The Barclays Premier League Thread 2014/2015

[DavidMarrio]

I'm just going to place these two quotes next to each other, for it is in their combination that they amuse me.

After that [2005] final we were fortunate as a coaching team that we could work with him for another five years, as he almost left that summer for Chelsea. Eventually the pull of Liverpool proved too much and we had long meetings trying to explain our plans and ambition and how important he was to us.

Rafa Benitez

3rd January 2015

I wish I'd met Brendan when I was 24 because I think I'd be sitting here talking about a lot of titles that we'd won together. 'The reality is, Brendan came into this club when I was 32 years of age and it's a shame that relationship didn't start 10 years ago.

Steven Gerrard

3rd January 2015

Is this your way of trying to recover from the spanking Spurs gave you lot?

[stokeriño]

I get why you've put them together, but the second one is just him fawning over his current manager. At an absolute push he maybe means 'If I was 24 I wouldn't have had to play parallel to my centre halfs and some other poor sod might have cost us the league'.

Oh it's all just fawning of one kind or another. The amusement springs most intentionally from taking them out of context.

Is this your way of trying to recover from the spanking Spurs gave you lot?

Nope. Going into a proverbial cave for two days was my way of recovering.

[brenchill]

Stoker's disappearance is almost on par with Nerf disappearing for Liverpool's title collapse.

[stokeriño]

Wasn't Nerf gone for months? Or was that just a wonderful dream I had?

[Baddar]

Yeah. He returned when Liverpool were linked with John Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious in the summer.

[brenchill]

I remember him being around to pretend he knew who Konopolopolenko was.

[Jimmy]

If we're going for silly quotes, we can also put the spotlight of Mourinho for a bit

Mourinho takes swipe at Arsenal

Fulham 1-4 Chelsea

Tottenham 4-5 Arsenal

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has launched a scathing attack on title rivals Arsenal by claiming their defenders are a "disgrace".

Referring to Arsenal's 5-4 win over Spurs, Mourinho said: "Five-four is a hockey score, not a football score.

"In a three-against-three training match, if the score reaches 5-4 I send the players back to the dressing rooms as they are not defending properly.

"So to get a result like that in a game of 11 against 11 is disgraceful."

[stokeriño]

Pretty sure he would have been saying the same or worse to the Chelsea players on Friday!

[Colly]

I look forward to him instructing his players and ballboys to rush the ball back into play within a second of it going out should they go ahead next Saturday. Mourinho doesn't mean a single word he says to the press, and that's not a criticism.

[TCO]

Mourinho is the master of being a giant knob in the most charming way possible.

I can't do anything but love him, he's brilliant!

[Gazz]

To accurate model Mourinho style media duties, FM should have a little check box that says 'Players have been instructed prior to ignore all this because it is knowingly bullshit'.

[Szumi]

Nope, can't stand him. I get what he does and why he is the way he is with his press conferences and such, but it doesn't stop him from being a hypocritical douche.

[Gazz]

Not really, it's a psychological trick all great managers use, they build an 'us against them' construct.

Ferguson did it, he was forever accusing referees, the FA, ballboys, the tea lady, the Illuminati, whoever it took for his players to adopt a siege mentality, it brings the group together, it's a natural human condition to bond together within your group when you're under perceived threat and a more cohesive group makes for a more cohesive team.

That was today's sports psychology lecture. There will be a pop quiz on Tuesday.

[Szumi]

Yes, but it doesn't stop me from thinking he's a complete douche for the bullshit he spews.

It's obvious his whole approach is to create that sense of us vs. them mentality, get the squad to come together as one, and also for Mourinho to take a lot of the heat when his squad under performs. I respect the idea behind it, but it doesn't mean he's not a twat.

[TCO]

Alan Pardew on the other hand is the direct opposite, he blames anybody but himself and nuts opposing players rather than play mind games.

[Ant]

To be fair headbutting someone is technically using your mind.

[Hobo]

Adam Lallana is out for a month with a thigh injury. Poor guy, he was just starting to kick into gear.

[Baddar]

Talking of injuries, Luke Shaw was re-injured in the Yeovil game yesterday. Awful, awful first season for him.

[Ant]

Hasn't LVG admitted he has them do double training sessions? Sounds like most of the injuries is self inflicted to be honest.

[Baddar]

I honestly believe it's down to the training load. We've had some injuries that have happened during a match, and the odd one that can't really be helped (Rojo's collarbone injury against City), but the majority have occurred in training.

But who are we to doubt the philosophy.