Barclays Premier League 13/14 Thread Part 'x'

[GSC]

First topic message reminder :

I wouldn't be upset, if it were limited to League 2 and below, and had a quota of English players with an age cap.

[GSC]

Could go either way for me. Could see them plummet, or he could build upon it and add some substance. Michu returnings a boost, pretty prolific frontline in theory.

[mystiroakey]

Swansea play too well to go down and without europe will be comfortably in the top 12 IMO

[CFCNick]

16/1 for us to beat City tonight.
 
Think i'll put a tenner on that.
 
Why not.
 
I fancy us tonight.
C'mon the Villa.

Put a tenner on Villa and Sunderland at 32/1.

[compelling and rich]

dont think monk will be a success, just doesnt inspire confidence in me and cant see him continuing the good football played by some very good managers before him. he's got a lot to follow on from martinez, rodgers and laudrup.

defenders are not known for becoming great attacking managers just off the top of my head i can think of pearce, bruce, allardyce, and adams who are all known for producing defensive teams.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

I think Monk's done well so far, he'll probably rid them of the useless Spaniards like Chico and keep the good ones, would expect him to just continue what they're doing at Swansea

Bony will leave I'm sure, fancy him to Everton

[GSC]

If Sean Dyche can be a modern attacking manager, any defender can

[GSC]

Also worth pointing out Rodgers was a defender in his brief playing career

[mystiroakey]

I think Monk's done well so far, he'll probably rid them of the useless Spaniards like Chico and keep the good ones, would expect him to just continue what they're doing at Swansea

Bony will leave I'm sure, fancy him to Everton

Yep its where i see him going - especially if they lose lukkaka- I think he is a slightly better version

[GSC]

Bony cost 12m and has only risen in value. Might be out of Evertons price range

[compelling and rich]

25% win percentage hardly brilliant is it, think they will struggle next season

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

25% win percentage hardly brilliant is it, think they will struggle next season

Taken over a divided squad, not really ready for European football, that was sleep walking toward the bottom three and solidified them enough to keep them up, without arguably there best player in Michu

He's done alright

[mystiroakey]

25% win percentage hardly brilliant is it, think they will struggle next season

i think the uefa cup just killed them. and then the whole issues they had surrounding the player bust ups..

Monk knows the style and its a style that will pick up points. They will still have routledge and the like- great footballers for a mid table club. Maybe they do need to be a bit more organised and monk maybe the man to work on that- They can strike a balance

[GSC]

Eh, Swanseas season has kinda petered out post Europa League (which I thought they were excellent vs Napoli), and kinda was under Laudrup. Not gonna say Monks likely to be the next great manager, but you can prove anything with stats.

[compelling and rich]

cant agree that swansea weren't ready for europe, there style made them perfectly suited for europe and thought they did well for a first crack. lacked a bit of depth perhaps and unlucky to have their best player missing, but they had spent a fair bit of money on the likes of bony and shelvey

[GSC]

Hit the nail on the head C&R. Most squads arent equipped for European football. Liverpool have profitted.

[mystiroakey]

they out passed napoli in napoli first half.. they play a european styled football and were a credit to themselves- that isn't the point!!

the point is that they haven't got a squad that can compete in europe and then still sustain where there were the year before in the prem due to the extra games and travelling that goes with playing in europe

[compelling and rich]

to be fair to monk its very early days and he could prove me wrong but from what i have seen i havent been overly impressed and he hasnt had to deal with a european hangover that much (two games), laudrup had most of that through the groups.

he's average a point per game so far which is relegation form

[GSC]

UEFA havent decided what to do with FFP fines yet.

PR stunts going well

[socal1976]

Anything short of kicking City and PSG out of the Champions League next next season is a sham. The Sheik has spent a billion pounds on City the last few years does anyone think he will blink or Qatar will blink at a 45-50 million pound fine. But I guess it is better than nothing, but just barely.

[GSC]

Said it before, say it again, UEFA was never interested in tackling the big teams. Even odds the first team suspended comes from Latvia or something.

[mystiroakey]

Its very tough legally to tell a team that they cant stick sponsorship deals as revenue in regards to complying to uefa when its perfectly legal financially.

PSG seemed to roll over but citeh are just not playing ball.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

I have been waiting for Swansea to go to pot. I think they skipped the second season syndrome by jumping the momentum onto the Laudrup train. I would say if they keep Michu and Bony they'll be fine. If they lose one, they might struggle. I think Laudrup was a good name to have to bring players in, but not sure Monk attracts players to Wales.

[GSC]

Money tends to do for most. Swansea must have a sizable pot by now

[NickisBHAFC]

Really hope Monk does well, good to see a young British manager get given the post, has a great foundation of a club to work with, set up superbly well by Rodgers and Laudrup (who i feel never should of been sacked) and hardly looked out of place when he was in charge for the remainder of this season.

