2018/19 English Football Predictions

Which bit specifically do you think is rubbish? He was underwhelming at City, putrid at QPR. Stoke was alright but I think they were slightly underwhelming.

I don’t know it’s a “rubbish” claim.
I was laughing at him saying he was garbage at stoke. As Soz said, that's hugely revisionist.
 
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This furphy has been shown to not be true.
We've continued to win without him. His biggest season with injuries was 16/17 and we won in his absence and only ceased to once we lost Alderwiereld as well.

In regards to the season, it's on the assumption that we will stand still. That remains to be seen, hence why my prediction will wait.
As for where we'll end up, all I'm confident on atm is it being above Arsenal. That's irrespective of signings.
How long was he out for in that campaign? I’m more thinking if he were to miss 3 months for instance, I personally think you’d struggle. Who’s the back up striker at the moment?

Why are you still confident of that? Arsenal is a relative unknown at this point. Emery could have them playing really well. It’s hypothetical but I don’t know how one could be so sure Spurs will continue to out perform them.
 
How long was he out for in that campaign? I’m more thinking if he were to miss 3 months for instance, I personally think you’d struggle. Who’s the back up striker at the moment?

Why are you still confident of that? Arsenal is a relative unknown at this point. Emery could have them playing really well. It’s hypothetical but I don’t know how one could be so sure Spurs will continue to out perform them.
Son, and he does fine.
 
How long was he out for in that campaign? I’m more thinking if he were to miss 3 months for instance, I personally think you’d struggle. Who’s the back up striker at the moment?

Why are you still confident of that? Arsenal is a relative unknown at this point. Emery could have them playing really well. It’s hypothetical but I don’t know how one could be so sure Spurs will continue to out perform them.
16/17 he missed 11 games and then 3 games. Won all games until TA's injury including at home to Man City. With Alderweireld out and Dier in defence we proceeded to 3W5D5L in all comps and some of those featured Kane. Won all 3 injured for later in the season. Point being that Alderweireld was the catalyst not Kane.

Son or Llorente, and Son as false 9 works well enough. Even broke our Stamford Bridge hoodoo with him on the bench and Lamela as the false 9.

Confident as I don't think they've strengthened enough. Torreira is good. Lichtsteiner is decent, and will provide solid back up for Bellerin, could even play him at RM. The rest is not strengthening as much as they need. Still an average defence and central midfield
 
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Spent big money at Stoke compared to those around them. On fees mainly but the wage bill went up significantly as well.

At best they were slightly improved on Pulis (who spent * all) results, and imo they weren't much betterin terms of entertainment. And when he left they were in much worse shape than when he arrived.

Not sure what else you can judge him on.
 

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Hughes has an ok record but he’s a loathsome individual. As SM pointed out three ninth place finishes at a club like Stoke is a decent return. Also did well with Wales, Blackburn and Fulham. Moomba’s Dislike probably comes from the fact his worst tenure was at City.
 
Hughes has an ok record but he’s a loathsome individual. As SM pointed out three ninth place finishes at a club like Stoke is a decent return. Also did well with Wales, Blackburn and Fulham. Moomba’s Dislike probably comes from the fact his worst tenure was at City.

I disliked Hughes long before his time at City and his worst tenure was at QPR.

But I am capable of assessing his tenure at different clubs based on what happened at those clubs and nothing else.

Perhaps if we want this board to be one where we can have a proper discussion every now we need to start giving credit to people for being able to hold a valid, informed opinion even when you don't agree with it.
 

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I disliked Hughes long before his time at City and his worst tenure was at QPR.

But I am capable of assessing his tenure at different clubs based on what happened at those clubs and nothing else.

Perhaps if we want this board to be one where we can have a proper discussion every now we need to start giving credit to people for being able to hold a valid, informed opinion even when you don't agree with it.
Well it takes two to have a decent discussion Moomba. Your extreme dislike of Hughes is pretty well documented on here so I was merely putting two and two together. Hughes is obviously not a manager of any huge consequence or ability, but he’s far from the worst out there as his record indicates. I’d be the last bloke to defend him as I find such a whinging, humourless, bad loser, but the facts are his record isn’t nearly as bad as you paint. And if you don’t like being called out on remarks you make then the internet is probably the wrong form of communication for you
 
How can two people have a conversation when one is pretty much saying the other isn't capable of having an opinion on a person he doesn't like.

