Official Premiership 2008/09 thread

[stokeriño]

They're saying the red card was correct on Five Live.

It amuses me that Chelsea were losing their discipline after Terry got sent off and now they've brought Drogba on. I'm sure he'll be a serene influence on the match.

[TMM]

England captains just don't get sent off. It's wrong, it goes against everything that football stands for.

[therockbox]

Took these from F365, from a thread entitled 'Compare your penis to a player'

Ali Dia, somehow conned himself into getting some action years ago, then disappeared never to be seen again.

winston bogard. had to play by himself for years

and my favourite

Lukas Fabianksi- Spends most of the time on the bench only to get a run out with the kids

[Crybaby Bunting]

If the decision stays it stands a risk of slightly annoying Liverpool and Man United fans because their players never got the captaincy when a slimy cunt did.

If the decision goes it stands a risk of slightly annoying Liverpool and Man United fans because referees have double standards... oh and also completely undermines referee decisions over correct tackles.

[Liam]

Considering the moaning about Adebayor's red, surely the most criminal decision of the weekend was Arca only getting a yellow card for his challenge on Johnson?

As for Adebayor and Terry, both should have gone in my eyes. Adebayor's wasn't malicious, but he went over the top of the ball, which is dangerous considering how close the player was to the ball, no matter how 'softly softly' the contact ended up....plus the card may have been given as much for a combination of this and the mildly flailing arm. It looked worse initially than it was, but I can see why the card was given, but it wasn't the horrendous decision that some people are trying to paint it as. It could have gone either way I guess. Terry had to go, even though the challenge wasn't as bad as it first looked. It was dangerous, it was high (even though the ball was high), and there can't be much in the way of arguments.

As for the Setenta coverage, Burley is awesome. Calls a spade a spade, and sounded seriously annoyed with titting around of McManaman (......spelling, I guess >_>) and Sherwood, with regards to the JT sending off.

Edited December 22, 2008 by rvdwannabe

[IAceI]

Adebayor's was soft in comparison to most, and i've seen it happen and people get away with it before. I think maybe a quiet word may have been a good idea, but make him clear that he's at the capacity and anything else and he'll be gone. But it's one of those funny cases, and sometimes when an earlier yellow card comes back to bite because of how dubious they were.

I think he should have stayed but at the end of the day it was 0-0 and that's a decent result I guess.

As for the Arca challenge... looked perfectly fine in my eyes. Won the ball if you ask me, just a robust tackle...

Okay I may be biased, I still love him from his Sunderland days. Just the nicest guy I've ever seen and yes, he should have been sent off but he seems the sort of bloke who doesn't have a malicious bone in his body, despite being a sneaky Argie. But yes - sending off. And I don't like Andy Johnson from when Crystal Palace got promoted to the Premiership in the playoffs against Sunderland and late on I just remember Andy Johnson standing on someones back.. I believe that someone may have been the almighty Jeff Whitley. But that's a long time ago.. he's a good player, glad he didn't get hurt in that tackle.

[-A-]

Adebayor's tackle was definitely worthy of a yellow card when taking into the account that he was first booked for making exactly the same kind of tackle. If you've been cautioned for making a dangerous tackle and then do exactly the same kind of thing again, you're more likely to be booked than if it had been a different kind of questionable tackle.

[Zaz]

Took these from F365, from a thread entitled 'Compare your penis to a player'

Ali Dia, somehow conned himself into getting some action years ago, then disappeared never to be seen again.

winston bogard. had to play by himself for years

and my favourite

Lukas Fabianksi- Spends most of the time on the bench only to get a run out with the kids

Annoying as hell you can no longer view the board as a guest, especially with the 'you need a work or uni email to sign up', as I have neither

[Adam]

Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas has been ruled out for up to four months after rupturing knee ligaments in Sunday's draw with Liverpool.

The 21-year-old midfielder suffered the injury going for a 50-50 ball with fellow Spaniard Xabi Alonso and was replaced by Vassiriki Diaby.

Full story to follow...

-BBC Sport.

This is a huge blow to Arsenal, are their title hopes even further extinguished?

