Premier League 2012/13 Discussion Thread

[weasel]

I remember that newcastle thrashing of Utd. Albert's chip was brilliant, i think shearer scored a blinder as well.

As for city, i think Mancini was lucky to keep his job as long as he did for a bucket load of reasons.

1) The team regressed this season.
2) He totally wasted i don't even know how many million in the summer. Jack Rodwell, decent player but not CL contender standard. Scott Sinclair......why? Has he even played 100 mins of football this season? Javi Garcia is a good player, not sure he was what City needed but i'll give them the benefit of the doubt on him.
3) That CL campaign. Tough group, yes, but **** me that was pathetic!
4) Playing three at the back on a semi regular basis but never actually practicing it in training. I can understand trying it as a once off if the situation dictates during a game, but he seemed to be doing it to piss off the owners. Brining me nicely to point five,
5) His constant sniping at the owners. If they have given you tens of millions to spend, a massive annual salary, and a squad that is the envy of most European teams, taking sly pops at them every five mins is only going to get you sacked!

TBF to Mancini his track record as a manager is pretty poor. All his success at Inter was during the period when Juve, AC, Lazio etc were either relegated or deducted so many points they need title winning form just to stay up. His reckon in Europe even then was dire. He probably performed exactly as well as you would have expected at City.

 

[Michael Sith]

Your probably right about Mancini, but as a red didn't want to seem spiteful

Lets hope there are some nice surprises this summer in the transfer market

Bloody hate out of season ...no footy :x

 

[weasel]

It'll be a pretty interesting summer.

Moyes will want to put his stamp on Utd. There's plenty of dead wood in that squad, and i assume he will be given money to sign a few new players, Baines prob being top of the list.

City and Chelsea will both strengthen, cos they need to, cos they have new managers coming in and cos they have rich owners who seem content to throw money at the clubs.

Wenger will stick his head in the sand, spend less than he needs to strengthening the squad but i still expect them to bring in a few.

Spuds best business will be holding on to Bale. I think he wants to stay but if they get offered silly money Levy may be tempted to sell. They also need a striker and maybe another attacking midfielder, rumours of Modric coming back.

Pool need about 6 new players of CL standard, but will probably end up with a few PL players and a few randoms.

 

[PGowdy]

It'll be a pretty interesting summer.

Moyes will want to put his stamp on Utd. There's plenty of dead wood in that squad, and i assume he will be given money to sign a few new players, Baines prob being top of the list.

City and Chelsea will both strengthen, cos they need to, cos they have new managers coming in and cos they have rich owners who seem content to throw money at the clubs.

Wenger will stick his head in the sand, spend less than he needs to strengthening the squad but i still expect them to bring in a few.

Spuds best business will be holding on to Bale. I think he wants to stay but if they get offered silly money Levy may be tempted to sell. They also need a striker and maybe another attacking midfielder, rumours of Modric coming back.

Pool need about 6 new players of CL standard, but will probably end up with a few PL players and a few randoms.

Yeah i actually think Chelsea have the most promising and "together" squad of the top 4. They suffer from a lack of depth and Torres. He is like -1 player. They desperately need to ship his ass out and bring in a quality striker who can score. Their mid-field is excellent and i can only see need for a more defensive minded player. It's all very well having Luiz, Rameries, Oscar, Mata and Hazard but when they're not attacking they run around like headless chickens for the most part. They need a little stability and it could be the best midfield in the premier league by far. All that and 1 centre-back and they could win the league. Bringing in a half a dozen attacking players as per would be a huge mistake and get them nowhere.

Moyes is an unknown entity. He has a HUGE job in my opinion. United may be league winners but i don't ever remember a less talented bunch of players winning the Premier League. It's shocking when you read out their list of players. I'm sure Moyes has always longed to be able to spend real money on players having managed a relatively cash-strapped team for over a decade. But will he know what to do now he's got it? United need a massive over-haul in my opinion if they're to stay "giants" of the game.
Defence - 3 minimum. Every position needs replacing really tho.
Midfield - What Carrick does works. He has his critics but he's the only midfielder they have who serves his purpose. Beyond that. EVERY positions needs addressing again.
Upfront- actually they're pretty good here. They have the best striker in the world and do they really want to mess with that 2 much. They have decent cover in Rooney, Hernandez and Welbeck. If Rooney leaves maybe bring someone in.

Wenger will do what he usually does and bring in 2 or 3 (at most) relatively unknown players. Which as we know tend to go one way or the other in terms of quality and improving the squad. I don't see them improving. Just maintaining the level they are at just as they have done for the last 6 years or so.

