Official Premiership 2008/09 thread

[Plubby]

I hardly think Liverpool can be implicated to have behaved especially cuntishly given how Man U and whoever was after CRonaldo has acted.

[therockbox]

You said you probably wouldn't get Heskey because of "what Liverpool did to get Robbie Keane." I merely pointed out what we'd done to get Robbie Keane and why it would be similar to Heskey.

We won't buy Em back anyway, Zaki's like the upgraded version of him and will be available at the end of the season anyway. You can have him >_>

[ZJ Penn]

Plus Michael Turner, Zayatte, Ashbee and Boaz are ace.

That went without saying though. I'm hoping Boaz will stay beyond next season, because he's in good form right now, and teams like Arsenal and Villa were said to be looking at him when we were in the Championship and (I think) League 1. So interest will probably be higher now he's on a bigger stage and is still relatively young.

Turner is locked into a new-ish contract, Zayatte's deal is supposedly locked for January for a cut-price £2.5 million and I doubt many people are looking at Ashbee as he's one of the "Mr. Hull City" brigade and will be there forever. So at least we've got them safe. There's also a new youth keeper coming through who's supposed to be pretty good. Forget his name though.

Edited October 22, 2008 by Zombie Jesus

[Liam]

A freekick disallowed for that!? Is that a joke!?

Referee can suck my fucking chunk.

I'm way late on this, due to my internet connection being up the shitter, but that was a weird decision. The only thing with it is that if it happened to my team, I'd be unhappy, but when it happens against my team, you can quantify what happened and say it shouldn't have been a goal. The ref warned the Sunderland players in the wall, which always suggested he was going to continue to keep an eye on them, and when they backed in again, he was straight on the whistle. Silly, really, as Chimbonda didn't need to back in in the end.

But still, you were unlucky to not come away with more. I was expecting us to get beaten, so was happy to come out with 1 point.

[Matt]

Micheal Turner sucks balls... and i'm not just saying that because i'm a bitter West Ham fan >.>

Did someone earlier compare the Russian league to the Premiership? Surely there is a difference in player ability? I mean CSKA & Zenith have done pretty well in Europe past few years or so, but to say a player who can play well in that league would fit straight into the Premiership... well its just a tad idiotic. Most players need time to adjust to any league they play in. I don't get the comparison between Bent & Palyuchenko, surely they play alike because of the tactic Ramos has them in, both are usually played on their own so its not surprising they have difficulties gelling well as a strike partnership. They defended awful against Stoke in the second half on Sunday, but looked pretty decent going forward, its obvious where they need to strengthen. Need to play more Huddlestone, Zokora & O'Hara in midfield.

Hopefully West Ham won't sell Upson & Parker, i think they both play well enough and well West Ham need to bring a few players in (not that it will happen with all the money problems) not sell any.

I said they were similar leagues, which they are. Obviously the Premiership is a higher quality, but Arshavin's an international star, so he shouldn't struggle in that respect. He will take some time to bed in, but not a couple of years, as was suggested. O'Hara and Zokora are probably 2 of the most overrated players in the premiership, Huddlestone is decent enough but he, Hutton and Woodgate can't be expected to keep clean sheets on their own.

You've got to be kidding me. O'Hara is overrated? If anything he's underrated. We've been playing much better when he's in the team this season. And I don't think Zokora's overrated either. He's a solid utility player and gives the midfield a nice balance on the rare occasion he gets to play in his natural position. As for Huddlestone, I'm not sure whether you think he's a defender? Ramos certainly doesn't play him as much as he should. He's like Zokora in that holding role but better.

You mean offering him a chance to play at the top level rather than spending your last years at the top floating around mid-table?

Are you sure you don't mean a chance to sit on the bench at the never-quite-top-but-near-enough level?

From what I've seen of both O'Hara and Zokora they seem to add nothing to Tottenham, but granted, I don't watch them week in and week out. I wasn't clear about Huddlestone, I didn't mean he's a defender, but he covers the defence in the protective midfielder role I've seen him play better than anyone else in the Spurs squad.

[IAceI]

O'Hara's a quality young player and Zokora's an absolute machine, he runs from start to finish. I'd rate them two ahead of Huddlestone if I had to. Although Huddlestone can spray balls around near perfectly at time - can be fantastic to watch him just pinpoint a ball to someones feet at different heights, speeds and lengths.

