

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    1. Football being a natural phenomenon evolves. It has always evolved and will continue to evolve. Even take out the profiteers there is no reason for the outcome of even a school game to be dependent on referee who can make a wrong decision all too often. I hate the injustice of bad refereeing and their unaccountability. I want referees monitored the same way I want cops in the interrogation room monitored. Goal line technology was not always there. It evolved. It takes the decision out of the hands of the ref. I never rated Best in my top five players of all time. In my view Messi is the best the world has ever seen. I think a VAR bribe is much harder to make than a ref one. Too many ways to call it out. And the ref can still go over and check. As I said earlier if Cavani's goal was questioned by the other side VAR should be used and if found to be a good goal award a penalty to Man U. That would soon stop false calls.

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  7. AM

    Sorry Anthony, I think and this is only an opinion, VAR is the beginning of the end for the man in black, the ref. The thin end of the wedge towatds automated referreeing in decades to come.

    Caoimhin O'Muraile

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    1. if he goes, he goes. Use whatever system brings the greater degree of fairness for the players and the game. The refs have made too many bad decisions in my view.

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  8. AM

    I am all for better and higher quality of refereeing, no problem but no ref at all? No, that would be the death of football.

    Messi better than Best? You are, of course, having a laugh😂😂😂😂⚽⚽🏐🏐🏐😁😁.

    Caoimhin O'Muraile

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  9. AM

    Anthony, just a thought on your evolution theory which may eventually do away with refs. Taking this to its logical conclusion, and you and I will be long dead if this were to come about, why not introduce androids to play the game? Artificial inteligence playing football, thus doing away with human participation at all. This would save club owners, like the Glazers, a fortune in wages. With technology advancing at the rate it is, this may not be as far-fetched as it sounds🤔⚽🏐!!

    Caoimhin O'Muraile

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    1. That happens online already - kids play it regularly. Why it is unlikely to happen in the sport unless there is a major cultural sea change is that fans identify with their team and do not want the real team dispensed with. They don't identify with the ref. Much of the old game was bad and laced with thuggery that killed off creativity in players because the first chance it got to flourish some thug would kick it into the ground. I don't do nostalgia for soccer just for its own sake. It sanitises what was anything but clean.
      Best, I think was overblown because the media needed someone with a playboy / bad boy image - he fitted the bill. I think Irish fans and Manchester United fans exaggerated his ability. I would never place him in the same category as Messi/Maradona/Pele/Cruyff/Beckenbauer. I would have him in the second tier of Zidane / Zico / Gullit / Platini / Kempes

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  10. I liked the fact you could tackle hard. I was listening to Scholes commenting on a Gnarby goal, while his co pundits were waxing lyrical, he said wait a minute, nobody tackled, he basically just ran and shot. Been looking out for it since, the art of defending is dead. Watched City v Chelsea, City had thirteen passes without interference, had a shot that went wide, the Chelsea keeper then passed it out, the had nine passes without a tackle put in and a shot straight at the keeper. I turned it off, I thought, fuck this, it's not basketball.

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    1. I like the hard tackle too but not the dirty one. I have seen players like Keane and Souness trying in my view to break an opponent's leg and I thought it should have no place in the game. I don't think the art of defending is dead Van Dijk is an example of that. The dubious art of breaking the opponent's leg is dead.

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  11. AM

    In Peles own words describing Best as "the best player in the world" which at the time he was, well probably one of three, Best, Pele or Eusabeo. I would struggle, without being biased to pick one of them.
    As for what you describe as "the old game" it was, for me, far better than this farce we have now. A defender dare not defend, if a toenail of a striker is in front of a defender he is off side, it is just, for the want of a better description pure garbage. I once, with many others, travelled everywhere with Man Utd, home, away, abroad (including friendlies) FA Cup and League Cup. Today I settle for a couple of games a season at Broadhurst Park, home of FC United of Manchester.

