Premier League Discussion - Sat 6th/Sun 7th November 2010

Arsenal must be kicking themselves proper. Chelsea away form is now officially Ropey.

Table is looking ridiculously compact. 3pts from 6th to 16th.

Kimbo wrote:

Noah and the Bale wrote:

Kimbo wrote:

Noah and the Bale wrote:

Kimbo wrote:

Noah and the Bale wrote:Newcastle are doing a Hull - the unfamiliarity it working in their favour, and they are running faster and jumping higher than people thought they would.

Like Hull, they'll fade away in the second half of the season.

Arsenal were poor today, and gifted Newcastle the win with a horrible piece of goalkeeping. Hull did the same to Arsenal on their return to the Premier League.

In other words, Newcastle deserve no credit for their current situation - it's solely down to the inefficiencies of the teams they've played so far.

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Bitter lowly Spud, what's the weather like down in 7th place homo?!

Blame the weakness of the opposition as opposed to praising the performance of the team - learnt it from the best (the most bitter)

Enjoy the lofty heights of 5th in the Premier League - it's a nice story, for as long as it lasts

Meanwhile us lowly spuds will take playing the best in Europe and beating them thanks

Are you talking about Bolton?

No, talking about being top of the CL qualification table, above the European Champions.

Understandable that you're confused, not a position you Geordies have ever experienced before

Do you think you'll finish in the top 4 this season?

Dunno. Too early to tell. The distraction of CL football isn't helping, but there's a massive gap between group stages and knock out rounds (assuming we get there, which I reckon we will) and our squad - injury free - should help us in the second half of the season.

Making knee jerk predictions/reactions this early in the season is pointless. Look at Liverpool. A month ago everyone was writing off Hodgson and Liverpool as potential relegation candidates. Win today and they're level on points with 6th.

do you think you'll still be 5th come the end of the season?

Six wrote:Lucas has been great today. He's gradually destroying his bad reputation game by game.

Yes but that reputation has always been unwarranted, he's always been a good young player who has now matured and is dominating midfield. In the past year or two he was playing well but people where expecting him to fill a big "Alonso shaped hole" in Liverpool's midfield and when the team as a whole were underperforming he was a convenient scapegoat.

I still expect the media to give him a 7/10 rating, "only passes sideways and backwards etc", whilst Gerrard et al get the plaudits. I couldn't believe it when I heard Efan Ekoku say at the end of the game "Lucas has had a top game today", the tide may finally be turning.

P.S. Stinger, do you still think Osman is a better player than Lucas?

So, is Hodgson still a disaster and Rafa God?

Noah and the Bale wrote:Dunno. Too early to tell. The distraction of CL football isn't helping, but there's a massive gap between group stages and knock out rounds (assuming we get there, which I reckon we will) and our squad - injury free - should help us in the second half of the season.

Making knee jerk predictions/reactions this early in the season is pointless. Look at Liverpool. A month ago everyone was writing off Hodgson and Liverpool as potential relegation candidates. Win today and they're level on points with 6th.

do you think you'll still be 5th come the end of the season?

Hey, we're just a humble newly promoted team, we have no idea how we will compare to this league over the course of 38 games. Therefore i will join you on the fence, but really i have more reason to be there.

Noah and the Bale wrote:So, is Hodgson still a disaster and Rafa God?

We have still lost as many games as we've won and have a negative goal difference

Long way to go before he wins anyone over but today is a nice start.

Kimbo wrote:

Noah and the Bale wrote:Dunno. Too early to tell. The distraction of CL football isn't helping, but there's a massive gap between group stages and knock out rounds (assuming we get there, which I reckon we will) and our squad - injury free - should help us in the second half of the season.

Making knee jerk predictions/reactions this early in the season is pointless. Look at Liverpool. A month ago everyone was writing off Hodgson and Liverpool as potential relegation candidates. Win today and they're level on points with 6th.

do you think you'll still be 5th come the end of the season?

