football: the beautiful game

[chchchip]

wenger is the man.

[78]

liverpool fans must be getting stomach ulcers.

[polishmike]

not really. it was a pretty boring game with very few chances and chelsea just took one of them.

[chchchip]

3 losses already for pool. think they can be written off or will this be a season where the big 4 can lose more than 5 games and still be champions?

[redgrail]

rafa might be crazy, but he's got one thing right.

this season is different.

to wit, man u losing to burnley and conceding a point to sunderland.

chelsea losing to wigan.

gold might look like it could be of reach now, but I'll reserve judgment until later in the season.

i think we might be in for a thriller here.

[chchchip]

yeah i agree.

although i think liverpool has a less likely chance of winning this season than the rest of the top 4, i still think they're still in it and could win the premier league.

i just hope to god that fuckin man city or spurs don't come anywhere close to winning it.

gunners for the title!

[mis]

Km7JK6zMyh4

[Magsåvningsreserven]

btw I am loving this season so far, shitload of goals and the 'big 4' not looking quite as big. Sunderland, Villa and Man C all look scary.

[readytoignite]

^^^what i don't love is our most in-form striker ruled out for the arsenal match due to a rooneyesque brain cramp

[zeen]

this season is perfect,

[Magsåvningsreserven]

^^ Very annoying, especially considering the apparent number of warnings 'Arry gave to him. Also, it doesn't look like like Modric is returning quite as soon as we'd hoped for.

Though If we win against Stoke we'll still be in a great position.

[chchchip]

^are you going to the spurs gunners game?

do you ever go to any games?

and i love beach balls. ha

[Magsåvningsreserven]

alas I am not, and I haven't been for a while tbh. Going to Tottenham makes me a feel a little shitty (used to live there, it's such a shithole now), but I think will soon.

[chchchip]

i gotcha. that's cool. i'm going to be honest and tell you that i'm a gunners fan. seeing as you are from london i think you overrule me a little bit in all football aspects.

[Magsåvningsreserven]

Rubin Kazan :eek:

Liverpool

[readytoignite]

i'm going to be honest and tell you that i'm a gunners fan. seeing as you support tottenham i think you overrule me a little bit in all football aspects.

fixed for you

[chchchip]

^ haha. we'll see about that when they play in 2 weeks.

[beast]

rafa might be crazy, but he's got one thing right.

this season is different.

to wit, man u losing to burnley and conceding a point to sunderland.

chelsea losing to wigan.

gold might look like it could be of reach now, but I'll reserve judgment until later in the season.

i think we might be in for a thriller here.

Man U losing to Burnley is an aberration and the fact that Burnley is good at home like Stoke at home last season. 2 seasons ago, Man U fielded their cup squad (including some internationals) and lost in Carling Cup early round to some bottom feeder team. That season was their best since 1999.

The Sunderland match was the worse Man U performance in OT for some time. Fergie thought lowly of Sunderland and put in some reserves like Campbell or whats his name and they played poorly despite what must have been the hairdryer treatment during half time. But like true champions, even if they played poorly, they scrapped one point and are leaders based on that one point and goal difference.

Although Rio commits big blunders, with match fitness he will eliminate it and Evans is fast proving his credentials plus VDS is back and Foster can be loaned out. So Man U is still going to be champs.

Chelsea would fall short again. Think their defensive frailties prove something is wrong there. Lamps probably isn’t happy and with each passing year, their core squad gets older and they are less likely to win BPL and Champs League gold and who wants to bet Ancelotti will get the sack if he can’t win Champs League gold and Guus is invited back if Russia stumbles in World Cup. That is provided Man City don’t grab Guus first.

Sunderland in the Liverpool match was not good as well. They missed tons of chances from Bent and they needed a beach ball to win a game. Plus Gerrard and Torres were not there. Mascherano was a late sub. If not, they would have gotten 3 points.

Sunderland, Villa, Wigan and to a certain degree, Spurs will fizzle off and can’t challenge for a top 4 slot. Man City, now that’s a different thing. If Liverpool continue to falter, and City buys big during January, it can mean Champions League football next season and with that, they can attract even more big names. Plus next season is World Cup and the Sheikh will probably be there talent scouting with his cheque book. And unlike the top 4, City have no qualms paying big salaries to offset the English tax hike which would affect the pay packets of stars not keen to go to BPL for that reason like Ronaldo and Robben.

