5000-1 - The 2016/17 Premier League thread

[Dolphin Ziggler]

First topic message reminder :

The other thread is coming to an end and I think it's nice to have a new memory to take us through this year.

And with the new season starting today, what better time to refresh things and start again. The preamble of pre-season is over: 2016/17 LETS BE AVIN YA

[Dolphin Ziggler]

I thought United looked best when Pogba was getting close to Ibra, and that he gets harshly judged because of his price tag. The dummy and cross for Ibra's miss was gorgeous.

This park the bus stuff though, United controlled the first half. It's like saying Liverpool's first half tactic was to play awful.

[GSC]

Starting to wonder how long Jose will last. Not sure his style really works at a big club, at his best when he can cultivate an underdog /us against the world spirit.

Chelseas players tuned him out, didn't end well at Real either. Hasn't really taken United past LvGs efforts despite a lot of expenditure on top players.

[Guest]

It took Jose the first year to settle back into Chelsea & then the second year they won the title, with some astute buys. You can't be questing him already, when the realistic target for this year is a top 4 finish. He's going to take a couple of windows to sort the mess that Moyes & LVG created at the club & to re-balance the squad. Five points off City......

[Scott is Back]

Yeah its a bit early for that kind of talk, and regardless of the points tally in comparison to LVG - we never played like we did the first 30, or against leicester under LVG or Moyes...

Its gonna take time....top 4 is still the main target this year.

[Crimey]

Great first half performance, shame couldn't be this clinical against United. Can't see West Brom getting back into this now, they just don't have a plan B.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Sunderland are dire

[Ent]

They are wasting time, get moyes out and big Sam back in.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Not a lot of difference between that side I watched and an Allardyce side out of form.

[Ent]

Allardyce gets them in form.

[Guest]

About time Sunderland went down. They do nothing season after season and add absolutely nothing to the division.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Looking at that side and Allardyce has done his usual job of leaving a group of players no one else would want to manage. Moyes has then sprinkled Poopie on it trying to bulk up the squad rather than buying just one or two good additions. Kone isn't bad, Pickford has plenty potential, then it's Van Aanholt and Defoe. 

They'd be a real surprise staying up whether they change or not because Defoe only has the quality to hit spells, he's not gonna get a top goal scorer type amount, and no one else has any goals in them at all

[Born Slippy]

Defoe scored 15 league goals in an awful side last season and has 4 in 9 this season - basically he has scored 1 in every 2 games for them over that spell. He is a top goal scorer and the only chance they have to stay up at all. 

I also don't see how Allardyce can be significantly criticised for the players he brought in. He brought in Kone, Kirkhoff and Khazri, all of whom I think showed last season that they were shrewd signings. All the rest of the dross they have were there already. I'm no fan of Allardyce but trying to suggest he did anything other than an excellent job at Sunderland is just not sustainable.

[Ent]

Was offside that.

[Ent]

As it has now been given, aguero off and he tried to head it.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

If Redmond isn't in the next England squad and Lingard is I'm kicking off

[Dolphin Ziggler]

It's a poor side, is Sunderland. Kirchoff I missed, but he buys Allardyce players for the short term at most sides when given full control. He'd probably have kept them up, so I'm not saying he's awful or anything, but they'd have been in another relegation fight if he'd stayed. 

They're a team that need to go away as far as I'm concerned, they've been flirting with it for years and I'd like them to finally drop

[Fernando]

Man Utd - De Gea, Valencia, Smalling, Bailly, Blind, Fellaini, Herrera, Pognonce, Rashford, Lingard, Zlatan

Man United Bench: Romero, Rojo, Darmian, Carrick, Young, Mata, Martial

Chelsea: Courtois; Azpilicueta, David Luiz, Cahill (c); Moses, Kante, Matic, Alonso; Pedro, Diego Costa, Hazard

Chelsea Bench: Begovic, Aina, Terry, Chalobah, Oscar, Willian, Batshuayi

[compelling and rich]

ha victor anichebes tweet!

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Good start at Stamford Bridge

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Great stuff Smalling!

[Ent]

That's a terrible error from de gea, gave a goal away.


Sleeping, terrible from United - not at it at all.

[Fernando]

Chelsea 1-0 Man Utd - Pedro Rodriguez (30 seconds)

[Ent]

United look shaken in defence.

Chelseas wings are unmanned. Could be a goal fest.

[Ent]

That looked a penalty to me but relays didn't help.

United are all over the place.

[Ent]

Some brains needed here, fellaini and pogba need to drop in to midfield for a while and push the wide players on. They are playing as fullbacks currently.

Need to get into the game

[Fernando]

Chelsea 2-0 - Gary Cahill

[Ent]

This United side is a waste of space.

Can't do the basics.

New manager and another few hundred million spunked down the drain coming up.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Oh that isnt a foul or a booking

[Ent]

That's a dive from costa.

[Ent]

I'd take pogba off, he's just a terrible footballer.

[GSC]

Blind just isn't good enough at CB against good teams.

[Ent]

He's playing left back.

[Fernando]

That's alright cos he's playing LB is he not?

[Ent]

Roll on half time.

Pogba, ibra, fellaini off.

Go with

Carrack Herrera
Lingard mata martial
Rashford

For second half and have a go.

[GSC]

Blah someone on Twitter lied to me then

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Blind > Smalling

Pogba and Herrera the two who want the ball at their feet. Fellaini in particular is a joke

[Ent]

That's a red card.

What is this referee on?

[Dolphin Ziggler]

"A waste of time for the team" - Neville sums up Fellaini

[Born Slippy]

Awful challenge from Luiz. Should have been off. 

Why is Fellaini playing in the number 10 role for United?

[Ent]

He's a terrible player, probably the worst I've seen in a United shirt.

He's improved this year but he's still really crap, why is he so far forward - can he not see the 2 wingers playing as full backs and Herrera struggling on his own?

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Fellaini is fine as a squad option. But he needs to be told to do about one job and then made to be disciplined. He isnt a player who should be thinking for himself

[Ent]

They all should be.

If you can't read a game you've no place at the elite level.

[Born Slippy]

Pogba needs to man up and play in a two with Herrera in midfield. Means he will need to work hard rather than jog around but he is the world's most expensive player so that seems a fair requirement.

[Guest]

One has a strong sense that Chelsea players are really up for this match and want to rub Mourinho's face in the dirt. It has been said that many of the Chelsea players didn't want to play any longer for Mourinho. External appearances suggests Mourinho is an unpleasant arrogant individual but usually he has a good rapport with his players - at least the ones he doesn't put on the transfer market.

[Fernando]

Juan Mata on for Fellaini

[Born Slippy]

One has a strong sense that Chelsea players are really up for this match and want to rub Mourinho's face in the dirt.  It has been said that many of the Chelsea players didn't want to play any longer for Mourinho.  External appearances suggests Mourinho is an unpleasant arrogant individual but usually he has a good rapport with his players - at least the ones he doesn't put on the transfer market.

Chelsea have been relatively poor and could easily have conceded three. Very low quality match generally.

[Ent]

Some amount of diving from Chelsea.

[Ent]

Lingard is another brainless player.

[Fernando]

Bailly off for Rojo - injured

Blind to CB, Rojo LB

[Fernando]

Chelsea 3-0 Utd - Eden Hazard just raped your defence y'all

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