Hey, we're just a humble newly promoted team, we have no idea how we will compare to this league over the course of 38 games. Therefore i will join you on the fence, but really i have more reason to be there.

You've had a good start no doubt. But, you're not the first, nor the last, newly promoted team to be in the top 5 at this stage of the season.

What is FAR more unusual is to see a virgin CL team doing so well in that competition. A little less unusual struggling to balance the two (home league and Europe). Hey, it's all new to us in that respect, so who knows how it'll pan out. Had we not played on tuesday night we would have had both Lennon and VdV available for Bolton, with the whole side fresh with a week's break and in a better position to take on the brutality of Bolton. For that reason, I'll continue to unabashedly watch proceedings with you from that perch on the fence

Noah and the Bale wrote:

Kimbo wrote:

Noah and the Bale wrote:Dunno. Too early to tell. The distraction of CL football isn't helping, but there's a massive gap between group stages and knock out rounds (assuming we get there, which I reckon we will) and our squad - injury free - should help us in the second half of the season.

Making knee jerk predictions/reactions this early in the season is pointless. Look at Liverpool. A month ago everyone was writing off Hodgson and Liverpool as potential relegation candidates. Win today and they're level on points with 6th.

do you think you'll still be 5th come the end of the season?

Hey, we're just a humble newly promoted team, we have no idea how we will compare to this league over the course of 38 games. Therefore i will join you on the fence, but really i have more reason to be there.

You're not the first, nor the last, newly promoted team to be in the top 5 at this stage of the season.

What is FAR more unusual is to see a virgin CL team doing so well in that competition. A little less unusual struggling to balance the two (home league and Europe). Hey, it's all new to us in that respect, so who knows how it'll pan out. Had we not played on tuesday night we would have had both Lennon and VdV available for Bolton, with the whole side fresh with a week's break and in a better position to take on the brutality of Bolton. For that reason, I'll continue to unabashedly watch proceedings with you from that perch on the fence

Give me a break, you beat a weakened Inter team, and that's it so far. Don't act like your taking europe by storm like Leeds did.

I see you're still pretending Lennon is an important player, hasn't he only provided 1 assist so far this season?

Kimbo wrote:

Noah and the Bale wrote:

Kimbo wrote:

Noah and the Bale wrote:Dunno. Too early to tell. The distraction of CL football isn't helping, but there's a massive gap between group stages and knock out rounds (assuming we get there, which I reckon we will) and our squad - injury free - should help us in the second half of the season.

Making knee jerk predictions/reactions this early in the season is pointless. Look at Liverpool. A month ago everyone was writing off Hodgson and Liverpool as potential relegation candidates. Win today and they're level on points with 6th.

do you think you'll still be 5th come the end of the season?

Hey, we're just a humble newly promoted team, we have no idea how we will compare to this league over the course of 38 games. Therefore i will join you on the fence, but really i have more reason to be there.

You're not the first, nor the last, newly promoted team to be in the top 5 at this stage of the season.

What is FAR more unusual is to see a virgin CL team doing so well in that competition. A little less unusual struggling to balance the two (home league and Europe). Hey, it's all new to us in that respect, so who knows how it'll pan out. Had we not played on tuesday night we would have had both Lennon and VdV available for Bolton, with the whole side fresh with a week's break and in a better position to take on the brutality of Bolton. For that reason, I'll continue to unabashedly watch proceedings with you from that perch on the fence

Give me a break, you beat a weakened Inter team, and that's it so far. Don't act like your taking europe by storm like Leeds did.

I see you're still pretending Lennon is an important player, hasn't he only provided 1 assist so far this season?

Leeds lost 4-0 to Barcelona in their very first CL game

Hardly took it by storm until the second group stages.

Bar the first 15 minutes against Inter, I'd say we've been pretty comfortable at the CL level so far.

Lennon is an important player for us - I don't care how many direct assists he has or hasn't made, having him running at opposition fullbacks and causing a nuisance with his pace takes pressure off Bale on the other wing and balances the midfield. I wouldn't expect you to agree or understand, just as the importance of Dawson in our side is also lost on / irrelevant to you

Noah and the Bale wrote:Leeds lost 4-0 to Barcelona in their very first CL game

Hardly took it by storm until the second group stages.

