Rival watch
- Thread starter Spurlock
- Start date
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H
Hoddle is a god
Guest
Gooners are going to struggle massively in the second half of the season.
They are going to be lucky to make top 4, at this rate.
They are going to be lucky to make top 4, at this rate.
Arsenal drop points but Liverpool scrape through courtesy of a penalty that probably wouldn't be awarded had the defender been wearing a red shirt. Having said that, Swansea deserved nothing out of that they look so shot of confidence at the minute.
All in all, a decent set of results elsewhere for us.
All in all, a decent set of results elsewhere for us.
H
Hoddle is a god
Guest
'Pool are back in the same 6th spot that they've occupied for several seasons, barring that one season when Suarez put in a life-time season. The problem that Klipperty now has in showing the board that Rodgers was to blame for a team filled with 6th spot players, and that it wasn't down to Rodgers.
Does anyone want to win the league? You’d never know it.
Man City are probably still the favorites, but have a habit of looking like uninterested zillionaires when the going gets tough. Man U’s gazillions have bought them precious few impressive performances, though they have had a genius for snatching undeserved points. Arsenal, uncharacteristically, are hobbled by a November collapse, and a squad too thin in key areas aided and abetted by an injury glut. I watched Leicester for the first time against Man U. Vardy and Mahrez might be the two best players in the league and their tactics are perfect for a possession happy era. But a couple of their starters aren’t even mid league standard. Otazaki, oof. But watch out if they can buy a couple of decent players in January. Even so, the last team to do what Leicester is trying to do was Nottingham Forest in ’77. Of the rest, Chelsea is far back and conflicted. Spurs have an excellent young team, and may just have had the best overall performances through 14 games, but they draw too much, have the Europa, and would be too happy to get fourth to be a serious threat for first. Liverpool look greatly improved by Klopp, but also have the Europa and don’t have much in the way of defenders. Crystal Palace are a good team whose dreams are limited to fourth, if that.
Add it all up, and I think it will be whichever of the Mancs can do well down the stretch. I might pick Man U on the theory that they have to start playing well eventually with those players.
Man City are probably still the favorites, but have a habit of looking like uninterested zillionaires when the going gets tough. Man U’s gazillions have bought them precious few impressive performances, though they have had a genius for snatching undeserved points. Arsenal, uncharacteristically, are hobbled by a November collapse, and a squad too thin in key areas aided and abetted by an injury glut. I watched Leicester for the first time against Man U. Vardy and Mahrez might be the two best players in the league and their tactics are perfect for a possession happy era. But a couple of their starters aren’t even mid league standard. Otazaki, oof. But watch out if they can buy a couple of decent players in January. Even so, the last team to do what Leicester is trying to do was Nottingham Forest in ’77. Of the rest, Chelsea is far back and conflicted. Spurs have an excellent young team, and may just have had the best overall performances through 14 games, but they draw too much, have the Europa, and would be too happy to get fourth to be a serious threat for first. Liverpool look greatly improved by Klopp, but also have the Europa and don’t have much in the way of defenders. Crystal Palace are a good team whose dreams are limited to fourth, if that.
Add it all up, and I think it will be whichever of the Mancs can do well down the stretch. I might pick Man U on the theory that they have to start playing well eventually with those players.
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It's a tough one to try and call. All the contenders have flaws - some, major ones too. The Goons can be unplayable on their day, but remain fragile and unpredictable. City, can't see them winning it unless they do something drastic about their creaking, geriatric defense in Jan. Utd could just bore their way to the title. They don't give much away at the back, just no inspiration going forward. ( maybe AVB studied under LVG come to think of it!) Spurs? It's possible, but unlikely. We need to hone that killer instinct. It's getting better, but we're not quite the finished article. Like the Goons, we can be irresistible, but not often enough. Pool? Can't see it either. Not really good enough, or consistent enough. Leicester?? Nice dream, but that really would be Roy of the Rovers stuff!
I wouldn't put any money on it unless I had to. Then I'd reluctantly go for Utd as things stand. It could all change in Jan though.
I wouldn't put any money on it unless I had to. Then I'd reluctantly go for Utd as things stand. It could all change in Jan though.
