*Official* English Football Season 2009-2010

[Ikki]

Liverpool fans expect to win the league every season. Second place is not good enough for them and they won't settle for it; I'm surprised you accept this so willingly.

I'm a realist. I look at the squad we've had throughout the last few years and look at the squads that have won it or gotten close and we've only just gotten to that level. As a 'Pool fan, I used to pin my hopes on the CL because we seemed to be well built for it and would go far. When your team is finishing 20 or so points behind the champions in the league, you have to be seriously deluded to think your team is worthy of being title-holders.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Think one thing Alonso going has already shown is that Liverpool were always more than just Gerrard and/or Torres. Alonso was the driving force of the team; Masch is one of the best screening midfielders in the Prem, but you won't see him picking out many key passes. I'll hold my hands up and say I don't know a lot about Aquilani, but he's not due back until October so if we factor in match-fitness and adjustment to the pace of the Prem I don't think we'll see the best of him until Xmas at the earliest.

Season will be at least shaped by then.

 

[Craig]

Livorno's Alessandro Diamanti signs for West Ham for £6m. Diamanti scored 18 goals in 37 Serie B games last season to earn the Amaranto promotion back to Serie A.

 

[sledger]

Big game tomorrow, would say Arsenal are actually favourites as well. Probably the best time to be playing Man Utd as well, Arsenal being traditionally good starters and Man Utd having started quite weakly. Wouldn't like to call it myself, but have hopes that Arsenal can get the win in this one, not sure if Fabregas is meant to be fit, could be crucial.

Edit: just realised that the game is at Old Trafford, could be a bit dodgy, but Arsenal usually put in a good showing there, so...fingers crossed. With City away next week it's important to get at least 2 points from both games imo. Can afford to lose one as long as we win the other, but losing both would be very bad imo. Two wins and we're laughing.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

The game's at Eastlands, am backing us to win it tbh. Wouldn't punt on us at the Emirates though, reckon we could go down 3 or 4 there. Also, the game isn't the week after. It's two weeks from this weekend, there's an international break between.

**** just realised we're at the Swamp straight after playing le Arse. Big couple of weeks, need to get results there. Would love a point or three at the swamp.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Big game tomorrow, would say Arsenal are actually favourites as well. Probably the best time to be playing Man Utd as well, Arsenal being traditionally good starters and Man Utd having started quite weakly. Wouldn't like to call it myself, but have hopes that Arsenal can get the win in this one, not sure if Fabregas is meant to be fit, could be crucial.

Edit: just realised that the game is at Old Trafford, could be a bit dodgy, but Arsenal usually put in a good showing there, so...fingers crossed. With City away next week it's important to get at least 2 points from both games imo. Can afford to lose one as long as we win the other, but losing both would be very bad imo. Two wins and we're laughing.

Oddschecker begs to differ:

Man U - 5/4
Arsenal - 13/5
Draw - 12/5

Word is Cesc is out so we're drifting out too.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Football365 | All The News | Football News | EDUARDO HIT WITH UEFA CHARGE

lol

 

[Craig]

Oddschecker begs to differ:

Man U - 5/4
Arsenal - 13/5
Draw - 12/5

Word is Cesc is out so we're drifting out too.

Well your team has my support this weekend.

 

[GIMH]

Football365 | All The News | Football News | EDUARDO HIT WITH UEFA CHARGE

lol

LOL, why didn't Steven Gerrard get one last year when he got that last minute penalty for Liverpool against whoever?

I know I said two wrongs don't make a right...but it seems to me that this is a rule which hasn't been enforced countless times. Maybe I'm wrong, dunno.

 

[TT Boy]

Called it yesterday. The Scottish FA is very powerful and UEFA is full of them.

 

[GIMH]

Yeah, you did indeed to be fair.

Love the fact that you can get a retrospective ban for that but FIFA absolutely insisted no such action for the likes of that Morgan scumbag from Sheffield United last season after his attempted murder on Iain Hume. On the basis that he was yellow carded by the referee no further action was possible.

Sorry, I know that's unrelated, I just think things like this need ironing out. By all means apply punishments for diving, but do them across the board. And do them for life-threatening challenges as well, regardless of what the original decision was.

 

[aussie]

You would think if SAF wanted any of them, they would of been included in the Ronaldo deal.

Yet he used the money to buy Valencia or Obetran. I understand him reasoning of not wanting to get caught up in the current spending spree. But i tell ya if Robben or Sneijder have top season for Milan & Munich - SAF decision will be looking awfully wack.

 

[grecian]

Talksport being particularly xenophobic with this Eduardo-thingy. Porky Parry defended a Rooney dive once when there was no contact saying he was "anticipating the challenge". Two days they've been going on about this now. One day on the Millwall-WestHam thing. A joke. At least Andy Jacobs has just said the fuss is because Eduardo is a foreigner. The dive changed nothing anyway, Celtic were so outclassed it was ridiculous.

I thought the dive was pathetic, BTW, but have never seen this type of fuss before.

Oh and it's great to see Old Firm supporters whinging about poor decisions against them, as it never happens in their favour, does it?

 

[Tom Halsey]

Benitez buys average players, takes a punt because that's frankly all we could afford. If he could afford to buy bigger players, he would.

The fact that your net spend over the last few years is considerably higher than United's (and presumably Chelsea's, though haven't checked, and definitely Arsenal's) would tend to negate this point.

 

[Jarquis]

Walcott's new ad.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rR_Yfa1OoCs&feature=player_embedded


The Arsenal Pledge
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSqKs6IoMKQ


Full video. Arsenal vs United. Make The Difference - The Pledge
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKdf4F1Xlbk

 

[GIMH]

Video embedding doesn't work here, best off just posting a link

 

[Jarquis]

Video embedding doesn't work here, best off just posting a link

Yeah, was editing as you posted tbf

 

[Uppercut]

The fact that your net spend over the last few years is considerably higher than United's (and presumably Chelsea's, though haven't checked, and definitely Arsenal's) would tend to negate this point.

I thought that might be the case too, but do you have a source?

 

[Uppercut]

Simply put, players like Salif Diao, Diouf, Mellor, Warnock, Baros, Traore, etc, don't deserve to be in a team with Liverpool's aspirations. Liverpool hasn't sold a player that was really good for us unless said player wanted to leave (Xabi). You seem to critique the entire transfer history we've had in the last few years on Momo Sissoko's departure.

You're seriously underplaying the quality of the side Benitez inherited. The defence in particular was outstanding. Hyypia, Henchoz, Carragher, Riise.

 

[Uppercut]

Oh and it's pretty obvious that Benitez has bought loads of ****e players, but so has Ferguson tbf

Ferguson signs a lot more good ones too. When was the last time Benitez snapped up a player of the quality of Evra (£5.5m), Vidic (£7m) or Ronaldo (£12m)? There's probably a few good ones, but not too many. His best signings were well before that though, Keano, Solskjaer, Irwin, Schmeichel.

More lately he's done well by not being afraid to splash out. You want a top-class centre back, so you pay £28m for Ferdinand. You want a top-class centre forward, so you pay £30m for Rooney. There's a few iffy ones like Hargreaves and Berbatov, but in general you know what you're getting. When Benitez has went big with Mascherano and Torres, that's when he's got the quality players.