"A small thread with a small mentality" - Liverpool and Man City won't win the Premiership 2009/10

http://blogs.mirror.co.uk/football-banter/css/TEVEZ%20poster.jpg

The traditional curtain raiser, the Charity Community Shield will be upon us in a matter of minutes. Ridiculously early in the year, but you've got to move with the times, hence promoting Man City to thread title status.

Speaking of moving with the times, I wouldn't recommend clicking this if you are the Pinefox.

did we have to have a fucking fergie-ism in the title

friends are hesitant about going to the pub for the community shield because they think it might be 'boring'. WHAT?

Your friends are mental.

I was contemplating going to the pub, but sitting on my arse wins.

otm...

not sure I can face leaving the house, working at 6am tomorrow too. I might go to sainsburys before it closes tho. I'm rambling here....

back on topic Liverpool seem to have no defenders fit for the start of the season.

Who needs defenders when you have strikers? 6-5 goal-fests galore!

liverpool has strikers?

haha

the crow will fly once more

The Fergie-ism will become more entertaining as it becomes more apparent throughout the season that Man United also won't win the Premiership.

(Still think Liverpool might actually win the Premiership. That first game against Spurs, who also have no fit defenders, could be a bit of a humdinger).

Liverpool have approx 8 million strikers, perhaps they will all get on the pitch at the same time if there aren't any defenders to clog up the team sheet.

1-0 Man Utd, Nani.

ancelotti out

Can I be first to ask if anyone has a decent English language stream of this?

Pity thread title couldn't wait just in case sylvain disting ends up going to liverpool.

If nani ever becomes good/better I could easily hate him more than ronaldo.

Ah, no worries, good old Veetle

Is Park Ji-Sung playing centre forward now? The lad's constantly in the six-yard box

Foster 4 England

He's looking pretty determined to concede from a completely innocuous situation.

There is a touch of Scott Carson about him.

Park Ji Sung is not one of the world's great finishers.

(Still think Liverpool might actually win the Premiership. That first game against Spurs, who also have no fit defenders, could be a bit of a humdinger).

― Matt DC, Sunday, 9 August 2009 15:10 (55 minutes ago) Bookmark

BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG?

I don't mind if man utd win the title if it's all based upon ridiculous pieces of skill by berbatov

Bassong is suspended for the first two games isn't he?

oh yeah, lol newcastle and all that.

lolfoster.

Carvalho. 1-1.

Ronaldo really anonymous in this game.

Top quality goalkeeping from England's Future Number 1 there.

At least Chelsea lost their luminous fucking gk kit.

confirmation of how it won't finish (this time last year i only predicted 4/20 correct placings - Utd's, Liv's, City's and Hull's)

Liverpool (but with fewer points than last season)
Man Utd
Chelsea
Everton
Arsenal
Tottenham
Man City
Aston Villa
Fulham
West Ham
Sunderland
Blackburn
Burnley
Wigan
Wolves
Bolton
Birmingham
Stoke
Hull
Portsmouth

Chelsea
Arsenal
Man Utd
Liverpool
Everton
Spurs
Man City
West Ham
Aston Villa
Blackburn
West Ham
Fulham
Sunderland
Wigan
Stoke
Wolves
Bolton
Birmingham
Burnley
Portsmouth
Hull

optimistic

lolfoster on repeat

Controversy!

(in the game, not in thinking Arsenal might do better than Lolverpool)

just received a "for pat" sms from mdc

on a mission to find mr warren g

lol taking the chairty shield seriously.

now hughes got the freaks and that's a know fact

lol the 90s

Has Ryan Giggs shrunk in pre-season? He, Fabio, Scholes and Owen all look as tiny as one another.

They were like four toddlers wearing their Christmas presents

Love ballack

the spanish language stream I'm watching sound like they're shouting LOL when someone scores

lol

Fabulous finish. Rooney doesn't get enough praise in my view.

Awesome

The slow motion replay just revealed that Rooney shouted "wooooo" at the Chelsea fans after scoring.

Cech is shit at saving penalties and, well, Ben Foster is Ben Foster. Someone will have to sky it over the bar for anyone to lose this.

Also has anyone pointed out that Petr Cech + protective headgear + luminous stripes on kit = TRON.

lol

The slow motion replay just revealed that Rooney shouted "wooooo" at the Chelsea fans after scoring

He should have done the speechmarks thing with his hands as well.

man, are terrible penalties straight down the middle in vogue again?

GERMAN PRECISION~!

Hope the Wembley turf can withstand a Terry-shaped crater in it, if it comes to that.

John Terry will be gutted.

Surprised he's not blubbering, the glass-jawed racist cunt.

Lol evra

"Chelsea win 4-1 on pens!" Uergh, who says that mr. commentator?

Was hoping for mickey owen shaped lols but good game.

I'm a bit hacked off with penalties these days. Now that players actually practise them, they seem a bit too easy to provide real drama - a guy like Ballack's never going to miss, so you're just left waiting for the laughs and they don't happen that often. I'd like too see them try, say, kicks from the 18-yard-line instead.

Seeing as today the new Premiership thread started, went ahead and made Jermaine Pennant has tried paella and he likes it very much: The non-English speaking soccerball leagues 09/10

Awesome, just heard the first "we're shit and we're going down" moan of the season from a Wolves "fan" on 606, based on some sketchy pre-season friendlies with half a first team. That's the kind of positive attitude that made our home record worse than our away last time we were in the Prem.

Ha, I was hearing them pre-season on Celtic boards/radio phone-ins an' all, where people were wanting to sell the two guys just voted Writers' and Players' player of the year and replace them with A.N. Other Irisher/foreigner. One win over Dinamo Moscow later and we're going to win the Champions League with two guys that couldn't even make the bench last season and were bywords for "Strachan's signings are shite" spearheading the way. Football fans be mental and fickle.

It's good to be back, innit?

Sorry, the point being that the two players of the year were both Scottish and both signed from Hibs, therefore total pish. These people are seriously disgruntled that one of them hasn't been replaced by an 18 year old from Hamilton Accies.

Some fans do seem more manic than others. I'm a wee bit surprised at Wolves fans, Celtic not so much.

who will be better than most of your players.
xpost

(you knew that was coming)

Aye, that season on Wigan's bench before signing for Aberdeen will be the making of him.

xpost

Wonder how Easton will do with Burnley. Im really surprised Celtic didn't buy him , hes the best scottish left back (yeah I know thats not saying much) , i hope him and james mccarthy do really well in the premiership, good luck to them.

lol, is that the dolt who preferred to go to Wigan rather than Wolves? Fuck him.

xxxxpost Ismael, to "get" the Wolves fans' mentality, think of us like Newcastle except there was a point in living memory when we were one of the best clubs in the country, if not the world.

That suggests Wolves are about thirty years behind Newcastle in the cycle. I was rather hoping it'd be the other way round.

Ah, but Newcastle have always been shit.

Srsly, a section of the Molineux crowd are insanely short-sighted and negative, my old man shd probably be on Lithium from August to May. It gets bred into you.

sorry for derailment btw, but this wasn't particularly aimed directly at James McCarthy, more at the twats that think foetuses from a team right down the arse end of the league are automatically better than full internationals from the perennial fifth placers. Basically lol football fans be dumb and blinkered.

http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/5408/williamdjourou.jpg

Ah, The Sun, we know how hard it is to tell black people apart, don't worry.

Fucking morons.

did anyone mention "a fucking disgrace" after the community shield game re:ballack incident?

"trial by djorou" pretty amazing pun to be fair

Good work Harry

That's WAY dodgy. Good to start the season with a fine for fielding an ineligible player.

I'm guessing that plan won out over the one where Bassong played disguised as Jonathan Woodgate or something. I love how it's worded as if Spurs have decided it's alright and are just kind of hoping nobody else will mind.

That's never going to work. Do they still deduct points for fielding ineligible players? I never understood why that was the most heinous crime on planet football.

'It just Chimbonda!'

'We never actually *sold* Zokora!'

The Sun won't notice.

hoping the league just keeps shtoom til 'arry gets back to the changing rooms to see spurs on the table with -10 and a text from dave richards saying "LOL".

"GTFO" wd be more appropriate but otherwise yes.

I lol'd.

haha i've not even read any peace and that was funny

Better than the novels.

http://www.expressandstar.com/2009/08/11/tyson-goes-for-a-wolves-head-shot/

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v165/noodle_vague/wd3391230tyson-wolves.jpg

Need ILX avatars now

Bites Yer Ears Hunter

Hahaha!

(Also has anyone noticed that it looks like David Bentley will still be a Spurs player at the start of the season?)

can't believe Fergie didn't snap him up

It takes a very special story to go lyrics-searching for the chorus to Lonnie Gordon's "Happening All Over Again".

This is that story.

City will win a Europa League place, let me just say that. I'm confident.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/05/29/article-0-051569E9000005DC-584_468x387.jpg

I am, of course, talking about Hull City.

...will win a Eurovision Song Contest place, more like.

Sunderland nab Lee Cattermole for £6m, a £2.5m increase on what Wigan paid for him last year.

How much was all the paper talk of him to Liverpool for? Wasn't it more than £10M?

I genuinely cannot remember btw Ronan, not looking for a fight.

I actually read it was going to be 10M to Wigan earlier today! But yeah, was def around 10M.

http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/6374/getattachmentwch.jpg

Eboue is Hull's new signingmascot?

I have a very strong feeling Wigan are going to get relegated this year.

