Benzema or bust. Everyone will make note of Cechs terrible start but if we had a clinical striker it would have been 4-2.
Well I wasn't looking forward to next weekend one bit but now I think we have a good chance of turning you lot over. Wilf, Bolasie, Cabaye and whoever plays up front could be a big threat to Arsenal defenders.
Great to have the footy back!! Can't judge anything after week one. Apart from everyone who had Cech or Courtois in their fantasy team got humped!
Palace look great going forward this season Rob, if Cabaye stays fit he could be an absolutely fantastic signing. Nice finish by Zaha too - good to see him getting his confidence back after the silly move to Man Utd. Wickham showed some nice foot work too when he came on.
Man U, Chelsea and Arsenal all looked sluggish and not quite up to full power yet. That'll sort itself out over the next couple of weeks I'd imagine.
Main thing that annoyed me this weekend - that disallowed volley for Norwich. You'd think the refs would take one week before they started screwing people out of perfectly good goals.
Still, excellent to have the footy back and tonight we'll see if City can continue the top 4 tradition of being crappy in the first game of the season!
Defensively we aren't great. I know we're after Grant Hanley from Rovers who partnered Dann but honestly Norwich could've been up and their equaliser should've counted. But you don't win points on if's and but's so happy to get 3 points!
Bournemouth looked very sharp against Villa too. As they're the local side and I went to see them several times last season I'd love to see them stay up.
Do Sunderland have any chance in hell of staying up this year? I just can't see it happening myself
Quote from: Rob on August 14, 2015, 06:02:53 AM
Do Sunderland have any chance in hell of staying up this year? I just can't see it happening myself
Norwich are a good team and they do have quite a strong physical attack but losing in that manner, I just can't see Sunderland avoiding the drop this year. I'd happily see them go down though as their fans consistently leave games after 50 minutes if they're losing. Rubbish support
Yeah, they should be gone down last season instead of Burnley, they always seem to switch on around April and after they have had their manager sacked it has followed the same path the last three seasons.
Good performance from Palace today, Rob. Not over yet though!
IT IS NOW!
Always a tough match when the referee has his heart set on not sending a player off but we played alright. Defence was not good and Bolasie and Wickham looked half asleep.
As long as Fulham get gayle off of you and 2 cbs I'll be happy
Just be happy you are not still in the championship, Rob. Quality of reffing is shocking.
That 'penalty' yesterday was a joke...
Norwich suffered from it last week against us... Low standard of referee's is still very big in the Prem. Mason has never been a good quality ref, very slow. Sometimes it's like they're scared of doing something big because they don't know what a manager like Wenger will say
Or what Mourinho would moan about...
It is not bad as it used to be, but there has and always will be a bias towards the bigger teams due to the attention surrounding the potential error on their part.
Great win for Manchester City, Chelsea look to still be in pre-season mode, conceding goals/chances for fun. Half expecting Mourinho to rage quit before Christmas.
Who's he gonna blame this week?
I loved the City fans chanting "you're getting fired in the morning" at the Chelsea medical team
Missed the game, but still beating a side Arsenal should comfortably beat by an own goal isnt cutting it.
Quote from: Cory on August 16, 2015, 05:18:06 PM
Missed the game, but still beating a side Arsenal should comfortably beat by an own goal isnt cutting it.
Would have been a goal if the defender didn't touch anyway. Wasn't a bad own goal.
Yeah it was going in, great header by Sanchez.
Even though I hate to say it (cause it makes Rob happy), I thought Palace played really well. The ref certainly did Arsenal some favours by not giving Coquelin that second yellow card he seemed determined to get.
Chelsea were woeful. Slow, boring, lacking in imagination going forward. City blew them away in the first half and should've been 3-0 up at half time. Champs have got some work to do. City look great already.
Wayne Rooney also sucked again this weekend. Another guy who just doesn't look up to full speed yet. His touch was terrible against Villa and he kept doing that annoying thing he does when playing for England - dropping deep, laying the ball off with his back to goal and never turning and running at or past defenders. Means Utd had no one in the box most times they went forward.
Looking forward to the game tonight with Liverpool and Bournemouth, should be some good attacking football on display from both teams.
Palace and Bournemouth both suffered from very poor refereeing.
