2007-08 EPL Thread

[HaemishM]

The fucking Liverpool game was a motherfucking travesty. Marseille is NOT that good a team, but Momo looked like he'd never stepped on a pitch before. The number of sheer fuckup plays in midfield was insane. The announcers said Liverpool were sleepwalking through the first 90 minutes and they are right. Dreadful, fucktastically awful performance and they should have been running laps until they puked on Thursday.

[lamaros]

Utd goes top!

Besides the fact that half our team is now injured I am pretty pleased. Players are finally beginning to gell (the first half was still bad) and some of the lesser names are putting in some performances. Anderson was woeful in the first half but he really picked up in the second and it was good to see. Coming off Nani's performance against Roma it's another good thing to see.

And Ronaldo was my captain in the fantasy league this week! :)

[Luxor]

Yeah Pique was woeful at fullback for Utd, don't think he passed the half way line once. Once Vidic went off and he slotted in at centre back he was a lot more comfortable and as a bonus the young lad they brought on ( for his debut I think ) played very well and set up Rooneys goal.

[HaemishM]

Liverpool draws to Spurs. What... the... fuck? Literally, WTF? Sometime from about 40 minutes in to about 80 minutes, Liverpool looked like the same team that played Marseille. They lose concentration and suddenly balls are bouncing all over the place, they can't hold possession for shit and they get scored on. The defense just fell asleep on both those goals (which were fantastic goals from Keane). If Torres wasn't so good, they'd have lost all the points.

FUCK.

[eldaec]

Breathe.

International break.

Form in this part of the season tends tyo go in runs between international breaks.

Liverpool will be a different team in two weeks, as will most everyone else. They might be a different shit team, but this one is gone thank god. If they come back and beat Everton and Arsenal, everyone will be writing about how they're the saviours of mankind once again.

[Luxor]

Liverpool will be a different team in two weeks

Liverpool are a different team every time they run out to play, which is the problem ( as everyone but Rafa has noticed )

[eldaec]

Liverpool are a different team every time they run out to play, which is the problem

www.fantasyrafa.com

[HaemishM]

Liverpool are a different team every time they run out to play, which is the problem

www.fantasyrafa.com

Goddamnit, that's both funny and heart-wrenching in equal doses.

[lamaros]

Dida banned for two matches. Amen.

[rk47]

lol can liverpool get any luckier. Tough luck to Phil Neville, but the first red card was retarded. You're 1-0 up, don't risk it all like that; it aint a fucking cup tie.

[Abagadro]

Rooney is tearing it up.

[lamaros]

Rooney is tearing it up.

I wanted him in my fantasy team two weeks ago but had used my transfers up.

It's games like the last few that illustrate how much fun being a Man Utd supporter are.

If you're the last man in defense and you're going to do something questionable then at least do it outside the box, no need to get set off and give away a penalty.
Entirely undeserved win by Liverpool if you ask me. Ref was really ordinary.

[Hoax]

Benni grabbed a brace, go south africa!  Also fuck liverpool and my fantasy score took a beating w/ Ronaldo sitting out the whole game and Essien on my bench due to the earlier injury.

[HaemishM]

Liverpool was super lucky in that game, but I'll take the 3 points anyway. Unfortunately, I can't refute any of the controversy about the game. Yeah, Kuyt should probably have been sent off and Everton DEFINITELY should have had a penalty at the end. But 3 points is 3 points.

On another note, Blackburn is quietly becoming one of my surprise teams this year. I really didn't expect them to do as well as they have. They are also fun to watch.

Poor Reading just looks hapless out there.

[Hoax]

-The league should be worried because Tevez looked fucking awesome for chunks of the United game.  I mean really he was a part of every piece of the highlight reel except the Giggs goal which was a solo effort.

-Arsenal continues to roll, making me look and feel smart, also good for them they play such a pretty game of football its so un-English.

