Official Premier League 2010/11 thread

[The Future]

Comparing them to a duo as awesome as Pinky and the brain isn't fair on the cartoon.

[stokeriño]

Like it was said, just another fuck-up in the debacle known as the Gold & Sullivan Era. My goodness these two are fucking awful. For two people who've always supported West Ham, and bought the club because of their love for the club throughout life, they don't give a fuck about West Ham. All they do is feed their own ego's by creating drama and turmoil for the club. Keeping Avram because it's the right thing to do, and they're decent people? No, you're a bunch of self-indulging twat waffles. You publicly ridiculed Zola all last season when the club was in a relegation fight, and said the squad was Championship level caliber, which just further depressed the squad and caused more poor performances. Now you're putting all the dirty laundry out to air, and making things, again, worse for the club. You don't give a fuck about Avram Grant. You wanted O'Neill, and had all intentions of sacking Grant for MON, but MON probably knew how bad it would be for him to come in. MON would look like a total cunt, and then just want to leave soon anyways because he's a control freak and won't have 20 million pounds a season at his disposal to spend. Yes, Grant has been awful and doesn't deserve to manage the club anymore, but if you had any competency, you'd go after a manager like Big Sam or Chris Hughton. Both managers have shown they can work on small budgets, and garner the support of the players. Shit, I hate Big Sam, but even I know the cunt would be a great fit for West Ham.

I know West Ham badly needed new owners last season. The financial problems were awful, and there were fears of administration/points deduction, which would've led to our relegation. I'm thankful that Gold & Sullivan helped save the club at the time, but at the same time, there were other people trying to gain control of the club, people who I'm sure would've done a much better job than Pinky and the Brain have. The future for West Ham is very bleak, and not because of our pending relegation, but because Gold and Sullivan are worse than Avram Grant when it comes to their respective, albeit different, job.

Plus, you know, they do things like announce that finances are in dire straits, publicly muse over a need to cut every player's wages by 25% at the end of the season, and so on...then loan Wayne Bridge on £90k a week.

[Dan]

Liverpool not getting Ashley Young.

[Twist]

I'll never understand why we in Britain have such a problem with waving imaginary cards. It's absolutely no different than saying "You've gotta book him ref", or "How is that not a card?" etc etc... and those sort of things happen in every game of football ever played, professional or amateur.

People swear in referee's faces all the time. If that was a booking the likes of Wayne Rooney, Alan Smith, Joey Barton, and every other English player who likes a bit of a moan, would never finish a game.

Does that make it acceptable?

No. It's a culture that should never have been allowed to thrive. Sorry to use the rugby example but a player wouldn't dare speak to a rugby referee in that manner. Why? Because you are TAUGHT not to from an early age in rugby. Thing is, the same players that will call a referee 'sir' during a rugby game will behave exactly as Raefal and Rooney did during the Spurs game when they are playing football, despite knowing better. Why? Because in football that is seen as an acceptable way to behave.

This isn't just an issue for the players though. They should know better, yes. At the same time however they need to have the belief that a referee is to be respected at all levels. From grass roots through to their current coaches, managers, captains and so forth. I doubt this is an issue that will ever be solved, however.

[Pesci]

Grass roots is really the only way to do it. The best footballers tend to be stupid, arrogant twats who eventually end up gang-fucking a hooker on camera. They're not gonna care about getting a yellow card, they probably see it as a fair trade-off for getting to call somebody a cunt.

[Baddar]

A bit like on here, then...

[britneyspearsisgod]

The grass roots will only follow if it comes from the top. They follow what is being shown on TV, like anybody who loves the top level of their sport does. Shit falls from the top of the pyramid, so it needs to be eradicated in the Premiership to see any long lasting effect begin.

[Pesci]

Well, yeah, that comes with the territory. You wouldn't spend time on a serious grass roots campaign without enforcing things stricter at the top. But footballers at the moment simply don't give a shit, and they won't give a shit unless you make the punishment totally out of proportion, which isn't the way to go.

Edited January 19, 2011 by Pesci

[Grounded Wingman]

If players who aren't even that good can easily get over £50,000 a week, then it's no wonder they can't face reality. It may be a stereotype that footballers are stupid but, like most stereotypes, it has some truth to it.

Ally that lack of intelligence to the fact that you can hire someone who'll wipe your ass if you ask them to, for a pittance compared to what you earn, and get everything handed to you on a silver platter, then you are going to be upset when some bloke on a 'measly' £1,000 a week blows his whistle and tells you that you can't do what you like.

