Official Premiership Thread

Ultimo LJ wrote:


"GTFO ARE THEY"

Mogga the legend! I hope Brom do ok this year, good to see an ex Hibs boss do alright!

If every player was fit & available, Ramos should/could play something along the lines of:

GK: Gomes
RB: Hutton
CB: Woodgate
CB: King
LB: Bale

RM: Bentley
CM: Jenas/Zokora
CM: Modric
LM: Lennon

FC: Bent
FC: Roman

I put Zokora in there, because he's better at the holding role than Jenas. I know Lennon's better on the right, but he and Bentley could switch from time to time. I also don't care what people say about Bent & Roman, they can both play together, it's just going to take time.

Pretty much the line-up I'd go for. I keep questioning the Corluka purchase and this shows why it was too much for a back-up. that said, I have heard rumblings suggesting he may be considered a long term opton for the DM job.

Zokora actually has a ridiculously high success rate for passes to team mates - the problem is that they're all short and sideways! Had to love the run with 5 pompey guys chasing him like a bunch of 8 year olds in the schoolyard at the weekend though. Just wish that when he did those something productive came of them.

and on paper, even the back-up for that team is good. Cesar, Corluka, Thud, Gunter, Dawson, Giovanni, O'Hara...(Hell, even Assou-Ekotto is doing quite well at the moment!) . Still haven't seen anything to help me understand why Gilberto was ever signed though

IOV wrote:

The Real JK wrote:Hope Man City kept the receipt for Robinho. He just never looks interested when the going gets tough.

You dont buy Robinho to have him roll up his sleeves and get stuck in, City should just let him do what he is doing at the minute and just roam around sooner or later he will dominate games more because he is pure class. Remember it took Henry a while to settle and Ronaldo

Cant blame him for not looking interested though!

He'll either dominate or he'll flop like Reyes. I appreciate he's not a "get stuck in" player but when you've got less goals than the opposition you do want your strikers to be going all guns blazing to pull a goal or two back, not walking around counting down the seconds.

Then again this is the player who managed to call Man City Chelsea in his first press conference. Comes across as a money grabbing moron.

The Chosen1 wrote:If every player was fit & available, Ramos should/could play something along the lines of:

GK: Gomes
RB: Hutton
CB: Woodgate
CB: King
LB: Bale

RM: Bentley
CM: Jenas/Zokora
CM: Modric
LM: Lennon

FC: Bent
FC: Roman

I put Zokora in there, because he's better at the holding role than Jenas. I know Lennon's better on the right, but he and Bentley could switch from time to time. I also don't care what people say about Bent & Roman, they can both play together, it's just going to take time.

erm as a West Ham fan I really couldn't give a flying one but you have to start Corluka, if that means playing him centre half or playing him at right back and putting Hutton left back (lets face it he would be better than Assou Ekotto) as he is a better defender than Bale, and is probably better going forward (from defence)

I'd have either deadly Ledley or Zakora in the holding midfield role, Ledley is always injured but he is the better of the two even there.

I would go with Bale on the left wing over Lennon, as a/ Lennon is crap, b/ it gives you more balance over the two flanks

Anyone seen Kinnear's rant at the press conference yesterday? Here's the transcript:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/oct/03/newcastleunited.premierleague

I hope he stays at the Toon forever!!!

Well that was a terrible game. Sunderland sat on their goalline for the entire game, our midfield was all over the place AGAIN, one of the worst refereeing performances this season for both teams notably Toure's booking, Van Persie's handball (yes I saw it!) and the absolute bullshit disallowed goal, Gallas was shit AGAIN and should be buying Almunia a very expensive present for saving his ass over and over again, and absolutely fuck all happened until the last five minutes! Utter utter shite all round.

Normally we wait until November to play like this. Very worrying!

The Real JK wrote:Well that was a terrible game. Sunderland sat on their goalline for the entire game, our midfield was all over the place AGAIN, one of the worst refereeing performances this season for both teams notably Toure's booking, Van Persie's handball (yes I saw it!) and the absolute bullshit disallowed goal, Gallas was shit AGAIN and should be buying Almunia a very expensive present for saving his ass over and over again, and absolutely fuck all happened until the last five minutes! Utter utter shite all round.