-Blackburn is a favorite of mine, I love their black and red uni's and the name has always sounded cool to me.  Also Benni = 4tw.  So their success is nice.

-Hopefully Yak is going to find form for Everton and pull them back into the top half with authority.

-Man Citeh continues to impress, who would have thought that Italians and Brazilians are good at football?   

-I just wish Wiggan would get it together, ditto for Fulham who were terribly unlucky at the start of the year but now just seem to be playing mediocre games.

Finally I would totally grab that Jones kid from Sunderland for my fantasy team if they didn't have one of the worst defenses in the EPL.  Its a shame that Gordon got totally unlucky, they deserved 3 pts on several levels from that game.

[HaemishM]

Wigan and Fulham are both mediocre teams, and have been since they came up. Mediocrity is the best they can really hope to achieve.

I continue to be amazed by Arsenal's success this year.

[lamaros]

I'm glad to see my support for Arsenal has been shown to be true, but I wasn't expected them to be doing so well. Even I have to admit that.

Though I think Utd is just as impressive at the moment. Tavez Nani and Anderson are starting to gell. I think other teams will be looking at them and worrying. There could be some more 4-goal-plus defeats on the way.

The only game I've seen Man City play, vs Utd, they were really ordinary but managed the win anyway. I assumed that their lack of class would show after a bit, but it seems that they might have just been a bit down on that day. More power to them.

[Luxor]

If you can, try and watch Arsenals game from last night, they were on a different planet *Warning - Hyperbole incoming* That was the best team display i've seen since the Van Basten/Gullit days of AC Milan back int he 80's. Man Utd would have looked awesome on any other day but playing the highlights after the Arsenal game you just shrugged your shoulders 'meh they only scored 4'.

Then you watch the Rangers 9-0-1 formation against Barcelona and wondered if you were still watching football.

[rk47]

liverpool 

[lamaros]

liverpool 

liverpool   :-D

[HaemishM]

Die, you cumguzzling thundercunts.

[rk47]

can't blame us can't we? lol
Sami Hyppia, 2 Own goals in 2 games.  Tough on that old man, but he should be put down like an old dog.

[sigil]

Annnd, Down goes Jol.

Berbatov is sulking and will be  at ManU sooner or later. I can't help but think they're so going down this year.


Jesus Christ they're driving me to drink.

[lamaros]

Annnd, Down goes Jol.

Berbatov is sulking and will be  at ManU sooner or later. I can't help but think they're so going down this year.


Jesus Christ they're driving me to drink.

Something is rotten at spurs. You can't lay all the blame for the season so far at Jol's feet.

[HaemishM]

Somebody besides Jol signed off on buying Darren Bent when they already had two fantastic strikers and needed midfielders. I'm sure whoever that is won't take credit for it.

As for Hyppia, there's a reason Agger is the normal starter. I can't believe Rafa didn't buy someone else to back up Agger and Carragher. Both have gone down with injuries this year and the best they've got to cover is young Jack Hobbs.

But that game in Turkey was just a fucking nightmare. Just like at Marseille, they couldn't hold possession for shit. They lost it in the midfield and it puts the back 4 at a severe disadvantage. It's like they've never received a pass in their lives.

[sigil]

Something is rotten at spurs. You can't lay all the blame for the season so far at Jol's feet.

That something rotten is the director of football development, a former Arsenal scout, that ignored Jol's pleas for some cover to the ever broken down Ledley king and added what was seemingly the four thousandth striker in their corps.

It's not that Spurs can't score, They just can't stop them. The more I hear coming out of it, the more it sickens me. Spurs are really only a couple players away, but  they're not going to be able to keep what they've got.


Thing is, trade out bent for a top quality center back who can play and coordinate the defense and Spurs would probably be top four right now.

In Colaship news, Watford are kicking ass. Looks like they're in the runnning to be relegated back next year :)

Fucking Spurs.

