2012/13 Premier League discussion thread part 3

[Guest]

First topic message reminder :

Let the talk, arguments, disagreements and bickering continue...

I really fancy a Spurs win today.

[JamesLincs]

mention for mansfield who have scored 8 in 70 minutes

[The Special Juan]

The signs of improvement for QPR this afternoon are the fact they conceded one less and scored one more compared to the first day of the season...

[Guest]

I see the rock that is Christopher Samba earned his money today. Their goal difference is taking a hit now also. They're one of the worst sides in PL history in all honesty.

They've still got Man Utd, Arsenal, Everton and Liverpool to play not to mention a few relegation candidates. I can see Reading relegating them on the 27th of April.

[Hulking_up]

Urgh, i was going to put £10 on Chelsea winning by a 3 goal margin but forgot before kick off.
Anyone have an idea what the odds were?

[Guest]

Chelsea -2 would have been around 5/2 against a poor side like Wigan. To win exactly by 3 would have been around 4 or 5/1.

Not great odds I know.

[Dave.]

Hmm. The local football club runs a Last Man Standing competition. Third time they've run it, and the on the previous 2 occasions, there was a major shock on the first day.

Cue Southampton being 2 up......

[The Special Juan]

They're stanking at the back without Kompany. Southampton remind me of Man Utd: superb at going forward but a liability at the back.

[The Special Juan]

Does Nasri do anything?

[Guest]

Be major changes at City this summer. Mancini will be gone and I'm sure the owners are already planning a financial package for Mourinho that he can't refuse. Taking on the City team, with their finances and having to follow a dire campaign and shocking champions league exit is what Mourinho will be licking his lips at. Everyone knows, as a manager, you have to pick and choose your best offer. Mourinho has won champions leagues and then he gets out and watches his successor struggle and capitulate. This time, Mourinho will be the one following a dire Mancini and the odds the other way around. The only way would be up and that's exactly what he's thinking and it he knows at the end of the day it's all about his reputation. Taking on Ferguson will also, once again, be a huge draw to the EPL. Can't see him back at Chelsea, not after Abramovich paid so much money to remove him in the first place.

[The Special Juan]

Rickie Lambert has been a class above everyone on the pitch today. Ok, it might be too late for an England call-up, by why has he never played in the PL until this season?

[Guest]

Rickie Lambert has been a class above everyone on the pitch today. Ok, it might be too late for an England call-up, by why has he never played in the PL until this season?

Late bloomer I would imagine. A bit like Kevin Phillips, Marcus Stewart and Grant Holt.

[Guest]

I can see Mourinho turning up at City in the summer and he'd probably enjoy taking Mancini's job.

The title race is over.

[Duty281]

And this ladies and gentlemen, is a team full of mercenaries with little/no love for the club, easily surrendering the title they won last year. United are gonna win the title then, it's good for football!

[westisbest]

Wigan, QPR and Reading losing.

Have to beat West Ham tomorrow.

Saints will be safe now I think.

[The Special Juan]

I'll wait until tomorrow evening before I stick the boot into City

I think relegation is a 3 way fight; Newcastle-up are safe and QPR have gone. I think Reading just now are looking the best equipped of the 3 to survive but Wigan can suddenly reel off victories which they may well do and Villa.... Well they might stay up by the skin of their teeth. They need Dunne back though and quickly.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Citeh need some width and wingers to there play. Was obvious so they brought Scott Sinclair

Mancini #headsgone

[The Special Juan]

None of Man City's summer signings have really performed. I was expecting great things from Garcia who was excellent in Portugal but he's looked off the pace and dare I say a little unfit. Maicon is rubbish, Rodwell's never fit and Sinclair hasn't been given half a chance. #WrightIn

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

I still think Man City signing Richard Wright was just them trolling everybody

And people tried to defend it #headsgone

[Guest]

Mancini is clueless. The signings were horrific in the summer. Just won the EPL and they should of capitalised on that by reinforcing their new held status by bringing in genuine world class players to take them onto a new level of power and to prepare themselves for Champions League football. In the end they bought Sinclair, Garcia, an injury prone over-rated Jack Rodwell and the OAP Maicon, who Bale proved was finished two seasons ago. City fans and Mancini must of been expecting players in the mould of De Rossi or Cavani and it never materialised. Been a shocking season for City and a downward spiral with no improvement whatsoever. The Champions League exit was embarrasing and Mancini had no answers and no excuses.

