Premier League Discussion Thread Season 2014-15

[weasel]

Yeah as Pete says I don't think Liverpool will get relegated or anything, but without Suarez and following England's performance, do you really think they still have a world class team? They will probably finish about where Saints did last season seeing as it's basically the same team :lol: And again as above, if you actually watched any of Liverpool's games last year rather than just looking at the points, they were f***king lucky to get top 5 IMO, they nearly lost quite a few times were it not for their saviour!

And let's not forget, ALL teams in the top 5 were thrown a bone by David Moyes last season, a year without Man Utd in the top 3 is a real rarity.

I watched all their games Edd. Hence I still don't have any finger nails!

One thing I would point out Pete, yes Arsenal have a great midfield on paper, but we all know there is zero chance of them all being fit at the same time. In fact I will be amazed if they get 5 of the 7 you list fit at the same time for even half the season. The old Arsenal "3 weeks" injury thing will kick in and that will be the victim out for 4-6 months.


As for Celtic, lucky bastards! From what I can gather Legia Warsaw brought on a guy with 4 mins to go of the second leg and he should have been banned. He was banned for 3 games but they didn't register him for the first round tie (against St Pats) so he still had two games of his ban to serve. I assume whoever made that mistake is currently looking for a new job, and a dentist! Lol

 

[Dark Sith Lord]

CL Play off Round

Maribor v Celtic
Besikstas v Arsenal

The Napoli v Bilbao clash looks tasty too

Europa League

AEL Limassol (Cyprus) v Spurs
Sporting Lockeren (Belgium) v Hull

 

[weasel]

Napoli Bilbao should be great.

Arsenal will be fine there. Could see Celtic winning that, though not if they play like they did in the last round.

Who was the last team to make the group stages despite losing a qualifying round 6-1 on aggregate? lol

 

[theslider]

Cant argue about chelsea and city having better squads. Arsenal's i'm not so sure on. Sanchez is another attacking light weight midfielder/forward. That's not what they need. They need a ball winner and probably another striker. If Sanchez plays as a striker that does solve that problem, but i'm not sure he's a natural striker, more a wide forward who likes to cut in. But then so was Henry and he did ok. they still need a ball winner mind.

I think Pool have strengthen the squad well from last season. Still need a striker no arguments, but given we had 14 players to chose from last year, we actually have a squad and a bit of competition for places.

City and chelsea will finish top four comfortably. The other two places will be between Arse, Scum, and Pool. With Spuds included if they sign a striker. Everton i could see coming 5th or 6th but not sure i can see them finishing 4th over the course of a season

Don't completely disagree with your points but Arsenal have a much better defence than Liverpool. Liverpool's defence last season was a big problem a problem solved by getting **** loads of goals so it didm't matter.
Arsenal, while i agree have too many fancy players and not enough holding players and ball winners, still, for my money, have a better midfield than liverpool - Ozil, Sanchez, Ramsey, Walcot, Cazorla, Wilshire, The Ox vs Gerard, Llana and Stewrling. Can't think of any other good ones.
Up front Liverpool edge it. Basically because both teams have a striker each. So it's Giroud vs Sturridge. Sturridge is better.
So that's why i put Arsenal above Liverpool this season.

Nice how you've missed out Henderson who was probably our best midfielder last season Pete! Also there is Allen and Lucas too.

I'm naturally pessimistic so I never rate our chances!

 

[PGowdy]

Cant argue about chelsea and city having better squads. Arsenal's i'm not so sure on. Sanchez is another attacking light weight midfielder/forward. That's not what they need. They need a ball winner and probably another striker. If Sanchez plays as a striker that does solve that problem, but i'm not sure he's a natural striker, more a wide forward who likes to cut in. But then so was Henry and he did ok. they still need a ball winner mind.

I think Pool have strengthen the squad well from last season. Still need a striker no arguments, but given we had 14 players to chose from last year, we actually have a squad and a bit of competition for places.

