We Go Again! The 2014/15 Premier League Thread

[Ent]

First topic message reminder :

Missed the game today great result!

City have bought terribly since they won the title in 11/12, 100s of millions and no real certain starters or class players introduced.

They've prospered in a relative decline of the pl, picking up the top players from the non top 4 and the sub elite Europeans was good enough as a base but they didn't kick on and it has showed in Europe and this season.

6 wins in a row for United, city, Spurs and Liverpool in that run.

Top 4 all but secured, big test next week against chelsea.

[hampo17]

Arsenal fans booing Fabregas should've had there tickets taken away - idiots

Really? The way he left the club was completely classless, and he's shown how little respect he has for the club with his dive today

Behave yourself. Hate this attitude from fans that when a player returns to an old club he must play differently, he goes down in that situation 100 times out 100, today should be no different. It's like when fans moan if an old player celebrates scoring a goal against them.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Arsenal fans booing Fabregas should've had there tickets taken away - idiots

Really? The way he left the club was completely classless, and he's shown how little respect he has for the club with his dive today

Both of those points are nonsense

[GSC]

Considering how Cesc actively engineered his Barca move, he wouldn't be a fan favorite for me either.

Mourinho got the point he wanted, title secured now

[Dolphin Ziggler]

I dont think his hands should be up like that when blocking an effort. Completely unnatural position and a bit lucky to get away with it

When you drop down to make a block in the way Cahill did your back arm always goes up like that for balance.

If you make no effort to stop it. Thus paying the price if its hits your arm. Handball given 100% if that was outside the box, it was close to a Terry special.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Considering how Cesc actively engineered his Barca move, he wouldn't be a fan favorite for me either.

Mourinho got the point he wanted, title secured now

You mean returning to his boyhood club, in the city he was born, after 8 years and 200 games for Arsenal. And then turned down, regardless of whether Cesc would have chosen them, by Arsenal on returning from the club he supported. What a villain.

[GSC]

You're looking at it from a neutral perspective, not a fans perspective.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

The Chelsea part would be the only bit that stuck in my throat. Vieira and Henry get nothing but love and both had been itching for moves longer than Cesc when they finally went. Cesc is one who divides opinion, I think I'm probably looking at it from the more reasonable Arsenal fan perspective, rather than the Wenger out crowd perspective.

[GSC]

Henry and Viera both left at the tail end of their careers also. They'd played their best football for the club

[FootballLight]

Once again, tactical Chelsea that but they did what they what they needed to do ultimately. Another step closer to the title, a win at Leicester and then against Palace and its all theirs. Deserved it really this season.

[NickisBHAFC]

Jose has once again owned arsenal

On the boring chelsea chants "I think 10 years without a title is boring" 

Brilliant!

[Stella]

Chelsea will deservedly win the title, but this season has been damn boring. Even the championship could be settled by tomorrow!

Bring on the cricket season.

[Duty281]

Football is rubbish these days.

Or maybe I'm just old and bitter?

[FootballLight]

I think the Championship has been as exciting as ever this season. Even though promotion could be done by tomorrow, its still been a cracker nevertheless and there is still relegation battles in the top 2 divisions. Chelsea walked this league though and hardly in "style" either with their style of play. But, its won them the league, they won't complain.

This season is a basis for how much teams need to catch up to Chelsea throughout the summer now.

[Stella]

Football is rubbish these days.

Or maybe I'm just old and bitter?

Old?

[Duty281]

Football is rubbish these days.

Or maybe I'm just old and bitter?

Old?

Not again!

[Stella]

Football is rubbish these days.

Or maybe I'm just old and bitter?

Old?

Not again!

Sorry!

[Stella]

I think the Championship has been as exciting as ever this season. Even though promotion could be done by tomorrow, its still been a cracker nevertheless and there is still relegation battles in the top 2 divisions. Chelsea walked this league though and hardly in "style" either with their style of play. But, its won them the league, they won't complain.