Once again you don't argue the point, you argue the poster. And this board really suffers with people doing that.

Here's a hint btw. I hate Gary Neville more and I put him in my list of best players I've ever seen.

So call out my opinion for sure. Tell me why Hughes tenure wasn't as bad as I think it was. But if the best thing you can manage is "your opinion doesn't count cause you hate Hughes" I can't be arsed with it.
 

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1. Man City
2. Liverpool
3. Arsenal
4. Chelsea
5. Spurs
6. Man United
7. Fulham
8. Everton
9. Wolves
10. West Ham
11. Burnley
12. Leicester
13. Newcastle
14. Crystal Palace
15. Watford
16. Southampton
17. Brighton
18. Bournemouth
19. Huddersfield
20. Cardiff

Promotion: Villa, Derby, WBA
FA Cup: Liverpool
League Cup: Accrington
Top scorer: Diogo Dalot
Best transfer: Lee Grant
Worst transfer: Riyad Mahrez
Champs League: Juventus
Europa League: Dukla Praha
1st manager sacked: Claude Puel
 
I disliked Hughes long before his time at City and his worst tenure was at QPR.

But I am capable of assessing his tenure at different clubs based on what happened at those clubs and nothing else.

Perhaps if we want this board to be one where we can have a proper discussion every now we need to start giving credit to people for being able to hold a valid, informed opinion even when you don't agree with it.

It'd be nice if you did that once in a while instead of coming in after a discussion, posting an opinion in direct contrast to someone without anything to back it up, and without quoting them, hm?

You simply stated he was garbage at Stoke, with no justification. It wasn't intended as a contribution to the discussion, but instead just a way to pop your head in and be contrarian for the sake of it.

Instead of crying and playing the victim any time someone responds to you with a comment about why you might hold a particular opinion, why not engage in a positive manner from the off? Otherwise all your tears about how you can't seem to have a decent discussion on here anymore appear more than a touch hypocritical.
 
How can two people have a conversation when one is pretty much saying the other isn't capable of having an opinion on a person he doesn't like.

Once again you don't argue the point, you argue the poster. And this board really suffers with people doing that.

Here's a hint btw. I hate Gary Neville more and I put him in my list of best players I've ever seen.

So call out my opinion for sure. Tell me why Hughes tenure wasn't as bad as I think it was. But if the best thing you can manage is "your opinion doesn't count cause you hate Hughes" I can't be arsed with it.

:'(:'(:'(:'(

Woe is me.
 

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It'd be nice if you did that once in a while instead of coming in after a discussion, posting an opinion in direct contrast to someone without anything to back it up, and without quoting them, hm?

You simply stated he was garbage at Stoke, with no justification. It wasn't intended as a contribution to the discussion, but instead just a way to pop your head in and be contrarian for the sake of it.

Instead of crying and playing the victim any time someone responds to you with a comment about why you might hold a particular opinion, why not engage in a positive manner from the off? Otherwise all your tears about how you can't seem to have a decent discussion on here anymore appear more than a touch hypocritical.
Nailed it.
 
It'd be nice if you did that once in a while instead of coming in after a discussion, posting an opinion in direct contrast to someone without anything to back it up, and without quoting them, hm?

You simply stated he was garbage at Stoke, with no justification. It wasn't intended as a contribution to the discussion, but instead just a way to pop your head in and be contrarian for the sake of it.

Instead of crying and playing the victim any time someone responds to you with a comment about why you might hold a particular opinion, why not engage in a positive manner from the off? Otherwise all your tears about how you can't seem to have a decent discussion on here anymore appear more than a touch hypocritical.
I've ignored your posts in this thread until now because you're generally not worth holding a discussion with.

But your initial response to my post on Hughes was to question my football knowledge. Your second, third and maybe fourth was to critise me for what I've been discussing with WR (who generally is worth having a discussion with)

And you bitch about me not responding in a positive way. What a ******* hypocrite you are.

Perhaps I need to change. I don't enjoy the bitchfests and personal digs that imo end most decent footy discussions on here. Over the years it has made BF a far less enjoyable place to visit. But * it, I've been hoping for that to change for a long time now.
 
