Official Premier League 2009/10 thread

[IAceI]

Mancini replaces Hughes.

They still won't get in the Champions League.

[Clawson]

Well I guess the ownership decided to look at it as 2 wins in the past 10 instead of getting points in 9 out of the last 10. I'm not sure I like this at all.

[Dynamite]

Yeah but it's 14 points out of a possible 33. For the amount they've spent and the quality of players they've got, 14 points isn't good enough from 11 games. I haven't seen enough of Mancini to know what he's like as a manager but they really need someone who'll buy some good defenders (the likes of Lescott, Bridge etc. just aren't good enough). Maybe then they can really push on for a top 4 place.

[Shelty92]

fan-dabi-dozi win today...

Well, I knew that wouldn't be the case. :/

Fulham are cunts, but I love Hodgson, so I'll let them off.

I wouldn't call Fulham cunts, but they truly are a pain in the ass to play against. Their style of play is just something I don't really enjoy watching, no matter who their opponents are, but then again it's effective so who can blame them?

Hodgson's a class act. Did a fantastic job coaching Finland's national team before going to Fulham, and he's done a fine job there, too. I've got nothing but respect for him.

And lol at Hughes getting sacked. City's going down. Hard.

[Clawson]

I wouldn't accuse anyone of going down hard after being thumped in a game like you did today. We're still 6th with a game in hand to all except Arsenal so it's not like we're that bad off.

That said, I can still see us finishing in this place at the end of the year. All depends on if Villa have another epic crash.

Edited December 19, 2009 by Clawson

[Shelty92]

I wouldn't accuse anyone of going down hard after being thumped in a game like you did today. We're still 6th with a game in hand to all except Arsenal so it's not like we're that bad off.

That said, I can still see us finishing in this place at the end of the year. All depends on if Villa have another epic crash.

Well, a single loss is usually something United will bounce back from quickly, but as others have already pointed out, it'll most likely take some time (even months) before City get their game going with a new manager.

[IAceI]

I didn't see the point in the sacking. No one's getting them lot into the Champions League this season, their best hope was Europa League and even then I don't think Mancini will do a better job than what Hughes could have done in getting them into Europe this year. If they wanted to change it, do it at the end of the season. I can't see there being a huge difference in the team between now and May regardless of whose in charge.

Either that or do it before the game so we might actually have won/drawn today.

Finally, Merry Christmas Sparky!

[stokeriño]

Since Portsmouth and West Ham are now equal on both points (14) and goal difference (-9), if Chelsea beat West Ham tomorrow then they will go bottom.

I feel more sorry for Gianfranco with every week that passes.

[Grounded Wingman]

Mancini isn't the answer. His success was handed to him at Inter because of the match fixing scandal, and I don't see that he brings anything other than being a more high profile global name for attracting players.

Worrying times at Liverpool, I'm guessing it'll be a quiet January in the transfer market, but Rafa is bulletproof - it would cost Harry and Lloyd £20M+ to get rid of him and his staff, which I doubt they can afford.

[Liam]

Fulham are cunts, but I love Hodgson, so I'll let them off.

Why exactly are we cunts? I always thought we were fairly inoffensive

I wouldn't call Fulham cunts, but they truly are a pain in the ass to play against. Their style of play is just something I don't really enjoy watching, no matter who their opponents are, but then again it's effective so who can blame them?

Really? I'm biased, but at least we are a team who try and play a passing game, which on the whole is pleasing on the eye. I've always thought we come across like a 'not quite as good' Arsenal in the way that we play. Arsenal, without the true quality that they have in moving the ball >_>

Went to the game today, and Man United were really poor. I know they were lacking due to injuries, but Schwarzer practically didn't have to make a save. We could have had 5 or 6, realistically.

And whilst I thought initially it was a bit of a joke, Zamora for England isn't such a weird one, since he does the same work as Heskey, yet scores more goals as well. When the guy is confident, like he was today, he is soooo hard to deal with.

[Baddar]

Oh, Fulham are cunts just because they won the game. The term was used loosely and I have nothing against them.

