Official Premier League 2010/11 thread

[Starvinho]

Winning a 19th league title is enough of a record for me!

Edit: Also just noticed Giggs needs one more game to equal the PL appearance record and two to beat it. David James has the record at the moment with 573.

Edited May 8, 2011 by Starvinho

[Asuka's Gonna Kill You]

Fantastic result, all but secures the title. Pretty happy with just about everything right now. I know quite a few people, including some of our own fans, have put this squad down, but I think it's a brilliant squad that is only going to get better.

Credit to Chelsea. Certainly not at their ultimate best, but they never gave up today and at least they pegged back to keep the title race alive.

[Dynamite]

I'd rather us win a meaningless game (for us) than lose and hope another team survives relegation.

[Matt]

From when I saw the lineups, I thought Man Utd were going to win. Fair play to them, they've been the most consistent team this season (or least inconsistent might be more appropriate) despite not having a brilliant squad by their own standards. Vidic, Giggs and Hernandez have been probably their 3 best players this season (Berbatov as well, I guess) so it was fitting those were the 3 players who played the biggest parts in the goals today. They'll need to strengthen next season though, I think Chelsea are a key signing or two away from having a team capable of beating anyone in the world - albeit today's performance didn't really reflect that - and I think Abrahmovic might stick another large wedge of cash in this summer to give it another go at the Champions League.

[therockbox]

Robbie Fowler recently attended a Hawaiian themed fancy dress party:

http://desmond.yfrog.com/Himg619/scaled.php?tn=0&server=619&filename=cbsdak.jpg&xsize=640&ysize=640

[stokeriño]

Currently just over an hour into a 2.5 hour journey back to London Euston, having to stand on a packed train...which is roughly 3/4 full of United fans. The way in which this conforms to their stereotype would be funnier if my legs ached less.

[Dynamite]

That Robbie Fowler picture is brilliant.

Also, saw this posted on another forum and thought it'd make interesting viewing now that we know what has and is likely to happen in regards to the top 4.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/8909409.stm

My favourite was Mickey Quinn putting Liverpool as champions, and United not even making top 4.

[Lineker]

Lord Sugar tackles football

Now on BBC2.

[Colly]

So far enjoyed Sugar and Dave Whelan sat in a room in a who's the biggest dickhead stareout, and Alan Shearers Southampton tash.

[Baddar]

A-hem

...

That will be all.

[IAceI]

What's everyones views on retrospective punishment? Something that I thought of when Vidic scored where you could have argued whether or not he should have been able to play after the Arsenal match.

I'm torn in two minds about it, in some ways I think it would take away from the match, by punishing players days after the final whistle. But at the same time if used in particular circumstances, e.g. missed handballs, blatant dives, it could help stamp out the issue to a certain degree. Also being able to go back and punish players some time later for things such as unsportsmanlike behaviour (was it Huddlestone who stamped on someone and the referee admitted to seeing it but didn't do anything) or being able to challenge red card offences that were only given a yellow, which currently are unchangeable.

While in some ways I want football to retain it's old-fashioned typical style that we know and love. Would some technology harm the sport in the form of goal-line technology and/or retrospective punishment.

[Starvinho]

It's ok for things like violent conduct or something like that but you can't be reviewing and punishing trivial decisions within games like handballs and dives. Goal-line technology is a must though and the sooner the better, the quicker we get that in our game then the less mistakes will be made.

Vidic should have been sent off against Arsenal no doubt but what's guaranteeing they whould have scored the resulting penalty and then gone on to win, it could have completely changed the game. Arsenal won the game and that's justice enough for me.

[IAceI]

Arsenal were fortunate in the sense they were the much better team in this example, but there are going to be situations where something like that does matter. Say it was Sunderland for example, we'd be much less likely to go and dominate a match in that situation than a team such as Arsenal (although at the SoL earlier in the season we did put in a brilliant 90 minutes against Utd). Mind you, it does take more significance given the timing of the handball, given he would have gone on to miss a crucial title-decided with Chelsea; and obviously that's not going to happen 90% of the time.

And I don't see why it can't be used to punish diving, and I don't mean everytime someone goes down when someone lays a hand on them. But think of the fruore that came about from Eduardo against Celtic and that 'dive' when it's a blatant dive with an attempt to win a penalty/free-kick and the player has obviously gone down with that sole intention then I think there could be justifiable cause for punishment. I don't neccesarily mean when someones trying to shepherd the ball out for a goal kick, is touched and goes down screaming.

