Ok, so the start of the premier league is here. I've been a while putting this thread up. Well here it is.

Predictions? Expectations? Etc; etc;

I think it will be an interesting and exciting season and perhaps the most open one yet. Ronaldo leaving kind of opens everything up.

as much as it pains me to say

1. Chelsea
2. Utd
3. Arsenal
4. Liverpool

5. City


18. Bolton
19. Portsmouth
20. Burnley


think Real won't do aswell as they should, Barca will retain La Liga IMO.

Sadly, it doesn't look at this point like El Salvador will be sniffing a World Cup....again *sighs*. I am saddened.

Anyway, Chelsea wins the EPL, Inter retains in Serie A, Barca repeats in La Liga, and Bayern Munich take back the Bundesliga.

Also, get to look forward to the World Cup qualifying stretch run, right up to the event itself. Chris, where about in L.A. do usually hang out at? I know only like 2 English pubs out in the valley.

Amazing start to the season for Arsenal.

6-1!

Rafa is bitching and moaning already, good stuff

I enjoyed the Liverpool game.

aye, we were just woeful. could've easily been 4-1, thank god for robbie keane

Lucas is a decent player, but not the kind of calibre player that is gonna contribute to winning the title... same with Babel, both aren't at that level (yet)... Lucas + Babel does not = Alonso and Benayoun.

I am just so relieved that I didn't put Baines in my Fantasy team...

For those that are interested... 50M (Telegraph)

Foster

G Johnson - Carvalho - Insua - Evra

Lampard - Arshavin - Kuyt - Milner - D Murphy

Rooney

Well, that was a bright start to the season for us. I've only just stopped crying about Alonso leaving, I haven't been that pissed off since Souness sold Beardsley. We've got a major lack of creativity in midfield and are still in need of a quality left winger.

I'm going to the Stoke game tomorrow night, I hope we put in a better performance than we did against Spurs.

My Fantasy Team (The Mirror)

Reina
Johnson
Insua
Evra
Baines
Lampard
Arse-shavin
Richardson
Kuyt
Torres
D Bent


I wish he'd pack it in. He's becoming as bad as Fergie.

I know it has only been two games but Vermaelen has looked superb in these first two games. He has been a huge step up from Toure.

Insua's class. He'll be the Argie lest-back for the world cup I am sure.

Alonso will be missed badly. You don't have a real passer right now. I'd be concerned.

I know I am concerned we have lost at least 30% of our team in Ronaldo and barely brought anybody in.

1. Chelsea

Insua is a quality player, it's a pity he'll lose his place as soon as Aurelio is fit.

United's squad is looking that great. Nani isn't good enough to replace Ronaldo and whilst I like Valencia, I don't think he's outstanding.

Final league:
1. Chelsea
2. United
3. Arsenal
4. Liverpool
5. Spurs
6. Man City
7. Everton
8. Villa
9. Sunderland
10. West Ham
11. Fulham
12. Bolton
13. Blackburn
14. Wigan
15. Hull
16. Wolves
17. Stoke
18. Birmingham
19. Portsmouth
20. Burnley

I think that's the right top 4, but it will be Arsenal at the foot of it. Liverpool will finnish higher I am sure.

I think City, Villa and Everton will fight it out for 5th spot. Probably Citeh..

For the drop? Burnley, Hull and Wolves.

We were shite against Stoke. We put some nice moves together at times but for most of the game there was hardly any movement and no cutting edge. Lucas had his best game for us, he was outstanding.

War Villa!!!!

not a great time to be playing Arsenal but hopefully they field a strong team against Celtic and its a physical game.

I got a question - why don't they have playoffs? Or does everything just build up to the Champions League?

The CL is a separate tournament

The English Premier League is simple - 20 teams, each team plays each other home and away, 3 points for a win, 1 pt for a tie, 0 for a loss. At the end of the season the team with the most points wins. It's much better than a playoff system IMO because the best team over the course of the whole season always ends up the winner.

