Barclays Premier League 2008-2009 Thread

[Smallhorses]

It also looks like Arshaving ( I just typed that by accident, but I have to leave it like that!!) is going to Arsenal after all...

What was an accidental typo for TM, is the subject of a hilarious phone call from "The Vouyeur" in Jose's brand new show (Episode 2 ) :

Jose Mourinho's "Special 1 TV" - YouTube Thread.

so funny in fact, that "The Boy Rooney" needs oxygen!

With Adebayor going off hamstrung today, Arshavin's arrival is just about perfectly timed!

 

[Touring Mars]

Scolari is gone....

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/...felipe-scolari-sacked-football-premier-league

Quite a shock, didn't see that coming - and a pretty stupid time to get rid of him if you ask me... Chelsea FTL...

 

[ExigeEvan]

I think that's a sign that Abramovich's patience is beginning to fade.

If Chelsea don't win big this season I can see him leaving. And it couldn't be a worse time for Chelsea.

 

[Touring Mars]

Fo shizzle, I think Abramovich will sell up soon...

All'alba vincero!
vincero, vinnnnceeeeeerooooooo!​

 

[Dave A]

Tony Adams has gone too, it's kind of a shame because I liked Tony Adams, I think he had a massive uphill struggle with that team. He takes over and straight away two of the teams best players are sold and no solid replacments brought in for them. He had no money even after selling Diarra and Defoe for a considerable sum. I think he would have escaped relegation and maybe if he'd been given money in the summer been ableto improve from there. I can't see anyone else coming in and making a huge impact besides the usual new manager buzz you get where some teams suddleny have spurt of over performing so to speak then it calms down again.

 

[ASH32]

Scolari is gone....

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/...felipe-scolari-sacked-football-premier-league

Quite a shock, didn't see that coming - and a pretty stupid time to get rid of him if you ask me... Chelsea FTL...

I know I couldn't believe it, I am well confused. I can understand Portsmouth sacking Adams, but this with Chelsea is very silly, how can being second and still in three competitions, not be good enough. They are going to have to pay a lot of compensation too, as he was only a few months into his contract.

Guus Hiddink has just been oppointed as Manager until the end of the season at least. He looked a decent Manager, when he was in charge of PSV, but I hardly see what extra he brings over Scolari, this is a desperate act by Chelsea and even as a Manchester United fan, I think Scolari has been treated very unfairly.

 

[daan]

how can being second and still in three competitions, not be good enough.

Fourth, with only 8 points from their last 6 games. Chelsea seem to be in freefall, with nothing obvious being done by big Phil to arrest their slide.

 

[ASH32]

Fourth, with only 8 points from their last 6 games. Chelsea seem to be in freefall, with nothing obvious being done by big Phil to arrest their slide.

Ok, what I meant was, I think they will finish second, I was getting ahead of myself and I agree they are on a bad run, but everyone has them. Sure it may look like Scolari wasn't doing anything, but I am sure he was. I don't think he has done that well at Chelsea, but I think sacking him is an over reaction, he surely should have been kept until the end of the season, at least. Anyway the problems at Chelsea are far more than just the Manager and I don't think the change of Manager will have any significant effect. Any one of the top five could yet win the title and if Chelsea are not happy with where they are, then maybe they expect too much. Afterall everyone can't win the title, however owners ( not just Chelsea's ) don't seem to see this.

 

[Touring Mars]

I agree. I think Chelsea have set themselves an almost impossible standard, and I don't believe for a minute that Hiddink will do any better a job at keeping Chelsea from falling out of the top four than Scolari would have. The fact that Abramovich has ditched Scolari while the team are still capable of the treble, and after only seven months at the helm of a team which already had issues before he even started, says alot more about Abramovich than it does about Scolari.

At the very sharp end of the table, managerial stability is essential... the other big teams all seem to have a policy of giving their managers considerably more leeway - none more so than Benitez... under-achievers in the league, but 2 Champions League finals and 1 win is more than Chelsea have got for their hundreds of millions... Wenger and Grant both made it to Champions League finals, but yet Grant gets the boot and Wenger doesn't? And Scolari walks while his team are 5 points clear of Wenger's, while his team arel inside the CL qualification zone and Wenger's is not...?!!

Anyway, Hiddink has just been confirmed as Chelsea manager for the remainder of the season... somewhat ridiculously described as "a temporary role" and "a favour to a friend", all while he continues to manage the Russian national squad... Good luck, Gus... you're going to need it

 

[Smallhorses]

I wouldn't mind a 4 month temporary role for 2.5 million quid.

I can't wait to see what Jose's Special 1 TV has to say about "The Gene Hackman's" departure at the weekend!

 

[Nicknamealguem]

Not surprised at all, and has I said in the previous thread (about Chelsea new manager):

He won’t last long in Chelsea, that I am almost sure.

I didn’t like him from the times when he trained the Portuguese National Team. Sure, he may had drawn some good results, and we went has finalists of the Euro2004 with him, but his choices in the first 11 that went to play on the field, as well, has some of his tactics, had allot to be desired. I am not saying he is a bad coach. He is not, but he isn’t great either.

And Chelsea is looking like a Real Madrid. Seems no coach can lay hands on it.

 

[Smallhorses]

Well, it looks like ManUre will equal Liverpool's title record.
Cannot understand why Benitez persists with Dossena & Lucas?

You could give them both 2 straight planks of wood, nailed together in the middle and they still couldn't come up with a good cross between them.

