Barclays Premier League 13/14 Thread

[Bull]

First topic message reminder :

Cleverly ?? Are you freaking kidding me!

[Ent]

Tevez was offered a new deal and chose to go for more money to city, he has now left them.

Ronaldo wanted to leave it's not like fergie wanted to let him go.

[Champagne_Socialist]

And which players has he let go that've come back to haunt him??

Tevez, Ronaldo, PIQUE, Forlan....

So, a player we never owned, a player who was best in the world who we made £70m profit on having won us everything there is to win and wanted to leave, a player who's never come back to haunt us and isn't that good anyway and someone who was rubbish but turned out great and, again, never came back to haunt us.

ome back to haunt doesn't mean scoring against you or even playing against you.

You had Gerard Pique, probably the best CB in the world or at least top 3 and not only that he makes so much money in sponsorship deals because he is young and attractive with a popstar wife.

Diego Forlan was just mismanaged at United. He was awesome in Spain and for Uruguay.

Yes you sold Ronaldo but let's be honest the 70 million profit you sold him for is nothing compared to the shirt sales extra money from sponsorship and revenue from competition wins he would have brought you over the last 5 years.

Well done, completely undermined yourself there.

No doubt you think ferdinand is better.

[TopHat24/7]

Not the current Ferdinand, he's showing his age now, but he sure as hell was when we sold Pique.

Pique gets made to look good by being protected by the world's best midfield with the best posession stats in recent history.

The fact he gets into Euro teams of the year etc ahead of someone like Kompany just highlights the absurdity of that system.

[Champagne_Socialist]

Not the current Ferdinand, he's showing his age now, but he sure as hell was when we sold Pique.

Pique gets made to look good by being protected by the world's best midfield with the best posession stats in recent history.  

The fact he gets into Euro teams of the year etc ahead of someone like Kompany just highlights the absurdity of that system.

I actually really like Pique, I love the fact he is so comfortable on the ball, he adds a real attacking threat to his game because he can keep possession and he can find a great pass.

[Ent]

Anyone wondering how lie things have sung at ujited should read today's papers and see we are linked with song.

My god.

[GSC]

Lewandowski to Bayern in the most blatant case of tapping up since Ashley Cole and Jose Mourinho met in Nandos

[Guest]

I reckon Arsene could bag Lewandowski. They could offer the 150k wages, Ozil effect, Szecezny & Podolski (Polish influence) + the EPL. He`s won every trophy in the Bundesliga, going to play in another country & experience that would be more attractive. Yeah, Bayern are a great team but he should broaden his horizon.

Of course, he`ll probably end up at Bayern but you never know.

------------------Lewandowski----------------

--Cazorla------------Ozil-----------Walcott--

-------------Wilshere---Ramsey-------------

[GSC]

He's announced he's going to Bayern

[kingraf]

What on Earth is Pep going to do with Lewandoski? The guy is a great goalscorer, but he has two left feet outside the box, and Josep likes them cultured

[Guest]

He's announced he's going to Bayern

Oh right didn't know, scrap that Arsenal idea then. Disappointing he`s going to Bayern

[TopHat24/7]

Good ol' Pep, the man with the easiest job in the world.....

[GSC]

Best manager makes it look easier than it is

[TopHat24/7]

Being gifted the world's best sides plus unlimited funds to buy whatever world's best players aren't already in the side is not about making it 'look easy'.

[GSC]

The worlds best players weren't dominant before him

[TopHat24/7]

The Bayern ones were. And he picked the Barca ones just as they were cresting in their development.

[GSC]

As Guardiola had nothing to do with that development

[TopHat24/7]

Sure he did help them. But the point is managing the best sides in the world isn't hard. He hasn't proved he can work with an imperfect side, even a top4 side.

[Guest]

Yeah, at least Mourinho takes risks & can take old, has-beens & turn their careers around, just through his man management skills. Mourinho has taken the hits, the downsides of the media, Pep has not put himself in that pressured role yet, taken easy routes. Pep took over Barca, just as they were about to hit the big time as a team, yeah he moulded them together but essentially they all knew each others games inside out growing up together anyway. Left Barca & then just waited n took over the current champs lge winners n treble winners, who had gotze on the way n lewandowski in their pocket. If Guardiola doesn't win the double at least, its been a poor year. Guardiola won't have it all easy in his career.

[GSC]

Pep took over a barca side in freefall

As for barca being non pressured LMFAO

[GSC]

It amazes me to this day that people still think Pep turned up on match day and told his players to go play. Baffling.

Without Pep Guardiola there is no dominant Barca side.

[Stella]

Bayren won the treble last year. How does Pep beat that? Now that's pressure.

[Ent]

He got them playing, not as easy as some are making out but he's certainly not te genius others make him out to be.

Came into barca and got them motivated, had one gap in the team at right back and spent a record fee for a full back on Alves and then promoted a few youngsters who he knew very well.

Tried buying big in Sanchez, ibra, chyrgrnski and it didn't really work.

The core of players already there and already champions always did it for him, he does deserve some credit for getting them for and motivated.

[Champagne_Socialist]

would barca have lost 7-0 if pep was the manager?

[Guest]

Hypothetical really.