City and chelsea will finish top four comfortably. The other two places will be between Arse, Scum, and Pool. With Spuds included if they sign a striker. Everton i could see coming 5th or 6th but not sure i can see them finishing 4th over the course of a season

Don't completely disagree with your points but Arsenal have a much better defence than Liverpool. Liverpool's defence last season was a big problem a problem solved by getting **** loads of goals so it didm't matter.
Arsenal, while i agree have too many fancy players and not enough holding players and ball winners, still, for my money, have a better midfield than liverpool - Ozil, Sanchez, Ramsey, Walcot, Cazorla, Wilshire, The Ox vs Gerard, Llana and Stewrling. Can't think of any other good ones.
Up front Liverpool edge it. Basically because both teams have a striker each. So it's Giroud vs Sturridge. Sturridge is better.
So that's why i put Arsenal above Liverpool this season.

Nice how you've missed out Henderson who was probably our best midfielder last season Pete! Also there is Allen and Lucas too.

I'm naturally pessimistic so I never rate our chances!

I'm not convinced with Henderson yet. We'll see how he does this season. The other 2 i intuitionally left out as i was only trying to name good players.

 

[weasel]

Allen is ok, still not too sure about him. Doesn't look worth what we paid for him.

Lucas seems to be on his way out. He didn't have a great season last year.

 

[Dark Sith Lord]

Legia Warsaw have requested a one off play off match

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/28732601

 

[theslider]

[qfinishing 4th over the course of a season

Don't completely disagree with your points but Arsenal have a much better defence than Liverpool. Liverpool's defence last season was a big problem a problem solved by getting **** loads of goals so it didm't matter.
Arsenal, while i agree have too many fancy players and not enough holding players and ball winners, still, for my money, have a better midfield than liverpool - Ozil, Sanchez, Ramsey, Walcot, Cazorla, Wilshire, The Ox vs Gerard, Llana and Stewrling. Can't think of any other good ones.
Up front Liverpool edge it. Basically because both teams have a striker each. So it's Giroud vs Sturridge. Sturridge is better.
So that's why i put Arsenal above Liverpool this season.

Nice how you've missed out Henderson who was probably our best midfielder last season Pete! Also there is Allen and Lucas too.

I'm naturally pessimistic so I never rate our chances![/quote]

I'm not convinced with Henderson yet. We'll see how he does this season. The other 2 i intuitionally left out as i was only trying to name good players. [/quote]

Henderson is great. Lucas is past it now unfortunately - never the same since his knee injury. Can't believe I forgot about Coutinho - if he can be more consistent then he'll be awesome.

 

[weasel]

Legia Warsaw have requested a one off play off match

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/28732601

They have a nerve!

It is a bit harsh that a guy who came on when they were 6-1 up with 4 mins of the second leg to go has cost them a place in the next round, but that's the rules.

I assume Celtic will politely show them their middle finger (and then lose the final play off round)

 

[theslider]

Interesting the letter that they sent - all going on about fair play and Celtic's rep in Europe (1967 and all that). They'll obviously decline because of the massive money at stake - still, they could go out in the final qualifying stage!

 

[Dark Sith Lord]

Maribor are proper shite, They were better home and away be Birmingham when they had their Europa League run. Celtic have a real chance

 

[Dark Sith Lord]

Confirmed
Tony Pulis leaves Palace.

Very shocked by this. Think they may struggle now.

 

[PGowdy]

Confirmed
Tony Pulis leaves Palace.

Very shocked by this. Think they may struggle now.

Yeah, that's a dumb-ass move from them. He's not the most glamorous manager but down in the bottom half he's exact yet eking of manager you need. They're down now as far as i'm concerned

 

[weasel]

Yeah very strange decision.

Something to do with Wilfred Zaha, the Board, or whoever does transfers, wanted him and Pulis didn't. End result they now need a manager. Very very strange. As Pete says he's not a glamorous manager but he saved them single handedly last year and he would have established them as a solid PL side given time.

On another note, Suarez's ban stands but he can play in friendlies?
I thought the original ban was bloody harsh on Liverpool (now Barca) cos what he did was totally out of their control. Not defending what he did and yes he had done it before but Liverpool/Barca now are suffering for what he did while on international duty. To me that's harsh. Punish him and punish Uruguay but why punish an innocent third party?
Anyway.........he's now allowed to play in friendlies, but the rest of the ban stands. That's even less fair. He can now play the odd friendly for Uruguay (OK, he misses the competitive games) but Barca are still left without a 75 milion pound player for months because of something he did on international duty.
CAS, have eased the punishment on Suarez and Uruguay, the two guilty parties, and done FA about the punishment on Barca, the innocent party. What is this, America with it's farcical judicial system? ****ing daft!

