Official Premiership 2008/09 thread

[-A-]

I've started noticing certain tendencies in people who post on boards other than this about football. What is the obsession some people have with never playing someone out of position? Any time it happens it seems like an opportunity to criticise a 'clueless' manager, be it Joe Kinnear at the weekend or Arsene Wenger earlier in the season. Maybe this is just a subjective issue that I have an opinion about, but I don't see why it's so important to avoid playing someone out of position. Wing-backs can play as more defensive wide midfielders. Centre backs can play as more defensive full backs. It's rarely a case of risking a player making a crucial mistake because he isn't familiar with the position, it's more that they bring different abilities and weaknesses to the position.

Likewise, what is the obsession with wingers? I've seen dozens of Arsenal and Liverpool fans demanding that their manager 'buy a proper winger.' Why would Liverpool need a right-sided 'traditional winger?' They don't have height up front and they already have a seemingly strong starting winger in the form of Riera, why the desperation to sign another one? Similarly for Arsenal - what is the problem with the current system? Adebayor scored header after header last season without the service of a proper by-line hugging winger, why does the system need to be changed? Arsenal have played without a proper winger for years and it hasn't hurt them until recently, when the lack of experience had clearly been the important factor. Football's changed and just as the beefy Number 9 has diminished in importance so have byline-hugging crossers of the ball. They're still around and they're still very important in football, but British teams don't need one on either side of the midfield.

The other thing that irritates me is when someone makes a statement like '£10 million? He's only worth £5 million at most' for an unremarkable transaction. Obviously, Darren Bent for £16m is over-priced, but there seems to be a sense that prices going up are somehow illegitimate. When the newest TV deal gets announced, people don't declare 'football is overpriced, why are Sky getting ripped off?' Football is big business and revenues are increasing. The Premiership is in a great position and so values go up. That's how things work and a player's value is entirely determined by the market. Wages go up because footballers are the prized employees of businesses that make hundreds of millions each year.

Edited December 11, 2008 by -A-

[Farmer Reil]

I'm not saying don't ever play someone out of position. I wasn't criticising Wenger for doing it, I was just criticising people for giving Eboue shit when he didn't play very well. Just my two cents.

I agree completely about the wingers, too.

[therockbox]

With regards to Liverpool wingers, I think people are looking at the impact that Riera's had an adding two and two together to get five. Nobody thinks about the implications of basically having to change your entire attacking attacking system, as well as losing Kuyt who does the work of two people on the right flank. They just see "winger = crossing = goals", completely oblivious to the fact that the majority of our goals don't come from 'normal' crosses from out wide. Even Alonso's goal at the weekend came about because of a cross that was played along the floor towards the edge of the box, rather than a cross whipped in ad head height.

[Clawson]

That's fucking pathetic.

[Summers]

Nah, that's quality.

Also..

YEAHHH!!

Edited December 13, 2008 by One Wise Sum

[Clawson]

Honestly, if you know that pretty much every single one of your positions can be taken over by somebody in January...wouldn't you actually care to fight for it just a little?

[Matt]

Honestly, if you know that pretty much every single one of your positions can be taken over by somebody in January...wouldn't you actually care to fight for it just a little?

Probably not. Because they KNOW they ARE going to lose their places to big superstars sooner or later, with the possible exceptions of Robinho, Ireland and SWP

[Summers]

Like it matters, you guys are so far off the pace it's not funny.

Maybe they don't want to play for a club who intend to replace them. Joe Hart,a great young keeper, must feel so wanted, with his bosses masturbating over Buffon.

SWP must love hearing how Citeh want Ronaldo. Inspires confidence?

Robinho subbed off for Vass? Nice.

[Crybaby Bunting]

FFS you lost 1-0 to Everton, a team that's usually challenging for Europe every year.

If it was a 8-0 thrashing like Wigan last year I could understand... but 1-0? Come on show them some respect it's really not the end of the world. Since the last time you played them you just reshuffled your squad and brought in a £30m player. You're not somehow a million times better than Everton because of that and the score reflects that and it could have gone either way.

It was scored in the last minute and that's hardly ripping away your pride

[IAceI]

Kenwyne's back to full fitness at last it seems. Time for him and Cissé to do their thing and grab us some points at a crucial time.

Cheered me up today as I battle a man cold as well.

[AJ]

Gah, it's so infuriating this season that every time any of the other big four drop points (Arsenal and Liverpool today) Utd have failed to capitalise. I'm sure Chelsea won't drop points at home tomorrow and if that is the case I can see them then pulling away from the others.

[Crybaby Bunting]

The problem with Man Utd seems to be that they lack skilled midfielders that are also hard workers. Last season Scholes was still at his peak so naturally no-one really noticed, it's the lack of Scholes this season that's helped them drop so many points near the start and whenever he's back he's a shadow of his former self.

Anderson, Nani and co are quality... they're just too young to cut it as strong midfielders in the Premier League and get cut to pieces whenever they're properly marked.

[Asuka's Gonna Kill You]

Gah, it's so infuriating this season that every time any of the other big four drop points (Arsenal and Liverpool today) Utd have failed to capitalise. I'm sure Chelsea won't drop points at home tomorrow and if that is the case I can see them then pulling away from the others.

Exactly what I was going to say. Chance time and time again and they seem to fucking blow it. Great chance today to catch up a bit but they throw it away again. The big problem I see is Rooney going through another one of his goaless periods and Ronaldo hasn't been himself at all so far this season. I'm not one of the people who moan about the Tevez being on the bench shit, but just play him more if these are the results that are going to keep threatening.

[Dynamite]

I think that playing Anderson today could have been exactly what we needed today. There was so much industry in the side today that Anderson wouldn't have been out of his depth at all in the middle and would probably have created a lot more chances today than we actually did.

[IAceI]

Gary Cahill's handball followed by fall to the floor while clutching his face was pretty epic. That or he was just curling up in the fetal position.

[Crybaby Bunting]

I think he's infringing upon Steven Taylor's copywrited move >___>

[Marcos]

Anyone see Ronaldo's childish kick-out against Michael Dawson today. Was lucky that Dawson didn't make anything out of it. Ronaldo is a good player but he is one childish prick

Blackburn: I'm guessing it's time for Paul Ince to go, I don't know why but I think if he doesn't go sometime this week then they could be beat by Stoke at the weekend.

[Matt]

Anyone see Ronaldo's childish kick-out against Michael Dawson today. Was lucky that Dawson didn't make anything out of it. Ronaldo is a good player but he is one childish prick

Blackburn: I'm guessing it's time for Paul Ince to go, I don't know why but I think if he doesn't go sometime this week then they could be beat by Stoke at the weekend.

So the FA will be taking Ronaldo to a disciplinary hearing once they see the video evidence I assume... Oh wait, no.

As for Ince, he was a terrible appointment in the first place, but I don't think he'll be sacked, not yet. Wait until February/March when Blackburn are all but relegated.

[Colly]

Kenwyne's back to full fitness at last it seems. Time for him and Cissé to do their thing and grab us some points at a crucial time.

Cheered me up today as I battle a man cold as well.

Really daft question but does Cisse have it in his contract to take all pens? Jones had scored two and let Cisse take it, you wouldn't see Alan Shearer do that, or anyone else for that matter. Very strange.

[Adam]

Maybe Jones is terrible at penalties and knew it?