It won't stop, ever, because the Premiership has no motivation to make it better. What does it care about the grass roots, as long as it gets a bumper TV deal and punters keep subscribing to SKY and keep watching their product?

Hell, SKY deny the existence of anything they don't have rights to, and they sell Monday Night football featuring Wigan vs Fulham like it El Classico mark 2.

[Lineker]

Manuel Da Costa has now been charged with sexual assault following the October allegations.

Gee, West Ham's season just keeps getting better and better, huh.

[Lineker]

Arsenal fans, is there anything to Denilson's comments and his 'spat' with Fabregas?

[HailtotheYo]

However, Fabregas, on his Twitter account, responded to his team-mate's criticism, claiming there was no rift. He wrote: ''Abt what Deni said. I've been in his situation before, just a misunderstending [sic] . Now lets win tonite!''

Fabregas also attached a picture of the duo as they travelled on the train up to Leeds, both players all smiles and giving the thumbs up.

Denilson later released a statement via Rio-based communications agency 'Fair Play' to clarify that the Arsenal skipper has his full backing.

"Fabregas is a great friend. When I said the team had no leadership it was to point out that Arsenal have a very young squad and sometimes lack a more experienced person, as it had for many years with Gilberto Silva for example,'' Denilson said.

"I am a shy guy, I do not like controversy and problems. I was misquoted. I have talked with Fabregas and everything is resolved. We are fighting for the English title and it will not take away our focus.''

[Pesci]

If players who aren't even that good can easily get over £50,000 a week, then it's no wonder they can't face reality. It may be a stereotype that footballers are stupid but, like most stereotypes, it has some truth to it.

Didn't Lampard get like twenty A*s or something stupid like that? And he's still been seen on video with his dick out gangbanging some slut. Jamie Carragher started fucking a stripper at a Liverpool Christmas Party, Ferdinand was banned for 8 months for missing a drugs test, Rooney shags grannies, Gerrard battered a DJ, Terry was shagging his best mate's missus - and they're the most respected in the league. I don't hold out much hope for the others. They're petulant children who've been told they can do whatever the fuck they want throughout their careers. Why should they listen to referees? They're above that shit. The entitlement complex of footballers is to blame for the lack of discipline and it won't change with them.

Edited January 20, 2011 by Pesci

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

While footballers ARE in the public eye enough that they should be better behaved, at least publicly....anyone who has a footballer as a role model is a bit stupid.......

...Unless it's Jonathan Woodgate and his new beard.

[DavidMarrio]

Managed to get tickets to see Liverpool V Stoke. I haven't been to a prem game since we beat Sheffield Utd when we had Robbie Fowler So should be good, 3rd row in the Lower Centenary good seats.

Last time I went was when we played Rabotniki

[brenchill]

Well, yeah, that comes with the territory. You wouldn't spend time on a serious grass roots campaign without enforcing things stricter at the top. But footballers at the moment simply don't give a shit, and they won't give a shit unless you make the punishment totally out of proportion, which isn't the way to go.

I wouldn't give a shit either if I has earning the kind of money they earn. Is there even a punishment that can really effect a modern day footballer? You are right, the punishment would have to be blown completely out of proportion.

[HailtotheYo]

Put them in Time Out, seeing as how they're just pissy little kids ...

[Hobo]

On the subject of waving imaginary cards and swearing.

I wonder would it make a difference, if, like in rugby, referee's had microphones and you could hear what they and the players are saying to each other?

[Starvinho]

On the subject of waving imaginary cards and swearing.

I wonder would it make a difference, if, like in rugby, referee's had microphones and you could hear what they and the players are saying to each other?

I'm sure they tried that once 20 years ago or so, Tony Adams spent the whole game calling David Elleray every name under the sun and it was all heard live on air. Adam's even went as far as shouting 'Cheat' towards Elleray in the game and for everyone to hear, they promise never to mic up the refs again after the incident.

[therockbox]

Is there even a punishment that can really effect a modern day footballer?

Not individually, so you have to come up with something that punishes the club as well. Start suspending players like Rooney for excessive abuse of referees and he'd soon shut his mouth.

They were going to do something similar with that whole 'respect' campaign bollocks a couple of years ago after Ashley Cole turned his back on Riley (iirc). Mascherano was sent off the following week for smiling at Steve Bennett whilst enquiring as to why Torres had been booked for getting fouled, and the whole thing came to an abrupt stop because a dirty nasty foreigner had been punished.