I've ignored your posts in this thread until now because you're generally not worth holding a discussion with.

But your initial response to my post on Hughes was to question my foot all knowledge. Your second, third and maybe fourth was to critise me for what I've been discussing with WR (who generally is worth having a discussion with)

And you bitch about me not responding in a positive way. What a ******* hypocrite you are.

Perhaps I need to change. I don't enjoy the bitchfests and personal digs that imo end most decent footy discussions on here. Over the years it has made BF a far less enjoyable place to visit. But **** it, I've been hoping for that to change for a long time now.

Oh dear. Please stop playing the poster. It's oh so hard to have a proper discussion on here with all of this playing the man. :(

You claim to have ignored my posts and yet have entered the thread with a contribution that is directly contrary to a point of view I had been discussing. I've noticed you do it time, and time again, without actually quoting my post. First few times it was a funny quirk, but the more it happens the more it seems as if you are happy to stir the pot and argue without me without actually appearing to do so, just so you can then turn around and act all innocent and surprised when I call you out for it as you have done now, claiming to have ignored my posts.

I'm not bitching about you not responding in a positive way mate, that's what you're doing. That's what you have continued to do every time you have jumped into a discussion on here the past few years and someone has disagreed with you. You cry that people are unnecessarily bringing Man City into things, or some other predisposition you have. You cry that people aren't taking you seriously, or taking your point at face value. And then when you argue ad nauseum about something and people get over it, you fall back to your favourite "Aren't we meant to discuss things? It's a discussion board." trope. Only, it's only a discussion board when it suits you, and when someone responds to something you've said, or calls you out, it's suddenly a mean, nasty place full of spiteful people out to get you.

The fact that your initial response in this thread was to state that Hughes has been garbage everywhere he has gone - except, bizarrely, Southampton, where I would say he's almost been the most underwhelming of any of his appointments - without any actual offering of an opinion, any sort of argument to back up that point of view, reeks of simple point scoring, and gleefully trying to one-up the person offering the counter view, who had by the way argued reasonably and rationally. Just so happened to be me. I'm sure it was just another coincidence in a long line of them though.

Take your bat and ball home with you though if you want, but the drama act is getting mighty boring.
 
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Are you for ******* real?

I posted about Hughes because it was being discussed and I had an opinion on it.

I didn't quote you because contrary to what you seem to believe the BF world doesn't revolve around you.

I couldn't give a * if your opinion is different to mine. There are posters on here whose opinion on football I value. You're not one of them.

Likewise you shouldn't give a * if my opinion is different to yours. Rather than post snide, weasely digs just ignore me. You have a go at me for not responding to posts (directed at me and about me) in a positive way but you seem unable to follow your own advise when I simply have a different opinion to yours.
******* heard it all now.
 

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I think the best way to get into a meaningful discussion is simply to get into one - rather than just complain about it. That won’t get you anywhere.

“Playing the man” is a bit of a cop-out. Ok making unneccesarry digs is out of line but if you are responding to a poster and you draw parallels to things that poster has said over time then that’s fair enough in my book. That’s all I did on this occasion and if that’s playing the man then so be it. When you discuss topics with other posters over a length of time then you are bound to form mental images and therefore more personal dialogue will ensue. Surely that’s pretty logical.
 
I think the best way to get into a meaningful discussion is simply to get into one - rather than just complain about it. That won’t get you anywhere.

“Playing the man” is a bit of a cop-out. Ok making unneccesarry digs is out of line but if you are responding to a poster and you draw parallels to things that poster has said over time then that’s fair enough in my book. That’s all I did on this occasion and if that’s playing the man then so be it. When you discuss topics with other posters over a length of time then you are bound to form mental images and therefore more personal dialogue will ensue. Surely that’s pretty logical.
When you're ready to have a discussion about Hughes I'm happy to participate. But your responses so far (and on many occasions in the past) are more focused on me than the topic being discussed. That's what I just can't stand cause it typically ends in a shitfight where everyone looks a twat. And it generally kills the topic originally being discussed.

You've made about 5 posts in response to mine. I reckon Hughes has maybe been mentioned in your first one and not since. And I know you're capable of good footy discussion when you're not being like that.
 
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