[redgrail]

I mean, you can't really take a statement from two weeks ago and try to pick it apart. The conditions have completely changed.

Otherwise, I pretty much agree with your analysis, apart from Man U winning it all. Obviously, it's still too early to call, but if Chelsea gets back on form, they have as good a chance as any team. If I were to place a long-term wager, my money would be on them. Pool's chance is all but blown, though. Unless Stevie G, Torres and Johnson are all back for the next round, I don't see us putting up much of a fight.

[eplsoccer7]

The big difference that United have to all the others is the depth in their squad. As the season progresses, their depth is more and more valuable when playing for 3 or 4 cups. Chelsea don't really the same quality bench and neither do Liverpool. Fergie has endless talent and experience always on the bench in any game. In the past this has always been a deciding factor for them and still is today.

Chelsea are very strong ATM but if they can't make transfers in January, or pick up some injuries (which is highly likely), they won't have a chance. Drogba is their rock right now as Frank hasn't hit goal in awhile and Anelka hasn't impressed. They need a 3rd striker as Malouda won't cut it, neither will the young Italian. They will be lucky to claim one trophy this season...

[beast]

I mean, you can't really take a statement from two weeks ago and try to pick it apart. The conditions have completely changed.

Otherwise, I pretty much agree with your analysis, apart from Man U winning it all. Obviously, it's still too early to call, but if Chelsea gets back on form, they have as good a chance as any team. If I were to place a long-term wager, my money would be on them. Pool's chance is all but blown, though. Unless Stevie G, Torres and Johnson are all back for the next round, I don't see us putting up much of a fight.

I didnt say Man U would be European Champs but BPL champs.

Chelsea is always interesting. The 1st team squad is past 30 and pushing 30 except for Cech (GK doesnt matter if they are in their 30s), Ashley, Bosingwa, Essien and Obi. Every year they dont win BPL or be European Champs, their chances are slimmer. Becks boasted how great AC was in helping him play in his 30s but I dont think Abramovich hired Carlo for that.

You are right about Pool. They are probably goners and it would be worse if they cant even get Champ League slot next season. They better hope that Sheikh guy buy in real quick and turn them into the next Man City.

[beast]

The big difference that United have to all the others is the depth in their squad. As the season progresses, their depth is more and more valuable when playing for 3 or 4 cups. Chelsea don't really the same quality bench and neither do Liverpool. Fergie has endless talent and experience always on the bench in any game. In the past this has always been a deciding factor for them and still is today.

Chelsea are very strong ATM but if they can't make transfers in January, or pick up some injuries (which is highly likely), they won't have a chance. Drogba is their rock right now as Frank hasn't hit goal in awhile and Anelka hasn't impressed. They need a 3rd striker as Malouda won't cut it, neither will the young Italian. They will be lucky to claim one trophy this season...

Not really. I think Spurs and Chelsea have good 2nd teams. Ronaldo really hurt Man U by leaving and Berba still havent live up to his potential but given the shambles the other top 3 teams are in or will be, they would still be champs.

I bet this weekend, Fergie will give Rafa his 5th defeat in a row and plunge Rafa as the bookies' new choice for 1st BPL: manager to be sacked this season, overtaking Pompey's Hart.

Man City although nearly getting a draw, didnt play well and shouldn't be able to knock Man U off the perch unless Hughes and the Sheikh really get someone the likes of Nando and Stevie G who can singlehandedly get you points.

Chelsea doesnt have a good history with strikers. Kezman, Crespo, Sheva, Pizarro are all flops. You cant say Anelka hasnt impressed when he was the golden boot last year and did well even in Bolton. Just that with the new Carlo diamond, he is usually playing far right or left since there is no one in the flanks other than Malouda.

But Abramovich should have really gotten an out and out top class striker given how obsessed he is with footie. He should have paid big bucks for a young talent like Villa or Nando when Liverpool poached him from Athletico. I mean Liverpool paid 20 or 26 million pounds for Nando, which was chump change for Abramovich and apparently Chelsea wanted Nando for anywhere from 40 to 60 million pounds for him now.