This season is a basis for how much teams need to catch up to Chelsea throughout the summer now.

I'm hoping you beat Derby, FL, but I can see them and Ipswich getting the last play-off spots, with Norwich taking on Ipswich in the play-offs, by the looks of it.

[kingraf]

Biggest thing about this weekend was that Aguerooooo moved to the top of the goalscoring charts. I'm a few weeks away from a lot of money. Come on Sergio!

[westisbest]

Probably never been gifted a goal like that before in his life.

[CFCNick]

Arsenal fans booing Fabregas should've had there tickets taken away - idiots

Really? The way he left the club was completely classless, and he's shown how little respect he has for the club with his dive today

Wasn't really a dive though. More embellishment than a full on dive.

I dont think his hands should be up like that when blocking an effort. Completely unnatural position and a bit lucky to get away with it

When you drop down to make a block in the way Cahill did your back arm always goes up like that for balance.

If you make no effort to stop it. Thus paying the price if its hits your arm. Handball given 100% if that was outside the box, it was close to a Terry special.

You just come across as a bitter, anti-Chelsea fan.

There's no way in a million years that Cahill or anyone in that position gets called for handball and a penalty. No way. Not ever.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Urgh, big club syndrome strikes again

[westisbest]

Just seen the Cahill incident.

Don't think you can give a penalty for that.

Very harsh if it was given.

[Hammersmith harrier]

Have to agree with Dolph here, that's a clear and deliberate handball, not sure how that is a natural position to get into.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

I'm just bitter. I don't think its stonewall, I just think it should be a pen. Doesnt matter that I defended Fabregas on the dive and the boos, by supporting a club that isnt winning titles then I must be bitter. The Sky generation, ladies and gentlemen

[Hammersmith harrier]

A natural instinctive position for his hand in that situation would be his face or the floor for balance.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Harry Kane with a GOAT quote after winning the PFA Young Player of the Year

Asked the reason behind his success he said

"I just started playing really"

That's some deep stuff right there

[Stella]

Just seen the Cahill handball incident. I'm not convinced it was a pen, though his arms were out a little. One of those that could have gone either way.
As for the trip on Fabregas. That was a pen every time.

[compelling and rich]

lets not get carried away here, ashley young has not been fantastic all season, he's not been as sh!t as he usually is so gets praised. di maria has been making lots of similar mistakes as young does (rubbish crosses going nowhere) yet still has loads more assists than him but is the one being slated and young praised purely through different expectations

[NickisBHAFC]

Well done to Hazzard and Kane. Both well deserved.

[Hammersmith harrier]

Hazard missing out on the young player award is scandalous, the award needs changing to stop it looking like a joke.

[compelling and rich]

not sure i agree HH, hazard is 24 he's hardly that young. quite a lot of players peak around that age.

i think young should be 21 or under, so kane was a deserving winner for me. also think the young player should be for break through players not the elite first team players who have already been established for quite a few years. kane also fit the bill for that

[Guest]

Agree with both winners.

[Hammersmith harrier]

not sure i agree HH, hazard is 24 he's hardly that young. quite a lot of players peak around that age.

i think young should be 21 or under, so kane was a deserving winner for me. also think the young player should be for break through players not the elite first team players who have already been established for quite a few years. kane also fit the bill for that

That is exactly my point C and R, the rules of the award should be changed but if Hazard is up for it then he should win it.

[Mike Selig]

A few thoughts:

- A lot of talk about "boring Chelsea" etc. again. I don't think they set up in a particularly defensive style at Arsenal. 1st away to 3rd in the league, I have hardly ever seen a side set themselves up to play enterprising football in that scenario. 0-0 was TBH a scoreline which suited both sides just fine, so it was a cagey game of few chances at both ends; Arsenal didn't chase the game either, there were loads of times when Chelsea had possession for a long period without being put under pressure. A dull game certainly, but both sides had a part to play there.

