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Dark Sith Lord said:
:lol: :lol: :lol:
Premier League Discussion Thread Season 2014-15
- Thread starter Dark Sith Lord
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:lol: :lol: :lol:
There really have been some amazing results in the last few weeks, and Pool v Hull is yet another one. Man UTD and especially Arsenal have both fluked their way into the top 4 because of shock results from the other contenders (and I include UTDs loss to Everton at the weekend in that) it was wide open until March. Credit where it's due, you obviously have to win games as well to reach the top four, but I doubt many people would have put money on some of Liverpool, Spurs or Southampton's recent results.
I called the Liverpool result as soon as I heard Ballotelli was starting. I txt an Arsenal supporting friend and said 1-0 Hull. Should have put money on it.
WHY Rodgers started him I do not know. The only two reasons I can think of are 1) He wants to try and avoid the Europa League farce and have an amazing season like last year. Conveniently forgetting he doesn't have a world class striker any more. Or, 2) He wants to be sacked.
There is no other reason. Playing Ballotelli is like playing with 10 men. For a team who try to press and hit fast on the counter that's ever so slightly a problem.
WHY Rodgers started him I do not know. The only two reasons I can think of are 1) He wants to try and avoid the Europa League farce and have an amazing season like last year. Conveniently forgetting he doesn't have a world class striker any more. Or, 2) He wants to be sacked.
There is no other reason. Playing Ballotelli is like playing with 10 men. For a team who try to press and hit fast on the counter that's ever so slightly a problem.
spoons
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edd_jedi said:
size of squads means that Spurs and Southampton were always going to drop off - Spurs do it every year
Arsenal usually put a strong run together in the second half of the season, so no surprise there either except that City's form has meant that 2nd is feasible - which I agree is a shock
Liverpool just aren't the same without Suarez and without Sturredge, in all honesty I was surprised they were doing so well before their recent blip. Thought 2nd might have been on again for a bit
Man U are a genuine surprise being top 4 after their start, and Man City are another surprise with their awful form
Otherwise point for point there is very little difference, between Arsenal this season and last
All adds up to the usual premiership tedium, but at least we have slightly different teams battling for fourth and the relegation fight is always interesting.
Roll on next year
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Man Utd shocking, failed to score in three matches and teams just pick us off on the break. I fancy Liverpool for that 4th spot now. :roll:
On another note, yeah what a suprise that would be if Brentford whent up.
On another note, yeah what a suprise that would be if Brentford whent up.
Richard_H
Grand Master
Liverpool will blow it just when it's in their grasp and Man U will be 4th.
Bournemouth.... hmmm......... they're going to need a lot of strengthening and not from the teams who've gone down.
Perhaps raid Derby and whoever doesn't come up for a few players.
Bournemouth.... hmmm......... they're going to need a lot of strengthening and not from the teams who've gone down.
Perhaps raid Derby and whoever doesn't come up for a few players.
slim
Sith Lord
cant believe that utd have lost the last 3 matches , they are not making it easy and what was van persie doing taking the pen ffs
Shocker of a run for Utd, three losses on the bounce :!:
BTW...congrats on the saber Rich 8)
BTW...congrats on the saber Rich 8)
Utd were mugged. WBA turned up with ten men behind the ball, played for a draw and got lucky. A club like Utd should be able to break down a flat back ten, but it's not always easy. WBA did exactly the same against Liverpool. Fair play, i'm not having a go, they are a smaller club than the other two (I dn't mean that to patronising, I think most Baggies fans would admit as much) and i'm sure Pulis knew he would lose if they tried to match the other teams (well, Utd, insert your own funny about Liverpool) man for man. So he played not to lose. I don't mind that from the smaller clubs, it's when clubs like Chelsea turn up and do it that it annoys me.
Liverpool would be second had they beaten WBA and Hull but they will lose to Chelsea next weekend and if Utd win that's the "race" for the CL spots over, mathematically.
Gotta say, the amount of poor results Liverpool, Utd and even City have had recently, it really is a case of the 'least bad' side making the CL rater than the 'best'.
Fair play to Bournemouth. They played some great football against Pool in the cup. Proper, 'get it down and pass it' stuff, not Fat Sam hoof ball GBH shite. They actually stuck to their normal style and looked a dam sight better than a lot of established PL sides. Pool won because they were more clinical, but if Bournemouth can keep their confidence up and maybe pick up a decent striker they could do well. Although two promotionsin two years does make it a big ask.
Also, thoughts go out to Rio Ferdinand and hsi family. No someone I ever liked as a player, or a person, but i wouldn't wish what happened to him and his late wife on my worst enemy.
Liverpool would be second had they beaten WBA and Hull but they will lose to Chelsea next weekend and if Utd win that's the "race" for the CL spots over, mathematically.
Gotta say, the amount of poor results Liverpool, Utd and even City have had recently, it really is a case of the 'least bad' side making the CL rater than the 'best'.
Fair play to Bournemouth. They played some great football against Pool in the cup. Proper, 'get it down and pass it' stuff, not Fat Sam hoof ball GBH shite. They actually stuck to their normal style and looked a dam sight better than a lot of established PL sides. Pool won because they were more clinical, but if Bournemouth can keep their confidence up and maybe pick up a decent striker they could do well. Although two promotionsin two years does make it a big ask.
Also, thoughts go out to Rio Ferdinand and hsi family. No someone I ever liked as a player, or a person, but i wouldn't wish what happened to him and his late wife on my worst enemy.
