2007-08 EPL Thread

[lamaros]

Hmm, I'm quite pleased with the results so far.

[Tige]

This may not be new to many of you but it's a new discovery for me.  If you run Firefox go get the FootieFox extension. 

Fanfuckintabulous.   

[lamaros]

lol Chelsea.

[HaemishM]

Lolz Chelsea AND Man. U. But at least Man. U. lost to a decent Premiership side.

Barnsley.

[sidereal]

I've followed the EPL for years, and I will never understand the hiring and firing practices.  With Americans sports I understand the conditions under which a coach or manager is going to get fired, and it rarely comes as a surprise.  You have to be performing under expectations, for a period long enough to demonstrate that it's not just bad luck, and the length of the period the owners will tolerate is proportional to just how far under expectations you perform.  If a playoff team comes in at the bottom of the division, you might get one more year to turn it around.  Getting only one season is rare.  Getting less than a season requires being caught with both of your mistresses at the same time on a mound of coke.

When Newcastle booted Allardyce I was like 'WTF?'.  He hadn't even been there long enough to put a system in place, the team was only underperforming if you have your head so far up your large intestine that you think Newcastle is worthy of the top 4, and he'd demonstrated with Bolton that he knew what the fuck he was doing.  In a major American sport, that means you give him at least a full season to sort it out.  Instead, they dump him halfway through the season and now they're fighting to stay out of the fucking drop.  And the weird thing is, it wasn't just Toon ownership being douches (although it was definitely that as well), all of the European press anticipated it, and to a large extent called for it.  Like firing a competent manager 3 months into his reign for doing an above-average job is just the thing to do over there.  Fucking amateurs.  I'm glad more US owners are taking over EPL teams.  Teach them how to run a fucking franchise.

[HaemishM]

I'm glad more US owners are taking over EPL teams.  Teach them how to run a fucking franchise.

Liverpool fans would likely point out that needs to be in green.

[lamaros]

I've followed the EPL for years, and I will never understand the hiring and firing practices. [...] Newcastle

Fans. Expectations. Boring to watch. Big big club. People who don't just care about money. Etc. Stupid to get rid of Big Sam? Maybe. But if Man Utd. ever played like Bolton I'd complain even if they won the league time and again. Fucking boring.

[HaemishM]

Bolton was really abysmal to watch (still are, but only because they suck now) under Big Sam. But he got them into Europe, which cannot be said of his successor or of Newcastle. The Toons might have made it under Big Sam, maybe next year but that team needs such an overhaul on the back and front lines that it would have been just as painful to watch. Owen just doesn't have it anymore and their defense is shit.

[Jobu]

Maybe Newcastle, it's fans, and Mike Ashley need to simply realize they aren't a big club, and haven't been in 15 years (barely... more like 30). Wishing really, really hard and repeating it as often as they can isn't going to change that. Top 4 expectations of any manager they bring in is ridiculous.

[sigil]

Right now Tottenham are a bigger club than Newcastle. And that ain't saying much.

[sidereal]

Right now Wigan are a bigger club than Newcastle.

Speaking of the drop, how bout that Fulham?  There goes about 80% of the US players in the Premiership.

[sigil]

Dempsey will relocate, but the rest of them are fucked

maybe we can juggle between  Fulham and Watford

Jay DeMerit and the Fulhamerica boys alternate locations.

And Benny Feilhaber needs to come off his high horse and get some playing time in MLS. RBNY could use him. So could the Quakes.

DC Wouldn't, Neither would Houston, but he could find a nice home.

Although sign Feilhaber and trade Clark to another club for a striker. . . that could work for Houston. Although I still contend that if Dom Kinnear can make Paul Dalglish, Nate Jaqua and Joe Ngwenya look great, he can do pretty much anything he wants in MLS.

Seriously, those of you who follow it at all, name me a coach who's been as dominant in a league as Dominic Kinnear has been in MLS.

[eldaec]

If Inter has one of their 'on' days Liverpool will get ruined in the champ league

if Ibrahimovich can be bothered Liverpool should be doomed

Heh.

 

[lamaros]

Inter still had a few injured players and a coach that seems to have no idea, yet despite it if Ibrama could have hit the target (which many--of us even--expected him not to be able to do, as he often fails in these games) then we might have had a close game.

Liverpool can say what they like, but as far as I'm concerned as a utd fan I'd like to get these semi-final matchups, in order:

Schalke
Fenerbache
Liverpool
Roma
Arsenal
Chelsea
Barca

[HaemishM]

I think everybody is chomping at the bit to get Schalke or Fenerbache.

[sigil]

I want to see Fenerbache do well if for no other reason then to see wide open attacking ball at the end of one of these things.

[eldaec]

Inter still had a few injured players and a coach that seems to have no idea, yet despite it if Ibrama could have hit the target (which many--of us even--expected him not to be able to do, as he often fails in these games) then we might have had a close game.

Liverpool can say what they like, but as far as I'm concerned as a utd fan I'd like to get these semi-final matchups, in order:

Schalke
Fenerbache
Liverpool
Roma
Arsenal
Chelsea
Barca

I'd agree with that, except you are overrating Barca, and for Schalke or Fenerbache you could make a case either way around..

Man U have a solid record against Liverpool, and I'd expect them and Arsenal both to be comfortable drawing us, wheras Man U will want to avoid Roma, and Arsenal avoid Barca for historic reasons. For what it is worth, I'd view Man U as clear favourites vs Schalke and Fenerbache, and narrow favourites vs everyone else if they meet them in the QFs. Man U's odds start to lengthen if they meet Barca or an English side in the SF or Final, as they've been croaking too often in the late rounds of this competition.

