PL 2015-16 Chat

[edd_jedi]

Adebayor to Palace too! Spurs are having a clear out:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/35414102

Shame as I always liked Adebayor, on the odd occasion he actually tried he was up there with the best. Just too lazy and delusional.

 

[weasel]

Shame as I always liked Adebayor, on the odd occasion he actually tried he was up there with the best. Just too lazy and delusional.

Yeap, sums him up well. On his day, ie when he could be arsed, he was actually something special. HOWEVER, once he got the contract signed he, literally, put his feet up and walked about the pitch making Mario Ballotelli look like the fecking Duracel Bunny.

If Palace have any sense they will promise him a big fat contract, watch him set the place alight, then NOT give him the contract and avoid having to deal with CBA Adebayor.

I think they are picking up the bulk of his 100k a week wages until the end of the season, so a big auld deal for them.

 

[edd_jedi]

Just watched MOTD from Saturday, the Liverpool Norwich game was something else! A couple of shockers but several of the goals were sheer class, not much to complain at the defence about. However what were Norwich doing in the 95th minute, they should have had 11 men in the box behind the ball. I think their naeivity cost them the match, they should have been happy with a draw after 8 goals!

 

[edd_jedi]

Confirmed, Guardiola to City at the end of the season:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/35461090

What do you reckon, another LVG? Everyone was raving about him before he started at Utd. It's funny how people still seem to think buying the best players and managers makes winning a dead cert, which the likes of Leicester have proved to be bollocks this season.

It will also be hilarious if Pellegrini wins 2, 3 or even 4 trophies this year which is very much a possibility. The most successful manager to be sacked in history?

 

[weasel]

I think it's a superb appointment for city. Fantastic manager, plays great football (unless you like fat sam style hoof ball) and his track record is, well............passable :lol:
Granted winning domestic stuff with Bayern is like winning an SPL title with Celtic ATM, BUT he has Bayern challenging for the CL so it's not like they arent right up there with the big boys. Also, Barca had won FA in the two seasons before he joined, so he didn't inherit a title wining side.

It will be interesting to see how he gets on with the more physical and higher tempo nature of the PL. It will take a lot more out of his players if he wants to play that pressing game. As will the lack of pure cannon fodder sides (aprt from Villa, who will b gone by nxt season) that you get in most other European leagues. Ditto the lack of a winter break, but still i'd be very surprised if City don't win the title next year. Given their resources and the farcical sitution most other "big sides" find themselves in, i'd say this appointment rubber stamps it for them.

I take your point on ppl thinking LVG was a good appointment at Utd, but Pep's recent record is head and shoulders above what LVG has achieved in the last few years. Plus LVG was always a bit weird. He got his balls out in a press conference or team talk once FFS

 

[edd_jedi]

Plus LVG was always a bit weird. He got his balls out in a press conference or team talk once FFS

You may be on to something there - apparently this is his thoughts on tonight's game:

 

[theforceuk]

Plus LVG was always a bit weird. He got his balls out in a press conference or team talk once FFS

You may be on to something there - apparently this is his thoughts on tonight's game:

No he's not stupid, but anyone can tell you who goes to Old Trafford at the moment, it will be a rubbish atmosphere.

Great appointment by City, not sure he will win the CL though, unless he stays for longer than 3 years. His hardest job will be filling the stadium week in, week out.

 

[kingshearer]

Leicester City are still keeping it up - another big 3pts tonight.
I've got no connections with Leicester whatsover apart from eating alot of the crisps produced there but I'd have to say 'Id love it ' if they won the prem since they've spent virtually nothing play some scintillating footie at times, very dangerous up front and tidy at the back.
I think if Manchester City lost Aguero to injury they'd start slipping away only Spurs look capable of catching the foxes with the rest of them all hitty missy which is great for the neutral.
Long way to go though so a foxes title is still a very distant dream.

