Premier League Thread 2015-16

Hope this rumour is true .....

Swansea manager Manager Garry Monk has been given more time to turn around results after crisis talks with chairman Huw Jenkins. (Daily Star)

 

Yeah two weeks, then they will draw with Bompey & he'll get sacked. You read it here first.

 

A surprising amount of Swansea fans (to an outsider) aren't glowing their praise of Monk; despite finishing one place behind us for a record points haul, on a far more modest budget.

He has bought well in Siguardson (well was a known quantity to the club, but resisted the 'never go back' rubic); also bringing in Gomis, Naughton, Montero, Fabianski, Cork and of course Ayew. He shipped out the large, and by in large mercurial Spanish contingent. Michu seemed have gone under a unfortunate character transformation after coming back from his long term injury, and was persona non grata with just about everybody at the club.
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There seems to be concern that he doesn't seem to use his squad and sticks to his favoured 11 far too much. Tactically too there's seemingly little flexibility. Visible bad blood between players on the pitch among players who have become too assured of their places isn't good for team or squad morale. He's got a job on his hands.

 

Ah yes, that young whipper-snapper. I am an enormous fan of Lawrie as he gave me my best moments as a Saints fan pre-Liebherr. However, times were different. The gulf between the First and Second divisions was much less than the equivalent now. In the years 1973-1980 four 2nd division clubs contested the FA Cup final and 3 of them won it against top Div 1 teams. When we were relegated we were able to hold onto Osgood and Channon, both England International when the label had a meaning. Then in our promotion season we were able to persuade Alan Ball to come to us (one of Lawrie's many masterstrokes). Re-write all this in Premier League/Championship terms and it is fantasy land.

Even a sniff of relegation from the Prem is enough to have accountants going into meltdown. It was bad when we went in '05, but today it is shockingly awful. Like others, I hope Monk stays. He seems a decent bloke, and there are plenty of bleedin' 'orrible ones about. But the pressure is far greater than it ever was on the magnificent St Lawrie.

 

I'd forgotten all about Corkie I thought Swansea were a nice, stable club for him...they'd better sort themselves out just for his sake.

 

He has to appoint an experienced coach. Seems a bit like choosing your executioner.

 

I'd appoint John Carver then....

 

Tord Gripp...remember him?

 

Seems the majority of Swansea fans want Monk gone, on here anyway

 

Sven's man.

 

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/gallerie...s-scored-Premier-League-sportgalleries/329847

List of PL teams according to %shots scored. Saints are 11th with 13.7% of shots converted to goals. Top is United with 20%. How important this is is questionable since Sunderland and Newcastle are both above us....and I bet they have far fewer shots than us to convert.

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo...always-tell-the-full-story.html?frame=3496570
A discussion of match reports on Chelsea's website for their defeats, including their claim for a penalty that never was against us. Particularly like the claim that Chelsea scored a 'goal' but the decision went West Ham's way....conveniently forgetting goal line technology.

 

Gosh.! Even HawkEye is against Chelsea.

I would say that's the final nail in the coffin of the goalline technology, good or bad, debate.

 

I think the final nail for that came before it was in, as Frank Lampard's shot bounced so over the line at the World Cup, that it was in Zimbabwe

 

And yet so many people said it wasn't going to be a good idea, right upto the day it was introduced. It was going to spoil football. All those pub debates that wouldn't happen. Didn't change much did it. Supporters attention just went on to something else. We'll get the same reaction when newer [say, offside] technology is eventually introduced, and when it works supporters conversations will move to something else again. It won't spoil football. It'll just make it fairer.

 

We could always talk about why Maya is playing RB..........

 

Exactly.!

 

Until they replay the game using a CGI Cedric simulator to see what would have happened....we've got to embrace new technology

 

Is he still scouting for us?