Well Chelsea are champions, and the top four seems pretty cemented now. Let's re-visit our pre-season predictions:
Pretty much bang on! Southampton have done really well and had a flying start but I knew they'd fizzle out eventually, they just don't have any world class players to compete with the likes of Chelsea and City. Liverpool was a no brainer too, sorry but anybody that thought there was anything more to last season than Suarez was kidding themselves. Spurs as expected started off well, beat most of the big teams and as usual lost two or three stupid games that has cost them yet another CL spot. Fair play to Man Utd, they haven't been pretty to watch but they've won the games that count. I wish Spurs would take a leaf out of their book rather than going gung-ho in to the big games and assuming they don't need to try against the lower teams, there are no **** teams in the PL.
edd_jedi said:
Pretty much bang on! Southampton have done really well and had a flying start but I knew they'd fizzle out eventually, they just don't have any world class players to compete with the likes of Chelsea and City. Liverpool was a no brainer too, sorry but anybody that thought there was anything more to last season than Suarez was kidding themselves. Spurs as expected started off well, beat most of the big teams and as usual lost two or three stupid games that has cost them yet another CL spot. Fair play to Man Utd, they haven't been pretty to watch but they've won the games that count. I wish Spurs would take a leaf out of their book rather than going gung-ho in to the big games and assuming they don't need to try against the lower teams, there are no **** teams in the PL.
You went back and edited that, don't lie! I distinctly remember you tipping Burnley to win it! :lol:
Impressive. Though I do think Liverpool was Suarez AND Sturridge. The fact the latter has played about 6 mins all season due to being made of chocolate hasn't helped. It wouldn't have saved Liverpool's season by a long shot, but it would have meant we didn't have to watch Ballotelli WALK about the pitch and Borini/Lambert show just how far they are from top notch strikers. It's been effectively a double loss. Last season Suarez and Sturridge scored 50 odd goals, this year Sturridge has four (and played 90 mins five times). Granted, Liverpool did a horrible job of replacing Suarez (genuinely not sure they could have got it more wrong if they had tried), but that wasn't the only reason they struggled this year. They have been playing without a striker for most of the season. That's fine if you're Spain or Barcelona, but Luvas and Joe Allen ain't Messi/Xavi/Inesta/Alonso etc.
Ohh and another stat I heard about the Utd game. Ander Herrera completed 113 passes in the game. The entire WBA team combinedcompleted 99! Amazing.
Impressive. Though I do think Liverpool was Suarez AND Sturridge. The fact the latter has played about 6 mins all season due to being made of chocolate hasn't helped. It wouldn't have saved Liverpool's season by a long shot, but it would have meant we didn't have to watch Ballotelli WALK about the pitch and Borini/Lambert show just how far they are from top notch strikers. It's been effectively a double loss. Last season Suarez and Sturridge scored 50 odd goals, this year Sturridge has four (and played 90 mins five times). Granted, Liverpool did a horrible job of replacing Suarez (genuinely not sure they could have got it more wrong if they had tried), but that wasn't the only reason they struggled this year. They have been playing without a striker for most of the season. That's fine if you're Spain or Barcelona, but Luvas and Joe Allen ain't Messi/Xavi/Inesta/Alonso etc.
Ohh and another stat I heard about the Utd game. Ander Herrera completed 113 passes in the game. The entire WBA team combinedcompleted 99! Amazing.
Can't disagree with this:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/32608729
He has been a shadow of his former self at Real, mainly due to the odd position he gets put in. I don't understand why players would rather be a small fish in a big pond than a legend at a club they stay at for years like Giggs. It's not like they need more money, a couple of seasons at any PL club sets you up for life if you're not an idiot (OK, most of them are...)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/32608729
He has been a shadow of his former self at Real, mainly due to the odd position he gets put in. I don't understand why players would rather be a small fish in a big pond than a legend at a club they stay at for years like Giggs. It's not like they need more money, a couple of seasons at any PL club sets you up for life if you're not an idiot (OK, most of them are...)
The same reason as young players join City or Chelsea. Nine times out of ten they flop, yet others still follow.
Chelsea in particular seem to be buying players to stop other PL clubs getting them, and it's normally pretty obvious that's what's happening. I assume it's either the player being arrogant and overly confident, their agent blowing smoke up their arse, or them being money grabbing bastards.
Chelsea in particular seem to be buying players to stop other PL clubs getting them, and it's normally pretty obvious that's what's happening. I assume it's either the player being arrogant and overly confident, their agent blowing smoke up their arse, or them being money grabbing bastards.
spoons
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Seems fairly reasonable to me Edd
Arsenal are the form team since Christmas and if they'd had a good start the league was on. Same applies to Utd really until their recent blip
Sad thing is there are only ever 5 teams in with a shout of the top 4 each year, you really must stop looking up the table
Arsenal are the form team since Christmas and if they'd had a good start the league was on. Same applies to Utd really until their recent blip
Sad thing is there are only ever 5 teams in with a shout of the top 4 each year, you really must stop looking up the table
Well it's a bit like saying the last 8 games have cost Spurs the title, because if they'd won them all and all the other top teams had lost all theirs (which is pretty much what has happened apart from Chelsea) it would be true!
spoons
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edd_jedi said:
Very true - if ifs and buts and all that
Truth of the issue is that Wenger neglected to buy a replacement for Vermaalen and no cover for the ageing/legs of Arteta/Flamini and was forced to play Monreal and Debuchy/Chambers central defence for those 8 games
So whilst I agree with the sentiment - he's really got no-one else to blame
Second half of the season saw the problems addressed with Gabriel and the lucky return of Coquelin - very frustrating as an Arsenal fan as City and Utd will be much better next year and the chance might not be there again
But as you say every team has their issues
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Anyone follow Spanish football, Barcelone seem to be back where they were and think it's proving how over rated pep is as they just seem to have such a special team. You could even argue that he is floored as only really plays one way and that was their down fall. Juventus on for the treble as well but can't see Barcelona loosing, will be their 3rd CL in 6 years after clinching their 5th title in 7. English football looks miles off to me. :|