 

[edd_jedi]

Great night of results all round (unless you're an Arsenal fan!) but it's still way too close to call IMO. Utd in 5th are only 10 points off top spot, I think the only certainty is that Chelsea won't win the title as they're too far behind. But the top four is still completely wide open, I don't feel at all comfortable about Spurs finishing top 4 as there's only a handful of points between them and Utd/West Ham etc. I still have open wounds from Spurs blowing their 12 point lead on Arsenal at a similar stage of the season a few years back, all it takes is a few bad games.

 

[weasel]

Great night of results all round (unless you're an Arsenal fan!)

Ehh............I'd gladly swap for Arsenal's result! I think everyone above Liverpool won, bar Arsenal, who drew!

 

[SAVORY100]

Ok, I'm happy to be accused of being biased because I'm a Spurs fan, but hell, I'm usually the most pessimistic fan the world has ever seen... I really think Arsenal are slipping into trouble though and feel they are at risk of losing the top 4 record they cling to. Based on the last three performances, I can't see them beating any of the three above them in the league all of which thy have yet to play the second time, having said that this season almost every game has gone against form! I'm guessing they'll get 1 point from those three games... Arsenal have the worst goal difference of the top four and have so far scored fewest goals... Not too sure who they have that can really change that trend. They're also on the worst run of form of the top 7 in the league with only 9 points in the last six games. I think it looks pretty ropey to be fair. No way they will win the league in my mind.

For Spurs its probably another false dawn, the league is possible; I'd be happy top four, but never say never!

Aguero injury issues will seriously worry Citeh, so they could fall away and can Leicester really keep this going???

I have been holding a theory for over a decade about Ranieri, which no one ever listens to, happy to be shot down on here too, but is it impossible to believe that the Chelsea team that won when Mourinho first arrived was essentially Ranieri's team with the exception of Drogba (a massive influence no doubt), then think about all the other signings Mourinho made there and how short their career was after... and nearly all were sold in a season or two. Has Mourinho (Porto aside) ever appeared at a team that needed building and built it, or has he always inherited a team in good shape an playing good football that needed maybe a single player to get the results? Real Madrid, Inter, Chelsea and again back at Chelsea... not too long after (1-2 seasons) the glee diminishes, he's bought in the wrong players, dismantles the previous mangers playing style and team that he was riding the wave of... they start loosing and he leaves.

Ranieri built that Chelsea side (IMO) and he has now built this Leicester team... this time though he has his own goal scorer in Vardy rather that the gap he had before Drogba arrived at Chelsea, maybe he is the not the tinker man, but actually the Special one?

 

[weasel]

Sanchez back will be a boost to Arsenal once he gets up to match speed. I do agree they are looking ropey ATM. But then it's February, Arsenal always blow up in Feb. At least they have all those new summer and Jan transfer window signings to rely on...............Ohhh!

I still think they'll make top four, if only because they are very good at beating teams in the mid to lower half of the table (and equally bad at beating the "top" sides but still).

Spuds looking good for top four as well. It'd be nice to see City, Leicester, Spuds and Arsenal finish as top four. Utd missing out would be even nicer! Chelsea and Pool are already too far back to realistically make it.

As for Ranieri. I agree totally on Mourinho. I think most football fans do. He is a short term manager, and the term "cheque book" is probably a fair enough label to throw at him. He had wads of cash at Chelsea and well, Real are Real. At Inter he had a cake walk to Seria A as everyone else was relegated or fined stupid amounts.
The thing that bugs me is, he got the Chelsea job on the back of the CL run with Porto. Fair play, great run, BUT they should have lost at OT. Scholesy had a goal wrongly disallowed and I THINK Porto's winner was offside (though that may be wrong). Either way Scholesy's goal stands and Utd win, Porto go out and we never see Jose at Stamford bridge.

That linesman has a lot to answer for!

 

[theforceuk]

Sanchez back will be a boost to Arsenal once he gets up to match speed. I do agree they are looking ropey ATM. But then it's February, Arsenal always blow up in Feb. At least they have all those new summer and Jan transfer window signings to rely on...............Ohhh!