Also the only thing I can take away from the disallowed Sunderland goal was that he had spoke to Chimbonda already. But at the same time it had no bearing on the goal in the end, and the referee was just watching the wall. I don't think he even looked at the flight of the ball and how the wall made no difference to it but meh. We played well, very well, and deserved to win. That's the only downside, we didn't win but I guess an encouraging performance is a good thing to take away. Especially with Newcastle next.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Huddlestone is the biggest of our midfielders so he always has that going for him. He's like a BFG though.

Zokora IS a machine and is fantastic in full flight. I don't think he was playing to his best last year but this season he seems to be the only player who has truly stepped up to the mark properly.

[Cabral_]

Was last season the first season he started playing in central defense and as a right back? Seems to have made him a stronger player imo, but may of been reason his last season wasn't so great. Still think he was one of the teams stand-out players last season.

[Summers]

Parker and Upson would be quality for any non-top club.

[alldaws1]

Exactly my opinion about James Milner

Neither Parker nor Upson would be an upgrade over who Spurs currently have.

[Zaz]

I just wish one of either Zokora, Huddlestone or O'Hara would start over Jenas in the midfield, as he hasn't been offering anything lately. Sure, he looks good when we win by 3 or 4, but that just hasn't been happening.

[-A-]

Exactly my opinion about James Milner

Neither Parker nor Upson would be an upgrade over who Spurs currently have.

They don't need to be an upgrade, they wouldn't be brought in as automatic first team players and I don't think either would necessarily expect to. Upson in particular would fit in perfectly in the squad - Ledley King's career as a professional footballer is totally up in the air. Woodgate is playing well and Upson is better than Dawson, so he'd be a good purchase. Zokora has looked incredibly shaky at centre-back when I've seen him, he's poor in the air and he can't deal with high balls. Huddlestone might turn out to be a serviceable centre half, but that's a best case scenario and it negates his best asset, which is his passing.

Parker really wouldn't be the kind of signing you'd need, but if he were playing week in, week out in a 5 man midfield your results would get better. A proper, effective defensive midfielder is so crucial given the rest of the squad - Bale and Hutton would be given more license to attack and you wouldn't have Modric attempting to track back and play as a box-to-box midfielder.

Edited October 23, 2008 by -A-

[Guest Kou]

The only good Dawson is Andy Dawson.

[ONO]

Who the fuck makes the signings at Tottenham? Come on. Upson and Parker?

[alldaws1]

I just wish one of either Zokora, Huddlestone or O'Hara would start over Jenas in the midfield, as he hasn't been offering anything lately. Sure, he looks good when we win by 3 or 4, but that just hasn't been happening.

I think Jenas has been our best player this season.

Exactly my opinion about James Milner

Neither Parker nor Upson would be an upgrade over who Spurs currently have.

They don't need to be an upgrade, they wouldn't be brought in as automatic first team players and I don't think either would necessarily expect to. Upson in particular would fit in perfectly in the squad - Ledley King's career as a professional footballer is totally up in the air. Woodgate is playing well and Upson is better than Dawson, so he'd be a good purchase. Zokora has looked incredibly shaky at centre-back when I've seen him, he's poor in the air and he can't deal with high balls. Huddlestone might turn out to be a serviceable centre half, but that's a best case scenario and it negates his best asset, which is his passing.

I don't agree with Upson being better than Dawson. If Upson were to join then he would be behind Woodgate, King, Dawson and Corluka in a fully healthy Spurs side.

Zokora isn't a centre back so it's no surprise he's not looked good there, he's a good centre midfielder and can fill in capably at either full back but no, he's not a particularly good centre half. But with Hutton back now and hopefully Corluka back in a couple of weeks or sooner, a centre back partnership of Woodgate and Corluka/Dawson should be pretty decent. We do need a better back-up for left back though, if Bale's injured (or suspended ) we have to rely on Benoit Assou-Ekotto which is never a good situation to be in. We're probably better off putting Zokora back there.

The only good Dawson is Andy Dawson.

Not true. Alldawson is pretty good as well >_>

Who the fuck makes the signings at Tottenham? Come on. Upson and Parker?

Damien Comolli. He's a douchebag. He needs to be fired. Stupid director of football lark.

Edited October 23, 2008 by AD

[Plubby]

I heard he'd already been fired :S

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

If that was from me I told you that he was going to be fired....According to the BBC at least.

[-A-]

But everyone was spunking over his signings at the beginning of the season and it's nothing remotely to do with him that Berbatov and Keane left?

[Thrilla]

lol, Spurs.... Wait, wrong thread this time.

Edited October 23, 2008 by The Man Called NBT

[9 to 5]

lol, Spurs.... Wait, wrong thread this time.

Childish as fuck, but God it made me laugh.