The top 7 play for international competitions as well I believe

Basically the top 4 clubs in the EPL each season qualify for inclusion in the Champions League the next season, a separate tourney for the best clubs in all the European leagues.

Was a nice little treat wasn't it?

Saturday should be a corker. I'm getting wasted friday night but definately waking up for it. I think if we start on 7 points its a good start for us and if we win then its a great start. I think we should have enough to win the game even without Ferdinand.


Absolutely. A lot of fans on this side of the pond would say that doesn't offer the same run-in excitement but I disagree. The title run-ins are great and even better when a few sides are in it. I love the fact that the games are always important and pretty much every game after October is of real significance.

Unless you're a Liverpool fan. Three games in and the season is over. Gutted.

There is the slightly farcical situation of the top 4 getting the CL and the next few teams cursing the fact that they've got to spend an extra dozen or so games playing obscure teams from Nowheristan in front of three men and a goat (away) or three men (home).

interesting. i kind of wondered about that.

I thought Nowhereistan was in the Asian Football Confederation?

A big can of worms have been opened up with this Eduardo witch hunt. He is far from the first player to ever dive. Why is this situation different from the rest? Celtic had no chance in the tie. They were already down two away goals and they ended up only having two shots on goal between the two ties. I am all for a retroactive yellow card or something like that for a dive but a two match ban is crazy. How are they going to enforce it? Only when people dive in the box? Only in high profile games? Only when the media makes a big stink about it when a foreign player dives? I have heard nothing about Ashley Young diving the other night in a UEFA cup game. Other English players dive and they are called clever but a foreigner does it and it is a war crime. I will have no problem with this if they enforce this precedent but more than likely it will only be used on occasion when the media and football governing bodies feel like going on a witch hunt.

I think this year the Eagles will finally win the Super Bowl

fuck me, that was a hell of a game. oh the irony . guess what comes around goes around.

As dismayed as I was at what took place, I really can't argue with that. Rooney had no intention of staying on his feet and was looking for the penalty, but after what Eduardo did against Celtic, Arsenal can't have any complaints.

Didn't you guys get the memo? Rooney is a clever player, Eduardo is walking scum that deserves more criticism than the guy who broke his leg and kept him out for over a year.

Crazy shit happens in football. I can't be too disappointed with Arsenal's performance. They got a few bad breaks but in general they outplayed United.

How about Ronadinho's dive in the box this past weekend..they all do it, which sucks.

Real Madrid didnt look spectacular..but the defense will be boosted when pepe and ramos come back.

Aersenal are unlucky, to say the least..i think its time for United to realize giggs and fletcher arent good enough anymore.

Ac Milan is horrible. I doubt they advance out of the group stage in champions league.

Giggs impressed me last season, the season before that not so much. Scholes needs to retire soon too.

I like how Celtic had a player sent off this weekend for a second yellow he got for diving.

Giggs played well in the second half of last season, but probably get more credit than he deserved for it. Fletcher though is vital for Utd, such a hardworking player. Unless Hargreaves ever gets back to what he was, Fletcher is a cornerstone of the side.

Yeah I don't have a problem with Fletcher, he does a decent job. What's up with Hagreaves?

persistent knee injuries, hes going to start light training in the next month so won't be back to match fitness for some time. hasn't been able to stay healthy since getting here really.

The Fletcher comment id bizarre, when you consider he was United's best midfielder from the turn of the new year last season and to start this season, not to mention that he is the most consistent player in the team in big games.

He's already had two man of the match displays this season.


Yeah, he should be nxet captain. Been there for years and is young and very consistent. His all-round game is improving all the time. I remember he used to just play the big games, now he does it every week. He could chip in with a few more goals, since he gets into posistion often.

He's a better player than Mascherano who people go crazy over. I guess he just needs a Latin name.

Just my opinion on Fletcher, ive never been a fan, he seemed to give up the ball to easily against Arsenal. He has had some great games, and i know many fans like him, i just feel he doesnt add much creativity in the middle on a week to week basis..just my humble opinion..

Im feelin a bit nervous Portugal wont qualify, what a shame that would be.

