English Football 2009-2010

[Arai]

Its about three and half weeks to kick off....

2009/10 Fixtures Released

Opening day fixtures:

15th August 2009(Saturday)
Chelsea v Hull City
Aston Villa v Wigan Athletic
Blackburn v Manchester City
Bolton v Sunderland
Portsmouth v Fulham
Stoke City v Burnley
Wolves v West Ham Utd
Everton v Arsenal

16th August 2009(Sunday)
Man Utd v Birmingham
Tottenham v Liverpool

 

[Unforgiven]

Cant wait.

Quite easy fixtures for the rest of the top 4 compared to us on the first game of the season...

 

[bertlb2]

In the current state, Porsmouth must be one of the favorites to go down, but if the takeover goes through, they will become an other bog spender. Unfortunately for them, it might just come too late to be able to find bargains.

 

[go49oner]

In the last thread I predicted Liverpool will win the league title and got laughed at, but they did come close. anyway,this year am going to predict that Chelsea will win the league.

Cant wait, should be an exciting season.

 

[vantoure]

I dont usually do predictions but I'll give it a shot based on what I can see presently
I think Arsenal will get a top 2 finish (actually challenge for the title) - I expect there to be better cohesion in the midfield than there was last season. Denilson/Song/Diaby are not the answers we need or want but I think they'll be better than last season which can only be a good thing.
Man united to finish third/fourth as i think they'll miss ronaldo more than they've estimated.
Liverpool - Really can't say, but if they lose one or both of Mascherano/Alonso at this time (short period to find a replacement), then they might have a season like we just had.
Chelsea - Again, they've got some old players (good and bad) and i think Ancelotti will end up similarly to Scolari albeit he might witness the whole season.

Hull to get relegated - they can't get in new players to save their lives.


Oh and Man City - I think they'll have the odd good run but i dont think they have the coach to hold them through a bad spell that every team goes through. I expect maybe 5th/6th.

 

[DREVAK]

It's rather interesting at this point actually.

Chelsea seem the strongest right now, but their team is not getting any younger and I do have doubts about Ancelotti. I don't think Liverpool will repeat last season's challenge as I predict they will lose a key player in Mascherano or Alonso. I consider Arsenal to be weaker than last season right now.

And finally Manchester United. An enigma for me. Ronaldo is a huge loss. But does it mean a ton of trouble or we will see a different, new, but still successful United? That I don't really know.

Then there's the fact that the transfer window is not over yet. I expect Liverpool to lose a player, no transfers for Arsenal, possibly one decent addition to Chelsea and, again, no clue about Manchester. Which would leave me with Chelsea as the slight favourites, possibly with United if things go their way.

 

[tristan]

I know it's only pre-season, but we've got a couple of 2-0 wins, against Seattle of the MLS, and Inter Milan last night (dominating performance over Mourinho's team, pretty full squads, in front of about 81,500 people in LA). We haven't faced any English opposition yet so it's hard to tell, but Sturridge has fit right in and Lampard has two goals already.

Should be a good season, I think there's more parity this year in the top 4 than there has been in a few years.

 

[MAK 14]

It's sure to be a very interesting season next year. While there are no clear favourites to win the title, i think this could be Liverpool's year. They have a very balanced team, and they are bringing good players in at the moment. Although, a departure from either Mascherano or Alonso cold seriously damage their chances.

Chelsea, us and Man Utd are pretty much considered as the teams that will challenge for the title, with out them being favourites to go and win it. However if Man Utd sign a good winger to replace Ronaldo, Chelsea also sign a creative winger to take the weight of Joe Cole, and we sign that central midfielder that every body knows we need, i can see each one of those teams' chances of the Premier League increasing dramatically. Hopefully each one of the top four are challenging for the title right until one end... or we could have it raped up by January, that would do too.

 

[raidersoftheark]

Depending on how we do in the transfer market, I think Liverpool are the weakest of the other 3.

