The Barclays Premier League Thread 2014/2015

[TCO]

He's still a knob for cheating on his pregnant girlfriend, even if he thought she was 18.

[Benji]

Being a cheating knob doesn't mean he should go to jail.

[Gazz]

Playing for Sunderland is a capital offence.

[Matt]

I'm not going to defend such actions. However my wife and I were talking last night about it. It might, for example, they might have met in a nightclub (Renton in Trainspotting style). Bouncers often let underage girls in for various reasons (including them looking older). If a bar or club is for over 18s then we'd assume (wrongly) that all women in it are over 18.

Still, she couldn't have looked much older than 18.

Also, so far all we know is that she boasted of a relationship with him and had pictures where he'd posed with her. It's definitely not unlikely that she made it up to impress friends, using pictures where he'd just posed with her as a fan or something.

It is kind of shit that the guy could well be innocent (or at least have been unaware of her age), but is already tried and convicted in a lot of people's minds. Be it innocent or guilty, it will follow the guy for the rest of his career and life.

On the other end of the spectrum, last night I heard countless people saying "he probably met her in a club and assumed she was old enough to be there" despite the fact that we have absolutely no information about the case beyond what he's been accused of.

[Benji]

Yeah, I think some people have just heard possible scenarios and taken it for gospel.

[EddieG]

I'm more surprised by the fact people are still surprised by this kinda behavior.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Playing for Sunderland is a capital offence.

Wouldn't it need to be a London club to be a capital offence?

[stokeriño]

We've got QPR/Arsenal and West Ham/Chelsea for that sort of thing.

[Baddar]

United XI: De Gea, Valencia, Smalling, Evans, Rojo, Blind, Herrera, Di Maria, Fellaini, Young, Rooney

Subs: Lindegaard, Jones, McNair, Carrick, Mata, Januzaj, Falcao

Operation lump it to Fellaini from the off, then.

[stokeriño]

Zouma retains his spot in midfield following the cup final. Courtois and Oscar return to the first eleven.

Chelsea: Courtois, Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta, Zouma, Ramires, Fabregas, Oscar, Hazard, Costa

Subs: Cech, Luis, Loftus-Cheek, Cuadrado, Willian, Remy, Drogba

[Baddar]

Dropped or rested; either way, Kompany is on the bench for Man City tonight.

Bony gets his first start.

[Matt]

United XI: De Gea, Valencia, Smalling, Evans, Rojo, Blind, Herrera, Di Maria, Fellaini, Young, Rooney

Subs: Lindegaard, Jones, McNair, Carrick, Mata, Januzaj, Falcao

Operation lump it to Fellaini from the off, then.

I love how you've spent so much money on Di Maria, Herrera, Mata, Falcao, not to mention the huge wages of Rooney and RVP, yet your tactic of choice has become "hoof it to the otherwise useless big lad and see what happens".

[Baddar]

United XI: De Gea, Valencia, Smalling, Evans, Rojo, Blind, Herrera, Di Maria, Fellaini, Young, Rooney

Subs: Lindegaard, Jones, McNair, Carrick, Mata, Januzaj, Falcao

Operation lump it to Fellaini from the off, then.

I love how you've spent so much money on Di Maria, Herrera, Mata, Falcao, not to mention the huge wages of Rooney and RVP, yet your tactic of choice has become "hoof it to the otherwise useless big lad and see what happens".

I'm not sure it'll be like that, at least from the start, honestly.

I presume he's put Fellaini in there because, although we should control possession, we're always dodgy at defending set-pieces, and we aren't exactly the tallest side in the league. Every time I see Evans at the back, I worry.

I just want to see us play with a bit of tempo, and use our wide players to good effect. I know we've been blessed down the years with players (and LB/RB's) who are pacy out wide and can deliver a great cross - now, not so much, but when games are tight in the middle of the park, and there's no way through for guys like Di Maria and Rooney, spreading it out wide and getting some balls into the box wouldn't go amiss.

[Matt]

Sure, hoofball might not be the tactic from minute one but it's clear that Fellaini leading the line has become plan a rather than the one last throw of the dice it used to be.

Mind you, I can't really talk, I've spent the last 20 minutes trying to work out what the fuck is going on with our lineup tonight

[Baddar]

Sure, hoofball might not be the tactic from minute one but it's clear that Fellaini leading the line has become plan a rather than the one last throw of the dice it used to be.

Mind you, I can't really talk, I've spent the last 20 minutes trying to work out what the fuck is going on with our lineup tonight

The biggest frustration with the "hoof it to Fellaini" is the amount of fouls he gives away. A lot of the time, it's soft as shite, but he shouldn't even be giving the ref a decision to make. I find this method of trying to break teams down tiring, because when there's 5-10 mins to go in a match, the worst thing to do is to give away free-kicks and give the opponents a chance to slow the game down.

[FLiam]

No Theo in the starting lineup again.

I worry he's leaving. Not sure where he would go, but I'm thinking more and more that he'll be sold in the summer.

We have a very strong bench tonight though. Koscielny, Chambers, Ramsey, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Walcott and Welbeck. Tasty.

[Baddar]

Tbf, Theo must be frustrating as hell to manage. Gets injured left, right and centre, and goes from looking like a world beater in one game to your standard player with pace and nothing else in the next.

[Jimmy]

Lamela doesn't start on his birthday POCH OUT!

[stokeriño]

Oh joy, we're wearing the black third kit.

I know we beat Villa recently wearing that kit, but I have lingering superstitions about these things...

[Matt]

Spurs lead. Most good.