Premier League Discussion 25/26th October

IMPORTANT NEWSFLASH

All matches in this weekend's Premier League fixtures have been called off due to irregularities in betting patterns. The move will allow the police to investigate a "serious match fixing allegation", according to a Met Police spokesman. Although the police have refused to comment further, the BBC has learned that a £5 bet on Spurs to beat Bolton on Sunday is at the centre of the scandal.

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Another joke is this week's fixture timings...we complain about the Spanish fixtures being a farce, but is England any less so? 4 games on Saturday, 6 on Sunday, all scattered around at random times...what's going on?

The number of teams in the UEFA cup (and the fact that TV never seems to have picked these teams to move anyway) now means Sunday games aplenty. Only one Saturday 3pm game!

Man Utd v Everton moved for policing reasons and so starts at 12 pm, so you should know the line ups before the fantasy deadline.

1115: TEAMS Everton v Man Utd

Everton: Howard, Neville, Yobo, Jagielka, Lescott, Arteta, Fellaini, Osman, Pienaar, Saha, Yakubu. Subs: Nash, Baines, Castillo, Vaughan, Nuno Valente, Rodwell, Anichebe.

Man Utd: Van der Sar, Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Ronaldo, Fletcher, Giggs, Park, Berbatov, Rooney. Subs: Kuszczak, Neville, Anderson, Nani, O'Shea, Evans, Tevez.

No shocks.

Saha's bound to score. but Utd will win

It would be typical of Saha to be fit and he's exactly the kind of striker to give us major problems. Let' hope he has one of those finishing problems where he has to think about what to do with the ball.

Surprisengly very attacking line-up for Everton, with 2 strikers up front and Fellaini as the most defensive oriented midfielder.

Superb goal by Fletcher, all made by him - fantastic run, almost undefendable due to its angle and timing. Good pass by Giggs to pick him out, but then a good finish as well.

Man. Utd. dominating all the game, better in all areas. Brown having a superb game so far...with Rafael's emergence as well, Ferguson has a problem now at RB. G. Neville who?

I am seriously pissed off. Not only MU is better skills wise (which should be expected), but they are actually playing harder - going stronger for the ball in 1 on 1 situations, doing sliding tackles, etc...
I can't believe how soft current Everton team is.

Yeah that has somewhat surprised me. They are throwing bodies into tackles more than Everton.

Giggs should probably get a drug test after this match because he's been more hyper than the energizer bunny.

Giggs and Fletcher have pwnd the Everton midfield, quite surprisingly so. If Moyes had played 5 in the middle, then maybe the 3 vs. 2 advantage would give them a better chance.

Great game so far by Man Utd. a little disapointed by Everton.normally they will at least test you physcially.it looked a better game in the start where Everton got forward better.

robert wrote:
Giggs should probably get a drug test after this match because he's been more hyper than the energizer bunny.

Right, he once made like 3 tackles in span of 5 seconds, I was surprised too.

kas wrote:Giggs and Fletcher have pwnd the Everton midfield, quite surprisingly so. If Moyes had played 5 in the middle, then maybe the 3 vs. 2 advantage would give them a better chance.

They played 5 in the middle against Liverpool and it didn't work too, they were keep hoofing the ball. So if you are still doing it, at least have 2 up front... even if they without real chance to beat Vidic and Ferdinand.

Lescott is horrible, if he can't defend better than Baines as LB and offers less offensively too, then what's the point of playing him?

Rooney subdued. Right on schedule.

Can anyone explain me what's the point of having 2 games almost at the same time and so early in the day?

stinger wrote:Can anyone explain me what's the point of having 2 games almost at the same time and so early in the day?

Policing reasons, crowd trouble before allegedly. Newcastle v Sunderland was the Sky game.

I guess one, or both, were moved by the police (they like to play derbies/potentially troublesome games at the middle of the day, so fans have less time to get pissed beforehand). The other was probably moved for tv..

debaser wrote:I guess one, or both, were moved by the police (they like to play derbies/potentially troublesome games at the middle of the day, so fans have less time to get pissed beforehand). The other was probably moved for tv..

This even makes sense, thanks for explanation.

Assuming Utd hold on, Everton will have 1pt from 5 games at home. What's going on, stinger? Just tough fixtures, or are you worried for this season?

Yes, the Everton vs Man Utd game is on early because the police asked for it to be so, and Sunderland vs Newcastle tends always to be an early game for the same reason.

It's a pretty frantic game so far. We are playing the same team that played Man City on Monday, with N'Zogbia, Gutierrez and Barton on the bench. I'd maybe have played Duff right and N'Zogbia left today (and long term, I'd be inclined to even play N'Zogbia and Guthrie in the centre; if not, I'd try Barton in ahead of Butt alongside Guthrie) but Geremi is maybe the safer option. It's very windy.

debaser wrote:Assuming Utd hold on, Everton will have 1pt from 5 games at home. What's going on, stinger? Just tough fixtures, or are you worried for this season?

But worried regarding what? I don't see us fighting to avoid relegation, maybe I will have just to accept a fact that we'll finish around 8-14 spot this season. Last 2 seasons for Everton were quite good, we definitely overachieved looking at money and squads floating around Premier League. And it happens, that if you are not able to keep improving your team (we didn't do it this summer, with not getting a proper replacement for Carsley, mostly regarding his leadership by example in the middle), you hit the wall. And that's what we are doing this season, hitting the wall.

And home fixtures were not easy, but still - Blackburn, Portsmouth, Liverpool, Newcastle and now MU, should get something in 5-7 points range realistically out of it, but it didn't happen.

Cisse


Jammy goal but who cares

We are rubbish. We cannot hold onto the ball for a second. Absolutely terrible passing. For the goal, Malbranque just wandered inside with Duff and Bassong doing little to stop him; Ameobi ambled after him; Butt didn't cover; and Taylor and Beye weren't marking or really doing anything at all. Chimbonda and Malbranque are taking our left side apart.

stinger wrote:

debaser wrote:Assuming Utd hold on, Everton will have 1pt from 5 games at home. What's going on, stinger? Just tough fixtures, or are you worried for this season?

But worried regarding what? I don't see us fighting to avoid relegation, maybe I will have just to accept a fact that we'll finish around 8-14 spot this season. Last 2 seasons for Everton were quite good, we definitely overachieved looking at money and squads floating around Premier League. And it happens, that if you are not able to keep improving your team (we didn't do it this summer, with not getting a proper replacement for Carsley, mostly regarding his leadership by example in the middle), you hit the wall. And that's what we are doing this season, hitting the wall.

And home fixtures were not easy, but still - Blackburn, Portsmouth, Liverpool, Newcastle and now MU, should get something in 5-7 points range realistically out of it, but it didn't happen.

Yeah wasn't thinking relegation per se, more whether you were worried you're headed for mid-table obscurity.

Shola!