Normally we wait until November to play like this. Very worrying!

fuck off did they! They had a go at Arsenal and Arsenal never looked like breaking them down. Sunderland played some really good stuff. If I was a gooner Id be VERY worried right now.

MarkFromGoldenplec wrote:

The Real JK wrote:Well that was a terrible game. Sunderland sat on their goalline for the entire game, our midfield was all over the place AGAIN, one of the worst refereeing performances this season for both teams notably Toure's booking, Van Persie's handball (yes I saw it!) and the absolute bullshit disallowed goal, Gallas was shit AGAIN and should be buying Almunia a very expensive present for saving his ass over and over again, and absolutely fuck all happened until the last five minutes! Utter utter shite all round.

Normally we wait until November to play like this. Very worrying!

fuck off did they! They had a go at Arsenal and Arsenal never looked like breaking them down. Sunderland played some really good stuff. If I was a gooner Id be VERY worried right now.

That wasn't actually meant to be an insult to them. I just meant that whenever we were on the attack they had all 11 men back. And they certainly weren't having a go for most of the 2nd half.

I'll be worried when we drop to 11th

Surely you didnt expect Sunderland to go and try and play the Arse of the pitch though?

They played to their strengths today and in the end were unlucky to come away with a draw the BBC website report seem to say the had a few chances to win it themselves and they must be kicking themselves to concede in the 93rd minute!

When Arsenal play well they are amazing to watch but when it doesnt work out they are really frustrating, after 12 years you would think Wenger could come up with a plan B!!!!!

I believe Plan B is "Win the FA Cup" with Plan C being a statement along the lines of "Oh well, even in our darkest hour at least we're not as shite as Tottenham"

Have to say that Fabregas showed some real captain's credentials today. Whilst Gallas was off sulking and generally being shite I don't think Cesc stopped running for the entire game.

Whilst plan D is obviously complaining that the offence just sat on their goal-line all game

3 teams in Britain yet to win a league game

Tottenham

Grimsby

Morton

Who will be the last one to win in the league? That is the major question.

We wasted a whole half of football with the wrong formation. Another Wenger trait we've had to live with for far too long; never changing things until it's too late, and even then not really pushing the boat out. Wengerball or not at all. Attacking with one forward against a team with 10 men behind the ball is simply redundant. Seeing the likes of Vela and Bendtner sitting patiently while Adebayor wastes his pay rise is grating more and more. It's the main thing that irritates me about Arsene, for a manager whom supposedly has so much faith in his young players coming through; why oh why does he not give them their chances when our first teamers are clearly off form? There's a difference between tinkering for tinkerings sake (i.e playing 4-5-1 today), and giving players a shot in the spirit of competition within the squad. Pretty much everyone was toilet today, even our fullbacks, which is quite a rarity.

What was most frustrating was we lacked appetite. There were no periods of extended pressure, no bite in midfield and no thrust in attack. All in all it was a limp performance. It really does seem that Wenger's passion to win the CL has passed into his squad throughly now, growing in patches over the last four years. Premiership games beyond the Chelski's , Manure's and Scouser's are afterthoughts it seems, fillers until the next Group Stage game. Maybe it is just me, but I couldn't really give a flying fudge about winning a glorified cup competition that we shouldn't really be in (saying we aren't champions) at the expense of the League.

IOV wrote:Surely you didnt expect Sunderland to go and try and play the Arse of the pitch though?

The sad thing is no I didn't, which reflects a sorry state of affairs in modern football. Gone are the days where teams actually tried to "win" matches instead of trying to "not lose"

Clarkey wrote:We wasted a whole half of football with the wrong formation. Another Wenger trait we've had to live with for far too long; never changing things until it's too late, and even then not really pushing the boat out. Wengerball or not at all. Attacking with one forward against a team with 10 men behind the ball is simply redundant. Seeing the likes of Vela and Bendtner sitting patiently while Adebayor wastes his pay rise is grating more and more. It's the main thing that irritates me about Arsene, for a manager whom supposedly has so much faith in his young players coming through; why oh why does he not give them their chances when our first teamers are clearly off form? There's a difference between tinkering for tinkerings sake (i.e playing 4-5-1 today), and giving players a shot in the spirit of competition within the squad. Pretty much everyone was toilet today, even our fullbacks, which is quite a rarity.