Bar the first 15 minutes against Inter, I'd say we've been pretty comfortable at the CL level so far.

Lennon is an important player for us - I don't care how many direct assists he has or hasn't made, having him running at opposition fullbacks and causing a nuisance with his pace takes pressure off Bale on the other wing and balances the midfield. I wouldn't expect you to agree or understand, just as the importance of Dawson in our side is also lost on / irrelevant to you

Sure, you were extremely comfortable when the ref handed you the game against Twente, and btw was Tugboat ever punished for that blatant elbow?

Noah and the Bale wrote:Bar the first 15 minutes against Inter, I'd say we've been pretty comfortable at the CL level so far.

Already blocked the Young Boys first leg from your memory

Kimbo wrote:

Noah and the Bale wrote:Leeds lost 4-0 to Barcelona in their very first CL game

Hardly took it by storm until the second group stages.

Bar the first 15 minutes against Inter, I'd say we've been pretty comfortable at the CL level so far.

Lennon is an important player for us - I don't care how many direct assists he has or hasn't made, having him running at opposition fullbacks and causing a nuisance with his pace takes pressure off Bale on the other wing and balances the midfield. I wouldn't expect you to agree or understand, just as the importance of Dawson in our side is also lost on / irrelevant to you

Sure, you were extremely comfortable when the ref handed you the game against Twente, and btw was Tugboat ever punished for that blatant elbow?

Dunno, was Shearer ever really punished for any of his decapitating elbow manouevres when he played for your lot?

As I said on the night, we got lucky with those penalties for sure, but Rosales should have been sent off for studs up challenge on Assoue Ekotto. We we the better side even with 10 men against them after VdV was sent off, so swings n roundabouts Pot.

By the way, how did Newcastle do in their first CL campaign?

COTR wrote:

Noah and the Bale wrote:So, is Hodgson still a disaster and Rafa God?

We have still lost as many games as we've won and have a negative goal difference

Long way to go before he wins anyone over but today is a nice start.

I don't want to demean what Hodgson is doing but the fact that the form has come about just a week after the takeover suggests to me that the players are reacting really positively to the lack of drama around the club. Let's see how Hodgson does with this good run of games we have up til Christmas. I'm willing to forget everything that happened under Gilette and Hicks and give him a proper chance.

debaser wrote:

Noah and the Bale wrote:Bar the first 15 minutes against Inter, I'd say we've been pretty comfortable at the CL level so far.

Already blocked the Young Boys first leg from your memory

Is the CL qualification game actually the CL? I don't include the 4-0 win at home against them when I think of our CL campaign so far, so yes, it's blocked

Noah and the Bale wrote:

Kimbo wrote:

Noah and the Bale wrote:Leeds lost 4-0 to Barcelona in their very first CL game

Hardly took it by storm until the second group stages.

Bar the first 15 minutes against Inter, I'd say we've been pretty comfortable at the CL level so far.

Lennon is an important player for us - I don't care how many direct assists he has or hasn't made, having him running at opposition fullbacks and causing a nuisance with his pace takes pressure off Bale on the other wing and balances the midfield. I wouldn't expect you to agree or understand, just as the importance of Dawson in our side is also lost on / irrelevant to you

Sure, you were extremely comfortable when the ref handed you the game against Twente, and btw was Tugboat ever punished for that blatant elbow?

Dunno, was Shearer ever really punished for any of his decapitating elbow manouevres when he played for your lot?

As I said on the night, we got lucky with those penalties for sure, but Rosales should have been sent off for studs up challenge on Assoue Ekotto. We we the better side even with 10 men against them after VdV was sent off, so swings n roundabouts Pot.

By the way, how did Newcastle do in their first CL campaign?

Funnily enough Shearers elbow on Cannavaro in the CL got reviewed and he got a ban. Clearly the same rules don't apply to Spurs though.

