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

[GSC]

The Stoke-Palace highlights were like something from League 1!

^allways going for the little digs!


You couldn't be more wrong

I was only commenting on the highlights, the full game might have been much different, all three goals were the kind of thing you expect to see in the lower leagues, no power in the shots as they dribble in after a struggle in the box.

Ok Crimey

You watching? Plenty of struggles in the box and shots dribbling in

[Dolphin Ziggler]

youre 16 coaches passing through lincoln earlier was huge news today in our parts

Who ours?

There was near 3,000 poor souls who saw that today. Thank god my mate said he didn't want to go, I'd have probably chucked myself off the bloody Humber Bridge on the way back

ive just read that your lot chanted "youre just a small town near lincoln" laughed at reading that

We're usually good fun away from home, have to be really, don't get much enjoyment out of the side!

Chin up Olly, two games! And one bad result! Waxing lyrical about them in pre-season, it cant be too bad!

[GSC]

Olly always waxes lyrical in preseason

[Crimey]

Good to see Townsend rewarded for his performance in the Europa League with a start today. 

Not convinced with a Lescott-Garcia partnership for City in the centre of defence, new centre back seriously needed, a top team should have at least four options.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

youre 16 coaches passing through lincoln earlier was huge news today in our parts

Who ours?

There was near 3,000 poor souls who saw that today. Thank god my mate said he didn't want to go, I'd have probably chucked myself off the bloody Humber Bridge on the way back

ive just read that your lot chanted "youre just a small town near lincoln" laughed at reading that

We're usually good fun away from home, have to be really, don't get much enjoyment out of the side!

Chin up Olly, two games! And one bad result! Waxing lyrical about them in pre-season, it cant be too bad!

Fearing it'll be the same old story away from home. At home we looked quality!!

[Fernando]

Tottenham: Lloris, Walker, Dawson, Vertonghen, Rose, Paulinho, Capoue, Townsend, Dembele, Chadli, Soldado. Subs: Kaboul, Naughton, Defoe, Friedel, Sandro, Sigurdsson, Carroll.

Swansea: Vorm, Rangel, Chico, Williams, Ben Davies, Shelvey, Canas, Hernandez, de Guzman, Routledge, Michu. Subs: Amat, Britton, Bony, Lamah, Pozuelo, Tremmel, Richards.

Referee: Neil Swarbrick (Lancashire)

Cardiff: Marshall, Connolly, Caulker, Turner, Taylor, Medel, Gunnarsson, Bellamy, Kim, Whittingham, Campbell. Subs: Hudson, Cornelius, Noone, Mutch, Cowie, Maynard, Lewis.

Man City: Hart, Zabaleta, Javi Garcia, Lescott, Clichy, Fernandinho, Toure, Jesus Navas, Aguero, Silva, Dzeko. Subs: Milner, Kolarov, Rodwell, Pantilimon, Nastasic, Negredo, Nasri

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Olly always waxes lyrical in preseason

Not last pre-season I didn't. We barely scored a goal

[Duty281]

Cardiff 0-3 Citeh
Tottenham 3-1 Swansea

[Guest]

was very happy with the 0-0 against newcastle yesterday! 4 points from first 2 games, good start

[Duty281]

0-0 in both games so far. Tottenham mugged of a penalty by the sounds of it as well.

[CFCNick]

was very happy with the 0-0 against newcastle yesterday! 4 points from first 2 games, good start

4 points against teams you will be wanting to finish above too. Great start for West Ham.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

If there's one chant you can't sing at Man City fans, it is definitely the "where were you when you were Poopie" one. 30,000 in league 1 ffs.

[CFCNick]

Yeah, but now they get around 45,000.

[Duty281]

Cardiff 2-1 up somehow. I'm getting worried about Joe Hart to be honest.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Awful awful defending by City.

Great stuff from Cardiff

[mystiroakey]

Great to see cardiff winning on the face of it but as a palace fan I feel a bit sick tbh..

Oh well I have always liked cardiff. Amazing result.

[Hero]

My son said at half time when it was 0-0 that Cardiff would win 3-2.
Wished I'd had a few quid on that.

[GSC]

Big upset in Cardiff.

Spurs again struggle to break down teams without Bale

[Duty281]

Well done Cardiff. Massive upset.  

[TheCultOfPersonality]

Again not a convincing performance by spurs, really another penalty for a victory.

Really happy for Cardiff. Can see Mancs spending 20mil on a new centre back now.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Joleon Lescott is a truly shocking defender now

[mystiroakey]

So spurs won ugly again!!

Haven't let a goal in yet- but clearly lacking in attacking creativity without bale..


Did defoe play?