Swansea fans need to get right behind him and without the distraction of Europa League i am sure they will be challenging for a top half finish next season.

[Fernando]

Paddy Power new video of the day

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[Ent]

A good laugh that but there is no way I would have been involved with that if I was a pro footballer.

[GSC]

You really are a grumpy sod Ent

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Footballers are not people, they are mere machines for Ent to moan at

[Ent]

You really are a grumpy sod Ent

There is just no way I'd do it, let's say arsenal actually had any winners in their team and they saw their team mates doing something like this - basically letting the urine being taken out of them. They would likely be wondering why they bothered being at the club.

It's funny, I enjoyed it - glad I'm not an arsenal fan, arteta is the captain on pitch for most of the season and he's found it wise to do a commercial with an oap feeling his bum midway through the season.

[mystiroakey]

Sense of Humour  Ent- come on get one!!

its hilarious.

The betting sites have some wonderful jokes and clips- They crack me up. At least my losses are going to good causes.....

[Ent]

It is very funny.

It's unprofessional - I'd hate any united players to be involved in something like this.

[mystiroakey]

how is it unprofessional ent?

explain yourself!

[mystiroakey]

i tell you what though pathetic shooting from Poldolski.....

[GSC]

I'd like to remind you Rio Ferdinand had a TV program dedicated to him "merking" people.

[Ent]

i tell you what though pathetic shooting from Poldolski.....

Which was compared to Giroud. Sure he's delighted with that.

[Ent]

I'd like to remind you Rio Ferdinand had a TV program dedicated to him "merking" people.

Whilst that was horrific it was taking the urine out of players in non footballing situations, not ridiculing his and team mates ability.

I guess the character of players has changed, can't imagine any striker worth their salt accepting a team mate being involved in something that criticises their finishing in a national advertising campaign.

[mystiroakey]

it really is just a joke and fair play to them for going along with it

I respect it when they can laugh at themselves and at the idiot tweeters- they still put hours and hours in on the training pitch.

[GSC]

Ent you're taking this far too seriously. Its just a laugh. Footballers are real people you know.

[Ent]

Ent you're taking this far too seriously. Its just a laugh. Footballers are real people you know.

They are professionals, they should act accordingly.

Wouldn't be happy as an arsenal fan, happy enough as a united fan.

[mystiroakey]

If I was you I would rather 4th spot and a final to come and having players with a sense of humour

[Ent]

I'd rather serious professionals.

[compelling and rich]

just watched it   

ent you really need to lighten up

[Hammersmith harrier]

You have serious problems Ent, learn to take a joke which it is nothing more.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

You really are a miserable swine. This is the kind of thing footballers did when people liked them. Actually cant see the harm of any of it, especially your hatred for the bum squeeze. Your attitude would be a hindrance and is also opposed by most people in the game who want footballers to be able to unwind in reasonable fashion and want to let them be people too. Youve got professionals who have so many details planned for them, this kind of psychological release is very good. I would suspect a sports psychologist would absolutely encourage it.

[Guest]

i tell you what though pathetic shooting from Poldolski.....

Which was compared to Giroud. Sure he's delighted with that.

Absolute crack up that video. He's been practicing quite clearly with Olivier Giroud   

[Fernando]

Man City: Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany, Demichelis, Kolarov, Javi Garcia, Toure, Milner, Silva, Nasri, Dzeko. Subs: Richards, Lescott, Negredo, Clichy, Fernandinho, Pantilimon, Jovetic.

Aston Villa: Guzan, Lowton, Vlaar, Baker, Clark, El Ahmadi, Westwood, Delph, Weimann, Bowery, Bertrand. Subs: Bacuna, Steer, Sylla, Tonev, Holt, Robinson, Grealish.

Referee: Michael Oliver (Northumberland)

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Sunderland: Mannone, Vergini, O'Shea, Brown, Alonso, Cattermole, Johnson, Larsson, Colback, Borini, Wickham. Subs: Bardsley, Altidore, Ba, Giaccherini, Bridcutt, Scocco, Ustari.

West Brom: Foster, Reid, Lugano, McAuley, Brunt, Anichebe, Yacob, Morrison, Dorrans, Sessegnon, Berahino. Subs: Olsson, Sinclair, Myhill, Vydra, Mulumbu, Dawson, O'Neil.

Referee: Lee Mason (Lancashire)


Surprised to see Fernandinho on the bench for Citeh.

[westisbest]

I hope Lambert gives Grealish some game time.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Im not surprised, only because Garcia has had his spot recently and, with choice, I think hes thrown Milner in knowing the hard miles he'll put in and the fact he offers such variety to their team.

I still, however, cannot get over there being two players called Ba in the Premier League, yet we only got 9 past prime games from Ibrahim Ba over here.

[Fernando]

Sunderland 1-0 WBA - Colback

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