10.10 Sources close to Real Madrid claim that Hull City are poised to complete an 18million euros (£15.5million) swoop for Alvaro Negredo, with the striker set to sign a four-year deal.

just looked his stats up, good goalscoring record, huge fee for Hull though. Having said that, he will probably become the 1743rd player to reject them this summer

also theres the possibility of him becoming albert luque mk. 2 (or was that xisco?)

yeah that rings true re wigan - most likely in a pleasantly ineffective west brom fashion.

rather looking forward to cattermole & cana vs arsenal now.

for some reason that tyson pic is making me a bit misty-eyed about don goodman btw.

Alright let's do this:

1. Chelsea (just look stronger throughout than everyone else and Ancelotti looks like he can change up if need be)
2. Liverpool (two or three players short, still)
3. Man United
4. Arsenal
5. Everton if they keep Lescott
6. Man City, still need a defence
7. Spurs, tough start but they pick up from there
8. Villa, squad still isn't big enough
9. Sunderland, that's looking a half decent squad now
10. West Ham
11. Fulham
12. Blackburn
13. Bolton
14. Stoke
15. Wolves (surprise package maybe?)
16. Pompey (only just, disastrous start but new money brings in some decent relegation dogfight players)
17. Birmingham (JUST)
18. Hull
19. Wigan, they've sold too many players and not sure about the manager
20. Burnley

Actually swap Hull and Burnley round - Burnley have the look of a plucky start and then a rapid decline as their squad gets knackered.

Anyone casting a cursory glance over the Scotland game last night won't be predicting great things for Burnley given the ineffective huffing and puffing of 187-year-old Graeme Alexander and the less good Caldwell brother. Saying that, I thought both of them looked good every time I saw them for Burnley last season (about three times), and perhaps it was just the pressure of playing alongside the Scottish Cafu that was getting to them...

1 man utd
2 liverpool
3 arsenal
4 chelsea
5 everton
6 aston villa
7 man city
8 tottenham
9 sunderland
10 west ham
11 stoke
12 fulham
13 bolton
14 blackburn
15 burnley
16 wolves
17 birmingham
18 hull
19 wigan
20 portsmouth

i know a ticking-grenade-on-liverpool's-title-record-garden-wall style omen when i see one.

Manchester United
Chelsea
Liverpool
Arsenal
Everton
Tottenham Hotspurs
Manchester City
Aston Villa
Fulham
Birmingham City
Blackburn Rovers
Wigan Athletic
Stoke City
Bolton Wanderers
West Ham
Burnley
Sunderland
Portsmouth
Hull City
Wolverhampton Wanderers

to be honest though the bottom 6-10 teams i kind of just put in by random because they'd probably all be within 3 points of each other fighting it out on the last day of season with teams staying up through goal difference

if i'm allowed to shuffle my wildcards then i could also imagine man city and stoke switching places, and same for liverpool and arsenal if the gunners' first month doesnt prove too damaging and they get on a roll come january. "the arse be unpredictable" is a terribly dull thing to say though, sorry.

Into Ewood Park. Up the corridor. Round the corner. Down the next corridor. Round the next corner. Dark. Up the corridor. Round the corner. Darker. Down the stairs. Down the stairs. Down the stairs. Darker. Darker. Darker. Massive blow to the stomach. Twelfth.

hah this is easily the best from that david peace thing (along with liverpool's). the quietly monstrous sam allardyce story really doesnt get enough props generally imo.

Man Utd
Chelsea
Liverpool
Arsenal
Everton
Man City
Spurs
Aston Villa
West Ham
Sunderland
Fulham
Bolton
Wigan
Blackburn
Stoke
Burnley
Wolves
Portsmouth
Hull
Birmingham

Unrelated, but I only just found out that after Birmingham beat Newcastle 5-1 that time, Steve Bruce said "if Ashley Young is worth £10 million then how much would Gary McSheffrey cost?"

He doesn't appear to have attempted to sign McSheffrey for any of his subsequent four clubs, perhaps realising that no club could ever afford him.

The league hurts my head too much this year to do predictions but yeah whatever Villa are finishing 11th or some shit fuck y'all

1) Man Utd
2) Chelsea
3) Liverpool
4) Arsenal
5) Everton
6) Garry Cook
7) Sunnerlunn
8) Spurs
9) Villa
10) Wigan
11) West Aaaaam
12) Blackburn
13) Fulham
14) Wolves
15) Owen Coyle Is God
16) Stoke
17) Notlob
18) Birmingham
19) 'ull
20) Pompey

the thing about birmingham is that whilst they are shite and indeed will be shite all season, i'm not sure they'll go in for the full comatose spiralling implosion like certain other clubs at that end of the table might.

have a feeling that there will be a lot of teams around the Europa places and a lot of teams in the shit mix and not too many teams whose season will run aground in mid-table mediocrity/safety early.

Yeah I thought Brum might grind through and pick up a few wins against the Tottenhams and West Hams and the like, and maybe one trophy win against the Arse, and pick up just enough points to stay up.

i don't know if it's just the name or if it's something about his face, but the more i see of jack wilshere the more convinced i am that he's some sort of 1940s regen who'll score 47 goals by february and then get conscripted and die in the trenches as world war ii breaks out.

More like he's that one English guy in the French village in 'Allo 'Allo.

As inn he's that one English guy in the French village football team in 'Allo 'Allo. Arsenal?

Wigan are not going down. There are about 6 other clubs far better equipped for relegation than Wigan.

^ how to sell the EPL

More like scores 27 goals and plane crashes on way to joining Madrid in the first 100 million quid transfer deal.

Owen is gonna score 25 goals this season as United smash the opposition and get another title.

Depressing, really.

Chelsea will win the League this season

Liverpool won't win the League this season

Hoy there!...

A fun graph that tells us that foreigners play football in the Premiership

Ancelotti has a lot to prove IMO. United favourites, the rest too unpredictable except Arsenal not finishing in top 3.

Betfair's odds on top scorer:

Fernando Torres 4.8
Didier Drogba 11.5
Wayne Rooney 12.5
Nicolas Anelka 15
Michael Owen 15.5
Robin Van Persie 19.5
Andrei Arshavin 21
Dimitar Berbatov 22
Eduardo 23
Jermain Defoe 26
Emmanuel Adebayor 29
Steven Gerrard 30
Robinho 40
Darren Bent 42
Frank Lampard 46
Carlos Tevez 50
Nicklas Bendtner 85
Yakubu 95
Gabriel Agbonlahor 95
Roque Santa Cruz 100

Arshavin's not a bad bet at 21 I reckon.

if you're going Arse why not Eduardo at 23s?

wasted bet either way of course

I got 33/1 on Eduardo a week ago, I guess him scoring in a bunch of friendlies and for Croatia put that up. Quite frankly, give him half the chances Adebayor had and I see him putting away, well, all of them. He is a born poacher you don't really see anymore (other than Huntelaar I guess).

Would be tempted to have a punt on Fat Frank at those odds.

Carlton Cole

jason scotland

There he is!

Obviously well motivated by Harry, not looking for a move and excited about his prospects for the upcoming season!

pretty annoying how much you see 'Alonso a huge loss' compared to 'Ronaldo a huge loss'

xavi alonso vs chavvy ronaldo

It's kind of funny, there seems to be an undercurrent of thinking that (as good as Ronaldo was/is) suspects taking him out of that team might allow other players to flourish and play their natural games more rather than having the team completely set up around HIM; Alonso was an integral part of allowing the best players to function and play their natural games and taking him away might sacrifice part of that as Gerrard keeps marauding™ forward and losing the ball before being told to stop it.

So in a way Alonso is kind of the bigger loss, or at least I can see the reasoning behind it. I'm looking forward to see Aquilani play (if he ever does) though.

It's kind of funny, there seems to be an undercurrent of thinking that (as good as Ronaldo was/is) suspects taking him out of that team might allow other players to flourish and play their natural games

Watched Darren Fletcher flourishing and playing his natural game as Scotland captain last night

Buried in a story about Pompey signing Anthony Vanden Borre on loan, this nugget:

Hart has also revealed he signed striker Mark Viduka in June, but has since had no contact with the player.

The Australia international, 33, was released by Newcastle following their relegation from the Premier League.

With Portsmouth lacking firepower since the departure of Jermain Defoe, and more recently Peter Crouch, Hart signed Viduka - only for the ex-Leeds and Middlesbrough player to go absent soon after.

"As far as I understand, the contractual negotiations went well, he was happy with the deal," Hart told BBC Radio 5 live.

"That deal was done in the back-end of June - and he's still in Croatia."

Most times I watched Alonso, he'd always be smacking long balls out for throw-ins/goal kicks. Quite frankly, he is a lot easier to replace than a 30ish goal-scoring winger, especially considering I can't see that many goals being scored by all of United's midfield combined.

Has there been any further update on whether Spurs are gonna go through with their brassnecked "you may think Bassong is suspended, but he isn't" gambit on Saturday?

xxpost it was good to see gamst pedersen flourish once loose of the shackles of tugay though.

Watched Darren Fletcher flourishing and playing his natural game as Scotland captain last night

To be fair to Darren Fletcher, he usually has better players than Graeme Alexander and a broken Scott Brown around him.

WBS, Viduka's got history for vanishing after signing for a club, as fans of A Certain Scottish Team can tell you.

(note, being fair to Darren Fletcher is not something I do very often)

I hated Xavi Alonso.

In fact, theres no longer a player in the league I really despise, though Evra is a candidate (attacking a groundsman and then falsely accusing him of racism isn't very nice; think that had something to do with the Ballack stuff on Sunday).

