Premier League week 2 - 21st, 22nd, 23rd August 2010

Saturday, 21 August 2010
Arsenal v Blackpool
Birmingham v Blackburn
Everton v Wolverhampton
Stoke v Tottenham
West Brom v Sunderland
West Ham v Bolton
Wigan v Chelsea

Sunday, 22 August 2010
Newcastle v Aston Villa
Fulham v Man Utd

Monday, 23 August 2010
Man City v Liverpool

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Week 1 had its talking points and drama but also saw some very below par teams and some ridiculous mistakes that are obviously down to rustyness.

The European games in midweek may sadly starve us of quality football but there's still some good games this week to look forward to.

Tottenham will be dreading going to Stoke after a midweek game away in Europe and I expect them to have a really tough afternoon.

Wigan were a total and utter shambles last week and I expect them to get hammered by Chelsea.

West Ham and Everton had poor starts but should take advantage of their home games against teams they should expect to beat.

Sunday could be a good day with Villa having to adjust their system after losing Milner and Newcastle hosting a premier league game once more. (Man) United haven't enjoyed going to Fulham too much in the last few seasons but I think they'll win this one as I expect Hughes to try and only frustrate United rather than attack them which doesn't work.

Monday night is obviously the pick; I'm not confident at all but after last weeks dissapointment of losing the win in stoppage time we have to go out for the win. 2 points from a possible 6 wouldn't be the greatest start to our season even if we did get a ridiculously hard start. No Joe Cole and possibly no Mascherano or Agger means it's going to be very difficult to get anything.

Lulu previews have been missed.

Probable team to face City:

-----------------------Reina-------------------------

--Johnson------Carragher--------Agger------------Kelly--------------

-------------------Masch-----------Lucas-----------------------------

------Kuyt------------------Gerrard--------------------Jovanovic-------------

-----------------------------Torres--------------------------------------------

Lots of injuries for Tottenham, picked up in the Champions League game.

Woodgate, O'Hara, Bentley, Keane, Defoe, Pavlyuchenko all out
Giovani and Modric also doubtful
King might be rested for the Young Boys home game


Hope Redknapp goes with the youth in stead of forcing players to play out of position.

Der Hammer and Behrami have been ruled out for the Bolton match

I thought Behrami was leaving? The amount of shit transfer rumours you've posted on here as if they're concrete is ridiculous.

Totttenham have sent Jonathan Obika on a season long loan to Crystal Palace,
so that's yet another striker out of the picture.
Guess Kranjcar will play together with Crouch and give us our slowest attack since the days of a Sheringham in his mid 30s and Gary Doherty - some 10 years ago.

Probable team vs Blackpool

Manuel

Bac - Djourou - Verm - Clichy

Wilshere - Diaby -Rosicky

Theo - Vela/Arshavin

Chamakh

Subs; Szechwhatshisname, Gibbs, Eboue, Fab, Arshavin/Vela, VanP.

Not sure what to expect. We should win but I'm not expecting 6 - 0 to us or whatever - still remember Hull beating us in their first prem season 3 points without any injuries will do.

@Luis - will they risk Agger? Woy said he was still concussed yesterday.

Give Babel a chance, like i said he'll shine this season if he plays.

-----------------------------Reina-------------------------

--Johnson-------Carragher--------Agger------------Kelly/Auerlio--------------

-------------------Masch-----------Gerrard-----------------------------

Babel/Jova--------------Aquaman--------------------Jova/Babel-------------

-----------------------------Torres--------------------------------------------

Agree, disagree? Explain you Redmen.

Javier Mascheranoooooooo wrote:Give Babel a chance, like i said he'll shine this season if he plays.

-----------------------------Reina-------------------------

--Johnson-------Carragher--------Agger------------Kelly/Auerlio--------------

-------------------Masch-----------Gerrard-----------------------------

Babel/Jova--------------Aquaman--------------------Jova/Babel-------------

-----------------------------Torres--------------------------------------------

Agree, disagree? Explain you Redmen.

Ev'rybody's talkin' 'bout
Bagism, Shagism, Dragism, Madism, Ragism, Tagism
This-ism, that-ism, ism ism ism
All we are saying is give Babel a chance
All we are saying is give Babel a chance

Ev'rybody's talkin' 'bout
Minister, Sinister, Banisters and Canisters,
Bishops, Fishops, Rabbis, and Pop Eyes, Bye bye, Bye byes
All we are saying is give Babel a chance
All we are saying is give Babel a chance

Javier Mascheranoooooooo wrote:Give Babel a chance, like i said he'll shine this season if he plays.

-----------------------------Reina-------------------------

--Johnson-------Carragher--------Agger------------Kelly/Auerlio--------------

-------------------Masch-----------Gerrard-----------------------------

Babel/Jova--------------Aquaman--------------------Jova/Babel-------------

-----------------------------Torres--------------------------------------------

Agree, disagree? Explain you Redmen.

Yeah I think Roy Hodgson may disagree with this one

Babel got subbed off after scoring during the week. Unlce Roy either hates him or is about to show him some major love by dropping the undroppable man. Who knows but my money would be placed firmly on the undroppable man starting.

As for Aquaman starting

Does Scholes have AIDS or what?

Is Arshavin not a defo starter ?

Big game for us Liverpool will be a massive test, Milner should make his debut and Balotelli will be in contention, Kolarov will be out but Boateng might be back. We are normally very strong at home and although i think Liverpool will be hard to break down and Torres looked sharp midweek but im confident we can win it.

COTR wrote:

Javier Mascheranoooooooo wrote:Give Babel a chance, like i said he'll shine this season if he plays.