[GSC]

Soldado is on course for 38 goals this season, all from the spot.

It is a bit of the same from Spurs. Plenty of good players, but nobody who can really unlock a defense like Modric or Bale

[Guest]

Joleon Lescott is a truly shocking defender now

He'll be partnering Toure next season at Anfield then, probably.

[Hero]

Have to say I was very impressed with Toure yesterday, thought he was in for a mauling v Benteke but he had him in his pocket all game.

[Guest]

I wasn't Hero. He looked over eager at times at made some clumsy and rash challenges.

[Dave.]

Joleon Lescott is a truly shocking defender now

He'll be partnering Toure next season at Anfield then, probably.

How will Jolteon get on with Martin Squirtle, though?

[Bull]

Jolteon is Poopie.. Squirtle is the best Pokemon!

[mystiroakey]

Charmander dude. Charmander

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Rafael Hernández ‏@RafaelH117
David Platt on Al Jazeera: "If Mancini and I were still at City, Hart wouldn't be there. We decided to sign Begovic."

Interesting...

[Guest]

I take it Hart was poor again today?

[Hero]

First half he saved City a couple of times, the 2nd goal for Cardiff though he came out for the corner and completely missed it.

[TRUSSMAN66]

£400 million spent and we have Javi Garcia at centre half......

Let's put him in goal...Must be somewhere where he's half decent..

[Hero]

Water boy?

[TRUSSMAN66]

He'd spill it..

[Hero]

It is an odd case with Garcia, a player that back at Benfica really looked quality yet looks sounds badly out of depth at City.

[Fernando]

Javi is not the type of player that suits Citeh, He'd be better off at Chelsea/United where he can just sit and screen alongside another.

[Hero]

Agree, at Citeh he's constantly wondering where Toure has gone marauding forward to.

[LastDamnation]

Rafael Hernández ‏@RafaelH117
David Platt on Al Jazeera: "If Mancini and I were still at City, Hart wouldn't be there. We decided to sign Begovic."

Interesting...

Well it's obvious butland was intended as a replacement or Begovic, surprised nobody else has moved for him

[westisbest]

I think Brendon Rogers needs to find his balls before he says another word............

[westisbest]

typical,,, lets all worry aboutt liverpool. s umbGs

[Crimey]

That is a really disastrous result for City, I know it's early days but to lose to a promoted side like Cardiff despite being ahead isn't championship material. Agree that it's ridiculous that a team with the level of investment as City can't field two natural centre backs.

I really wouldn't be surprised if this year is the start of Hart's downfall, he's no longer the reliable man between the sticks for City or England, and I think he may fall out favour. 

Tottenham have disappointed me, I really thought they'd be a side to contend with, although they have won both games, twice now it's been down to a penalty. I think it probably has a lot to do with the players not having time to gel, think they'll likely grow into the season, problem is by then it might be too late.

[JamesLincs]

Again not a convincing performance by spurs, really another penalty for a victory.

Really happy for Cardiff. Can see Mancs spending 20mil on a new centre back now.

thats laughable. just because we didnt score 4 or 5? it was as one way as you can get. swansea were fortunate it wasnt more

im sorry, i have to add, its just such a lazy analysis. spurs played some breathtaking football with capoue, paulinho and demebele absolutely bossing the middle of the park, with townsend causing chaos on the wing. did you even watch the game??

[mystiroakey]

Fingers crossed for hart..

WE need him to play regular at a top club(england pov)

[GSC]

Same as last season for me Spurs. Plenty of good players, no great ones going forward outside Bale.

[Hero]

Well they look to be getting Lamela and I'd suspect more with the Bale cash so I think that will be addressed.

[Duty281]

I really wouldn't be surprised if this year is the start of Hart's downfall, he's no longer the reliable man between the sticks for City or England, and I think he may fall out favour. 

Judging by Foster's excellent display on Saturday, England at least have a different option.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Rumours that Palace chief Steve Parrish wants to replace Ian Holloway with Alan Pardew

[Guest]

Rumours that Palace chief Steve Parrish wants to replace Ian Holloway with Alan Pardew

Haha

[The Terror of Tylorstown]

Bit too early to be judging Spurs, the new players need time to fully gel into the side and from what i've seen Paulinho, Capoue and Soldado all look like top quality signings. Once the whole Bale saga is over and done with they can concentrate fully on just playing football again, anyway it's the sign of a good team to be winning when not at there best. They need a creative spark but they have a very strong and purposeful midfield that is going to be very hard for any team to contain, I wouldn't fancy Chelseas or Uniteds chances of winning that battle.

Imagine Oscar, Hazard and whoever else trying to contend with the pace and power of Paulinho, Capoue and Dembele.

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