Course, most of the real cunts play for the team I support.

Has there been any further update on whether Spurs are gonna go through with their brassnecked "you may think Bassong is suspended, but he isn't" gambit on Saturday?

Probably not worth it for a game we'll lose anyway, but I bet they do.

ps Ronaldo isn't really a winger

Ballack is an excellent cunt, I've come to really appreciate him more and more

I dunno, get Defoe and Modric running at concentration-tastic Glen Johnson and you could get some joy. I guess having a supsiciously well rested Steven Gerrard strolling through the area where there would normally be a central defence could peg back yr chances of actually winning though.

I hope that Harry plays all his attacking players at once at least a few times this season

The league still has Diouf and Ashley.

Ha, I was going to ask about Viduka's whereabouts xp when I checked the odds on Newcastle's top scorer^ and saw Nicky Butt there and him nowhere. The lad's turning into an Ashley Ward/Nathan Blake style relegation magnet.

^ (Martins hot favourite btw *taps nose*)

Kudos to Mick McCarthy on completing a loan deal for Mancienne, I was a bit worried that only 10 centre halfs in the squad would leave us a bit exposed. Looking forward to Saturday's 8-1-1 formation.

just don't get the thing with mance. thought he was pretty flimsy during the two years he was on loan to us, though with a vaguely rolls royce-ish vibe about him i'll grant you (then again he was lining up with the likes of danny cullip and john curtis at the time), saw him again when we turned you over at home last season and he was still pony. dunno what the england call-up was about. might thrive in the rarefied premier league air i suppose, but he's no matt connolly is all i'm saying.

In fact, theres no longer a player in the league I really despise

hmm. michael brown's still at wigan right? him then.

He's a ball-playing centre half with plenty of pace, Premier League stans are gonna drool over him. I think you're being a little unfair, tbh, he still looked pretty raw at the Wolves at times but I've no doubt he's a class act. Thing is he needs to play Premier League football now if he's gonna improve but I can't believe he'll be a first choice for us, we've paid proper money for at least 2 much more experienced central defenders in the last 6 months alone.

saw him again when we turned you over at home last season and he was still pony

He was bullied by Patrick 'Dave' Agyemang of all people if I remember correctly, you're looking at a Senderos situation if he goes up against Drogba this season. He needs to bulk up more if he wants to make it at centre back, he was pretty good for us at right back.

agreed, right back's the most feasible career going for him. which of course will make it all the funnier when he's kept out the side by super greg halford.

slightly feeling a bit of the fortune teller's remorse about wigan now, curse you matt dc. still got bad vibes about martinez though.

beginning to wonder if this might be the season bolton finally give up the ghost - looking at it on paper it really is a remarkably cack squad of blokes called davis and variations thereof.

an Ashley Ward/Nathan Blake style relegation magnet

NEIL REDFEARN

^ (Martins hot favourite btw *taps nose*) - Ismael Klata, Friday, August 14, 2009 2:34 AM (12 hours ago)

Signed for Wolfsburg.

Martins has signed for Wolfsburg

xp dammit!!!

Various news outlets now running with David Dunn's possibly intemperate comments about "kicking lumps" out of Man City tomorrow.

Martins has gone to Wolfsburg.

Sturridge has gone to Chelsea

Sturridge has gone to Chelsea

^^^bordering on a meme.

I can see it replacing "Elvis has left the building"

and then momus arrived

^ Fancy A Penis Wave At Face

http://img.skysports.com/09/08/295x160/Premier-League-Preview-2009-20010-800_2347289.jpg

Sky seem to have pre-emptively shoved Arsenal out of the party

Portsmouth have confirmed Nwankwo Kanu has signed a one-month deal with the club.

Says it all! (xp)

Lampard "heeey something's not right here"
Torres "yes but always funny to wind up Cesc"

Moyes SLAMS City

Moyes added that Lescott "has had his head twisted" as a result of the attention

but it was like that before!

For a decade or more, the near-zero marginal cost of digital distribution has driven down the price that consumers are willing to pay for most content. Yet in the case of broadcast sporting rights, hyper-inflation has been the rule.

Back in 1992, the newly-formed Premier League generated a mere £38 million from broadcast rights. Last year, the figure was £930 million. During the intervening 17 years, the value of Premier League TV rights has grown at an annualised compound rate of 22 per cent.

I read an interview with John Barnes where he was talking about his money. Basically, he doesn't have any. He seemed relatively cheerful about having to shop in Primark, but it can't be easy seeing Lee Cattermole trouser ten grand or whatever every week

COME THE FUCK ON

Okay money fans, you can breathe a little easier again.

I see that the BBC scores page now has an "As it stands" table updated throughout the matches.

^^ Just came here to say that, I like it!

Who actually shows any of the 3.00 games on telly?

Overseas broadcasters.

Pubs with Korean satellite hook-ups.

Isn't that really weird? I always assumed they were just on Sky Sports...

It's to protect club attendances.

It feels anachronistic now that fixtures are scattered over 2/3 days on a weekend tho. I can imagine the 3.00 blackout being broken within the next few years.

it's just Sky's way of pissing me off. Only ONE televised Bolton game between now and December?

Might be something on ESPN? Wolves aren't on anything until the end of September, bastards.

Still resent the fact that there's only one day a year when all the clubs play simultaneously.

should have said both Sky and ESPN. A Bolton v Blackburn Thriller at the end of November. Wigan is the only other team to have only one televised game. Stoke has 2.

xpost

it was like this last season as well. I think there was only one televised game from January to the end of the season. I feel like they're punishing me because of the later Allardyce-era, when we were Arsenal's bogey team and, combined with UEFA cup/domestic cup ties, we could be on telly once a week. Or they're punishing us for playing shit, boring football and not having any fans. Either/or.

It feels anachronistic now that fixtures are scattered over 2/3 days on a weekend tho. I can imagine the 3.00 blackout being broken within the next few years.

Hmm... it's one thing having quite a few games outside of the 3pm kick-off. It's another having the real meat of the week's fixtures unfolding in front of you. That's quite a thing to miss for the privilege of attending a single game, especially if all your mates are enjoying it in a pub somewhere.

I think part of the TV rights contract stipulates that every team has to appear a minimum number of times, so Sky are probably saving Bolton for the inevitable six-pointers in the relegation struggle next Spring. Us too, obv.

Kudos to BBC Sport for handily listing all injuries and suspensions this season, for the benefit of Fantasy Football players everywehere.

where is that on the site, Matt? I found a website that listed the injuries but not suspensions earlier this week.

BBC have taken a goal off of us - not quite as bad as Alison Douglas saying we were 3-0 down at half time.

1403: GOAL Aberdeen 1-2 Celtic (Sone Aluko)

Tell you what, never underestimate Phil Brown's ability to piss everybody off, and the squad is thin as rice paper, but this first choice Hull team looks all-fucking-right.

BBC text commentary has only been made bearable by the fact that the guy is clearly a butthurt chelski fan

Oh you lucky lucky fuckers. 5-Live commentator sounds relieved.

This season's clearly going to be exactly the same as last season.

That was a brilliant goal. If he meant it.

and my fixed odds springs back to life!

BBC "as it stands" thing is good - Hull just dropped 19 places :)

still says they have a point though...

oh its gone on a refresh

Carlos Tevez is only on the bench

haha

Both Drogs goals were excellent, I think he meant the second. Probably.

Okay, feeling the nerves now.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v165/noodle_vague/angrycustomer.jpg

He just said he didn't mean it xp

Both Drogs goals were excellent, I think he meant the second. Probably.

― Suedey 2, Saturday, August 15, 2009 2:52 PM (1 minute ago) Bookmark

he's just admitted it was a cross, Andy Gray was adamant it was a shot as well and spent a couple of minutes praising his technique

http://msp31.photobucket.com/albums/c353/tmummery/stoked.jpg

Dammit, cant believe I was influenced by Andy Gray! At I wasn't certain. I always want people to have meant goals like that though. And surely a forward should *always* say they meant it? 'Yeah, that's how good I am'. Maybe Didier has found a new humbleness.

i was shocked at his honesty, ees a fucking disgrace

Oh jeezus Andy Keogh is playing in the Premier League. Wonder if my dad's thrown his season ticket on the pitch in disgust yet.

Blackburn begin the short march to the Championship.

Great, we're nearly out of the relegation zone as it stands.

I think it may irritate me every time Adebayor scores.

And herrrrrrre go Bolton. Sittin' pretty in 17th :-D

And now Portsmouth go behind, this is like a roll call of teams you thought were gonna struggle.

Zamora scoring by accident lol - already on halfway towards last season's total.

From the BBC live text: First jammy goal of the new campaign goes to Fulham. Assume this guy didn't see the Chelsea match.

Eboue Eubank Blake is apparently playing upfront for Wolves according to Paul Merson.

Managed to find a shonky stuttering live stream of the game :-D

Wish I hadn't :-(

 	Team  		P  	GD  	PTS
16  	Hull  		1  	-1  	0
17 	Blackburn 	1 	-1 	0
18 	Bolton 		1 	-1 	0
19 	Burnley 	1 	-1 	0
20 	Portsmouth 	1 	-1 	0

Swap maybe Wolves for Blackburn and I don't think this is far off how the bottom of the table will look in May.

Good goal tho, couldn't do much about that.

posted that before they refreshed Wolves to the bottom of the league

Andy Keogh should have done better for Wolves

Yeah, being stretchered off springs to mind.

Shit that should probly have been 2-0. Living on our nerves here.

