killthenet Posted December 20, 2015 Posted December 20, 2015 Leicester are going to be champions, Watford and Palace are going to qualify for the Champions League, Bournemouth will probably finish 7th and get a Europa league spot. As a Villa fan I'm just hoping the madness rubs off on us and we have a ridiculous run like Leicester did last season and end up finishing mid table.
Phube Posted December 20, 2015 Author Posted December 20, 2015 Great quote from someone online: David Hepworth @Davidhepworth 1h1 hour agoThe people at the top of the Premier League must be seriously concerned that their business might be turning into a sport.
Clownferret Posted December 20, 2015 Posted December 20, 2015 It's like the Premeir League is on drugs or something? I wonder; is this some one freak season and normal service will be resumed next? Or a real sea change, us smaller clubs learning that the 'big clubs' seem to crumble under attacking pressure! The extra money this season has certainly helped the rest of the league compete with the "big boys" but other that Chelsea collapsing and Leicester going on a incredible run, I'm not sure the league is that different. Liverpool, Man Utd, Man City & Arsenal are all doing about the same. You must be on cloud 9 mate, Abramovic will probably re-hire Ranieri in the summer...
Mandalore Posted December 20, 2015 Posted December 20, 2015 Meanwhile in Spain, Real Madrid just smashed 10 past some lower table club. Is La Liga supposed to be getting a TV rights deal more similar to the Premier League? Top teams in that league really need taking down a peg.
Ramar Posted December 20, 2015 Posted December 20, 2015 Looks like Guardiola is going to have his pick of teams to go to then, the Chelsea job will definitely be vacant and in all likelihood, United and City would sack their managers to get Pep, and I can see Arsene Wenger leaving Arsenal if they win the league. So happy that Leicester won again, on Sky Sports News they mentioned that at the start of the season the odds on Leicester winning the league were 5000-1, they've now been slashed to 10-1. Pundits are still hesitant to say that they're title contenders, but they're starting to reluctantly agree that they're going to finish in the top 4. Wenger has a contract until 2017, can't see him leaving before its finished. All though bowing out having won the league and us getting Pep is what dreams are made of.
Fierce_LiNk Posted December 20, 2015 Posted December 20, 2015 I can't begrudge Leicester being top at Christmas. They've played the best football so far this season and they deserve the top spot based on the that. In this league, you want to see the better teams doing well. Overall, I think it just proves that the standard in this league is high. No single team can blag its way to the top. Anybody can beat anybody and it shows you that you have to be consistent over course of the season. You can't go into one match displaying 100% effort and commitment and then go into the next match showing a tenth of that. A team shouldn't win just because it says Manchester United or Liverpool on the shirt. The badge demands the effort, commitment and determination that should lead to victories, not the other way around. I don't think we've got single or dual team domination like some of the other leagues have, at least not at the moment. In theory, if a team like Leicester keep putting the performances in and have a slice of luck with few injuries, then there's no real reason over why they can't win the league. Looking at the table, Arsenal have got a great chance and City will still be up there fighting for it.
Jimbob Posted December 21, 2015 Posted December 21, 2015 Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini banned from Football for 8 years
Hero-of-Time Posted December 21, 2015 Posted December 21, 2015 Brilliant performance by Arsenal in this first half. Man City are playing very dirty at the moment. Some very harsh challenges have been flying in by them.
Phube Posted December 21, 2015 Author Posted December 21, 2015 I really hope we get Man City before Kompany gets back! Two horse race?
Hero-of-Time Posted December 21, 2015 Posted December 21, 2015 I really hope we get Man City before Kompany gets back! Two horse race? Defensively they are always a mess without him. He really is the glue that holds them all together.
Emerald Emblem Posted December 21, 2015 Posted December 21, 2015 Yaya Toure can only seem to turn it on in small bursts, the last 15 minutes he was a player transformed, scored a great goal, imagine if he'd been on it for 30 minutes he may have dragged City out of it, his age must be getting to him. Great win for the Arsenal though, great to be the team in pursuit of Leicester going into Christmas.
Ramar Posted December 21, 2015 Posted December 21, 2015 I really hope we get Man City before Kompany gets back! Two horse race? Fancy running off together, then come May best man wins?
