We Go Again! The 2014/15 Premier League Thread

[hampo17]

First topic message reminder :

I know it's not premier league related, but I was just reading that both of Scunthorpes goalkeepers suffered broken arms in today's game.

[Liam]

I think he's poor in the final third, zero assists this season too & that was him playing as an attacking wing back for the majority of his time playing. Valencia on the other side is also woeful, great engine, however his crossing is basically smash it & again hope it finds a striker. Issues all over the ship for United, strikers, wide men, central midfield, right back & a centre back.

He's mainly played at left back, Young was being used as a wingback not Shaw, the primary aim and it's often forgotten for a fullback is defence and Shaw has very good positional sense, he's also strong in the tackle. You blur fiction with reality.

Ironically it's our two big name signings who haven't got off the ground, Falcao is too slow and he can no longer finish whereas Di Maria has been crap. Rojo, Blind, Shaw and Herrera have all shown glimpses of quality, playing Rooney in midfield is our biggest issue.

Blind

Herrera-Di Maria

Mata

Rooney-Wilson

Rooney can play further back but he doesn't influence the game enough and the best we've looked is when Wilson has been on the pitch stretching the opposition defence.

Part of me wonders if we'd have been better served keeping Welbeck and not signing Falcao.

Agree with all of this. For me, Utd's problems are quite easily fixable atm yet it seems only Van Gaal is failing to grasp this. Ok, we need a RB and CB which weren't available in Jan but in fairness, Smalling has done well recently and Jones did well against West Ham, whilst Rojo looks a top signing. Why a player like Herrera can't get in the side I don't know. He's got a great engine, good passer and creative influence, whilst also likes to get stuck in, yet we play Rooney in midfield who clearly can't play there and Fellaini to lump it up to him. Crazy!.

Agree with the team you've picked, but no way is RVP getting dropped. I think Mata get's allot of stick but always get's you a goal or an assist. I think he's played too deep this year anyway. His best play comes on the edge of the box, rather than picking it up on the half way line as he's been doing allot. I'd even be tempted to go:

Januzaj Blind Herrera Di Maria
Rooney/Mata
Wilson RVP/Falcao

Get's more width and pace down the flanks, especially with Shaw now suspended and Rafael only just coming back from injury.

[Guest]

For me, Utd's problems are quite easily fixable atm yet it seems only Van Gaal is failing to grasp this.

yet we play Rooney in midfield who clearly can't play there and Fellaini to lump it up to him. Crazy!.

but no way is RVP getting dropped.

all three issues related to the man with such a great CV, yet at the minute looks like a half-wit

[Hammersmith harrier]

You can't really argue with his record, you don't win league titles with four different teams if you're a half-wit, he'll get it right eventually.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

You cant say its definitely weaker though. Only Liverpool are notably poorer. whereas Saints and us are being quite a thorn

Arsenal at the end of January 2014 (P23 / PTS 52 & were 2nd), whereas this year they are (P24 / PTS 42 & are 6th. Both Liverpool & Arsenal have dropped massively, even Everton, who were ahead of United at this stage last year. Hugely weaker competition for LVG to be confronted with. Moyes has 40 pointsn & was 6th, whereas LVG has 44 & is in the Top 4.

Again, that has no context to the success of other teams. Points are not how you judge a team, its position. The fact Southampton are a top four possible and we have basically replaced Everton mean its harder to get in the top four this year.

[Gerry SA]

Whilst LvG is a great manager, it shows the talent of Alex Ferguson that he could get crap players playing above their ability.

[Gerry SA]

And I'd rather MUFC play a 4/3/3

Herrera Blind

Mata

Di Maria Wilson

RvP/Falcao

Rooney's always been overrated and is a pretty average finisher. And he's not as good playing as #10 as Mata. Herrera, with his passing range, could be a very good deep laying play maker, a bit like Xabi Alonso. Wilson has natural pace, and whilst he's a striker, he seems capable of playing further out wide.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Id be playing

Carrick Di Maria Blind

Mata

Falcao Rooney

On the basis of Falcao having decent movement and better instincts than RVP and Rooney getting in behind but also liable to drift. Alternatively i'd play Herrera instead of Falcao and leave Rooney up top alone. Pretty much means Shaw and the right back have unlimited chance to go forward cos Carrick and Blind will cover.

[Liam]

Rooney needs to be played right up top. His no.10 play has always been overrated for me. Apart from his cross field ball, he doesn't really do what a no.10 is expected to. His best season for utd, in which I thought he was easily in the top 3 players in world football, was the season after Ronaldo left in which I think he scored near enough 40 goals and led us to the league and CL final. He was immense and was moved right up top by Fergie. Play him up top with either RVP/Falcao/Wilson. Mata in the no.10, with Di Maria lcm and Herrera rcm. Blind/Carrick holding.