This 'as it stands' thing is compulsive viewing as it's the first game - Stoke going top takes Wolves off the bottom on goal difference.

Jebus-Blake having a long chat with the ref at half time. Don't know why: he didn't seem particularly harshly marked, our midfield should maybe have a go at passing the fucking ball to him second half.

I'm stoked for my man, goal-a-game Bobby Z

My man Nenad going close at the start of the second half there.

Shocking missed clearance by Craddock, Collinson had to score, had the courtesy to kick it straight to Kevin Foley on the goal-line.

Soft fucking header from a corner, Hennessey ineffectual surprise surprise. 0-2.

We've had a right go at them this half, and considering we're missing Kights and Doyle and I reckon West Ham will finish top half of the table, this has looked a reasonable performance really.

I think it may irritate me every time Adebayor scores.

― Suedey 2, Saturday, 15 August 2009 15:08 (2 hours ago) Bookmark

Villa were pathetic. Actually, that might be giving them too much credit - you would think they met for the first time in the parking lot before the game. All credit to Wigan - they played well. Rodallega's goal was a helluva shot.

that is one classy goal we just scored. :)

damn had a few quid on arshavin to score first

RvP taking the Adebayor route to doubling his salary.

I love football.

Haha, every time we got a set piece I was thinking Vermaelen would score considering what (MPx4A) said about him scoring a bullet header for Ajax against Villa (I think).

People like Denilson always score on the first day of the season, dont they? It was a great goal, but I feel like knowing this I should have the confidence to reflect it in my fantasy team.

ps woo

It's practically the only way Vermaelen can score, but at Ajax he did so quite often.

Thats fine with me. He's looked pretty good to me considering this is the first time I've seen him play

Toure always used to guarantee us a few goals from attacking set pieces so I'm happy that this guy can too. He's not been taking any shit from Fellaini and seems to be good at just booting/heading shit away instead of the traditional Arsenal pass it like a twat clearence. After 45 minutes, which is like 9 times a youtube video, I feel I can make an educated statement and say I like him.

Arsenal look to me like they're trying to be a bit more direct - not just in terms of the route one goals so much as looking for the killer ball quicker, plus Bendtner running through people (impressed with him) rather than passing round them. They are still conspicuously missing one poacher, but that's for another day I guess

lol 4-0

They are still conspicuously missing one poacher

http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/07_02/ArsenalEduardoR_468x585.jpg

This is going very smoothly, for once

Everton fans leaving five minutes into the second half.

Triple-subbing. Ai.

No point in Everton chasing the game and risking six, they haven't played badly at all, lax tracking back excepted

Rosicky should play for Everton since they are sponsored by Chang.

lol what a strike

oof

Goodison is emptying fast

Hate to say it, but this is really taking the edge off our result today quite nicely.

So... Fabregas back in Sky's header.jpg by tomorrow?

Enjoying the big Vieira chants.

6!

moyes out

OWLRAGEOUS!

They are still conspicuously missing one poacher

wrong!

Loving it!

amazing how the pieces moved there to leave arshavin suddenly in acres

It needs to be done...

http://utdblog.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/eboue.jpg

Oh well, no clean sheet bonus then.

complacency

Wenger out

Fantasy league teams around the country being ripped up.

Mark Hughes quietly rubs his hands.

End season plz

Ooh, and Bayern vs. Werder Bremen on later too. This ESPN lark ain't all that bad.

worst season ever

Also, Dara O'Briain's first Guardian column is pretty decent.

I reckon that will have convinced Lescott to stay.

think he's exaggering about last season's dullness...at least in that it didn't seem particularly worse than the one before.

Lolz at the BBC going http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/46175000/jpg/_46175650_champagne_44.jpg http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/46175000/jpg/_46175650_champagne_44.jpg http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/46175000/jpg/_46175650_champagne_44.jpg http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/46175000/jpg/_46175650_champagne_44.jpg http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/46175000/jpg/_46175650_champagne_44.jpg

they should just add LOL and WTF images and be done with it

Have now switched to Beeb News. Oh, Roy Hodgson's voice. Really have missed you quite terribly.

^^ real talk

xp

David Moyes mate.. you just got merked

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSqKs6IoMKQ

Cesc does appear to be deadfully serious atm

Spent the afternoon out with the kids. Did I miss anything?

Wigan beat Villa!

* Saha 90+2

Good to know they can be got at!

Excellent - glad to know we've reversed the trend for last-gasp goals at Goodison. And a seven-goal thriller, too. What more could you want?

Alan Shearer appears to be wearing a referee's shirt on MOTD tonight.

haha, Ireland's goal. what a dick. <3

More like Aston Vilola.

I'm a happy man this morning.

Re; hateful people in the Prem - Stephen Gerrard for punching someone in the face over an iPod gets close.

Arsenal didn't actually play well y'day. Those set piece goals were a joke and that set them on their way. They actually didn't string together many good moves and didn't have to ask any questions to score those goals.

Good God, Robbie Savage is a dire summariser.

Don't think B'ham's "let's throw every player into the box to defend" strategy is going to work much longer.

yep.

"United with 8 shots on target but haven't really been much of a threat". Cue goal 3 seconds later.

That Brum team is a like a who's who of 00s Premiership journeymen.

Big story of the season so far is that Louis Saha appears to have dyed his hair ginger.

Fuck sake ref if that's dangerous play we should stop football.

Mark Hughes refutes Sralex's "small club" jibe by thinking it's ok to ignore Davie Moyes telling him to fuck off.

"I'm not surprised David feels a bit aggrieved with the situation, you always are when a big club is trying to sign one of your best players."

How dirty can Man City play here? Could they just be real petty dicks and recall Jo, leaving Moyes up shit creek without a striker?

God, I bet the rest of the Sky Four are really fucked off that the team this rubbish Man United defence is facing is Birmingham and Cameron Jerome.

Rooney is playing like a thing posessed at the moment - that long-range belter just now.

leaving Moyes up shit creek without a striker?

or worse, send him Bellamy

on Football Focus yesterday they talked about City breaking the Big Sky Quadrumverate and cited Newcastle and Leeds having done so in the past - uh but Chelsea weren't any bigger than them at that point

Everton beat Liverpool into fifth place in 2004-5 though.

http://i28.tinypic.com/syq9au.jpg

Everton beat Liverpool into fifth place in 2004-5 though

yeah they mentioned this of course, but by then the Big 4 idea was a lot more solidly defined

The Big Four has only really existed as an idea since Liverpool won the Champions League in 2005. Up until Abramovich bought Chelsea there was only really a Big Two - Man United and Arsenal.

Look back at the 'When Did You Stop Thinking Tottenham Were One Of The Big Clubs' thread and see if anyone mentions a Big Four, because I'm pretty sure they don't.

Big Four - marketing ploy dreamed up by Sky to trumpet their Super Sundays (which they seem to have every week now - wasn't Super Sunday originally just dreamed up when you had, say, Man U v Arsenal and Liverpool v Chelsea on the same day?)

Arsenal didn't actually play well y'day. Those set piece goals were a joke and that set them on their way. They actually didn't string together many good moves and didn't have to ask any questions to score those goals.

I would agree that Arsenal weren't especially stretched yesterday and Everton were pretty bloody awful but you can't honestly believe they didn't play well? You simply can't win 6-1 against anyone without playing well. They shredded Everton with their passing, scored four different types of goal (two headed goals in a game, wtf?) with only one of them coming from a recognized striker. Whether or not they can produce a good performance when they're actually stretched, I guess we'll see on the 29th.

predictable ILX Arsenal fan playing to type^^

I guess we'll see on the 29th

You mistyped "Tuesday" there :-)

/predictable ILX Celtic fan playing to type

my friends and I use the phrase "super sunday" to mean a sunday with two or more sports events on which you consume vast amounts of booze, I thought sky always called their sunday coverage "super sunday" tho not sure.

Maybe it is, do they have another phrase for when it's all Big Four clubs on the same day?

BIG FOURPLAY DAY

$uper $unday

god if I hope this isn't another season of Man U winning the title with a string of uninspired 1-0 wins.

scratch that 'if'

I can't even remember last season now. Were United not irresistable first, before lapsing into this rubbish?

they didn't go top until February iirc so not that irresistable

yeah ailsa they've started to call that "GRAND SLAM SUNDAY" I think

FUCK YEAH

So who do we complain to about Bassong?

Ah yes, GRAND SLAM SUNDAY, fuck that shit, tbh.

lol @ baseballisms

lol @ n american assuming grand slam is a baseballism

Spurs had the best home defensive record in the Premiership last season?

1. Arsenal
2. Tottenham
3. Chelsea
4. Man City
5. Man Utd

Liverpool sounding terrible on the radio.

They never liked Everton out-doing them in anything.

Don't think Liverpool have had a shot on target

Is Aquilani playing or is he still injured?

Liverpool dont appear to have any options except to hope their best players start playing better. Which I wouldnt rule out obvs, but it's not exactly ideal.

injured

Liverpool are awful today and this games over

Aquilani is injured until Oct/Nov at least, I hear.

We should have just sold them Rosicky.

Yeah but think how good they'll be when they play in January! Like a new singing!

Yes, singing. For a game or... a half.

lol @ n american assuming grand slam is a baseballism

oh I'm sorry I didn't realize they had Denny's in Englande

lol

As in Dirty Den off the telly?

What's he got to do with baseball?

Why is it with Torres that he always looks like he's a)injured b)about to be injured or c)recovering from injury?

Skrtel can only turn his head one way, ala Zoolander, according to generic commentator fella. Going to enjoy this second half.