- On the penalty incidents: first one with Oscar probably not a penalty, there's not enough in it IMO. 2nd one Ospina on Oscar should be a pen, but I don't think you'll see those given as often as some people seem to think. Ospina's challenge hasn't changed the course of play, which is I think why the ref hasn't given it. I actually think even if a defender makes that challenge (i.e. a sliding tackle which takes a player out after he gets a shot away) you are not often seeing that given as a pen. Perhaps it's wrong. 3rd one on Fabregas for me is a pen, sticks his leg out and trips him, yes Fabregas makes the most of it but in today's game IMO those are given. Final one the Cahill handball I also think is a pen, I think if you go in for a block in the pen area you have to try to keep your arms out of the way. For me, a goalbound shot blocked by an arm which is raised is a pen. Similar to Ballack's shot in the final minute of that CL game against Barca all those years ago.

- Hazard PFA player of the year - fair enough. Wouldn't have minded De Gea who has also been immense, but Hazard has carried Chelsea these last couple of months (offensively) and driven the final stage of their title charge. De Gea's best moments came when Man Utd were clinging on as it were, since their revival he has been a bit more quiet (because he hasn't been needed as much).

- I think the point about young player of the year is that if you are young enough to be eligible and are the best player of the year then logic dictates you should win young player of the year as well. If you replace this award by something like "emerging player of the year" which I think is what it is meant to be in spirit, then Kane winning makes sense. However as things are now, if it is for the best young player (age based) and Hazard qualifies as "young" then Hazard should have won it.

All IMHO of course.

[Ent]

It's a player vote, no surprise they split it.

Really the double is very rare, do agree the age limit should reduce- reflects an age that's long gone where players were felt to peak at 28/29.

[Guest]

rumours that milner to liverpool is a 'done deal' & that rodgers will now go after benteke in a £30m deal, with lambert going to villa park included in the deal.

[GSC]

So Villa value Benteke at 15m

[Hammersmith harrier]

Milner is a bit of meh kind of signing, he won't take a team to the next level but is a player who can be counted on to be consistently 7/10 almost every game. Liverpool could and possibly should be aiming a bit higher, he won't be cheap and will be on very high wages.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Bournemouth already designated with the "breath of fresh air" tag for next season

[Guest]

Not really, bound to end up scrapping for survival next season, won't be able to play like they are now vs PL teams, whole different ball game. Liverpool, at their worst moment of the season, went to Bournemouth & destroyed them.

[GSC]

Callum Wilson will be a popular choice for a breakout striker.

Which is unfortunate as he isn't very good

[GSC]

But yeah, I'm looking forward to the plucky underdog tag

[Fernando]

Callum Wilson will be a popular choice for a breakout striker.

Which is unfortunate as he isn't very good

He's being looked at by West Ham so it may not be their issue 

[GSC]

Hes basically Cameron Jerome the younger. Pace wins badly in the lower leagues.

[westisbest]

rumours that milner to liverpool is a 'done deal' & that rodgers will now go after benteke in a £30m deal, with lambert going to villa park included in the deal.

Lose Tekkers and get Lambert. Please.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Hes basically Cameron Jerome the younger. Pace wins badly in the lower leagues.

This comparison is spot on tbf

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Not really, bound to end up scrapping for survival next season, won't be able to play like they are now vs PL teams, whole different ball game. Liverpool, at their worst moment of the season, went to Bournemouth & destroyed them.

I hope they play exactly the same way and stay up - completely disagree with this myth that if you play exciting attacking football in the championship you can't survive playing the same way in the prem

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Has a managerial move worked out as much for both clubs as Howe being sacked by Burnley (and going back to Bournemouth), then being replaced by Dyche.

Struggling to think of one

[Guest]

Mourinho sacked by Madrid & being replaced by Ancelotti. Mourinho goes back to Chelsea wins the double & Ancelotti wins the copa del rey & champions league.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Has a managerial move worked out as much for both clubs as Howe being sacked by Burnley (and going back to Bournemouth), then being replaced by Dyche.

Struggling to think of one

Howe chose to leave Burnley

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