Looking at how blatantly Arsenal and Liverpool were favoured, I think referee's are afraid you make big decisions against big clubs. They're not so afraid to make them against small clubs because the backlash isn't there.
League cup draw... This just got interested :D
Arsenal/Spurs
Villa/Birmingham
Palace/Charlton
Just a pity Chelsea, Liverpool and Man U got seemingly easy ties. I can see MK Dons and Sheffield Wednesday upsetting a few people too!
Congrats Rob
Y'know honestly I was at work following this on my phone which makes this different but still amazing for me...
I was there when Zaha rocketed a goal in against Brighton to take us to Wembley, I watched Darren Ambrose score from 40 yards out against Man United at Old Trafford and I watched Dwight Gayle single handedly DESTROY Liverpool twice...
This win rivals one of the greatest ever moments for my club. We are by no means a big team, but we have a passion and a desire and a bond with the players, the staff and fellow fans that you don't get much in world football anymore. I'm so proud of my team that we have our own LGBT community and former players working for the club in Pardew, Salako, Bright and up until recently Kenny Samson... We have British owners that support the club and we have fought hard to earn the respect of the likes of Jose Mourinho, Sir Alex Ferguson and other legends within the game.
I'm just happy to have been alive and to have supported my club from the darkest day where 5 years and 1 month ago we were supposed to be the highest profile team to ever get closed down, stripped and forgotten to 5 years later to now where for the first time in my life we're experiencing 3 consecutive top flight seasons, we've beaten the champions from last season... Not only have we beaten them at our ground but now we have beaten them at theirs in Jose's 100th home game. I couldn't be happier...
Swansea just beat Manchester United 2-1.
Diego Costa is such a cunt
(http://t.qkme.me/3polga.jpg)
Midldesbrough have won the same amount of Premier League games this season as Newcastle and Sunderland.
Just let that sink in
also, West Ham 3-0 Away. Arsenal, Liverpool, and Man City done.
They have been impressive so far. They have pushed themselves to the brink financially in prep for the move to the Olympic stadium, but it seems to be paying off. Good depth throughout the team as well, with a couple of players like Song and Valencia to return. Could be a big season for West Ham.
Wow Bournmouth
Bournemouth*
Delighted for them! Couldn't be happier to see a former Crystal Palace striker scoring the winning goal for my local team against the champions!
I mean Chelsea should have won that game but they couldn't execute inside the 18 for some reason.
Luckily for Arsenal just as their yearly injury crisis hits, the other "big four" have been playing like shit.
Leicester is a nice story too, Vardy is unreal.
Vardy Party.
Leicester being at the top of the table is fantastic. I love it.
Quote from: T-Moddin' on December 05, 2015, 05:10:53 PM
I mean Chelsea should have won that game but they couldn't execute inside the 18 for some reason.
They were holding the ball up to look for other options but in that time, Bournemouth were able to get 10 men into the penalty area. Every single time. And each time it happened, Chelsea either wanted to pass it into the net or shoot from long range. It's no surprise really, Bournemouth looked more likely with each of their opportunities to score.
Chelsea consistently penetrated, but their crosses were shit, their shot selections were shit, if you get in deep you should be able to win the game.
Quote from: T-Moddin' on December 06, 2015, 07:26:45 PM
Chelsea consistently penetrated, but their crosses were shit, their shot selections were shit, if you get in deep you should be able to win the game.
I think one of the most shocking things about Chelsea this season is Mourinhos inability to made half time adjustments. Seems he just says fuck it lets sub on our playmakers on at wing back and see what happens.
Didn't want to create a new thread for just this one post! But my Portland Timbers won the MLS CUP!!!!!!!
#RCTID!!!
I need to watch MLS more (like at all).
Quote from: T-Moddin' on December 06, 2015, 07:26:45 PM
Chelsea consistently penetrated, but their crosses were shit, their shot selections were shit, if you get in deep you should be able to win the game.
Just cause you get the ball near the area doesn't mean you automatically have a right to win the game. Chelsea have no potency, no killer balls. There is too much indecision and each player is expecting someone else to score the goals. Once they're near the box, they pass sideways and sideways and sideways until the other team have 10 behind the ball and there's not a lot more they can do with it.