    When I speak of androids, far fetched at the moment maybe, I am looking perhaps to 22nd century, assuming we still have a planet, before such a concept could come about. Why not, they have killed the rest of the game, including atmospheres which today are all stage managed. Anfield have mics in the Kop, stewards collect the flags at ko. Old Trafford, a shadow of the electric atmosphete of the sixties, seventies and eighties and what there is stage managed. Why not kill off the human vatiant of player? As for fans identifying with their clubs, again by comparison a fallacy. Football fans today, if that be what they are, are not part of their clubs anymore. I was pleasantly surprised to see a bit of backbone among the legacy fans of various clubs, including United and Liverpool over the ESL. Talking of fans, in my day wearing a scarf with two teams on would be unthinkable. Perhaps a United/Celtic scarf but that woukd be about it. These days vendors sell scarves with United/City or Liverpool/Everton even. Such vendors back in the day would finish up in the Btidgewater canal or the Mersey Estuary! Things, alas are just not the same Anthony. The days of "I'd walk a million miles, for one of your goals oh Stuart (as in Pearson) have gone and for me it is tragic. Still I have four decades at Old Trafford to remember with fondness. Today, I watch Man Utd occassionally on TV for old times sake. Got rid of Sky due to the introduction of artificial referreeing - VAR.

    Caoimhin O'Muraile

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    1. Again - never my view. Seen too many poor displays from him to think he could ever make it to the top tier. Eusebio was good but around the same tier as Best. The modern fan seems to like the modern game and it can't be kept old for nostalgic reasons. There is a system in place that can now technologically measure if the rules are being observed rather than rely on the discretion of the referee.
      They might eventually kill of the human variant of the player but we will not be around to see it. They might nuke the world first so it is not something I have to worry about.
      Fans still identify with their clubs - the passion on display when Barcelona were beaten by Liverpool was a demonstration of that.
      Once you accepted goal line technology the door was open to VAR.
      What does not work for one fan will for another. New fans, new era - it just requires getting used to rather than longing for a world that no longer exists.

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  12. AM

    That is why I was weary of Goal line technology, even among my peers but accepted it hoping, naively, that would be it. We have to get rid of VAR somehow. As for the "modern fan liking the concept" I am not so sure. What I do know is there is a cleavage between those who attend games Mostly oppossed to VAR and those armchair fans, as I say probably the majority, who may favour it. I am not being nostalgic and you are right about leg breaking, Keano deliberately went out to cripple Alfie Haamad (sorry for spelling) and that is not on. By the same token, Nobby Styles was a hard but clean player, as was Francis Lee, Tommy Smith, and in more modern times Martin Buchan.

    As for Best, I have seen him at Old Trafford play some howlers, but that applies to all great players. I have also seen him at the Baseball Ground perform acts no player had a right to do, in six inches of mud! That is something Messi will never be called on to do, placing Best in a higher league altogether.

    I am very scepticle about the Barca game at Anfield, the response of their players was one of acceptance in sharp contrast to the players of Ajax against Spurs the previous night. Almost as if the Barca players half expected to lose! Probably that cynical mind of mine. I supposse the same could be aimed at Man Utd back in 84, was at both games Barca away and at OT where we overturned a 2-0 away defeat to win 3-0 at home. The ground was electric that night.

    I was watching Tipping Point earlier and the finalist had never heard of Bill Shankly, whats wrong with these people are they just plain thick🤔🙃⚽⚽😟🤔😂😂?

    Caoimhin O'Muraile

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    1. I think they should keep VAR and improve it. What we are talking about here is accuracy of judgement. A ref lacks the ability to the same extent VAR does. It should only be used on request from a team. If the decision is not upheld then a penalty against the requesting team. That will cut it out. It does not disempower the ref but empowers the players. If they choose to abuse that power, too bad, There will be a consequence. Most football fans are armchair - they watch their soccer on the screen. I'm fine with that. In the jail I listened to soccer on the radio, even the fateful Liverpool game where the cops killed 96 fans. I don't think there should be an elitist pecking order within the supporters.
      Tommy Smyth was not too clean a player. Lee was a forward so didn't have to rely on the dirty tackle - his most unsavoury incident was when he took a fist swing at Norman Hunter from Dirty Leeds. Keep the thugs away from the sport so that good players can come through. Talent over thuggery every time.
      Everybody has their magic moments - Messi does it consistently and for a much longer period than Best ever did. Scored goals nobody had a right to score.
      Sceptical about the Barca game has no bearing on the passion of the Liverpool fans.
      People today can't be expected to know things from 50 years ago about people who are dead 40 years. A new generation with new icons. Legend has it that Black kids in the US were often accused of being stupid for not associating the name George Washington with the first US president but with a black slave leader. Why should they think the way others think they should think?

