Barclays Premier League 13/14 Thread

[Crimey]

First topic message reminder :

Well the season is nearly upon us, with matches starting next weekend, so I thought it was time for a thread for it.

I'll start with my predictions with the finishes, although a lot depends on signings so mine might change by the end of the window.

1. Chelsea
2. Manchester United
3. Manchester City
4. Tottenham Hotspur
5. Liverpool
6. Arsenal
7. Everton
8. Norwich City
9. Swansea
10. West Bromwich Albion
11. West Ham United
12. Sunderland
13. Newcastle United
14. Fulham
15. Aston Villa
16. Southampton
17. Stoke
18. Cardiff
19. Hull
20. Crystal Palace

[mystiroakey]

Naughty

[goldwolf]

1. Chelsea
2. Man City
3. Man Utd
4. Arsenal
5. Spurs
6. Liverpool

17. Newcastle
18. Cardiff
19. Palace
20. Hull

[westisbest]

Yeah some good young Britis & Irish talent that won the Next Gen(now been scrapped).
 
Looking at our first team/bench, only British/Irish players that would make mathday squad(if no injuries).
Lowton
Baker(this lad gets injured pretty much every time he plays, can sadly see early retirement for young Nathan).
Clark
Delph
Gabby
Steer
 
Guys like.
Gardner
Albrighton
Johnson
Carruthers
Bannan
Would probably get CC1 run out.
 
Not included Hutton, as he hope he would be off ASAP.

[Guest]

Lowton looks like a cracking player, he's really under the radar at the moment. Any chance he could slip into England's WC squad with another great season under his belt? Or too soon?

[westisbest]

If he stays fit, carrys on the form he showed last season, then think he will get an England call up this season.
 
Definatly worth a chance.
Couple of goals he scored last season were quality.

[Guest]

He's one of two Villa players I like. Him and Benteke.

[westisbest]

Thanks.

[jimmyinthewell68]

yes i heard talk of lowton being looked at for the England squad . scored some cracking goals .

[Guest]

Kyle Walker can't defend. Glen Johnson can't defend. Unless England play Milner at RM, that RB spot needs someone who can be relied upon to track back into position. From what I've seen, Lowton could be that player. Either he, or if Micah Richards can ever get back to form/fitness...

[jimmyinthewell68]

we had walker on loan and he had a good season with us and was gutted he went back to spurs .

[Guest]

He's great going forward, but defensively he's brittle, and same as Johnson, he gets so far forward that he can't get back into position. Man City with Jovetic, or United with Kagawa, or Chelsea with Hazard, will muller him this season.

[Crimey]

He's great going forward, but defensively he's brittle, and same as Johnson, he gets so far forward that he can't get back into position. Man City with Jovetic, or United with Kagawa, or Chelsea with Hazard, will muller him this season.

We'll see if that happens, as he seems to have coped fine for the past two seasons.

[Guest]

I beg to differ. A lot of the goals Spurs concede come from the right side, as they have Lennon and Walker bombing forward constantly. BAE/Naughton just sit behind Bale, but down the Spurs right it's chaos. I watch a ton of Spurs games, you can put your mortgage on Walker giving away 2/3 chances per game due to poor positioning defensively. It's been covered up by a succession of excellent CBs - Kaboul and Dawson the last two seasons.

[Crimey]

I agree with Walker, but not about Johnson. I think Walker is overrated while Johnson is underrated and basing it on his past reputation.

[Guest]

Johnson's not as good as Walker at attacking, I think he shades it on defending.

[Crimey]

Walker's final ball is so often lacking, he's very frustrating, he often gets into great positions and simply doesn't have the crossing or shooting ability to capitalise on it. 

I think Walker has time to develop into a top full back like Johnson did over time, but right now Johnson is a much better player.

[Guest]

I'd have Johnson over Walker easily. I still maintain Walker isn't good enough for England, and I'd rather play Jagielka at RB than pick him. Lowton should get a chance, as should Jenkinson, as should Richards. But never again Walker, please. His control against San Marino was so poor, their players looked better than him!

[Crimey]

To be honest, I would be very surprised if any players without any caps made it into the World Cup squad to be honest, I'd have thought there will be very little surprises.

[Guest]

That's why you get Lowton to play now. The Scotland game was a great chance to look at new players, instead we got the same old fringe players getting a look in.

[GSC]

Shame Micah Richards can't stay fit or he'd be England's best RB imo

[Guest]

When Micah Richards came into that England side, he looked fantastic. Everything that Gary Neville couldn't do, he could. I know injuries derailed him, but surely that talent can still be tapped into?

[GSC]

Hard to rely on him though. Might have to move for game time now with Zabaleta established

[Guest]

That's why I don't understand why he hasn't handed in a transfer request, 2 years ago. He will never be an England player if he stays at Man City.

[jimmyinthewell68]

That's why I don't understand why he hasn't handed in a transfer request, 2 years ago. He will never be an England player if he stays at Man City.

no English player will be a regular England international at man city

[Guest]

So why hasn't he asked to leave? Begged to join Arsenal? Made any soundings in the press about wanting to get first team football so he can get back in the England team? Either the guy has given up on himself, or he genuinely has no ambition.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

They wont want him to leave, they need their quote. Both Johnson and Walker are too poor defensively. For a man who has the virtue of pace in his defensive armoury, thought he was far too easily exposed by Matt Jarvis at our place last year. If Phil Jones plays a bit at right back for United then id pick him

[The Terror of Tylorstown]

Jones needs to be played at centre back and not right back from now other wise he'll never develop his game fully, it's all well and good being versatile but someone with his ability needs a set position.

