English Premier League thread

I've always considered him a very good GK...shame he never played for big sides.
At the time he was playing for Southampton he maybe was the best GK in the Premiership...
 
Oooh I love the Premiership :DD

I can't wait to see Arsenal this weekend - I hope Theo plays well for us.

Can't wait to see what happens between Man U and Liverpool.

Can't wait to see what happens with Man City and Chelsea.

Want to see how Zola gets on.

Want to see how Berbatov gets on (Hopefully really shit!!!)

Just can't wait - the international break has made me so impatiant!!!!
 
BobbyBox said:
Oooh I love the Premiership :DD

I can't wait to see Arsenal this weekend - I hope Theo plays well for us.

Can't wait to see what happens between Man U and Liverpool.

Can't wait to see what happens with Man City and Chelsea.

Want to see how Zola gets on.

Want to see how Berbatov gets on (Hopefully really shit!!!)

Just can't wait - the international break has made me so impatiant!!!!
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Seconded (Except Berba obviously, and the Theo hype train to crash ;)))
 
Same here. I do the pools (Premier 10) and this week it was an absolute nightmare.

Liverpool vs Man Utd: Man Utd always seem to beat Liverpool, but Liverpool have had a fantastic start in two difficult games (I watched their first game of the season v Sunderland and it was dreadful, but Torres came up with the goods when they needed it - sign of the best teams!). I have a feeling Liverpool will win this one, I see them being serious contenders this season, IF and only if they can keep their good start going. But I never trust my instinct, and Berbatov will be itching to score, so I went for Man Utd.

Blackburn vs Arsenal: Paul Ince is doing good work with Blackburn, and Arsenal were beaten by Fulham last week, so it's going to be a very interesting game - especially with Blackburn being at home. But you imagine Arsenal will win, especially with Theo being phenomenal for England mid-week.

Fulham vs Bolton: Fulham managed to beat Arsenal the other week so they're not a side to be sniffed at, but Bolton beat Stoke in a difficult game on opening day 3-1 so they're no pushover. I had to say Fulham though after the Arsenal game.

Newcastle vs Hull: Newcastle are managerless and the fans aren't too pleased with the board, so it's going to be awkward. Some fans are apparently going to boycott the game - will be interesting to see how many stay away. Hull had a great start beating Fulham, but they were hammered by Wigan 5-0 last week. Still, I think they're good enough to stand up to Newcastle in their current state. I went for a draw.

Portsmouth vs Middlesboro: I was surprised to read that Middlesbrough have beaten Portsmouth in their last two games, with a 0-0 the game before that. I like Portsmouth, but I'm not "feeling" the Crouch/Defoe partnership at the moment. I think Crouch only has one or two things going for him, and Defoe is very inconsistent. Middlesbrough aren't the best team in the world but saying that, they would be unbeaten so far if it wasn't for a 94th minute Gerrard goal - credit to Gareth Southgate. I've gone for another draw.

West Brom vs West Ham: I'm looking forward to this one because neither team will have a sponsor on their shirt, it'll be like the good old days! :mryellow: It's funny how the fixture computer came up with this one, exactly when the West Ham sponsor had to be removed. West Brom aren't world-beaters but West Ham have lost their manager and their sponsor in the space of a week (and remember Zola doesn't start the job until next week) - I've put this one down as a draw as well.

Wigan vs Sunderland: Both sides have had a weird start to the season; Wigan lost their first two games and then beat Hull 5-0, whilst Sunderland lost their first two games and then beat Tottenham 2-1 (before losing 3-0 to Man City the following week). They're very similar and I couldn't pick between them so, again, I've gone for a draw.

Man City vs Chelsea: The Man City players will be excited with so much money arriving into the club, although saying that a few will be nervous of losing their place in January. Robinho is a fantastic buy, but because they already have a world-class team (despite only beating Wigan 1-0 and drawing 1-1 with Tottenham) I think Chelsea will win this one.