Our first time in the CL was in 97/98, we beat and drew with Dynamo Kiev, lost to PSV twice, and won and lost against Barca. Not embarrassing at all considering it was a poor side that finished 13th in the league.

Kimbo wrote:

Noah and the Bale wrote:

Kimbo wrote:

Noah and the Bale wrote:Leeds lost 4-0 to Barcelona in their very first CL game

Hardly took it by storm until the second group stages.

Bar the first 15 minutes against Inter, I'd say we've been pretty comfortable at the CL level so far.

Lennon is an important player for us - I don't care how many direct assists he has or hasn't made, having him running at opposition fullbacks and causing a nuisance with his pace takes pressure off Bale on the other wing and balances the midfield. I wouldn't expect you to agree or understand, just as the importance of Dawson in our side is also lost on / irrelevant to you

Sure, you were extremely comfortable when the ref handed you the game against Twente, and btw was Tugboat ever punished for that blatant elbow?

Dunno, was Shearer ever really punished for any of his decapitating elbow manouevres when he played for your lot?

As I said on the night, we got lucky with those penalties for sure, but Rosales should have been sent off for studs up challenge on Assoue Ekotto. We we the better side even with 10 men against them after VdV was sent off, so swings n roundabouts Pot.

By the way, how did Newcastle do in their first CL campaign?

Funnily enough Shearers elbow on Cannavaro in the CL got reviewed and he got a ban. Clearly the same rules don't apply to Spurs though.

Our first time in the CL was in 97/98, we beat and drew with Dynamo Kiev, lost to PSV twice, and won and lost against Barca. Not embarrassing at all considering it was a poor side that finished 13th in the league.

I agree, Newcastle were entertaining in the CL, and commendable exponents of the Premier League in Europe.

Beating Barcelona 3-2 at home was a great game - only the bitterest of bitterballens would point to Barcelona for fielding a weakened side / not being the side they once were, or picking apart every Newcastle performance in the CL to look for a reason NOT to credit them with trying to play attacking football. They proved their are decent sides in the Premier League outside of the traditional superpowers (at the time, only one - Man United). Which is why you shouldn't be so bitter about our CL performances. At the end of the day, if we're succeeding, we are making the REST of the league (outside the "big 4") look good. Think about it

debaser wrote:Chelsea away form is now officially Ropey.

It's the joint best in the Premier League.

S4P wrote:

debaser wrote:Chelsea away form is now officially Ropey.

It's the joint best in the Premier League.

You smashed Wigan and Ham early on, but they both shit.

Since then, 2 goals in 4 games, both at Blackburn and that was a v.narrow, scrappy win.

Ropey

City are appealing - hopefully they will be successful and he'll stuff United !

Just to clear up a comment from earlier, about Lennon and crossing.

I only say that Spurs fans said he didnt need to learn to cross, because certain Spurs fans assured me..and I quote..."that someone with Lennon's pace and close control does not need to be that good at crossing". To which I said.."I agree, he's still a threat, but good crossing would push him above the Walcotts and SWPs of the world".

debaser wrote:

S4P wrote:

debaser wrote:Chelsea away form is now officially Ropey.

It's the joint best in the Premier League.

You smashed Wigan and Ham early on, but they both shit.

Since then, 2 goals in 4 games, both at Blackburn and that was a v.narrow, scrappy win.

Ropey

And 2 of those 4 games were Man City away and Liverpool away. Even though we won our last 2 games at Anfield pretty comfortably when Liverpool were managed by Rafa, it's still a ground where you're very much the underdog. Likewise Man City.

Man Utd have won 1/5 away games and they haven't been to Liverpool, Man City, Arsenal etc, but nobody (in the media or on this forum it seems) talks about their away form.

S4P wrote:Man Utd have won 1/5 away games and they haven't been to Liverpool, Man City, Arsenal etc, but nobody (in the media or on this forum it seems) talks about their away form.

I don't think anyone on this forum honestly believes Man Utd can win the league this season, whereas most people think Chelsea are nailed on for the title. Or at least, they did think that until your away form went a bit ropey.

