Premier League Thread

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Was watching [yes watching] Radio 5 Live's Giant 606 for the latter part of this evening when I got in. I suppose I caught the last hour of it and it was wall-to-wall Top 4. This was to be a programme about the teams in the PL and what could be expected of them. Occasionally they broke for the news and read out that West Ham, Aberdeen had lost and Saints had won. Then the newsreader handed back to the team and they resumed their Top 4 debate.

Yes they did talk about a few other teams in passing, but there was none of the feverish detail that they get into with the glamour teams. I was about to call it a boring evening when an Everton fan called in and didn't complain as much as make the observation that the PL is boring and that the Championship is where the competition is. Plus that, although this was a PL debate, the studio personnel had spent 85-90% of the evening talking about the Top 6 [all I'd heard was the Top 4]. I was just getting prepared for Darren Fletcher to lustily and seriously defend the studio position [because he does and overly so in my opinion at times], when instead of the expected comebacks, they all looked down at their boots, as if they'd been found out at last, while the Everton fan made a couple of valid points. Lastly, he asked why the panel didn't, and doesn't talk about other teams, and finally Fletcher looked up and said it's because other teams fans don't call in.

This slightly flummoxed the Everton fan. I wasn't surprised. He'd done well to get that far without being rebuked, but I was almost reaching for the phone to help him, because the reason why other teams fans don't phone in is not because they aren't there. It's because the agenda has been set by the panelists on the programme. Fletcher says they don't talk about other teams because their fans don't phone in. It's the other way around. Alternate fans don't phone in because the panelists don't talk about their teams, except very quickly in passing. Witness a WHU fan who had earlier braved it and phoned and had got very short shrift, and the panel went back to their favourite subject.

Of course, there are more Chelsea fans than many others. Of course there are more Arsenal, ManU and Man City fans than others. But there are more fans together who aren't Top 4 fans. Do they consider that.? Personally I'd like to see some stats and a more level playing field because at this point in the season, the clubs are supposedly equal. Aren't they.?. Nil points and all that. :)
 
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TheSecondStain said:
Was watching [yes watching] Radio 5 Live's Giant 606 for the latter part of this evening when I got in. I suppose I caught the last hour of it and it was wall-to-wall Top 4. This was to be a programme about the teams in the PL and what could be expected of them. Occasionally they broke for the news and read out that West Ham, Aberdeen had lost and Saints had won. Then the newsreader handed back to the team and they resumed their Top 4 debate.

Yes they did talk about a few other teams in passing, but there was none of the feverish detail that they get into with the glamour teams. I was about to call it a boring evening when an Everton fan called in and didn't complain as much as make the observation that the PL is boring and that the Championship is where the competition is. Plus that, although this was a PL debate, the studio personnel had spent 85-90% of the evening talking about the Top 6 [all I'd heard was the Top 4]. I was just getting prepared for Darren Fletcher to lustily and seriously defend the studio position [because he does and overly so in my opinion at times], when instead of the expected comebacks, they all looked down at their boots, as if they'd been found out at last, while the Everton fan made a couple of valid points. Lastly, he asked why the panel didn't, and doesn't talk about other teams, and finally Fletcher looked up and said it's because other teams fans don't call in.

This slightly flummoxed the Everton fan. I wasn't surprised. He'd done well to get that far without being rebuked, but I was almost reaching for the phone to help him, because the reason why other teams fans don't phone in is not because they aren't there. It's because the agenda has been set by the panelists on the programme. Fletcher says they don't talk about other teams because their fans don't phone in. It's the other way around. Alternate fans don't phone in because the panelists don't talk about their teams, except very quickly in passing. Witness a WHU fan who had earlier braved it and phoned and had got very short shrift, and the panel went back to their favourite subject.

Of course, there are more Chelsea fans than many others. Of course there are more Arsenal, ManU and Man City fans than others. But there are more fans together who aren't Top 4 fans. Do they consider that.? Personally I'd like to see some stats and a more level playing field because at this point in the season, the clubs are supposedly equal. Aren't they.?. Nil points and all that. :)
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TBF Fletcher may have a point as my belief is the calls are obviously filtered before they reach the studio. I suspect the top 4 bias is firmly established at that level and perpetuates the desired status quo. From the panels point of view no Watford fans are put through, therefore not phoning in as far as they are concerned.

I love the BBC but anyone who's followed the build up to the season on their footy page will be very aware of a massive bias towards "the big clubs". A pimple on John Terry's bum would get more space than Norwich signing someone. I think it was you that pointed out the Di Maria transfer was given mini-series status there.

I think also, with the occasional exception, "pundits" are far less comfortable/knowledgeable about clubs outside of the top 4. That also restricts the depth (and interest) of discussion. So even the fascinating Saints may be discussed in boring, predictable cliches. Ho humm.
 
Theres a cool thing on the BBC Sport Football page at the moment. It tells you all the Southampton stats since your birth. For example. Since I was born there have been 1,232 Southampton Matches of which we've won 461 and scored 1,705 goals. Apparently (despite our recent poor results) we've beaten Tottenham more than any other team in my lifetime. Anyway, lot's of stats like that. Just a bit of Friday morning fun.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/my-premier-league-life
 
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Relentless Saint Supertramp said:
Theres a cool thing on the BBC Sport Football page at the moment. It tells you all the Southampton stats since your birth. For example. Since I was born there have been 1,232 Southampton Matches of which we've won 461 and scored 1,705 goals. Apparently (despite our recent poor results) we've beaten Tottenham more than any other team in my lifetime. Anyway, lot's of stats like that. Just a bit of Friday morning fun.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/my-premier-league-life
Click to expand...

According to our track record we're not going to win anything until 2023! Got to prove that wrong. I also learnt that I'm older than you by a fair bit :(
 
Relentless Saint Supertramp said:
Theres a cool thing on the BBC Sport Football page at the moment. It tells you all the Southampton stats since your birth. For example. Since I was born there have been 1,232 Southampton Matches of which we've won 461 and scored 1,705 goals. Apparently (despite our recent poor results) we've beaten Tottenham more than any other team in my lifetime. Anyway, lot's of stats like that. Just a bit of Friday morning fun.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/my-premier-league-life
Click to expand...
Very interesting. One thing that popped out was that in terms of win percentages Nigel Adkins is the most successful manager Southampton have ever had. Thanks for posting that RSS.
 
Gary & Phil's dad, the marvellously named Neville Neville (try saying that without lapsing into a Bowie song) has passed away of a heart attack, aged 65.
 
Le Tissier's Laces said:
And that Tottenham are the team we've beaten most. I never realised that.
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And been beaten by most! In my lifetime beaten Newcastle the most n lost to United the most.

Also won more matches in my lifetime than we've lost... that one suprised me a bit I must admit <laugh> 429-425
 
The rule change says 'resulting in an opposition player being sent off'.

I think it should be even stricter than this - anyone proven to have feigned injury / exaggerate contact should face retrospective action.



Also don't like the word 'could' in the new rule - very open to being a grey area
 
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