Stoke vs Everton: Stoke have made a good start to life in the Premier League; they've beaten Aston Villa and Middlesbrough already. I think they'll make things tough for Everton, who aren't having a great season after Bill Kenwright publicly announcing that the club could use a couple of billion quid to keep up with the "big four". I think Saha will prove himself at Everton though, so it's going to be tight. Another draw I think.

And finally...

Tottenham vs Aston Villa: Tottenham have had a poor start, whereas Aston Villa are playing decent stuff so far (and did well to get a point from Liverpool). I think Tottenham have to win a game sooner or later though, and this is a game they can win. So I've put down Tottenham.

[/Alan Hansen]

So now you know my pools stake for this week, if I win you'll all know at the same time as I will, if I get every result wrong you can all laugh at me. ;)
 
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Chris Bauer said:
Same here. I do the pools (Premier 10) and this week it was an absolute nightmare.

Liverpool vs Man Utd: Man Utd always seem to beat Liverpool, but Liverpool have had a fantastic start in two difficult games (I watched their first game of the season v Sunderland and it was dreadful, but Torres came up with the goods when they needed it - sign of the best teams!). I have a feeling Liverpool will win this one, I see them being serious contenders this season, IF and only if they can keep their good start going. But I never trust my instinct, and Berbatov will be itching to score, so I went for Man Utd.

Blackburn vs Arsenal: Paul Ince is doing good work with Blackburn, and Arsenal were beaten by Fulham last week, so it's going to be a very interesting game - especially with Blackburn being at home. But you imagine Arsenal will win, especially with Theo being phenomenal for England mid-week.

Fulham vs Bolton: Fulham managed to beat Arsenal the other week so they're not a side to be sniffed at, but Bolton beat Stoke in a difficult game on opening day 3-1 so they're no pushover. I had to say Fulham though after the Arsenal game.

Newcastle vs Hull: Newcastle are managerless and the fans aren't too pleased with the board, so it's going to be awkward. Some fans are apparently going to boycott the game - will be interesting to see how many stay away. Hull had a great start beating Fulham, but they were hammered by Wigan 5-0 last week. Still, I think they're good enough to stand up to Newcastle in their current state. I went for a draw.

Portsmouth vs Middlesboro: I was surprised to read that Middlesbrough have beaten Portsmouth in their last two games, with a 0-0 the game before that. I like Portsmouth, but I'm not "feeling" the Crouch/Defoe partnership at the moment. I think Crouch only has one or two things going for him, and Defoe is very inconsistent. Middlesbrough aren't the best team in the world but saying that, they would be unbeaten so far if it wasn't for a 94th minute Gerrard goal - credit to Gareth Southgate. I've gone for another draw.

West Brom vs West Ham: I'm looking forward to this one because neither team will have a sponsor on their shirt, it'll be like the good old days! :mryellow: It's funny how the fixture computer came up with this one, exactly when the West Ham sponsor had to be removed. West Brom aren't world-beaters but West Ham have lost their manager and their sponsor in the space of a week (and remember Zola doesn't start the job until next week) - I've put this one down as a draw as well.

Wigan vs Sunderland: Both sides have had a weird start to the season; Wigan lost their first two games and then beat Hull 5-0, whilst Sunderland lost their first two games and then beat Tottenham 2-1 (before losing 3-0 to Man City the following week). They're very similar and I couldn't pick between them so, again, I've gone for a draw.

Man City vs Chelsea: The Man City players will be excited with so much money arriving into the club, although saying that a few will be nervous of losing their place in January. Robinho is a fantastic buy, but because they already have a world-class team (despite only beating Wigan 1-0 and drawing 1-1 with Tottenham) I think Chelsea will win this one.

Stoke vs Everton: Stoke have made a good start to life in the Premier League; they've beaten Aston Villa and Middlesbrough already. I think they'll make things tough for Everton, who aren't having a great season after Bill Kenwright publicly announcing that the club could use a couple of billion quid to keep up with the "big four". I think Saha will prove himself at Everton though, so it's going to be tight. Another draw I think.