What was most frustrating was we lacked appetite. There were no periods of extended pressure, no bite in midfield and no thrust in attack. All in all it was a limp performance. It really does seem that Wenger's passion to win the CL has passed into his squad throughly now, growing in patches over the last four years. Premiership games beyond the Chelski's , Manure's and Scouser's are afterthoughts it seems, fillers until the next Group Stage game. Maybe it is just me, but I couldn't really give a flying fudge about winning a glorified cup competition that we shouldn't really be in (saying we aren't champions) at the expense of the League.

Agree Clarkey. How much of the game did you spend praying for Vela to come on?

The Real JK wrote:

IOV wrote:Surely you didnt expect Sunderland to go and try and play the Arse of the pitch though?

The sad thing is no I didn't, which reflects a sorry state of affairs in modern football. Gone are the days where teams actually tried to "win" matches instead of trying to "not lose"

Sunderland did try and win though, they used tactics which is exactly what Hull used last week just because they arent playing swashbuckeling football like Arsenal, Chelsea or Man United doesnt mean they arent looking to win the match

They just accept that they will have to soak up the pressure for as long as it takes and try and hit them on the break

You're bound to understand that for Sunderland to go man for man with Arsenal would be football suicide on their part dont you?

The problem isnt teams playing negatively the problem is Arsenal have no wayb to break them down, Wenger and Co. will just have to learn beautifull football wont always win you trophies or matchs

Hector_Nicols_Accordian wrote:3 teams in Britain yet to win a league game

Tottenham

Grimsby

Morton

Who will be the last one to win in the league? That is the major question.

I fucking hope Spurs win on Sunday.

Oh FFS!!!

We're apparently we're playing really well too, but we're still one down...

Ha, I would love it - LOVE IT - if Tottenham and Newcastle got relegated

They probably won't though and we will be left with the same boring thing that happens every year.

Hector_Nicols_Accordian wrote:Ha, I would love it - LOVE IT - if Tottenham and Newcastle got relegated

They probably won't though and we will be left with the same boring thing that happens every year.

Oh come on. It's hillarious watching the 606 Spuds crow about how this year is their year because they've bought a dozen players only for Spurs to flop.

Will Ramos see out the week?

computer says....no

Sorry Gari, its just great because Spurs are just Hype XI. They buy the most overhyped players, the most over hyped manager and then expect to be the best. But they arent because they dont buy the actual best players, just the "bohemian" choice for best players, the players who people would rather talk about than the actual best. Case in point, Bentley, David.

first, I was saying that ramos is a dead man walking, y'know....agreeing

second, anyone who knows me knows I don't rate bentley or roman, and that I never thought Jol should have gone. Happily I underestimated gomes

But hype XI... well, big clubs wanted Bale, Gunter, bostock, woodgate, rose, lennon....

And if things continue as they are come summer they'll get them

Garibaldi wrote:first, I was saying that ramos is a dead man walking, y'know....agreeing

second, anyone who knows me knows I don't rate bentley or roman, and that I never thought Jol should have gone. Happily I underestimated gomes

But hype XI... well, big clubs wanted Bale, Gunter, bostock, woodgate, rose, lennon....

But all the talk over the summer about how Modric was the best midfielder in the world etc, hes looked so out of his depth. You wanted Arshavin too on the back of a few good performances and I would have wagered he would have gone down just as badly. Darren Bent was another bad bad buy but now your stuck relying on him. If you bought a better center mid instead of him last year, would Berba and Keane have stayed if you got CL football on the back of it?

I like Bale, Woodgate and used like Lennon, its just every year you go out and buy the player everyone is talking about and then crow for months about how great they are without seemingly ever seen them play. (I dont mean you specifically, you seem to be a pretty normal one).

Big question is if Ramos goes who the hell would want the job after the way Commoli and Levy treated Jol? Plus the former seems to be entirely in control of the transfer policy and seems to be untouchable no matter how badly he does it.

Not as bad as Newcastle I suppose but still, I'm not sure any top flight manager would want it.

What about a return for El Tel?

Arsenal have a new sponsor, Coca Cola

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