[GSC]

So now Linekers responded to Pearsons jabs at MotD by sawing one member of the owners family sacked him and another reinstated him.

I've seen enough owner/manager farces lately to know how this one ends

[Fernando]

The £4billion Premier League TV rights tender goes into a second round on Tuesday morning with revised bids due by midday. The seven packages are expected to be awarded later in the day.

Although the Discovery Channel and beIN Sport have shown interest, the most likely scenario is that Sky will retain four prime packages.

BT, meanwhile, will get an increased number of games, up to 56 out of the 168 live matches being sold per season for three years

[Roller_Coaster]

I know this isn't Premier league related but my eldest son had a trial with Bury FC tonight and has been invited back for an initial 6 weeks

Cool. Good luck to him. In laws are just up the road so been there quite a few times "shopping" (in law speak for having endless f**king coffees in Debenhams or Marksys cafes!)

[GSC]

You cant say its definitely weaker though. Only Liverpool are notably poorer. whereas Saints and us are being quite a thorn

Arsenal at the end of January 2014 (P23 / PTS 52 & were 2nd), whereas this year they are (P24 / PTS 42 & are 6th. Both Liverpool & Arsenal have dropped massively, even Everton, who were ahead of United at this stage last year. Hugely weaker competition for LVG to be confronted with. Moyes has 40 pointsn & was 6th, whereas LVG has 44 & is in the Top 4.

There's a huge difference in quality of promoted sides too. Palace were the form team towards the end of the year, Hull stayed up and made a cup final.

This season all 3 could conceivably go down with a whimper.

For me the PL is definitely weaker this season than any other. I don't really see why its to LVGs credit that a small increase in points leads to a big jump because of a weaker league

[Stella]

How did he get off?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/31359684

[Azzy]

Because he can handle himself.

[Stella]

He could well be gone tonight, so maybe the FA didn't want to rub salt into the wounds.

[Guest]

Some cracking games this mid-week, you feel could be decisive somehow in telling us where teams will finish.

Predictions
Sunderland vs QPR - home win, football a funny game though, wouldn't surprise me to see Ramsey roll up & take three points in his first away game.

Arsenal vs Leicester City - home win

Hull City vs Aston Villa - for me, the biggest game of the week. Absolute 50/50, whoever loses is in big trouble

Liverpool vs Tottenham - sneaky feeling just when you think Tottenham might be the real deal, they will go to Anfield & mess it up. Expect a Liverpool win.

[westisbest]

Pearson is a muppet.

Gonna go for the above
Sunderland
Arsenal
Villa
Spurs.

[Stella]

QPR
Arsenal
Hull
Draw

[Dolphin Ziggler]

You cant say its definitely weaker though. Only Liverpool are notably poorer. whereas Saints and us are being quite a thorn

Arsenal at the end of January 2014 (P23 / PTS 52 & were 2nd), whereas this year they are (P24 / PTS 42 & are 6th. Both Liverpool & Arsenal have dropped massively, even Everton, who were ahead of United at this stage last year. Hugely weaker competition for LVG to be confronted with. Moyes has 40 pointsn & was 6th, whereas LVG has 44 & is in the Top 4.

There's a huge difference in quality of promoted sides too. Palace were the form team towards the end of the year, Hull stayed up and made a cup final.

This season all 3 could conceivably go down with a whimper.

For me the PL is definitely weaker this season than any other. I don't really see why its to LVGs credit that a small increase in points leads to a big jump because of a weaker league

But Palace were dog before Pulis came in, Hull made a cup final but stopped playing half the year cos of that. None of the relegated sides were any better than the promoted sides, bar QPR away from home. And if the league was easier then the points increase for United wouldnt really matter because the other teams around them would be doing better than last year. At the moment, they are quite notably better placed than last year's side so they are better, its barely an argument. And they at very least are grinding out wins when they play poor, Moyes' men often looked lost in the headlights when the going got tough.

[Hammersmith harrier]

I doubt Arsenal were any better last year, Tottenham, Southampton and West Ham are all taking points off teams they weren't last year while everyone knew Liverpool was just a flash in the pan.

The only thing that ultimately matters is league position and this year we're still in with a shot of second place, last year we were pretty much dead and buried for top four.

[GSC]

Cant see any of those 3 clubs being able to take half the season off

[wadey101]

Difference for me this year is Man U have managed to take undeserved draws and wins this year. They are still playing awful just like last year but are managing to escape with points rather than losses. I don't know whether that's down to LVG or just a bit of extra luck that they didn't have last year.