Never in doubt.

ok i wasnt expecting that. Stonewall Pen though.

94 minute winner off Gerrard's bottom, anyone?

How can you not have been expecting that? It's what they do. Expect an injury-time deflection in off Steven Gerrard's arse...

haha xpost!

boom!

2-1

BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG

sorry.

lol Bassong

Anyone who reads this thread a mod and want to delete that, so the thread is normal page size again?

it will be hidden in "show all messages" land in no time

oh yeah, good times.

I've got a big monitor; I thought you were just being apologetic for celebrating a Spurs goal so fervently

If I was a Spurs fan I'd be getting massively over excited about this seasons prospects

Hope Spurs watched the FA Youth Cup final; Ayala was terrible

Oh no Voronin is on, game really is over.

fucks sake that was a penalty

(the foul on voronin not the later handball)

sammy lee sent off lol

never in doubt

so er first team to win the title despite losing their first game maybe (i'm sure it's happened before tho)?

I know it's been said too many times already, but Modric really is a bit special, huh? Thud and Palacios were great as well, the rest was just lol liverpool's year.

Well, Barcelona lost their first game last season, if you want an example. However, Liverpool aren't Barcelona.

You used to be able to lose six and still win the title. Starting badly can't have been that uncommon in those days

Modric was indeed brilliant today

Jamie REdknapp punditing about his dad is great. "I think Spurs need continuity in their management [please don't sack my dad], they've got a really good manager [love you, dad!]" etc.

Yeah Jamie Redknapp and Glenn Hoddle = possibly not the most impartial panel ever.

That looks like the basis of a very good Spurs team indeed. I never thought I'd see Tottenham outmuscle Gerrard and Mascherano in midfield but it happened - Palacios is a beast and a tank and I love him for it.

Creatively, this season should be all about doing everything possible to let Defoe, Lennon and (especially) Modric flourish. Everyone else is a lower priority. The worry came about when Crouch came on and we abandoned the passing game in favour of hoofing it up to him.

Liverpool were woeful. They won't get anywhere near the title on that form - they miss Alonso badly. Also, where was the width? What's the point of having the best striker in the world if you can't give him any service?

It seems absurd to me that I can't remember Liverpool buying a decent winger all bloody decade, just the way Spurs still can't sort out their left side (although I guess they've given up and just let Modric roam). You'd think if fans could see it for years, maybe managers would notice that maybe they have a problem.

Which reminds me, Fabian Delph is a left winger, right? Why is Martin O'Neill assembling a LW version of Man Utd's famed right back champions?

Man Utd in 95-96 - the "can't win anything with kids" season - got thumped at Villa on the opening day and won the title. Everton won the title in 84-85 after a 1-4 reverse vs Spurs at home on day one (that, plus 1-4 vs Arse (h) in 04-05, make yesterday a really good omen, yeah?).

Oh, and Liverpool won the title in 75-76 after a 0-2 opening day defeat at QPR (who ended up their main challengers). Loads of others, I'm sure.

I always think that Liverpool must have traded having any other strikers in favour of having just Torres.

Spurs seem like one of the best attacking sides in the prem at the moment in terms of options + Modric. Mainly Modric. I hope he always plays. He's a bit like Arshavin isnt he... Or do I just think that because they're tricky little short arses who are hard to muscle off the ball?

Voronin? N'Gog? I guess playing moving Kuyt to his proper position is the only real other striking option to Torres.

Delph is a CM. Villa were rubbish but Rodallega's goal was one of those slack-jawed grudging applause beauties you secretly enjoy seeing, at least.

I was a little disappointed when I realised there was nothing remotely controversial about Bassong playing today.

I am a little disappointed too, now you mention it.

I maintain it shouldnt have been allowed.

As far as I'm aware they announced his signing before the WBA game but didn't complete the paperwork or register him with the FA until after it had happened and his suspension had been served. Hard to imagine they wouldn't have got the green light for it, even being Spurs.

All we need now is for Liverpool to finish one point off the top.

Not sure that's likely. They looked very thin.

Except for Sammy Lee, obv.

so who was it who called Arsenal 2nd, Liverpool 4th and Spurs 5th then

(rest of season pending)

I was going to stick my neck on the block and predict Liverpool 1st, City 2nd - phew, glad I didn't tell anyone about that.

Whichever tabloid sub came up with 'Fluke Droggy Drog' gets my earl vote for headline writer of the season.

Never realised you had a peerage Matt.

Sheesh, I didn't realise that was how my man Bobby Z stumbled off the mark. Good for him though, get in the right positions and things happen for your.

r

Keane's "FFS" gesture when Gomes conceded that penalty pretty much made the resulting goal worthwhile (granted this is easier to say when it ends up not altering the result)

2 Good 2 Bad is my favourite thing about footy's return

Ireland's goal was like when you realise you've got too good at Pro Evo, get disgusted with how easily you've created a chance and end up turning round and looking for someone else to pass to or some other way to render it moderately plausible or stylish, before giving up and apologetically shunting it into the net.

Women Respond To Bassong = all-time lols.

LOL my friend said that Ireland's goal was pure Pro Evo too, albeit not as elegantly

guys

srsly

LBZC: the love that dare not speak its name

i spent today in a bar in malaga watching a frankly jaw dropping parade of beauties pass me in a parade, but i could only gaze wonderingly at droopy redknapp and gawky luka. it all seems like a dream, now that it's 10 degrees in dublin and i'm still wearing my shorts, but srsly guys.

we're gonna lose to west ham but fuckit. rafa out, jol out, football's back in fashion and united don't play rooney as right back anymore. i'm a lil drunk imnotgonnalietoyou but this season is gonna be one long vindication of width, touch and genius midgets

dear d-mac, what will it take for you to return to the curmudgeonly critic we once adored?

Also, if Lennon had scored after that run we'd have a Prem GOTD contender right there. Was v annoyed that he was tackled.

xp undoubtedly my hangover coupled with waking up in ireland again. also, players being picked on criteria other than form and effectiveness (cept for thudd, obvs).

lennon's heavy touch was sadly inevitable but dude's improved so much in a year that bentley never had a chance, almost feel sorry for the stupid lazy vain shitforbrains

Thudd is a thing of wonder. A thing of stirring, beautiful wonder. I hope Bentley looks at him and Lennon every day and weeps inwardly.

Think new rules should be introduced to ensure every team fields at least one genuine bona fide genius midget.

bentley and jenas to villa rumours better be true, but in any case everton should be good to pick up one of them with lescott's arab millions TM.

liverpool will not finish in the top 3 2009/10

tell you what though, pav ahead of keane for me for the next few games. genius midgets need their hulking frankestein andre giants to work with, if only for comedy effect. roobie keane's chin has lost it's sparkle.

re: robbie keane's chins big 'FFS' moment- that's just the one of average 25 a game that the guy pulls in every game, usually with the ball no more than a yard away. bad attitude since the departure of icecool berba, maybe we should offer him to united?

i'm a lil drunk, sry for english

Spurs fan I was with earlier said Keane was shot up top

Rafa Ruined Robbie

can i just rafa out dude's a bengal lancer to paraphrase another drunken crabbit paddy

In my dream the other night, a top side unveiled a 2'2" striker. It was odd.

a top side with a small mentalist

liverpool will not finish in the top 3 2009/10

OH HAI START OF SEASON

see if spurs don't get relegated before this sort of shit. pool were bad today but you'd say that if they won 3-0.

sticking to my guns, LG. admirable consistency.

ps i want that sensor thing you have that beeps when someone types rafa out

so who was it who called Arsenal 2nd, Liverpool 4th and Spurs 5th then

(rest of season pending)

some alco junkie???

seriously live reactions to stuff needs to be sorted out via death camp

x-post...I'm no rafa fanatic but this thread will take a zillion turns over the next 9 months.

turn one is rafa out

:)

:D

I like how I throw in a self-deprecating "rest of season pending" and I'm still off to the Local Garda Rave Of Doom

seriously the amount of bullshit on this thread based on one game is bananas. pool were crap today but it's the first game of the season. arsenal were fucking woeful y'day but were gifted two goals in the first half having gone one nil up with a hollywood shot from 25 yards.

what I wonder about is why riera was not even in the squad and also why benayoun didn't start. spurs didn't play particularly well today, liverpool had enough of the ball to create chances but there was no zip, they didn't even look particularly fit.

but the posts predicting league placings based on this weekend, jesus...put some money on the order of the top four if you're not actually just spewing forth bytes.

fifty quid united chelsea liverpool arsenal.

and i'm basing not one single jot on one game, to be fair.

http://www.paddypower.com

dude I called United-Arsenal-Chelsea-L'pool-Spurs about two months ago and have stuck to it since

don't have an account, but will have scanned slip in next few days.

spurs won't be in top 6.

there is not a chance in hell arsenal finish second louis....that's demented.

forgive me father, but it came to me in a mad ague

was gonna put arsenal third there but i just couldn't even type it.

everton could finish anywhere above relegation and below third and kind of not surprise me, are they the pure energy to city's dark matter i wonder

the more I look at sports websites or forums the more I think the incessant need to react makes for idiotic "conclusions". this is true of stupid stuff said about man u, liverpool, arsenal, chelsea, whoever. it's a farce, this need to sum up the mood that lasts only until the next game...

No, this is true! I was making a subtle joke at its expense in bringing UP my old prediction. There's plenty of specious rubbish derived from not very much, all the time. It informs a good 2/3 of sports comment.

fuck it though, isn't it great really?