[HaemishM]

Speaking of the Championship, I watched Hull City and Barnsley from last weekend. Hull City has a kid to keep your eye on, Frazier Campbell. He's a striker on loan from Man. U. and this fucking kid is fantastic. I know it's only one game, but he's got all the physical attributes to make him a big-time striker. I'll be interested to see if Sir Alex pulls him back in January or if he stays the whole year in the Championship. He scored 2 goals and was inches from a 3rd. The second goal he scored had him just manhandled in the penalty box by 3 guys and he broke away, kept the ball and scored around the keeper. Fantastic stuff.

[Hoax]

Fantastic game between Liverpool and Arsenal.  Jamie C is a cunt, 'pool got lucky, Crouch should get more playtime for England & Xabi is wasted on such a boring team.  Fucking Mascherano bailed them out so many times...  Hyypia looks so terrible.

Arsenal looked good but their weakness was showing, they are going to struggle at times versus hard-tackling, high-pressure up-tempo English opponents.  Also they have very little depth, with the current injuries if it gets worse (it usually does for them) they are in trouble.  Beautiful football at times, in fact from both sides even because there was so much space.

[HaemishM]

It was a great game. I still can't figure what the fuck Rafa is thinking, EVER. You have Babel and Benayoun and yet you start with 3 forwards, one of which is too hurt to be playing. It made Voronin fucking useless, and ensured they couldn't really use any width. Xabi apparently shouldn't have been playing because he's going to out another month with the metatarsal. Arsenal is known as a fast team, and yet the only speed on the pitch that Benitez used was Torres (hurt) and Gerrard. Shiba shiba whuuuuu??? It's like he HAS to prove he's a tactical genius instead of just putting out a winning side. Liverpool got LUCKY they only allowed one goal, because Arsenal's speed put them past the midfielders before the slowass defenders were ready way too many times. And then he put ARBELOA in the game towards the end at midfield. He's a fucking defender. Why not put Riise on wing and Arbeloa in back, or better yet, PUT ON  BABEL, YOU FUCKING CUNT and go at the Gunners.

Hyypia is past his sell-by date. I hope they move him in January, or at least get someone younger and more competent to back up Agger. Sami just doesn't have the physical skills anymore, and his decision-making has been crap.

[Hoax]

Yeah its really bullshit that it ended 1-1 there easily should have been five or six goals in that game.

Some fucking fantastic sliding tackles though by Arsenals defenders, some terrible finishing by Arsenal players, Adabayor had a generally bad game and fucking Mascherano seriously saved at least one goal if not 3 by breaking up countless attacks.

It will be interesting though to see if Cesc can be pushed out of the game versus United by Scholes and Hargreaves or if the shitty EPL refs will actually protect skill players for once from bullshit blundering tackles (I'm looking at you Scholes) and give the yellow early before anyone has been carted off the pitch.  Its a shame Gilberto can't get more playtime, I feel like he would be an effective protective enforcer for Cesc.  As it is now, Eboue might be the "toughest" player the Gunners field in the first team.

PS  I bet I've got some names spelled wrong, sorry bout that.

[HaemishM]

Some fucking fantastic sliding tackles though by Arsenals defenders, some terrible finishing by Arsenal players, Adabayor had a generally bad game and fucking Mascherano seriously saved at least one goal if not 3 by breaking up countless attacks.

Yep, that's Javy's game. It used to Momo Sissoko's game, but he has lost all fucking concept of how to take a pass these days. Everything I've seen him touch turns to shit lately. If Mascherano had half the passing skills of Alonso, he'd be a gold mine. As it is, he's still a damn good defensive midfielder, but having to use him instead of Xabi means Liverpool's service to the strikers suffers greatly.

[lamaros]

Scholes is out for three months, so don't worry about him hacking the Gunners up.

