The British & Irish Football Thread

[Pizzamorg]

Originally Posted by tob

I didn't expect Leicester to lose today against C.Palace.

I guess we didn't either, which was the problem.

[tob]

We should have finish off spurs in the second half but the goal we gave away was poor.
Welbeck worked hard but with tough games to come i take a point.

[D-Blitz]

Originally Posted by tob

We should have finish off spurs in the second half but the goal we gave away was poor.
Welbeck worked hard but with tough games to come i take a point.

Glaring weakness in our squad right now is the lack of a good CDM. With Arteta injured and us having to rely on Flamini (who was pretty awful today) I'm thinking we're not winning anything this season.

[Pizzamorg]

A lot of my friends aren't Football fans, often regard this to the fact that the Premiership is pointless. The same teams will always win, the same teams will always be stuck in the middle and the majority of the teams that come up, will end up going down, sometimes within the same season, sometimes after a couple.

In some regards, I have to agree, the same big clubs from my Childhood still are the big clubs and the same clubs are still bouncing up and down the leagues - look at Leicester. But this season - the last few years honestly - have seen some really exciting shifts. Maybe not exactly as big, or ever lasting, as some detractors may want but it's still been a very exciting start to the campaign.

Man City have already drawn twice and lost once. They are still in third place but there are still two points away from second place which is currently held by Southampton who are living a fairytale right now. Man City also have a whole bunch of teams only one win away from going in front of them. Those teams including the likes of Swansea and Villa. Not a bad start by any margin but hardly a champion start, especially with the growing gap between Chelsea and... everyone else.

Just look at United, they once seemed a unwavering Giant yet they finished seventh last season which is where they sit now only due to goal difference. They've only had two wins this season, and the fans act like they are great triumphs, but you should expect United to win against QPR and West Ham not be pleasantly surprised. Spurs, Palace and Leicester are all poised to over take them, and I might not have believed it a few years ago, but right now I expect them all to pass United eventually. And Rooney's performance this season? He is not Captain material.

The list goes on though, all the excitement surrounding the return of Balotelli and yet Liverpool have suffered three defeats already. Landing themselves in the bottom half of the table, a mid table start for the team that finished second last year.

And yes, I know it's very early yet, the season doesn't really start still after Christmas but it does feel like changes are starting to happen in the Premier League and all that "unscripted magic" nonsense they love to push is starting to really be a good descriptor of the game.

[tob]

Originally Posted by D-Blitz

Glaring weakness in our squad right now is the lack of a good CDM. With Arteta injured and us having to rely on Flamini (who was pretty awful today) I'm thinking we're not winning anything this season.

Wenger should have brought in a defender in the summer but that will come back on us.
I don't expect much this season only to get a champions league place again.

[tob]

Originally Posted by Pizzamorg

A lot of my friends aren't Football fans, often regard this to the fact that the Premiership is pointless. The same teams will always win, the same teams will always be stuck in the middle and the majority of the teams that come up, will end up going down, sometimes within the same season, sometimes after a couple.

In some regards, I have to agree, the same big clubs from my Childhood still are the big clubs and the same clubs are still bouncing up and down the leagues - look at Leicester. But this season - the last few years honestly - have seen some really exciting shifts. Maybe not exactly as big, or ever lasting, as some detractors may want but it's still been a very exciting start to the campaign.

Man City have already drawn twice and lost once. They are still in third place but there are still two points away from second place which is currently held by Southampton who are living a fairytale right now. Man City also have a whole bunch of teams only one win away from going in front of them. Those teams including the likes of Swansea and Villa. Not a bad start by any margin but hardly a champion start, especially with the growing gap between Chelsea and... everyone else.

Just look at United, they once seemed a unwavering Giant yet they finished seventh last season which is where they sit now only due to goal difference. They've only had two wins this season, and the fans act like they are great triumphs, but you should expect United to win against QPR and West Ham not be pleasantly surprised. Spurs, Palace and Leicester are all poised to over take them, and I might not have believed it a few years ago, but right now I expect them all to pass United eventually. And Rooney's performance this season? He is not Captain material.

The list goes on though, all the excitement surrounding the return of Balotelli and yet Liverpool have suffered three defeats already. Landing themselves in the bottom half of the table, a mid table start for the team that finished second last year.

