We Go Again! The 2014/15 Premier League Thread

[kingraf]

First topic message reminder :

You're both quite awful, but I wouldn't rule anybody out of anything yet. Liverpool are THIRTEENTH and they are just five points off a CL spot (although, they might give up on it this year, so they can make a run for it next year). The teams are just all so close this season, u don't think it would have even cleared up by Christmas (except Chelsea winning the league, they should be coronated by then). Citeh are basically trying the Suárez trick with Agüero, and while it's working at the moment, I'd say with his injury track record, the one with the thunder thighs is not someone you want to base your entire season around. If Agüero's out, Citeh struggle (hell, with Agüero in they've made heavy weather). I'd back both Utd and Arsenal to make it, but If Southampton can make it out of December still top five, I think it begins to get interesting

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Valencia is giving nothing to this game. Fellaini only helping Southampton and the centre of defence a shambles. Not a game for Mata cos no one in midfield can give him the ball and the movement ahead of him is non existent considering Rooney keeps dropping. Look like a team fighting relegation who know the manager is about to get sacked

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Utd are going to win this ain't they

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Ref is legit awful

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

What is Fraser Forster doing there #headsgone

[Guest]

Two of the cheapest goals conceded tonight. United papering over the cracks. Awful from Forster & the defence.

[Lowlandbrit]

Utd are going to win this ain't they

Do you have any lotto numbers while you're at it?

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

"@JacobSteinberg: United score all their goals from set-pieces and mistakes now, so they should have fun against Liverpool."

Its a good point

[Ent]

Good win. Crap performance.

A note on the referee, he was absolutely atrocious.

[Hammersmith harrier]

That's five on the spin now, the performance wasn't up to standard tonight but thanks to that man De Gea again we've got the all important three points and opened up a nice five point gap on Arsenal.

[Hero]

Like to see how many points DDG saves Utd over the course of the season.

[mystiroakey]

Man U have some how learnt how to win ugly again...

[Guest]

I love de Gea but a lot of people do go over the top for every save he makes, a lot of them go straight at him, like the Long one.

Great result for United but they were so bad at times it was laughable. Basically LVG's United will grind their way to the top 4, probably third. Southampton are mentally, physically gone & have no confidence. I see them dropping like a stone.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

It really doesn't reflect well on the quality of the premier league that this Utd side are now third...

[NickisBHAFC]

Lovely stuff this evening.

[NickisBHAFC]

RVP well and truly has his swagger back.

[The Special Juan]

"We're crap and we know we are, we're crap and we know we are"....

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

"@Haugstad1006: Oof, damning from Van Gaal on McNair. Taken off due to "no confidence", "had given three chances away". "Disappointing for me and him.""

Yet he kept Fellaini on????

[Dolphin Ziggler]

This is why I think they'll get top four, they have winners in that side with the attitude to grind out wins.

[mystiroakey]

What is fellaini good for?

Answers on a postage stamp.

the new vinnie jones on field- But sadly with that soppy head Hollywood wont come knocking.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

There's a niche market there for him, moving microphones

[Ent]

It really doesn't reflect well on the quality of the premier league that this Utd side are now third...

I think it does.

But for that capitulation against Leicester we would only be 2 points behind city.

League is poor currently, it happens - things will turn again.

[Hammersmith harrier]

Every league is poor at the moment, there's an endemic of poor defending that I don't see changing any time soon, even the best teams like Madrid and Bayern look poor when a team goes at them.

[mystiroakey]

Yep centre backs are rare as hens teeth.

[Corporalhumblebucket]

League gradually taking on a predictable pattern - with Chelsea and Manchester x 2 in top three and only Hull currently preventing bottom three of QPR, Burnley and Leicester.

[mystiroakey]

Its annoying how well palace have been playing and are not out of the fight..

4 very good performances on the spin..

But i think that shows that the league isn't that bad- its just a lack of quality in certain areas.. The wings in the PL seem to be were the talent is.

[Hammersmith harrier]

I'm also starting to think there's a big problem with the way teams in England train at the moment, I can't remember a time when there were so many muscle based injuries in young players. Michael Owen stood out because he was of a few whereas now we have players dropping left, right and centre, whether it's Man United, Arsenal, Man City, Tottenham or the notorious West Ham side of a few years ago.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

I think the change to high pressure play being a success adds to it. Certain positions work a lot harder off the ball than they used to

[Guest]

League is poor & LVG is benefiting. Having £150m spent & seeing last years successes of Liverpool/arsenal & Everton struggling has made it much easier, in comparison to Moyes. Yes, moyes was out of his depth, but I don't see any massive transformation if United. Also, when do we see this philosophy of van gaal's, at the minute United are atrocious, I guess it takes another £100m in January or the summer before we seen any footballing improvement on the eye.

[Ent]

Whilst it hasn't been brilliant we are winning more games, we are 6 points better off that this stage last year (when it was starting to go badly wrong) and the players look happier. They are all putting in more effort and more players are playing well than last year when only Rooney and Welbeck were decent.

It hasn't been easy on the eye and you are right LVG's philosophy hasn't shone through yet but what is it now 42/43 injuries?

Once he gets a settled side we will see what he is at, until then we know what we know - we've good strikers who can win us games if (by hook or by crook) we can keep teams out at the other end.

[Liam]

So relieved with the win last night. Awful performance but the successful utd sides built title campaigns on doing just that. Still can't see us breaking up City and Chelsea, but with a couple of signings in Jan like Strootman and a cb, you never know.