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  13. AM

    I supposse in one tespect I am nostalgic but that is not the reason I believe it was a better game then than now. Watch the Big Match Revisited ITV4 Saturday mornings, 10.30 am.

    Caoimhin O'Muraile

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    1. I doubt I'll go that far but I have watched old games from the 70s and they do not overly impress me. Maybe it is the quality of the footage but they seem to lack skill and panache, even ones I thought were brilliant at the time.

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  14. Trying to hurt people was a rarity. The players are afraid to tackle because var will access if they followed through violently, whatever that means, Van Dijk is a good stand up defender which all defenders will have to become to meet new standards, which to me is killed the art of defending or a big part of it.

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    1. the really bad leg breaking challenges were a rarity, the intent to hurt not so rare: many defenders carried it courtesy of reputation built on what they were prepared to do.
      I am glad it is being cut out of the sport and making the defenders relying on brian rather than brawn; making decisions that require precision. Health & Safety at work should apply on the soccer field as well. If a follow through it going to damage a player then there is an argument for prohibiting. Against that there is rugby and boxing with serious risk of injury. I guess it all depends on what side of the argument we come down on. I love the skill not the violence of the game

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    2. It is important to bear in mind while romanticising the past culture of football, the appalling toll of past players suffering and dying from neuro-degenerative diseases as a legacy of constant heading of the ball. Think Jeff Astle, Jack Charleton, Billy McNeill, Gordon McQueen and so many more.

      Professional football is a workplace and players are entitled to the health and safety protections that workers in other industries have. Players were very badly served by their trade union, the Professional Footballers Association.

      Another health and safety scandal was the amount of cortisone injections given to injured players on the pitch to enable them to keep playing. Mel Sterland, one of the real Class of 92 - the Last Champions Leeds United, for one is unable to walk more than twenty yards because of repeated administrations of them and there must be so many others out there.

      As for crowd safety ....

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  15. AM
    Chopper Harris, Chelsea, springs to mind. He could never catch Best who wound him up. It was great to see, unless you were a Chelsea fan.

    It is clear regarding VAR a huge cleavage between two sets of fans is emerging. Those attending games hate it, while those watching TV agree, to a greater or lesser extent agree with it, generally speaking. I agree with those who attend, despite no longer being a regular, it just does not sit comfortable with me. Not one bit.

    I agree with David, the "art of defending" is dead.

    Caoimhin O'Muraile

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    1. VAR is a nuisance and delays the gratification. But at the end of the day it is a higher form of refereeing. In every walk of life the potential for human error is being minimised and I don't see how soccer can be immune from that process. What's the point in investing so much in a sport for referees to make so many mistakes. I remember getting cheated out of a win by a refereee in 1973 in a local game where a lot of emotion was invested. The ball went into the river at 7-3 and when retrieved the soccer was 8-7. The anger it induced in me was so intense I still remember it. It was me who swam the river to retrieve the ball to boot.

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  16. How do you minimize a follow through? If it becomes non contact, it's not football. I'm already drifting away, which I never thought would happen. They are already pampered enough without health and safety playing a part. Risk is recreation is inevitable.

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    1. I think most players can minimise a follow through without eliminating it altogether. The first principle must be don't tackle if you think there is a serious risk of injury to your opponent. Football is what it is called - ball playing with the feet. Football without leg kicking is still football. The idea that any person be denied health and safety is not one I would ever subscribe to

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  17. How do you know if you're going to injure someone in a split second in takes to tackle someone. I get your point, but leg kicking in pursuit of ball kicking is unavoidable. Bad timing is now a red card, in my opinion that's ruining the game. The health and safety was tongue in cheek. They are well looked after. This is just how I see it, it doesn't feel like the same game to me. I used to get a buzz watching any soccer match, now I find myself muttering and yelling'get up ya dick' your point about evolution is valid and maybe I am being nostalgic but the standard is poor, their attitude is woeful. I find it harder to watch.

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    1. If in doubt pull out or pay the price for not doing so. Play the ball not the man. Good timing has to improve the quality of the game.

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  18. That's the way it is now, they are paying the price. In my opinion the standard is dropping massively. Take Messi and Ronaldo out the equation and what you left with? DeBruyne, Sala, you could name maybe another ten top players in the epl? The rest are bog standard. In Scotland they are shockingly bad. Is the over protecting increasing the skill level? I don't see it.

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