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I think the referees as a collective are backing Liverpool. Yesterday they were awarded a penalty that would have only been awarded to two or three other teams and Benteke gets away with no yellow card for the most ludicrous dive since Suarez. Everybody is getting carried away with Klopp, but his players just aren't good enough without without the assistance of the officials
So true, but nothing new here, Pool have been given the benefit of doubt by the officials for years, it is so obvious to most other fans but largely goes unreported in the media as the Pool loving mugs choose to ignore it.
Manchester City have sold a 13% interest to a Chinese consortium for $400m (£265m!!). Okay they own one of the New York franchises, one in Melbourne and one in Japan and have had a new stadium donated to them from the public purse but that values the business at over £2,000,000,000. On the grounds that the owners don't need a single penny of it, that's going to push the cost of crap centre halves up and should cover Raheem Stirling's wages for a few weeks.
More than that, it raises the bar in terms of financing for the top clubs. Crystal Palace have a similar deal with some US money coming in. How are Chelsea going to get on now they are commited to meeting FFP? How are we going to compete even when we have the income from the new stadium? Are we intending to finance that ourselves when our links with AIA would surely give us an opportunity to seek a similar deal in Asia? It's fast becoming time for decisions to be made by Levy and Lewis as to what they want the club to be in the future.
Personally, I'd have no problems with extra capital coming in (I'm not in favour of selling 100% to novice owners but more in favour of a minority interest going to new investors as in the above instances) but doubt that it'll happen until we have built the stadium as Lewis won't want to sell at less than top dollar and will be desperate for us to achieve CL football in the next few years to get it. It might get us a couple of players in the transfer window as long as they aren't out of the Louis Saha/Ryan Nelsen bargain basement.
More than that, it raises the bar in terms of financing for the top clubs. Crystal Palace have a similar deal with some US money coming in. How are Chelsea going to get on now they are commited to meeting FFP? How are we going to compete even when we have the income from the new stadium? Are we intending to finance that ourselves when our links with AIA would surely give us an opportunity to seek a similar deal in Asia? It's fast becoming time for decisions to be made by Levy and Lewis as to what they want the club to be in the future.
Personally, I'd have no problems with extra capital coming in (I'm not in favour of selling 100% to novice owners but more in favour of a minority interest going to new investors as in the above instances) but doubt that it'll happen until we have built the stadium as Lewis won't want to sell at less than top dollar and will be desperate for us to achieve CL football in the next few years to get it. It might get us a couple of players in the transfer window as long as they aren't out of the Louis Saha/Ryan Nelsen bargain basement.
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the awful spurs struggle to get a draw against the even worse chavs, completely bottled it in that game as the chavs were there for the taking, terrible advert for football really.
how you can seriously consider yourselves a team capable of getting cl football this year is beyond belief really.
how you can seriously consider yourselves a team capable of getting cl football this year is beyond belief really.
If you're going to try and Wum, at least to do it from a standpoint of credibility. A Liverpool fan trying to lecture us about self delusion is laughable!
its a valid point dont you think? if you cant beat the worst chav team we have seen in the last 10years how can you possibly have top 4 aspirations? isnt this why you have this thread dedicated to delusion to cover the cracks of your own mass delusion
The worst Chav team - the defending Champions you mean? Doesn't say a lot for the rest of us. Not as if they have lost any players since winning. We did of course beat them last year when they were the best team, so maybe you are reading too much into one game. Did we look so terrible against City?its a valid point dont you think? if you cant beat the worst chav team we have seen in the last 10years how can you possibly have top 4 aspirations? isnt this why you have this thread dedicated to delusion to cover the cracks of your own mass delusion
its a valid point dont you think? if you cant beat the worst chav team we have seen in the last 10years how can you possibly have top 4 aspirations? isnt this why you have this thread dedicated to delusion to cover the cracks of your own mass delusion
No, it's not a valid point. Yes, there is some sort of internal,conflict going on there and it's fed it's way through to their performances on the field. Essentially, this is pretty much the same Chav side that ran away with the league title, they have too many top players to be a'crap' side.
Mourinho came to WHL looking not to get beaten. He succeeded, as he's done so many times whilst parking the bus.
glad to see your grasping the points system finally
that also means the norf laaandaan powershift is in fact a myth and your still in arsenals shadow by the same measure 