Premier League 11th-13th December Discussion Thread

ESPN contains 4 of the 5 letters required to spell the word PENIS

Coincidence?

Some good games in there.

I expect our team will be:

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

--Johnson------Kygriakos------------Skrtel----------------Konchesky--------------

---------------------Merieles-----------Lucas---------------------------------------

--Kuyt--------------------------------------------------------------Maxi-------------

------------------------Ngog---------------Torres-----------------------------------

Gerrard wont be fit to start I don't think but having the likes of him, Cole and Babel on the bench will be a significant improvement on having Spearing and Eccleston on the bench.

Getting a new manager in can go either way, the Newcastle team will either be so dissilusioned that it will be a walk in the park or they'll be fired up and come out fighting.

To be perfectly honest it's a game we have to win, a draw isn't acceptable when it could be one of the best times to play Newcastle in a game we should be winning if we're serious about getting back into the race for 4th.

Anyway, the lads have been training hard as usual:

Hope Luka Modric's 100% after the flu, with Hudd, Niko and VDV out he's needed.

Team news from Tottenham

http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/team-news-101210.html

Kaboul is a doubt, but might be in the squad.
King, Woodgate, Huddlestone, O'Hara, Jenas, Kranjcar and van der Vaart are injured.

And the team I posted looks like it's confirmed from a RAWK ITK.

Happy with that, the central midfield partnership is looking really good.

Pissesd off there is no 12:45 kick off

pretty good stuff this week

rosenthal wrote: Hope Luka Modric's 100% after the flu, with Hudd, Niko and VDV out he's needed.

Team news from Tottenham

http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/team-news-101210.html

Kaboul is a doubt, but might be in the squad.
King, Woodgate, Huddlestone, O'Hara, Jenas, Kranjcar and van der Vaart are injured.

Crouch - Defoe
Bale - Palacios - Modric - Lennon
Ekotto - Bassong - Gallas - Hutton
Gomes

Cudicini
Corluka
Dawson
Sandro
Bentley
Keane
Pavlyuchenko

Pletikosa, Kaboul, Giovani

Kranjcar is injured? Would be perfect for him to try and stake a place in the team now.

Team news


Subs: Dunne, Carew, Guzan, Pires, Herd, Delfouneso, Reo-Coker.



Bannan, Heskey return (and Coker is back as far as bench), but L.Young, Agbonlahor injured and ill, Clark suspended and Ireland is missing for reasons as yet unknown

Surprise news is Dunne being dropped for Cuellar, but he has been off-form, as has the whole defence so it needed something changing. I worry about the full-backs. Warnock's been crap (and according to reports, knows that he's being shipped out soon) and Lichaj is inexperienced, I've not been wholly convinced when I've seen him.

Really, really, really need to win this one. And should. But it's a derby and Brom just got a couple of good wins so who knows..

If Villa don't win today surely you've got to be looking at Houllier and say he's just not right at the moment for Villa?

Luis wrote:If Villa don't win today surely you've got to be looking at Houllier and say he's just not right at the moment for Villa?

Patience isn't one of your virtues, is it Luis?

I doubt many manager could have got results for Villa given their relatively thin squad+a hell of a lot of injuries recently. Just like Hodgson, Houllier is paying the price for the previous manager's failure in the transfer market.

Luis wrote:If Villa don't win today surely you've got to be looking at Houllier and say he's just not right at the moment for Villa?

I've seen signs of improvement in the way we play. Results have been depressing, but Houllier is playing with an inherited team that was weakened in the summer and look at the fact we're having to start Hogg and Lichaj today - what manager is going to be successful when they're forced to play 2nd tier youth team players against PL teams?

Sacking him would just cause even more instability. I'm willing to give him time, not least 'cause I don't know who else we'd get instead.

debaser wrote:

Luis wrote:If Villa don't win today surely you've got to be looking at Houllier and say he's just not right at the moment for Villa?

I've seen signs of improvement in the way we play. Results have been depressing, but Houllier is playing with an inherited team that was weakened in the summer and look at the fact we're having to start Hogg and Lichaj today - what manager is going to be successful when they're forced to play 2nd tier youth team players against PL teams?

Sacking him would just cause even more instability. I'm willing to give him time, not least 'cause I don't know who else we'd get instead.

I have to say Debbie, the Villa side I saw on monday was the worst Villa team I've ever seen come to Anfield both in personnel and in the way you played. You were negative from the beginning, went with 1 up front, didn't pass it well, didn't threaten at all and were shocking at the back. And what's more is your manager was more concerned with getting a nice reaction from our fans.