Is there a bigger asshole in football than Emmanuel Moneybayor? I will never figure out how he was able to stay on the field the entire game after two stomps and celebrating in front of the Arsenal fans. He will be suspended for three games for kicking Van Persie in the face and it could be increased to four after the FA takes a look at the stomp on Cesc. The FA has only fined players before for causing a crowd disturbance but they may choose to come down harder on him considering that they need to get the crowd troubles in check to make a run at the 2018 World Cup bid. I also read that Man City are going to fine him the maximum amount that they can which should turn out to be around 200,000.

Man City's trip to Arsenal later in the year should be interesting. I wonder if Adebayor will pull a Cashley Cole and come up "injured" for that match.

Edit: Even worse is the fact that he thinks that he did nothing wrong.

Don't be so bitter.

What was I being so bitter about? I didn't claim that Arsenal should have won the game or that I dislike Adebayor for leaving Arsenal. I don't like Adebayor because of the way he dogged it last year and because he seems to think he is the martyr in this situation and went out with an agenda on Saturday.

Playing shitty because you want out is lame, no doubt about that. I kinda like Adebayor but Im no Arsenal fan.

I am used to players leaving as an Arsenal fan but it was the way he went about it that made me really not like him. The guy is a hell of a talent but he looks like he will be trouble where ever he goes. He will be happy at Man City for a while because of the massive amount of money that he is getting paid but my guess is that he will eventually want out if teams like Milan or Barcelona start sniffing around him again. His agent supposedly called Man United and Chelsea to try and get them to bid on him after it looked like his only choice would be to go to Man City.

I dunno man, I'm not a Adebayor fan but I LOVE that he did what he did to the Arsenal fans - its not right and it is a safety concern, but I love it when players give a little back to the fans... Adebayor got tremendous stick before, during and after his move to City - maybe with good reason, but all the Arsenal fans who sniggered and made jokes and clever little comments about him leaving on public forums like radio phone-ins etc should well be prepared to get something back at them.

I love the banter that fans give the players, but it pisses me off when the fans piss and moan when a player has the audacity to react, some of the stick is so harsh - I know the players get a fortune, and to a certain extent they have to show some self control in dealing with the stick, but if the reaction is non-aggressive, good clean fun then i haven't got a problem with it.

The stamps/stomps were unforgivable and he should rightfully get a ban, it was disgraceful.

Rooney is a god.

Likewise. Fans give hellacious stick to players all year round. A cheeky retort now and then isn't worthy of the death penalty. It's entertainment.

I agree. If the fans give it, they should be able to take it. I still think Cantona should've been knighted for his kung-foo kick on that retarded Palace fan. It was the only good thing he did in his career.

I know it happened a couple of weeks ago but I found it funny that people were shocked at there being violence at the West Ham v Millwall game. It was always going to happen. Stoke v Burnley will kick off this season as well, there are certain games that always will.

A couple of mates of mine are big West Ham fans and they said as soon as the fixture came out that it was one they'd be missing. It was more obvious than an horse's erection.


On that note, if Hatton-Khan pans out then that's one to avoid as well. And not just because of the ticket prices.

pretty gay that FIFA are going to do seedings for the Euro world cup playoffs. not doubt its because France and Portugal are going to be in them, if it was England in there they would love to see us come up against another top team.

Argentina-Peru just started, Argentina are close to out of the WC if they dont win. retarded giving Maradona the job.

Yeah, that's the first time they have ever done seedings for the playoff's. No doubt because UEFA are ran by a biased Frenchie and have close ties to FIFA. Whatever. I'd rather see them both at the World Cup. When is the draw for the playoff's?

Argentina have a lot of talent, but are shite. Maradona is not a coach. He made 7 changes for that game and he'll likely do the same for the next. His team selections are bizarre and couldn't organise a defence if his life depended on it.

He fell out with Riquelme. Why has Veron suddenly been dropped? What about Zanetti? Why the fuck does Heinze still get a game? Where the hell is Samuel? What would be so wrong with playing Milito and Aguero and playing Messi in his actual posistion?