English Football Thread 2012/2013

[MasterBlaster76]

Premiership Season 2010/2011

With the release of the opening day's fixtures, I thought I'd get the discussion going about the new season - who's going to win the league and so on.

Opening day fixtures

Aston Villa v West Ham
Blackburn v Everton
Blackpool v Wigan
Bolton v Fulham
Chelsea v West Brom
Liverpool v Arsenal
Man Utd v Newcastle
Sunderland v Birmingham
Tottenham v Man City
Wolverhampton v Stoke

Boxing Day fixtures

Arsenal v Chelsea
Aston Villa v Tottenham
Blackburn v Stoke
Blackpool v Liverpool
Bolton v West Brom
Everton v Birmingham
Fulham v West Ham
Man Utd v Sunderland
Newcastle v Man City
Wolverhampton v Wigan

Final day fixtures

Aston Villa v Liverpool
Bolton v Man City
Everton v Chelsea
Fulham v Arsenal
Man Utd v Blackpool
Newcastle v West Brom
Stoke v Wigan
Tottenham v Birmingham
West Ham v Sunderland
Wolverhampton v Blackburn

All fixtures are still provisional and subject to change.

(Taken from premierleague.com)

Liverpool v Arsenal obviously stands out. Chelsea have a nice easy start, Man Utd have a tricky looking game against Newcastle - thankfully it's at Old Trafford.

Naturally, I'm backing Sir Alex to grab that trophy back off Chelsea.

 

[War]

Shouldn't we have a new thread for the 2010/11 season?

 

[mattfb]

Just change the thread title. That's what we did last time.

 

[MasterBlaster76]

Shouldn't we have a new thread for the 2010/11 season?

Just change the thread title. That's what we did last time.

I'll do that. @War: I was going to make a new thread, but then realised this one had been open since 2007 and who am I to kill such a long running thread?

Edit: 'tis done.

 

[mattfb]

Cheers

Anyway, onto discussing the new season - It's be interesting to see who Liverpool get. Apparently there are 6 managers short-listed and a decision will be made within the next 14 days. Really nervous, and with my mind totally fixed on football thanks to the World Cup, it just constantly remands me of what's happening at LFC.

Should be an exciting opening day. Chelsea have a difficult game on the final day compared to United who you would think would win theirs.

 

[War]

Ha no prob M Blaster.

 

[JBlues08]

I cannot wait for the new season to start particularly when there are two big matches in opening day of the season. There are a few other things to point out too. Arsenal's first 9-10 Away games are rather tough and Chelsea have some tough fixtures in December which is the time where we tend to drop a lot of points in the past two seasons. I guess that is something M Blaster will be happy about. XD One more thing, why is that Man Utd always play Liverpool in March?

 

[War]

GLENN HODDLE: The future for the England team is frightening. Our game needs radical changes | Mail Online

Superb article by Hoddle really. Smashed the nail on the head.

 

[MasterBlaster76]

GLENN HODDLE: The future for the England team is frightening. Our game needs radical changes | Mail Online

Superb article by Hoddle really. Smashed the nail on the head.

He could've been such a great England manager - and might well have been still with us - if he kept his mouth shut about the players, didn't get the team involved with that Eileen Drewery healer (or whatever she was) and kept his comments about 'disabled people being punished for acts committed in previous lives). He's spot on about England now though.

El Tel, as well - he was a super England manager, but the FA had to get rid of him because of what was going on off the pitch.

Edit: I don't understand our fixation with 6.5in athletes in English football. Maradona: small - and he was quite a player. Pele - ditto. Romario - ditto. Messi - ditto. Even our very own Michael Owen and Paul Scholes! Look at the technique first, not whether they have a six pack, or are taller than 6ft. Spot on, Mr Hoddle; ditch that academy in Spain, and get involved with the FA!

In the Premier League, this is a major concern: there are too many foreign players, not enough opportunities for development. They are here because of the money.

Obviously, the best foreign players have had a huge impact; Gullit, Cantona, Bergkamp, Zola. But that's not true of all of them.

Precisely - just what I've been saying for ages. I mean, Everton have got first refusal on a Azerbajan (or somewhere) teenager, for God's sake. Big bloody whoop! It's too late now of course, but we should only have allowed class International players in to the premiership. Now, as Hoddle says, we have to go right back to basics, starting with the kids. We have eight years until the World Cup has a chance of being back on English soil - let's build for that. Anything that comes before would be a massive bonus.

They were saying on SSN (Kris Camara, I think it was) that Joe Hart for example should ask to leave Man City if he isn't being played. And how can he, when he's got Shay Given ahead of him? We're in need of a new keeper soon, I'd love to see Hart at Man Utd.

MasterBlaster76 added 11 Minutes and 48 Seconds later...

Arsenal's first 9-10 Away games are rather tough and Chelsea have some tough fixtures in December which is the time where we tend to drop a lot of points in the past two seasons. I guess that is something M Blaster will be happy about. XD One more thing, why is that Man Utd always play Liverpool in March?

I'd be really happy if Chelski get screwed in the big games as much as we were against them last season. Since that's what you're obviously alluding to.

Edit:

This is another article worth reading:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/wo...MORGAN-So-Fabio-Capello-managed-hang-job.html

Edit: In fact, there are tons of great articles on that site.

 

[JBlues08]

I'd be really happy if Chelski get screwed in the big games as much as we were against them last season. Since that's what you're obviously alluding to.

Well, too bad. We shall see what happens. :laugh

 

[War]

Hargreaves injured again. So frustrating..

 

[Haarithan]

Hargreaves injured again. So frustrating..

Well he is the next Louis Saha for United :laugh:laugh

 

[MasterBlaster76]

Hargreaves injured again. So frustrating..

Unbelievable! How much did he cost us - ?18m??? And do you remember the fun and games we had to go through to get him?

Well he is the next Louis Saha for United :laugh:laugh

No - Saha wasn't injured anywhere near as much as this - he had some very important influence on several games for us.

 

[mattfb]

Is that poll a new one? Ouch...

 

[Haarithan]

Mascherano all set to move to Inter ......:crying
Reds likely to replace him with Poulsen of Juve in a swap deal with Dirk Kuyt going the other way :doh

Haarithan added 2 Minutes and 8 Seconds later...

WTF !!!!!! Where is Liverpool in the poll ?? ::