And finally...

Tottenham vs Aston Villa: Tottenham have had a poor start, whereas Aston Villa are playing decent stuff so far (and did well to get a point from Liverpool). I think Tottenham have to win a game sooner or later though, and this is a game they can win. So I've put down Tottenham.

[/Alan Hansen]

So now you know my pools stake for this week, if I win you'll all know at the same time as I will, if I get every result wrong you can all laugh at me. ;)
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I was thinking of doing the Telegraph 15.

But it is so hard - Lawro does his predictions every week on the BBC website and I think the most he gets is about 8 right.
 
Lawro's predictions are shocking, he just guesses them and the reasoning behind his 'predictions' are just misinfomred bollocks. He doesn't even do a bit of research to check if what he is saying can be backed up with facts. What a tool.
 
Jumbo™ said:
Lawro's predictions are shocking, he just guesses them and the reasoning behind his 'predictions' are just misinfomred bollocks. He doesn't even do a bit of research to check if what he is saying can be backed up with facts. What a tool.
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I don't like Lawro - but results are so unpredictable. You can have all the info in the world, but it is a lottery sometimes on the results. So many results going against the run of play etc. Draws when yo uwould have thought a win etc etc.

I used to do Accumulators in the betting shop and I come away thinking - what I have put down is fantastic. It has every chance of them all ending that way. Then I end up barely getting 3 right!!!!
 
Yeah I know what you mean mate but I just think for a so called 'expert' - he could at least do a bit better than guessing them and backing them up with rubbish. Like this week he's said West Ham will win and this was his reasoning "What makes me think a West Ham win is Zola. His impact in the dressing room in his first game in charge will be immense." But Zola's not in charge until the next game, how hard would it have been for him to research that? It's just a pointless article each week (much like Garth fucking Brooks team of the week) and the TV license pays for it. I just think it's a waste of time and money.
 
Jumbo™ said:
Yeah I know what you mean mate but I just think for a so called 'expert' - he could at least do a bit better than guessing them and backing them up with rubbish. Like this week he's said West Ham will win and this was his reasoning "What makes me think a West Ham win is Zola. His impact in the dressing room in his first game in charge will be immense." But Zola's not in charge until the next game, how hard would it have been for him to research that? It's just a pointless article each week (much like Garth fucking Brooks team of the week) and the TV license pays for it. I just think it's a waste of time and money.
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Yep you are right.

Don't get e started on Garth Brooks!!! I hate that bastard. Just makes me want to headbutt the screen whenever I see him or hear his name mentioned.

He always looks like he is going to cry when he speaks aswell!! WHY!!! he gets so serious, like there has been a massacre of thousands of people!!

I hate that dick!!!
 
Chris Bauer said:
Liverpool vs Man Utd: Man Utd always seem to beat Liverpool, but Liverpool have had a fantastic start in two difficult games (I watched their first game of the season v Sunderland and it was dreadful, but Torres came up with the goods when they needed it - sign of the best teams!). I have a feeling Liverpool will win this one, I see them being serious contenders this season, IF and only if they can keep their good start going. But I never trust my instinct, and Berbatov will be itching to score, so I went for Man Utd.
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First prediction wrong already, I won't give up the day-job just yet...

I KNEW I should have trusted my instinct!!

:DOH:
 
Starting to wonder, did we play with heart and passion for once against that lot BECAUSE Gerrard/Torres weren't there, or would we've have spanked them if they were both on the pitch?
 
Peter Eyres said:
Starting to wonder, did we play with heart and passion for once against that lot BECAUSE Gerrard/Torres weren't there, or would we've have spanked them if they were both on the pitch?
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When Gerrard/Torres play, we tend to direct most of our play towards them, and the rest of the players expect them to take responsibility. Today, the lads themselves took responsibility. Also, this time we had Alonso and Masch playing the full game.

Or maybe Sammy Lee did have an effect?
 