I think getting rid and bringing in Hughton would be a smart move, I know you want to give him time but I can't ever see Houllier being successful with Villa and I doubt many of your fans can deep down.

Ballast wrote:

Luis wrote:If Villa don't win today surely you've got to be looking at Houllier and say he's just not right at the moment for Villa?

Patience isn't one of your virtues, is it Luis?

I doubt many manager could have got results for Villa given their relatively thin squad+a hell of a lot of injuries recently. Just like Hodgson, Houllier is paying the price for the previous manager's failure in the transfer market.

We're not doing too badly lately actually Saints, Hodgson seems to be learning to be a bit more attacking. If he can get us top 5 and a real go at one of the cups he can leave next summer with a bit of pride restored after a shocking start

omg what a horrible line up from city


what do you expect from a midfield with barry-toure-jong

and boateng should play as centre back

Luis wrote:

debaser wrote:

Luis wrote:If Villa don't win today surely you've got to be looking at Houllier and say he's just not right at the moment for Villa?

I've seen signs of improvement in the way we play. Results have been depressing, but Houllier is playing with an inherited team that was weakened in the summer and look at the fact we're having to start Hogg and Lichaj today - what manager is going to be successful when they're forced to play 2nd tier youth team players against PL teams?

Sacking him would just cause even more instability. I'm willing to give him time, not least 'cause I don't know who else we'd get instead.

I have to say Debbie, the Villa side I saw on monday was the worst Villa team I've ever seen come to Anfield both in personnel and in the way you played. You were negative from the beginning, went with 1 up front, didn't pass it well, didn't threaten at all and were shocking at the back. And what's more is your manager was more concerned with getting a nice reaction from our fans.

I think getting rid and bringing in Hughton would be a smart move, I know you want to give him time but I can't ever see Houllier being successful with Villa and I doubt many of your fans can deep down.

A lot of fans have turned against him already. I think I'm in the minority there. The Liverpool-loving stuff has riled a lot of people, but I see that as a meaningless sideshow blown way out of proportion.

We were awful Monday, certainly not denying that. It was thoroughly miserable to watch. For all injuries, it is the theoretically full strength defence which has been the worst aspect lately. But most important factor behind that performance is that confidence is evidently very low. Mixture of factors there: not getting the results when we were playing well (e.g. Man Utd, away at Sunderland, Fulham), missing important players, keep having to make changes. But mainly I see that as still a hangover from the summer. We ended last season on a low and then the summer saw zero incoming, then our manager and one of our best players leaving in quick succession.

Honestly, I don't know long-term if Houllier is right. It's hard to be too enthusiastic about the future. We hit a ceiling of 6th under O'Neill and with Spurs improving and City buying their way into the elite, it's doesn't seem likely we can be top 6 again any time soon. Think best bet is trying to develop youth and Houllier has at least shown faith in them which gives me hope there (admittedly this is partly by force, but it is telling he was playing Bannan over Ireland on form - as MON never would have done).

---



took the lead as I type. Needed that as we were looking ropey at the back and if we'd gone behind it would've been curtains.

City 1-0 up Yayaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Billionaires have taken the lead. Important for them to win today to prove they are actually capable without Tevez and they can go joint top

2 goals in 5 games. Load of shite so far.

We manage to not concede a goal just before half time

Probably just means we're saving it for injury time at the end of the match.

Still, I shall not sniff at a half-time lead. We were looking shaky till the goal, but have been better since. Confidence

Tchoyi the danger man for Brom. Hit the bar early on, and Warnock is not dealing with him well at all.

Blackpool

ohhhh! Balotelli aint a happy boy after beinh subbed.

Oh for another goal. 20 mins to go. We're bound to fuck it up if it stays 1-0.

City 2-0 up, West Ham will be bottom at Christmas for sure and they'll go down for sure.

9 draws for Fulham this season, just 2 wins and looks like it could be 10 draws.

A GOAL

Heskey kinda deflects it in with his head. Albrighton made it. He is the awesomeness.

fucks sake. Couldn't I have a nice comfortable ending to a match for once

Christ they've already nearly got the equalizer

Well in Blackpool. Certainty to survive at this rate and even make the top 10.

Blackpool

Great win today we didnt play at our best but it was easy enough, Yaya looking very good in the mid and we were solid at the back as ever. Joint top for the night im very happy.

I bet everyone is hating us doing well Come on City !