Premier league 2014-15: race for ???????

[Suave Gooner89]

McNulty said that last year too. Him and Adrian Durham were probably touched by a "Gooner" as a child :roll:

More likely that their mothers were gangbanged by an entire Arsenal side...

 

[blaze_of_glory]

these idiots never learn.

 

[blaze_of_glory]

I think Arsenal are out of the top four. They lost the title through not replacing Johan Djourou and not having a centre-midfield player to drive and win a game. This summer they haven’t done any of that business they needed to do, as well as they played in the Community Shield.

-Robbie Earle

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/aug/14/premier-league-preview-nbc-pundits" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.theguardian.com/football/201 ... bc-pundits</a>

 

[Hunta]

**** me.

 

[Tir Na Nog]

I've become used to all that ****e. Not even finishing in the top four is hysterical though, I mean we're at our strongest in years..... we finished top four with Yossi Beneyoun as our starting left winger and Rosicky as our number 10 and having to endure Santos and Gervinho starting large parts of that season. We even finished top four with Eboue, Denilson, Bendtner and Almunia as regulars. We've now got Mertesacker, Koscielny, Alexis, Cazorla, Özil, Ramsey, Wilshere, Walcott, Szczesny, etc and now is when we're going to finish outside the top four? Utterly laughable.

I'll not even bother with the Djourou comment.....

 

[blaze_of_glory]

Oh yeah they always predict us to be out of top four despite a complete lack of evidence that it will occur and the fact that it would be completely unprecedented.

But Earle has hit new lows with that reasoning Djourou as the key man to replace?? No midfielder who can drive forward and win games?? I guess Ramsey doesn't exist anymore.

 

[Suave Gooner89]

I think Arsenal are out of the top four. They lost the title through not replacing Johan Djourou and not having a centre-midfield player to drive and win a game. This summer they haven’t done any of that business they needed to do, as well as they played in the Community Shield.

-Robbie Earle

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/aug/14/premier-league-preview-nbc-pundits" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.theguardian.com/football/201 ... bc-pundits</a>" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It'll be a cold day in hell when Johan fu*king Djourou is a title decider... What the actual fu*k is he on about?



*Yawn*

The anti-Arsenal agenda is so blatant; I could care less what these buffoon likes pundits think - same sh*t every year, it's boring.

 

[TheLoneFalcon]

I think Arsenal are out of the top four. They lost the title through not replacing Johan Djourou and not having a centre-midfield player to drive and win a game. This summer they haven’t done any of that business they needed to do, as well as they played in the Community Shield.

-Robbie Earle

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/aug/14/premier-league-preview-nbc-pundits" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.theguardian.com/football/201 ... bc-pundits</a>" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The **** does this even mean. But give him some credit, the fact that he's strung a sentence together deserves admiration. He's clearly 'special'.

 

[blaze_of_glory]

The worst part is that Robbie Earle is getting a reputation in NA as one of the best pundits around. He did colour commentary for the Portland Timbers and then got picked up by NBC for their national coverage of the EPL. So people actually listen to this guy.

 

[Sannei]

It's absolutely a race for the title for me. First half of last season convinced me. We were very good but had two weaknesses that proved to be our downfall - the CM esp without Ramsey and the attack once Walcott and Ramsey were removed. Wenger has tried to remedy this by adding to the attack, Sanchez and also bringing in someone unpredictable but with pace like Campbell.

But our CM is still the same and as far as I'm concerned still weakened if Ramsey isn't there to glue it together or negate Arteta's weaknesses. Take him out and we face the same issues as last season unless Wilshere steps up and gives us the same level of performances. As I'm sure of one thing and that is Flamini/Arteta/Diaby isn't going to bring us any success.

 

[The_Playmaker]

I've become used to all that ****. Not even finishing in the top four is hysterical though, I mean we're at our strongest in years..... we finished top four with Yossi Beneyoun as our starting left winger and Rosicky as our number 10 and having to endure Santos and Gervinho starting large parts of that season. We even finished top four with Eboue, Denilson, Bendtner and Almunia as regulars. We've now got Mertesacker, Koscielny, Alexis, Cazorla, Özil, Ramsey, Wilshere, Walcott, Szczesny, etc and now is when we're going to finish outside the top four? Utterly laughable.

I'll not even bother with the Djourou comment.....

Don't you think it is odd that we have consistently finished in the top four, yet almost every season we have been predicted to be the team that finishes fifth, usually at the expense of Sp**s.

Also when we lost player after player, it was deemed that we would not be able to finish in the top four, especially Van Persie, yet Liverpool lose Suarez and they are title contenders. Man United are apparently title contenders, so it is us who are certain to drop out of the top four.

As laughable as it is, I am happy that it is the case. We have no pressure on us, we are by the definition 'dark horses'. Chelsea and Man City are expected to fight it out for the title, because due to pre season Costa will score 100 goals this season. Man City are the best team to ever exist according to the English press, even though they look for loop holes and barely do anything in Europe with their billions. Liverpool played less games than all the top teams last season, were reliant on 31 goals from Suarez, yet this season Sterling and Coutinho are ready to get 20 goals each, even though between them they managed 17 last season. They have lost the best striker in the world, but are a better team without him apparently, more rounded, with Markovic and Lambert.