 

[bertlb2]

See raidersoftheark, if Liverpool can keep all their current key players and sign a decent backup striker (don't laugh, I think Darren Bent would be perfect there), they could go all the way. In any case, if any team is forced to go a long stretch of the season without a Rooney, a Gerrard or a Lampard, it will be tough. And if the refs don't go your way... To ein any trophy, you need luck.

 

[graham_ka]

I know it's only pre-season, but we've got a couple of 2-0 wins, against Seattle of the MLS, and Inter Milan last night (dominating performance over Mourinho's team, pretty full squads, in front of about 81,500 people in LA). We haven't faced any English opposition yet so it's hard to tell, but Sturridge has fit right in and Lampard has two goals already.

Should be a good season, I think there's more parity this year in the top 4 than there has been in a few years.

I went to the Seattle game I live in the Northwest. I thought Sturridge played well he should help you guys out a bunch with depth. Also you think you'll start Deco in the "Pirlo" role? He looked mighty sharp and fit. And Tristan who is your number 16 he impressed me with the small amount of time he was on the pitch?

and one more thing, just cut number 9, di Santo.. lol he'll never make it for a club like yours... so far out of his league.

 

[number_0]

I think chelsea and manure will dominate the top 2 again.

 

[raidersoftheark]

I'm not sure where this myth of Liverpool having a great squad came from. Benayoun is their squad depth, essentially. They were very lucky with injuries last season and players hitting form at exactly the right time. (yes, I'm aware that Gerrard and Torres missed chunks).

United is united, and they will be thereabouts, but they have no Ronaldo to get them out of tight spots and I think everyone is hugely overrating Rooney's ability to don the focal point mantle of the team. They will struggle much more than previous seasons.

As for Chelsea, well Ancelotti is the wild card, isn't he.

 

[vantoure]

I know it's only pre-season, but we've got a couple of 2-0 wins, against Seattle of the MLS, and Inter Milan last night (dominating performance over Mourinho's team, pretty full squads, in front of about 81,500 people in LA). We haven't faced any English opposition yet so it's hard to tell, but Sturridge has fit right in and Lampard has two goals already.

Should be a good season, I think there's more parity this year in the top 4 than there has been in a few years.

I think you had a good start under Scolari too and look where he ended up.
New coaches coming in usually need time to settle in instil their ways into the squad. I suspect Ancelotti might end the season with you guys but that'll be because Abrahamovich will be looking to see if he'll be able to deliver the CL.
Otherwise, i dont expect him to do far better than Scolari as regards the PL

 

[tristan]

graham, I don't know about Deco. He seems to want to leave the club and I wasn't convinced last season about his play in winter conditions. I don't know if maybe Ancelotti will convince him to stay or what have you, but the midfield is definitely crowded, and is even more so now if Joe Cole stays fit and with the addition of Zhirkov. As for number 16, he's Scott Sinclair, a youth player who's made the odd start here and there for a few years but he might be a numbers victim. Been on loan a bit too. Di Santo (number 9)is only 20 but he hasn't made the impression I think management would've liked him to make.

vantoure, we had a decent start under Scolari, yes. Hard to say whether or not Ancelotti will run into the same problems or not. Scolari seemed to alienate certain players, haven't seen that from Ancelotti yet, and Scolari had just spent 8+ years in international football while Ancelotti has been at the top level of the club level for awhile. We'll see how it goes.

 

[GaelForce22]

What formation is Ancelotti looking to play?

 

[AFCG7]

I know its preseason but fromt he way they lined up in the US , it looks like Ancellotti wants to play a midfield diamond.

 

[Clrnc]

They lined up as

Ivanovic Terry Caravalho Cole
--------Mikel---Essien-------
Kalou------------------Malouda
----------Lampard------------
-----------Drogba------------

 

[entropy13]

Just like AC Milan then.

 

[Clrnc]

Abit different though, they have got wingers, AC Milan was more compact and played Xmas tree