Also, why didnt he get Higuain? Why didn't anyone get Higuain? In fact why didnt they get back Robben?

I think when he got Carlo, he was hoping Carlo can get some of AC's stars with him. But Carlo seems to want older stars like Gattuso and Pirlo and Kaka wanted to go Real and Pato aint going nowhere.

[readytoignite]

so much ignorance on one page, where to start?

Man U losing to Burnley is an aberration and the fact that Burnley is good at home like Stoke at home last season.

classic beast logic: "x is a total fluke even though can be completely explained given a larger trend"

Plus next season is World Cup and the Sheikh will probably be there talent scouting with his cheque book. /quote]

doubt that - pretty much every single hughes signing has been an established premiership player. i don't expect any of this gigantic signings everybody's expecting unless they either sack hughes or start undermining him (basically the same thing)

The big difference that United have to all the others is the depth in their squad. As the season progresses, their depth is more and more valuable when playing for 3 or 4 cups. Chelsea don't really the same quality bench

dude, are you serious?

Chelsea are very strong ATM but if they can't make transfers in January, or pick up some injuries (which is highly likely), they won't have a chance.

this is absurd - if there's one thing that chelsea have demonstrated under ancelloti is that different players can adapt tactically under his system as necessary. it's the closest thing we have to total football in today's game

I didnt say Man U would be European Champs but BPL champs.

Chelsea is always interesting. The 1st team squad is past 30 and pushing 30 except for Cech (GK doesnt matter if they are in their 30s), Ashley, Bosingwa, Essien and Obi. Every year they dont win BPL or be European Champs, their chances are slimmer.

yes, clearly the team is worse off now than last season

Man City although nearly getting a draw, didnt play well and shouldn't be able to knock Man U off the perch unless Hughes and the Sheikh really get someone the likes of Nando and Stevie G who can singlehandedly get you points.

between craig bellamy and carlos tevez they're probably fine already

I think when he got Carlo, he was hoping Carlo can get some of AC's stars with him. But Carlo seems to want older stars like Gattuso and Pirlo and Kaka wanted to go Real and Pato aint going nowhere.

you can get away with reduced mobility / being older in italy but the premiership is a totally different game. i think it's safe to say that chelsea have learned their lesson from the andrei shevchenko experiment

[zeen]

we got chelsea, pool and man utd. So much about the big 4. What about arsenal??

i think arsenal stands a pretty good chance this season. that is if the current players don't get injured.

I agree with beast that chelsea has a good 1st and 2nd team. In fact i do believe they have what it takes to pick up the bpl this season.

[readytoignite]

arsenal doesn't have the squad depth to mount a serious title challenge. liverpool has a deeper squad but not a manager smart enough to manage it properly

if i was a scouse, i'd be deeply concerned - ownership is highly leveraged and the club needs to fund a new stadium while managing to pull in CL revenue... maybe this is why polish has gone into hiding?

[Guest umhaha84]

WOW AC Milan just pulled off the impossible.

Dida made up for his mistake with save against xavi alonso later on.

fucking great game shitttttt

[Guest umhaha84]

^ Andrei shevchenko I think did ok 1st season at chealsea,

he didn't score as much as they paid him for but he did score some important goals for them in CL and what not.

[Guest umhaha84]

btw, liverpool will never win EPL

unless plane carrying chealsea, arsenal, manchester united 1st squad crashed and kills everyone instantly.

which mean tottenham or man city will be the champion.

liverpool again runner up

[beast]

^ Andrei shevchenko I think did ok 1st season at chealsea,

he didn't score as much as they paid him for but he did score some important goals for them in CL and what not.

You are kidding right? I think he scored in the charity shield, which Chelsea lost. Later he scored in Boro, which I think they won. And after that, was his goal drought.

And after that, he didnt do well until Avram came in. He scored a few insignificant goals until his yet another injury.

[beast]

btw, liverpool will never win EPL

unless plane carrying chealsea, arsenal, manchester united 1st squad crashed and kills everyone instantly.

which mean tottenham or man city will be the champion.

liverpool again runner up

Rafa consistently finished above Spurs so dont think that will happen.