The Barclays Premier League Thread 2014/2015

[Gazz]

Ahh, the mythical 'Premier League experience', because the Premier League plays to a completely different rule set to the rest of world football.

[Thrilla]

Its true, just look at that Diego Costa, he's looked like a fish out of water all season.

[Colly]

If anything 'Premier League experience' has been massively detrimental to us looking at the performances of our long serving players. Our problem is playing with no idea of how to get a goal. We've got a midfield of 'functional' players with no creative spark, two new boys up top who are being given nothing, plus a back four of one new fullback and two players who are utterly useless when a ball arrives near them. Coloccini is our only creative outlet, which is a pretty bad situation to be in.

Riviere needs another striker off him but Pardew is so concerned with not conceding he's refusing to do so, meaning we can't go forward and can't cope at the back.

[Lineker]

Manchester United director Richard Arnold says the club are thinking about playing midweek friendlies abroad. With no Champions League football this season and after exiting the League Cup early, Arnold says the lucrative fixtures overseas are something the club will "continue to look at".

Virgin Media has asked Ofcom to open a formal investigation under the Competition Act 1998 into the arrangements by which the FA Premier League sells live UK television rights to its games. They consider that significant consumer harm resulting from escalating rights costs can be addressed by targeted changes to the way in which live rights are sold, while preserving the benefits of joint selling. A review is required with the next auction imminent and a further 60% inflation in costs predicted. Brigitte Trafford, Virgin Media's Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, said: 'The rapidly rising cost of Premier League live broadcast rights means UK fans pay the highest prices in Europe to watch football on TV. Virgin Media has asked Ofcom to investigate how the rights are sold ahead of the next auction.'

Ander Herrera and Kevin Mirallas look set for a spells on the sidelines with rib and hamstring injuries.

Hull City striker Yannick Sagbo has joined Championship side Wolverhampton Wanderers on a loan deal until January.

[Gazz]

Man United should probably concentrate on winning games at the weekends before they think about playing games midweek.

[Baddar]

Man United should probably concentrate on winning games at the weekends before they think about playing games midweek.

This.

What a fucking stupid idea.

[Colly]

I like the statement about Van Gaal possibly being receptive to it. It's possible, but I bet no one would've even suggested the idea to Fergie for risk of suddenly gaining a new bumhole.

[Gazz]

I'd just like to point out, on the 'Newcastle sign shit players' point.

Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa

Apparentally not good to usurp the defensive rocks that are Mike Williamson and Steven Taylor, so forced to play second fiddle at left back behind Paul Dummett.

Now starting for the team that finished second last season in Serie A and playing in the Champions League against Chelsea.

Good one, Pards

[TPS]

Ahh, the mythical 'Premier League experience', because the Premier League plays to a completely different rule set to the rest of world football.

The Premier League is much physical. If you look at the Spanish, German and Italians it isn't more physical than the Premier League. It is also a completely different tempo to the different European leagues.

[TCO]

Seeing Yanga-Mbiwa playing for Roma tonight made me so angry. What the fuck is going on?

[Colly]

I'd just like to point out, on the 'Newcastle sign shit players' point.

Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa

Apparentally not good to usurp the defensive rocks that are Mike Williamson and Steven Taylor, so forced to play second fiddle at left back behind Paul Dummett.

Now starting for the team that finished second last season in Serie A and playing in the Champions League against Chelsea.

Good one, Pards

To be fair he was useless whenever he played centre half, nowhere near good enough to start in the league. That said I wouldn't have let him go out, but I doubt Pardew had much say in that.

[Gazz]

Ahh, the mythical 'Premier League experience', because the Premier League plays to a completely different rule set to the rest of world football.

The Premier League is much physical. If you look at the Spanish, German and Italians it isn't more physical than the Premier League. It is also a completely different tempo to the different European leagues.

Serie A I'll give you for speed, but if the Premier League was that much more physical and higher tempo than the other elite leagues, English clubs would just kick and blitz European teams off the pitch in the European competitions.

You've mistaken 'Oh shit! I've got the ball, I'm scared! *lump it*' for high tempo. Their fitness wouldn't be shit compared to European teams either, Dortmund for example can gegenpress an English club for 90 minutes without breaking a sweat as shown in the Arsenal game.

Mapou was poor as a centre half because he never got any help from his partners, Willo and Taylor are wank and Colo has hardly covered himself in glory the past couple of seasons. Last night, with a proper partner, he marked Dzeko out of the game.

[DavidMarrio]

Ahh, the mythical 'Premier League experience', because the Premier League plays to a completely different rule set to the rest of world football.

The Premier League is much physical. If you look at the Spanish, German and Italians it isn't more physical than the Premier League. It is also a completely different tempo to the different European leagues.

Mapou was poor as a centre half because he never got any help from his partners, Willo and Taylor are wank and Colo has hardly covered himself in glory the past couple of seasons. Last night, with a proper partner, he marked Dzeko out of the game.

Couldn't agree anymore. Having played centre back before injuring my knee pretty bad it's key having a good partner. It's a trust thing if you don't trust the person next to you then you're gonna ship goals. Got to build up communication, know each others weaknesses etc.

Pardew needs to go though. I don't think the team is bad enough on paper to be where they are. But after so long you need a change to mix things up. For a while now it's been like a marriage that's about to collapse. It's not pretty. Someone needs to leave whether it's Mike Ashley or Pardew for the good of the club someone's gotta go soon.

[Moses Julep]

With all this talk of Premier League experience, we should probably look at Southampton and how their non Premier League signings are doing. At this rate, Ronald Koeman will probably be managing Tottenham in a year or two

[Colly]

Problem is that Mapou was never going to quite gel with any of our current centre halves. Williamson is useless without Coloccini constantly making himself available for any situation he might have the ball and he isn't ready to lead a defence like that. Colo and he were too similar and we always lacked a physical presence. Taylor is Taylor and again needs a leader to get anything good out of him. I can't quite figure out the logic behind him going on loan, but if he comes back (unlikely) the point of signing him was always to be Colos replacement rather than partner, so he would be better suited to that after this season.

I don't think you can put everything down to poor partners though, he was thoroughly embarassed by Cardiff reserves in the cup last year, and that wasn't his only stinker. He is still very young though, so he'd improve.

[Gazz]

Since the loan agreement includes a £4.5m transfer clause, he'll be improving at Roma next season.

Then Man City will buy him for £65m.

[Colly]

We strangely have a good scouting setup sadly overseen by imbeciles who do the actual decision making.

[The Lusophone]

You've had a great scouting set-up ever since you discovered that Mexican kid playing park football in LA.

[Colly]

And what did we do? Swap deal for perma-crock Michael Owen. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss...

[TCO]

Yeah we got shafted on that Munez deal, that lad was quality!