I expect Sir Alex will go with Ronaldo, Giggs, Nani and Hargraves.. or Anderson in there. Maybe O'Shea or Fletcher if we're playing it more defensive. Personally I'd rather see us give them a go. Two of the best teams to watch in Europe right now... the game will be a letdown. 

I'm biased, but I think Utd is the stronger team and the fact a win will take them top will bring their best out of them. If Hargraves can keep Cesc out of action and Hleb is closely watched I don't think Arsenal will have as much against us as they do with others. Van Perse is the kind of player I'd be worried about, but luckily he's out.

Alonso and Torres out for Liverpool again. If they can't get Xabi back on the field for most of the season they won't come close to the title. As far as I can see it a fit Xabi, Kewell, Gerrard (The only other truly decent attacking midfielder Liverpool has when he's fit) and a firing partnership between Torres and Kyut is the only thing that can make them a force.

Meanwhile Chelsea has so many players that I feel like giving up on them in my fantasy league. It's so hard to work out if he's going to play Malouda, Wright-Philliips, Mikel, etc each week. The only things you know are that Drogba, Terry, Lampard and Carvahlo will always play if fit. Lampard showed everyone up this weekend and City finally got the pasting they deserved.

[eldaec]

If Mascherano had half the passing skills of Alonso, he'd be a gold mine. As it is, he's still a damn good defensive midfielder, but having to use him instead of Xabi means Liverpool's service to the strikers suffers greatly.

If Alsono had half the tackling and holding skills of Mascherano, he'd be a gold mine. As it is, he's still a damn good midfielder, but having to use him instead of Masch means Liverpool's ability to control the middle of the park suffers greatly.


Between the two of them, there is a world beater in there somewhere. Sigh.


EDIT: Actually, Masch does have the technical passing skill, it's just about picking the right option. Masch always picks the simple pass to keep the ball, which is better than the other extreme (Gerrard on a bad day), but when chasing a game, he needs to stretch himself and find the pass that pushes the team on.

I'm still more bothered about the front line. Kuyt is off form, and while I respect the effort Voronin puts in, he's never been on form when it has mattered. Crouch needs to start or not play - he is not and never will be an impact substitute, meanwhile Babel looks better up front than on the wing.

[Hoax]

Xabi is a fucking genius, but he is still an Iberian, same problem Cesc has but he suffers from it less ditto Ronaldo but he plays on the wing where space is at less of a premium.

Mascherano was just disgusting though, he not only made brilliant tackles but he tracked everything so well.  Arsenal really suffered from the fact that their right side width plan was Eboue, who is a great player but why the fuck would they send him instead of Sagna was confusing to me.

re:  The United game next week.

I think United have a deeper team and more mental fortitude and tough/rough/english-style players.  Which will mean they will most likely win the title with all the wierd shit going on at Chelsea and Arsenal stilll looking young frail and not having that deep of a squad.

If Hargreaves shuts down Cesc it will only be because English ref's suck dick and refuse to ever give a card in the first 30 minutes.  Hargreaves is a fucking piece of shit in my book who I hate based purely on the WC performance (I make a point of never watching German football) I fucking hate him.

Liverpool should sell Crouch, I think he would really shine as a top striker on a middle tier club.  Similar to Anelka, Kanu, Benjani etc.  He might even earn some much deserved play time for England over fucking Owen.  Stupid limeys.  With the cash they can pick up a decent off-the-bench winger and some then all they need is some defensive cover to not suck. 

I hope they do none of the above because I hate Liverpool for reasons unknown even to me.

Final thought:  Benni may decide he wants to play football this year after all, Yak got a nice goal as well.  Everton/Blackburn for 5-6th kplzthx!!

[lamaros]

Final thought:  Benni may decide he wants to play football this year after all, Yak got a nice goal as well.  Everton/Blackburn for 5-6th kplzthx!!

I think the contest for 5-6 is going to be incredibly close this year. I'm even hoping Liverpool drops out and makes it a contest for that last Champ. League place. Looking forward to it.