Premiership 2007/08

[Crybaby Bunting]

So an EPL player has been arrested over suspicions of match fixing. He got sent off in a match in the past 2 years to clear some £50,000 debt.

Should be intresting to see who it turns out to be

[therockbox]

Mascherano.

[cmb211087]

Tugay!!

How else do you explain getting booked for shirt pulling then doing it again two minutes later

[FireDoughnut]

Apparently it was former EPL player...

[IAceI]

I'm guessing Jeff Whitley.

[therockbox]

French youngster Damien Plessis is in the starting line-up to face Arsenal at the Emirates.

The defensive midfielder is one of eight changes made by Rafa Benitez from Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final first leg.

The Reds line up in a 4-1-4-1 formation for the 12.45pm kick off.

Here's the XI in full: Reina, Arbeloa, Finnan, Skrtel, Carragher, Riise, Pennant, Benayoun, Lucas, Plessis, Crouch. Subs: Itandje, Hyypia, Gerrard, Torres, Voronin.

Plessis

Edited April 5, 2008 by therockbox

[FireDoughnut]

Whoever said Rafa was concentrating on the league...

[FireDoughnut]

Apparently it was former EPL player...

I'm guessing Jeff Whitley.

My friend and I had this dicussion last night about this. We were talking about the huge amounts of Norn Iron players that we know the careers of, and we threw out a long list of former NI internationals that we reckon could be responsible for it. Admiteedly, this is just because a lot of the Irish players that "make it" in England have horrible drinking and gambling problems. They caught up in everything... but yeah. If it's Jeff; I'd mark.

[IAceI]

Bah he's concentrating on 4th obviously. They can't catch the leaders really but with 5 points between them an Everton, and Everton to face Arsenal and Chelsea still they have to think it's pretty assured.

Play for a draw, and go full strength for the CL second leg.

Pompey could still take 5th here. They have a 'doable run in' - it's not assured, but they can certainly win a bunch of them - compared to Everton and if Defoe keeps banging them in like he has been then I don't see why not? Will be a shame because I really like Everton (I mean I like Pompey, Villa, Spurs too) but I love what Moyes has done with Everton and it'd be a shame if they finished any lower than 5th.

Edited April 5, 2008 by IAceI

[Crybaby Bunting]

Hmm could be intresting to see what happens should no english team win the Champions League. Rafa might win something in Europe

[FireDoughnut]

I didn't expect him to score...

[therockbox]

Enjoyed that game, considering our midfield we looked pretty comfortable. It's a shame that Crouch is competing with Torres for a starting place, otherwise he'd be playing a lot more.

Plessis was awesome as well, he was much better than he should have been considering he was up against Fabregas, Flamini and Gilberto. Just one of five or six players all around 18/19/20 in the reserves that look promising, all brough in by Rafa. I seriously doubt he'll get any credit for it though.

[Pesci]

Yeah I was impressed by Plessis, looked pretty comfortable and did his job well. I'll admit I haven't been a big fan of Rafa for a while now but I've totally changed my opinion of him in the past few weeks and I hope he stays because given the time he looks like he'll mould us into a world-class side.

[Crybaby Bunting]

Newcastle are looking likely to win their 3rd in a row

*has heart attack*

[Gazz]

Newcastle are looking likely to win their 3rd in a row

*has heart attack*

You've cursed us

[Summers]

Come on the Villa!

[therockbox]

That's relegation sorted, bye bye Bolton/Fulham/Derby.

[IAceI]

Comical from Fulham. Getting themselves back into and then dying a horrible death.

It's a shame we had to concede because, well, we're better than them - and scoring three goals against one of the most laughable defence's in the Premiership is great, but conceding a goal no matter how good is definitely annoying. Still, we've effectively relegated Fulham now, and we're staying up.

Was a match I expected to win and the only people who seemed to think differently were Fulham fans themselves. Sky Sports News were showing their run in and saying "they'd expect 3 points from Sunderland", but of course that's Fulham fans and more specifically Fulham fans in a world where they thought they might be staying up.

I like Roy Hodgson, regardless of how much he looks like Postman Pat but rather them than us. Rather Wigan or Birmingham than Fulham but that's the way it's gotta be.

EDIT: And these youngsters from Rafa through the system or just kids he's signed? I know he signed Amoo and Scowcroft (i think it's him) as well as a few Hungarian's, would that be them? I'm not all for Rafa meddling with it and forcing the the youth coach out basically - but whatever works is the right way.

Edited April 5, 2008 by IAceI

[therockbox]

A lot of the foreign youth players (as well as the likes of Amoo, Hobbs etc.) have been signed by Rafa, or as a result of the changes he made to the scouting system (to make it more like Wenger's). Our youth team won two FA Youth Cups on the trot, they got knocked out at the QF stage this year - although they did beat Arsenal on the way. Our reserve squad is also top of their league, with an average age of around 21/22.

I don't have a problem with Rafa taking over from Heighway and bringing his own staff in, under Heighway we didn't really have anyone looking capable of coming into the first team since Gerrard & Carragher, now we've got Plessis, Insua, Nemeth, Leto, Ajdarevic and Pacheco all looking very promising as well as a number of others that could develop into good squad players, or be sold on.

It's one of the things that people overlook when they judge Rafa's time with us so far, he's completely overhauled the entire youth system as well as the first team.

Edited April 5, 2008 by therockbox

[Baddar]

Had to laugh at Andy Gray making a JR esque mistake, calling Phil Dowd...Phil Babb.