Spurs season and purchases will ride on Bale and whether he stays. I'm really not sure but gun to head i'd say i'd be surprised if he's still with us come the start of next season. But even if he stays we need a lot of new players and we need to ship a LOT of dead wood. I still think Dembele and Dempsy will come through and can't be judged on their first season. Lennon's always a good outlet and Parker is ok but i wish they'd stop him joining in with the attack, something at which he's completely useless. Huddlestone please leave... go grow your hair and eat pies somewhere else. We need new defenders. We are terrible at defending. We need 1 new midfielder. I real playmaker. And of course we need 2 new strikers. Adebayor has been diabolical this season. Don't remember ever seeing a Spurs player put in so many consistently awful performances AND keep his place! And beforre you mention the Man City game, in which he was immense! That was literally his only good performance of the season.

City simply need a good manager. Mancini was terrible. His main flaw in my opinion was he never played the same team twice. There was no unity, understanding or togetherness in any team he put out. You never knew from game to game who was gonna be in the starting line up and where they were gonna play. He was like the opposite of Ferguson. It's that idiotic myth you see a lot from these european managers that if you have quality players it doesn't matter which combination of them you play they'll win... WRRRRRONG.

 

[Dark Sith Lord]

"Huddlestone please leave... go grow your hair and eat pies somewhere else"

Really? I really rate Huddlestone myself think he is a great player of what i have seen of him which granted is only around 4-5 games in the Europa.

 

[weasel]

I agree with Pete on Utd, although I reckon he's a tad harsh on their defence.

Ditto David Moyes replacement at Everton having a massive job. Ageing squad, already losing P Neville, their manager and probably Baines and Fellaini. Stabilising that on a budget of whatever Bill Kenwright finds down the back of the sofa will require miracles.

Spot on with Chelsea as well, a regular goal scoring striker and they will be 10-15pts better off next year. Question is who's daft enough to offer the 20+ million they'd be wanting for Torres!? A swap deal with Athletico for Falcao would probably be their best bet, but I suspect he wants to join Barca.

Pete, I assume you ignored Liverpool because like all sane football fans you've come to accept that next year IS their year and they walk the PL without conceding a goal, never mind dropping a point!

 

[Dark Sith Lord]

Lol Weaz

I dont think that will be coming true if this happens -

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22609295

 

[weasel]

 

[PGowdy]

I agree with Pete on Utd, although I reckon he's a tad harsh on their defence.

Ditto David Moyes replacement at Everton having a massive job. Ageing squad, already losing P Neville, their manager and probably Baines and Fellaini. Stabilising that on a budget of whatever Bill Kenwright finds down the back of the sofa will require miracles.

Spot on with Chelsea as well, a regular goal scoring striker and they will be 10-15pts better off next year. Question is who's daft enough to offer the 20+ million they'd be wanting for Torres!? A swap deal with Athletico for Falcao would probably be their best bet, but I suspect he wants to join Barca.

Pete, I assume you ignored Liverpool because like all sane football fans you've come to accept that next year IS their year and they walk the PL without conceding a goal, never mind dropping a point!

With Man U's defence, and like all my comments on them i'm assuming we're talking about them being league winners and continuing their dominance which in my opinion is gonna need a MUCH stronger squad now they don't have Fergie, i see it like this -
Evra - great player and had a really good season but getting to the point now when he's gonna need replacing soon. One more good season. Maybe.
Ferdinand - ditto but more urgently needs replacing in my opinion. I think now Fergie's not there to motivate him we may have seen his best.
Evans - just awful. Doesn't bare discussion. He'd struggle to get in ANY team in the Premier league.
Vidic - the great man may be at the end of his career now i fear. Don't ever see him being the player he was.
Jones - don't rate him in defence as much as he rates himself.
Rafael - the only question mark. A talented young man but risky and possibly not in the mould that David Moyes will be looking for in terms of solid reliable defenders.

I didn't mention Liverpool cos they finished 7th... again! (was it 7th last year or 8th??) How far down the league are we going. lol. They have one great player and one former great player still playing quite well. The end. They need 8-9 new quality players. They are years off top 4 finishing.

 

[Dark Sith Lord]

Hmm so it appears Pulis has left Stoke so thats another job up for Grabs

Got to say tho glad to see the back of him cant say I am a big of their style :roll:

 

[weasel]

Pulis leaving Stoke has been on the cards for months now. Fingers crossed the new guy gets them playing football and not the bastardized version of rugby Pulis so loved.

As for Utd's back line,

IMO Evra has been in decline for 2 years now, he's not the player he was and could easily be shipped out.

I agree on Ferdinand and Vidic, both quality players but the wrong side of 30, and on the slow gradual decline.

Raphael is still very raw, and thus inconsistent. There is potential for a quality player and also potential for some serious **** ups.

Evans is better than you give him credit for, but maybe not a PL winning/serious CL contender standard CB. Decent enough back up/squad player for a club Utd's size though.

I think Jones and Smalling are too early in their Utd careers to be judged yet. And show me a modern footballer who isn't an arrogant prick?