Deadwood needs removing in terms of Barry, Tevez, Kolarov, Lescott, Maicon and Nasri along with the manager in the summer.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Oh btw Norwich-Fulham was the most boring football match I have ever seen in my entire life!

But another point closer to safety

[The Special Juan]

Oh btw Norwich-Fulham was the most boring football match I have ever seen in my entire life!

But another point closer to safety

You're safe, I wouldn't worry.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Oh btw Norwich-Fulham was the most boring football match I have ever seen in my entire life!

But another point closer to safety

You're safe, I wouldn't worry.

Oh I'm not worried! Just wanna maintain the 8 point gap we have now!

Some Norwich fans think we are doomed though. Whilst we are far from safe, it's gonna take something pretty catastrophic for us to man sausage this up

[Guest]

Looking at your run-in I reckon you will bag a further 14 points Olly.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

I think 36 points will be enough this season, so only another 7 needed to stay up imo

We have a lot of winnable home games indeed Freeky! The away ones bar Wigan are all very tough though.

Hoping it don't come down to City away final day haha

[Fernando]

I wouldn't worry unless United go Frak themselves the title is over tbh if get a point or more tomorrow

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Wigan, QPR and Reading losing.

Have to beat West Ham tomorrow.

Saints will be safe now I think.

Results have been very kind to your lot today.

Huge game tomorrow

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Must say the shining beacons of light this season for us have been Bassong and Snodgrass.

Bassong has been a rock at the back, we're a different team with him in it. And Snodgrass has been a constant menace on the right wing.

I'd be very surprised if nobody tried to take them off our hands in the summer

[Guest]

It's been a bit of a non event this season really. Utd are going to walk it with an average side by their standards and the defending in general is at an all time low.

The relegation scrap is where its at. The amount of column inches and media interest QPR have had is quite staggering for a team that bad. Why should we even care?

For me Aston Villa's demise is shaping up to be the story of this campaign. One of the PL's originals and mainstays are in grave danger of falling through the trap door and it's hardly made a wave thus far.

[Guest]

your right, bit of an anti-climax for the title after such a fantastic season last year. Typical united though in their response and good for the game in my opinion. QPR look doomed. I fear for Wigan this year and Reading, think Villa will just scrap through in the end.

Still angry about today's result at the lane against an average Spurs side bar bale. pardew's shocking management not realising perch was injured. 30 seconds later, perch is hobbling about in central midfield and doesnt even challenge the ball, bale is sent through and the game is lost. that separates the good managers from the average. football is fine margins......pardew's mistake.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

If QPR are gonna stay up they will have to do it the hard way. Got 3 relegation rivals away from home, one at home. Still Utd, Liverpool, Arsenal and Newcastle to play as well, with the final 3 being there final 3 games of the season.

Wigan for me are struggling. Tomorrow is a huge game for Villa. I think they'll stay up, and I think Reading will go down, with Wigan and QPR

[The Special Juan]

I don't want to see Villa or Reading go down. I admire Reading's guts and I'm a big fan of Le Fondre; another player who should have been playing at a higher level a few years ago when he was banging them in for Rotherham. Villa have my sympathy because of that Carling Cup final v Utd a few years ago. Had Vidic been deservedly sent off in the 6th minute or something, who knows where they would be these days? QPR I disdain and Wigan I'm indifferent too although their annual relegation scraps annoy me.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

If QPR are relying on Adel Taarabt to keep them up then they have no hope. Never seen a more overrated footballer in my lifetime

[The Special Juan]

I both agree and disagree. He has so much talent; that's undeniable; but he's such a temperamental, petulant little runt that he'll go down as one of the biggest wastes of talent ever. He's good enough to carry QPR if most of the team are under-performing but when the going gets tough, he disappears. He did it in the Championship but can't handle the rigors of the PL.