[Asuka's Gonna Kill You]

Massive blow, things seem to get worst and worst for them. I believe they've got a really good squad, but Wenger needs to stop fucking about and splash some cash in the market and bring in one or two top players as soon as possible.

[IAceI]

Feel so bad for Arsenal. They can't seem to catch a break.

Sure they could maybe use some more players, but then as soon as they do when players like Rosicky, Eduardo and now Fabregas come back - then suddenly there's no room for people. With RVP just recently back as well you thought they'd be getting back to their usual. I think this season is just a write off for Arsenal really - they aren't going to challenge but if they can stay strong and improve at the end of the season and get their best players back to full fitness then I think they've got a really good, solid squad.

[Pesci]

I don't think a team that struggles with injuries so much on a regular basis can put it down to luck. They're probably just inept.

[IAceI]

Personally I think Eduardo just about being destroyed and Fabregas' kneecap being used as a football is more unlucky than inept to be fair.

[Pesci]

Van Persie, Diaby, Rosicky and probably a few others being injured all the time is more inept than unlucky though, so ya know.

[IAceI]

Totally disagree. Let them recover from their initial injuries. It's one thing to get injured, come back, get injured, come back. It's another to pick up another injury on your recovery from an injury - much like has been happening to Torres over the past couple of weeks.

EDIT: Just to expand to see if I remember this right or not;

Van Persie has his 'major' knee injuries. I think injuries on the comeback shouldn't really be counted, as it's bound to happen. But other than that - I know he had a foot injury a while back. From when someone stamped on his foot, hardly his fault.

I didn't even know Diaby was injured that much. I remember ages ago one of our no name players (Dan Smith) managed to break his ankle with a two footed challenge but that was about 3 years ago now? Other than that I thought he was pretty healthy?

And Rosicky I only know has the one major injury, but I dunno his injury history pre-Arsenal days. Obviously he's having a few niggles on the comeback but at the end of the day, the longer the injury - the more injuries you get in the come back.

Take Eduardo for example, he's hurt his hamstring now in a reserve match. That's to be expected how long he's spent doing absolutely nothing at all.

So if your counting injuries from the comeback from injuries then fair enough.

If we're just counting stand alone injuries then I disagree because several of those injuries have been caused by opponents bad tackles so it's hardly the Arsenal players fault's.

Edited December 23, 2008 by IAceI

[The Third Dukes]

Yahoo USA's Martin Rogers provides his prediction for the finish as well as his analysis of the 20 clubs:

1. Manchester United

2. Liverpool

3. Chelsea

4. Arsenal

5. Aston Villa

6. Everton

7. Tottenham Hotspur

8. Newcastle United

9. Fulham

10. Bolton Wanderers

11. Hull City

12. Wigan Athletic

13. Manchester City

14. Sunderland

15. Portsmouth

16. Middlesbrough

17. Blackburn Rovers

18. West Ham United

19. Stoke City

20. West Bromwich

ANALYSIS:

1. Liverpool. Could 2009 be the year that the Anfield giant finally ends a league title drought that has lasted for nearly two decades? Only one defeat bodes well, as does a rock solid defense that has only let in 12 goals so far. This is a team full of confidence, both at home and in Europe. The season could end up as a resounding success or with nothing to show for it, but Rafa Benitez has done exactly what he had to do by the turn of the year – put Liverpool in contention. Grade: A

2. Chelsea. The Blues are starting to resemble the former prom queen who has seen better days. Sure, second place and an unbeaten away record is a solid enough platform. However, head coach Big Phil Scolari has increasingly shown signs of frustration, and reports suggesting owner Roman Abramovich has been credit-crunched could restrict winter spending. Nicolas Anelka is scoring for fun and the defense is a fortress, but Scolari’s men will have to rise in big games against their title rivals if they are to secure the trophy. Grade: B-minus

3. Aston Villa. Martin O’Neill likes to credit his “special group of players” with Villa’s success this season, which sees the Birmingham club with a legitimate shot at qualifying for next year’s Champions League. In reality, it has just as much to do with O’Neill, a special breed of manager who is finally tapping Villa’s long-suppressed potential. Owner Randy Lerner also deserves credit for the way he has backed O’Neill in the transfer market, but keeping hold of Ashley Young in January is imperative. Grade: A