Without Pep, there is no dominant Barcelona side? That's the team that won the League basically by Xmas under the caretaker last season. You make out Pep as some `god`, yet his signings were poor & when he knew the `dominant era` was coming to an end or some of the key players like Xavi & Puyol were fading, he bottled it & made out he had stress. Do me a favour. He did it to save his reputation, that's what managers do, timing of your arrival & departure as a manager is crucial, just look at Mourinho for example.

At the end of the day, i`m not denying his impact in the Barcelona dominance, however, he got lucky with the emergence of Messi from 2008 onwards & the crucial coming together of a collection of youngsters at La Masia, that turned out to provide some of the most talented individuals of our era.

[GSC]

Yeah, that team won the title using Peps system, philosophy and team.

How about the team that Pep inherited?

Barca were a team on the decline when Pep arrived, Ronaldinho, Deco ect were all former heros with no desire left. Barca under Rikjaard were a joke. Xavi wanted out.

Pep Guardiola had a far greater impact on Barca than people like to admit

[NickisBHAFC]

Yeah, that team won the title using Peps system, philosophy and team.

How about the team that Pep inherited?

Barca were a team on the decline when Pep arrived, Ronaldinho, Deco ect were all former heros with no desire left. Barca under Rikjaard were a joke. Xavi wanted out.

Pep Guardiola had a far greater impact on Barca than people like to admit

Agree with all of this.

[Guest]

Luiz and Torres both start for Chelsea today.

[Bull]

Spurs to win 3-1.

[hbk48942]

0-0 for me.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

I hate how Mourinho uses Ramires

[Duty281]

Tottenham absolutely purring - title contenders on this form, no doubt. Chelsea should be out of sight by now.

Must say, Townsend looks a very exciting prospect. Very pathetic dive though.

[Guest]

Chelsea purring now 1-1. Deserved, after all that pressure.

[Guest]

Mata, instrumental in everything. Wake up Mourinho, season should start from here....with Mata.

[Hero]

Shows the depth of talent there with the squads on the sub changes.
Schurrle replacing Hazard, Holtby replacing Eriksen.

[Hero]

Ridiculous red card, although he should have seen a straight red earlier.

[LastDamnation]

Torres been best player on the pitch up til then, unlucky

[Guest]

That will be it. Mourinho will take the point now.

[kingraf]

Incredibly harsh, but a draw here keeps my "Arsenal to win the league comment looking increasingly sage-like"

[LastDamnation]

Well, Mike Dean is a spurs fan...

[Guest]

Never get carried away, same with Arsenal. Spurs should of been out of sight but they couldn't do it. That the difference. They haven't been in this position before. Chelsea called upon Mata & the game was transformed. Chelsea dominated in the second half & showed the difference between the teams. Spurs don't have the killer instinct, experience or know-how to win a league as difficult as this one. I expect the same thing will happen with Arsenal later on in the season against the top teams, even with Ozil added to the side. Chelsea, without the sending off probably would of nicked it in the end.

[Hero]

If he was he'd have sent Torres off for the attempted face peeling earlier.

[GSC]

Should've watched the real derby instead

[Duty281]

That's why the Premier League is the best in the world. High-quality, high intensity, end-to-end action, set against the backdrop of a superb atmosphere and a touch of controversy. Brilliant.

Mata changed the game. Mourinho should have started him, as Chelsea were a transformed side in the second half.

And the petty swipes and slaps seemed to suggest Torres seemed to have a major problem with Vertonghen. I reckon Chelsea would have won that if he stayed on the pitch, but he couldn't keep his cool.

[Guest]

Should've watched the real derby instead

I wouldn't have missed Chesterfield v Mansfield for the world G.

[mystiroakey]

I heard on the radio no ZAHA again, not even as a sub.

He also didn't play in the cup midweek.

Does anyone have any insight into this.. What do you fans think??

[Hero]

From what I can gather Januzaj is the issue, Utd want him to sign a long term deal to avoid a Pogbaesque incident in January so have him ahead in the pecking order as well as there's been a few hints that Zaha is struggling with the raised training at Utd.

[Guest]

He's clearly making some kind of show to say, he's not my signing & I'm making my own team here, not just continuing Ferguson's. Zaha, although was only a pre-season tour, was quite frankly the best winger, even admitted by Bobby Charlton. Yeah, he's infuriating at times but every young winger is. To say rate him worse than Young or Valencia is just embarrassing, if that's what Moyes is doing. If you didn't want him, at least loan him out to gain experience for a time you might need him. Classic case of young, english talent being wasted. Career stagnation, whereas Tom Ince would rather stay in the Championship, play each week and develop his skills.

I don't particularly like Moyes or his signing of Fellaini. I see the £27m Belgian can only make the bench today. Wasn't it Fellaini struggling with the raised pace of training & one touch play, not Zaha?

[mystiroakey]

Thanks lads.

I truly only want him to play- I would be gutted if they loaned him to a club other than palace- but I would still rather watch him play again.

Come on Moyes don't waste our talent

[mystiroakey]

Chamak booked for simulation. Could have easily been given a penalty..

[GSC]

Man Utd have gone 400 minutes without scoring in open play apparently

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