'09/'10 Premier League Season

[Ashaman DeRouge]

Gosh thats just terrible. It's a sad state of affairs.

 

That being said, hopefully this weekend we will have a decent team, only sans Torres and Babel. If Benayoun and Gerrard are in form, and Carragher can stop Cahill, it will hopefully be a win for the reds.

 

Picks for Arsenal v Chelsea? My heart says Arsenal, my head says Chelsea.

 

Chelsea 2-1 or more, no Van Persie means Walcott will feel the pressure. Fabregas though...

[Majsju]

Hmm, City seems to have the peculiar impression that draws wins titles. 1-1 home against Hull means 7 consecutive draws.

 

Elsewhere, a Rooney hat trick and some magic from Giggs saw United brush Pompey aside with 4-1.

 

This is how it feels to be City

This is how it feels to be small

This is how it feels

when your team wins nothing at all ;D

 

[Ashaman DeRouge]

The same notion Liverpool tried last year if I remember correctly, and we all see the fruits of -that- labour...

 

God damn I hate Rooney. Something about that absolute mug face makes me wanna glass him, and theres not many people in this world I'd wish that upon. Curiously enough, 3 more of them are football players :D

 

Man City, tough to beat, or just not finishing games?

 

Also I feel for Burnley. Scoring 3 and not winning must be tough for a team that wasn't expected to do very well at all and has so far been proving people wrong.

 

Aston Villa and Tottenham both prove themselves as top 8 contenders in a typical not-quite-top-four battle.

 

Also, Van Persie perhaps out for 5 months. Has that guy ever played more than 4 games in a row without hurting himself? Seems like forever since Arsenal had a full team lineup, same with Liverpool though I guess. I think the Cheslea and Man U doc's might be asking for a payrise soon, this campaign has done nothing but highlight the need for a deep, fit, uninjured squad.

[Majsju]

Eh, you think United has a fit, uninjured squad? The back four in particular disagrees, especially Ferdinand who might be out until next year. The trick is to have good cover.

[Ashaman DeRouge]

Oh I should have mentioned, I dont care about Man U :P

 

Kidding! I did not know that. I generally make it a rule to ignore Man U up till the week Liverpool play them, or when they lose. I guess I hadn't thought of them and thier injuries strictly because they have such a deep squad, and can cover pretty massive losses.

 

Glen Johnson is playing with Benayoun and Aquilani on the bench...I have a hope. Though Felaini(sp?) seems to be his usually firey self...

[Ashaman DeRouge]

And Mashcerano just put in a CRAZY goal. Thanks Yobo for the deflection...

 

:D:D:D:D:D

[Majsju]

I do not think a lot of people cares what the Hillsborough Brigade are up to today, with Arsenal - Chelski and El Clásico being on the menu later ;D

 

 

[Ashaman DeRouge]

Its a rather tasty night indeed. El Classico? I'd love Real Madrid to put one in, even though I get the feeling that they are trying to give birth to the Galactic Empire. Anyway, it'll be 5am at the close of Arsenal v Chelsea where I am, and I have to be up at 7 for work...

 

 

that being said I'm only doing 5 hours tomorrow... decisions decisions...

[Majsju]

It would take a lot for me to miss this El Clásico. Been a long time since it was so wide open before the game actually started. Too bad it seems Messi and Ronaldo will both start on the bench though, these games you want all the superstars to play.

[Corki]

FA Cup third round time is shortly around the corner. Anyway, below are the ties for it:

 

Tottenham v Peterborough United

Brentford v Doncaster Rovers

Middlesbrough v Manchester City

Stoke City v York City

Notts County v Forest Green Rovers

Huddersfield Town v West Bromwich Albion

Sheffield United v QPR

MK Dons v Burnley

Chelsea v Watford

Nottingham Forest v Birmingham City

Preston North End v Colchester United

West Ham United v Arsenal

Aston Villa v Blackburn Rovers

Portsmouth v Coventry City

Sunderland v Oxford United or Barrow

Wigan Athletic v Hull City

Everton v Carlisle United

Sheffield Wednesday v Crystal Palace

Tranmere Rovers or Aldershot Town v Wolves

Blackpool v Ipswich Town

Fulham v Swindon Town

Stockport County or Torquay v Brighton

Scunthorpe United v Barnsley

Southampton v Rotherham United or Luton Town

Bristol City v Cardiff City

Reading v Liverpool

Staines Town or Millwall v Derby County

Plymouth Argyle v Newcastle United

Leicester City v Swansea City

Bolton Wanderers v Lincoln City

Accrington Stanley or Barnet v Gillingham

Manchester United v Kettering Town or Leeds United

 

Just highlighted a few of the all Premiership ties, and who Chelsea, the FA Cup holders, play. But the best tie is the one in blue. No bias, of course! A nice, hopefully, easy tie for us, so into the 4th Round we go. Come On You Saints!  ;D

[Majsju]

I really hope we get Leeds, so we can destroy that filth at Old Trafford.