[GSC]

Sam Allardyce can tick winning mind games against LVG off his bucket list

[Guest]

Raheem Sterling is out of tonight game, what a chance for Spurs. Also, Louis Van Gaal has displayed a set of diagrams to journalists to contest claims that his Manchester United side are using long-ball tactics.

[Crimey]

Yeah with Sterling out, Rodgers has to start Sturridge.

I'd move Ibe up closer to Sturridge and play Markovic wing back.

Can't see Liverpool win without Sterling and Lucas. I just really hope Allen doesn't play.

[Liam]

Difference for me as a utd fan to last season, is that we were mentally fragile last year under Moyes. There were no leaders, no fighting spirit, just a heads down mentality when the going got tough. Van Gaal has changed that. Yes, we haven't played well all season really, but we've got the points on the board and that's all that matters this season. We've developed leaders, with De Gea stepping up in goal, Rojo proving me wrong and looking a very good cb in the making, Blind and Carrick adding some solidity and calmness in midfield with the strikers chipping in with some important goals e.g. Falcao vs stoke/everton/Villa.

Its not pretty at the moment, but we're getting points and have only lost 1 in 17. We've got some favourable fixtures coming up and we have to be looking to take maximum points with games to come vs Spurs/Arsenal/City at home and Liverpool/Chelsea away from home. I fancy us to beat Arsenal/Spurs at home, not so much Liverpool and Chelsea away and the City game is 50/50 for me.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

That's where I think they're a better team. Think Moyes' side would have crumbled against us, even though we should have wrapped it up beforehand.

Looks like Lassana Diarra is gonna sign for us

[wadey101]

It's not just about Man u though, West Ham had 2 great chances to score just before Man u got their equaliser, if one of those goes in then it's game over. That's not about Man u being a better team, that's the luck you need to be able to grab points you don't deserve from playing so poorly

[Azzy]

Hasn't Diarra played for nearly every PL team now?

[Guest]

if people want to use the words, 'mentally tougher, stronger & less fragile' to make united appear to be a better side than last year, then let them. personally, for £150m + appointing a so called world class manager with a great philosophy, it's rather disappointing, that united are playing like a lower class championship side. i really thought he'd have this side transformed with his experience, man management & funds available, unfortunately, he's not fergie.

diarra has played for chelsea, arsenal, portsmouth & now west ham

[Crimey]

Thinking Diarra is going to fill the hole that Darren Fletcher was originally going to fill, he'll do a job but with Noble, Song and Kouyate ahead of him, can't imagine he'll get many starts without an injury to one of them.

[guildfordbat]

if people want to use the words, 'mentally tougher, stronger & less fragile' to make united appear to be a better side than last year, then let them. personally, for £150m + appointing a so called world class manager with a great philosophy, it's rather disappointing, that united are playing like a lower class championship side. i really thought he'd have this side transformed with his experience, man management & funds available, unfortunately, he's not fergie.

Liam - perhaps worth remembering that it took Fergie some time before he became ... well, Fergie.

[Guest]

Yeah with Sterling out, Rodgers has to start Sturridge.

I'd move Ibe up closer to Sturridge and play Markovic wing back.

Can't see Liverpool win without Sterling and Lucas. I just really hope Allen doesn't play.

Is Lallana still injured?

Allen has been about as much us as t!ts on a snake so far this season (and yet still better than Balotelli). He wasn't too bad last season or perhaps the fact we were winning masked how poor he was. Still think we need a midfield monster. Maybe when Flanagan's back, Can will move back into midfield.

[GSC]

if people want to use the words, 'mentally tougher, stronger & less fragile' to make united appear to be a better side than last year, then let them. personally, for £150m + appointing a so called world class manager with a great philosophy, it's rather disappointing, that united are playing like a lower class championship side. i really thought he'd have this side transformed with his experience, man management & funds available, unfortunately, he's not fergie.

Liam - perhaps worth remembering that it took Fergie some time before he became ... well, Fergie.

For every Fergie there's thousands of donkeys

[Fernando]

Premier league announces 5pm conference to reveal the TV rights deals. Apparently Discovery didn't bid so it's Sky vs BT unless beIN Sports bid.

[Azzy]

Titz on a snake

Here's hoping BT Sport take the lion's share of the games away from Sky.

[Fernando]

Really?

You want to hear the dulcet tones of Michael Owen on a weekly basis Id hang myself if i had to.

[Crimey]

Yeah with Sterling out, Rodgers has to start Sturridge.

I'd move Ibe up closer to Sturridge and play Markovic wing back.