 

[Touring Mars]

You could give them both 2 straight planks of wood, nailed together in the middle and they still couldn't come up with a good cross between them.

On a sadder note, it looks like Arteta is out for the rest of the season... that's a real bummer for Everton, but esp. for Arteta himself who has had an excellent season up until now... luckily, his injury wasn't a result of a bad tackle (unlike Anichebe's, gained in the same game from a terrible tackle by Nolan)!

 

[Dave A]

Yeah he's been great this season. I think him and Tim Cahill are both brilliant players and a lot of people underrate them both imo, besides the usual share of Everton fans.

 

[Touring Mars]

No sympathy for Phil Brown and Hull, how could he not play Geovanni in such a crucial and winnable game? Cudicini was flapping at everything like a demented pigeon, and yet Geovanni is left on the bench... I don't get it. Tottenham have a hell of a sequence of games coming up, but this will do them a power of good...

 

[C-ZETA]

Cannot understand why Benitez persists with Dossena & Lucas?

Well, it's the manager's decision, and we can't really change the decision that bosses make. Besides, he must think that Dossena and Lucas are the best options because they might possibly be a good idea...for the future. You can never forget about youngsters for the future - Dossena and Lucas aren't exactly youngsters as they are right now, but they well may be the future of the club. I even thought that Lucas was a center midfielder, though...I do know that Dossena is a right wing back though, so he's definitely an option for Liverpool's potential wingman alongside another player. Hopefully Rafa'll stop playing Kuyt at the wing and have someone else. Kuyt is by no means a winger!

 

[Dave A]

I think Dossea has been a bad buy, he's not had a single good game. Lucas hasn't been great yet but he's still young and yes he's a midfielder. He's got age on his side and he has shown a lot of promise playing for Brazils youth teams so there's a big we'll see over Lucas. Dossena doesn't have age on his side, he's just not provided at all.

As for Kuyt, his best position by far is up front, he's wasted out wide. Yes he does a job but that's like putting Rooney out wide for us, he'll do ajob but it's a waste of talent. Kuyt is a decent goal scorer when he's playing in front of goal.

I geniunely believe that Benitez is the single biggest reason Liverpool haven't challeneged for atitle until now and even this season never were able to capitalise on the strong start they had.

 

[ASH32]

Saw this today on Skysports website, taken from his ( Ryan Babel's ) official site and I couldn't believe what I was reading.

"Right now, there are too many times when I can go for goal myself that I pass the ball to another to try to give an assist.

"At the end, if I watch the game back I think, 'hey, I could shoot or I could go for myself'.

"I still believe I can be a striker, but if you want to be a striker you have to think more about yourself and that's why you are a striker.

"So I think that's a part I have to learn more, to be more greedy. It's a process and I'm confident that it will come."

If I was a Liverpool fan I would be worried, thankfully I am not. Your most selfish player who takes too many silly shots, thinks he is not selfish enough, If he takes his own advice he's only going to get worse and it will be time to get rid at the end of the season, don't get me wrong Babel has the talent to be a good player, but being more selfish is exactly what he shouldn't be doing.

 

[Alex.]

I wouldn't say he's our most selfish player. Kuyt has plenty of 'WHY THE HELL DID YOU SHOOT' moments and I think babel should be more selfish. The lad needs confidence and with that he is a very good player.

 

[Famine]

Ooooh, that must have smarted something rotten for all you Manchester United fans...

 

[daan]

I LOL'ed

 

[Dave A]

Ooooh, that must have smarted something rotten for all you Manchester United fans...

Ooooh it did. Not a pleasant game for us. We didn't deserve anything from it. We didn't play brilliant when we went 1-0 but Liverpool wern't threatening at that point. Then we let them back in the game and we fell apart. It's not the first time it's happened after a Champions League game mind, credit to Liverpool, they work hard that game after going 1-0 down. Torres and Gerrard played well. It's a shame Vidic picked that game to have a shocker, but the team didn't do much anyway. I can take the defeat tbh, it's a shame but it takes some of this Uniteds invincibles media hype off us while not ruining our position in the league.

 

[Alex.]

I LOL'ed

So did I

 

[C-ZETA]

Fulham have FINALLY won an away game. 3-1 against Wanderers. Mind you, they are always a constant disaster at somewhere other than Craven Cottage.

Also...Man U...4-1 loss to Liverpool??? What a disgrace!

At least Chelsea are playing tomorrow...

 

[Alex.]

Ahhh yeahhh
http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg245/Alex_Gibbo/See20ya20Vidic20your20****e.jpg

 

[ASH32]

Why don't you post a pick that shows you scoring a goal, that wasn't a result of a long ball or a set piece. You are as bad as Aston Villa. Yes, I am a bitter Manchester United fan, why did we have to make so many mistakes, against Liverpool of all people.

 

[Dave A]

Just a bad day at the office, it hurt but we can't complain that we were cheated out of a win. I think (hope) Sir Bobby could be right, that it could be the kick up the jacksie we needed because we haven't been playing fantastic football this season.

 

[Alex.]

Man Utd 1-0 down to Fulham at half time, can the londoners hold it? I dont think so, unfortunatley.
EDIT: So yeah as I was saying I knew Fulham would win and everything

 

[Famine]

Wayne Rooney being a petulant child again, I see?

 

[Only_in_f1]

Watching MotD, it doesn't seem that Mr Ronaldo is any better.