Sometimes. When it's funny or well-articulated. Or if it brings up great times of yore.

yeah how deep do you need to analyse eleven guys chasing a ball, tbh, before it becomes insufferable. football is throwaway like the newspaper round yer chips innit etc etc. dumb comment on it only becomes a heinous crime when it's aimed at your own team, i think we can all recognise that, but cmon be serious rafa out tho.

arsenal were fucking woeful y'day

lol. I have no idea how anyone can say this with a straight face. We were fucking terrfic; winning every tackle and tearing them apart so easily we scored 1 goal with 3 nutmegs. Just because you are bitter about Liverpool losing and have been listening to stupid fucking hype does not take away from how improved this Arsenal side is and how they are going to come above Liverpool. And i'm not basing that on this weekend, I've been thinking it all summer, even before I knew that Babel and Lucas were promoted to the first XI.

I thought Arsenal looked formidable once they got going but it's fair to say it took some shocking defending from Everton to get them going. With the pace Arsenal have it's never a good idea to give them a start as it stops you from playing that defensive containing game that Wenger hates so much.

Is their an ILX Fantasy Premier League?

LG otm

Liverpool could've got a point while playing badly and there'd still be 'well that's that for them then + Spurs to equal dizzy heights of Jol surely now' type nonsense.

True, true, BUT saying Arsenal were "woeful" when they won 6-1 on the opening day of the season reads like the sourest of sour grapes.

Maybe Arsenal will finish above Man City on goal difference thanks to the five goal boost caused by Man City unsettling the shit out of Everton's defence.

I don't understand the hype to Liverpool. Before yesterday I thought they had a strong starting eleven but their squad is terrible. Where is the back-up to Reina, Johnson, a 4th choice centre half (essential considering Agger is out and Skrtel might be), back-up to Mascherano (if Lucas is to Aquilani), any good wingers Rafa trusts, and possible replacements to Gerrard and Torres, the latter known to get countless injuries? Have Stoke or someone knock them about and you are looking at a title winning team with Plessis and N'Gog? Really?

I thought motd was available on iplayer this season? :(

Arsenal = neither woeful nor amazing. Everton were wrecked by the Lescott situation. Looks like both Everton and Villa have been most affected by Man City cash.

Was great to see Eduardo score.

everton were right shit

If we can't indulge in sour grapes, ridiculously biased bitching and jumping to hysterical conclusions based on one result we might as well lock the thread now tbh.

arsenal are going to walk this now, aren't they?

Arsenal played well but I'd like to see them win at Stoke or Bolton or someone who can actually stop them from playing before making any call on whether they've actually improved. Then again any team in the world would be improved by having Arshavin in it.

Tottenham fan 'friend' of mine said "I almost enjoy it more when the scum lose than when we win"; my Arsenal fan 'friend''s response? "No wonder you're such a miserable cunt". To be fair, he is a miserable cunt.

Ronan's absolutely right that it's ridiculous to engage in a fullscale prediction recalibration based on the first game of the season. That being said as far as I can tell, your determination that Arsenal aren't going to be able to compete against Man United and Chelsea (can't even be bothered with Liverpool tbh) is based on their performances against Man United in the Champions League three months ago. Is it not feasible that they've sorted things out since then? Afaic they MIGHT be able to dissect every team as they did Everton for the next thirty seven league games, or it might be a complete fluke and we're in for a long Winter. Either way there's not enough evidence available to yet be making lavish pronouncements.

(Liverpool back to 9/2 and Arsenal currently 6/1 for the title btw)

xpost <a href=""A small thread with a small mentality" - Liverpool and Man City won't win the Premiership 2009/10;>all football fans are miserable cunts </a>

haha damn it.

We beat Bolton, Stoke, Chelsea and Utd last season btw.

also i am kind of tempted to use my wildcard for my fantasy team already based on the first week's performances (e.g. torres and gerrard out fabregas and assou-ekotto in)

Haha, actually think I have used my wildcard after the first game the past couple of seasons! (tbh it might be reasonable considering how few teams are playing midweek, if you actually want a full team to play etc)

Premier League Fantasy Football 2009-2010 for whoever asked for it earlier.

Thank you!

When I get added to that league will I only have points from gameweeks after I joined? Cos I'd be 10th now on 50.

As long as you created the team before the first game you should be able to take all your points with you.

Manchester City had the better performance because they're not Arsenal!!!!11!

Walking with my friend I found a fiver outside the bookies earlier and decided to go in and put on an accumulator. Didn't notice he'd put on a bunch of games as well. So if Arsenal, Olympiakos, Stuttgart, a draw in the Sporting-Fiorentina game, Chelsea, Wigan, Boro, Reading, Millwall, Leeds, Man Utd, Spurs, Liverpool, Lyon, Newcastle, Notts County, Everton, Fulham and Villa all come in, I'll have made just shy of £250k for nothing. The bastard, I think I only put 5 teams down and asked him if their are any other games he thought were worth taking.

Money on Reading? Heavens above.

Away from home as well. Oh well, I didn't have the fiver to start the day, and I sure as hell won't by the end of the week.

A nineteen-game accumulator!

It's too late to join the H2H league isn't? :-(

Ooof

So how true is this then, or will Liverpool still make a couple of big signings before the window closes? The Times have run with pretty much the same story, although they say 2M.

Wouldn't be remotely surprised if that's true.

I can't even begin to imagine what £1.5m would get you this summer. Rafa'd be as well joining your accumulator.

All hunched over fantasy premier league, setting the filter to 1.5 million to see what comes up.

Apparently Sol Campbell's not asking for too much in the way of wages.

Rafa !(in)

wasn't this known before he signed glen johnson for 17m anyway?

if you assume that most of the alonso hard cash was swallowed up by the aquilani deal, i mean.

I forgot about Johnson. Can't really complain about spending as much as he's bringing in, then - more teams should give it a go.

Today, though, I'm mostly about this:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00601/asplandpage4image1__601503a.jpg

"This is your trophy... this is your trophy ON DRUGS."

needs arshavin

skrtel out with heavily cracked jaw, don't know for how long yet.

Damien Duff to Fulham yay

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/f/fulham/8201978.stm

He scored an own goal at Aston Villa on the final day of last season as Newcastle were relegated from the Premier League after losing 1-0.

Nice wee footnote from the BBC. No mention of his outstanding 2002 world cup or his 70 odd caps or two league titles or whatever - just "Newcastlol, lol"

yeah, his 70 odd caps have been fairly underwhelming aside from 2002 WC tbh. he's a frustrating player, and i'm not sure that he's going to do much for fulham.

Working with Hodgson again's got to be good for him, though.

His wingplay will turn Bobby Z into the Nat Lofthouse he's always threatened to be

duff's wingplay doesn't really do anything for strikers, as his final ball is terrible. stretches the defence a little sometimes, i guess.

Small fan with a small mentality: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=582914&id=1321056892&ref=mf

that is a little beyond the pale

Hodgson turned Danny Murphy into a consistent Premiership performer once again so I can see him doing similar things with Duff.

that is a little much indeed.

was duff ever a consistent pl performer? his best years were spent in division 1 (LOL old) with blackburn, he signed for chelsea and was mostly injured apart from that one season, and he didn't do much at newcastle at all.

don't mind the dude, and he's (marginally) better than hunt or mcgeady, but y'know.

Duff had a great couple of years (one under Ranieri, one under Mourinho) at CFC.

maybe, maybe. i'm looking back through green tinted glasses.

Yeah, Duff was one of Chelsea's best players for a couple of years! Consistently changed games for 'em. Mourinho said his mum (or grandma) held Duff as her favourite player

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/hullcity/6049044/Luke-Young-poised-to-move-from-Aston-Villa-as-Hull-City-add-him-to-website-profiles.html

Turns out you can plug almost any player's website profile into another team's website and make it look as if they play for somebody else; the Telegraph have not realised this.

half the premier league teams all use the same basic template for their websites, presumably all managed by the same company. i was comparing them all a few week's back, think the best one may actually have been Pompey's.

Duff also Chelsea legend for saying he would never sign for Spurs.

that may be also colouring my views.

i bet he would've now

http://www.hullcityafc.net/page/ProfilesDetail/0,,10338~23213,00.html

What a fictional disaster for Hull City.

http://www.hullcityafc.net/page/ProfilesDetail/0,,10338~23219,00.html

What a signing!

Right, now get Teddy Sheringham or Tom Finney, or someone else in the £1.5m bracket, onto the Liverpool site and alert the Telegraph

I <3 Darren Bent

kidding me?

shame we couldn't play for that guy, tbh

Oh man, Chelsea's third

http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/4597/arsebears.jpg

way too harsh on duff above...he was brilliant in qualfication for the 2002 World Cup and certainly had some good games since, he's been in a shit team which doesn't help.

Mourinho ruined him.

Yeah a lot of people say that, by bulking him up ended up turning him into a carthorse.

he was UNBELIEVABLE around 2001/2002...like one of the most exciting players around

I am reasonably pleased at our first Premier League points and would like to acknowledge the occasion in a restrained and thoughtful way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJSaRw1vjxM

guys where are premiership highlights?