Boneyskank wrote:

S4P wrote:Man Utd have won 1/5 away games and they haven't been to Liverpool, Man City, Arsenal etc, but nobody (in the media or on this forum it seems) talks about their away form.

I don't think anyone on this forum honestly believes Man Utd can win the league this season, whereas most people think Chelsea are nailed on for the title. Or at least, they did think that until your away form went a bit ropey.

I'd consider them a decent threat. The contes have a knack of scoring late winners, as their last game demonstrated.

debaser wrote:Arsenal must be kicking themselves proper. Chelsea away form is now officially Ropey.

Table is looking ridiculously compact. 3pts from 6th to 16th.

The more interesting stat about Chelsea (which I read on ZonalMarking) is that of the 3 "big" games they've played - Villa, City, Liverpool - they haven't scored in any of them.

S4P wrote:

debaser wrote:

S4P wrote:

debaser wrote:Chelsea away form is now officially Ropey.

It's the joint best in the Premier League.

You smashed Wigan and Ham early on, but they both shit.

Since then, 2 goals in 4 games, both at Blackburn and that was a v.narrow, scrappy win.

Ropey

And 2 of those 4 games were Man City away and Liverpool away. Even though we won our last 2 games at Anfield pretty comfortably when Liverpool were managed by Rafa, it's still a ground where you're very much the underdog. Likewise Man City.

Man Utd have won 1/5 away games and they haven't been to Liverpool, Man City, Arsenal etc, but nobody (in the media or on this forum it seems) talks about their away form.

Man Utd away form is Ropey too. It's less noticeable 'cause they're also not being very impressive at home (e.g. needing til 93rd minute to beat Wolves). Whereas Chelsea have been flawless at home, but poor in all their last 4 away games - it's the contrast wot does it

S4P wrote:

debaser wrote:

S4P wrote:

debaser wrote:Chelsea away form is now officially Ropey.

It's the joint best in the Premier League.

You smashed Wigan and Ham early on, but they both shit.

Since then, 2 goals in 4 games, both at Blackburn and that was a v.narrow, scrappy win.

Ropey

And 2 of those 4 games were Man City away and Liverpool away. Even though we won our last 2 games dead rubber at Anfield pretty comfortably when Liverpool were managed by Rafa, it's still a ground where you're very much the underdog. Likewise Man City.

Man Utd have won 1/5 away games and they haven't been to Liverpool, Man City, Arsenal etc, but nobody (in the media or on this forum it seems) talks about their away form.

Boneyskank wrote:

S4P wrote:Man Utd have won 1/5 away games and they haven't been to Liverpool, Man City, Arsenal etc, but nobody (in the media or on this forum it seems) talks about their away form.

I don't think anyone on this forum honestly believes Man Utd can win the league this season, whereas most people think Chelsea are nailed on for the title. Or at least, they did think that until your away form went a bit ropey.

This has happened before and most of us got it wrong. Chelsea at the beginning of Scolari's reign looked like they would walk the title and United had started unconvincingly then as well (like they always do). If Chelsea mess it up United will win it by default as always.

borocooper wrote:Just to clear up a comment from earlier, about Lennon and crossing.

I only say that Spurs fans said he didnt need to learn to cross, because certain Spurs fans assured me..and I quote..."that someone with Lennon's pace and close control does not need to be that good at crossing". To which I said.."I agree, he's still a threat, but good crossing would push him above the Walcotts and SWPs of the world".

The point was we wanted him to become less of an orthodox winger and develop a strikers mentality.

The point is irrelevant anyway when your boy is playing god awful.

Very good and heavily illustrated article about Newcastle win over Arsenal - http://www.zonalmarking.net/2010/11/08/newcastle-arsenal-tactics/

These day's it's probably the only way weaker team can play with 2 forwards - if one if them (Ameobi in this case) will put an effort defensively, making it 4-5-1 or at least 4-4-1-1 when without possession. But should it be still called 4-4-2 then...?