The amount of defensive injuries we've suffered has been incredible, so why people are expecting us to be so good at the back is anyone's guess. Fellaini proved what i've always said, he's useful enough in a diamond and provides a different option, but isn't good enough to play in just a two man midfield. His passing isn't good enough and he was shown up last night. Would rather have seen herrera start, who i really think can be a top player. Onwards to Liverpool, hopefully Di Maria is back and we can actually get Shaw and Rafael back.

[Guest]

I'm not surprised Ashley Young has had little praise for last night on here or in the media, because he's not liked generally, but I actually thought he was superb last night in comparison to many United players. On my way home reading the mail & he got 5.5 out of 10, whereas surprise, surprise RVP gets an 8. Essentially, RVP's goals were xmas gifts, his general play was pretty average. As for a miraculous philosophy, there isn't one. It's basically sign better players, by blowing another £100m & then LVG to act like he's some god, when in reality he isn't.

[Ent]

Young did play very well.

Disagree on rvp though, thought he played well. Held it up well, linked play and made runs. Defensive mistakes hut he was on to them in a flash and finished them clinically. He was our only player that had a shot.

[mystiroakey]

its all about scoring- if you win the game and score both goals in a 2-1 - you have to get an 8 minimum. It doesnt matter what else you do,

[Hammersmith harrier]

Van Persie was our best player last night by a mile, his primary job is to score and he did that, how he scores isn't that important really as it's still only one goal.

Fans of other teams as Mysti will attest to don't see the bigger picture, the team spirit is much improved this year and we're fighting in every single game something we weren't doing last year. Under Moyes we'd have been resigned to defeat against West Brom, Chelsea and City but this season under Van Gaal we've fought to the last second for the result.

As Ent has said we can't fully judge Van Gaal because he's having to shuffle the deck almost every game due to injuries, Smalling starts to find some form gets injured, Shaw finds some form then gets injured, it's been the story of our season so far.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Young was very good, man of the match for me and stuck to his task brilliantly. Best defender was the least disposed to be one

[mystiroakey]

Yep time for the lad to get some praise. He seems to have quietly matured . And does the job given.

[Ent]

Yep time for the lad to get some praise. He seems to have quietly matured . And does the job given.

This, van gaal will always have a place in his team/squad for him.

[westisbest]

Is he still diving and moaning when not given a free kick, not getting up and tracking back.

The latter he did quite a bit at Villa, which annoyed me.
Young was godd player for us though.

[NickisBHAFC]

Why are wwe banning people on 2K15?

[Ent]

Making Benoit.

[spencerclarke]

You get the feeling that the United v Liverpool game really could be any score. Both clubs, managers, fans and players will look at the opposition and think this is the game to change their season. Both sides will be chomping at the bit even more than normal for this match. Yes United have been picking up wins but the performances have been woeful. Win this against your biggest rivals could have huge implications for the season.

[wadey101]

You get the feeling that the United v Liverpool game really could be any score. Both clubs, managers, fans and players will look at the opposition and think this is the game to change their season. Both sides will be chomping at the bit even more than normal for this match. Yes United have been picking up wins but the performances  have been woeful. Win this against your biggest rivals could have huge implications for the season.

Think it would be a big win for Liverpool and boost them to push on but for United I can't see it changing their season, whatever happens their performances are still gonna be woeful but they'll still probably scrape through games with the quality of their strikers just like last couple of seasons under Fergie. They've not played good football for a long long time

[Guest]

Agree, game won't change much for United, LVG won't care about crawling over the line to a top 4, that achievement in itself, after the Moyes era, will cut him slack in terms of the level of performance. Huge game for Liverpool you feel, lose this & the season could peter out to nothing.

I also see a Brendan Rodgers signing having a mare in France. Origi has been booed off by his own fans after missing a penalty & his goal drought now stands at around 923 minutes. £10m well spent Brendan, bravo!

[compelling and rich]

cant believe people cant see the difference between lvg united and moyes!

under moyes we were played stagnant football with just sideways passing with no movement off the ball (something that has improved dramatically this season) and very slow and boring, he couldn't get the best out of any of the players including his two buys, against the big teams we were easily beaten and normally outclassed where as we have competed well against the top sides this season usually with half a team

even when we went through a sticky patch i could see there was a light at the end of a tunnel with lvg as the likes of wba, city and chelsea results we didnt win but played very well. southampton im just writing off as a bad night at the office as its the worse we played (still won)

[Guest]

Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew has been named Barclays Manager of the Month, with Manchester City's Sergio Aguero earning November's player award.

Great to see Pardew win this award, now for the inevitable thrashing at the Emirates.

[Fernando]

Have you not seen our squad for tomorrow John...

[1GrumpyGolfer]

I think we might go with a 2-1-7 formation tomorrow what with attack being the best form of defence....

[Guest]

yeah, saw your injuries, a lot of those wouldn't start anyway. defence you look weak but i doubt we will go to the emirates & start with a gung ho approach. pardew will look to play counter, its how we work best, so i doubt your defence will be exposed too often. we also are missing taylor & our heartbeat of the side in Sissoko. game is a free hit for us, after winning the chelsea game. not too bothered if we lose, i'd like a win but don't see it.

[Guest]

our injury list or absent is krul, elliott, santon, both taylors, sissoko, abeid, aarons, obertan or de jong. injuries happen to everyone.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Sissoko and Krul are misses, the rest are a bit meh

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