Official Premiership 2008/09 thread

[9 to 5]

Sunderland fans, nor any other fans I know of, tend to celebrate cup defeats to teams about on par with their own clubs back in the day. So there. >_>

[IAceI]

We're a happy team. We were celebrating a good performance from our left back on that specific occasion. Worked hard.

[Guest Kou]

HULL HULL HULL HULL HULL HULL HULL HULL HULL HULL

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Meh I still stand by the fact that there's NO WAY we're going down, but we'll probably end up sucking it up in 11th, 12th or 13th again.

Whoo?

Darren Bent just needs to remember that he used to be a good goalscorer all that long time ago back in.....preseason.

Newcastle, however, ARE in turmoil. I kinda worry for them actually.

Stoke are definitely going down I think so it's two other teams to go with them.

[ZJ Penn]

Awesome win for Hull, was <---this---> close to going as well before I had to work. I'm just waiting for Man. City to try and buy Geovanni back from us for £30 million in January...

Plus, Michael Turner is the best centre half in the league. ^_^

[Crybaby Bunting]

For Darren Bent to realise he's a brilliant goalscorer other teams will have to start playing like those pre-season Conference teams.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Yeah like Celtic, Borussia Dortmund and Roma.

[TheArsenal]

Well if things carry on like they are, I think we could be celebrating St Totteringham's Day pretty early this year. It'll be nice to try and break the record for how early it is two years running.

[Guest Kou]

Because pre-season games against anyone mean EVERYTHING.

OH MY GOD THE RAIDERS WENT 4-0 IN PRE-SEASON. SUPER BOWL CHAAAAAA...oh wait the season started. Fuck.

[stokeriño]

Anyone can beat Roma. Just ask Cluj.

[alldaws1]

Because pre-season games against anyone mean EVERYTHING.

OH MY GOD THE RAIDERS WENT 4-0 IN PRE-SEASON. SUPER BOWL CHAAAAAA...oh wait the season started. Fuck.

When did anyone say pre-season games meant anything? CSAMH was just correcting The General on what teams Bent scored against.

I think Ramos has to take a lot of the blame for Bent not scoring, he keeps playing 4-5-1 when it clearly doesn't work with either of our two strikers up on their own.

And Cluj didn't beat Roma 5-0, so shush >_>

[Dont Fear The Reaper]

Because pre-season games against anyone mean EVERYTHING.

OH MY GOD THE RAIDERS WENT 4-0 IN PRE-SEASON. SUPER BOWL CHAAAAAA...oh wait the season started. Fuck.

When did anyone say pre-season games meant anything? CSAMH was just correcting The General on what teams Bent scored against.

I think Ramos has to take a lot of the blame for Bent not scoring, he keeps playing 4-5-1 when it clearly doesn't work with either of our two strikers up on their own.

And Cluj didn't beat Roma 5-0, so shush >_>

No but Man Utd beat them 7-1

[The Future]

And Alan Smith scored

[Gazz]

And Alan Smith scored

If you're going to lie, at least make it plausible

[King Ellis]

Alan Smith is a wonderful man.

[Colly]

Meh I still stand by the fact that there's NO WAY we're going down, but we'll probably end up sucking it up in 11th, 12th or 13th again.

Whoo?

Darren Bent just needs to remember that he used to be a good goalscorer all that long time ago back in.....preseason.

Newcastle, however, ARE in turmoil. I kinda worry for them actually.

Stoke are definitely going down I think so it's two other teams to go with them.

Meh, off the pitch Newcastle are always in turmoil. On the pitch we just need Gutierrez, Barton and one or more full backs back and we'll be back to normal yoyo eventual midtable mediocrity. Spurs on the other hand don't have two strikers that can play alongside each other, no defensive ability in a 5 man midfield and a centre back pairing that are lucky to manage 10 games a season.

[Anderson]

At least if/when Spurs centre backs are fit they're half decent defenders. Newcastle have none...

..wait, no they have, erm, no I was right first time

[alldaws1]

And Cluj didn't beat Roma 5-0, so shush >_>

No but Man Utd beat them 7-1

Congratulations, you missed the point. Good job.

Spurs on the other hand don't have two strikers that can play alongside each other, no defensive ability in a 5 man midfield and a centre back pairing that are lucky to manage 10 games a season.

And that's the team you lost to at home last week

I wouldn't say Spurs are in 'turmoil', though. It's simply a case of finding the right formation and personnel. You can't expect the team to bounce back without any downside from the sales of arguably our best three players last season in Keane, Berbatov and Malbranque. The striker point in particular is unbelievably unfair, you think Pavlyuchenko and Bent are just going to gel straight away and bang in as many goals as Keane & Berbs did? Don't be stupid. Ramos hasn't even given them much of a chance with his insistence of playing a 4-5-1 which isn't helped by the fact we don't have a back-up striker if we play two up front.

[Guest Kou]

Because pre-season games against anyone mean EVERYTHING.

OH MY GOD THE RAIDERS WENT 4-0 IN PRE-SEASON. SUPER BOWL CHAAAAAA...oh wait the season started. Fuck.

When did anyone say pre-season games meant anything? CSAMH was just correcting The General on what teams Bent scored against.

I think Ramos has to take a lot of the blame for Bent not scoring, he keeps playing 4-5-1 when it clearly doesn't work with either of our two strikers up on their own.

And Cluj didn't beat Roma 5-0, so shush >_>

Hammy made it sound like it was meaningful that he scored against these clubs.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

No, but he WAS scoring. Preseason friendlies build momentum. You can't take them to show how you will do that season but they're normally good for strikers and new goalkeepers if nothing else.

As far as defenders go, Dawson and Woodgate were excellent on Sunday. Assou-Ekotto's inclusion totally puzzles me...as in his inclusion in our SQUAD let alone team.

Zokora played the defensive role well until he was taken off and then it fell to O'Hara who can't play defensive midfield. It makes him totally defensive minded (all his passes were backwards) and he's not big enough or strong enough. He's better out on the left.

I think we need to start playing 2 up front or at least put Jenas in a free role behind the front man.