Actually I've heard good things about the impact of Pellegrino regarding our physical play ;) We won everything in the air today, and apparently we have been working hard on this in training with Pellegrino. Now to transfer it to ATTACKING set pieces. Once we nail that we will be so much more of a threat.
 
Just posted this in the chatbox but it makes me wonder...

Why do they call the City of Manchester Stadium "Eastlands" now? What happened there?
 
That explains it, I was thinking it was just a creation for the media as well - a lot easier to say "Eastlands" than "the City of Manchester Stadium". I think the guy who started that thread has a very good point.

I much prefer "the City of Manchester Stadium"...

Cheers for that Aboutreika!
 
Something that really annoyed me about yesterday's game...

The pundits seem to have forgotten the rules (and the referee did in the Liverpool v Man Utd game). There is a difference between mistiming a tackle and taking somebody out.

If you mistime a tackle, it's a mistake, you were going for the ball but you've chosen the wrong moment to slide, and it's a yellow card. But if you obviously and deliberately tackle the player (or simply kick a player, as we saw several times yesterday), without having any intention of touching the ball whatsoever - with your only aim being to stop the player because he's got a goalscoring opportunity - that is blatant cheating. Red card.

Vidic should have been off straight away, Terry was sent off straight away. No arguments IMO. I will be mortified if Chelsea appeal and the FA remove it; as if the big four don't have things under control already...

It made me laugh that the dirtiest teams of the day were Man Utd and Chelsea as well, Man Utd in particular were shocking.
 
Vidic should have got a straight red, Terry according to the rules not, because he clearly wasn't the last man.
Morally he deserved the red card.
Chelsea will go on appeal because Terry would otherwise miss the match against Man Utd...
 
Whether he was the last man or not, he wasn't attempting to win the ball. I'm sorry but "morals" seem to have disappeared from the game, I know that makes me sound like an old fart but do you see my point? He wasn't looking at the ball, he wasn't aiming for the ball, his one intention was to take out the player. Just because he wasn't trying to break his leg doesn't mean you're allowed to do that now, football isn't rugby for God's sake. If you don't get a red card for that then the game is a sham, IMO.

I think FIFA need to stop discussing Premier League games in the far-east and international player numbers being 1-18 only, and start discussing the things that are currently ruining the game, IMO; money, and cheating (diving, pulling people down and kicking people in the shin when you're getting frustrated is completely out of order).

What winds me up is that diving is the most blatant cheat of all, yet if a player gets away with it it's regarded as "cheeky". If I told you someone had punched me in the face and fell over like a flower, would that be cheeky? No, it wouldn't. I'll never, ever forget that dive of Nani's, when he went down like he'd been punched by Mike Tyson after a playful tap on the cheek. That absolutely disgusts me.

Players like that should face a lot tougher sanctions IMO, but no, everyone laughed it off. They won't be laughing it off if he does that and gets a penalty. I will never have respect for Ronaldo and Nani no matter how wonderful the rest of the world thinks they are, they are cheats, and they are still cheats. Whether they beat ten men and score a wonder goal or not, they will always be cheats. But it wouldn't be so bad if they weren't allowed to get away with it like they've done nothing at all. (And that's nothing to do with them being United players, it sickens me when it happens anywhere, for Liverpool, for Tranmere or for England.)
 
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Everyone dives these days CB though, So yeh I agree giving these players bans/suspension is the right thing to do but what about EVERY player that dives? Do we suddenly start banning everyone? Personally I honestly think now its part of the game and is accepted as that.

You just named 2 foreign players who have been brought up with that mentality which doesnt excuse there behavior but for them its always been acceptable, Personally I find it far worse when I see Rooney, Gerrard, Lampard etc diving as they should now better as it wasnt a problem in the English game before it got flooded with foreign talent.
 