[Corki]

You don't want any more painful experiences of drawing lower teams? I seem to remember it took you two legs to beat Exeter City a few years back, after drawing at Old Trafford...

[Majsju]

Leeds is a completely different story.

[Ashaman DeRouge]

Goes to who how bad it is when a cup tie with Reading has me worried about Liverpool!

 

Also, el Classico? Thoughts?

 

Chelsea's 3-0 topple of Arsenal wasn't really expected to be honest, especially after Arsenal started looking good in the first half. 2-0 to Liverpool was flattering also.

[Majsju]

Well, I am glad I was wrong about Messi and Ronaldo starting on the bench, especially Ronaldo was great in the first half, and could have scored 3 goals if he had had his normal sharpness. Messi is not quite himself at the moment, has not been since he returned from Argentinas last WC qualifiers.

 

Good tempo in the first half, with Kaka absolutely amazing for Real, and Puyol equally amazing for Barcelona, have not seen him that good in years. Xavi Alonso and Diarra did well to close down Xavi, so Barcelona could not get their normal game going.

 

Great change by Guardiola in the 2nd half, to sub Henry for Ibra. Henry had been absolutely awful, and Ibra...cadabra! ;D

 

But all in all, not one of the greatest El Clásico. Both teams focused on strategy, which cancelled out a lot of the individual brilliance these games have spoiled us rotten with over the years.

 

But, as a Swede I am delighted that Ibra got to be the hero with a terrific goal.

[Ashaman DeRouge]

That was a stunner. The accuracy...man thats a shot.

 

Yeah a few players really turned it on. I think Henry might be damaged beyond repair from the WCQ incident. Kaka I havn't seen play that well for a long time, which is a shame because I quite like him. World Player of the Year to...number filler really. Or is it just because he's surrounded by world class players? Hrmm. Question for the ages I guess.

 

What a weekend! And World Cup draw on the 3rd I think it is?

[Majsju]

And a shot with his wrong foot as well.

 

Kaka has really only been "bad" the last season, this season he has slowly been getting back to normal. And last season was a bit special, with all the transfer rumours surrounding him, as well as him playing in a Milan that did not work at all.

 

Funny thing is, rumours have it Ronaldhino is starting to put himself back together. Typical, when a World Cup appears at the horizon, the Brazilians start hitting form.

[Majsju]

Well done by the Baby Reds to beat a near full strength Spurs 2-0 in the League Cup, after Gibsons double. And as always, still a surprise to see just how promising De Laet is, this time deputing for Evra. Must suck to be Stoke right now, 'Is that the bloke we sold for pocket money? Ah crud' ;D

[Ashaman DeRouge]

You have to think, if Man U are taking an interest, jack up the price :P

 

If Man City come knocking, double the above.

[Majsju]

Wow, United must set some new record in injuries tonight against Wolfsburg...

The back four will be either Park-Evra-Carrick-Fletcher, or Evra-Gill-Carrick-Fletcher. So, either one regular defender + 3 midfielders, or 1 regular defender + 2 midfielders + a 19yo defender who have never played for the first team.

 

This could be fun... ::)

[Majsju]

Whoah!

 

Well, that game says quite a bit about the difference between EPL and Bundesliga. United travels to Wolfsburg with all but one defender injured, the two best defending midfielders forced to play as centre backs, Rooney and Berba resting...While Wolfsburg doid not lack a single important player. Could only end one way, right?

 

Oh wait, United had a certain Michael Owen, who just

.

 

3-1, with all those injuries is simply amazing. Great hat trick by Owen, and a international breakthrough for Obertan, with his set up for Owens 2nd.

[Ashaman DeRouge]

I give it a month before Owen is out for the season... He'll get confident, because he's good, but he'll overplay something, or dive in where he shouldn't, and voila, back to the bleachers.

 

Actually I'm just pissy that someone as good as Owen sits on the bench at Man U whilst Liverpool's only decent striker is injured...

[Majsju]

I am not that worried about Owen getting any major injury, at least not any more than any other player. The main reason he had such problems at Newcastle was because there he was the key player in the attack, so he often had to play even if he did not feel 100% fit. At United, he is not a key player, rather a super-sub who will get the occasional start. So whenever he feels any nicks or bruises, he can sit out a game or two and get the injuries treated while they are still small.

 

Must suck to be a fan of loserfool, and know that you could have gotten him for free, if the Waiter had only bothered to pick up the phone ;D

[mcs0083]

I'm pretty sure Arsenal's got Liverpool toped on Sunday. I'm just saying. And it's not just because Arsenal is my team. Liverpool is coming in with a past six of W-L-D-D-W-D, and Arsenal with D-W-W-L-L-W. True, that is only a difference of one point, and Arsenal had one more loss, but Liverpool is in 7th, Arsenal is in 3rd, and like DeRouge said,

Liverpool's only decent striker is injured...

[Majsju]

At the same time, Arse has RvP injured, and he is surprisingly crucial to get the attack really going. Especially in a game like this, where Fabregas goes up against the two (well, two if Aquilani plays) most destructive players in the league.