Barclays Premier League 13/14 Thread

[Crimey]

First topic message reminder :

Well the season is nearly upon us, with matches starting next weekend, so I thought it was time for a thread for it.

I'll start with my predictions with the finishes, although a lot depends on signings so mine might change by the end of the window.

1. Chelsea
2. Manchester United
3. Manchester City
4. Tottenham Hotspur
5. Liverpool
6. Arsenal
7. Everton
8. Norwich City
9. Swansea
10. West Bromwich Albion
11. West Ham United
12. Sunderland
13. Newcastle United
14. Fulham
15. Aston Villa
16. Southampton
17. Stoke
18. Cardiff
19. Hull
20. Crystal Palace

[The Special Juan]

If you ever bet on Arsenal you deserve to lose your money never ends well

I'm learning the hard way

I warn you every year about betting on us, We're get a point been ages since lost on opening day i believe.

And it was a while since Liverpool won on opening day too. They better win because 2 of my 3 other teams are winning and the third one hasn't kicked off yet. If Arsenal lose I'll despair.

[Crimey]

Arsenal wouldn't be wrong to have a look at Seamus Coleman, he'd be an improvement on their current right backs for sure.

[The Special Juan]

****!!!!

[Guest]

oh my god Wenger..........

[Fernando]

Red Card - Laurent Koscielny < I typed this before they even said on S.S  



Arsenal 1-2 Villa

[Fernando]

Norwich 2-2 Everton

RVW

[mystiroakey]

Are arsenal down to 10 men!!

Wenger in the firing line...

[TheCultOfPersonality]

And its all going downhill for the gooners

[CFCNick]

Come on Norwich!!! One more please......

[Crimey]

Arsenal capitulating, lost Gibbs and Koscielny on the first day and have a light squad as it is.

Norwich right back into it, RVW with an excellent header.

[Crimey]

Think I picked the right game to watch in Norwich-Everton.

Fellaini has looked average today.

[CFCNick]

I put on BT Sport Live for a few seconds. It's worse than Final Score!!! Long live Soccer Saturday!!!

[Crimey]

I actually think Everton may be better off just cashing in on Fellani, £25-30 million bid and Everton should run away with it and invest it into two or three quality players. Not sure he fits into the system Martinez wants to play anyway. In fact, Scott Parker wouldn't be a bad replacement.

[Fernando]

West Ham 2-0 Cardiff - Nolan

[CFCNick]

Fantasy points for me from Mr Kevin Nolan!!!

[mystiroakey]

west ham giving the promoted team a lesson

[The Special Juan]

Well I had West Ham to win

[Crimey]

Cardiff will hope to be picking up points from teams like West Ham, really think they need new signings, attacking wise they don't look strong enough, Cornelius is a massive risk.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Shouldnt expect much from a promoted team at our place. We have a good record at home for a reason. Cardiff very poor first half, have grown into it in the second and played much neater football, but created no chances. Nothing, played in front of us too much. 

Downing came on with real intent which was good to see

[The Special Juan]

I was away to say, West Ham's home form will keep them up, plus they're better than they were last season. Hate him or dislike him, Allardyce keeps teams up and with West Ham I think he can push on to a top half finish. (I can't remember if they finished top 10 or not last season.)

[Crimey]

Yeah, I don't think Cardiff will be too disappointed with the loss, they won't have expected to win but I still think their squad isn't strong enough to stay up.

Ricky Van Wolfswinkel has really impressed me, an excellent header and seems to be a forward who is competent in all areas of play not sure scoring, he hasn't been afraid to get stuck in and seems to have the pace to beat defenders. Him and Hooper should fire Norwich easily to safety.

[Crimey]

Rooney on the bench for United.

[mystiroakey]

cardiff would have been targeting an ok start IMO.

They will have more hope then the rest of us Hull and palace fans

[mystiroakey]

Rooney on the bench for United.

Rooney has to leave United

[Fernando]

Arsenal 1-3 Villa on the break through Luna

[CFCNick]

3-1 Villa!!!

[Crimey]

For me, Hull are the most likely to stay up of the promoted sides. While they haven't got the strongest squad, Steve Bruce has more experience than the other two managers but I expect all three to go down, they're relying on a more established side to have a disaster.