Fulham finally get a manager after 2 months and it was my first pick from the outset. Was amazing at Watford. Hopefully get us midtable come June as the transfer embargo means we can't strengthen.
I have to ask, because I just don't know anything about football today....
What's the story behind Leicester?
I mean, when I was following football, the only time a team broke the glass ceiling to enter the elite is when they got a new owner with a huge influx of money or something.
Teams like Leicester would maybe lead the table for a couple of months, but never as far in as February.
I only did a basic wiki search on Vardy, and it seems like the signed him out of obscurity, what about the rest of the team? Are they also hidden gems? Did they make any "big signings?" Do they even have the money to do so?
Is anyone able to explain why they are suddenly the most consistent and best team in the premiership at the moment?
It's quite fascinating, and really refreshing in an industry (like any sport I guess) where money usually buys success.
Id say its a few things in my opinion.
A) Raineri has always been a good coach, but a bit of a journeyman. A jouneyman whoever that has coached some of the biggest teams with elite talent. Chelsea, Roma, Juventus, Inter Milan. It seems he finally put it all together for this Leicester run...and using the classic 4-4-2 formation to boot. He's getting the most of his players as well. Robert Huth was always an average BPL defender, but he's playing like a top 5 center back in the Prem right now, same goes for guys like Danny Simpson as well, Kasper Schmichael is a quality keeper too.
B) Obviously the emergence of Jamies Vardy. I dont think its shady dude must be on PED's because who has a breakout season at 28....more or less Ranieri gameplan suits Vardy's strengths 100%. Vardy has solid finishing, but more so blistering pace and relentless pressure...that why I dont think Leicester needed to worry about him leaving for a bigger club because he's honestly not going to get the same opportunities at a bigger club.
C) I think financially Leciester is solid....not as much money as similar teams have thrown around like Stoke, Newcastle, West Ham but they have hit home runs. They got Christian Fuchs for free and he's been a starter since day 1 and is a fantastic provider of the ball. Must have close to the most assists for a wing back in the prem this season.
They got N'Golo Kante who is probably the best holding midfielder in the prem on his current run of form. I believe at the pace hes at now he'll have won the most successful tackles/interceptions in Europe for both 14-15 and 15-16 seasons....they got him for like $5m.
And obviously the emergence of Riyad Mahrez. Paid like 400k for him and he's developed into arguably the best player in the prem this season. 14 goals and 10 assists and he's missed like 3 penalties so he could have potentially been the top scorer in the league, with second being Vardy.
They have a crazy amount of production from two players and as long as they stay healthy they have every chance in the world to win...but hopefully Arsenal can get 3pts tomorrow morning and stay in the race.
Wenger out, this season has been stunning.
If he cant win the league when every other legit team is playing like ass, he'll never do it.
Glad to say I witnessed Leicester City play this season, maybe the greatest story in the history of sport
Quote from: Cory on May 02, 2016, 05:10:07 PM
Glad to say I witnessed Leicester City play this season, maybe the greatest story in the history of sport
Nothing beats Miracle on Ice.
Quote from: Jon on May 02, 2016, 07:18:07 PM
Nothing beats Miracle on Ice.
5000/1 to 1000/1.
You can find just as many reasons why Leicester winning (most teams had 1 player worth more than the entire Leicester team, leading scorer worked in a factory like 3 years ago, etc) was as good a story as miracle on ice or buster douglas beating Tyson....it's purely subjective.
I believe if you're trying to rank these or determine what was the greatest story the most logical way is statistics, and statistically speaking Leicester City with 5000/1 odds makes them the greatest underdog of all time.
Unless you're american or like hockey...then so be it. Both great, mine is measurably more favourable.
Quote from: Cory on May 02, 2016, 07:25:39 PM
5000/1 to 1000/1.
You can find just as many reasons why Leicester winning (most teams had 1 player worth more than the entire Leicester team, leading scorer worked in a factory like 3 years ago, etc) was as good a story as miracle on ice or buster douglas beating Tyson....it's purely subjective.
I believe if you're trying to rank these or determine what was the greatest story the most logical way is statistics, and statistically speaking Leicester City with 5000/1 odds makes them the greatest underdog of all time.