[GSC]

Can't see Jones being a CB long term

[Crimey]

The problem is I think he definitely needs to find a position that becomes his permanent position, but I'm not sure he fits into any position right now. I think he's too ill-disciplined to be a centre back, not that he is aggressive but that I don't think he suits the position he needs more space to run. As a central midfielder I'm not sure he's a good enough passer to end up there, I would probably develop him there as I think it suits his strengths, he just needs to get better at distributing the ball. That would leave right back, but I have a feeling he doesn't see that as his long-term position and with Rafael there at United for the long-term future he'd struggle to break into the first team that way.

I'd go for central midfielder now as a tough tackling midfielder, but I'm not even convinced that's his best position just that he needs to find what it is.

[Crimey]

Torres has been dropped by Mourinho, as expected, but for Demba Ba...

Why does nobody at Chelsea seem to want to treat Lukaku right?

Kevin De Bruyne is the man dropped for the return of Juan Mata.

[mystiroakey]

What channel is the chelsea game on. Is it only the CL game on tv tonight?

[Duty281]

What channel is the chelsea game on. Is it only the CL game on tv tonight?

Yeah, don't think Chelsea are on TV tonight. Don't actually know why they are playing tonight - is it to do with the Super Cup?

[Crimey]

Yeah Super Cup is on the 30th, so the Villa game has been moved here.

No idea why Mourinho is using Ba over either Torres or Lukaku, I thought Ba looked really poor for Chelsea last year. He's had two good six month spells at Newcastle, bordered by two poor six month spells at Newcastle and Chelsea. Would have thought Chelsea would offload Ba with a new striker likely to come in.

[Guest]

I thought Richards would go on to win a bucketload of England caps when he broke through. I'd be surprised if he plays for England again.

Attitude and application seems to be the problem there. What might have been.

[Crimey]

I really think Richards needs a move, he's not going to get past Zabaleta at City and I think not playing often will never help his fitness which is so poor. Arsenal would be the perfect club for him I feel for him to establish himself as a good right back again.

[The Terror of Tylorstown]

Jones will be blooded as a centre back, it's where he's been played the most and only used at full back and midfield when the need has arisen. He just needs game time alongside Ferdinand.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Richards needs to go lower down. I honestly think it would do him wonders coming to a club like us. Allardyce would drill the defensive stuff into him and really make him use his physique too. I never rated his defensive discipline, he wont get that at Arsenal, but as an important figure he may rejuvenate his career. 

Could do Jones some good to play right back. Forces him to get time on the ball, which United want from centre backs, and defensive discipline, especially as he'll have a Vidic or Ferdinand one side of him for most of the time. Coaches are keen on young defenders playing areas like midfield too. Ferdinand, for example, whilst he started off at West Ham as a striker, he was primarily a midfielder before Tony Carr decided to coach his defensive game so that he would become a defender who sees the game in and around him, rather than just in front, whilst being comfortable on the ball.

[Guest]

I agree Chris. He'd be better suited to a West Ham or a Fulham so to speak.

A move to a Wenger Arsenal could ruin him even more.

[The Terror of Tylorstown]

Rio also shifted back as he was seen as a less able midfielder than Lampard, Carrick and Cole, turned out to be a blessing as it happened. All depends on how Moyes wants to utilise his defenders, have never been an avid watcher of Everton so don't know if he liked them with the ball at their feet or not.

[Fernando]

Chelsea: Cech, Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Cole, Ramires, Lampard, Oscar, Mata, Hazard, Ba. Subs: Mikel, Schurrle, De Bruyne, van Ginkel , Lukaku, Schwarzer, Azpilicueta.

Aston Villa: Guzan, Lowton, Vlaar, Clark, Luna, El Ahmadi, Westwood, Delph, Weimann, Benteke, Agbonlahor. Subs: Bennett, Okore, Bacuna, Helenius, Steer, Sylla, Tonev.

[Fernando]

Chelsea 1-0 Villa - Luna OG

[Fernando]

Chelsea 1-1 Villa - Benteke just before HT

[Duty281]

Villa top of the PL as it stands!

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Benteke is such a beast

Absolute animal

[The Special Juan]

Unbelievable Bentekkers... I too am surprised he never moved this summer but I reckon Villa just threw a shed load of money at him and that was that. Besides, who needs him? No one in England who could afford him does except Arsenal and the way they're going they wouldn't have stumped up the money anyway.

[The Special Juan]

I should also add that Agbonlahor has started the season superbly too.

[mystiroakey]

brilliant goal by arsenal.

[Crimey]

Agbonlahor just needs to add a bit of consistency to his game rather than spurts of excellence. Better to be consistently good than sporadically fantastic.

Think Aston Villa could be the surprise team of the year, a lot of promise shown in the first two games. If Benteke is injured though, Villa will struggle.

[Crimey]

Mata has looked poor tonight, mustn't be at full fitness.

[Crimey]

Controversy in the Villa game, Ivanovic probably should have been sent off for an elbow but instead stays on and immediately scores from a free kick.

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