I agree with you Chris.
I too hate diving and all sorts of related things.
I also hate the lack of competition.
At the moment Hull City are doing quite good, but we all know that that is temporarily.
And even if a promoted club has a wonder season like recently Reading or Wigan, it's a one off...Reading are already relegated again and Wigan are fighting relegation since then.
 
Its the lack of balance. Too many uber rich clubs are getting stronger and stronger, making them almost an elite. People diss the German, Italian and French leagues a lot, but their mid tables and lower tables are so balanced that almost every game is worth a watch. Just because their 'elites' arent regular European heavyweights doesn't mean the league quality is poor.
 
So true. Just watching La Liga. Numancia took the game to Real and lost 4-3. Atletico Madrid were brilliant weekend, but lost. So were Valencia, but they're losing to Almeria.

That's the problem in England. It's far too imbalanced. A Real or a Barcelona are just as likely to lose a match. It's never a given. Though that doesn't stop Richard Keys from calling it 'the best league in the world' (OMGLOLZ!!).
 
YoungGun_UK said:
Everyone dives these days CB though, So yeh I agree giving these players bans/suspension is the right thing to do but what about EVERY player that dives? Do we suddenly start banning everyone?
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Not ban, I just think it needs to be stamped out and there needs to be a deterrent, otherwise there is nothing to stop it. You dive, if you get caught it's a yellow card, but you'll do it again next week, and you might get a penalty. I think that's totally wrong. If you see video evidence of a player going over without contact being made (and he's rolling around or appealing for a foul), get him fined, followed by a one match ban, followed by a three match ban etc... That would stamp it out.

YoungGun_UK said:
Personally I honestly think now its part of the game and is accepted as that.
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If it becomes part of the game, I will stop watching football, and I mean that. It is cheating, there is no sportsmanship about it. If it becomes accepted by FIFA and by the FA then all morality will have been drained from the sport and I won't be interested in it any longer.

Milanista said:
Its the lack of balance. Too many uber rich clubs are getting stronger and stronger, making them almost an elite.
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I completely agree with you. As I said, "the rich get richer and the poor get poorer". No money trickles down from the Premier League and clubs are going into administration all the time, so much so that there are some I didn't even realise had (Halifax for example, and they've been going for years and years).

I remember a time when Tranmere had an Italian player... TRANMERE! We had Borgetti, and we had some great Irish players, and we even had ex-Liverpool greats like John Aldridge. That time has gone, all we are now are YTS lads and shit 30+ year olds who "add experience" (i.e. nobody else will have them).

And Abhishek, I agree with you entirely as well. The bottom team in the Championship beat the top team last season (or the season before), and the manager said afterwards, "the Premier League is rubbish, you know the result before a game has started; would Derby ever stand a chance against Manchester United?"
 
Well to be fair, it seems at the beginning of the season things are looking a litle bit more balanced (look at Man Utd) and a team like Spurs (sadly because they are my favourite English team) cannot "buy" a good competition start.

But all in all the differenct between the Premiership and the rest is an abyss...same goes for English clubs compared with clubs of litle competitions... I read in the last Four-Four-Two that the Big Firm's budget in Scotland is less than Fulham's...Rangers and Cletic are huuuuge clubs...that is not right.
I you go a step further, then you see that Celtic's budget is far bigger than "our" biggest club Anderlecht...compare Anderlecht to Fulham...i know that Anderlecht has never been in the same league as Real Madrid, Barcelona, AC Milan, Liverpool and Man Utd...but there was a time when Anderlecht could beat all those clubs...now they don't have a chance...that is bad for football.
Speaking about the Premiership again, it would be a very good point if promoted clubs could compete for the title...last year the gap with Liverpool was even enormous.
You this on Evo-web too: there are hardly any fans of other clubs than the big four in England.
I have an 8 year old daughter and 5 year old son, both are football mad (and are playing football in local clubs). Their favourite clubs: Chelsea and Barcelona....i used to support Belgian clubs...when i was in France i watched the match for the bronze medal at the Olympics: Belgian-Brazil...my daughter supported Brazil...
 
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