And yes, I know it's very early yet, the season doesn't really start still after Christmas but it does feel like changes are starting to happen in the Premier League and all that "unscripted magic" nonsense they love to push is starting to really be a good descriptor of the game.

The pressure is on Liverpool and Man.Utd this season for the amount of players liverpool brought in and United for the amount of money they spent.

[tob]

Originally Posted by JoeyJackson

With another defeat yesterday, what do you think are the chances of Newcastle of staying up this season? Personally I think that they have a good enough to easily finish in top 15 if not more.

I think it depends on Aland Pardew and his future at Newcastle.
There results at the end of last season and so far this season have been really poor and the fans don't want Pardew any more.

[Pizzamorg]

Newcastle are going down this season I reckon. They're one of those teams that seem to go down every few years, just to come back up a season or two later.

[tob]

Originally Posted by Pizzamorg

Newcastle are going down this season I reckon. They're one of those teams that seem to go down every few years, just to come back up a season or two later.

There results towards the end of last season and so far this season have been poor and his signings that he brought in still have not settle in the team.

[tob]

Good performance by Welbeck tonight he deserved his hat trick and Sanchez had a good game too.
We had to win tonight to keep up with Dortmund.

[Pizzamorg]

It's been a shit two weeks for a Leicester fan, following one of our greatest victories in the history of the club. Dunno whether Leicester can't turn it on against smaller teams or if that victory went to their head but although they performed better than last week, it was nothing compared to the form they started the season with. Greedy over played football giving away pointless fouls and constantly conceding to set plays. So, so frustrating.

[tob]

Originally Posted by Pizzamorg

It's been a shit two weeks for a Leicester fan, following one of our greatest victories in the history of the club. Dunno whether Leicester can't turn it on against smaller teams or if that victory went to their head but although they performed better than last week, it was nothing compared to the form they started the season with. Greedy over played football giving away pointless fouls and constantly conceding to set plays. So, so frustrating.

What were they like today against Burnley did they play with the same energy against the likes of Arsenal and United.

[Pizzamorg]

Originally Posted by tob

What were they like today against Burnley did they play with the same energy against the likes of Arsenal and United.

They weren't in the game for 98% of it, we were going to win but James decided to foul right next to the penalty box giving away a free kick in the closing thirty seconds of the game to give Burnley the chance to equalise.

[tob]

Originally Posted by Pizzamorg

They weren't in the game for 98% of it, we were going to win but James decided to foul right next to the penalty box giving away a free kick in the closing thirty seconds of the game to give Burnley the chance to equalise.

Where do you think they end up this season.

[Pizzamorg]

Originally Posted by tob

Where do you think they end up this season.

No idea, the Leicester squad of the last two games is looking like a bottom finish, the squad before that was looking for a high mid.

[tob]

I didn't expect anything from our match with Chelsea today with the poor record we have but we battled a lot more this time than what we did last season where we lost 6-0.
Ozil was poor again today and i just give up on him because he offers nothing for this team.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Pizzamorg

No idea, the Leicester squad of the last two games is looking like a bottom finish, the squad before that was looking for a high mid.

Nine points is not a bad return Pizzamorg. I am hoping you beat Newcastle but I think they might shade that one. Hope I'm wrong.

[Pizzamorg]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Nine points is not a bad return Pizzamorg. I am hoping you beat Newcastle but I think they might shade that one. Hope I'm wrong.

No, we're still exceeding expectations but we didn't just exceed them for the first few games, we SMASHED them. So to follow that up with a loss, and then giving a team we should have beaten a draw (because let's face it, they wouldn't have drawn without us giving it to them on a plate) is infuriating. We aren't in a position to give away five points, especially as much more dangerous clubs are now starting to find their feet. This is a slippery slope and once we slip it's near impossible to climb back up.

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by tob

I didn't expect anything from our match with Chelsea today with the poor record we have but we battled a lot more this time than what we did last season where we lost 6-0.
Ozil was poor again today and i just give up on him because he offers nothing for this team.

Agree, good match and you have to rack up the result to individual brilliance on the part of Chelsea’s ($$) players. I just wish Arsene would change his tactics and go wide more rather than always trying to have our boys go through the middle…passing their way into goal.

[tob]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

Agree, good match and you have to rack up the result to individual brilliance on the part of Chelsea’s ($$) players. I just wish Arsene would change his tactics and go wide more rather than always trying to have our boys go through the middle…passing their way into goal.

He will never change his ideas of what he wants penton.