[Guest]

OH DEAR WENGER! X10

[Fernando]

WBA 0-1 Southampton - Lambert Pen.

[Guest]

wenger 'my squad is good enough'  

[CFCNick]

How's peoples fantasy team doing? I've got 26 points with Walker, Zabaleta, Hazard, Lampard and Lukaku still to play.

[Crimey]

Don't want to look too much into one result but Arsenal could be in real trouble this year. I'm not sure the squad is good enough for top 4, nowhere near the title. Need signings and quickly. They have been far too blasé about bringing in people and not aggressive enough. They've been made to look really silly in the Suarez saga.

[The Special Juan]

x infinity

[mystiroakey]

Arsenal will go down. Its ok one of us will stay up

[Fernando]

What were you expecting at 2-1 down with 10 men against a natural counterattacking side, a miraculous comeback?

[Crimey]

I'd back any of the other top 4 to get a result in that position.

I've got 10 points so far with Cech, Mata, Dembele, Paulinho and Van Persie still to play.

[Fernando]

Bacary Sagna down injured with a neck injury looked nasty apparently

Nodge 2-2 Everton FT

[Fernando]

WBA 0-1 Southampton FT

[Fernando]

Sunderland 0-1 Fulham FT

[The Special Juan]

Bacary Sagna down injured with a neck injury looked nasty apparently

Nodge 2-2 Everton FT

Ah that's not good. Poor bloke, he's never fit.

[Fernando]

West Ham 2-0 Cardiff FT

[Crimey]

Do Arsenal have any players left for next week's game? Gibbs and Sagna injured, Koscielny suspended, and they had a paper-thin squad to begin with.

Think Norwich and Everton will take a 2-2 draw to be honest, especially as both were behind at one point. 

Sunderland will be massively disappointed losing to Fulham at home who are notoriously poor away from home. 

Arsenal the biggest disappointment, losing 3-1 at home to a team who escaped relegation last year, two penalties given away and a red card. As poor as the referee might have been, that is grim reading.

West Brom will be gutted to have given away a solid 0-0 draw in the last minutes, especially at home to a team who could easily be dragged into a relegation battle.

Cardiff might have dreamed of getting something from West Ham but won't be too disheartened by the result, a lot of work to be done. 

Liverpool can be happy with a solid 1-0 win against Stoke.

[Fernando]

FT Arsenal 1-3 Villa.

[Guest]

Money in the bank, no one wants to come. Wenger in a world of hurt.

[westisbest]

We are top of the league say we are top of the league.

wooooooooooooo

[TheCultOfPersonality]

West Brom, Sunderland and Arsenal will be disappointed with there opening games. Its never good to lose home games first up.

[Crimey]

Do people think we'll see any of Rooney today? Not sure whether his head will be in it, but if United are down Moyes will be very tempted even if Rooney just turns it on to attract interest.

[Guest]

Not much more than 20 mins, judging by what I saw on Wednesday night, where he was just dire with no hint of a first touch. Think United will find this difficult tonight, a defeat and god knows what media and fan reaction is going to be.

[Crimey]

Swansea: Vorm, Rangel, Chico, Williams, Ben Davies, Canas, Britton, Dyer, Shelvey, Routledge, Michu. Subs: Amat, Taylor, Bony, Hernandez, Ki, Pozuelo, Tremmel.
Man Utd: De Gea, Jones, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Cleverley, Carrick, Valencia, Giggs, Welbeck, van Persie. Subs: Anderson, Rooney, Smalling, Lindegaard, Fabio Da Silva, Kagawa, Zaha.

Not convinced by that United line up. 4-3-3 again presumably, Giggs, Cleverley, Carrick three with Valencia and Welbeck on the wings. Really thought Moyes would make the most of Kagawa and I'm surprised to see Zaha benched especially with Valencia replacing him considering Zaha playing quite well in the community shield. 

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Wheeeey Big Sam on SNF. Happy with us today, Downing came on and looked fast and up for it, beat his man a few times and comfortable crossing with his right. Cole and Diame the better players, Cardiff played in front of us and couldnt penetrate.

At least for Arsenal they got that chance to vent their feelings and hopefully it wakes Wenger up a bit. Very slight silver lining!

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