Zamora, on the other hand... :@

[Sam]

Meh he was always going to have a field day against Fletcher, Carrick and De Laet. Having Fletcher in defence is also really hurting us, the sooner players return the better.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Now I'm REALLY hoping that Man City fail even more under Mancini.

Also, I doubt Benitez will go. I don't think Liverpool can afford the £20mil to pay off his contract AND pay for a new contract for a new manager / buy a manager out of his contract and pay for a new contract.

Liverpool made a rod for their own back in giving Benitez a ridiculously long and expensive contract. It does make him practically untouchable as Liverpool clearly can't afford to get rid of him.

[Clawson]

Now I'm REALLY hoping that Man City fail even more under Mancini.

I SUPPORT them and I'm almost hoping this backfires. Completely disgusting way to treat somebody.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Looking at the quality of their first team, I think Man City are probably in their correct spot in the league. Also if they win their game in hand they're only 3 points off Champions League...

[Clawson]

Ignoring our defense which is brutal, we should be top 4. But yeah our defense drops us down to 6th which is why this is so ridicilious unless you place 100% of the blame on Hughes for the piss poor defense.

[hugobomb]

In all fairness, I think the presense of Birmingham in the top 8 shows how many points people like Liverpool and City have dropped this season. If we beat Everton tommorow (which we won't, by the way) we'll be 6th, above both City and Liverpool which would say a lot about their respective seasons.

Not to deminish (sp?) our achievments this season, but there is no way in hell we should be anywhere near Liverpool or Man City at this point of the season.

[Asuka's Gonna Kill You]

I didn't see the point in the sacking. No one's getting them lot into the Champions League this season, their best hope was Europa League and even then I don't think Mancini will do a better job than what Hughes could have done in getting them into Europe this year. If they wanted to change it, do it at the end of the season. I can't see there being a huge difference in the team between now and May regardless of whose in charge.

Either that or do it before the game so we might actually have won/drawn today.

Finally, Merry Christmas Sparky!

Why wont they get into the CL spot? This season is probably more open than any season in a long time and with Liverpool doing so terribly as of late, there's a chance for the likes of City, Villa and Spurs to nick that fourth spot or even go further than that. Still a long way to go, but they shouldn't be ruled out yet.

Fulham were fan-dabi-dozi yesterday and in fairness, we fully deserved that thrashing. The sooner we get VDS, Rio and Vidic back the better. Just cant believe how many times we've slipped up so far.

As for City, slightly surprised it's Mancini. Not surprised it's not Jose, as I never got why anybody believed he'd actually go to City, that was laughable. Mancini is possibly one of the most hate able managers in recent memory, so I'm preparing myself for some City hatred. I'm actually really interested to see how he does in England. He's still not proven on a massive level, despite having really good success with Inter and a pretty damn good record over the years he was there. Personally, I'm not so sure he's the man for the job, but he could surprise a few people including myself, so I'm looking forward to seeing how it goes.

[IAceI]

They just won't finish in the Top 4. Personally I think Chelsea, Man Utd, Arsenal, Liverpool, Aston Villa and Spurs all have too much about them and could finish above Manchester City. I think going for Europa League this season would have been a fair and realistic goal, and then at least they get to gel together and gain some European experience. But I just don't see them finishing as high as fourth, not this year. I think they're too suspect at the back (some of the defending against us was laughable, and we're hardly an attacking force.)

In a season or two, then yeah, perhaps, but not this season.

And for the record I didn't like Sparky at Man City, I thought he came across as a bit of a tit but he did such a good job at Blackburn beforehand. However, I think he was treat poorly at City so I feel a bit sorry for him. I kind of wish he'd just been able to see out the season with City, I don't think anyone's going to do a particularly better job with them this season. Going forward there so good, against us yesterday they just poured forward in waves but they've got the defence all wrong it seems.

[Pesci]

I think Hughes had to go. If you have that much money and you can afford to sack somebody like that, why not after 18 months of little progress despite the amounts spent? He isn't a good big team manager - there was every chance he could grow into one but how much more money would that take? They need a big name manager, this was always going to happen unless Hughes looked like he was actually going to break the Big Four.

If anybody's getting into the CL who doesn't usually, it's Spurs. I think they'll probably manage it as well.

Edited December 20, 2009 by Pesci