I know HE as a person/player deserves to be punished, and I agree with it, especially as it was a third biting offence (once is too many) but surely he can be punished without Barca/Pool being shafted as well? Ban him from International football for longer. Heck ban him for life and tell him if he ever does it again it's a life ban from ALL football. Then fine him something meaningful, I'm talking millions and probably tens of them and make him do some sort of community service **** (away from the cameras so no sympathy or "look at me helping out the kids, aren't I nice" BS).

Rant over.

 

[PGowdy]

Yeah very strange decision.

Something to do with Wilfred Zaha, the Board, or whoever does transfers, wanted him and Pulis didn't. End result they now need a manager. Very very strange. As Pete says he's not a glamorous manager but he saved them single handedly last year and he would have established them as a solid PL side given time.

On another note, Suarez's ban stands but he can play in friendlies?
I thought the original ban was bloody harsh on Liverpool (now Barca) cos what he did was totally out of their control. Not defending what he did and yes he had done it before but Liverpool/Barca now are suffering for what he did while on international duty. To me that's harsh. Punish him and punish Uruguay but why punish an innocent third party?
Anyway.........he's now allowed to play in friendlies, but the rest of the ban stands. That's even less fair. He can now play the odd friendly for Uruguay (OK, he misses the competitive games) but Barca are still left without a 75 milion pound player for months because of something he did on international duty.
CAS, have eased the punishment on Suarez and Uruguay, the two guilty parties, and done FA about the punishment on Barca, the innocent party. What is this, America with it's farcical judicial system? ****ing daft!

I know HE as a person/player deserves to be punished, and I agree with it, especially as it was a third biting offence (once is too many) but surely he can be punished without Barca/Pool being shafted as well? Ban him from International football for longer. Heck ban him for life and tell him if he ever does it again it's a life ban from ALL football. Then fine him something meaningful, I'm talking millions and probably tens of them and make him do some sort of community service **** (away from the cameras so no sympathy or "look at me helping out the kids, aren't I nice" BS).

Rant over.

I get what you're saying but you can't punish the player without punishing the team. That's just the nature of it. And saying it wasn't in Liverpool or Barca's control is not a strong argument. Who is in control when that nutter is on the pitch? No one really. It just so happens he did it in a Uruguay shirt. He was still a Liverpool player. He was still representing Liverpool to an extent.
So the only question you need to ask is does the player deserve a ban? IMO yes. And that's it. Is the ban a bit harsh, yes, i think it's a little long for what it was for.

Secondly Barca bought a banned player. They had full knowledge of his ban when shelling out £75m so i have no sympathy there whatsoever. They could have chosen not to or to pay less because he was banned for 3 months. Maybe they did.

 

[weasel]

All true.

I just think the ban should be tapered more to punish him, then Uruguay and then his parent club. Given the changes made by CAS, him and Uruguay have had their punishment reduced, while the parent club, who have little control over what he does on international duty, have their punishment upheld.

Ok, he can now train with the squad, but he would have been working one on one with a fitness coach and probably practising free kicks, penalties etc or knocking a ball about with some youth team players/recently retired random. They would have found a way round that part of his ban easily enough.

I just don't see the logic in amending the ban as they did.

Ps, looks like Spurs are happy to go into the season with a player who tries when his contract is up, a kid and a flop as their forward options. Strange!

 

[PGowdy]

A little relieved at that goal. 8)

 

[Richard_H]

nice.

Man U cost me a fiver. blew my golden rule - never bet on early or late games. Nevermind.

Man U...... :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[PGowdy]

nice.

Man U cost me a fiver. blew my golden rule - never bet on early or late games. Nevermind.

Man U...... :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

That was the end of a string of 3 "roll-over" bets. I started with £23.

Nerves of steel! :lol:
I thought about rolling it over one more time but thought better of it and cashed out. (Well, most of it anyway. Rolled a little bit over on Everton and Spurs :wink: )

 

[Richard_H]

Arsenal were total crap tonight. Palace defended very deep, as expected, but Arsenal were woeful. Sneezy was rushing out, Cazorla couldn't pass 3 metres, far too much lacking in concentration. Chambers and Debuchy seemed solid again. Alexis should signs if flair with no end product.