Official Premiership 2008/09 thread

[Szumi]

Top four will be as usual, Man Utd & Chelsea squabbling over the title and Arsenal & Liverpool filling the next two places. Spurs, Everton & Pompey in a close fight for 5th. Top half finish for Newcastle. Villa, Blackburn & Man City to struggle and end up finishing in the bottom half. WBA & Hull to stay up. Wigan, Stoke & West Ham for the drop.

You bite your tongue! West Ham is not being relegated this year, only because I would cry otherwise. West Ham did incredibly well (for their standards) with Bellamy, Parker, and Dyer out for most of the season. If West Ham can actually *gasp* stay healthy, they'll make another top half finish, but hopefully in the 6-8 range instead.

Man U (if Ronaldo does stay.... you never know with that cunt) will probably win another Premier title, although I'd like to see Arsenal or Liverpool win it this year, just for something new again. However, it will probably be Man U, Chelsea, Arsenal, and then Liverpool. Teams to get relegated... Stoke, Fulham, and either Bolton or Hull.

[IAceI]

See I think West Brom are the only one with a shot of staying up. As much as I'd like to see Stoke and Hull stay up instead of them, I don't think they will.

And I don't think West Brom will stay up either, and if they do it's more likely because another team has done poorly.

So I'm content with them 3 going right back down again.

I expect a similar pattern for the title this year. Man Utd, Chelsea and Arsenal in a three horse race. Man Utd to take it over Chelsea I expect in similar fashion. Arsenal will maybe cling onto 3rd from Liverpool.

Liverpool won't be fighting for 4th until the last two months this year I don't think. I think they'll be comfortable in 4th and maybe take 3rd from Arsenal near the end. Although I'd much rather see Arsenal win the league to be honest.

Sunderland I want an improvement from, I think if we can go from 15th and finish 13th we should be happy with that. But I'm more interested in who we are going to sign this summer, if anyone - because then that will make a bigger impact on whether or not I think we'll do better or not. I don't expect us to suffer from 2nd season syndrome like other clubs have mainly due to Stoke and Hull I can't see staying up. And then I think West Brom and one or two other teams will certainly be worse than us. So yeah, I'm confident we can stay up. But heres to a decent signing or two first.

[Crybaby Bunting]

If West Ham can actually *gasp* stay healthy, they'll make another top half finish, but hopefully in the 6-8 range instead.

Now I know that's probably senseless optimism but I've always grouped West Ham with Middlesbrough and more recently Newcastle as teams who are pretty much immovable in the premiership. Neither of the three are ever going to win the league and they aren't gonna get relegated anytime soon. They're kinda in limbo as far as the EPL stands and usually you see the three end up 11th,12th and 13th retrospectively.

Just not 10th

And DEFINATELY not 6th

[Baddar]

Yeah, they lack squad depth, and have struggled later on in a couple of seasons due to injuries and that.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/t...ton/7511895.stm

Struck down already.

Cahill will definitely miss the start of the season.

[Szumi]

If West Ham can actually *gasp* stay healthy, they'll make another top half finish, but hopefully in the 6-8 range instead.

Now I know that's probably senseless optimism but I've always grouped West Ham with Middlesbrough and more recently Newcastle as teams who are pretty much immovable in the premiership. Neither of the three are ever going to win the league and they aren't gonna get relegated anytime soon. They're kinda in limbo as far as the EPL stands and usually you see the three end up 11th,12th and 13th retrospectively.

Just not 10th

And DEFINATELY not 6th

It is senseless optimism, but hey, I can dream

And of course, the other team I do support, is in that middle of the road tier as well, Newcastle.

Man U just needs to up and get rid of Ronaldo alredy. That way I can finally support a big team

[Crybaby Bunting]

Although it doesn't really concern the Premiership it's worth pointing out to Liverpool fans that their pre-season friendlies are being broadcast on Channel 5. They played some Swiss team the other night in a stadium lucky to hold 500 and are playing another match sometime over the next few days in another country.

[ONO]

Villa in the Intertoto tonight. Some very nervous fans, particularly because we can't field a full strength fucking squad.

Taylor in nets. No RB. Knight is gonna be playing. Ugh.

[therockbox]

Voronin's on fire! 2 in 2.

[Lineker]

I'm watching Liverpool vs. Wisla now. Good finish second time round from Voronin but he also missed a sitter. Dossena looks decent.

[ONO]

Anyway Villa 1-1 with Odense. We took the lead but Sidwell OG...=/

[9 to 5]

A steal. (Y)

[ONO]

This match has just highlighted everything that Villa need. More defenders, including a bloody RB because Gardner clearly isn't comfortable there, and needs Reo-Coker to help out.

[IAceI]

Lets be fair though. They had Djemba-Djemba, did you honestly expect to win?

[ONO]

Not at all. When he came on I knew we could only settle for a draw.

[Baddar]

After looking at Helen Flanagan pics in the TV Women thread, I found this. I remember when it happened well, which is probably why it's so funny. The way the smilies capture Fergie's actual expression that day is great.

[therockbox]

Originally came from F365, I think. Now most commonly used when someone says they're going to post a picture of a famous woman with her bits out but puts up a pic of Ken Barlow instead.

[Mr. Moltisanti]

After looking at Helen Flanagan pics in the TV Women thread, I found this. I remember when it happened well, which is probably why it's so funny. The way the smilies capture Fergie's actual expression that day is great.

That is incredible

[Zaz]

Ahaha, watching the Chelsea season review on Sentanta and they just did the Tottenham/Chelsea 4-all draw. Because it's Chelsea TV they have these Chelsea blokes commentating, and when Joe Cole scored to make it 4-3 one of them let's out a massive 'YES! That wins it, surely!'. Five minutes later Keane scores and all you hear is 'NOOOOO'.

[britneyspearsisgod]

With Alex Ferguson making his comments about Chelsea, Tottenham and everyone else, is it any wonder why people hate Man Utd? Such an arrogant cock when he's winning... I have half a heart to pull for Chelsea this year and I didn't expect myself to say that.

[Baddar]

He hasn't really said much about Chelsea at all. Just that he thinks they might already be at their peak. They don't exactly have lots of youngsters coming through and playing in the first team, so that's what he meant.

Papers and websites alike love to make huge things over something tiny. "Fergie doubts Chelsea challenge," BBC said. Ok, he doubted their challenge if saying that their team has peaked is doubting them. He also commented on them having experienced internationals, but they didn't focus too much on that part.

On another day, the title could have read "Fergie concerned by Chelsea experience," and just posted the same interview.