FOOTBALL SEASON 2010/11

[Serai]

I don't get why they have friendly matches so soon after the World Cup.

[Phoenix]

It's not the English players I'm worried about all the other players have been called up to play for their national teams.

You mean there are more? Where will it all end?

[Jonny Whizz]

As a Liverpool fan I'm quite happy that Joe Cole hasn't been picked, it means he won't miss the week going away on international duty. Glen Johnson and Steven Gerrard have been picked though.

At the weekend I went to watch my other team Tranmere play Oldham match at Prenton Park. Unfortunately, Oldham won 2-1 and Tranmere didn't play very well. Also, to make things worse, our captain and main goalscorer Ian Thomas-Moore has put in a transfer request and will probably leave. I don't know where we're going to get our goals from if that happens.

This is my guess as to what the Premier League table will be come the end of the season:

1. Man Utd - sadly. They have a good team and I think Hernandez could be a great signing for them.
2. Chelsea - They will be contenders, but I feel that they've kind of lost their edge. The squad seems weaker than last year in my opinion, but maybe a couple of signings will change that.
3. Arsenal - Same as it's been for the last few years, exciting football but not a consistent title challenge.
4. Man City - If their team gels they should make the top four, no title challenge yet though.
5. Tottenham - Another good season, but. I think they'll lose fourth to City.
6. Liverpool - I'm trying to be realistic here. We should be better than last year but in truth still not good enough for the top four.
7. Everton - A solid team that could really do well if they make a decent start, especially if they hang onto their key players such as Pienaar.
8. Aston Villa - Not convinced they'll do that well this season. The lack of investment isn't promising and they seem to have difficulty putting a full season together.
9. Blackburn - I'm expecting another top ten finish.
10. Sunderland - Look good for a mid table finish, especially if Bent scores 20+ goals again.
11. Fulham - Similar to Sunderland, I think Hughes is a good manager and they've got a decent team. Emulating Roy Hodgson's achievements will be tough.
12. Stoke - Should be mid table again, no one likes to play them but not good enough for the top ten.
13. Bolton - Will probably be safe from relegation, they're a good team with some talented players and Petrov could be a superb signing. I may be underestimating them, they could end up higher if it goes well.
14. West Ham - They seem to have brought in a few good players and should be better than they were last year (though that's not saying much).
15. Birmingham - May suffer from 'second season syndrome' but have enough about them to stay up (they will miss Joe Hart though, I don't think Ben Foster is as good as he is).
16. Newcastle - Will survive, but I don't expect any fireworks from them this year.
17. Wolves - I think they will just stay up.
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18. West Brom - I said I had a feeling they might survive, but logic suggests they will go down yet again - but will come back up again next season....
19. Wigan - Conceded lots of goals last season. Also, last year's bottom three were often very poor
20. Blackpool - I just don't think they have the quality to succeed in the Prem. I may be proven wrong.

Come next May I will no doubt have this table rammed down my throat when Blackpool stay up or Man City win the league.

[Digifiend]

You're right about Chelsea. They beat Man Utd twice last season, winning both league and cup.... only to lose the Community Shield match against them. Proof enough that they aren't as good as last season, I reckon.

[Jonny Whizz]

Yes, they've lost Michael Ballack, Deco, Juliano Belletti and Joe Cole. I don't think they'll miss Belletti or Deco, and they've replaced Cole with Yossi Benayoun and Ramires has just joined, presumably to replace Ballack, but many of the team's key players, including Lampard and Drogba, are over 30 and won't be around forever, so they will need to be replaced one day. Of course, age never seemed a problem to Teddy Sheringham, and Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes are still going strong at United, so maybe it's less of an issue than you might think.

I just read on BBC Sport that Martin O'Neill has quit Aston Villa. That's strange timing, it's hard to understand why he's left now rather than earlier in the summer or when the season has started, although I believe it's because of a dispute over transfers (Milner looks almost certain to join City and Ashley Young may go to Spurs, while they've brought no one in so far). Also, who will replace him? It's hard to think of anyone without a job who is good enough, unless they look abroad, and other teams won't want to lose their managers on the eve of the season. Their assistant manager's been put in temporary charge IIRC - maybe he will act as caretaker manager for the whole season like David Pleat did at Spurs in 2003/04 before bringing in a bigger name, Jacques Santini.

[Digifiend]

Blimey, wasn't expecting that. Iain Dowie? He's out of work since leaving Hull City. Same goes for Phil Brown.

[Jonny Whizz]

I don't think Dowie or Brown wouldn't be great picks as manager for them. Dowie has a record of getting teams relegated from the top flight (Hull last year, Newcastle the year before and Crystal Palace five years ago). To be fair, Villa are much better than those sides were, and it would take quite something for them to be relegated. I suspect he will be back relatively soon when a Championship or bottom-half Premier League side sacks their manager. I can't see why Villa would even consider Brown. Mind you, last night I dreamt that Gary Megson would take over as their manager!

Personally, I'd like to see Gareth Southgate return to management with them - he's out of work at the moment, he used to play for Villa and I think he was unlucky to be sacked by Middlesbrough. They got relegated but overall he did a fairly decent job, and last season they were in a strong position when he was sacked but they fell into mid-table (though I hope they go up this year, I'd like to see Gordon Strachan back in the Premier League). There doesn't seem to be a stand-out candidate - I even heard one rumour suggesting that Villa might poach Mark Hughes from Fulham, just two weeks after he joined them.

[Digifiend]

That's why I suggested the ex-Hull bosses, lol - all the good managers already have a job.

[stevezodiac]

Dowie is doing punditry on Sky Sports News which, incidentally, will be coming off freeview later this month. Shame on Sky. Will have to watch Score on the bbc red button but it lacks the banter. I have ESPN but will not be paying £31.99 a month to get Sky Sports 1 and 2. I've gone off premier league football with all those overpaid drama queen cheats. Last Saturday was so nice just having the lower three divisions playing. Are there any Arsenal fans who can still identify with their club? I mean with eleven foreign players and a foreign manager what does it have to do with North London any more? They might as well play abroad. Arsenal fans should create FC Arsenal in protest.

[Jonny Whizz]

It's hardly a new thing. Liverpool's first ever team consisted of ten Scotsmen and one Englishman (they were known as 'The Team of Macs' - even the Englishman was called William McOwen). Also, our FA Cup final team of 1986 - our double year - did not have a single English player in the starting XI (although Mark Lawrenson was born in Preston, he played for Ireland), although Steve McMahon was an unused sub.

[steelclaw]

I've gone off premier league football with all those overpaid drama queen cheats. Last Saturday was so nice just having the lower three divisions playing.

Mmmmmmmm wonder if your think the same way if Millwall get promoted and become a load of drama queens.
But Millwall in the Premier nah I don't think so they couldn't possibly be promoted again.

[steelclaw]

"COME ON YOU SPURS"

First Kick off of the season.

Spurs V Man City(billionaires)K.O 12:45pm

[chrissmillie]

Second kick-off you mean. The mighty Inverness kicked off 15 minutes before. They're playing, oh, the team in green from Glasgow. Who are they? Rangers? Partick Thistle? I never really bother learning the names of these minor teams

[Digifiend]

And there were 36 matches played last weekend.

[steelclaw]

Well their is only one league really.