The Barclays Premier League thread 2015/2016

[Arjen Robben]

Shame Mascherano wasn't there to run out and go "Javier Mascherano: 5 appearances for West Ham.." and then just takes out a scroll and starts reading out a list of his subsequent achievements, tells them all to fuck off, launches the microphone in to the stand and leaves.

Also, I cannot BELIEVE they missed the chance to have Harry Redknapp driving one of those cabs and leaning out the window.

[brenchill]

58 minutes ago, Arjen Robben said:

When, and why, did everyone started calling it the Boleyn Ground? I'm sure when I was growing up it was always called Upton Park, and in recent years everyone's started calling it Boleyn Ground?

This.  I actually thought the Boleyn Ground and Upton Park were two different grounds when I was younger because I had always known it as Upton Park.

[Matt]

1 hour ago, Work Experience Jack said:

At worst, Jose reverses the progress we've made actually using our academy graduates, rather than releasing them to go win the league at other clubs (see: Drinkwater, Danny), sidelines or sells Mata and has us playing dull, plodding football that most of United's fans will accept for a season before eating him, like we did to LVG. Only by that point, the damage he's done is worse than anything that can be laid at LVGs door.

I'm not saying don't sack LVG - but we need to go out and find a manager willing to play the kind of football that gets fans enthused and rallying around the team. The team has shown glimpses of that kind of football this season, but we're not going to get with Jose.

Please please please let Giggs have the job, it'll make me so happy.

[brenchill]

Giggs with Phil Neville as his assistant please.

[MDK]

Oh, fuck off West Ham. 

[Whisper]

I genuinely don't remember (and admittedly wasn't particularly interested at the time), but was this much fuss made when City and Arsenal left Maine Road/Highbury?

[Baddar]

I don't think so. All I remember about the Highbury farewell season was the darker kit. And I might even be remembering that wrong.

[Lineker]

They had a big farewell party at Highbury on the last day of the season. They even wrote a naff song.

[stokeriño]

Even from the brief clips on Sky Sports' 'The Premier League Years' episode from the relevant season, you can get the gist that a massive fuss was made over Highbury.

[Nerf]

11 hours ago, Work Experience Jack said:

If this is the end for LVG, I eagerly await being able to say "I told you so" when you're all bitching about Jose's anti-football.

United really need someone in the mold of Roger Schmidt.

[The Lusophone]

4 minutes ago, Nerf said:

United really need someone in the mold of Roger Schmidt.

Schmidt would be lovely, as would any of PSV's Philip Cocu, Frank de Boer from Ajax, the Sporting Lisbon manager Jorge Jesus or Benfica's Rui Vitora. They've all played attacking attractive football this season and would at least approach the job in the right way.

[MDK]

They should get Argel Fucks 

[stokeriño]

I thought that Bielsa was the hipster-approved managerial favourite du jour (a title inherited from Klopp) for any fans who want more attacking football?

[The Lusophone]

Bielsa comes with the "troublemaker" label though, and I'm not sure he wouldn't freeze out certain players who have been key to us this season, like he did with Llorente at Bilbao.

[Hobo]

So... Eamon Holmes compared last night outside Upton Park to Hillsborough...

[Lineker]

Permutations!

Manchester United’s defeat to West Ham on Tuesday night has handed the initiative back to Manchester City in the race for the fourth Champions League spot but there is still a scenario that could see Louis Van Gaal’s side miss out on European competition altogether.

With just Sunday’s final match against Bournemouth to come at Old Trafford on Sunday, United know they need to win to have any chance of overhauling their city rivals’ two-point lead. A draw at Swansea City is likely to be enough for Manchester City though given their vastly superior goal difference, in which case United would have to settle for fifth place and a guaranteed place in the Europa League group stages.

Anything other than victory on Sunday, however, and things could get very complicated. A win for Liverpool against Chelsea on Wednesday night would mean there would be three teams who could still overhaul Manchester United on the final day – West Ham United, Southampton and Jürgen Klopp’s side.

One point would be enough to guarantee at least a seventh-placed finish but even that may not be enough to qualify for next season’s Europa League. Once more, Liverpool could hold the key.

Should they beat Sevilla in the final of the Europa League, Liverpool will play in next season’s Champions League as one of five English representatives. If they can also win at West Brom on the final day and end up finishing in the top seven, that would mean the Premier League loses one of its spots in the Europa League which is potentially bad news for Manchester United, Southampton or West Ham. However, an eighth-placed finish for Liverpool and victory in the final would mean the Premier League has eight representatives in Europe next season.

Of course, the FA Cup final against Crystal Palace will give United another shot at qualification if they miss out through their league placing with the winners moving straight into the Europa League group stages.

Meanwhile, Southampton must beat Palace on Sunday and hope they can at least overhaul one of the sides above them to book a second successive season of European football, while victory for West Ham at Stoke City would guarantee them at least sixth place.

[brenchill]

It's been confirmed Joe Ledley broke his leg on Saturday. He walked off the pitch with a broken leg!

[GA!]

20 hours ago, Twist said:

What on earth do Arsenal put in the water?

Choking hazards.

[Lineker]

Nine months out for Welbeck.

[Gorka]

I'm fine with this, he's gotten great results against bigger teams.