LG- yeah i think we did duff before. dude just frustrates me tbh, and i don't think he's done anything but settle for being an injury case since 2002- resting on his laurels for ireland in a big way, feel like perhaps robbie keane is a bad influence on the guy.

i'm sure i'm not the first to mention this but still
http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Football/Pix/pictures/2008/12/9/1228855254236/Sam-Allardyce-001.jpg http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd118/embarchie/geo.jpg

More like

http://www.nisd.net/ward/Staff/gt_page/gt_page_08_09/webpages_biomes_08_09/walrus_noahj_3rd/walrus-portrait.jpg

"Mourinho said his mum (or grandma) held Duff as her favourite player"

this was actually ranieri's grandmother, if memory seves. he said she always scolded him when duff wasn't in the team.

duffer was great in his last few years for blackburn and his first two for chelsea, hasn't been the same since. tho i think he has been a steady, if not spectacular, performer for ireland in recent times. many irish folks say mourinho ruined him, tho i think this is nonsense. he had probably his best ever season in chelsea's first premier league title-winning year, which was under mourinho.

still think arsenal won't be contenders, tho perhaps they are better than i previously thought. i like arsenal and would like for them to be in the running, but twill be between pool-man u-chelsea - and at the mo i am leaning towards chelsea. squad-wise they look very strong, tho i'd have reservations about ancelotti - certainly he did not win as many domestic leagues in italy as he should have!

noodle vague - what have you to say about andy keogh after tonight?

cant understand the pessimism about united. they've lost the most effective player in the world, but too many of their other players underperformed last season for them to be behind chelsea (or even approaching liverpool) in terms of favourites.

1. chelsea
2. man u
3. pool
4. arsenal
5. man city
6. spurs
7. villa
8. everton
9. sunderland
10. west ham
11. fulham
12. blackburn
13. wigan
14. stoke
15. bolton
16. wolves
17. birmingham
18. burnley
19. hull
20. p'mouth

United
Chelsea
Liverpool
Arsenal
Man City
Villa
Spurs
Everton
West Ham
Fulham
Sunderland
Wigan
Blackburn
Stoke
Burnley
Bolton
Wolves
Portsmouth
Hull
Birmingham

losing ronaldo's a fairly massive thing, especially when you look at the middling options brought in in his stead. also remember the gaps between united and pool and chelsea were not massive last season (90-86-83), so it's reasonable to think any drop-off in standard from man u will be punished. pool losing alonso + chelsea's greater squad depth makes me inclined to think they, and not pool, are a sounder bet!

oh, not arguing with you about chelsea above pool. but only one of the three 'contenders' has a new manager, and they have more first team african players than the other two (off the top of my head, tbf).

ronaldo did most of it on his own the past two years, but rooney and berbatov (last year) are better, more effective players than they've shown so far and a lot of this was down to united being set up to suit the star man.

noodle vague - what have you to say about andy keogh after tonight?

Great player, never doubted him.

(to be continued)

Darragh: I believe MOTD will cover last night's games tonight. But if you can't wait that long, they should be here.

Arsenal
Chelsea
Man Utd
Liverpool
Tottenham
Man City
.
.
.
.
everyone else

lol

For the first time in about four seasons, I actually think Arsenal can win it, genuinely. I can see big flaws in each of the other three of the 'Big Four', especially Liverpool.

whereas Arsenal have fixed all their probs of last season by erm....buying a defender? people acting like Song is gonna magically become Pat Vieira is as deluded as Pool fans acting like Lucas is gonna magically become Xabi Alonso.

maybe not as deluded......

caught the goals at some ridiculous time on sky last night, a hoy hoy, but cheers. deco's goal was a beaut, and andy keogh is the new ronaldinho.

I dont want to come across all Wenger, but all the analysis of teams only really takes in to account who has been brought in and moved in, its not unheard of to work on things in training, for players to become better or even have a better team spirit (bye bye ade). I mean in general, as well. Obv we dont get to follow that like TRANSFERSSS OMG but it doesnt mean its not important. I mean, that's pretty much the coaches job, not knowing makes it interesting.

Not saying arsenal are gonna win the league or anything - I do think they have a better chance than people are giving them, and obv hope they do - but think they'll surprise people. I think they'll finish better than fourth, anyway. And all the same things will be said, regardless. Also Song >> Lucas.

Think Fabregas will be the best player in the league this season. My theory is he feels like he owes it to the club to win something before he can leave and seems very serious and determined about doing so. And then leaving, probably.

I have to go with Chelsea or Liverpool.
I can't see Man U adjusting to life without Ronaldo quickly and I don't know how much longer they can go to the Giggs/Scholes well. Looks like they'll have goalkeeping issues this year. If Rooney and Berbatov click they could be formidable nonetheless.
Alonso is a big loss to Liverpool but keeping Torres fit and Gerard out of jail should be enough to make them favourites in just about every game they play. Not a lot of depth there should the top guys pick up a knock though.
Chelsea look capable of scoring against anyone and they've got a fairly settled squad who look like they've kept the team spirit Hiddink instilled.
Arsenal looked capable of scoring at will against Everton but the easy start contributed to that. Last night they laboured to get past a very ordinary Celtic team (much as it pains me to admit that). It'll be interesting to see how they manage against the other big clubs. For a while it looked like Villa and Everton would drag Arsenal down into a Next Biggest Three but I think their Big Four status is safe for now - Everton and Villa haven't improved (Villa definitely heading in the wrong direction) and City aren't quite in full on multibillionpoundjuggernaut mode yet.

I think it'll be very tight at the top this year meaning the Super Duper Ultra Sundays are going to be crucial.

Going for (with less than 10 points separating the top four):
1 Chelsea by a whisker
2 Liverpool
3 Man Utd
4 Arsenal
5 Man City
6 Spurs
7 Everton
8 Villa
9 West Ham
10 Fulham
11 Sunderland
12 Wigan
13 Blackburn
14 Bolton
15 Wolves
16 Stoke
17 Birmingham
18 Portsmouth
19 Burnley
20 Hulol

xp

Have trouble predicting a top four because I have my doubts about all of them, honestly. Still have a sneaking suspicion Chelsea could collapse in some way and end up 3/4 but will probably get by simply from still possessing a passing resemblance to the huge grinding machine Mourinho built.

Most of Arsenal's problems are 'fixed' by the team becoming more experienced, which is gonna happen naturally with time. The level of passive-aggression emanating from Liverpool fans on this forum is really quite extraordinary. All I said was "for the first time in ages I feel like Arsenal can win the league".

Arsenal may have laboured last night to beat Celtic (I didn't see it but a deflection and an own goal suggest it wans't a walk in the park) but isn't "beating teams when you don't play well" ALWAYS trotted out as a sign of a team with league-wining capacity?

"Certain people on this thread, who shall remain nameless, are being extraordinarily passive-aggressive".

arsenal will not win the league

its called the premiership not happy ladies

Hahahaha! Ok, Irish Liverpool fans.

Yeah, I think if its important not to read too much in to the Everton result then it's equally important not to read too much in to the match against Celtic.

I think all the big four will have games like that against similar sort of teams this season, following on from the theme of last season where they all kept getting draws simultaneously for the first time in forever.

I think healthy aggression between fans of rival teams should be encouraged on this thread.

Also, we should meet each other at matches and hit each other with bottles.

Can we throw the bottles? I'm quite good at throwing.

i'd like to change my table prediction to

3 Arsenal
4 Liverpool

I was intimidated earlier, tbh.

Presumably you'll have to throw the bottles because we'll eventually be separated by dozens of baton wielding police.

Message board big 4 supporters ain't nothin t'fuck with

Yeah, I think if its important not to read too much in to the Everton result then it's equally important not to read too much in to the match against Celtic.

Agreed, as I said I do think it will be very close at the top this year. There's not much to choose between any of them and injuries, cup and Champion's League exploits etc could all be a factor. Note to ken c: no-one's gonna walk this.

ken c's going to walk this, isn't he?

1 Chelsea
2 Arsenal
3 Man Utd
4 Man City
5 Liverpool (3rd-5th blanket finish with hilarious last-day shenanigans)
6 Spurs (15pts back)
7 West Ham
8 Fulham
9 Everton (good Cup run though, not necessarily in Europe)
10 Villa
11 Blackburn
12 Sunderland
13 Stoke
14 Bolton
15 Wolves
16 Wigan
17 Birmingham
18 Hull
19 Burnley
20 Portsmouth

whereas Arsenal have fixed all their probs of last season by erm....buying a defender? people acting like Song is gonna magically become Pat Vieira is as deluded as Pool fans acting like Lucas is gonna magically become Xabi Alonso.

― I for one welcome this new Nazi ILX (Local Garda), Wednesday, 19 August 2009 10:06 (59 minutes ago) Bookmark

Why? Paddy started really picking up steam at about the same age Song is now, who is starting to put on motm performances in every game I see him in, has more international and top level (i.e. champions league) experience and arguably a better team around him to help him hit the top, all trying to help each other become the best.

I listened to the game last night because I couldn't find a decent stream and the general opinion was "arsenal don't seem that bothered and they can win it this way." except for 1 player, who's name keep coming up again and again and again: alex song. always winning tackles, interceptions, starting moves, smart enough to drop back when gallas or vermalien went forward. And it was similar against Everton - in the first 20 minutes we were equal in terms of drive and ambition, going forward, etc. but time after time, Song just put out their fire. If he carries on like this, I'm worried about the ACN, although I'll guess we should wait and see how Coquelin does in the Carling Cup first.

if spurs sort the left side then we could go places this year, but that's hardly a new thing.

xp Argh keep forgetting about the ACN

However whenever I do remember it I think, isn't it a bit of an awkward time to have it? In terms of it being a World Cup year etc.

ps. I think Denilson might have learnt how to shoot, not sure yet

Lansbury ahead of Coquelin, surely?