As for your comments on Liverpool, i read them as "yes, Liverpool are a quality team. I wish i supported them instead of Spurs."

 

[PGowdy]

Pulis leaving Stoke has been on the cards for months now. Fingers crossed the new guy gets them playing football and not the bastardized version of rugby Pulis so loved.

As for Utd's back line,

IMO Evra has been in decline for 2 years now, he's not the player he was and could easily be shipped out.

I agree on Ferdinand and Vidic, both quality players but the wrong side of 30, and on the slow gradual decline.

Raphael is still very raw, and thus inconsistent. There is potential for a quality player and also potential for some serious **** ups.

Evans is better than you give him credit for, but maybe not a PL winning/serious CL contender standard CB. Decent enough back up/squad player for a club Utd's size though.

I think Jones and Smalling are too early in their Utd careers to be judged yet. And show me a modern footballer who isn't an arrogant prick?

As for your comments on Liverpool, i read them as "yes, Liverpool are a quality team. I wish i supported them instead of Spurs."

:lol: Yes.

So basically we're agreed on Utds defence. Can't see we differed really in opinion. Ok i was harsher on Evans but our conclusion was the same. Not good enough to be a regular in a Championship/Champions League contending side. Smalling ditto.
Jones i wasn't actually knocking him for being arrogant. What i mean by my comment is that he's gone on record many times saying "play me at the back, i wanna be in defence" .... -"no, you suck at defending" :lol:
There's a place for him as a squad player but not in defence in my opinion.

So out of all of their defenders - Evans, Evra, Ferdinand, Vidic, Jones, Smalling, Buttland and Rafael we have one who MAY be good enough for a starting line-up that will [be in contention to] win the next 2 league titles and challenge seriously for the Champions League again.

To put it another way- how many of them would get in Man City or Chelsea's starting line-up? ...none. Absolutely not.

 

[Richard_H]

Thank god Pulis as gone. That's 6 of Man Utds guaranteed points wiped off. Now if Webb retired...

 

[weasel]

Thank god Pulis as gone. That's 6 of Man Utds guaranteed points wiped off. Now if Webb retired...

:lol:


As for Utd's defence, I suspect a lot depends on how Moyes wants them to play. Everton weren't exactly a free flowing expansive side (as Utd, in their pomp, tend to be). So if he implements a more reserved style there may be less need to overhaul the backline as quickly. We'll see.

 

[Richard_H]

Neither Palace (1-0 up) or Watford will stay in the PL without massive investment. Zaha looks a tricky winger but has no left foot at all. I think he'll get found out.

 

[PGowdy]

Neither Palace (1-0 up) or Watford will stay in the PL without massive investment. Zaha looks a tricky winger but has no left foot at all. I think he'll get found out.

Zaha is a Man Utd player. He'll be with them next season.
It's been a pretty shitty game all round. Wanted Watford to win but Palace have been marginally the better side.

 

[weasel]

Watched the whole game, bar 2 mins when I had to walk out to the car to head off to a wedding reception, listened to the rest of the game on the radio. Wanna guess what happened in the 2 mins I missed?! :roll: :evil:


Gotta say that was two SHITE teams. I can only hope both clubs were working on the principle of you build a team to get OUT of the Championship and then buy/build another to stay/play in the PL. Cos both those teams were woeful. Neither side strung more than 5 passes together at any point. The movement off the ball was virtually non existant, the communication between players was just as bad, how many times did someone clear a ball or swing on it when he had a team mate better placed 3 feet away?
The two top scoring teams in the Championship!? Yet both looked utterly devoid of ideas in the final third.

If they are some of the "best" teams in the Championship then it's not just the PL that's seen a drop of quality.
Really really disappointed.

 

[Richard_H]

Martinez resigned to open way for the Everton job.

Nice guy but I think he may be out of his depth.

 

[PGowdy]

Martinez resigned to open way for the Everton job.

Nice guy but I think he may be out of his depth.

Agreed. His only experience in managing is keeping a team teetering on relegation for 8 years before finally getting them relegated. People say he's done a great job there. Maybe, if your expectation is to be kept in a league by the skin of your teeth and nothing else, Finishing below newly promoted teams every year. I personally would have wanted more, if i were a fan, from a team who have been in the league 8 years. His defensive record is also appalling. Wigan had one of the worst defensive records every single year. Worrying if your an Everton fan- just lost your manager, going to lose 2 or 3 of your best players and in walk Martinez. Hmmm...

 

[weasel]

Yeah i agree. He doesnt have a clue how to defend and Everton are a side who are traditionally hard to beat/score against.

On that note, on the radio tonight i heard a lot of callers saying how Everton and Wigan played very similar football :shock:
Am i missing something!? Everton are no Stoke, but they sure as hell ain't what i would call a passing side, nor are they "good to watch".

Martinez has a lot of work trying to get the passing it sort. I can see them being very hit and miss next year.