Fierce_LiNk Posted December 26, 2015 Posted December 26, 2015 (edited) The Stoke attack is pretty good. They've got some excellent players now and play exciting football. Saying that, I'm glad we've dropped Rooney and think that we may pick up a win today. Looking at our team, Fellaini aside, it looks decent enough to score goals. I can see Herrera and Martial getting a goal each today. Would love a 2-0. But, I think we'll concede as this Stoke team look dangerous. Edit: Well...25 minutes gone and we're 2-0 down. In fairness, I don't even think we've been playing that badly. But, two individual mistakes have cost us. Memphis fucked up with a header back to the keeper and Ashley Young gave away a needless freekick which led to another Stoke goal, which was a great shot by Arnautovic, who I really like. Now we'll see what these players are made of. Sure, Van Gaal has to take the blame for a lot of things, but the players have to toughen up and show some grit. We are far, far too soft. Memphis in particular has been so disappointing. Edit 2: The players look shell-shocked. Rooney will most probably be coming on. We need to start the second half well and get an early goal. I can see us losing this by 3 or 4 now...wouldn't even bet against us conceding 5 the way Stoke are playing. It's horrific that we can't get the ball into the box and can't create anything. What are we doing in training? Edited December 26, 2015 by Fierce_LiNk
Hero-of-Time Posted December 26, 2015 Posted December 26, 2015 Cracking save by Butland. Fellaini really should have pelted it though.
Phube Posted December 26, 2015 Author Posted December 26, 2015 Fancy running off together, then come May best man wins? Awwww... it's like you didn't want to overtake us...
nekunando Posted December 26, 2015 Posted December 26, 2015 The Premier League is crazy this year I don't put bets on but I imagine there had been a ridiculous amount of accumulators destroyed this season with unexpected results!
Phube Posted December 26, 2015 Author Posted December 26, 2015 Jamie who? Jaime 'played with a fever, probably shouldn't have' Vardy you mean...? Oh well at least we're not Arsenal "favourites to win the League"!
Hero-of-Time Posted December 26, 2015 Posted December 26, 2015 Wow. Arsenal fell apart! Love it how everyone is concentrating on Leicester, City and Arsenal, when all the while the likes of Spurs, Palace and Watford are quietly going about their business and snapping at the heels of the leaders.
Fierce_LiNk Posted December 27, 2015 Posted December 27, 2015 Cracking save by Butland. Fellaini really should have pelted it though. It had to go in. Butland is a cracking keeper though. We have defenders who can't defend, attackers playing as wing/left/right backs, midfielders who don't move, pass, defend or attack, "attacking midfielders" who don't attack and strikers who don't score goals. We're a right mess. We've scored the same amount of goals as Bournemouth have in the league...Watford have more league goals than us. These are promoted teams... It's not even about the losing. It's about the challenge. When you watch a football match, at any level, you want to see your team (whoever that is) put up a fight and at least make an attempt to score goals. We are such a weak team...there's no fight in any of them. I know nothing will change for the next match either because the team don't want to fight to get themselves out of this hole. I got jealous watching the highlights of the City match and seeing De Bruyne singlehandedly taking on other players, getting goals and assists, making chances for others. Why isn't Mata doing that, or Memphis? Or Rooney?
Phube Posted December 27, 2015 Author Posted December 27, 2015 Didn't Memphis set up an awesome chance yesterday!? :p
Hero-of-Time Posted December 27, 2015 Posted December 27, 2015 Didn't Memphis set up an awesome chance yesterday!? :p Flinky has a point though. There's no player on the Man United team that is willing to take the game by the scruff of the neck and inspire the rest of them. His example of City is a fine one, with De Bruyne showing some inspiring stuff, just as Toure has in the past for them. A team needs that player who is going to lead the charge and motivate everyone around them when things are bad. Not a single player in the Man U squad seems to care one bit. Felt a bit sorry for the Toon yesterday. Their keeper had a hell of a game and essentially kept them in the match. That last minute goal though...
Fierce_LiNk Posted December 27, 2015 Posted December 27, 2015 Didn't Memphis set up an awesome chance yesterday!? :p Hmm, maybe he is improving. All we need to do is get some sign posts up around Old Trafford telling him which end he's shooting and all of our problems are solved!
Fierce_LiNk Posted December 29, 2015 Posted December 29, 2015 So...I predicted that we'd lose this 1-0 and we got a 0-0 draw. Missed the game because we were traveling back from Belgium. I don't know how we're going to score goals. I look at our team and the only player who looks like scoring is Martial. Be interesting to see if we go for anyone in January. Gutted that Arsenal beat Bournemouth yesterday. We got the tube from St Pancras and were surrounded by looooooads of Arsenal fans.
killthenet Posted December 29, 2015 Posted December 29, 2015 I hadn't got very high hopes for Villa over the Xmas period so I wasn't surprised to find us only getting a point from our 2 games. It's so frustrating, because when you watch us play you can tell that there is no lack of desire or effort, there is just a real lack of confidence and ability. I hope that we do all we can to sign Charlie Austin in January, if we can find some goals then we might stand a chance.
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