I still think they'll make top four, if only because they are very good at beating teams in the mid to lower half of the table (and equally bad at beating the "top" sides but still).

Spuds looking good for top four as well. It'd be nice to see City, Leicester, Spuds and Arsenal finish as top four. Utd missing out would be even nicer! Chelsea and Pool are already too far back to realistically make it.

As for Ranieri. I agree totally on Mourinho. I think most football fans do. He is a short term manager, and the term "cheque book" is probably a fair enough label to throw at him. He had wads of cash at Chelsea and well, Real are Real. At Inter he had a cake walk to Seria A as everyone else was relegated or fined stupid amounts.
The thing that bugs me is, he got the Chelsea job on the back of the CL run with Porto. Fair play, great run, BUT they should have lost at OT. Scholesy had a goal wrongly disallowed and I THINK Porto's winner was offside (though that may be wrong). Either way Scholesy's goal stands and Utd win, Porto go out and we never see Jose at Stamford bridge.

That linesman has a lot to answer for!

That Porto game was a shocker the linesman totally did us over, but everyone needs luck to win that competition, accept Barcelona.

Don't forget Mourinho also won the CL at Inter Milan, first manager to do so for 40 years or something. I agree he needs money to be successful, but who doesn't these days, theirs still a long way to go this season. Would anyone bet against Leicester finishing in the top 4? I probably would. :?

 

[edd_jedi]

Arsenal have the worst goal difference of the top four

This is the massive positive for Spurs this season, historically they are usually pretty much even on goals at this point, and even managed at some points to have negative goal difference yet be in the top 6 due to a series of heavy defeats. But this year has been a real improvement on that front, touchwood no 5 or 6 goal thrashings.

 

[SAVORY100]

Just seen the breaking news that Wellbeck is fit enough to make a comeback, maybe my prediction that Arsenal will slip out of the top 4 could be wrong after all... Oh, no that probably won't make any difference :lol:

 

[weasel]

Just seen the breaking news that Wellbeck is fit enough to make a comeback, maybe my prediction that Arsenal will slip out of the top 4 could be wrong after all... Oh, no that probably won't make any difference :lol:

You mean the breaking news that Danny Wellbeck is just days/weeks away from a new injury!?

 

[lejackal]

Just seen the breaking news that Wellbeck is fit enough to make a comeback, maybe my prediction that Arsenal will slip out of the top 4 could be wrong after all... Oh, no that probably won't make any difference :lol:

You mean the breaking news that Danny Wellbeck is just days/weeks away from a new injury!?

You pair of miserable Arsenal mocking bastards, we'll win the league now, just you watch! :shock: :lol:

 

[SAVORY100]

Just seen the breaking news that Wellbeck is fit enough to make a comeback, maybe my prediction that Arsenal will slip out of the top 4 could be wrong after all... Oh, no that probably won't make any difference :lol:

You mean the breaking news that Danny Wellbeck is just days/weeks away from a new injury!?

You pair of miserable Arsenal mocking bastards, we'll win the league now, just you watch! :shock: :lol:

:lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Cazza]

Prior to this season: Not won at Anfield since 1963. Not done the double over Liverpool since 1963/4 season. NEVER beaten them in the FA Cup...

:wink:

In Slav we trust 8) COYI!

 

[weasel]

I thought that was pretty good game last night. Both sides had enough chances to win it. Hammers hit the post, twice, but Pool probably had more and better chances to win. Granted WH should have had a penalty as well. Definitely not a dull game. I thought penalties was probably a fair outcome, but sure.

I was surprised how well that Liverpool side did, considering how inexperienced half of them were. Actually the other half were Mingolet, (who has to be the worst keeper in the league) lucas (playing at CB), flannagan, coutinho, sturridge (who are all coming back from injury), Jordan Ibe, (who was WH's best player), and yonder useless 32 milion Pound Mario Ballottelli impersonator. Even given that they still did better than Liverpool's first choice 11 have done in two attempts against WH this year.