4. Manchester United. Seven points back with two games in hand, world club champions – all without hardly breaking a sweat. United has been far from its mighty best at times this season, but there will certainly be no panic at Old Trafford, where a repeat of the EPL-Champions League double is not beyond reason. Expect another chapter in the Cristiano Ronaldo-Real Madrid saga but don’t be surprised to see United hunt down Liverpool and Chelsea as the season wears on. Grade: B-minus

5. Arsenal. Serious problems are abound at the Emirates Stadium. Boardroom unrest is casting a shadow over the club and things are no better on the field. Arsene Wenger is under more pressure than at any time in his reign and Cesc Fabregas could be out for three months with knee ligament damage. Strength in depth should ensure a top-four finish, but Aston Villa is putting up a strong challenge. Gunners fans are rightly nervous. Grade: D

6. Hull City. Tasting life in the Premier League for the first time ever, Hull’s chances of finishing anywhere but bottom of the EPL seemed as remote as George Bush attending a shoe convention in downtown Baghdad. Talismanic Brazilian Geovanni has pulled the strings with a series of breathtaking goals and assists, as Hull has deployed a brand of soccer rarely seen from a newly promoted side by attacking with two strikers away from home. Maybe it won’t last, but already Hull has added color and unpredictability to the season and deserves huge credit. Grade: A-plus

7. Everton. No strikers? No problem. David Moyes has been without a single first-choice forward for the past two weeks, yet Everton still marches on steadily. Puzzlingly mediocre home form has been offset by six away wins, and when James Vaughan and Louis Saha return to fitness, the club will like its chances of securing a UEFA Cup place in the second half of the campaign. Grade: B

8. Fulham. They can’t win away from home, but it doesn’t matter. Roy Hodgson’s team is on course to pick up enough points at Craven Cottage to ensure there are no late headaches. Jimmy Bullard and Danny Murphy oversee one of the hardest working midfields in the league, and there is some genuine room for optimism. Grade: B-plus

9. Bolton Wanderers. A nice little run of five wins in eight games has lifted Bolton to a comfortable mid-table position, where it will probably remain for most of the season. Swedish striker Johan Elmander is settling in nicely and should contribute enough goals to keep the team clear of any danger. Grade: B

10. Portsmouth. Losing Harry Redknapp was a bitter blow, but even a patchy recent run shouldn’t take the gloss off a decent start. New boss Tony Adams will have some concerns over consistency. He will be keen to replace Real Madrid-bound Lassana Diarra as a matter of urgency. Grade: B-minus

11. Wigan Athletic. Emile Heskey and Amir Zaki have caused opposing defenses all kinds of trouble and will be sure to attract interest from bigger clubs during the January transfer window. Wigan seems to have found a happy place under Steve Bruce and should be consistent enough to be immune to danger of the drop. Grade: B

12. Newcastle United. A few good results and suddenly Joe Kinnear’s appointment doesn’t look quite so ridiculous. So much so, that the veteran manager is in charge until the end of the season. Progress will always be stunted until owner Mike Ashley can offload his stake, an option that is becoming increasingly unlikely as fiscal factors grip England. Michael Owen won’t be around for much longer, but Newcastle is growing in belief and should finish in the top half. Grade: C-minus

13. Sunderland. Roy Keane’s sudden walkout appeared to leave the Black Cats mired in crisis just a couple of weeks ago. But then Ricky Sbragia (Ricky who?) engineered two straight wins with eight goals scored and lifted hopes again. Plenty of money was spent on this squad last summer. It just needs the right man at the helm. Grade: B-minus

14. Middlesbrough. No wins in six games and all of a sudden Middlesbrough looks genuinely vulnerable. Stewart Downing and Tuncay Sanli look likely to move on to greener pastures, so Boro could face a tricky fight for survival in the closing months. Grade: B-minus

15. Stoke City. Life in the EPL is tough for newcomers. Stoke can be reasonably satisfied with its start and is halfway toward survival if it can continue to chip away at building a solid points tally. Home wins against Arsenal, Villa and Tottenham have been the highlights, along with Rory Delap’s remarkable throw-ins that are more effective than corner kicks. But a lack of depth could haunt them at the business end of the season. Grade: B