-----------------------------Reina-------------------------

--Johnson-------Carragher--------Agger------------Kelly/Auerlio--------------

-------------------Masch-----------Gerrard-----------------------------

Babel/Jova--------------Aquaman--------------------Jova/Babel-------------

-----------------------------Torres--------------------------------------------

Agree, disagree? Explain you Redmen.

Yeah I think Roy Hodgson may disagree with this one

Babel got subbed off after scoring during the week. Unlce Roy either hates him or is about to show him some major love by dropping the undroppable man. Who knows but my money would be placed firmly on the undroppable man starting.

As for Aquaman starting

He'll come back and shine next season

Who the hell is Wallters, who will be a starter alongside Fuller in Stoke's attack? And why he is playing ahead of Tuncay? Stoke with their typical line-up of 4 central defenders

Everton: Howard, Hibbert, Baines, Jagielka, Distin, Heitinga, Bilyaletdinov, Arteta, Cahill, Pienaar, Beckford. Subs: Mucha, Saha, Gueye, Osman, Coleman, Fellaini, Rodwell

With Neville missing out because of injury, Hibbert is starting, Coleman on the bench - Moyes

Arsenal XI vs Blackpool

Almunia, Sagna, Song, Vermaelen, Clichy, Diaby, Rosicky, Wlshere, Walcott, Arshavin, Chamakh

Fab and VanP on bench.

Sgoater1 wrote:
Is Arshavin not a defo starter ?

Big game for us Liverpool will be a massive test, Milner should make his debut and Balotelli will be in contention, Kolarov will be out but Boateng might be back. We are normally very strong at home and although i think Liverpool will be hard to break down and Torres looked sharp midweek but im confident we can win it.

As if you will even try with your 7 defenders.

stinger wrote:Who the hell is Wallters, who will be a starter alongside Fuller in Stoke's attack? And why he is playing ahead of Tuncay? Stoke with their typical line-up of 4 central defenders

Everton: Howard, Hibbert, Baines, Jagielka, Distin, Heitinga, Bilyaletdinov, Arteta, Cahill, Pienaar, Beckford. Subs: Mucha, Saha, Gueye, Osman, Coleman, Fellaini, Rodwell

With Neville missing out because of injury, Hibbert is starting, Coleman on the bench - Moyes

Everton playing with 5 defenders and Beckford as a lone striker at home vs Wolves?

Luis wrote:

stinger wrote:Who the hell is Wallters, who will be a starter alongside Fuller in Stoke's attack? And why he is playing ahead of Tuncay? Stoke with their typical line-up of 4 central defenders

Everton: Howard, Hibbert, Baines, Jagielka, Distin, Heitinga, Bilyaletdinov, Arteta, Cahill, Pienaar, Beckford. Subs: Mucha, Saha, Gueye, Osman, Coleman, Fellaini, Rodwell

With Neville missing out because of injury, Hibbert is starting, Coleman on the bench - Moyes

Everton playing with 5 defenders and Beckford as a lone striker at home vs Wolves?

Heitinga will be playing as DM, which he has done for majority of his career here, and Cahill these days is almost always playing as a striker too, he doesn't drop deep like he used to do in the past.
Line-up is okay... bar Hibbert over Coleman of course, which I am furious about

Fellaini and Saha should surely be starting unless they aren't fit. It's not the greatest side Moyes could have picked but it should still be strong enough to get the win.

Tuncay to Stoke is still one of the worst moves ever then.

Luis wrote:Fellaini and Saha should surely be starting unless they aren't fit. It's not the greatest side Moyes could have picked but it should still be strong enough to get the win.

Beckford did well enough in preseason, to push Saha out of the starting line up, after he was anonymous against Blackburn.
Fellaini is still a few weeks away from being 100% ready, he did play against Blackburn because we needed his physical presence, but resting him is probably a good idea, especially when in Heitinga we have a quality replacement.

borocooper wrote:Tuncay to Stoke is still one of the worst moves ever then.

He did very well for Stoke during preseason (was their top scorer), still somehow it isnt't enough for Pullis to play him

stinger wrote:

borocooper wrote:Tuncay to Stoke is still one of the worst moves ever then.

He did very well for Stoke during preseason (was their top scorer), still somehow it isnt't enough for Pullis to play him

All kinds of dogshit do well in pre-season then do nothing during the season. You watch Beckford.

Pulis is a dick. Tuncay is stupid for signing for a side like that though.

borocooper wrote:Pulis is a dick. Tuncay is stupid for signing for a side like that though.

Who should he have signed for?

West Ham: Green, Faubert, Gabbidon, Upson, Ilunga, Dyer, Parker, Noble, Barrera, Piquionne, Cole.
Subs: Stech, Reid, Tomkins, Boa Morte, Kovac, McCarthy, Sears.
Bolton: Jaaskelainen, Steinsson, Knight, Cahill, Robinson, Lee, Muamba, Holden, Petrov, Kevin Davies, Elmander.
Subs: Bogdan, Taylor, Mark Davies, Klasnic, Ricketts, Blake, Andrew O'Brien.
Referee: Andre Marriner (W Midlands)

Kimbo wrote:

stinger wrote:

borocooper wrote:Tuncay to Stoke is still one of the worst moves ever then.

He did very well for Stoke during preseason (was their top scorer), still somehow it isnt't enough for Pullis to play him

All kinds of dogshit do well in pre-season then do nothing during the season. You watch Beckford.

We'll see about it. I didn't have a high expectations for him, but at least during preseason he did look better, much better than I thought.

Luis wrote:

borocooper wrote:Pulis is a dick. Tuncay is stupid for signing for a side like that though.

Who should he have signed for?

Anyone else. Or stayed with us.

He would've at least been playing.

Goal! Wallchart