With violent intent, as an example how would everyone rule the Steven Taylor on Cameron Jerome elbow from Saturday? I admit for the referee it was very hard to see, but after a few replays I think it's reasonably clear to think there was intent behind the elbow. Would that be something someone would retrospectively punish or would it have to be even more clear cut than that - e.g. an off the ball stamp/punch/Kieron Dyer-Lee Bowyer handbags kerfuffle?

Just interested where people see the differentiation between possible malice and clear cut malice in terms of violent conduct.

[Starvinho]

I'd agree with the blatant dives, we should go back and punish the players if it's really bad.

Who remember's this classic?

If I remember rightly Rivaldo got a fine and maybe a suspension for that?

[IAceI]

Yeah, blatant diving being the thing I meant most. And that was a good example to bring up. I can't recall if he got any banned but he was definitely fined for it. Mind you I can't imagine many players reacting like that for a ball being kicked at them, but if they were trying to run into the box and immediately fell over rolling around like that without being touched, then yes, definite call for some retrospective punishment of some description. And more than a fine, a fine to some of these players is like my putting a £10 bet on and losing it, it's not going to affect me in any shape of form.

I'm not going to say "ban them for life" but if they can prove that it was a blatant dive, then a one game ban should suffice and then maybe scope for increasing the punishment on repeat offenders.

And in a slightly less argumentative moment: That dive never fails to make me laugh, but also face palm at the same time. Truly terrible, but very funny.

[Baddar]

Eh, that just smacked of blatant anti-United stuff from Martin Tyler again yesterday. He didn't mention the Vidic incident at Arsenal once when he was mopping up at the back. As soon as Vidic scored and put us two up, he decided to bring the fact that he shouldn't be on the pitch up.

Should Lampard play next week after blocking a cross into the box with his arm yesterday? Of course he should.

Got to love how whenever 4 mins are added on, however many injuries there have been, Sky (most notably Tyler) bring up how United are being given time unfairly to get a goal. No mention of it when we're defending a lead, just the odd dig at Fergie for not wanting that amount added.

Sky are absolute cunts towards Man Utd. More so this season than any other. I can't wait for G. Nevs to join the team and put some of them straight.

[Noah]

My favourite was Mickey Quinn putting Liverpool as champions, and United not even making top 4.

Sid Lowe picking City to win the title and United to finish 4th was pretty good to.

Anyway great job from the team again. (Y) Add me to the list of people that were caught off guard by the early goal.

The team's overall consistency and Berba in particular has made me look foolish this season and I'm not ashmed to admit that.

My position on losing to Blackpool is, I want the team to go and try to win every game and expect them to against Blackpool but I wouldn't be upset if Blackpool got what they needed to survive from the game against us.

[IAceI]

I hear plenty of pro-Man Utd stuff from Sky as well mind. Just the same as I hear plenty of anti-Man Utd stuff and the same for City, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea. Whether the presenters and analysts are knowingly playing to their pre-conceptions I don't know.

In regards to the Lampard handball, the difference was intention. While I don't doubt for a second it could have been given as a penalty, and I never know which way to take the decisions of referees on intention anymore I'd probably have been inclined to give the penalty had it been me in that position sheerly because his arm was up in the air and away from his body. But it wouldn't have, to my understanding, have been a red card offence and the question wouldn't have been brought up whether he should need to miss the next game.

Whereas Vidic's was an intentional handball, that or his best superman impression (¬_¬) that was - understandbly - missed by the referee and linesman. Certainly I thought it was a superb header at first and so did most of the Arsenal team - aside from Van Persie.

Then again I don't know if that post was aimed in response to one of my earlier ones. So if it wasn't then I apologise. (Y)

EDIT: PS Stokerino, since you're the only Chelsea fan I know of on here - and since there's an article about it in the paper - Ancelotti as Chelsea manager 11/12.. yay or nay?

Edited May 9, 2011 by IAceI

[Baddar]

I dunno. It's just whenever there's a positive comment about us, it's usually followed with something negative like getting decisions we shouldn't. Anyone would think we're the only ones.

On Ancelotti...

I've been saying it to my Chelsea mate for a while - even if they were to end up with nothing this season, there's no point in sacking him. He got the double last time, and hasn't become a bad manager in 12 months.

Not everyone liked Avram at Chelsea, but the guy damn near won a league and Champions League double but was still sacked. Managers need to be cut some slack and given more time.

Interesting note on SSN about Liverpool just then - since Kenny arrived, only Chelsea have won more points than them. Remarkable. If they strengthen again next season, there's no reason why they can't mount a serious title challenge.

[stokeriño]

EDIT: PS Stokerino, since you're the only Chelsea fan I know of on here - and since there's an article about it in the paper - Ancelotti as Chelsea manager 11/12.. yay or nay?

Yay.

Any Chelsea fan who says different is a petulant child.