F365 transfer gossip-

"Everton will make a £12million double raid for Tottenham duo David Bentley and Alan Hutton"

can't see levy taking that hit, but that's not a bad deal based on performance levels so far and likely performance levels in the future. bentley is worth nothing to spurs at the moment (and can anyone see that changing?), hutton is frankly rubbish.

harry won't be selling jenas, but please god he'll be relegated to back up

If occasionally reading Young Guns has me correct, Lansbury plays like Lampard Mk. 2 and is unfortunate that we spent £5m on Ramsey who's pretty much the same but even better. The 18 year old Coquelin is pretty much the only like-for-like back-up to Song we have, although I think Djourou can play as a dm as well.

Yeah Flamini was a bit of a lolsigning until he suddenly got better and allowed Fabregas to get forward more and generally gave Arsenal a decent shot at the title two years ago, before the Eduardo injury.

The issue with Arsenal is that they don't seem to be able to hold onto players any more so as soon as they get to a certain level they're out the door and Wenger's back where he started. Can't see them making the leap this time, even with Arshavin.

i don't think that's necessarily true about players moving on, matt. fabregas has been hot property for a few years now, and henry had a few years as one of the best around while remaining in situ.

if players do move on, it's 50-50 the player getting 'tto big' for arsenal and the club deciding that cashing in wouldn't be the worst outcome for the club (adebayor a good example?).

Vieira was 38 when he left and Henry was past his peak for the club; I think they were both astute sales. Flamini was a disappointing sale but I doubt we'd have won the league if he'd stayed, put it that way.

I'm starting to think this is Fabregas' last season here, and then after him, I can't really see any more players thinking they are 'too big' for Arsenal (hell, Cesc wouldn't even be moving for such a reason, he's Barca at heart and always will be) or just wanting out. The only problem is that when he eventually leaves, whether next summer or even the couple after that, is what effect it has on the other players mentality. We have 4 potential replacements already at the club, all with the potential for greatness (Wilshere, Ramsey, Lansbury, E-Thomas), not to mention Nasri; so when he goes and we only spend 20% of the takings on a new player in a different position, I'm hoping the fans and players don't go nuts. But with Adebayor and Toure, or alternatively seeing Lehmann, Flamini, Bert and Hleb go last summer, the players seem to know that trusting the manager and their own ability and growth over the exagerrated effect transfers have on a team.

Really? I think if Arsenal goes yet another year without a prize, Van Persie could be out of there. He's quite loyal and raving about Arsenal, but wants to WIN something for once in his life, he's expressed on numerous occasions.

Cannot for the life of me think who Bert is?

Vieira was 38 when he left

facts: checked

33 Senegalese years innit (© Davie Moyes)

Gilberto

Yeah, but ol' van Injury is going to win something with Arsenal, so I'm not worried.

much like aliardiere won something with boro

RELEGATION

Never in doubt?

xp

Aha Bert!

Yeah, Vieira definitely had some Senegalese years not show on his French passport.

From the Guardian - Arsenal could boast the game's outstanding player in Alex Song, as well as the driving force that is Cesc Fábregas. It was somewhat mystifying that the Spaniard should shower and change afterwards in approximately 60 seconds and wait for the team bus with a face like thunder.

Redknapp on Bentley:

"David Bentley is a smashing lad. He knows that what happened will cost him. He will pay for it.

never thought harry would be very anti drinking

very anti drink driving?

http://img.thesun.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00866/carousel-news-1_866933a.jpg

Good headline.

should not smash

he also made that comment a while back about the Maldinis of the world not staggering around with lager pouring out of their ears.

BENTLEY HITS LAMPS would be better.

Benitez out?

Lots of rumours that someone has walked. Guessing him or Moyes.

bentley should have walked.

He should have driven a Bentley and The Sun could have written "SMASHED BENTLEY SMASHED BENTLEY".

Or changed his name to Porsche.

http://www.bettingzone.co.uk/market_moves/

TUESDAY'S MARKET MOVES
Please refresh for updates, all times BST - updates throughout the day between 0700 and 2300.

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1725: Paddy Power has suspended betting on Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez leaving the club after a flood of bets this afternoon.

At the start of the day the Liverpool boss had been a 22/1 outsider to be the next Premier League manager to lose his job but a betting plunge pushed Rafa’s odds all the way down to 7/1 before the bookie pulled the plug at 4/1.

Whether the betting plunge is a result of rumours on a hot summer's day in pub gardens remains to be seen but Liverpool's apparent lack of transfer funds would certainly appear to give the betting some credence.

Darren Haines, spokesman for Paddy Power, said: "A rumour of some kind has spread like wildfire – we don’t know what’s behind it but something looks to have happened at Anfield for such a sustained level of requests for the Benitez boot."

Paul Hart at Portsmouth had been the 3/1 betting favourite prior to the Benitez run.

If it all is just rumour that'll be a nice bit of money for the bookies.

i don't think that improves it.

xpost

Heard read rumours about Benitez leaving earlier, wrt transfer funds and Statler & Waldorf moving the goalposts. The thing I read did just read like some whingeing fansite trying to create something that would snowball into something that'd scare H&G into giving Benitez £££ though, but who knows.

xpost gahhh!!!!!

Either way, great to the season for Liverpool.

just went to betfair to lay some benitez bets.

and found that there's no such market wtf betfair??

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=668740&sec=transfers&cc=5739

Former Gers defender Sotiris Kyrgiakos claims he's signed for Liverpool - he might be a bit miffed if he spots Rafa going the other way through the revolving door.

Not if he gets Sammy Lee instead.

william hill said the same thing about benitez in february and it never happened fwiw.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/benitez-sacked-by-sunday-says-bookie/story-e6frey4r-1111118969277

yeah, so sick of this every few months

Lescott dropped due to 'bad attitude' ie WANTING City money/fuck a Europa league

Lescott bad attitude drop is Moyes' PR move to get fans onside before shipping him out maybe?

also he can be scapegoated for the arsenal defeat.

poor phil brown, it couldn't happen to a nicer chap.

the one season i don't pack my ff team with spurs players they start by winning a bunch of games :(

Burnley 1 - 0 Mickey Owens' Horse.

poor sralex etc

brilliant goal tbh

Might be a bit off as it was a quick count through the results but I make it since Hull beat West Brom 3-0 in October they have played 28 league games, lost 18, drawn 9 and won 1.

On the radio it sounds like Utd were the team just promoted playing the champions.

Those stats flatter Hull, if anything.

Alan Mcloughlin on the Quay 107.4 at St Andrews - Brum City Vs Pompey - the worst half of a premier league match in terms of quality he has ever seen

Still, well done Carrick :)

Astonishingly poor performance from Utd. Burnley's goal was fantastic though and the keeper made a great save for the penalty.

so owen missed like 3 sitters already?

Manchester United need inspiration from somewhere and Dimitar Berbatov has just gone for a leisurely stroll along the touchline.

Manchester United need inspiration from somewhere and Dimitar Berbatov has just gone for a leisurely stroll along the touchline. penalty area.

*here's hoping Ken C won't have any reason to say 'never in doubt' about the ManU game in 15 minutes or so*

No make that three minutes

lol Portsmouth btw

Never in doubt about Burnsley! :) Great goal

Yay Burnley! Man Utd start this season like Arse started the last, maybe they will have a CRISIS!!1

Loving Spurs, too

Owen Coyle is God. Apparently. Can get one over the dudes that told me there was no way he should be Celtic manager on the strength of getting Burnley up.

top of the league tbh

Spurs top! Took them about 10 games to get that many points last season.

Sore one for Portsmouth.

fergie out

http://files.stv.tv/img/articles/99063-owen-coyle-is-god-according-to-some-410x230.jpg

do we get 7 guardian blog posts on the demise of united, fergie's schizophrenia etc now?

most probably. losing to burnley is worse than losing to the team that's top of the league.

Q: did Brum City deserve that Penalty?

wasn't streaming that one tbh.

Amazingly, Hull are still not bottom.

do we get 7 guardian blog posts on the demise of united, fergie's schizophrenia etc now?

Winning the last three league titles rather than losing them buys you a bit of leeway. I'd still expect a few people to question whether he has found a way to play without Ronaldo though as it's not like they were overly convincing against Brum and they looked short of ideas tonight.

Always good to see Fergie walking down the tunnel with a face like fizz. Expect a few hair dryer references in the coming days.

yeah agreed, just pointing out how ridiculous the guardian's sports page is, they should start doing 1000 word thinkpieces midgame, "spurs may well score 5 today"

x-post I keep wanting to start a thread "fergieisms"

United haven't actually been playing well since midway through their record-breaking run last winter.

The Rafa Rant thing became a Thing for lazy hacks who like to portray themselves as having some kind of insight into his mind. I read something today (in the Guardian, probably) about how he should stop being a sore loser - every fucking manager anywhere near the top of that league is a bad loser.

I was talking specifically about last 4/5 days, if you look at Guardian web page, there are like 4 articles basically saying "Liverpool miss Alonso", with 500 comments or whatever on each. that site just utterly schills for comments/views, it's fucking tragic that they're actually strategising to do that, even the journalists in charge or writing the pieces must think "what are we doing here?", it's so artificial, I mean is a writer really pitching his ed "oh hai lets write another piece about Liverpool today, even tho we've had 3 others since Sunday and it's now Wednesday."

Prob will be the same with Man U for next few days too, or positive articles about Spurs.

sorry I meant to start that I agree with you, but was only referring to last few days

How have Spurs been defensively in the two games? Are they genuine top four (or better) contenders this year?

Awesome United result. LOLs in my United / Arsenal household.

they were good at the back against Pool but they weren't tested much, x-post