Man United are set to play 3 at the back, some kind of revelation, when they currently have only three centre halves in their squad. They enter the season with injuries and not to forget a manager who has apparently surpassed Ferguson by the way they talk about him. Van Ghaal wasn't a master tactician in this world cup, if anything he showed how arrogant he was by sending his team out to play exactly the same way that they did against Spain, vs Australia. That doesn't matter though, because he subbed a mentally weak keeper off and won a penalty shootout. At Ajax he had a team that could pick itself, it was that good, his credit can come from giving them their chance to play football, but really? Who would look at Davids and Seedorf and not throw them in the team? He left Barcelona because he couldn't stamp his authority on the team in his first stint, which involved playing Rivaldo as a left winger. He went back to Barcelona after managing the Dutch and then went back Barcelona, resigning after leaving them in 12th place. Then he bounced around, fell out with more people and got sacked by Bayern. Forget all of that though, he will win the league in his first season with the worst United squad in a decade, because he can switch his formation around and knock it long.

The same people who say Arsenal will finish fifth, say all of the above. Can't wait for the season to start.

 

[Kwaku]

When I look at the current squad and see how Man. City and Chelsea have strengthened, I think we will finish third. We needed to get more goals in the side and the Sanchez signing kind of addresses this, but I still think the duo of Arteta and Flamini is not good enough and a glaring weakness in the squad. I also think that we need one more centre back to compete.

 

[Anzac]

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.football365.com/f365-features/9421518/Preview365" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.football365.com/f365-feature ... Preview365</a>

 

[redanddread]

I've become used to all that ****. Not even finishing in the top four is hysterical though, I mean we're at our strongest in years..... we finished top four with Yossi Beneyoun as our starting left winger and Rosicky as our number 10 and having to endure Santos and Gervinho starting large parts of that season. We even finished top four with Eboue, Denilson, Bendtner and Almunia as regulars. We've now got Mertesacker, Koscielny, Alexis, Cazorla, Özil, Ramsey, Wilshere, Walcott, Szczesny, etc and now is when we're going to finish outside the top four? Utterly laughable.

I'll not even bother with the Djourou comment.....

Don't you think it is odd that we have consistently finished in the top four, yet almost every season we have been predicted to be the team that finishes fifth, usually at the expense of Sp**s.

Also when we lost player after player, it was deemed that we would not be able to finish in the top four, especially Van Persie, yet Liverpool lose Suarez and they are title contenders. Man United are apparently title contenders, so it is us who are certain to drop out of the top four.

As laughable as it is, I am happy that it is the case. We have no pressure on us, we are by the definition 'dark horses'. Chelsea and Man City are expected to fight it out for the title, because due to pre season Costa will score 100 goals this season. Man City are the best team to ever exist according to the English press, even though they look for loop holes and barely do anything in Europe with their billions. Liverpool played less games than all the top teams last season, were reliant on 31 goals from Suarez, yet this season Sterling and Coutinho are ready to get 20 goals each, even though between them they managed 17 last season. They have lost the best striker in the world, but are a better team without him apparently, more rounded, with Markovic and Lambert.

Man United are set to play 3 at the back, some kind of revelation, when they currently have only three centre halves in their squad. They enter the season with injuries and not to forget a manager who has apparently surpassed Ferguson by the way they talk about him. Van Ghaal wasn't a master tactician in this world cup, if anything he showed how arrogant he was by sending his team out to play exactly the same way that they did against Spain, vs Australia. That doesn't matter though, because he subbed a mentally weak keeper off and won a penalty shootout. At Ajax he had a team that could pick itself, it was that good, his credit can come from giving them their chance to play football, but really? Who would look at Davids and Seedorf and not throw them in the team? He left Barcelona because he couldn't stamp his authority on the team in his first stint, which involved playing Rivaldo as a left winger. He went back to Barcelona after managing the Dutch and then went back Barcelona, resigning after leaving them in 12th place. Then he bounced around, fell out with more people and got sacked by Bayern. Forget all of that though, he will win the league in his first season with the worst United squad in a decade, because he can switch his formation around and knock it long.

The same people who say Arsenal will finish fifth, say all of the above. Can't wait for the season to start.

Hear, hear! Well said.

 

[Anzac]

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.caughtoffside.com/2014/08/14/caughtoffside-predicts-premier-league-top-four-liverpool-to-drop-out-with-man-united-back-in/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.caughtoffside.com/2014/08/14 ... d-back-in/</a>

 

[spartandre217]

Anyone else think that City are pulling yet another loophole with all of these players signing new deals even though many of them were on big money, long term contracts with City?

 

[Floating]

Anyone else think that City are pulling yet another loophole with all of these players signing new deals even though many of them were on big money, long term contracts with City?

Yes. I've heard noises about them re-configuring the contracts of their stars to be based heavily on performance bonuses with much lower base wages, in order to keep their wage bill down on paper. Underhanded.

 

[Suave Gooner89]

Anyone else think that City are pulling yet another loophole with all of these players signing new deals even though many of them were on big money, long term contracts with City?

Yes. I've heard noises about them re-configuring the contracts of their stars to be based heavily on performance bonuses with much lower base wages, in order to keep their wage bill down on paper. Underhanded.

Wouldn't expect anything else.

Corrupt to the core.These ruble and dirham clubs really need to be eradicated - ruining football one pound at a time.

 

[Iceman10]

Anyone who thinks these Russian oligarch & Middle East enterprises are fully orientated around passion for football are naive to say the least also. Can't stand silly City fans in denial about their owners supposedly being innocuous benefactors.

 

[Anzac]

Anyone else think that City are pulling yet another loophole with all of these players signing new deals even though many of them were on big money, long term contracts with City?

Yes. I've heard noises about them re-configuring the contracts of their stars to be based heavily on performance bonuses with much lower base wages, in order to keep their wage bill down on paper. Underhanded.

IIRC the current FFP sanctions mean that they must retain the current wage cap and bonus structure.