[Guest]

Harry left Portsmouth in a mess and he'll do the exact same thing with QPR. I don't even rate him as a manager, I'm surprised how much attention he gor for the England job. How he can leave players like Hoilett, who I thought at Blackburn was a fantastic talent out the team is just madness at this stage. Players like M'bia, Diakhate, Mackie, Derry, Hill, Traore.......woeful. Taarabt is a talent but is inconsistant and very blinkered. He is there only threat and the fact they are relying solely on him is, as you say, worrying.

Talking of over-rated.....Neymar. I can see why he is delaying his move to Europe. Never get's anywhere near the top 20 footballers in my opinion. Also Dembele is over-rated. He drops the shoulder and goes past a player with ease and then just runs into trouble or fires over the bar. Shocking goalscoring record tells you everything you need to know.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

How on earth did Franco Di Santo get called up to the Argentina squad?

He has talent TSJ I agree. When he doesnt produce he is a liability, and he very rarely produces

[Guest]

I like Wigan and I admire they way that they stick to their philosophy of playing proper free-flowing football. If they go down it'll be a shame but it's been a helluva ride for them nonetheless.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

I feel as if Wigan's time is up. Martinez has taken them as far as they can go, it's time for him to move to a better job.

[Guest]

Harry left Portsmouth in a mess and he'll do the exact same thing with QPR. I don't even rate him as a manager

Totally agree but for some reason the media in this country ride his nut sack and have put him on this pedestal.

He did do a decent job at Spurs. Decent being the key word.

[GSC]

Taarabt has the talent of a CL player but a urine poor attitude.

Wigan have defied the odds for a while but if you cant keep hitting on no names for long, esp with no talent coming via the academy.

[The Special Juan]

Because he's always nice to them I imagine, plus he seems to be related to everyone....

[Guest]

I feel as if Wigan's time is up. Martinez has taken them as far as they can go, it's time for him to move to a better job.

It's bound to happen for them sooner or later. They've had a good run and done themselves proud.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Krul has to do better with both those Spurs goals especially the 2nd one

[Guest]

Did anybody watch the post match analysis and Jamie Redknapp's damning of AVB's tactics? The worst pundit on TV is Jamie.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Did anybody watch the post match analysis and Jamie Redknapp's damning of AVB's tactics? The worst pundit on TV is Jamie.

You sense a little resentment at the treatment of his father and the fact his replacement is doing better than his dad with a probably worse team on paper (No Modric or Van Der Vaart)

[Guest]

Did anybody watch the post match analysis and Jamie Redknapp's damning of AVB's tactics? The worst pundit on TV is Jamie.

You sense a little resentment at the treatment of his father and the fact his replacement is doing better than his dad with a probably worse team on paper (No Modric or Van Der Vaart)

Exactly Olly.

[The Special Juan]

He's no Rod Harrington when it comes to analysis

I'd love to see this current Spurs team with Modric in it and a good LB. I think they'd be title contenders with those players as the squad depth is decent too.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Lee Cattermole really is a poor excuse of a footballer. Dirty dirty player

[Guest]

Lee Cattermole really is a poor excuse of a footballer. Dirty dirty player

I've said on a few threads that he's possibly the worst PL player out there. And he's an apparent scumbag off the field.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

I would probably agree with you there Freeky

It amazes me that Stoke spent £22 million on Peter Crouch, Cameron Jerome and Kenwyne Jones

[Guest]

I'd love to see this current Spurs team with Modric in it and a good LB. I think they'd be title contenders with those players as the squad depth is decent too.

I just can't agree with that. All the people I was watching the game with today, agreed, that this Spurs side incredibly average without Bale. They are reliant upon him for everything now and the other players seem to just of accepted that fact and made no improvement to their game. Walker has gone backwards considerably. Even when Modric was in the team, they weren't close enough at all. That's the same Modric who has been voted the worst signing in the La Liga this season, barely gets a sniff at Madrid after failing to impact upon the team. It's sad because I thought they would kick on but Dembele has been woeful, Dempsey is nothing special, although has improved in recent weeks and Adebayor just looks like he's more interested in picking up the money and going to and from Africa. Harry had Spurs in and around the top 4 and AVB has them in the same position but to be contenders they need considerably more, seeing as there once again around 15 points off the top spot.

[Sponsored content]