Papers 25/07

[DaSawx]

My gut feeling

Chelsea
Arsenal
Man Utd
Tottenham
Liverpool

Dunno what SAF is doing, they say they need to get off to a fast start etc, etc, but RVN is unhappy and doesn't look like being adequately replaced, god knows what Ronaldo is thinking these days and CM is still looking very suspect despite a healthy Scholes.

 

[Crow-mo]

if Arsenal were so great without Cole, how come they came within a piece of dodgy lasagne of finishing 5th?

 

[DB10]

'cos our midfield was hopeless. Gilberto's form was a disgrace, and Cesc can't be expected to play the holding role as well as his usual box-to-box role because Gilberto went walk-abouts. We also took awhile to adjust without having Vieira in the team, when you have the same guy as a fixture in a team in probably the most important position for nine years it doesn't change overnight.

Last season was a massive learning curve for players and manager. It had nothing to do with Cole at all. Left-back was never an actual weakness during a game at all last season anyway, Flamini was quite good as a stand-in left-back.

 

[Crow-mo]

'cos our midfield was hopeless. Gilberto's form was a disgrace, and Cesc can't be expected to play the holding role as well as his usual box-to-box role because Gilberto went walk-abouts. We also took awhile to adjust without having Vieira in the team, when you have the same guy as a fixture in a team in probably the most important position for nine years it doesn't change overnight.

Last season was a massive learning curve for players and manager. It had nothing to do with Cole at all. Left-back was never an actual weakness during a game at all last season anyway, Flamini was quite good as a stand-in left-back.

so where is this big improvement from 4/5 to outright 2nd going to come from, relative to the other contenders?

 

[Minkus_Swan]

Manchester United's former Everton star Wayne Rooney has criticised Toffees manager David Moyes in his autobiography. (Daily Mail)

'To me he appeared overbearing; just wanting to control people. I suppose being young and confident and playing for England at 17, I wasn't bothered about upsetting him or answering back.'

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=374363&cc=3436

If Rooney thinks that Moyes was a control freak, wtf does he think about Fergie then?

 

[Thewlis Dish]

so where is this big improvement from 4/5 to outright 2nd going to come from, relative to the other contenders?

I assume having Rosicky and another year of development into Fabregas, not to mention the fact they underachieved tremedously domestically last season. They still have a top three squad, Cole or no Cole.

 

[moomba]

In City news Joey Barton has signed a contract extension until 2010, looks like the footballing giants must have forgotten that he was available.

In good news Micah Richards has also signed a contract extension until 2010. So all the vultures can f**k right off (for another year at least).

 

[DBAH0]

In good news Micah Richards has also signed a contract extension until 2010. So all the vultures can f**k right off (for another year at least).

So much for that story that had us paying $9M for him.

Hopefully for Man City's sake, he stays for a few seasons yet, instead of moving off to a Chelsea too early in his career, like a Glen Johnson did.

 

[Knowledge]

Man U will probably struggle to make the top 6 at this rate.

you make me laugh.

 

[Knowledge]

"Certainly better"?

United barely has one or two players better than us, let alone the entire squad.

stop ****ing yourself.
We would have you coverd on most positions on the field.

 

[jezza]

My gut feeling

Chelsea
Arsenal
Man Utd
Tottenham
Liverpool

Dunno what SAF is doing, they say they need to get off to a fast start etc, etc, but RVN is unhappy and doesn't look like being adequately replaced, god knows what Ronaldo is thinking these days and CM is still looking very suspect despite a healthy Scholes.

Looks like it's almost time to start the predictions thread up for this season.

(for me at this stage: Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, ManU, Spurs)

 

[DB10]

stop ****ing yourself.
We would have you coverd on most positions on the field.

Lehmann = van der Sar
Neville < Eboue
Ferdinand > Senderos
Vidic < Toure
Heinze = Cole
Ronaldo > Hleb
Fletcher <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Fabregas
O'Shea < Gilberto
Giggs < Rosicky
Rooney > van Persie
van Nistelrooy < Henry

Covered on most position on the pitch is hilarious. There is virtually nothing between Man Utd, Liverpool and Arsenal. The only player of yours that would get into our team no questions asked is Rooney. The rest are all equal to or inferior to what we already have.