Unless you're american or like hockey...then so be it. Both great, mine is measurably more favourable.
I think what LCFC did was absolutely amazing. The fact they did it for a 10 month (I think) season is just crazy to me. It's a great story of an improbable run. 5000-1 odds is just a crazy number though. I mean it speaks to the feat but to put it into perspective... The Browns are only like 200-1 odds to win the Super Bowl and if we did that, we'd talk about that as being one of the best underdog stories of all time. So while I'm sure it was thought of as impossible that LCFC would win let alone compete this season, I think the odds are a bit ridiculous.
But Miracle on Ice was the greatest upset in a single event on the largest viewed event in the world... The Olympics.
The 1000-1 odds was the greatest upset in sports history for a single event. It captivated the entire world. And while I am bias as I am American and I do favor hockey over soccer... I think 10 years from now, an uneducated sports fan would probably know of Miracle on Ice and not now of what LCFC did during an improbable PL run. Of course that would also depend on where you live. I'm sure every sports fan in England would be the exact opposite. So maybe it is because I'm American haha.
Summer Olympics yes...
Winter Olympics... nobody gives a shit about unless you live in a cold country
Quote from: Adam Wrong on May 03, 2016, 11:03:54 AM
Summer Olympics yes...
Winter Olympics... nobody gives a shit about unless you live in a cold country
True, while not as popular as the summer version. Still more popular then any single EPL event.
I haven't googled it, so I don't actually know what the miracle on ice is.
I don't think anyone outside of the US really does. Jon is overestimating the importance of it. It's the greatest moment in American sports history, but I don't think the rest of the world bats an eye.
I have since googled. I understand the significance of it. However, how many games is the olympics?
Premiership is 38, hence the longer odds - to maintain that level of performance, far above where their level of ability should probably put them, is incredible. Anyone can beat anyone on any given day, but essentially beating everyone 38 times is a whole other ball game.
The truth is Leicester did what I truly began to believe is impossible. They broke a glass ceiling that is only penetrable by throwing obscene amounts of cash at it. It just does not happen in English football today. Anytime a club enters that top level of the hierarchy it's because they got a new owner that has invested in them beyond the reach of regular clubs.
This is like a throwback to three or four decades ago when my a team like Ipswich could gel together for a year, but there were no "superclubs" in those days.
What Leicester did is quite frankly unbelievable.
Hell, I might even start watching football again because of it!
It's going to be very interesting to see what kind of transfer prospect they can attract this off-season, and if they can hold onto Vardy/Mahrez/Kante
St. Totteringham's Day everyone, what a fucking spectacle that game was.
We're all CPFC today, arent we?
Just like fifteen years ago! Hopefully just as exciting match, but with a better result!
Quote from: Rob on May 20, 2016, 11:30:28 PM
We're all CPFC today, arent we?
Yup, one goal should be enough against that paint drying offense of Van Gaal.
Quote from: Cory on May 21, 2016, 12:07:02 AM
Yup, one goal should be enough against that paint drying offense of Van Gaal.
Just like it was for Everton in the semi? :)
3 minutes to kick off.
Getting proper emotional now. The biggest game in our 109 year history. We should've got into Europe when we won the Zenith Data Cup but England were banned from European competition. Today is our day, it's written in the stars.
I'm broken right now.
Been there mate. Know how you are feeling and you can be proud that the boys played their arses off
They did. I'm devastated, heartbroken... I never thought I'd see us in a final in my lifetime and when Puncheon scored I thought we had done it. The last 6 years have been such a roller coaster. I can only hope the next 6 years aren't so traumatic.
It been announced José Mourinho is going to take over as manager for Manchester United... From what I read he a proven winner... What do you guys think. I think it a smart move in my opinion
Also I feel bad for you Rob , So close , much love my man ... much love
Phenominal one is a phenomenal move, kinda crazy Chelsea sacked him....he's the top unattached manager available. Only thing will be I can see another year of boring play from Man U while he assembles HIS squad.
Personally I think the guy is a prick and I'd love the Chelsea debacle to be a sign that he's lost his touch. I'd be delighted to see him crash and burn at United and throw plenty of his little tantrums along the way before either punching his own ticket or getting booted out.