From a Liverpool perspective I'd put them in this order...

Fenerbache
Schalke
Roma
--------
Chelsea
Barca
---------
Arsenal
Man U

In a QF, if we get any of the first three I'd see us as clear favourites, next two - narrow favourites, against Arsenal and Man U we'd be narrow underdogs.

If we reach the final, I'd see Liverpool as narrow favourites against anyone. But I hope to god it isn't a Liverpool v Man U final. Both the press and the Man U fanbase would be so fucking tiresome (I'm sure the LFC fanbase would be no better, but they wouldn't be irritating me).

[sidereal]

Berbatov is $$$

[lamaros]

Except you are overrating Barca

I can't remember the last time Utd played Barca, so I'm erring on the side of caution. We tend to do much better when we have a bit of history with the clubs; Fergie seems to judge better from games than from imagination. And we sometime have trouble breaking down even bad defenses in big games.

We have looked better than both Liverpool and the Gunners in direct matchups recently, so I'm reasonably comfortable against them. Roma we have played a bit recently, and come out on top (havn't lost to them in the last three games, and looked comfortable in the group stages) so I'm not that worried by them. We should win it.

Chelsea is a probably the biggest worry for me. They have done well against us recently from memory (1-0 when Grant had just taken over at home, late in the game, is not a great win IMO) and have quality players who know us and can perform on big occasions. However, they have been stuffing up those big games of late, so maybe I shouldn't fret too much.

[lamaros]

Double penalty blows for the english in Europe. Hard luck.

[Hoax]

Champion's League thoughts:

I'm rooting for anyone who isn't English.  Too bad I can't see anyone but Barca having the quality to make the final of the non-English sides.

Barring that I'm rooting for Arsenal or United because at least they play decent looking football most of the time.

I really would be so fucking sad if it was a Liverpool v Chelsea final.

[sigil]

Berbatov is $$$

The Spurs fan in me wants him to stay, but there s a part of me that would love to see him go to someplace other than Arsenal and show just how special he is.

He's really freaking special.

[sigil]

-Apr 1 & 2 First Leg
Arsenal v Liverpool
Fenerbahce v Chelsea
Roma v Manchester United
Schalke v Barcelona
-Apr 8 & 9 Second Leg


It is a moral imperative for Pool to kick Arsenal's ass.

[HaemishM]

Arsenal? Well, fuck. And even if we win it, we get Chelsea in the semis again.

Fuckity fuck fuck.

[sidereal]

No redraw for the semis?  I always get confused about which rounds they redraw for

[eldaec]

Watch! As Eldaec teh PREDIKTAR dooms clubs forevar by predicting their success.....

Arsenal v Liverpool
Fenerbahce v Chelsea
Roma v Manchester United
Schalke v Barcelona


Liverpool v Chelsea
Manchester Utd v Barcelona



Liverpool v Barcelona


Barcelona.

[eldaec]

No redraw for the semis?  I always get confused about which rounds they redraw for

They draw for all of them except the semis.

[lamaros]

Liverpool won't make the final.
Utd can beat Roma, but I'm not sure about Barca (as I've said earlier). We have the quality, but it could be a close one. Should be exciting if it turns out we play each other, anyway.

I think Chelsea is looking good for a final at last.

[HaemishM]

I don't know that Barca will beat Man. U. in the semis. They have been a bit stumbly of late. Hell, they couldn't even beat Valencia at home in the King's Cup (drew 1-1) and Valencia has made a habit lately of really shitty, flat performances. Thanks Ronald Koeman! Let's bench 3 veterans, change the 4-4-2 to some kind of weird 4-2-3-1, play only one striker and bench the other leading goal scoring striker as well as big money signing Zigic, make Silva play in the central midfield where he's not comfortable and put a striker in at right back. It's not like Valencia was winning before you got there... oh wait, they were.

Sorry, a bit of a La Liga tangent. In short, don't count on Barca beating Man. U.

[Hoax]

The only game I care about in that draw is Liverpool being crushed by the more interesting, fun to watch and more skilled side in Arsenal.  What odds are they giving Chelsea to win it all?  Might be a good bet to make, fucking hate them most days but still $ is $.

[lamaros]

Big weekend coming up.

[eldaec]

The only game I care about in that draw is Liverpool being crushed by the more interesting, fun to watch and more skilled side in Arsenal.  What odds are they giving Chelsea to win it all?  Might be a good bet to make, fucking hate them most days but still $ is $.

We've only played Chelsea 3 times this year.

It is preordained that Liverpool will play Chelsea 5 times a year.

[lamaros]

Mascherano... what an idiot. Truly you could see that comming from the moment he got his yellow card (have they forgotten their game against inter? Materatzi got sent off for much less that that foul) and wouldn't shut up.

Why the hell would you run across to a ref who has just given a yellow for dissent, then get waved away and still hang about and give him even more dissent. You stupid idiot.

Annoying, as now the news will all be about the sending off and not about the fact that liverpool was being dominated and should have been 2 down if it wasn't for rooney being off form.

[rk47]

agree with you there, no point shouting at the ref for bad decisions, I can hardly recall any decisions being overturned just because the player shout louder.

[eldaec]

I don't disagree that Mascherano deserved the second booking for one second. But I lose sympathy with refs when they don't go on to hold everyone else to the same standard. Most obviously Ferdinand and Carragher in the second half, or John Terry in every single match.

As for Man U 'dominating' anyone, meh, if either team played like they did today for the rest of the season, they'd be competing with Newcastle.