 

[DB10]

so where is this big improvement from 4/5 to outright 2nd going to come from, relative to the other contenders?

Um, we're not going to be as all mightily bad as we were in the first half of the season.

 

[tribey]

Um, we're not going to be as all mightily bad as we were in the first half of the season.

No Bergy = No North Bank.

Against us anyway...

 

[DB10]

Never fear, RVP is here!

What an original celebration.

 

[footylover18]

Lehmann = van der Sar
Neville < Eboue
Ferdinand > Senderos
Vidic < Toure
Heinze = Cole
Ronaldo > Hleb
Fletcher <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Fabregas
O'Shea < Gilberto
Giggs < Rosicky
Rooney > van Persie
van Nistelrooy < Henry

Van der Sar > Lehmann (simply because he's more consistent)
Neville > Eboue
Ferdinand > Senderos
Brown=Toure
Heinze=Cole
Ronaldo>Hleb
Scholes=Fabregas
Carrick=Gilberto (Carrick surely is on his way)
Giggs > Rosicky (you're rating a player who hasn't ever played a single game in the EPL above the proven Giggs?)
Rooney>Van Persie
RVN=Henry (In terms of production they are similar)

In terms of first teams it's pretty close but our squad is all over yours.

 

[Embers]

Van der Sar > Lehmann (simply because he's more consistent)
Neville > Eboue
Ferdinand > Senderos
Brown=Toure
Heinze=Cole
Ronaldo>Hleb
Scholes=Fabregas
Carrick=Gilberto (Carrick surely is on his way)
Giggs > Rosicky (you're rating a player who hasn't ever played a single game in the EPL above the proven Giggs?)
Rooney>Van Persie
RVN=Henry (In terms of production they are similar)

In terms of first teams it's pretty close but our squad is all over yours.

Dreaming. Even SAF would admit Arsenal have a better list then Man U atm.

 

[jod23]

Van der Sar > Lehmann (simply because he's more consistent)
Neville > Eboue
Ferdinand > Senderos
Brown=Toure
Heinze=Cole
Ronaldo>Hleb
Scholes=Fabregas
Carrick=Gilberto (Carrick surely is on his way)
Giggs > Rosicky (you're rating a player who hasn't ever played a single game in the EPL above the proven Giggs?)
Rooney>Van Persie
RVN=Henry (In terms of production they are similar)

In terms of first teams it's pretty close but our squad is all over yours.

Reina > Van der Sar = Lehmann
Finnan = Neville > Eboue
Carragher > Ferdinand > Senderos
Hyppia > Toure > Vidic
Cole = Heinze = Riise
Ronaldo > Hleb > Pennant
Alonso >> Fabregas >>>>> Fletcher or Scholes
Gerrard >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Gilberto > Fletcher
Rosicky > Kewell > Giggs
Rooney > RVP > Bellamy
Henry > Saha > Crouch

There ya go... thought I would get the Reds involved.

 

[jezza]

Don't forget that Rafa>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>anyone else on the planet

 

[applesyrup]

footylover18, Wes Brown equal to Toure? Surely you jest. Toure, along with Terry was the best in the Premiership last season.

 

[footylover18]

footylover18, Wes Brown equal to Toure? Surely you jest. Toure, along with Terry was the best in the Premiership last season.

In terms of talent I think Wes is at least as good as Toure. Unfortunately Wes gets injured far too often, I guess based on consistency I'm prepared to admit that Toure>Wes.

 

[Benno_900]

RVN=Henry

Cygan >>> Ronaldo

 

[footylover18]

Cygan >>> Ronaldo

hehe.

I get what you're saying. Can't be bothered getting into an argument regarding RVN vs Henry, obviously different types of players, I haven't looked at their respective records can't see RVN's being much worse if not better than Henry's.