16. Tottenham. The Spurs have had such a Jekyll-and-Hyde season that an accurate rating is hard to evaluate. Two points from eight games was an atrocious start that doomed Juande Ramos, but Harry Redknapp has led a stirring and immediate revival. Only one point separates Tottenham from the relegation zone. Make no mistake, though, it is on the way up. Grade: B

17. West Ham. Underperforming, embarrassing and having little chance of achieving their goals – and that’s just the owners of West Ham. The Hammers will be held back for as long as Icelandic businessman Bjorgulfur Gudmundsson demands an extortionate amount of money for his stricken club. Relegation would be no shock. Grade: D

18. Manchester City. Does it take time for a new manager and new players to settle in? Yes. Is there any way a squad featuring Robinho, Elano, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Stephen Ireland and Micah Richards should be in the bottom three? No way. City’s spending power, backed by a mighty Arab oil consortium, is frightening. What is more scary for City supporters, though, is a woeful six-game winless run that has put boss Mark Hughes in danger of the sack. Grade: D-minus

19. Blackburn Rovers. Sam Allardyce has come in to try to sort out the mess left behind by Paul Ince. Yet questions remain as to whether there are enough quality players in the squad to survive. Their one world-class player, Roque Santa Cruz, looks likely to leave next month, and Rovers could have trouble convincing potential replacements that their future is bright. Grade: D

20. West Bromwich Albion. As expected, they’re just not good enough. Albion will pick up a few wins in the second half, yet it is hard to see it making a real run at staying up. The reality is that this is a team too strong for the Championship but clearly too weak for the top flight. Grade: C

[Clawson]

I think United winning and City being 13th is a little gracious to Manchester. I'd say a 2nd and 15th seem to be in order.

[Adam]

Is it just me who was bugged by how the writer referred to teams as if they were individuals? 'Everton is...', 'Stoke is on it's..' etc.

Interesting insight but I wouldn't agree with Newcastle & Spurs finishing in the top half. Maybe one of them will be, but I cant see them both managing it. I also don't think Hull will drop out of the top half either.

[therockbox]

ANALYSIS:

1. Liverpool. Could 2009 be the year that the Anfield giant finally ends a league title drought that has lasted for nearly two decades? Only one defeat bodes well, as does a rock solid defense that has only let in 12 goals so far. This is a team full of confidence, both at home and in Europe. The season could end up as a resounding success or with nothing to show for it, but Rafa Benitez has done exactly what he had to do by the turn of the year – put Liverpool in contention. Grade: A

Wow, this is the first journo I've seen that's actually judged us on what we were expected to do at the start of the season. Before the season started everyone was going on about how we needed to be near the top at Christmas, but now it's here and we're top everyone's been like 'well yeah, but really they should have won it by now.'

[IAceI]

It's not bad but the problem with it - there isn't anything in that article that really makes this guy sound like an informed writer. I guess it just seems like I could write something virtually the same, but that's not a really major point.

He's got some good points based off the season, but I think there's a few points in there that are still meant to be almost the status quo for football. Like the insistance that teams doing well that shouldn't - will start doing badly or vica versa. Also it's always surely a bad idea as a football journalist to refer to Ricky Sbragia as (Ricky who?). Just mainly because he done a lot of work with the Man Utd reserve team (helping work with players such as Richardson who he now has at Sunderland) and was also a major part of Allardyce's staff that succeeded with Bolton when they were a European side. You don't have to know the name of the physio's, but I just feel that being a football journalist that you'd perhaps know the name Ricky Sbragia - it's a tough one to forget in a hurry too. Or at least know of his former work. Still, he seemed quite complimentary of us - which is a change. Kept his opinions to himself too, didn't force them like most journalists do these days, especially in reference to the Top 4 teams. It's always clear to see which team they support and which teams they hate with most of our journalists.

But you can tell he's a journalist with his reference of Sunderland spending a lot of money. However his credentials must be called into review after not questioning Sam Allardyce's brand of football. That's a shocker to leave out.

My opinions on the article are probably that it's a nice round up of all the teams so far that I, or rockbox, or Summers, or 9 to 5, or any other football fan who posts on here regularly could probably have done quite easily as well.