Can't see Liverpool win without Sterling and Lucas. I just really hope Allen doesn't play.

Is Lallana still injured?

Allen has been about as much us as t!ts on a snake so far this season (and yet still better than Balotelli). He wasn't too bad last season or perhaps the fact we were winning masked how poor he was. Still think we need a midfield monster. Maybe when Flanagan's back, Can will move back into midfield.  

He "might" be back, not expecting him to start though.

I think Can might be in midfield tonight, which would be a shame as it would likely mean either Johnson or Lovren in the back three and Can has been fantastic in that position.

[Guest]

Yeah with Sterling out, Rodgers has to start Sturridge.

I'd move Ibe up closer to Sturridge and play Markovic wing back.

Can't see Liverpool win without Sterling and Lucas. I just really hope Allen doesn't play.

Is Lallana still injured?

Allen has been about as much us as t!ts on a snake so far this season (and yet still better than Balotelli). He wasn't too bad last season or perhaps the fact we were winning masked how poor he was. Still think we need a midfield monster. Maybe when Flanagan's back, Can will move back into midfield.  

He "might" be back, not expecting him to start though.

I think Can might be in midfield tonight, which would be a shame as it would likely mean either Johnson or Lovren in the back three and Can has been fantastic in that position.

He has been good hasn't he although I wish he'd stop taking as many touches when under pressure and just get it up field instead of getting caught in possession. Sakho's just started to make me feel nervous again and he's being targeted by teams who know he's not great under pressure. He's going to need a hand tonight.

Should be a good game and even though we may not keep a clean sheet for the first time in ages I think we'll get the win

[guildfordbat]

if people want to use the words, 'mentally tougher, stronger & less fragile' to make united appear to be a better side than last year, then let them. personally, for £150m + appointing a so called world class manager with a great philosophy, it's rather disappointing, that united are playing like a lower class championship side. i really thought he'd have this side transformed with his experience, man management & funds available, unfortunately, he's not fergie.

Liam - perhaps worth remembering that it took Fergie some time before he became ... well, Fergie.

For every Fergie there's thousands of donkeys

GSC - of course that's right. You're not old enough though to remember that many put Fergie in the ''donkey'' category in his early years at Old Trafford as calls then grew for his sacking. Too soon to determine whether van Gaal will be bracketed alongside the managerial greats of Fergie and Busby or the more ordinary McGuinness, O'Farrell and Moyes. Even if not in his present job, van Gaal has done enough in his career to deserve some time. A rush to judgement will help no one.

[mystiroakey]

LVG's tactics released to the the press... I cant stop laughing thinking about what he has done..

Big Sam has really got under his skin..

[Fernando]

Titz on a snake

Here's hoping BT Sport take the lion's share of the games away from Sky.

The fact that it's been moved after when the stock exchange closes suggests that you may get your wish...

[wadey101]

Amazing stat for most long balls played this season:

1. Burnley - 1877
2. Man Utd - 1861
.
.
.
17. Chelsea - 420
18. Arsenal - 376
19. Liverpool - 374
20. City - 339

Unbelievable to see Utd playing over 1000 more than their rivals

[Fernando]

Wayne Rooney hasn't had a shot on target since the start of 2015 which is surprising despite his deep position...

[Fernando]

Sky Sports to show 126 games with 5 packages - they get Friday evenings, Monday evenings, Saturday Afternoons (12.45) and Sunday afternoons.

BT to show 42 games with 2 packages Saturday evenings (5:30) and midweek games.

Price of bidding 5.136 billion pounds.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Friday night football - because who gives a Poopie about fans who go to games

[Azzy]

BT may as well not have bothered. 42 games is pathetic.

[Guest]

They spent on Champions League rights too, taking over from ITV, so they were never going to pressure Sky too heavily on the PL front.

[Duty281]

Yeah BT have got exclusive Champions and Europa League rights from next season for three years, so I imagine they haven't got a great deal of funding left.

[sportform]

Sky Sports to show 126 games with 5 packages -  they get Friday evenings, Monday evenings, Saturday Afternoons (12.45) and Sunday afternoons.

BT to show 42 games with 2 packages Saturday evenings (5:30) and midweek games.

Price of bidding 5.136 billion pounds.

I can't help but think Sky, BT Sport and the BBC have been stitched up like a kipper.

Rumours are leaked about other bidders such as Discovery or BeIN Sports (or ITV with the highlights package). The existing broadcasters then hikes up their bids and as it is closed bidding they have no idea of any other bids.

The Premier League sells the same product back to them for a much increased price and is laughing all the way to the bank.

Something about the bidding process smells fishy to me. Perhaps it is time for the Government or the European Commission to take a look over it?

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